Worship is my Weapon Podcast with Rita Springer

What do you do when you no longer trust your pastor? How do you know whether it’s time to leave a church? And have you really lost your calling—or are you simply burned out?

In this episode of Worship Is My Weapon, Rita Springer answers real questions from worship leaders, church staff and people navigating the complicated realities of serving in ministry.

Rita gets candid about honoring leaders you disagree with, leaving a church without carrying offense into the next one, unhealthy expectations of loyalty, ministry burnout, losing your passion for worship, and the desire for a bigger platform.

She also shares honestly about questioning her own calling as a songwriter and the exhaustion that can come from playing the “game” of the worship industry.

And underneath every question is an even deeper one: What is God trying to do in you through the season you’re in?

0:00 Intro
1:10 Welcome to Worship Is My Weapon
5:25 Supporting Wearing Justice & the Podcast
7:30 The Story Behind Wearing Justice
9:30 What Today’s Q&A Is About
13:36 How Do I Honor a Pastor I No Longer Trust?
21:57 How Do You Know When It’s Time to Leave a Church?
25:56 What If Loyalty Doesn’t Allow Disagreement?
33:44 Burnout or Losing Your Calling?
38:23 What If I Don’t Feel Anything When Leading Worship?
45:10 Can I Want a Bigger Platform and Still Want Jesus?
52:50 Knowing God vs. Just Doing Ministry
53:47 Learning to Hear God’s Voice
60:01 Final Encouragement & Closing

If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!

Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringer

If you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍

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What if “the other side” doesn’t look anything like you thought it would?

This week, Joe L and Lauren Barnes turn the tables and interview Rita about hearing God, prophetic words, obedience, suffering, spiritual comparison, and the story behind her upcoming record, The Other Side.

Rita opens up about the danger of speaking too quickly when you believe God has said something—but also the cost of staying silent because you're afraid of getting it wrong. Together, they wrestle with why Christians can become obsessed with someone else’s “oil,” whether we sometimes romanticize the wilderness, and why following Jesus was never a promise that life would become easy.

Sometimes the other side isn't a change in circumstances. Sometimes it's discovering that Jesus is still Jesus in the middle of them.
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00:00 Intro
01:14 Welcome + Turning the Tables on Rita
05:10 How Rita, Joel & Lauren Met
07:19 The Prophetic Word That Changed Their Story
12:06 From Friendship to Family
14:12 Finding the Courage to Hear & Obey God
16:40 The Missionary, the Car & the Cost of Hesitation
23:15 What Happens When People Don’t Obey?
26:33 When It Feels Like God Didn’t Show Up
27:40 From Fed by Ravens to The Other Side
30:17 The Other Side Is a Mindset Shift
32:53 Are We Selling the Wrong Gospel?
35:15 The Unseen Battles Behind the “Oil”
36:48 Recognizing Jesus in the Distance
40:09 Revival, Repentance & the Wilderness
42:53 Don’t Chase the Wilderness for the Oil
47:22 You Don’t Know What Their Calling Cost
48:16 Stop Comparing Your Calling to Someone Else’s
51:22 What Are You Actually Called to Carry?
53:26 Find Your Own Fragrance
55:55 The Light at the End of the Tunnel
1:00:32 Can You Be Disappointed and Still Be Faithful?
1:02:40 What Does Contentment Really Mean?
1:04:44 The Story Behind “The Other Side”
1:06:25 What the New Record Will Sound Like
1:08:19 “I Just Want to Know Him More”

If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!

Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringer

If you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍

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Franni Cash joins Rita Springer for an incredibly honest conversation about growing up in what she describes as a cult, losing her community, questioning her faith, and eventually learning to separate who God is from the people who misrepresented Him.

Franni shares the story behind We the Kingdom and why she ultimately knew she needed to step away—even while the band was experiencing incredible success. She opens up about crying every night on tour, the return of self-harm, and the realization that something looking “blessed” from the outside doesn’t always mean you’re supposed to stay.

They also talk about forgiveness, therapy, rediscovering her love for music, the real story behind “Kool-Aid,” and Franny’s new chapter as a solo artist.

Now that so much of the pain has healed, Franny is wrestling with a completely new question: What happens when an artist who has always created from pain learns to create from peace?

If you’ve ever experienced church hurt, confused success with calling, or had to rediscover who God is beyond the people who represented Him, this conversation is for you.
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0:00 Intro
1:08 Welcome + Meet Franni Cash
3:15 Who Was Franni Cash?
5:43 Growing Up in a Church Cult
8:04 The Truth Comes Out
11:09 Finding God After Spiritual Trauma
17:17 Forgiveness, Surrender + Healing
18:50 Amazing Kids
19:46 Learning to Forgive
21:26 Songwriting, Theology + Finding Her Own Voice
22:56 Why Franni Left We The Kingdom
28:32 Choosing Her Life Over Success
31:29 Redefining God’s Favor
34:25 Who Is Franni Cash Now?
38:36 Breaking the Christian Music Mold
39:40 Falling in Love With Music Again
43:19 Choosing Art Over Commercial Success
47:52 Staying Creative Without Losing Yourself
51:20 Authenticity After a Controlling Church
53:23 The Story Behind “Kool-Aid”
55:32 Creating the Album + Finding Freedom
58:43 Can Great Art Come From Peace?
1:01:06 Creating Beyond Pain
1:04:22 Who Is Franni Cash Becoming?
1:07:27 The Future of Christian Art
1:11:25 Art, Evangelism + Authenticity
1:15:23 The “Unknown Daisy” Encounter
1:18:03 Creating With God
1:20:22 The Songs Still Waiting to Be Written
1:23:01 Franni’s New Record + Closing

If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!

Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringer

If you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍

💌 Stay connected with Rita by signing up for her exclusive mailing list: https://2f1ja.share.hsforms.com/2ioKtH_9GRNiXq3hp6ykFmw

What do you do when you know God is good, but you’re still heartbroken over something He allowed?

In this episode of Worship Is My Weapon, Rita Springer gets deeply honest about the difference between being heart-sick and being brokenhearted, the wounds we learn to live around, and the places where repeated disappointment can quietly affect our trust in God.

Rita shares how God began revealing broken pieces she thought she had already moved past and the invitation to finally hand those pieces back to Him.

If you’ve been praying, waiting, grieving, or wondering why God hasn’t changed something, this conversation is an invitation to be honest with Him, lay down the burden, and rediscover His nearness in the middle of your brokenness.

00:00 Intro

01:03 Welcome to Worship Is My Weapon

03:36 Living With a Broken Heart

05:39 Does God Allow Our Hearts to Be Broken?

08:13 Staying Curious in Your Faith

09:28 Giving God the Broken Pieces

11:29 Amazing Kids

12:26 Heart Sick vs. Brokenhearted

16:11 When the Hits Keep Coming

18:43 The Enemy Attacks Our Weaknesses

20:31 Finding Strength After Brokenness

26:11 God Is Near to the Brokenhearted

30:01 Accepting God's Invitation to Draw Near

33:28 How Crisis Reveals Our Relationship With God

35:32 Breaking Cycles of Disappointment

38:14 What Are You Still Holding Onto?

41:12 Giving God the Burden of Your Brokenness

42:42 Healing vs. Remaining Sensitive to the Wound

46:18 God's Desire Is to Heal and Restore

47:41 What to Do When God Feels Silent

49:26 Are You Heart Sick or Brokenhearted?

49:57 God Is Not Offended by Your Honesty

51:51 Surrendering Without Having All the Answers

52:30 Don't Let Worry Steal Your Wonder

53:44 Letting God Repair a Broken Heart

If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!

Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringer

If you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍

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What happens when a genuine calling from God slowly turns into a need to be chosen?

Harvest Bashta Grapevine joins Rita Springer for an incredibly honest conversation about worship, ambition, disappointment, prophetic words, divorce, comparison and rediscovering why she fell in love with the presence of God in the first place.

Long before Harvest was a worship leader, she was a young girl praying, “God, make me a voice.” But after discovering her gift, hearing that she was “anointed,” and watching others receive the opportunities she thought God had promised her, something began to change.

In this episode, Harvest and Rita wrestle with a difficult question for every gifted believer: What if your calling was never supposed to become a platform?

They talk about the worship industry, the danger of building your identity around your gift, prophetic words that create unrealistic expectations, surviving deep personal disappointment, and finding freedom in simply being faithful where God has planted you.

00:00 Intro
01:22 Welcome & Introducing Harvest Grapevine
07:02 Growing Up in Revival & a Family on Mission
11:56 "Lord, Make Me a Voice"
15:29 Living in the Prayer Room
20:03 Marked by God vs. Chosen by God
22:40 When Worship Became About People's Approval
28:58 The Fast Rise of a Worship Career
30:50 Losing the Doorkeeper Heart
35:00 Feeling Used by Ministry
39:28 Comparison, Rejection & the Industry
46:15 Divorce, Disappointment & Rock Bottom
49:20 God Restores Identity During Sabbatical
52:16 Returning to the Prayer Room
53:48 Why Worship Leaders Are Burning Out
59:09 Prophecy, Calling & Expectations
01:05:20 "I've Reserved You for Myself"
01:11:46 The Gift Was Never the Destination
01:18:42 Releasing Music vs. Loving Jesus
01:22:47 Advice for Dreamers & Staying Faithful
01:27:57 How to Handle Prophetic Words
01:33:53 Returning to Your First Love
01:35:03 Closing Thoughts

If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!

Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringer

If you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍

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What does it really mean to know who you are? 

Rita Springer sits down with Doe Jones for an honest conversation about identity, purpose, race, motherhood, anxiety, and living as the person God created you to be. 

From the story behind "Black Boy" to why she believes God made her a Black woman on purpose, this episode is a powerful reminder that your identity is found in Christ—not in the labels the world gives you.

00:00 Intro
01:04 Welcome Doe | The Story Behind Her Name
05:39 Growing Up Between Washington & Louisiana
07:24 Discovering Her Gift for Music
10:14 Knowing She Was Called to Create
12:24 Sponsor: Amazing Kids Curriculum
13:20 Christian Artist vs Christian Who Goes to Work
18:40 Creativity, Calling & Writing with God
20:08 Identity, Purpose & Being a Black Woman
25:30 The Powerful Story Behind "Black Boy"
32:46 Creating the New Album "Shiloh"
36:08 The Weight of Writing Songs for the Church
42:35 Women, Worship & Pioneering New Paths
46:04 Bridging Generations in the Church
48:19 Mental Health, Anxiety & Learning to Thrive
55:13 Does God Trust You?
56:02 Motherhood, Grace & Depending on God
58:16 Generational Blessing & God's Faithfulness
01:00:32 The New Album "Shiloh"
01:01:43 Touring While Raising Young Children
01:05:52 Final Thoughts

If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!

Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringer

If you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍

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What happens when the people around you are more talented than you?

Rita sits down with longtime friend and pioneering Vineyard worship leader Cindy Rethmeier for an honest conversation about comparison, insecurity, female leadership, creativity, and learning to recognize what only you can bring.

Cindy shares what it was like helping forge a path for women in worship, why increasingly talented musicians once intimidated her, and the lesson that eventually changed everything: comparison is deadly.

They also reflect on the early Vineyard worship movement, raising up people who eventually surpass you, the pressure to “keep up” in modern worship culture, and why the microphone was never supposed to be the goal.

If you've ever wondered whether you're talented enough, gifted enough, or qualified enough to lead the people around you, this conversation is for you.

00:00 Intro
01:15 Welcome Cindy Rethmeier
02:18 The Early Vineyard Movement
06:16 How Cindy Started Leading Worship
11:20 Discovering Her Calling
13:03 Women in Worship Leadership
17:01 Leading with Confidence & Authority
19:29 Leading When Others Are More Talented
20:17 Sponsor: Amazing Kids Curriculum
20:47 Knowing Who You Are
23:09 Has Worship Leadership Changed?
25:21 Finding Your Lane
27:08 Identity Beyond Ministry
31:16 Confidence, Risk & Calling
33:33 Comparison in Worship Ministry
36:10 John Wimber's Lasting Influence
39:55 Remembering Brian Doerksen
44:36 Comparison Is Deadly
48:16 Writing Songs Without an Agenda
52:21 Songs That Still Matter
56:11 Creating Every Day
58:39 Escaping the Pressure to Keep Up
01:02:09 Success vs. Calling
01:04:09 Advice for Young Women Worship Leaders
01:07:10 The Gift of Authenticity
01:08:37 Legacy, Grandchildren & What Matters Most
01:10:26 Final Thoughts & Closing

If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!

Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringer

If you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍

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Steven Curtis Chapman and Mary Beth Chapman have been married for more than four decades, but they'll be the first to tell you it hasn't been a fairy tale.

In this deeply honest conversation, Steven and Mary Beth join Rita to talk about the differences that once led a counselor to say they had “no business being married,” the devastating loss of their youngest daughter, Mary Beth's “free fall of faith,” and the decision to keep choosing each other through seasons that could have torn them apart.

They also unpack what they've learned about counseling, surrender, soulmates, parenting adult children, adoption, and discovering the goodness of God in life's darkest places.

Steven and Mary Beth's new book, Still Here: Life Together on the Long Way Home, tells the story of a marriage that isn't perfect, but by the grace of God, is still here.

00:00 Intro

01:08 Meet Steven Curtis Chapman and Mary Beth Chapman

04:13 Why They Wrote "Still Here"

10:21 Why They're Still Here After 41 Years

11:45 What Makes a Marriage Last?

17:08 Sponsor: Amazing Kids Curriculum

18:04 Counseling, Therapy & the Ultimate Counselor

27:20 Learning Surrender in Marriage

31:21 What Is a Soulmate?

33:18 Growing Through Life's Hardest Seasons

35:55 Losing Their Daughter & Holding Onto Faith

39:47 "It's Worth It" — Why They Stayed

42:55 Parenting Through Pain & Letting Go

53:13 Adoption, Show Hope & Seeing the Heart of God

1:01:07 How Show Hope Has Helped Over 10,000 Children

1:05:30 Final Thoughts & Where to Find the Book

1:07:03 Marriage, Grandkids & Growing Older Together

If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!

Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringer

If you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍

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Patrick Lencioni joins Rita Springer to unpack the life-changing concept of Working Genius, discovering the two kinds of work God uniquely designed you to love.

Together they explore burnout, calling, church leadership, parenting and why so many Christians feel like frauds when they're simply working outside their God-given design. 

If you've ever wondered why some work energizes you and other work drains you, this conversation is for you.

00:00 Intro

00:59 Rita's Unexpected Catholic Leadership Gathering

03:56 Pat's Vision for Christian Unity

06:46 Why Unity in the Church Matters

10:28 The New Divide Among Christians

14:16 Sponsor – Amazing Kids Curriculum

15:12 Performance vs. Authentic Faith

17:17 Why Young People Are Returning to Catholicism

22:17 The Working Genius Explained

29:06 The Six Types of Working Genius

34:15 Putting People in the Right Roles

40:16 Burnout in Church Leadership

45:40 Helping Young People Find Their Calling

57:15 Discovering Your "Burning"

59:40 Gifts vs. Virtues

01:04:23 Healthy Churches & Faithful Leadership

01:05:31 The Future of Church Unity

01:06:18 Surrender, Suffering & Spiritual Growth

01:12:39 Where to Learn More About Working Genius

If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!

Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringer

If you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍

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Christine D'Clario shares the story she never planned to tell. 

After accidentally admitting on live radio that she was battling mental illness, she expected her ministry to be over. Instead, her vulnerability opened the door for countless people to seek healing. 

This conversation explores burnout, trauma, Sabbath, therapy, worship, and the surprising purpose of healing.

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Get a copy of Christine's new book, "Healing in the Desert: Finding Your Voice on the Journey from Brokenness to Freedom" here: https://a.co/d/03WCWaDg

Try Amazing+ Free: Access the world’s first total ministry strategy from curriculum and technology, to training and resources, free for 30 days here: https://www.joinamazing.com/freetrial

📧 Got feedback or podcast topic suggestions? Email Rita:
[email protected] or [email protected]

If you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍

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If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!

Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringer

If you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍

💌 Stay connected with Rita by signing up for her exclusive mailing list: https://2f1ja.share.hsforms.com/2ioKtH_9GRNiXq3hp6ykFmw