The RELEVANT Podcast

'I Play Rocky' star Anthony Ippolito joins us as the movie about how a broke, unknown Sylvester Stallone got 'Rocky' made hits theaters this month. We talk about playing Stallone before he was Stallone, the audition tape nobody asked him for, what Stallone told him over Zoom and why the training montage was harder than the boxing.

In Slices, Jesse brings 'Shelf Life,' a new comedy starring 'Parks and Recreation' favorite Jim O'Heir and Zachary Levi about a pastor who loses his pulpit and lands at a grocery store, and asks why church comedy is so...

Joel Smallbone of for KING + COUNTRY joins us as his Christmas musical 'Drummer Boy' heads to theaters. We talk about the eight years it took to get it made, why the best musicals don't sing the whole time and an offer to musical haters that we have never heard an artist make before.

Then pastor and former NFL defensive back Dr. Derwin Gray gets honest about his new book, 'It's Time to Heal,' which sits right where faith and therapy meet. We talk about why depression isn't a sign you've sinned, why so many Christians spend y...

Former We The Kingdom singer Franni Cash grew up inside a cult, and her debut solo album ‘Here I Am’ is about what came after. We talk about the diary she had to hide, the day her family walked out, what she found when she met the real Jesus and what she’d tell anyone in a controlling church right now.

The crew also gets into the backlash to Carl and Laura Lentz’s latest round of interviews and what Christians actually expect from someone who is doing the work of repentance. 

In Slices, Derek takes us...

Former Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz and his wife Laura stayed together, and now they've written the book on it, 'Overcoming Infidelity.' We talk about the small warning signs, when leaving is actually the right call, what they've told their kids and what Carl says to the skeptics calling this a comeback tour.

Plus, Cameron is back from NYC, where Greta Gerwig previewed 'Narnia: The Magician's Nephew.’ He went in skeptical and tells us what he saw and heard. 

In Slices, Jesse makes the case for 'You Can See Everything,' the three-hour Elizabeth Hol...

Jamie MacDonald, fresh off winning New Artist of the Year at the Dove Awards, joins us as her new deluxe album arrives this week. We talk about what it’s like to be the biggest thing in CCM right now, reliving her testimony on stage every night and the Alaska fudge shop that can’t stop playing her record.

In RELEVANT Buzz, Instagram admits it’s been recommending Creed’s ‘Higher’ more than it should, and we think the algorithm might be trying to heal America. Drill rapper Fivio Foreign gets honest about the hardest part of his walk wit...

Irish folk trio Kingfishr joins us right as everyone's playlist turns to fall vibes. We talk about how they went from a self-described rip-off band to leaning all the way into traditional Irish music, the old farmhouse with walls thick enough to start a band in and what's giving them hope right now.

In Slices, Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan says plainly that Jesus is his Lord and Savior and that he doesn't care what it costs him. Derek brings a new study about the surprising group of married couples that are having the best intimacy, and...

Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac joins us as NBA teams kick off training camp this week. We talk about what happens when Christians put an athlete on a pedestal, the upcoming NBA season — his 10th — and how his faith-based athletic brand UNITUS has evolved over the last few years.

In Slices, Jesse found the 26-cent coin that just sold for $17,000 and has a retirement plan for whoever works at the Mint. Derek brings the new study showing Gen Z and millennials are drinking less (while Gen X picks up the slack). And Marty explains why Gen Z is b...

This week, the crew gets philosophical fast. Jesse makes the case that cornhole can cure the loneliness epidemic, Derek wants to bring back boredom and we figure out how doing nothing on a flight became an achievement. Derek also plays his new single 'Lift Me Up' and explains why he built it on the old synths instead of the easy way.

In RELEVANT Buzz, Greta Gerwig cast Meryl Streep as the voice of Aslan in the upcoming Narnia movie, and the comments did what the comments do. Jesse defends it, Derek explains it with potato salad and...

It's a special (shorter) episode this week! Andrew Garfield joins us — we talk about his new Paul Greengrass film 'The Uprising,' why he keeps coming back to characters who are searching and what he thinks faith has to do with justice.

Then pop artist Claire Rosinkranz talks with us backstage at Lollapalooza. She gets into the moment she says she heard God at 11 years old, what her therapist told her when she felt like she'd stopped hearing Him and why she grieves her younger self. (Plus some lighter stuff too.)

And then Cameron briefly ta...

This week Cory Asbury joins us. He walked away from worship music five years ago—we talk about what pulled him back and why it's different this time. His new worship record, Outsing the Angels, is out September 18.

In Slices, Jesse brings up the Tesla Cyber Cab, which is now driving around Austin with no steering wheel, no rearview mirror and no brake pedal, and the federal government has questions. (He also has a theory about what’s actually driving them.) Derek tells us how Skilla Baby’s prayer took over The Breakfast Club this week, and Marty...

This week SEU Worship joins us — we talk about the SEU Outpouring and their new album 'Found in the Field.' 

In RELEVANT Buzz, 'Scary Movie' star Anna Faris opens up on Chelsea Handler's podcast about her 14-year-old son and the conversations he keeps having with her about Jesus. Then the biggest artist in music right now, Ella Langley, is rewriting the record books and getting bolder about God from the stage. We play what she said at a recent show. Then there's 'Death of the Pastor's Wife,' the new Netflix series about Mica Miller, the Sou...

This week we're joined by Michael Cochren, the soul-and-blues frontman of Cochren & Co. He talks about the eight years he spent waiting on an answer from God and why he refuses to say God is good just because things finally worked out. We spotlight the band's new album, 'Runs in the Blood.'

In RELEVANT Buzz, Cory Asbury posted and deleted a shirtless workout photo, apologized for it and then got roasted by every friend he has in Christian music. Also, survivors launched the first national database of Protestant leaders accused of abuse, years after the SBC...

This week, "This Is How We Do It" singer Montell Jordan joins us. He and his wife, Kristin, went from platinum records and world tours to planting a church, and they talk about what was missing in the middle of all that success. Also on the show, Ryan Ellis, who spent a decade writing worship music and now shows us what else he’s got. We spotlight his new album, ‘No Halo.’

In RELEVANT Buzz, Saints quarterback Drew Brees went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and built his speech around the day Christ changed his life...

This week we're joined by Lily Hooten of Housefires, the Atlanta worship collective, to talk about their new album House Church Vol. 001. She talks with Emily about how the record came together and where the collective is going from here.

In RELEVANT Buzz, “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” singer Mike Posner is going public about finding faith, his baptism and laying out what he thinks being a Christian actually requires of him. We also get into a Gen Z trend that gives singleness a rebrand, plus the A-list artists selling mystery concert tickets for a low price...

This week, adventurer Bear Grylls joins us to tell us about The Chosen in the Wild, his new Prime Video series debuting Sunday. He takes the cast into Utah canyons and the Great Basin Desert, and tells us what Jonathan Roumie is actually like off camera.

We also have Emily’s recap of a memorable Lollapalooza this past weekend, Spider-Man: Brand New Day making U.S. box office history, and movie theaters having a record-setting comeback. We also get into the professor who found a way to catch students using AI on exams, and Arizona State announcing a...

This week we're joined by Tim Tebow and Kirk Cousins, two of the most recognizable quarterbacks in the game who have both spent years on the same fight. We talk about World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, which is this week — Tebow on what opened his eyes to the scale of it, Cousins on how his faith turned into two decades of advocacy.

In RELEVANT Buzz, new research from the Billy Graham Center Research Institute found that 48% of Gen Z adults say Christians' support of Trump has made them less likely to go to church. 

In...

This week, we're joined by Davide Mutendji of Elevation Rhythm, whose new album WASHED just dropped. He tells us about the heart behind the project and how Drake became a surprising inspiration for the worship group.

In RELEVANT Buzz, the trailer for ‘I Play Rocky’ arrived, and it sent us down a rabbit hole into Sylvester Stallone's faith journey — including a conversation where he calls out Christians who think they can skip church. (Rocky would never!) We also dig into a new study finding only one in three young adults are dating even though nearly all of them w...

This week, we're joined by rapper, apparel label owner and pastor KB, whose new album 'This Cannot Be Sold' is out this week. He talks about why he refuses to package Jesus for marketability and what staying loyal to Christ over politics and tribalism actually costs.

In RELEVANT Buzz, ‘Wednesday’ star Emma Myers opens up about turning to God in the hardest season of her life, Lecrae admits he spent years treating John Piper's words like Scripture, and the crew unpacks what the Reformed era of Christian hip-hop got right and wrong. Plus, the first Christian song to t...

This week, three-time Grammy winner Tori Kelly joins us to talk about her new album 'God Must Really Love Me,' written just weeks after she became a first-time mom. She tells us how it’s changed her approach to songwriting and her view of God.

In RELEVANT Buzz, new research finds while Gen Z is the most church-engaged generation, it’s also the least likely to pray. What? We also take a lap around the World Cup's faith stories, and Forrest Frank now has the largest arena tour in the country.

In Slices, Jesse tell...

This is the perfect episode for summer vacation season. First, Tiffany Hudson from Elevation Worship joins us to tell us about her new solo album ‘When You're in the Room,’ and the importance of “vertical” lyrics in worship music. Then rapper Parris Chariz joins us for the second half of the show. We talk about his new album ‘The World Is Watching,’ basketball and his unusual path to seminary.

In Slices, Jesse gives us a look at his vision for the future of politics in America (it looks a lot like jury duty), and Derek takes us to the front...

This week — after the crew discusses summer vacations, cruise classes and the Jersey Shore — we talk to Jessica Koulianos, co-founder of Jesus Image, about what it actually looks like to go deeper with God instead of just consuming more church content.

In RELEVANT Buzz, Team USA has turned the World Cup into a faith story, and we get into Steven Spielberg's new film ‘Disclosure Day’ and the surprising amount of room it gives to faith. 

In RELEVANT Recommends, we talk to Christian R&B artist Sondae, whose new album is a must-listen.

In Slices, s...

Andy Mineo and Wordsplayed are back as Magic and Bird, and tell us all about the sequel to their 2017 cult classic album. We also get into the state of Christian hip-hop, why nobody is vetted anymore, and spend a genuinely uncomfortable amount of time guessing Derek Minor's net worth to his face.

In RELEVANT Buzz, the SBC voted to ban women from the pulpit and it wasn't close. Victory Boyd forgave Travis Scott and ended up in the studio with him. And Pharrell started his Christian rap era with a Voices of Fire song called "The One."<...

This week 2819 Church pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell joins us, the Atlanta preacher whose sermon clips have taken over your feed. He tells us why he buried his old church after losing everything during COVID and why he believes the church is running out of time to wake up.

Before that convo, the guys recap a week off the grid in Montana that turned into a grown-man sleepover built around 80s action movies. We also get into how one offhand comment on Derek's "You Can't Say That in Church" podcast set off a week-long Christian hip-hop firestorm, and...

This week, Johnnyswim joins us to give an exclusive look at three major projects they’re about to release. The duo has had a very busy couple of years, and surprisingly it’s not been all about music. 

In RELEVANT Buzz, we bring the recent update on Mel Gibson's The Resurrection of the Christ and get some inspiration from PGA great Scottie Scheffler. In Slices, a Cybertruck owner tests his freedom by driving straight down a boat ramp into a lake because Elon said it could float, and Joey Chestnut got into some legal trouble after a recen...

This week, we talk to Brooke Ligertwood about her new album ‘Eat,’ which is unlike anything she's put out before. 

In RELEVANT Buzz, we break down new data that highlights where the Church has actually been growing over the last decade — and where it hasn’t. We also tell the story of the e.l.f. Cosmetics co-founder who gave away his fortune and is becoming a priest. Plus we have a look at the new Moses limited series on Prime Video starring Sir Ben Kingsley. (It’s impressive.)

In Slices, Jesse has some thoughts about kamik...

Comedian Anjelah Johnson-Reyes joins the show to talk about her new special "Ugly Baby" and how a joke-writing class at her church kicked off her stand-up career. Then Christian UFO researcher Timothy Alberino comes on to make sense of the Pentagon's newly declassified UFO files. The cast walks through why aliens, demons and military tech are three different conversations most people are lumping into one, where the Nephilim theory in Genesis 6 fits in and why none of this should rattle anyone's theology. Alberino's book "Birthright" is worth a read if this rabbit hole calls to you.

In...

It’s episode 1300! In RELEVANT Buzz, we talk about Hulu’s new Christian college dating series that you need to hear to believe. We also talk about WNBA star Sophie Cunningham's recent faith declaration, Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu’s faithful pregame ritual and a new Bible movie about Daniel that’s releasing this fall.

In Slices, a Wisconsin solid waste facility has an unusual speed limit, a Harvard scientist helps build China’s AI supercomputer, and the crew finds a Guinness World Record worth actually pursuing.

The show ends with One Has to Go, and be warned...

This week we're joined by Hulvey, who just dropped his final album on Reach Records. He tells us why he turned down a Kanye West collab and the reason behind his new season.

In RELEVANT Buzz, Theo Von gets surprisingly vulnerable on his podcast about being stuck in destructive cycles. A new study finds that 60% of Gen Z has gone no contact with friends or family. We get into why. 

There's NBA playoff rivalries, unexpected gifts, insane 80s movies, insurance fraud, bees escaping. It's a packed, crazy episode!

Highlights:

00:00 — Intro / Magic vs...

The week, we’re joined by one of the funniest comedians going right now — Derrick Stroup, who has a fantastic new special on Netflix. He tells us how he got his start in comedy and why keeping things clean is an intentional choice.

In RELEVANT Buzz, we dive into a new Gallup study that reveals 50% more young men say religion is very important to them than did just a few years ago. There’s a lot to unpack — including why young women are going the opposite direction. We then share a clip that went viral this week of Charl...

This week, we sit down with former Hillsong-ers Aodhan King and Benjamin William Hastings, who just announced a joint worship album dropping next month. They tell us about it — and also tell the unhinged story of how they met 15 years ago. (Lesson: Need pants? You might meet a new friend.)

In RELEVANT Buzz, this week Lecrae became the first Christian rapper on NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts (apologies to Marla) and we tell you about M.I.A.'s new faith-rooted album inspired by the Book of Revelation and the Ark of the Covenant. (Yes, we play *that* Ind...

This week, Cameron, Derek, Emily and Marty cover a ton: American Idol's Songs of Faith Night, which was way more Jesus-heavy this year than last, British Christian rapper DC3 making MOBO Awards history, and the story of Forrest Frank's new indie band having to ditch their name days before releasing their debut album.

In RELEVANT Recommends, we talk to Madison Ryann Ward — an amazing, soulful singer (and former D1 volleyball player) who walked away from Rick Rubin's label after rededicating her life to Christ, and is now showing up everywhere and absolutely thriving. 

In Slices, we...

Cameron, Jesse, Derek and Emily are all back together for a packed episode. In RELEVANT Recommends, we highlight Indie Tribe's new album, Who Do You Say I Am? and caught up with the guys at SXSW to talk about the making of the project and what it says about who they are as a group.

In RELEVANT Buzz: Alabama's basketball team has been quietly building a faith culture all season that's worth knowing about. Then, as Stephen Colbert is wrapping up the Late Show, his next move is pretty unexpected: writing a Lord of the Rings movie w...

Worship leader Pat Barrett — known for "Good Good Father" and "Build My Life" — joins Cameron, Jesse and Emily to talk about his new live album 'Break Open,' why he sat on the title track for nearly a decade, and his late-in-life obsession with surfing (including an upcoming trip to Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch). He also gets honest about how his thinking on songwriting vs. worship leading has shifted, because of course we ask awkward questions.

Also, Emily brings RELEVANT Buzz fresh from South by Southwest, where she sat in on a panel with Vince Gilligan — creator of Bre...

Ryan Gosling joins the RELEVANT Podcast to talk about his new sci-fi film Project Hail Mary — what made him fall in love with this story and why this one might be a "core memory" film for a generation. 

Before that, Emily reports from SXSW to break down the week's biggest faith-and-culture stories: a Christian animated short film made by two Pixar animators and 200 volunteers (including musician Josh Garrels) got nominated for an Oscar. Also Christian apologist Wesley Huff went on the popular podcast 'Diary of a CEO' and told Stephen Bartlett to his face he's going to hel...

Colony House is back with a new album, and they sat down with Emily to reflect on 10 years of making music and what they want the next decade to look like. 

In RELEVANT Buzz: Papa Roach lead singer Jacoby Shaddix shares his powerful faith journey — from foxhole prayer, to sobriety and a faith that sounds like the real thing. We also bring a story flying under the radar: nearly a million Christians are living inside Iran right now, and we hear directly from believers on the ground to get their thoughts on the war and religious freedom. 

Zachary Levi — Chuck, Shazam, and now host of the new docu-drama David: King of Israel — joins us to talk about why the story of David is the one he keeps coming back to. It's a story of someone who's broken, who makes terrible decisions, and who somehow still gets called a man after God's own heart. Levi explains what sets this show apart from all the other David content out there right now and why he thinks everyone needs to hear this story again.

Also in this episode: We've been hearing a lot about revival — from the SEU ou...

This week, Elevation Worship's Chris Brown tells us why the band took an extra year off from releasing music — and what their new album ‘So Be It’ sounds like on the other side of that pause. We also hear from Portland Trail Blazers chaplain Mike Tatlock, who talked to us during NBA All-Star Weekend to share what he's seeing behind the scenes: more players showing up to chapel, more genuine conversations about faith, and a tangible spiritual shift across pro sports.

In RELEVANT Buzz, we dig into a new report revealing the alcohol industry has lost $830 billion in the...

This week, Zach Williams from indie-folk band The Lone Bellow joins the show to talk about their new album — including the wild story of how their van was broken into, all their recordings were stolen, and their fans raised enough money to help them start over.

In RELEVANT Buzz, we show you the ongoing worship outpouring happening at Southeastern University in Florida, where students have been in nonstop prayer, worship and confession for the last week (we talk to the campus pastor). We also break down the viral claim that Christian hip hop is the #1 rap subgenre on...

This week, actor Milo Ventimiglia — known for 'This Is Us,' 'Gilmore Girls' and 'Heroes' — tells us why he chose to star in a new Christian movie, playing real-life worship artist Tim Timmons, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer over 20 years ago and is still defying the odds today. 

In RELEVANT Buzz, the crew recaps the Super Bowl — including the incredible story of Seahawks coach Mike McDonald, who followed God's calling to leave the corporate world to take an unpaid internship in coaching. And now 12 years later, it's led to a Super Bowl championship. We also dig into a...

This week, legendary Christian rapper Trip Lee tells us about his unexpected move into worship music with his new album. Before that, the crew swaps stories from last week's historic winter storm—Emily survived three days without power in freezing temps and Jesse narrowly avoided going to a fun Orlando Magic game with Cameron.

In RELEVANT Buzz, we break down Jelly Roll's powerful Grammy acceptance moment, plus the youngest Grammy winner at just eight years old. We also dive into new research showing the vast majority of people want authentic faith representation in TV and movies, and th...