David Leonard Opens Up about Loss, Faith and the Heart of 'Just Jesus'

Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
Updated Feb 24, 2025

David Leonard's road to solo artistry is like few others. 

He toured with NEEDTOBREATHE, playing keyboard. He formed half of the Christian duo All Sons & Daughters, co-writing the beloved praise song, Great Are You Lord. He helped some of CCM's top artists form major hits, collecting multiple GMA Dove Awards along the way

Now a solo artist, Leonard has crafted his own impressive list of hits, including Good Lord and Every Hour.     

His latest album is Just Jesuswhich was released Feb. 21 and includes 12 tracks written over two years of personal trials. His faith grew during that time, he said.

"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 "in the midst of all of this stuff," Leonard said, he clung to the promise that "the only thing that I need is Jesus." He leaned on the promises of Psalm 139, he said. 

"We have the promise that God has promised to be with us in the highs and then the lows," he said. "And that's the stuff that I'm holding on to -- that when I feel like I'm by myself, that the Lord has promised to be with me through all of it. This record is kind of the culmination of all that stuff, and it turned into a beautiful movement of lyric and song.

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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.

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