Ep 244: Jon Erwin: How Failure Forges True Leadership

Jon Erwin — the filmmaker behind Young Washington, House of David, and Jesus Revolution — joins Levi and Jennie to talk about why he spent a decade obsessed with George Washington before ever picking up a camera. They get into how Washington's worst failures actually forged his leadership, the real bullet holes that shaped his faith, and why Jon cast Andy Serkis (yes, Gollum himself) for the film. Plus: the wild, lifeguard-overwhelming baptism story behind Jesus Revolution and what's coming next from Wonder Project. Connect with us on social! Jon: @jonerwinofficial Levi: @levilusko Jennie: @jennielusko Fresh Life Church: @freshlife [Links] Get tickets to see Young Washington: https://bit.ly/4vIbH0M Stream House of David on Amazon Prime Video: https://bit.ly/4oO1PA5 Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Subscribe for more exclusive content: https://levilusko.com/hitl-subscribe Time Stamps 00:00 - Welcome Jon Erwin 02:33 – America's 250th and why this is "an experiment worth believing in"  05:37 – The leadership lesson hiding in young Washington's biggest mistakes  16:02 – Making war feel real without losing the family audience  22:56 – The "divine hand of providence" — Washington's faith, bullet holes, and Cincinnatus  31:13 – Inside Wonder Project's new short-form Bible series, starting with Moses  46:44 – The three unexplainable moments and the mass baptisms behind House of David