Why He Quit Touring With Chris Tomlin After 17 Years

Jesse Reeves’s Story

Jesse Reeves describes growing up on a Texas ranch, becoming a Christian at 15, and finding his way into music soon afterward. In 1997, shortly after marrying, he joined Chris Tomlin’s band. He toured with Tomlin for 17 years and helped write major worship songs, including “How Great Is Our God,” “Lord, I Need You,” and “I Speak Jesus.”

A Turning Point

In 2011, Reeves felt challenged by a sermon about caring more for “the sheep than the parade.” He says he stayed on tour for several more years despite feeling he should leave, and eventually understood his unhappiness as a result of ignoring that sense of direction.

The repetitive routine of arena touring—following backstage directions, playing the same set, and traveling overnight—also led him to question whether music and production could manipulate people’s emotions. In time, however, he came to believe that God had genuinely met people through those services.

Life After Touring

Reeves quit touring in January 2014. He then spent three years feeling lost and bitter, avoiding worship music and songwriting.

He and his wife are now in marriage counseling, partly to address the effects of his frequent travel and her years of raising their children while he was away. Reeves says counseling and reflection helped him recognize the importance of addressing hurt rather than letting resentment take hold.

After that period, he returned to songwriting and became involved in a house-church community in Austin. He says his priorities have shifted from career success to serving people and following what he believes God is asking of him.

Songs and Songwriting

Reeves and Dustin Smith began writing “I Speak Jesus” after Reeves prayed to speak Jesus’ name over a songwriting group. “A Lot More Free,” written with Max McNown, became a gold record and a pop-radio hit—an outcome Reeves says he wasn’t pursuing.

Reeves’s main songwriting advice is to read the Bible and try setting Scripture to melodies. He encourages songwriters to ground their lyrics in Scripture rather than writing only about personal experience.

Key Practices and Reflections

• Reeves says it is important to seek counseling and support when painful experiences threaten to become bitterness.
• His house church meets in homes, shares a meal, reads Scripture, prays for one another, and makes space for people to share how they have spoken about Jesus during the week.
• Reeves trained for Ironman races for several years, sometimes exercising four hours a day. He described it as a way of coping at the time, not as a health recommendation.

Notable Locations, Songs, Organizations, and Speakers

• Locations: Austin and Dallas, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Kalispell, Montana
• Songs: “How Great Is Our God,” “Lord, I Need You,” “I Speak Jesus,” “Our God,” “Let God Arise,” “We Fall Down,” and “A Lot More Free”
• Organizations and communities: King’s Porch house church; Passion; BEC; Dallas Baptist University
• Speakers: Jesse Reeves (guest), Justin Rizzo (host), and Tommy Nelson (sermon speaker discussed)