What if beauty is an invitation to encounter the love of God? Author, oboist, and host of Artists for Joy, Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez joins Zach to discuss her book, "Art Is How God Loves Us: The Sacred Beauty of Created Things." After graduating from Juilliard, Merideth found herself questioning whether she even liked music anymore. Through faith, she slowly rediscovered the joy of creating and learned to receive love through art rather than striving to prove her worth. Together, they explore...
Oct 23
49 min
What if discovering your calling begins with paying attention to the life around you? Karen Swallow Prior returns to LAB the Podcast to discuss her book, You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful. Together, we explore how calling reaches beyond career, why every passion doesn’t need to become a paycheck, and how truth, goodness, and beauty help us discern what is ours to do. Whether you’re starting out or finding your way through a season of change, this...
Oct 16
54 min
Kristin and Derek Roberts, the husband and wife team behind Brudders Books, join LAB the Podcast to share the heart behind a little bear and his world of adventure. Through thoughtful storytelling and watercolor illustrations, they help children grow in empathy, gratitude, confidence, and faith. We talk about the beginnings of Brudders, the faith it takes to follow a creative calling, and the beauty of making stories that spark imagination and bring families together. 🧸 Discover Brudders Book...
Oct 9
53 min
Filmmaker and Hard Faith Founder Spencer Folmar joins Zach for a conversation on artistic calling, honest storytelling and the hope of the gospel. From his childhood in rural Pennsylvania to his journey from nihilism to faith, Spencer shares the vision behind films that meet people in the hardest parts of life. Together, they explore his forthcoming suicide prevention trilogy, the power of art to confront despair, and our invitation to support artists telling stories that give us hope. 🎬 Lear...
Oct 2
56 min
American painter Morgan Irons returns to LAB the Podcast to reflect on creating the Widow of Nain, the second of seven original oil commissions in VU VI VO’s "The Vision is Jesus" series. Morgan shares why she centered the human experience of a grieving mother, how placing figures within the landscapes of the American West opens a well of meaning, and what the painting continues to reveal through those who encounter it. Morgan and Zach also explore land and stewardship, women in the West, and...
Sep 25
40 min
Award-winning artist Emily Pastor returns to LAB the Podcast to revisit Mary, Overshadowed, the first painting in V3’s The Vision Is Jesus series, and reflect on everything that has unfolded since its unveiling. Emily shares the hidden story of creating the work in a makeshift laundry-room studio, the significance of portraying Mary as a conquering figure holding a lily instead of a weapon, and the discipline required to bring a monumental painting into the world. She and Zach also explore he...
Sep 18
45 min
Peterson Jean-Marie joins LAB the Podcast for a thoughtful conversation about faith, music, and the deeply human work of creating. The Tampa based singer-songwriter, storyteller, and worship leader reflects on discovering music through the saxophone at fourteen, finding his own voice, and creating with obedience rather than perfection. Peterson also shares the story behind his newest song “Blessings,” a reminder to recognize God’s faithfulness, praise Him in every season, and receive even the...
Sep 11
48 min
What happens when the work of your hands becomes an act of worship? In this episode, Zach sits down with Alex Ruhnau, a Marine Corps veteran, architect, builder, husband, and father to explore the sacred connection between faith, craftsmanship, and the places we create. Alex shares how God led him from building race cars and custom motorcycles to architecture that brought him to faith at the University of Florida and taught him to surrender his plans and trust God’s provision. He also takes u...
Sep 4
48 min
What if the stories we consume are training us either to face the dragon or run from it? Artist, Author, and Storyteller Josh Nadeau joins LAB the Podcast to explore beauty, suffering, spiritual formation, and the stories that shape who we become. Reflecting on his journey into Orthodox Christianity, the disciplines that teach us to say no for greater yeses, and his work with Inkwell, Josh challenges the modern promise of a comfortable, frictionless life. Together, Josh and Zach consider why ...
Aug 28
52 min
Rev. Fitz Conner joins LAB the Podcast to explore how beauty, sacred architecture, and real relationships shape the life of the church. Drawing from more than 40 years of ministry in Tampa, including his Young Life roots and his leadership at First Pres Tampa, Fitz reflects on the spaces that form us and the church’s calling to embody the beauty and character of God. From vaulted ceilings and stained glass to life groups and shared worship, this conversation reveals why both place and people ...
Aug 21
41 min
Load more