Advertise on podcast: Jonathan David & Melissa Helser Podcast

In this episode of the podcast, Jonathan shares about the “What” and the “Why” of the Cageless Birds’ heart for discipleship. This message is beautifully full of personal stories, scriptural insight, practical keys and spiritual practices for walking with (and staying with) Jesus for the long haul. It can be hard to describe what Jesus does on our campus during the schools and retreats that we host, but our prayer is that as you listen you’ll catch our passion for what God is doing. We truly believe that discipleship can change the world!This message was originally recorded in 2025 at Studio Church in Greenville, SCThe mission of the Cageless Birds is to respond to the commission of Jesus and make disciples of all nations. As a ministry, we fulfill this by running discipleship programs and retreats focused on spiritual formation, by leading worship and writing songs for people to encounter the heart of God and remember who they truly are, and by creating resources to build up the body of Christ. If you are interested in learning more about the Cageless Birds, please go to https://cagelessbirds.comIf you’d like to be a part of what the Lord is doing through our ministry, go to https://www.cagelessbirds.com/donateConnect with Cageless Birds :Shop to support the Cageless Birds | https://shop.cagelessbirds.comFacebook | https://www.facebook.com/cagelessbirds/Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/cagelessbirds/

18 Inch Journey Men apps are still open! Apply here - http://18inchjourney.com In this episode, Jonathan Helser and Jason Vallotton discuss overcoming anxiety with vulnerability. Jonathan shares about the breakthroughs he has found over the last 10 years learning to own where his heart really is, the gift of his tears and the power of in living in the paradox that in showing our weakness there is strength. Jason Vallotton is a pastor and counselor in Redding, CA. He is a longtime friend of Jonathan and Melissa who has substantially contributed to the 18 Inch Journey discipleship school and to the Cageless Birds community.  Visit https://www.braveco.org for all of Jason's resources! Listen to the BraveCo Podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BraveCo/featured Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/braveco-podcast/id1572203259 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7bj3alprsYm2RCMQBUcSA3?si=QO4bhHxETNSA6XkTD9dUrA //  If you are interested in learning more about the Cageless Birds, please go to https://cagelessbirds.com  We have also created resources for discipleship and tools for stewarding your life with the Lord at https://engagingcultivate.com  If you’d like to be a part of what the Lord is doing through our ministry, go to https://www.cagelessbirds.com/donate  Connect with Cageless Birds : Shop to support the Cageless Birds | https://shop.cagelessbirds.com Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/cagelessbirds/ Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/cagelessbirds/

Watch the official live video for Cathedral (Extended): https://youtu.be/eaV9BgMS_ho Listen to Cathedral wherever you stream music: https://ffm.to/cathedral In this podcast, Jonathan & Melissa share about the process of becoming the songs we are singing from the journey of writing their new song “Cathedral.” This is a conversation about the discipleship that takes places in songwriting and in giving your heart to cultivate a life of worship. Learn more about the Cageless Birds at https://www.cagelessbirds.com Learn more about the 18 Inch Journey at https://www.18inchjourney.com If you’d like to be a part of what the Lord is doing through our ministry, go to https://www.cagelessbirds.com/donate Connect with Cageless Birds: Shop to support the Cageless Birds | https://shop.cagelessbirds.com Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/@cagelessbirds Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/cagelessbirds/

Jonathan and Melissa sit down for a conversation about the importance of building strong foundations with Jesus in order to withstand the inevitable storms of life. They each share personal stories from their lives as well as keys, practices, and questions that have helped them stay with God when life is hard. Whether your foundations are new, worn down, or cracked and broken, we hope this conversation inspires you to let the Master Builder come and do what only He can do: Secure, strengthen, and heal the support system of your life.This episode was inspired by the latest book release from the Cageless Birds: FOUNDATIONS 01. Foundations exists to help you establish a friendship with God strong enough to build your life on, whether you are in the beginning stages of your walk with the Lord, or you are needing to look back before moving forward. You can get a copy of the book at https://shop.cagelessbirds.com/products/foundations-01Learn more about the Cageless Birds at https://www.cagelessbirds.comLearn more about the 18 Inch Journey at https://www.18inchjourney.comIf you’d like to be a part of what the Lord is doing through our ministry, go to https://www.cagelessbirds.com/donateConnect with Cageless Birds:Shop to support the Cageless Birds | https://shop.cagelessbirds.com Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/@Cageless-BirdsFacebook | https://www.facebook.com/@cagelessbirdsInstagram | https://www.instagram.com/cagelessbirds/

In this episode, Jonathan & Melissa Helser and Chris Miller un-pack some of the stories behind our new Christmas album, Sing Winter. While the conversation revolves around this album, the heart of what they share is so much deeper than simply song stories. The purpose of this record is to embrace every part of the holidays and the winter season; the joy and the sadness, the pain and the relief. Jonathan & Melissa share beautiful stories from their lives and open up places where they have been meet by Emmanuel, God With Us.   Through the laughter and the tears in this episode, we hope you find a deeper meaning behind Sing Winter, as well as the inspiration to live the season you are in to the fullest, letting God meet you in every moment.   It is in embracing every part of life that we know we are truly alive. Our prayer is that your winter season will sing, and that you will feel enveloped in the hope that Jesus brings. May you cherish moments that become sacred memories, and may you feel deeply met as you unapologetically honor the reverence, sorrow, and joy of life. Merry Christmas from the Cageless Birds 🕊️    Listen to Sing Winter Here: https://lnk.to/SingWinter To learn more about our ministry: www.cagelessbirds.com www.jonathanhelser.com www.18inchjourney.com

This episode is a special conversation between Jonathan & Melissa Helser and Chris Miller. They dive into what it means to live in the full range of emotions during winter seasons. They talk about how “Sadness is required to truly experience Joy” and what it means to share our feelings with the close people around us as well as talking about practices to stay centered in hard seasons. We hope that this conversation gives you new tools for any season you are in and tools for engaging with the seasons your friends or family are in.  This conversation was inspired by the release of our new album Sing Winter. We have created a nostalgic winter album to honor the hope and the tenderness of the season. May you cherish moments that become sacred memories, and may you feel deeply met as you unapologetically honor the reverence, sorrow, and joy of life. It is in embracing every part of life that we know we are truly alive. Our prayer is that your winter season will sing, and that you will feel enveloped in the hope that Jesus brings. Merry Christmas from the Cageless Birds 🕊️  Listen to Sing Winter Here: https://lnk.to/SingWinter To learn more about our ministry: www.cagelessbirds.com www.jonathanhelser.com www.18inchjourney.com

In this episode, Jonathan shares about living a life of wholehearted worship and becoming a lover of God for the long-haul. King David cultivated a well-worn path of honest worship with the Lord throughout His whole life. Our dream is that you would be 80 years old, still clinging to Jesus, astonished at who He is. This podcast is full of stories and reflections from Jonathan about being steadfast, honest, and passionate in the lifelong pursuit of God’s presence. The introduction to this podcast was recorded at David’s Tent in the United Kingdom, where our team leads worship every single August. To learn more about David’s Tent UK and get tickets for 2025, you can head to: www.davidstent.net The 18 Inch Journey: Phase One is our 65-day discipleship school of the heart dedicated to helping adults ages 20-30 have a thriving relationship with Jesus in every area of life. Male applications for Phase One are still open! To learn more and apply, you can visit: www.18inchjourney.com To support our 18 Inch Journey Campus Campaign, go to: www.cagelessbirds.com/donate  To learn more about our ministry: www.cagelessbirds.com www.jonathanhelser.com www.18inchjourney.com

In this episode, Jonathan sits down with his longtime friend, Adam Cox. They reflect on their decades of friendship, and how Adam's passion for helping people encounter the unfailing love of God has impacted our community, and schools (The 18 Inch Journey). Adam's first book, "The God Story," (co-authored by Alain Emerson) is a compelling and creative retelling of the biblical story to help you move from familiar to fascinated. It is out now and available wherever books are sold! Get "The God Story" here: https://www.24-7prayer.com/resource/the-god-story/?utm_source=cagelessbirds&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=the-god-story If you'd like to learn more about our ministry, go to:  https://www.18inchjourney.com   https://cagelessbirds.com https://jonathanhelser.com

This episode was captured live at a recent 18 Inch Journey Fundraiser where Jonathan and Melissa shared on our vision for discipleship, the history and mission of the 18 Inch Journey, and how discipleship can transform the hearts of men and women. Learn more at: https://www.18inchjourney.com  If you’d like to be a part of what the Lord is doing through our ministry, go to https://www.cagelessbirds.com/donate  Thank you!

This episode is a special conversation between Melissa Helser and Chris Miller. Melissa shares about her song, Beautiful Jesus, and a worship moment from the 2023 18 Inch Journey that was recently shared on the Cageless Birds YouTube channel. She reflects on the season of her life during which that song was first written as well as what it’s like to lead worship within the context of our discipleship schools. At the end of this podcast, we play the full worship moment that Melissa is referencing, so please stick around to the end and enjoy this song and spontaneous worship moment! You can also watch the moment on our YouTube channel at: https://youtu.be/ScIzMcvCdQc?si=FsjrZH3qqjji8EgZ To learn more about our ministry, go to www.jonathanhelser.com, www.18inchjourney.com, or www.cagelessbirds.com.

What kind of worshiper do you want to be in 40 years? In this episode, Jonathan unpacks the life of King Saul and King David, and what it means to live a life of radical worship before the Father. One of the most important things about David’s story is how he pursues honesty with God in the midst of the pressures of his life. This message was originally recorded in 2021 at Bethel Music Worship School. We have exciting news to share with you – we have completed our Audio Upgrade Campaign! Thanks to your generosity and financial support, we were able to overhaul the entire sound system on our campus, upgrading the tools that empower us to continue to grow in the way that we capture and share the sound of the Cageless Birds with the world.  Your investment has filled us with courage for the season to come. We are eager to share new songs and worship moments from Jonathan & Melissa Helser and the Cageless Birds in 2024! To learn more about our ministry, go to www.jonathanhelser.com, www.18inchjourney.com, or www.cagelessbirds.com.

In our previous episode, Melissa taught from 2 Corinthians 9 on living generous lives without reluctance or compulsion. In this episode she opens up James 1, unpacking the way perseverance produces maturity in us, and how the discipline of the Lord brings us true wisdom and discernment as we walk with him. This message was originally recorded in 2022 at Bethel Music Worship School. Six years ago, we finished building the Art Barn, a space that become such a gift to our campus: the home of our video, design, and marketing departments, and a multi-purpose hub for so many things that happen in our schools, retreats, and summer camps.  Out of all that happens in this space, one of the most special things is the hours of worship we have poured out on Jesus in this place. It has truly become holy ground for our students to encounter the Lord. It has also become a sacred space for us to capture hours of worship on film that we have been able to share with people all over the world through YouTube and music streaming. Over these years we have been using a very basic audio system and it has been our dream to upgrade the sound and recording system. We are launching a campaign to raise $30,000 to upgrade all the audio in this space! If you are interested in partnering with us to reach this goal, we invite you to head to http://cagelessbirds.com/donate Thank you! To learn more about our ministry, go to www.jonathanhelser.com, www.18inchjourney.com, or www.cagelessbirds.com.

In this episode Melissa unpacks the difference between growth and maturity, and how living a life of generosity is an integral part of maturing in friendship with God. This message was originally recorded in 2022 at Bethel Music Worship School. Our podcast is made possible by the generous support of people all over the world. If you were impacted by this episode, we’d like to invite you to partner with us to disciple a generation into wholehearted living! To support our non-profit ministry, head to http://cagelessbirds.com/donate. You can donate to the general fund, support one of our Cageless Birds staff, or sponsor a project. Thank you! To learn more about our ministry, go to www.jonathanhelser.com, www.18inchjourney.com, or www.cagelessbirds.com.

We need the perspective of the Lord to overcome the lies that we face and realign us with the truth. In this episode, Jonathan teaches on living defined by the Father’s voice. He shares practical examples from his own life, and ends with a journaling exercise. This message was originally recorded in 2021 at Bethel Music Worship School. Our podcast is made possible by the generous support of people all over the world. If you were impacted by this episode, we’d like to invite you to partner with us to disciple a generation into wholehearted living! To support our non-profit ministry, head to http://cagelessbirds.com/donate. You can donate to the general fund, support one of our Cageless Birds staff, or sponsor a project. Thank you! To learn more about our ministry, go to www.jonathanhelser.com, www.18inchjourney.com, or www.cagelessbirds.com.

In this episode, Melissa unpacks the maturity that comes through letting God reframe our understanding of pressure, especially in seasons of suffering.   This message was originally recorded in 2021 at Bethel Music Worship School.  Our podcast is made possible by the generous support of people all over the world. If you were impacted by this episode, we’d like to invite you to partner with us to disciple a generation into wholehearted living! To support our non-profit ministry, head to http://cagelessbirds.com/donate. You can donate to the general fund, support one of our Cageless Birds staff, or sponsor a project. Thank you!  To learn more about our ministry, go to www.jonathanhelser.com, www.18inchjourney.com, or www.cagelessbirds.com.