Bonjour! Stephanie here. I am excited to share the inspiring insights from my recent conversation with recording artist Aaron Shust on the Gospel Spice podcast! Together we invite you to journey deeper into faith through worship. Aaron opened up about his faith journey, music career, and deep connection to scripture and different cultural influences. Aaron and I discussed the importance of experiencing Scripture through different perspectives and interpretations, emphasizing the value of humility and teachability in growing in faith. He shared how diverse cultural influences have shaped his songwriting and deepened his understanding of God's word, with a key focus on the Messianic Jewish culture.

Aaron remains truly humble and teachable, as well as always curious to learn more. This is the hallmark of someone who is walking closely with the Lord. God gets all the glory, and we get to delight in Him through it! It is essential to surround ourselves with people who inspire us to walk closer to God. Inspired by his experiences and love for Scripture, Aaron shared his ongoing desire to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, leading to the creation of his latest song, "Pray for Jerusalem" based on Psalm 122. His commitment to writing songs based on Scripture is truly a testament to God’s faithfulness and goodness, and the depth of Aaron’s faith and creativity.

MORE ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS CONVERSATION

Stephanie welcomes acclaimed worship leader and songwriter Aaron Shust to discuss his inspiring journey as a musician and a devoted follower of Christ. Aaron shares how his deep-rooted faith has not only shaped his musical compositions, but also transformed his spiritual walk.

Aaron Shust's artistic evolution presents a compelling narrative of exploration and cultural immersion. His pilgrimage to Israel in 2016 served as a catalyst, reigniting his fascination with ancient traditions and compelling him to delve into the practices of messianic Jewish communities. This journey ignited a creative flame within Aaron, prompting him to infuse his songwriting with influences from his global travels, including the captivating sounds of Scottish music and the evocative melodies of Middle Eastern traditions. By embracing sonic elements from his expeditions, Aaron adds a vibrant and culturally diverse dimension to his musical repertoire.

Aaron Shust's latest endeavor, "Pray for Jerusalem," stands as a testament to his unwavering dedication to encapsulating scriptural inspiration within his music. Rooted in the profound call to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, this poignant composition echoes the enduring devotion to scriptural narratives, weaving together the threads of prayer, faith, and melodic exaltation. Through this musical creation, Aaron extends an invitation to unite in prayer for the ancient city, encapsulating the spiritual essence of the Scriptures through his heartfelt melodies.

Growing up in a family immersed in a love for both the Bible and music, Aaron's childhood was shaped by the harmonious fusion of these two elements. His early exposure to the Hebrew scriptures, coupled with his mother's affinity for music featuring the word Yeshua, laid the groundwork for a profound connection between faith and melody. Central to Aaron Shust's creative process is the imbuing of his compositions with the profound essence of Scripture. His deep reverence for biblical teachings and Jesus' words has led him to craft songs that serve as soul-stirring embodiments of faith and reverence. By weaving the timeless wisdom of Scripture into his musical tapestry, Aaron breathes life into age-old verses, ushering his listeners into a realm of spiritual contemplation and melody. His musical creations exemplify a harmonious marriage of faith and artistry, igniting the hearts of his audience with the eternal resonance of God's word.

Aaron Shust's captivating account unravels the profound interplay between faith, musical expression, and the timeless resonance of scripture. It is a joy and a delight to welcome him on Gospel Spice this week!

A FEW OF AARON SHUST’S MOST POPULAR SONGS:

My Savior, my God (2006)

To God alone (2009)

My hope is in You (2011)

Cornerstone (2014)

No one higher (2014)

Ever be (2016)

MORE ABOUT AARON SHUST

Aaron’s fascination with music—with unique sounds, melodies, progressions, and techniques—has always been a salient part of who he is. From an early age, Aaron has felt most at home in front of a piano. Just as innate to Aaron is his love of God’s Word—of wrestling with the Scriptures, with the hard and beautiful things they say, and the way they foretell and fulfill a picture of a suffering servant, King Jesus.

You’ll hear these twin loves in Shust’s music, from his debut success with “My Savior My God,” winning the 2007 New Artist, Songwriter and Song of the Year. Later, as he grappled with a surprise Down Syndrome diagnosis for one son and waged a war with chronic illness for two, he continued to declare “My Hope is in You,” a song which spent 14 weeks at #1, and “Ever Be,” which debuted at #3 on the NCA chart. Aaron bolsters the faith of his listeners and surprises them, too, as with his 2014 Christmas Album Unto Us, recorded with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. With this collection, Shust turns conventional classics into something fresh and adds his own work to the canon of Christmas music.

Over the past several years, Aaron has delved deeply into friendship with Messianic Jews, both in Nashville and Israel, as well as into the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish tradition that they yield. Here, Aaron and his family have found not only friendship, but also a depth of insight into the rich background of the Yeshua Aaron proclaims, and what this depth of meaning can bring to believers today.

You’ll hear the reverence Aaron has developed for this Jewish heritage in Heaven + Earth: The Psalms Project. From melodic patterns and Middle Eastern instruments to passages sung in Hebrew and collaboration with Israeli musicians, Shust is determined that the listener will steep in the Psalmist’s musical vocabulary and therefore, have an intimate and imaginatively accurate experience of this ancient treasure of praise, lament, and contemplation.

Shust, a native of Pittsburgh, makes his home in Nashville with his wife Sarah and their sons Daniel, Nick, and Michael, as well as a growing menagerie of pets.

Connect with Aaron at https://www.aaronshust.com/ as well as YouTube and on social media.

We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Identity in the battle | Ephesians

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/

Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/

Shades of Red | Against human oppression

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/

God's glory, our delight 

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/

 

You are invited to join us on the Gospel Spice Prayer Bible Study, titled "The heart behind prayer" starting September 20, 2025! Details and registration here: https://www.gospelspice.com/prayer 

There are a few things in our Christian life that we know we should do more, or at least better – and prayer just might top the list. Prayer is a mystery. Why would a conversation with a human have any influence on God’s eternal, sovereign plan? It defies logic, and beckons love. How can God, the Almighty Lord of Hosts, be this close, this personal? It defies understanding, and beckons involvement.

But, lack of time, inspiration, and discipline, combined with the ruthless tyranny of our busy lives, push prayer to the periphery, to the “one day I’ll get to it” pile. And yet, we can excel at what we endeavor to undertake. So, why isn’t prayer more of a spiritual priority? Could we develop a mindset around prayer that made it attractive, inspiring, even maybe delightful? What if we attuned our spiritual ears to listen to God, and our spiritual eyes to see His provision?

As an unassuming student, I’m going to humbly offer to share the little I have learned from others about the joy of prayer. I will give us theology, practical tips, and useful resources, sharing what works for me as we, together, learn to pray.

If you find prayer intimidating, or if your lack of prayer makes you feel guilty or “less than,” then this is the place for you! If you have been a student of prayer for many years, this is the place for you too! If you have breath in your lungs, then prayer can become one of the deepest joys of your day. Don’t miss out!

A PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PRAYER

To pray is to believe that God not only hears, but that He responds. It is to stand in the gap for a broken world, wielding the authority of Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and trusting in the goodness of the Father. The question is not whether prayer works, but whether we are willing to pray the kinds of prayers that invite God’s Kingdom into the darkest places of the earth—and of our own hearts.

We may never fully understand the mechanics of prayer, or how it intersects with God's sovereignty, but we are not called to understand everything. We are called to be faithful. And faithfulness means showing up—in prayer, in persistence, in expectation.

So today, let us pray not only for the comfort of our hearts, but for the transformation of the world. Let us take our place as image-bearers, co-laborers, and co-heirs. Let us believe that God is still listening—and still acting. Because He is.

There’s only one way to find out what might happen when we truly pray like this.

Let’s begin.

THE MINDSET BEHIND THIS COURSE

Before we begin, let me tell you the obvious: I don’t really know how to pray. I’m a humble student and absolute beginner at the holy endeavor that is prayer. So, this course isn’t really about what I’ve learned, or any wisdom I might have gathered. But, I’ve sat at the feet of many prayer warriors over the decades, through books and teachings.

So, I’ll share what I learned from them. Humility is going to be our primary heart posture! With each lesson, I will offer a few thoughts, practices, and ideas – with much humility, and not taking myself too seriously. I will also share her favorite books and resources about prayer. FInally, I will introduce you to some of the most influential prayer warriors of our history as the Body of Christ.

Most importantly, I will invite YOU to pray! Learning to pray comes from praying. Our humble ambition is to inspire you to pray, and to give you a few tips on how to do that. Then, it’s up to you! Prayer is a lifelong endeavor. Let’s make it delightful together!

So, let’s get started.

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!