From Doubt to “Yes I Will”: A Worship Leader’s Story | Landmark Stories #6 w/ Judd Harris

They say a dead man cannot sing and spiritually that’s true. In this episode of Landmark Stories, Matthew Maher sits down with Judd Harris of Vertical Worship for a conversation about doubt, calling, rejection, and the worship that heals.

Judd shares the moment he walked out of a worship service feeling flat and then heard the Lord speak, “I’m with you.” From writing songs as a teenager to being invited into leadership, from not making the Liberty Worship Collective at first to returning and making it the second time, Judd’s story is a case study in how God uses a small yes to reshape a life.

You will also hear the behind the scenes journey of how Judd joined Vertical Worship, how he ended up singing “Yes I Will,” and why worship is not performance but formation. This is a conversation about beholding Jesus, learning to serve without chasing platforms, and allowing worship to move from a stage into the other ninety five percent of life.

If you are navigating rejection, calling, or spiritual dryness, this episode is for you.
Guest: Judd Harris of Vertical Worship

0:00 — Dead Men Don’t Sing: Why Worship Matters
1:27 — Meet Judd Harris (Vertical Worship)
2:13 — The Night Worship Felt Flat (Doubt + Dryness)
3:35 — “I’m With You”: The Moment God Spoke
5:39 — Where “Dead Men Don’t Sing” Came From
7:23 — Why Music Moves the Soul (and Why That Matters Spiritually)
8:28 — Discovering the Gift: Songs, Guitar, and Early Calling
10:20 — The First “Yes”: Invited to Youth Worship (Out of Comfort Zone)
11:48 — From Background Kid to Leading the Team
13:25 — Why Liberty University? The Dream Opportunity
14:40 — Rejected: Not Making the Team (Deflated + Doubt)
15:33 — The Year That Formed Him (Identity ≠ Performance)
16:24 — Second Try: The Door Opens (Making the Team)
17:03 — Delays Aren’t Denials (God’s Timing in Formation)
18:29 — Serving Before Spotlight: Cutting Teeth in Ministry
20:02 — From Youth Rooms to 10,000 Students (Convocation Shift)
21:11 — Worship vs. Performance: What’s the Purpose?
22:18 — Scripture Shapes the Set: “God’s Prescription” for Worship
25:00 — Why People Don’t Sing (Vulnerability + Discomfort)
26:46 — Music Can Manipulate—Worship Brings Life
28:22 — The 4-Year-Old’s Sermon: “How Else Will Jesus Hear Me?”
29:25 — Joining Vertical Worship: The Internship to the Invitation
30:45 — The “Yes I Will” Story (And Why It Went Global)
33:52 — Worship Is Medicinal: Songs as Lifeboats
36:14 — A Night of Hope: Why He Came to Ocean City
37:41 — What God’s Teaching Judd Now: Beholding (5% vs 95%)
39:55 — Practicing the Presence of God (Brother Lawrence)
42:46 — What’s Next: New Music + “At Last” (Hope + Heaven)
47:05 — Final Encouragement: God’s There-ness (He Is With You)

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