Just days after the sudden passing of his father Pastor Jeff Leake, David Leake sat down to record. Not because he had answers, but because he needed to process out loud.
This episode is unlike anything in the Rethink Revive catalog. It is raw, unscripted, and honest in a way that only grief can produce. David does not offer a tidy theology of loss or a five-step framework for healing. He simply shows up in the middle of his pain and invites listeners in.
Pastor Jeff Leake was more than David's father. He was his pastor, his mentor, his co-host, and one of his closest friends. The sudden nature of his passing left David navigating shock, grief, and the weight of a very public loss all at once. In this episode, he begins to process what it means to lose someone who shaped everything about how he thinks about God, leadership, and life.
For anyone who has lost a parent, a spiritual mentor, or someone whose absence has left a defining void, this episode will feel like sitting with someone who understands. David does not rush toward hope. He stays in the grief long enough to make it feel true. And in doing so, he models something the church often struggles to give people permission to do: mourn fully, without pretending.
How did David Leake process the sudden death of his father Pastor Jeff Leake?
David recorded this episode just days after his father's passing, describing the experience of shock, disbelief, and grief that comes with sudden loss. He didn't wait until he had it together. He processed in real time, making the episode an unusually honest look at early grief.
Who was Pastor Jeff Leake?
Pastor Jeff Leake was the founding pastor of Allison Park Church near Pittsburgh, PA, a longtime podcaster, author, and David's father and original co-host on Rethink Revive. He passed away unexpectedly on February 7, 2026, and his influence is woven throughout the early episodes of this podcast.
What does the Bible say about grief and mourning?
The episode touches on the biblical permission to mourn, including Jesus weeping at Lazarus's tomb and the Psalms of lament. David reflects on how faith doesn't bypass grief but walks through it, and how honest mourning can itself be an act of trust in God.
How do you hold onto faith when you lose someone suddenly?
David doesn't offer a formula but shares his own real-time experience of clinging to what he knows about God when his feelings don't match his theology. The episode is honest that faith in grief is often more of a decision than a feeling.
How do you carry on someone's legacy after they die?
This question runs underneath the whole episode. David reflects on what it means to carry forward his father's work, values, and vision, not as a burden but as an act of love and continuation.