David Leonard: The Unscripted Journey of a Worship Architect

Some artists carve their path through the industry with a clear roadmap. For David Leonard, however, his journey to solo artistry has been anything but conventional. A prodigious musical force, Leonard’s fingerprints are found on some of the most defining moments in Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). From his early days touring with NEEDTOBREATHE to his indelible mark as half of the worship duo All Sons & Daughters—where he co-wrote the now-iconic praise anthem Great Are You Lord—Leonard has spent years crafting soul-stirring music. Along the way, he has helped shape major hits for CCM’s top artists, accumulating multiple GMA Dove Awards in the process. Yet, his most profound work has only just begun.

Now navigating the world as a solo artist, Leonard is curating his own space in the industry, one that merges lyrical vulnerability with the unshakable foundation of faith. His journey has yielded an impressive list of solo hits, including Good Lord and Every Hour, tracks that resonate deeply with audiences yearning for authenticity. But it is his latest project, Just Jesus, released on February 21, that stands as a testament to resilience, unwavering trust, and the sacred beauty found in life’s valleys.

A Record Born from the Fire

Over two years of personal trials, Leonard found himself face-to-face with the harsh realities of loss and hardship. Just Jesus is not just a collection of songs—it is a raw, deeply personal offering forged in the crucible of life’s most challenging seasons.

“The last two years have been a whirlwind of events. I lost four grandparents. My kids have struggled with health stuff,” Leonard told Crosswalk Headlines. “It just felt like the world was punching me in the gut over and over again.”

But amid the turmoil, Leonard clung to a singular truth: the only thing I need is Jesus. He leaned heavily on Psalm 139, drawing strength from the promise that God remains steadfast in both the peaks and the valleys of life.

“When you walk through things, you come out differently on the other side. I believe the Lord allows us to experience mountaintop moments so we can look back and see how far He has carried us,” he reflected. “But rarely have I ever been shaped by what happened on top of that mountaintop. It’s in the valley where true transformation happens.”

This conviction breathes through every note and lyric on Just Jesus, a record that captures the tension of struggle and faith’s ultimate victory. It is a melodic testimony of how God meets us in the depths, shaping us through every heartbreak, every unanswered question, every whispered prayer in the dark.

The Song That Echoes Through Time

A decade ago, Leonard unknowingly helped pen what would become one of the most beloved worship anthems of the modern era. Great Are You Lord was written in a moment of quiet humility, a song intended for his church community. It was never meant for the world—it was simply an offering, one that Leonard assumed would fade into the ether after that initial night.

“I was like, ‘I probably will never sing that song ever again,'” he recalled.

But God had other plans.

Great Are You Lord became more than a song; it became a movement. In 2023, a survey listed it as one of the 25 most popular worship songs of the decade. The chorus—”It’s Your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise”—has resonated with millions, uniting believers across generations and denominations in a shared anthem of adoration.

Leonard himself remains in awe of its journey.

“Never in a million years did I think that song was going to do what it did. And honestly, I have no answers for why it did,” he admitted. “But that’s the most beautiful part of it. It was never about us—it was always about what God was doing through it.”

Even now, he finds deep joy in hearing the song echo in sanctuaries across the world.

“I’ve written enough songs that nobody cared about that when they actually care about one, you tend to hold it pretty close,” he laughed.

A Legacy of Faith and Perseverance

Leonard’s journey is a masterclass in faithfulness. It is a story of showing up, of continuing to create even when the road seems uncertain. His advice to aspiring artists and believers alike is simple yet profound:

“Put your head down. Keep going. You never know what the Lord can do with any of these offerings that we have.”

From the church pews where he first found his calling to the mountaintops and valleys that have shaped his faith, David Leonard stands as a living testament to God’s faithfulness. Through triumph and trial, success and sorrow, his music remains a beacon of hope—an invitation to find Jesus in every note, in every lyric, in every moment of life’s unpredictable journey.