The Walk: A Devotional Podcast from Worship Leader Magazine

Tommy Coomes and Jay Truax were there. Not adjacent to the Jesus Movement, not students of it, but in it, on the beach, in the room. They're two of the founding members of Love Song, and this conversation is the long version of how a handful of California musicians accidentally became the front end of an entire industry.
Jay starts at the beginning. He was an inland surfer who helped build the first skateboards out of plywood and cut-up roller skates on his dad's bandsaw. He talked his father into a guitar instead of a trumpet, got a 1957 Strat from a pawn shop for ninety dollars, and traded it in 1963 for a brand new Fender Jazz bass. Two weeks later his band opened for the Beach Boys in a skating rink, and Brian Wilson asked to borrow the bass. Jay was fifteen. Then came the surfing, the LSD, a string of bands, and two years in Salt Lake City playing alongside the Grateful Dead and Creedence.
Tommy played trumpet for fourteen years, formed a band, and within six months all three of them were drafted at the height of Vietnam. Fred Field went to Vietnam. Chuck Butler went to South Korea. Tommy went to Germany, where he got deep into drugs mostly out of loneliness. He spent his leave in London and was standing on Carnaby Street the day Apple released its first four singles, with "Hey Jude" blasting out of every doorway. He came home in early 1969 planning to quit music and get a real job. Then friends dragged him to see a band called Love Song at a bar in Costa Mesa, and somewhere in a song he decided he couldn't quit after all.
The heart of it is what happened next, and how little of it was planned. Tommy invokes the opening of 1 John, this is what we saw, this is what we heard, and calls himself and Jay living witnesses, noting that the generation who can say that is thinning out. Jay's account of the Holy Spirit is the plainest thing in the episode: it comes about when you pull the plug on everything and stop getting in the way. They woke up with no idea what the day held and played three times a day, in jails, convalescent homes, high schools, two services at the Orange County jail. Jay compares it to being firemen. The phone rang and they went.
They tell it without polishing it. There's the Seventh Day Adventist church where they had no idea the congregation was vegetarian until Fred gave his testimony about being delivered from vegetarianism. There's Madison Square Garden one week and a flatbed truck on the Rio Grande in El Paso the next, which is where Tommy lands one of the best lines in the episode about being the same person in front of sixteen people or fifty thousand. There's Calvary Chapel going from a room the fire marshal capped around 220 to 2,500 people in a matter of months, with local pastors turning up in white belts to see what was going on.
Then Maranatha! Music, which is the part worship leaders will want. Chuck Smith sent them to a four-track studio in Huntington Beach. The compilation cost four thousand dollars, sold 160,000 copies with no distribution, and the records lived in a Sunday school room. Michael W. Smith found a copy in a used clothing store in West Virginia, took it home, and walked the aisle of his Baptist church six weeks later. Twenty years on, Tommy asked Chuck Smith why he'd started the label. The answer: because the band had no gas money and he figured an album to sell would get them home.
Kurtis asks about Chuck Fromm, who founded Worship Leader, and the two of them light up. Chuck Smith's nephew, called down from a city administration job in Yuba City to run Maranatha!, a man who used his Rolodex as a thinking tool and would talk an idea through with someone for an hour just to hear it out loud. Tommy tells the story of Chuck buying property and building a real studio without telling his uncle first. It opened in 1978 with fifty of the best tube mics in the world, and they recorded in it nonstop.
The last stretch is a challenge. Tommy is blunt about what he sees walking into rooms as a producer: he estimates 60% of people in the pews aren't singing at all, and he lays it at the feet of volume and craft rather than sincerity. He points to Cliff Barrows, who never called it worship and always called it community singing, and who could make fifty thousand people feel like a living room. His charge to worship leaders is to be a communicator first, because there are plenty of great players and very few great communicators. He also refuses the easy version of the argument, insisting God isn't an either-or God and that he's all in when a room full of people knows the songs and pours their hearts out.
Kurtis closes by asking whether God could do something like the Jesus Movement again. Tommy says yes, and points out that people get serious about finding a raft when the ship starts sinking. Then he tells his own conversion story, which he'd been saving. He was working a factory job, paying off a court fine, living with his parents, one day from starting at his father's construction company. There was a note by the phone about an anti-drug rally. Love Song played three services for the Orange County police department, the same department that had illegally searched him and put him through a year of court. On the third service he ended up on the floor crying for forty-five minutes.
"If there's sixteen people in front of you, or sixteen thousand or fifty thousand, you gotta be the same guy." - Tommy Coomes
ABOUT TOMMY COOMES AND JAY TRUAX
Tommy Coomes and Jay Truax are founding members of Love Song, the band formed in the late 1960s out of the counterculture scene in Laguna Beach, California, and widely regarded as the first Christian rock band. Alongside Chuck Girard, John Mehler, Fred Field and Bob Wall, they came out of the Southern California club circuit, with Jay's earlier bands sharing stages with the Grateful Dead, Creedence and Canned Heat, before finding their way to Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa under Pastor Chuck Smith. Love Song became one of the founding acts of Maranatha! Music and helped shape what Time magazine called the "Jesus Revolution" in 1971, influencing a generation of artists who followed. Tommy went on to a long career as a producer and has worked for years with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
IN THIS EPISODE
Jay building skateboards out of roller skates before you could buy one
A ninety-dollar 1957 Strat, and Brian Wilson borrowing his brand new bass at fifteen
Three bandmates drafted within six weeks at the height of Vietnam
Carnaby Street the day Apple released its first four singles
Coming home to quit music, and hearing Love Song at a bar in Costa Mesa instead
"Living witnesses" and why Tommy thinks the record matters now
Jay on the Holy Spirit, and what it means to pull the plug on your own plans
Maranatha Music, four thousand dollars, and 160,000 copies in a Sunday school room
Michael W. Smith finding the record in a used clothing store in West Virginia
Why Chuck Smith actually started the label: gas money
Chuck Fromm, the Rolodex, and the studio he built without telling his uncle
Tommy's challenge on volume, craft, and community singing
The factory job, the note by the phone, and three services for the police who arrested him
LINKS
A Band Called LoveSong (documentary): https://www.abandcalledlovesong.com/
Kurtis Parks: https://www.kurtisparks.com
Worship Leader: https://worshipleader.com
SPONSOR
This episode is brought to you by Planning Center, the all-in-one software that helps your church schedule volunteers, plan services, and stay organized. Start free, no credit card required: https://www.planningcenter.com/?utm_source=worshipleader&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=the_walk&utm_content=episode_186_love_song
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Franni Cash spent most of her twenties as one-quarter of We The Kingdom: two Grammy nominations, three Dove Awards, two No. 1 songs. Then she left the family band at the end of 2023 and nearly walked away from music entirely, paralyzed by the fear of not measuring up to what she'd already done. She looked into acting and seriously considered going to school for interior design.
What pulled her back was friends passing her demos around behind her back and refusing to delete them. She wrote more than 200 songs to find her own voice and narrowed them to the thirteen on her debut solo album, Here I Am, out September 18. Her rule: only the songs she kept reaching for in the car, not the ones that might scratch an itch in the Christian market.
Then the conversation turns to "Raised By Wolves." Franni grew up in a religious cult for twelve years of her childhood, which her family left during her senior year of high school. Her husband suggested the title, drawn from the warning in Matthew 7 about false prophets who come in sheep's clothing but are inwardly ravenous wolves. She wrote it with David Leonard and Andy Cherry, and it was David who spoke the opening line: "be quiet little girl." She had assumed a story that specific would isolate her. Instead she found that when something is that personal it becomes universal, because everyone knows what betrayal from a safe place feels like.
On the music itself: songwriter Paul Duncan told her he wasn't worried about her relationship with her family, he was worried about her relationship with music, and sent her on "musical dates" with no goal but enjoyment. Al Green, Elton John and Marvin Gaye on the record player. Long drives in a beat-up 1978 Corvette off Facebook Marketplace. Six producers worked on Here I Am, with Franni as executive producer holding it together.
Asked what she wants listeners to take away, Franni lands on one word: validation. She talks about narrative therapy and learning that not all twelve of those years were bad, because her grandmothers poured scripture into her, and that's what "Jesus Girl" is really about. She pushes back on the idea that people outside the faith are simply choosing sin. In her experience, someone misrepresented God to them.
The episode closes with bravery. Franni grew up believing women were less than men. On the Brandon Lake tour she felt the Holy Spirit tell her she was brave and should ask to open the second leg, and minutes later her guitar player picked a worn card off the dressing room floor that read, in gold letters, "I am brave." She asked. He said yes the next day. Then Amy Grant invited her to lunch, listened to "Darken the Doorway," and asked her to join The Me That Remains Tour.
"Don't let anybody keep you small or silent." - Franni Cash
ABOUT FRANNI CASH
Franni Cash is a two-time GRAMMY-nominated artist, three-time Dove Award winner, performer, vocalist and songwriter. Formerly of We The Kingdom, she co-wrote two No. 1 songs and was named one of the Top 20 breakout artists across all genres. Following her departure from the band, she released her debut EP Good Woman and now her debut solo album, Here I Am, out September 18: thirteen autobiographical songs covering her years in a religious cult, reclaiming her faith, and stepping into her own voice. She has shared stages with Lauren Daigle and Brandon Lake, and joins Amy Grant this fall on The Me That Remains Tour.
IN THIS EPISODE
Why leaving We The Kingdom nearly ended her music career
The friends who passed her demos around against her wishes
Writing over 200 songs to find her own voice
The story behind "Raised By Wolves," Matthew 7, and twelve years inside a religious cult
Why she believed her story would isolate her, and what happened instead
Narrative therapy, her grandmothers, and what "Jesus Girl" is actually about
Musical dates, a 1978 Corvette, and falling in love with music on her own terms
The card that said "I am brave," asking Brandon Lake for a second tour, and Amy Grant's kitchen table
LINKS
Franni Cash: https://www.frannicash.com/
Here I Am (pre-order / stream): https://frannicash.lnk.to/hereiamWE
Tour dates: https://www.frannicash.com/tour/
"Raised By Wolves": https://frannicash.lnk.to/raisedbywolvesWE
"Jesus All Along": https://frannicash.lnk.to/JesusAllAlongWE
"Menace": https://frannicash.lnk.to/hereiamEM
Here I Am vinyl and CD: https://store.capitolcmglabelgroup.com/collections/franni-cash
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frannicash
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@frannicash
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FranniCash
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fxcjHw2RUb4fBwuqHufT1
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/franni-cash/694735313
Kurtis Parks: https://www.kurtisparks.com
Worship Leader: https://worshipleader.com
SPONSOR
This episode is brought to you by Planning Center, the all-in-one software that helps your church schedule volunteers, plan services, and stay organized. Start free, no credit card required: https://www.planningcenter.com/?utm_source=worshipleader&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=the_walk&utm_content=episode_185_franni_cash
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What happens when you reach a milestone you once dreamed about and discover you still have to trust God tomorrow?
GRAMMY Award-winning artist DOE joins Kurtis Parks on The Walk for an unusually honest conversation about success, ambition, work, calling, community, motherhood, and learning to see God as Provider. From growing up making music with her family in forever JONES to stepping into a solo career, DOE shares how God has used both opportunity and uncertainty to form her along the way.
DOE opens up about leaving familiar seasons when she sensed the grace had lifted, driving Uber while pursuing music, and why even after winning a GRAMMY she refuses to measure success by whether music is her only source of income. Her perspective on “holy ambition” is equally challenging: ambition becomes healthy when our time, energy, finances, relationships, health, and gifts are surrendered to God and stewarded well.
The conversation also turns toward the making of her new live album, Shiloh. DOE wanted the record to reflect the breadth of the church and the musical traditions that formed her, honoring different cultural expressions rather than merely imitating them. The result is a project shaped by community, generations, worship, and a desire to point people toward God.
If you’ve ever wondered whether needing another job means your dream failed, struggled to distinguish holy ambition from striving, or tried to trust God in an unpredictable season, DOE’s story offers a needed reminder: your calling was never meant to replace your Provider.
Guest Bio
DOE, born Dominique Jones, is a GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter, and musician whose music crosses Christian and Gospel traditions. Raised in a musical family, she began performing professionally as a teenager with her parents and siblings in the multi-GRAMMY-nominated group forever JONES before launching her solo career. Her 2025 album Heart of a Human won Best Contemporary Christian Music Album, and her third solo album, Shiloh, releases August 28 through Provident Entertainment and Sony Music.
Episode Highlights
What does “holy ambition” actually look like? DOE explains why ambition submitted to Scripture and the Holy Spirit becomes a question of stewardship rather than self-promotion.
Can you be successful and still need another source of income? DOE shares that she still has her Uber account and recently earned her real estate license, challenging the idea that bivocational work means failure.
How do you know when a season is over? DOE describes leaving youth ministry and eventually stepping beyond the security of her family’s musical identity.
Why does healthy community matter for ambitious people? DOE talks about finding relationships that turn potential competition into genuine support.
What can difficult experiences produce in us? DOE reflects on how God can use hard experiences to develop resilience.
What did winning a GRAMMY teach her? The album DOE found hardest to complete became the project that won, reminding her that God can connect what looks like scattered dots into a meaningful picture.
What makes Shiloh different? DOE shares her desire to honor the musical languages and church traditions that shaped her while creating one cohesive worship experience.
Pull Quote
“You have not failed if you still have another job on the side.”
That is probably the strongest verbatim social hook in the entire interview.
Helpful Links
DOE Official Websitehttps://www.doejonesmusic.com/
DOE on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/doejonesmusic/
DOE on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/doejonesmusic/
DOE on TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@doejonesmusic
DOE’s supplied bio identifies Shiloh as arriving August 28 via Provident Entertainment and Sony Music.
Sponsor
This episode is brought to you by Planning Center: the all-in-one software to help your church schedule volunteers, plan services, and stay organized.
Try it free today:https://www.planningcenter.com/?utm_source=worshipleader&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=the_walk&utm_content=episode_184_doe
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What happens when you believe God has called you to something—but every door keeps closing?
On Episode 183 of The Walk, host Kurtis Parks sits down with bilingual Christian artist and worship leader Iveth Luna for an honest conversation about calling, identity, fear, motherhood, worship, and trusting God in seasons that don't make sense.
Iveth grew up in the Dallas, Texas area in a family deeply rooted in ministry. Her grandfather—a pastor, missionary, and church planter—helped show her what a life of faith could look like. She began leading worship at 16 and eventually sensed God calling her into music. But when opportunities with American Idol and The Voice repeatedly ended in closed doors, Iveth began questioning more than her calling. She started questioning who she was.
That painful season eventually led to depression—but also to healing. Iveth shares how God rebuilt her identity around a truth she now carries into every season: before she is a singer, artist, worship leader, wife, or mother, she is a daughter of the King.
Now living in Nashville with her husband and young son, Iveth is stepping into a new chapter with music including Making Ways and the bilingual worship release “House of God” / “Casa De Dios.” She shares why motherhood has changed the way she sees the people she leads, what the Spanish-speaking Church can teach us about worship, and why she refuses to let fear make her decisions anymore.
In This Episode
What happens when God gives you a dream, but the doors keep closing? Iveth shares how rejection forced her to confront where she had placed her identity.
Can your calling become too connected to your identity? Iveth explains why being a daughter of God has to come before being a worship leader.
How do you keep fear from controlling your life? She reflects on years of allowing fear to have the final say—and why she refuses to live that way anymore.
What can the wider Church learn from Spanish-speaking worship communities? Iveth talks about reverence, joy, expression, cultural diversity, and the beauty of every tribe and tongue worshiping Jesus.
How does becoming a mother change the way you lead worship? Iveth shares how motherhood has given her a deeper compassion for the people in front of her.
What do you do in a season of transition? Sometimes worship looks like leading from a platform. Sometimes it looks like worshiping Jesus with your family in the living room.
Pull Quote
“I am a worship leader, but first off, I’m a daughter of the King. And every season is going to look different, and it’s okay.”
Connect with Iveth Luna
Website: IvethLuna.com
Listen to “House of God” / “Casa De Dios” and “Making Ways” wherever you stream music.
About The Walk
The Walk: Faith in the Real World
Real people. Real moments. True faith.
The Walk is a Worship Leader Media podcast featuring honest conversations about what it means to follow Jesus when faith moves beyond what we say and into the way we actually live.
Sponsor
This episode is brought to you by Planning Center.
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Show Notes
Real people. Real moments. True faith.
Sometimes God's greatest miracles don't happen overnight—they happen through years of surrender.
On this episode of The Walk, Kurtis Parks sits down with Christian artist Justin Gambino for one of his most personal conversations yet. Justin opens up about growing up as a prodigal, serving in the Navy, battling PTSD, addiction, infertility, and learning to trust God's timing through years of waiting. He also shares how becoming a father has completely reshaped his understanding of God's faithfulness and why his newest EP, The Garden of the Lord, is the most personal music he's ever written.
Guest Bio
Justin Gambino is a Christian singer-songwriter based in Texas whose music reflects a life transformed by God's grace. After serving eight years in the U.S. Navy and overcoming addiction, depression, and PTSD, Justin now travels the country sharing the hope of Christ through music and testimony. His latest EP, The Garden of the Lord, explores intimacy with God, healing, and spiritual growth.
Episode Highlights
How years of infertility taught Justin to trust God's perfect timing
The unexpected lesson God taught him through his newborn son
Why vulnerability became one of the greatest tools in his ministry
What God showed him about building His Kingdom instead of his own
How The Garden of the Lord was written during one of the deepest seasons of spiritual growth
Why obedience often comes before understanding
The importance of community when you're walking through pain
How God uses our testimony to bring freedom to others
Pull Quote
"When you keep your eyes on the Father, you can trust that His provision is already on the way."
Connect with Justin
Instagram: @justingambino
Listen to The Garden of the Lord on all streaming platforms.
Sponsor
This episode is brought to you by Planning Center.
Planning Center is the all-in-one church management software trusted by thousands of churches to organize volunteers, plan services, manage worship teams, and keep ministries running smoothly.
Try it today: https://www.planningcenter.com/?utm_source=worshipleader&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=thewalk
Watch the full conversation on the Worship Leader Media YouTube channel.
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.