
Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith
616 episodes — Page 7 of 13

[BONUS] Trusting God Through Fear and Doubt
This special bonus edition of the Jesus Calling Podcast features multiple guests who have appeared in their own episodes on the Jesus Calling Podcast speaking to how they deal with doubt and fear in their lives. Doubt is a normal part of our experience as humans. When something doesn’t line up with the facts as we know them, or when something unforeseen wrecks carefully laid plans, we might find ourselves wondering if God’s promises really are true. Many of the stories you’ll hear in this episode are from those who faced doubt and the fear that comes from not knowing if what you believe is true—and what happened when they took those doubts to God. Links To Full EpisodesCraig Groeschel Jamie Kern Lima Christi Paul Josh McDowell Caitlin Crosby Paula Faris Dominic Done ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 305What If Our Weakness Is Our Biggest Strength?: Natalie Grant & Mary Marantz
Maybe you’ve discovered yourself so aware of your apparent weaknesses that you couldn’t imagine how your weaknesses could be strengths. Throw in things like financial difficulties, an unexpected diagnosis, or loss of someone close to you, and it’s easy to think that life is nothing more than different shades of failure. Moments like these invite us to hear Jesus’ words to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Our guests this week know weakness in its various forms. Natalie Grant faced big hurdles to becoming a successful, award winning Christian musician only to find herself battling thyroid cancer in her forties. Would cancer take away her ability to sing—and if it did, was that really what defined her? Author and speaker Mary Marantz is grateful for what her childhood in rural West Virginia taught her, and carried on the ethic passed on to her from the hard-working logging community where her father made ends meet. In writing her story, Mary hopes that others will find themselves in some of the struggles she had, and that they may also find their weakness might be their biggest strength. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Emily Ley Upcoming interview: Janine Urbaniak Reid 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV Natalie Grant thyroid cancer Truth 4Him Avalon Bernie Herms Jesus Calling for kids www.nataliegrant.com Mary Marantz Yale Law School Slow Growth Equals Strong Roots Dirt Pearl S. Buck www.marymarantz.com Interview Quotes: “I began to notice when I would sing, there was something that happened in the atmosphere and I could tell it was deeper than just a song and a voice.” - Natalie Grant “I think that God is consistently calling us to small steps of obedience. And when we choose to say yes in the small, it's often when people begin to trust us with the big.” - Natalie Grant “Oftentimes in my own life of faith, my experience is that God asks for the yes before He gives the details.” - Natalie Grant ”I can remember being very little, being four or five, and feeling like I knew God as the best friend. He was the green of the grass down to the very pigment. He was a bird stepping into flight. He was the feel of cold, hard ground. How when you broke it up in your hands, you couldn't forget how it felt. He was color and freedom and fire and dirt.” - Mary Marantz “We might know or get a glimpse of where we're headed when we're little, but we're not ready for it until there's time.” - Mary Marantz ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 304God Has Everything We Need: Dianne Derby & Jordan Wilson
Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a time of desperation—feeling like you’ve come to the end of your rope. When you didn’t think the bottom could be any farther down, and you plummet a little more, who do you reach for when all the things you’ve relied on to give you strength and satisfaction come up empty? In the Bible, it says this, in Philippians 4:19-20: “And my God will fully supply your every need according to his glorious riches in the Messiah Jesus. Glory belongs to our God and Father forever and ever! Amen.” Our guests this week share how God came through by putting people in their lives that helped them in their most desperate hours. Journalist Dianne Derby found hope and inspiration from spending each Tuesday with a ninety-nine year old Pearl Harbor survivor who taught her how to slow down and comforted her through a pregnancy crisis. Minister Jordan Wilson was at a low point in his life due to a drug addiction, when he learned his mother had been praying unceasingly for his recovery, and decided to take his father up on an invitation to a church service that would change the whole course of his life. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Derek Evans Upcoming interview: Natalie Grant Philippians 4:19-20 NIV Dianne Derby Pearl Harbor Two Hundred Tuesdays: What a Pearl Harbor Survivor Taught Me About Life, Love, and Faith Garden of the Gods Club Jordan Wilson Friends of Sinners Matthew 14:22-33 NIV www.friendofsinner.org Interview Quotes: “It was so captivating because here [Jim Downing] was in this major, major event at Pearl Harbor. And yet he was turning the focus on to the heroes of today. He said, ‘We only had to endure the bombs for a little while. The heroes today are up against that every day.’” - Dianne Derby “It was just remarkable to hear this man run towards danger, memorize the names of the dead, put out fires on this ship so he could help save others, and then write those letters to the families who lost their loved ones. It was just such a beautiful testimony of faith in one of the darkest, scariest moments of their lives.” - Dianne Derby “I knew that focusing on Jesus and sinking into His love and sinking into my faith were the only ways out of the depths of despair that I faced.” - Dianne Derby “I tried to get out [of addiction] for so long. I did long term rehab, short term rehab, I [saw a] medicine therapist, the whole nine yards, and nothing ever worked. And the reason that nothing worked was I refused to surrender my heart to Christ.” - Jordan Wilson “I am a new person in Christ Jesus, and I feel obligated to share what God has delivered me with the next person to show that there is hope, there is freedom from addiction, and that freedom is Jesus Christ.” - Jordan Wilson “Nothing in this world will ever be able to truly satisfy you. Popularity won't satisfy you. Social status won't satisfy you. Thousands of followers on social media won't satisfy you. You are created by God and for God and outside of a relationship with Him, you'll never be complete.” - Jordan Wilson ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 303Depend on God and He Will Carry Your Burden: Jon Gordon & Andrew F. Carter
Life as a journey is almost cliche now, but there’s a reason why the metaphor persists. Journeys are difficult. We fight through injuries, claw our way to the tops of mountains, and endure the elements. We enjoy the completion of one segment only to find another looming ahead with its own set of obstacles. Journeys are visions of life’s failures and triumphs that emphasize the importance of keeping on. Our guests this week share how they’ve persisted and how Jesus has carried their burdens with them on their journeys. Jon Gordon overcame a negativity learned from childhood to become a highly sought after motivational speaker. But even with his success, he felt empty, and his search for meaning led him to an unlikely source who told him that Jesus could take his soul-pain from him. Andrew F. Carter grew up in a family plagued with drugs, alcohol, and prostitution. After being in and out of jail multiple times, Andrew turned to Jesus long enough to be called to the ministry, but then had what he calls “a Jonah moment” when he ran the other direction. Eventually, he found his way back to that calling as a social media influencer on platforms like TikTok and YouTube where he shares the gospel with millions. For both Jon and Andrew, life has been a journey that’s best done with Jesus. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Dave Pittman Upcoming interview: Dianne Derby Jon Gordon Erwin McManus The Energy Bus The Garden jongordon.com Andrew F. Carter TikTok YouTube Jonah www.andrewfcarterministries.org Interview Quotes: “I started these thank you walks where while you're walking, you say what you're thankful for. And those walks of gratitude also turn into walks of prayer.” - Jon Gordon “I believe in a God that would actually want to take my burden, want to take my soul pain.” - Jon Gordon “I needed a Savior because I couldn't save myself. I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't good enough. It wasn't about my power. It was about transferring my power to the Creator of the universe.” - Jon Gordon “Jesus believes in people more than they believe in themselves.” - Jon Gordon “Jesus came to forgive. He came to love. He didn't come to condemn the world. And so once you understand that love, I think it makes you want to know more.” - Jon Gordon “People need more encouragement today. They need more hope. They need more light. It's what Jesus came to do.” - Jon Gordon “It was like the Holy Spirit coming over me, just like; This is what you were called to do. You have words of gold. You've been called to ministry, and you're going to speak to millions of people, all three of those things. And at that moment, I knew exactly what I was supposed to be doing.” - Andrew F. Carter “All of the things that I thought would bring me happiness, the money, the travel, the girls, all of those things that I thought would bring me true happiness, they failed to fulfill….I was so fulfilled, I was so satisfied, so on fire and driven when I was actually serving God, when I was walking in the purpose that He had for me.” - Andrew F. Carter “I've tried to do things my way. I've taken the wheel. I thought I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and I clawed and fought my way to the top, only to lose it all. And I realized that in my weakness, God is my strength.” - Andrew F. Carter ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 302God Helps Us Find The Missing Peace: Sonya Curry & Sheila Walsh
Does it ever feel like you’re searching for something in life beyond what your everyday existence is bringing? Maybe you’re a parent who is devoted to your family, but you wonder if there’s something you’re missing. Maybe you’re in the second half of your life and wondering if there’s more beyond the days of your youth. Perhaps you are just lonely, and wondering why you haven’t been able to connect with others who share your outlook on life. We all want the assurance that we’re doing it right—the peace that comes from knowing where you’re going. Our guests this week share that there is an answer to finding that missing peace—and His name is Jesus. Sonya Curry raised three amazing children who became successful in sports and in life, but she still kept thinking something was missing, and found what she was looking for in a closer relationship to God. Sheila Walsh is a spiritual leader to many, yet she battled depression at the height of her success and realized that she needed God’s love through other people to help her find herself again. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Michael Guillen Upcoming interview: Jon Gordon Sonya Curry Stephen Curry Seth Curry Sydel Curry Type A personality @sacurry22 Fierce Love Sheila Walsh Is God Still Awake? 700 Club with Pat Robertson Life Today with James and Betty Robertson Psalms 88 NIV Interview Quotes: “I wanted for nothing materialistically, I just wasn't fulfilled. And so I was searching for some of that fulfillment in the world.“ - Sonya Curry “I went from just being religious and going to church to really having a personal relationship with God. And it saved my family, it saved me, and got me more focused on living out the potential that God had placed in me to get to the purpose that He had for my life.” Sonya Curry “I was already raising my children and taking them to church because that's how I was raised. But then they started seeing the transformation in me. They started seeing me praying more. I wanted to train them in how to put God first. You can fit God into your schedule, is what I wanted them to see.” - Sonya Curry “I felt how God's hand was always in every decision that was made regarding them...we need to be intentional and purposeful because we are the gatekeepers to their souls.” - Sonya Curry “Doing my daily devotions and prayer time grounds me, it really helps me to set the standard for the day. It reminds me who I am, where I came from, and who I'm here for.” Sonya Curry “I have tried so many things and ways to find fulfillment within myself to then have that pour into my role as a mom. And some things worked, some things didn't, but the things that were built on the foundation of God never failed.” - Sonya Curry “God's antidote to shame is grace.” - Sheila Walsh “Rather than viewing the Word of God through what I just heard on the news, I reverse everything now so that whatever I watch at some point to catch the headlines, I view them to what I've just read and the Word of God.” - Sheila Walsh “Don't isolate yourself from God when you're hurting. Bring everything that's true about you to Him, just as Christ did.” - Sheila Walsh ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 301Forgiveness Can Heal Our Deepest Wounds: Jeanne Lakin & Randy Hartley
Forgiveness can be a difficult concept—especially when we’ve been harmed in ways that have long-lasting effects. However, unforgiveness can end up doing even more damage. Our guests this week have stories of pain and harm done by people filled with hatred that was so traumatic, forgiveness seemed like an impossibility. Jeanne Lakin, a writer and speaker, endured the atrocities of the Rwandan genocide as part of an ethnic group who were targeted for massacre. Randy Hartley, a Tennessee businessman, traveled with his daughter to Rwanda and befriended a man whose own aunt was responsible for the death of his mother, sister, and nieces. Forgiveness didn’t seem like an option in their stories, yet through prayer and faith, it became the only choice that would bring wholeness and restoration to those involved. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Casey, CJ, and Tucker Beathard Upcoming interview: Sonya Curry Jeanne Lakin Rwandan genocide Tutsis Hutus www.avoiceinthedarkness.org Randy Hartley Beautifully Broken Compassion International Amy Grant William and Ebralie Mwizerwa Legacy Mission Village Beautifully Broken movie Interview Quotes: “We went from being from this home, a beautiful home, to being in the bushes, hiding for our lives and watching our neighbors, our loved ones, our families being basically killed because of how God had created us.” - Jeanne Celestine Lakin “I knew I could access that peace with God through prayer. I know I had God, who was seeing me through this chaos.” - Jeanne Celestine Lakin “God created us with a choice, so people could choose to do good.” - Jeanne Celestine Lakin “He's a God who sees details that we might not see.” - Jeanne Celestine Lakin “When I was able to forgive, when I was able to say, ‘I forgive you for the rape, for raping me. I forgive you for killing my family. I forgive you for all the pain, all the nights I spent thinking about all the pain you caused in my life,’ that was God's gift.” - Jeanne Celestine Lakin “Once everything is taken away from you and all you have is God and prayer, He really puts you in a humbling place where nothing else matters. It's you and God, no matter what happens at the end of the day.” - Jeanne Celestine Lakin “When you have such hatred and bitterness and anger and resentment in your heart, there's just no way to enjoy the simplest thing that God has created for us when we're holding on to that kind of pain.” - Jeanne Celestine Lakin “If you've ever been a dad driving at 3:00 in the morning and trying to find out where your daughter is, it just doesn't get any darker than that.” - Randy Hartley “God could take a Rwandan refugee and a national financial planner and a Rwandan genocide perpetrator, and weave their lives together through this divine tapestry in a way that they were all saved.” - Randy Hartley “When you're broken and you're in a dark place, sometimes it feels like you can ever move forward. But I'm here to tell you, that's just a chapter in your life. That's not the end of your story. That's just a chapter.” - Randy Hartley ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

[BONUS] Motherly Love
This special bonus edition of the Jesus Calling Podcast features multiple guests who have appeared in their own episodes on the Jesus Calling Podcast sharing inspiring stories about mothers–either their own or others who have influenced their lives by showing them motherly love. It is a blessing and a responsibility to nurture others–whether it be those in our own family, or those outside our family who may not know the love of a mother. So many lives have been positively influenced by women–mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, or friends who took it upon themselves to love and care for someone–modeling God’s unconditional love for us all. We hope these stories will encourage you and remind you of that special person in your life that hoped for you, prayed for you, and believed in you when you needed it most. Links To Full EpisodesJason Crabb Peggy Rowe Kierra Sheard-Kelly Gloria Gaither Toure Roberts Cheryl Karpen Candace Cameron Bure Jeff Hostetler ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 300God Uses Us Through Our Scars: Tim Tebow, Merry Clayton, & Dean Cain
This week we celebrate a special landmark—our 300th episode. Many thanks to you—our listeners—for coming back to our show week after week to hear the stories of real people, just like yourself, who have found hope and peace in the word of God and in Jesus Calling. For this very special episode, we have three guests who have all experienced their share of scars from the hard parts of life, but have found a way to see their scars as badges of honor, and they recognize how God has strengthened them through their pain so that they can reach others with His message of love and healing. We’re talking with NFL and MLB star Tim Tebow, singer Merry Clayton, and actor Dean Cain. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Michelle Wilbur-Christiansen Upcoming interview: Jeanne Lakin Tim Tebow Frank Thomas Psalm 139:14 NIV Mission Possible: Go Create a Life That Counts Merry Clayton Rolling Stones Lynyrd Skynryd Beautiful Scars Billy Preston Ray Charles www.merryclayton.com Dean Cain No Vacancy trailer No Vacancy website No Vacancy Facebook No Vacancy Twitter Lois & Clark Sean Penn Chris Penn Rob Lowe Charlie Sheen Emilio Estevez Princeton University Young Guns Beverly Hills 90210 God's Not Dead Cecil Johnson It’s a Wonderful Life Interview Quotes: “If I didn't know what God says about me, then it would be so easy to get caught up with the highs and the lows.” - Tim Tebow “We are here to love God and love people. And He has made it possible through the blood of the cross to have a mission possible life, one that truly counts. Not one that is about one day, but one that is about this day. This day, it is a chance to make our life count.” - Tim Tebow “It's so easy to get caught up in those emotions because they speak really loud. Ask for truth to speak louder.” - Tim Tebow “We can choose courage, because even in the midst of the trials and the midst of a tribulation, the midst of the negativity, in the midst of the criticism, we know all we have to do is keep fighting because He wins the game for us.” - Tim Tebow “We wanted His will to be done. Not me, not my will, but His will, because that's the way we live.” - Merry Clayton “God is still here. He hasn't left us. He's still here. We're still in the palm of His hands.” - Merry Clayton “I think being a parent changes you because you're no longer the most important thing. And then you start to sort of understand the whole idea behind faith and behind God.” - Dean Cain “I humble myself before God every single day because life itself is humbling.” - Dean Cain ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 299When Life Gets Stressful, Look For the Blessings: Mark Wahlberg, Roma Downey, & Shauna Niequist
In the busyness of life, job, family, and activities, we can easily become caught up in the day to day routine of putting one foot in front of another. And sometimes, that very routine, instead of being comforting, can be something we feel dragging us down, making us feel like we’re just living life in an endless loop, with no real deliberation or purpose. Our guests this week have learned an important truth about taking deliberate steps to carve out moments for reflection and connection with God—even when their day-to-day existence is overwhelming. Actor Mark Wahlberg takes time each day to pray because he knows it will equip him to take on what’s next in a positive way. Actress and writer Roma Downey takes a moment at the beginning and end of each day to remember what she is grateful for and to identify that day’s unique blessings. Writer and speaker Shauna Niequist enjoys a “breath” prayer practice where she thinks consciously about breathing in God’s peace, and breathing out her own anxiety. No matter which way you choose to deliberately connect with God’s presence in your life, you will likely find peace, strength and courage to take on stressful days that only He can give. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Ruth Chou Simons Upcoming interview: Tim Tebow Mark Wahlberg Father Stu Roma Downey Lightworkers The Bible Series Son of God A.D. The Bible Continues Messiah Touched by an Angel Psalm 46:10 NIV www.lightworkers.com Unexpected Blessings Shauna Niequist I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet Interview Quotes: “As a person of faith, I'm just trying to grow and be better every day, be an example to my wife and to my children and to the people that look to me as an example.” - Mark Wahlberg “When I started focusing on my faith, good things started to happen.” - Mark Wahlberg “No person is beyond redemption. As long as they are willing to repent and want to make real change. We cannot turn our backs on anybody. This is not about excluding people. This is about including people and opening our arms and our hearts and our homes and everything else to love people and care for them.” - Mark Wahlberg “I think in life you reach a point where you think, If I only have forty summers left, what do I want to be doing with my life? And I thought, I really want to live a life of purpose.” - Roma Downey “If you have a gratitude attitude, you can really change your life.” - Roma Downey “I've almost trained myself to look for the blessings. And the great thing is, when you train yourself to look for the blessings, you find them, and then you start finding that they're everywhere. It's like the more you're grateful for, the more you have to be grateful for.” - Roma Downey “I loved having a sense at a very young age that the world was big and beautiful, and people all over the world were kind and interesting.” - Shauna Niequist “We felt like there was a lot of energy and direction, like God's graciousness was very apparent and it felt like the path was emerging before every step.” - Shauna Niequist “There were so many new things to learn, and so we tried to build into our family language this idea that being new is good and starting again is good, and it's okay to be a rookie and it's okay to ask questions and it's okay to need help.” - Shauna Niequist “My worth is not on the line. There's nothing I have to prove. My worth is given to me by the Creator. And then also, it's not something I can destroy. It's not in my power to do that. The love and worth that God bestows upon every person He creates is not ours to destroy or manage in any way.” - Shauna Niequist ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

[BONUS] A Prayer for the People of Ukraine with Yuriy and Madison Perekotiy
This special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling podcast features missionaries to Ukraine, Yuriy and Madison. Yuriy and Madison Perekotiy share about the work they’ve been doing to help vulnerable people in Ukraine since 2018 and give us a glimpse of how Ukrainian Christians are opening their doors to those who have lost everything during the war. They describe how their community and church in Ukraine are stepping up their efforts to show God’s compassion to those who have been most affected by the conflict. Their prayers are for a hope and a future for the Ukrainian people that is free from war and that God’s healing can be found in the aftermath of this collective trauma. Quotes “Everybody has literally opened their doors, opened the doors of their churches, opened the doors of their apartments and said, ‘Hey, come here and you know, stay with us for a little bit.’ I've been proud for the Ukrainian church. They’ve opened the doors. And I think that right now it's a great opportunity to make friends with people who you've probably never met and plant the seeds of the gospel in their hearts.” Yuriy Perekotiy “We've seen the church in Moldova, Romania, Poland–all the surrounding countries around Ukraine–Slovakia, Hungary, the churches there, as well as further into Europe, are rising up to take care of Ukrainians who are in need. And so I think God will use this tragedy of war to draw people closer to Himself through believers in so many different places that are not just in Ukraine, but all over the world.” Madison Perekotiy “Continue to pray for those who are most vulnerable. Those who might have autism or special needs, or a child with Down syndrome or those in the deaf community. Those with a physical challenge that makes it difficult for them to get out or evacuate or those who can't leave at all because of those things, just to continue to pray God's mercy over the vulnerable.” Madison Perekotiy Links@theperekotiys War Relief Fund Video Updates Heritage Ukraine ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 298We All Need Somebody To Talk To: Bubba Watson and Jimmy Houston
Are you the type of person who won’t ask for help until you get to a place where you absolutely have to? Are you someone who thinks you can handle things on your own and that asking for help is a sign of weakness? Paul from the Bible is a famous example of someone who tried to carry the weight of his mistakes and misfortunes on his own. It took Jesus’ words “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” [2 Corinthians 12:9] for Paul to realize that he could “gladly boast about my infirmities so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Jesus is there to listen when you need help, and He doesn’t despise our weakness—He demonstrates His strength in us through it. Our guests today are open about how they lean on God for their help and hope. Bubba Watson is a PGA golfer who has won multiple major championships who, even while at the top of his career, reached a low point where he wasn’t sure he could lift himself out of his depressed mental state. Jimmy Houston is a legendary fisherman who hosts the popular TV show Jimmy Houston Outdoors. When Jimmy found himself at low points over the years, he testifies that God was always able to pick him up and take him to that next step to where he needed to be. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV Past interview: Ryan Casey Waller Upcoming interview: Mark Wahlberg Bubba Watson Don Mattingly Up and Down Jimmy Houston Jimmy Houston Outdoors Catch A Better Life Lake Tenkiller BASS FLW Lake Genesis at the Sea of Galilee www.jimmyhouston.com Interview Quotes: “Without faith, I wouldn't have gotten off the floor.” - Bubba Watson “You have to find people that you truly trust. There's going to be one to five people that you can truly trust and share with. And they don't blink an eye. They're there to hug you. They're there to give you a high five.” - Bubba Watson “When we stumbled and fell, when we hit those broken roads, when we got in those valleys, God was always able to pick us up and take us to that next step, whatever that next step might be.” - Jimmy Houston “It's hard to be a hunter or a fisherman and not acknowledge God all around you.” - Jimmy Houston “I continually pray for the things that I want God to be doing in my life on a daily basis. I ask God every day for Him to make me a blessing to other people that I come in contact with.” - Jimmy Houston ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 297Showing Up For What God’s Got Next: Danny Gokey and Hosanna Wong
When life deals a tough blow, it can be challenging to know where to go next. Perhaps the plans you’d been working toward have been blown out of the water, or maybe you’re experiencing a loss that has made you wonder how to move forward. When it feels like nothing makes sense in our lives anymore, all we can do is continue to show up and look for what God has next for us. Musician Danny Gokey was encouraged by his wife to try out for American Idol, and while they worked toward that moment, she unexpectedly passed away and Danny wasn’t sure how to go on. Minister Hosanna Wong lost her father at eighteen and longed to follow his legacy and help others learn of God’s love, but realized that it would take being present for others and really showing up in their lives to be able to live out her faith in a way that was authentic and compelling. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Matthew West Upcoming interview: Bubba Watson Danny Gokey American Idol Phillips, Craig and Dean Hebrews 12:2 NIV Jesus People www.dannygokey.com Hosanna Wong How Not to Save the World Interview Quotes: “I'm glad God kept pushing me because I just didn't see myself as the lead person or the lead singer.” - Danny Gokey “In the most difficult time of my life, losing a spouse, all of a sudden there's a wide open door in the midst of that to fulfill a dream that God was giving me in that moment.” - Danny Gokey “I think God was pulling away and resetting the foundation so that I would know and that people would know that [my music career] was God built.” - Danny Gokey “People want to be seen, people want to be known, people want to know they're not alone. And there is no point in putting on a facade to impress the world Jesus called us to serve.” - Hosanna Wong “Being a part of God's beautiful church all over the country, I realize the truth that the church was way more beautiful than I ever imagined.” - Hosanna Wong “Let us also live and love others in the same way that God loves us, not giving people shame, but also telling them the truth about who they are too.” - Hosanna Wong ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

[BONUS] Worry & Anxiety
This special bonus edition of the Jesus Calling Podcast features multiple guests who have appeared in their own episodes on the Jesus Calling Podcast speaking to how they’re overcoming worry and anxiety in our lives. “Do not fear” is one of the most oft repeated phrases in the Bible. God knows that we as humans struggle with fear, worry, and anxiety and He gives us many reasons to believe that He will guide us through the unknown and help us move past our fears. We hope these stories will encourage you and remind you that you are not alone–and that a life plagued by anxiety and worry can be replaced with a life of assurance that things can ultimately work out for our good, according to God’s plan. Links To Full EpisodesSara Evans Nik Wallenda Ally Brooke Ryan Casey Waller Gloria Gaynor Michelle Bengtson Darren Whitehead/Chris Tomlin ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 296Secrets that Make Us Sick and The Truth That Heals: The Warren Brothers and Amanda Jane Cooper
When we are not completely honest with ourselves or others about our problems, struggles, or emotional pain, we can find ourselves disconnected from the world and may even turn to drugs, alcohol, or other addictive behaviors to combat our shame. This shame can grow over time and fuel our addictions to become even worse. But there is hope in overcoming these destructive cycles—and we don’t have to live in the shadows of our secrets. Jesus tells us in the Bible that if we follow Him we can know the truth; and that truth can set us free. Our guests this week battled their own secret pain and addictions only to find the freedom that comes by pursuing the truth that Jesus so readily wants to show us. We’re talking with country music artists and songwriters Brett and Brad Warren from the Warren Brothers and Broadway, film, and television actress Amanda Jane Cooper. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Ryan Sheckler Upcoming interview: Danny Gokey Warren Brothers Van Halen album Women and Children First Buzz Cason Tom Douglas Tim McGraw 9/11 www.warrenbrothers.com Amanda Jane Cooper Glinda in Wicked Carnegie Mellon University Mr. Stephen Schwartz Kristin Chenoweth www.amandajanecooper.com Interview Quotes: “The partying and the drinking and being in a bar band and just having fun and hanging out with other people that were partying and drinking turned into medicating pretty quick.” - Brett Warren “The very first hit we had was in our first year of sobriety, so we thought we were giving something up creatively [by not drinking] but the truth is we were gaining tons.” - Brad Warren “The God I met in recovery and the God that I was introduced to as a little kid that was holding a lightning bolt that couldn't wait to pelt me all the time, and then the God I've gotten to read in Jesus Calling, each of them, they've all circled into one.” - Brad Warren “God is good. They always say that when something good happens to them, but [Brad’s] seeing that God is good in the worst thing that could happen to you, and the good that's happened to our family as a whole, and the change that it's made in all of us and increased our faith and trust.” - Brett Warren “Helping other people [is] what helps us to stay sober. And it makes us feel fulfilled.” - Brett Warren “I really did think that I had to earn my value, earn my worth, prove my perfection. So that was through misusing and abusing my body, but also trying to fill that God-shaped void in my soul with relationships, with promiscuity, with substances, with success, even.” - Amanda Jane Cooper “I have a new perspective that God says who I am. I do not need to “prove” to the world my worth through a certain size or through a certain weight at all. God looks at the heart and He wants to tend to our hearts.” - Amanda Jane Cooper “I fully believe that by the blood of Christ and His healing power, we can be set free from addictions, compulsions. We can go to Him in distress, pain, anger, insecurity. He is big enough and good enough, better than good enough, to handle whatever we bring to His feet.” - Amanda Jane Cooper ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 295God’s Love Shines Through The Broken Pieces of Our Lives: Michelle Hord and Krispin Mayfield
Countless articles have been written and studies conducted about the power of prayer, not just from theologians, but from mental health experts and those who study the pathways of the brain; and they all come to the same conclusion–prayer and having a relationship with God makes us stronger. Prayer can calm our nervous systems, shutting down our fight or flight response. It can make us less reactive to negative emotions and less angry. It can give us hope that we are not alone–even in the most trying of times. Our guests this week share how their personal relationship with God has held them up in times of sadness and loss, doubt and fear, and that building a foundation of trust and familiarity with God has been what keeps them moving forward when things fall apart in their lives. Michelle Hord is a media executive and storyteller, and founder of the non-profit Gabrielle’s Wings. Krispin Mayfield is a writer and a counselor who studies attachment science—a discipline that looks at how relationships develop between humans, and correlates our various styles of attachment to how we develop our relationship with God. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Chris Norton Upcoming interview: Brett and Brad Warren Michelle Hord Gabrielle’s Wings America's Most Wanted President Reagan The Oprah Winfrey Show Good Morning America J.C. Penney studio Jesus Calling app The Other Side of Yet Krispin Mayfield D.L. Mayfield Psalms Henry Nouwen Mr. Rogers Attached to God: A Practical Guide to Deeper Spiritual Experience Interview Quotes: “We sometimes have our course, we think, and then God provides what we think are detours that are actually the great path…I always thought the beauty of how the human spirit fights to survive, fights to find faith, and how strangers even try to be a part of helping to be the light in really dark stories. ” - Michelle Hord “I immediately looked for a dark room, a closet, and I shut the door and I got on my knees and I said, ‘God, I do not know what this is, but whatever it is, please give me what I need to survive it.’” - Michelle Hord “It was an act of defiance to say, ‘In the end, God is going to win.’ I don't know how. I don't believe God did this to my child. I don't believe the platitudes of ‘everything happens for a reason.’ But I do know there's a God. “ - Michelle Hord “My relationship with Jesus Calling, the intimacy of how the passages are written, was familiar in a time where there wasn't much that still felt familiar.” - Michelle Hord “I know that He has used this horrific, horrific experience and the holes in my heart as a testimony to others…There is the complete vulnerability and weakness and brokenness that takes us to Him in a unique way where He truly can shine through all of the broken pieces.” - Michelle Hord “The science actually shows us that the way we relate to God is just the same way we relate to everyone else.” - Krispin Mayfield “We want closeness with God. And actually, there are these predictable patterns of how we try to get it, especially depending on what beliefs we've been told about God.” - Krispin Mayfield “I believe that if you're sad or worried or don't have hope, those are great things to bring to God knowing that God can handle it and God can meet you there.” - Krispin Mayfield “It's been a transformation for me to move from this place of being afraid that God is going to punish me or judge me to knowing that even with all my flaws, God still likes me.” - Krispin Mayfield “I've been learning a lot about Sabbath and a lot about this idea of just being with God, not worrying so much about if I'm getting it right, not worrying as much about my behavior and focusing on the fact that I'm a beloved child of God.” - Krispin Mayfield “I think that has been transformative for me to recognize that the more I try to keep closeness through following the rules, the less secure I actually feel. Because they never get that chance to be able to test the relationship and they never get a chance to see that even if I fail at everything, God is still there holding me.“ - Krispin Mayfield ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 294A Legacy of Making Music That Matters: Florence LaRue & Michael Ray
When we look back on our lives, we all hope we can consider them well lived. But what signifies a life well lived? How much money we made or achieving great fame? Not according to our guests this week. Both have achieved fame and recognition for their musical talent, while recognizing God gave them the words and platform to spread His message of love. We’re talking with Florence LaRue, a singer with the iconic music group The Fifth Dimension, and country music artist Michael Ray. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Patti LaBelle Upcoming interview: Michelle Hord Florence LaRue The Fifth Dimension Lamonte McLemore “Aquarius” COVID Grace in Your Second Act: A Guide to Aging Gracefully Michael Ray Warner Music Nashville Gatlin Brothers Oak Ridge Boys Garth Brooks “The Dance” Opry Porter Wagoner version of “Green Green Grass of Home” Ricky Skaggs “Real Men Love Jesus” www.michaelraymusic.com Interview Quotes: “I had no intentions of becoming a singer at all. That was strictly God.” - Florence LaRue “I enjoy communicating with people. I enjoy the exchange of singing songs and making people feel things, making people happy.” - Florence LaRue “You are not alone. God is with you always. He loves you more than you know, more than you can understand, more than anyone else could ever love you.” - Florence LaRue “You know, a prayer doesn't have to be eloquent. It can just be ‘help’ or ‘thank you.’” - Florence LaRue “[My grandfather] wanted everybody to have a chance to play music, and to see his passion for it for his entire life was unbelievable.” - Michael Ray “I think that's all you can do in this life is try to make the next twenty-four better than the last.” - Michael Ray ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 293God Is Just A Prayer Away: Daniel Ponce de Leon & Lanny West
When you feel broken and lost, and the life you wanted seems far from reach, there’s Someone you can turn to. God is just a prayer away and no matter where you are or what life circumstance has laid you low, you can call His name. He listens. He cares. He’s there for you always. Our guests this week have had times in their lives of complete brokenness—and they found that when they whispered a prayer up to heaven, peace, comfort, and restoration was never too far to follow. We’re talking with baseball pitcher Daniel Ponce De Leon, and musician and founder of Tipping Point Artist Wellness Lanny West. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Holly Hayes Upcoming interview: Florence LaRue Daniel Ponce De Leon St. Louis Cardinals Chicago Cubs Victor Caratini epidural hematoma One Line Drive: A Life-Threatening Injury and a Faith-Fueled Comeback Lanny West Tipping Point Artist Wellness Beatles Staple Singers Otis Redding Amy Grant https://www.tippingpt.coach/ Father, Son, And The Unholy Road: The Dark, Twisted Truth of My Journey From Cocaine to Christ Interview Quotes: “My dad was a very big part in teaching me the Word, and every morning, you know, he was up reading. So he'd talk to me about it, and I didn't really understand most of the things. But you know, later on in my life as I read the Bible, all the words that he told me before now kind of are coming together, and I'm starting to understand that even more.” - Daniel Ponce de Leon “On good days and bad days, I need God.” - Daniel Ponce de Leon “I believe the whole journey that He put me through was different ways of God chastening me.” - Daniel Ponce de Leon “I'm using my baseball talents to spread the gospel and I'm able to talk with people and see their connection, their walk with God, and hopefully bring them closer and hopefully just bring us all as a church closer.” - Daniel Ponce de Leon “My dream was to escape the turmoil and the abuse within my family. And I just was trying to figure out how the heck to get out of that mess because nothing was getting better.” - Lanny West “I felt like I had to continue drinking and doing these drugs because people expected me to be a certain way, this entertainer, this radio DJ. And so I got hung up in it and I couldn't get out of it.” - Lanny West “Even though I didn't know my real father, there was a Father that was watching out for me…I don't miss having a cocktail. I don't miss drinking. I don't miss cocaine. I don't miss any of that because I'm filled with God's spirit, and that's the most important thing in my life right now.” - Lanny West “I knew at that moment that the spirit had entered me and that God had finally shaken me to the point where I realized that I could not go on in my life without Him.” - Lanny West ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

[BONUS] The Pursuit of Peace
This special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast features multiple guests who have appeared in their own episodes on the Jesus Calling Podcast speaking to how they pursue peace for their lives. God promises us a peace that passes all understanding when we trust Him to meet our needs. In good times or bad, we’re still able to experience that peace only God can give—letting us know that He’s got everything in His hands. We hope these stories will encourage you that anyone can find peace–—even in times of pain and loss—and that we all can experience the kind of peace that will get us through any situation we may be facing. Links To Full EpisodesTrent Shelton Erwin McManus Jeremy & Adrienne Camp Chrystal Evans Hurst Melissa D'Arabian Paul Cardall Lolo Jones Reba McEntire ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 292The Great Reset: Getting Back to What Matters Most with Chris Janson & Kelly Janson and Steve White
Uncertain times can cause us to reflect about and reassess what really matters to us. When we take that time to get quiet, pray, and really ask ourselves why we’ve been put on the earth to begin with, we can begin to feel a sense of purpose that directs our next move. And when we’re moving in the direction of our purpose, we begin to connect to our impact in the world and feel the satisfaction of knowing we can make a difference. Our guests this week have come to their sense of purpose and direction through prayer, understanding their strengths and passions, and events that made them pause and look within themselves toward what matters most to them. We’re speaking with country music singer and songwriter Chris Janson and his wife Kelly and author and President, Special Counsel to CEO [Comcast], Steve White. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Sadie Robertson Upcoming interview: Lanny West Chris Janson Jerry Lee Lewis Waylon Jennings Johnny Cash Hank Jr. Ree Guyer www.chrisjanson.com Steve White Uncompromising Moms In Prayer Theodore Roosevelt Interview Quotes: “I think that God puts certain situations in your life to be honest with you, that really mold you. And I think sometimes you have to live in those spaces and almost kind of be miserable sometimes before you really get to see the clarity at the end of the tunnel.” - Chris Janson ”I think through our family, it gives us all peace knowing that God is always there and you can talk to Him no matter where you are. It gives confidence. It gives peace.” - Kelly Janson “I saw God when our children were born. I saw God when we got married. I saw God when I was sleeping in the back of a car.” - Chris Janson “The way you lead, the way you handle yourself, the joy you display, that's your pulpit.” - Steve White “You should never allow your circumstances or your environment impact your ability to dream.” - Steve White “The more you demonstrate an interest in being better, the more you demonstrate that you want your light to shine brighter.” - Steve White “Great things cannot happen unless you're in the arena. So learning is being in the arena because you never know what can happen.” - Steve White “No one really remembers how big your house was. No one really remembers how many awards you got. What they do remember [is] did you change my life? Did you impact my life? That's what people remember.” - Steve White “We all have a purpose. We're all here on this earth for a reason. And so the more you can get quiet and reflect, it will help you start to identify your purpose and ‘why.’” - Steve White ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 291Love, Acceptance, and Celebrating Differences: Tauren Wells and John Siebeling & Wayne Francis
When it comes to loving others, we sometimes have to stretch ourselves to honor the commands that Jesus has about love. How can I love someone who is so different from me, we might ask ourselves? How can I love someone who I don’t understand and who doesn’t understand me? In our daily lives, it’s natural for us to make bonds with people who are like us, who have our same values, who believe like us. It can be tempting to live in that bubble and *think* that we are practicing love. But Jesus calls us to do more. He asks that “all we do be done in love.” If we can remember that before each conversation we have, before each decision we make in regards to others, as we measure the words and actions that we speak and do each day, we’ll find that a life lived in love will bring healing, reconciliation and benefits to us that we could have never imagined. Our guests this week are deliberate about taking a posture of love toward what they do in the world. Tauren Wells is a musician, songwriter and speaker who encourages us to recognize God’s love in all that we do and say, and pastor and writers John Siebeling and Wayne Francis have purposefully made unconditional love a part of how they welcome people of all kinds into their churches, and now they’re building off of that to bring people together to have conversations about love, acceptance, and race. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Past interview: Cynthia Garrett Upcoming interview: Chris Janson and Kelly Janson Tauren Wells Michael Jackson Prince Donald Lawrence Fred Hammond Israel Houghton NSync Indiana Bible College “Known” www.taurenwells.com John Siebeling Wayne Francis God and Race: A Guide for Moving Beyond Black Fists and White Knuckles Association of Related Churches—ARC Black Fists, White Knuckles sermon Ahmaud Arbery case Revelation 7:9 NIV Acts 2 NIV Joyce Meyer 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 NIV Interview Quotes: “I love performing, I love having fun. And I don't think that the presence of God is a fun-free zone.” - Tauren Wells “If we're really trying to make our churches diverse and multicultural, it's not just having people in the room that look like the culture we want. It's creating the pieces of fabric that make up those cultures and weaving them into the faith community that we're building.” - Tauren Wells “The key to moving forward beyond some of the racial tension that we've seen is just super open-handed, open-hearted conversations. And when you have an open heart and you have an open hand, you sit down with somebody that's different from you and you get the opportunity to see and hear their heart and their perspective. You grow and you learn.” - John Siebeling “We're not just trying to empower white people to have these conversations. We're empowering black people, people of color, how to have these conversations in a way that's life giving. And it blends us, moves us closer together toward the vision that we see in scripture, which is one nation, one people, one tribe.” - Wayne Francis “We have to keep the condition of the soul right so that even when we're angry, we can communicate in ways that don't blow everything up…canceling people is not the way that we move the conversation forward.” - Wayne Francis “The Bible says, ‘Pray without ceasing.’ That means somehow, even in the midst of work and working out and cooking and doing all that we're doing, we are communing with God.” - John Siebeling “Diversity isn't reserved for heaven.” - Wayne Francis ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 290When All Else Fails, Love Remains: Linda Davis & Lang Scott and Bobby & Cheryl Love
During a season when “love” is celebrated with flowers, candy, and romantic cards, it’s easy to forget that love has many facets. The kind of love that sticks around when it feels like there’s not much to celebrate. The kind of love that forgives in the face of disappointments and dishonesty. The kind of love that lives up to the promise that God, who Himself is love, made to us; that no matter what, He will never leave us or forsake us. Our guests this week are two couples who have walked together through joyous and difficult seasons—only to find that their love had the capacity to carry them through it all. We’re talking to country singers Linda Davis and Lang Scott and one time fugitive Bobby Love and his wife Cheryl. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Past interview: Danielle Coke Upcoming interview: John Siebeling and Wayne Francis Linda Davis Lang Scott Grand Ole Opry Reba McEntire Love Remains Hebrews 11 NIV Lady A Bobby Love Richard Nixon The Redemption of Bobby Love Interview Quotes: “God has blessed our life and our family with wonderful opportunities and experiences that we share with people now that we can go out and talk about.” - Lang Scott “Music has been our life. It's been our life together and now for our children as well. God uses what we have done in our life to make an impact in a positive way and in a spiritual way to us, to others.” - Lang Scott “My mother, she prayed that I would straighten up and do the right things, and she prayed that God would just be there for me.” - Bobby Love “I knew somewhere in my deepest of hearts that this is what I had been feeling for so many years, that he was keeping something from me. I just didn't know what it was.” - Cheryl Love “We had a faith in God, and we talked about that, that God had always been with us. He had never left us. And, you know, I just felt like I had to forgive [Bobby].” - Cheryl Love ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 289Don’t Run Away, Run To God: Granger and Amber Smith & Chiquis Rivera
Perhaps the biggest thing that contributes to having a happy and fulfilling life is faith. Our guests this week can attest to that—even though they’re talented, attained fame, and are adored by millions, they each say that the only thing that has gotten them through life, brought them where they are today, and continues to sustain them is their faith. Are you having trouble living in faith? Has your past been difficult and you’re struggling to see where God has shown up for you? Even though it may seem impossible, you can still live in faith. You can take that first step by just talking to God. Tell Him your hopes, your fears, your disappointments. And as you develop that relationship with God, you won’t be afraid to dream bigger dreams, to imagine that your life can be better, to believe that any sadness that envelops you now can be replaced by peace one day. When we believe things can be better and that God will fulfill His purpose in our lives, we begin to develop a faith that is unstoppable and will carry us through every challenging season. Here to share more about what it means to have an unstoppable faith is country singer Granger Smith and his wife Amber and singer, songwriter and author Chiquis Rivera. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Sarah Young Upcoming interview: Linda Davis Granger Smith Chiquis Rivera Jenni Rivera Unstoppable Interview Quotes: “When you hold little humans, you know, and you realize that they depend on you for so much and you look into their eyes and you see the reflection of you.” - Granger Smith “God, help me make the right decision in this moment right now for my family. I'll follow your lead because I'm not in control here." - Granger Smith “The thing that we did was we ran to Him. Yeah, we just ran to Him and he's just carried us for these last two years.” - Amber Smith “I would tell people at school, all the kids at school, like, ‘My mom is going to be famous one day,’ and they would laugh at me and make fun of me. And I had so much faith in her from the very beginning.” - Chiquis Rivera “When life drops you on your knees, you're already there, you might as well pray. And that's what I've always done throughout those moments, I always keep my eyesight focused at the light at the end of the tunnel.” - Chiquis Rivera “I'm very well aware that everything I have is because of God, because of His grace. And I keep that in mind. It helps humble me and keep me grounded every single day…What makes me unstoppable? It’s really no secret. It is my faith.” - Chiquis Rivera “What makes me unstoppable? It’s really no secret. It is my faith.” - Chiquis Rivera “When I don't try to fit God into my schedule, everything else goes around Him, around my faith, it's something that I think has helped me. I have this most of the time, unshakable faith where it's like, Okay, no matter what, I know, everything is going to be okay.” - Chiquis Rivera ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 288Trusting God In Your Present Pain: Meg Apperson and Karlie Green
Perhaps you’ve received some news recently that has thrown you for a loop. Someone you love or care about is sick or dying. Or maybe someone close to you is struggling with the darkness of mental illness. Or maybe you yourself have had a health problem or a devastating diagnosis. In this life, we can be reasonably sure that none of us will be spared from suffering. How do we reckon our pain and suffering with a loving God who is supposed to take care of us? There’s a verse in first Peter that says, “After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” Our guests have found comfort in the truth that God is a God of healing and restoration, and that their suffering has produced endurance, strength, and knit them together in compassion for others. For this episode, we’ll hear from Meg Apperson, a mother of four who advocates for her special needs daughter Avery, and Karlie Green, a congenital heart disease survivor. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Listens 1 Peter 5:10 NIV Past interview: Amanda Kloots Upcoming interview: Granger Smith Meg Apperson Craniosynostosis Single suture craniosynostosis Sky Full of Stars: Learning to Surrender to God’s Perfect Plans Karlie Green Two Hearts, One Hope: A True Story of Enduring Faith in the Messiness of Life Congenital heart disease Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma Interview Quotes: “The Lord really supernaturally spared both my life and Avery's life by kind of shielding us from how involved her defects would turn out to be.” - Meg Apperson “When you become a special needs parent, initially, your every thought is just consumed with either the present, how you're going to support this child, or you're learning how to meet their needs.” - Meg Apperson “It's so hard to come into a place where you can kind of release that white-knuckled control over your life or your children's lives or your future. And so really, what I, as somebody who struggles with wanting to control things, I really just have to pray, you know, ‘Lord, help me, help me to be malleable. Helped me just be able to surrender.’” - Meg Apperson “The Lord is not surprised by our humanity. He made us human, and so He is not put off by the struggle to surrender.” - Meg Apperson “There is light at the end of the tunnel. There is. And that light might not show up today, it might not show up tomorrow. But when you put your faith in God, when you start praying and really talking to Him and getting to know Him, you know, just like the Bible says, He does everything for the good.” - Karlie Green ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

[BONUS] The Power of Love
This special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast features multiple guests who have appeared in their own episodes on the Jesus Calling Podcast speaking to the topic of love. Love comes in many forms, but none is more powerful than to know we are unconditionally accepted and loved by God, the one who created us. We hope you are able to tap into the powerful force of love in your life through these stories about how love transformed, healed and brought a sense of belonging and purpose to those who were willing to recognize and welcome it into their lives. Links To Full EpisodesLauren Alaina Danielle Coke Rick Steves Jennifer Greenberg Ginny Owens Andrew & Shawn Johnson East Lecrae Moore ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 287Put God First and You’ll Never Be Last: Elaine Welteroth & Jonathan Singletary and Juni Felix
What’s the central driving force to your life? Is it career? Family? Achieving success? In the Bible, there’s a verse that says “Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God.” What does this mean? “To give glory” is to praise, to recognize the importance of another, the contribution that someone gives to your life. And when we allow God to be central to all we do and say, we’ll realize our potential for love, healing, and relationship in new ways. Musician Jonathan Singletary and his wife, journalist, Project Runway judge and host of CBS’s The Talk Elaine Welteroth find their marriage and their individual purposes in life strengthened when God is in the middle of it. Researcher and writer Juni Felix found hope and healing from trauma when she allowed Jesus inside the center of her pain and believed that she was worthy to live a life outside of the trauma that once defined her. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast 1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Sarah Young Past interview: Paula Faris Upcoming interview: Meg Apperson Jonathan Singletary Elaine Welteroth South Bay Community Church Yvonne Orji More Than Enough Piano and Prayer Juni Felix John 17:3 NIV www.junifelix.com You Are Worth the Work Interview Quotes: “God puts people in our lives to show us a piece of His character, a piece of His heart in a different way.” - Jonathan Singletary “When God gives you a gift, it can go either way, depending on what we're acting out of. If we're acting out of the purity of our relationship with God, then you can see the beauty of it, the light of it. But if we act out of our wounding, we can use that same gift, and there could be kind of a darkness to it, or a lack of love, or a lack of self-love in it.” - Jonathan Singletary “It's your sole obligation while you are here to uncover your purpose and to put God at the center and to never give up, like, never, ever give up on what God has shown you is for you.” - Elaine Welteroth “When we are really standing in the light of God's love, we know that we are whole, we know that we are more than enough.” - Elaine Welteroth “I hope that as I share some of this, those who are blessed with opportunities to show kindness to children who are homeless and displaced don't ever hold back. I'm living proof that kindness really matters. And so these wonderful seeds of hope, they can literally last throughout a lifetime.” - Juni Felix “The reason that so many people, myself included, who sincerely love the Lord and want to live out His love and shine His light; they struggle and stumble and get stuck because deep within, we feel unworthy of God's love and grace because of those adverse childhood experiences.” - Juni Felix “Dare to believe that you are worth the work because trauma recovery is hard work, but you are so worth it.” - Juni Felix ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 286Finding Meaning in the Small Moments: Taylor Tippett & Curtis Grimes
It seems that much of our lives is driving toward something big. Whether it’s career, personal goals, seeking success or building a life for our loved ones, we’re often aiming high to be or do something big. However, we’ll miss some important moments if we don’t look at the small ways God is showing up in our lives: a simple word from a friend that brightens our day, an act of service from someone that makes our day go smoother, or even a thought from a complete stranger that reminds us we are seen and heard. When we actively look for these moments, we realize that God is all around us, at all times—in the small details of our days as well as the big moments—and recognizing His presence in all of our moments will draw us closer to Him. Flight Attendant Taylor Tippett started a project of leaving encouraging notes on the planes she worked on for passengers to find as a small act of kindness that has netted big results. Texas country music artist Curtis Grimes sees the value of reaching people for God not only in the big stadiums and auditoriums, but in the small honky tonks, fairs, festivals, & rodeos he plays regularly. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Lisa Harper Upcoming interview: Elaine Welteroth and Jonathan Singletary Taylor Tippett Pan Am @wordsfromthewindowseat Words From The Window Seat Curtis Grimes The Voice CeeLo Green Andraé Crouch song, “Through It All” “Graves Into Gardens” Interview Quotes: “I'm a very big believer in things happening for a reason. And so I was like, What if somebody finds this and really needs this? And so I wrote “Be kind to yourself” and took a picture and left it on the seat back.” - Taylor Tippett “Through this project of really keeping an eye out for the small moments and for the kindness, that's my whole goal with this; it's just that people would feel understood and loved where they're at.” - Taylor Tippett “I think just having patience and grace with people that look different from us or act different from us or seem different from us is so important.” - Taylor Tippett “I was having a lot of conviction for how I was living and just was not representing Christ the way I should in not only in my music, my lifestyle. And from that point on, just kind of really made a conscious effort to use the talent and ability that God had blessed me with to reach people, to go into the bars, honky tonks, fairs, festivals, rodeos, wherever we were playing, and actually use that to point people to Jesus, not do the opposite.” - Curtis Grimes “Initially, my thought was to just remove myself from the environment, just get out of the scene, get out of the lifestyle, get away from it, and just go lead worship in a church. But God really put it on my heart that, ‘I have you here for a reason. I want you to do whatever you think that you were going to do in a church out here where you're actually reaching people in a place where people aren't going to hear about Jesus.’“ - Curtis Grimes ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 285Looking At The Enneagram Through A Spiritual Lens: Mark Eaton, Jackie Brewster, & Eve Annunziato
You might have heard about the popular personality typing assessment called the Enneagram. What you might not know is that the Enneagram has many applications for Christians and has some of its early formation shaped by historical Christian thinkers. By looking at ourselves and those we care about in the context of the nine Enneagram types, we can understand ourselves and who God created us to be, so that we can in turn better understand others and have a more compassionate heart. For this episode, we’ll speak with several experts on the Enneagram who help us walk through the different personality types and share deep personal insights they found from utilizing the Enneagram in their relationships both at home and in their church community. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Listens Jesus Calling Jesus Calling YouTube Enneagram Relating to God through the Enneagram YouTube Series Jesus Calling Enneagram discussion guides Past interview: Shannon Bream Upcoming interview: Taylor Tippett Mark Eaton Dr. Harv Powers Enneagram assessment Enneagram Two Matthew chapter 7 www.eatonleadership.org Jackie Brewster Eve Annunziato Jesus Calling app Jesus Calling for kids Hearing God Speak Interview Quotes: “The Enneagram studies motives, it studies drivers, it studies what motivates a person. And if we know what motivates us, what drives us, what's the thing behind the thing, then we can be much more effective in our leadership.” - Mark Eaton “Enneagram twos tend to withdraw when we get into a little bit of conflict. We don't understand our own needs. We understand everybody else's, if you will, but we have trouble getting our own. So I can tend to withdraw for sometimes for two or three days before I understand what I'm feeling.” - Mark Eaton “Enneagram can help us. It's just a tool, but it can help us have much more intimate relationships with those who we say we love.” - Mark Eaton “The Enneagram helps me become the humble guy that I really want to be. When I'm facing my wife, I am aware, at least at some level, of the logs in my own eye and maybe, just maybe, I can help someone else with a splinter in their eye.” - Mark Eaton “I had never really looked at my life through the lens of the Enneagram. And so because of the tool that it is, it's allowed me to really slow down, process what's happening in my life, like take notice of patterns of behavior, ask myself where they're coming from. And it really has made a huge, huge difference and impact on the way that I function in my marriage with my children and in my business, with my friends, just really understanding what's happening on the inside of me and owning my own parts of my story.” - Jackie Brewster “I feel like through the work of the Enneagram, I'm accepting my own personality. And really, most importantly, I'm accepting other people's personalities that perhaps are different than mine. It's helped me view my life with compassion and empathy for others and even for myself.” - Eve Annunziato “I realize that there is no better or worse or best number and that our numbers aren't a problem to be solved. Our numbers are a beauty to be embraced, and that's helped me warmly welcome my own personality, my own vulnerability.” - Eve Annunziato “As we do recognize different parts of ourselves, [God] doesn't want us to try to fix them on our own. He wants us to bring them to Him and ask Him to be in it with us…I do love using the Enneagram as a tool, but the Bible as a transformation for our lives.” - Jackie Brewster ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 284Understanding and Kindness for Every Season: Will Smith & Amy Grant
This season is a time for giving, reflection and joy. But what if you’re having a hard time seeing God in the swirl of busy-ness that encompass the holidays? Or what if you’re not connected with him how you’d like to be? There’s a powerful verse in the Bible from 1st John 4:12 that says even though none of us here on earth have actually “seen” God, “if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us." Our guests today believe that love and understanding toward others, along with prayer and seeking Him are our primary connections to God and find their faith strengthened when they are acting in kindness and service. We’ll talk with Oscar-nominated actor and recent New York Times bestselling author Will Smith and Grammy Award-winning iconic Christian singer Amy Grant. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast 1st John 4:12 Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Sarah Young Past guest: Lauren AkinsUpcoming guest: Enneagram through a spiritual lens with experts Mark Eaton Will Smith Carnegie Mellon University Will Amy Grant Church of Christ Belmont College Word Records www.AmyGrant.com Interview Quotes: “External success doesn't fix your internal difficulties.” - Will Smith “I'm flawed, but so is everybody, and I get to be better moving forward.” - Will Smith “A concentration on love and service above all things can't yield anything but greatness.” - Will Smith “I want to be an ambassador of God and goodness trying to correct the lack of love in the world.” - Will Smith “Little by little, my stage grew and the audience grew and my proficiency grew and took me places I never dreamed I would go. I'm really grateful and surprised how my life turned out.” - Amy Grant “Prayer changes circumstances, it changes people, it changes the person who's going through it, it changes the person who prays, and I believe prayer is active, compassionate thought wrapped around another person.” - Amy Grant “One of the first things that comes out of my mouth in the morning is, ‘This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.’ And I feel that joy. I'm so glad to be alive.” - Amy Grant “I think we're all wired so uniquely that God gives us gifts because He knows that's what we need to get through. And then when you enjoy that gift, then it pours out on other people.” - Amy Grant ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

[BONUS] Hope For A New Year
This special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast features multiple guests who have appeared in their own episodes on the Jesus Calling Podcast speaking to the topic of hope. Through a variety of situations, many difficult, some tragic, our guests from all walks of life share how hope stayed alive in their hearts and how their faith fueled that hope. Links To Full EpisodesDr. Rick Rigsby Jim & Jill Kelly Tammie Jo Shults Randy & Mary Travis Hal Donaldson Kristin Chenoweth ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 283When You Don’t Feel Joyful, God Still Sees You At Christmas: Steve Wariner and The Isaacs
Though Christmas is typically a happy time of year, full of gifts and parties and celebrations, many find it hard to find joy at Christmas time. Maybe you’ve had a loss, or received some bad news, or a scary diagnosis. Through all the celebrating and good cheer, God still sees you. And in Him, you can draw strength that will never fail you. Jeremiah 33:3 tells us that God is just waiting to do mighty things if we’ll just reach out to Him. “Call to Me,” He says, “and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” We wish we could know what our future holds or if and when we’ll get out of a season of hurt and pain—but what we do know is that we can call on God and He will be there for us. His very existence assures us that we’re never alone. Our guests this week, country music star Steve Wariner and country gospel group The Isaacs know a little bit about what leaning on God looks like, and how He shows up not only in the Christmas songs and celebrations we hear and see at Christmas, but through times of confusion, doubt, pain, sickness and sorrow. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jeremiah 33:3 Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Jesus Always Past interview: Dave Pittman Upcoming interview: Amy Grant Steve Wariner Dottie West Bobby Bare Jim Ed Brown Chet Atkins Capitol Records Burnin’ the Road House Down COVID Feels Like Christmas Time The Isaacs The Isaacs Foundation Polish Jewish Holocaust survivors Bergen-Belsen concentration camp Buna concentration camp Feldafing Grand Ole Opry www.theisaacs.com Interview Quotes: “I remember the first time I played music was in church, the first music I heard was in church.” - Steve Wariner “During those really hard times when you look around and so many friends are going away and friends of friends or relatives that it was starting to get really close, the circle closer, I found myself really turning into faith a lot. And really, you know, you get down on your knees and you go, Man, this is an unprecedented time we're in. And you draw back on those early experiences in your life lessons and turn to those things. It's very humbling, these times, that’s for sure. And I try to turn to some people that need some help and help them if I can.” - Steve Wariner “It really does my heart good to play that music and bring it out and sing beautiful melodies, and the real lyrics that really mean what Christmas is.” - Steve Wariner “We recorded when we were just small children singing in harmony. And so it was something that was just surrounding us. And so it was a very natural fit for us to grow up loving music, different kinds of music…faith has been the core of everything that we are and everything that we've ever wanted to do, just to be whatever God wanted us to be. ” - Sonya Isaacs Yeary “There was a banjo and a guitar and prayer in our home all the time.” - Rebecca Isaacs Bowman “To be able to be where I am now and look back on my past and know that God has ordained our family in the positions that we are, I look at it now and I could see it the alignment all the way from Mom and Dad getting saved into who we are today, who we are independently.” - Ben Isaacs “We know how blessed we are to have each other.” - Sonya Isaacs Yeary “I'm convinced that if you can just let your egos at the door and pray together, then you'll stay together.” - Rebecca Isaacs Bowman “The minute my flesh hit the floor, God already knew my heart. He knew I was open to whatever He had. And it was a process.” - Lily Isaacs “I think that choosing the type of songs that you sing and knowing that you can sing them anywhere makes a big difference in how you can spread the word and the word of hope.” - Ben Isaacs “We do love to share what God has brought us through and His faithfulness and everything, because He is so faithful, He's been so faithful to us through all the things and so much more. And He still is leading us through.” - Sonya Isaacs Yeary ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 282God’s Power Overcomes The Darkness: Sinach & Ryan Casey Waller
The news in the world today is often troubling and might send us into a tailspin of anxiousness and worry. When we hear stories of people hurting each other and conflicts around the world, we may wonder if there’s a hope in our future, or if we are just descending into chaos. When things seem out of control, the Bible gives us assurance that God is still in charge. Isaiah 41:10 says “do not be dismayed, for I am your God—I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” This week our guests both share about how they have come to know the greatness of God and how they’ve seen His power to overcome darkness in our world and in their own lives. We’ll hear from Sinach, an award-winning singer from Nigeria, and psychotherapist Ryan Casey Waller. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Isaiah 41:10 NIV Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Past interview: Levi Lusko Upcoming interview: Steve Wariner Sinach “Greatest Lord” www.sinachmusic.com Ryan Casey Waller Anxiety, Depression, and Other Things We Don’t Want To Talk About Mental illness www.ryancaseywaller.com Interview Quotes: “As I grew as a Christian being born again, I started understanding, Oh, wow, the Lord could actually use what I'm doing, and as I saw the number of people that were being impacted with my music, I just realized that, Oh, wow, this is more than just a hobby. It is more than just something that I sing when I want to sing. This is something that the Lord will use. “ - Sinach “It was not particularly about the music, but the spirit, the power of the name of Jesus behind the music.” - Sinach “The name of Jesus is greater than depression, is greater than any sickness that has been named or will ever be named, and that we must have confidence in the name of Jesus and be able to trust Him for what He said He is.” - Sinach “I understood myself first and foremost as a child of God. That's the lens through which I saw the rest of the world. I understood that first and foremost, no matter what I did, no matter what I said, no matter what I accomplished or how I failed, I knew that God had brought me into existence, out of love and made me for love. And that blessed me so I might have the opportunity to bless others.” - Ryan Casey Waller “By the grace of God, working with that therapist and beginning to take medication, I experienced a tremendous amount of healing. And I became really passionate advocating for Christians to try and understand mental health as health and not as some separate category.” - Ryan Casey Waller “It was that moment of deep embarrassment and shame that allowed me to see that I needed to push pause on everything. And then I need to return to the basics and I need to go and get some serious treatment and to take time to understand that my own mental health had gotten in a bad place and I had to step back.” - Ryan Casey Waller “If the church is going to be a place of true healing, then it must be a place where every kind of pain can be brought into and entrusted. Jesus never promises to take our pain away, but what is promised is that He'll be there with us.” - Ryan Casey Waller “I think that the abundant life that Jesus offers, the life that He wants us to enjoy, is one in which we are entering into the healthiest versions of ourselves as possible.” - Ryan Casey Waller “God has a future for you, there are people who love you, and if you're in pain today, please tell them. Don't be ashamed. You'll be met with love and you'll be guided toward healing.” - Ryan Casey Waller ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 281Taking Control Of Lies and Living In Truth: Louie Giglio and Diana Butler Bass
You may have heard the Bible verse from John 8:32 that says if you “know the truth, the truth shall set us free.” However, so many of us are vulnerable to lies we hear from others (or even tell ourselves) about who we are, about who others are, and about how we should be in the world. Our guests today encourage us as to how we can overcome lies by walking in truth and embracing who we’re meant to be in God’s eyes. We’re speaking with pastor of Passion City Church Louie Giglio and author and speaker Diana Butler Bass. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast John 8:32 NIV Jesus Listens Past interview: Ben Higgins Upcoming interview: Sinach Louie Giglio Passion City Church Georgia State University Baylor University Passion gatherings Isaiah 26:8 NIV Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table John 10:10 NIV Psalm 23 NIV www.passioncitychurch.com Diana Butler Bass Matthew 25 NIV Grateful Jesus Calling www.diantabutlerbass.com Freeing Jesus: Rediscovering Jesus as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence Interview Quotes: “That's really how I've gotten from that moment to this moment, it's just by waking up every day and saying yes to the opportunities that God gives me.” - Louie Giglio “If you just preach the gospel and preach the Word, it stays relevant in every season.” - Louie Giglio “I realized that I had let the adversary dominate my thinking, disrupt my peace of mind, cause confusion and consternation, and keep me up at night. I'll never forget the moment I just decided I'm taking the table of my mind back, starting right now, saying ‘You are not welcome at my table and you are not welcome in this conversation. I'm not going to give you a seat anymore at my table.’” - Louie Giglio “Psalm 23, it said, ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are with me, your rod and your staff. They comfort me.’ And He didn't say “We're going to the valley.” He said, “We're going through the valley.” And God has a way of bringing us through every trial and every circumstance.” - Louie Giglio “[Church] gave me a sense of freedom to not be afraid of questions, because if you're part of a tradition that’s centuries and centuries old, you know that it's not going to go away next year, it's going to last. And so you can ask whatever questions need to be asked. And in that context of church, I both felt grounded and incredibly free.” - Diana Butler Bass “Real church happens when you go out the door....the church loving our neighbors, caring for the poor, feeding the hungry, visiting prisoners in jail, all that stuff, that's church, that's what Jesus said.” - Diana Butler Bass “Share your story in such a way that your neighbors want to have coffee with you. Be able to tell your story of Jesus as easily and naturally. As I think Jesus told His own story.” - Diana Butler Bass ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 280How Can We Rejoice in Our Suffering?: Amanda Kloots & Nell O’ Leary
When the problems of our life are pressing in from all sides, we can be blinded to the beautiful moments that are also happening. Through our grief and pain, our sorrow and our confusion, it’s really tough to turn our eyes away from the wreck that’s happening in front of us to focus on those little moments of joy that are inevitably sprinkled into the tough times. Romans 5:3 tells us to “rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Our guests this week were able to find rays of hope through times of adversity and change—we’re speaking to talk show host Amanda Kloots, who lost her young husband Nick Cordero to Covid-19 in 2020, and managing editor of Catholic Women’s ministry Blessed Is She Nell O’ Leary. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Romans 5:3 NIV Past interview: Mattie Jackson Selecman Upcoming interview: Louie Giglio Amanda Kloots Nick Cordero The Talk Live Your Life Amanda Kloots Fitness Rockettes Bullets over Broadway COVID www.amandakloots.com Nell O’ Leary Blessed Is She Perry Mason www.blessedisshe.net Interview Quotes: “For me, any kind of movement, whether it's dancing in ballet class, running on a treadmill, jumping rope, going for a walk—it's just an instant mind shifter, a body shifter. It never doesn't help. That’s how I can best describe it.” - Amanda Kloots “Finding comfort came from my family, from Nick’s family—definitely from God and from prayer and believing and having faith.” - Amanda Kloots, after losing her husband Nick to COVID-19 “Grief is a journey that you really can only go on on your own. I think that you have to look beyond that anger. You can't say what if or it should have been a certain way or because that'll just tear you down. You can't change what's happened.” - Amanda Kloots “We're just so humbled by what the Lord is doing with our meager offering.” - Nell O’Leary on her ministry Blessed Is She “To think if I had known that seven years ago, Oh, someday you'll do something that you'll really love, I wouldn’t have learned the important lesson of just being trusting and satisfied with what God had in front of me.” - Nell O’Leary ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

[BONUS] Gratefulness & Blessings
This special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast features multiple guests talking specifically about gratefulness. We hope you find inspiration from the stories of the blessings God has brought our guests’ way and how being grateful, even through the hard times, has changed their lives. Links To Full EpisodesMax Lucado Sarah Jakes Roberts Matthew McConaughey Ellie Holcomb Kurt Warner Harold Earls Rita Wilson ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 279Giving Thanks Instead of Giving Up: Patti LaBelle & Tracy Lawrence
At this time of the year, we hear a lot about being thankful and having an attitude of gratitude. But from an everyday perspective, why is gratitude key in allowing good things to flow in our lives? When we are grateful to God—even in the bad times, it has the power to energize us. When we are broken, a grateful heart can bring healing, and when we feel like giving up, giving thanks can bring us hope. Our guests this week have learned to be grateful—not only in the good times, but in the difficult times, and they share how practicing gratefulness opens them up to more blessings, and gives them the strength to share those blessings with others. We’ll hear stories of gratefulness from legendary singer Patti LaBelle and country music icon Tracy Lawrence. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Past interview: CeCe Winans Upcoming interview: Amanda Kloots Patti LaBelle Luther Vandross Dancing with the Stars www.pattilabelle.com Tracy Lawrence Glen Campbell Charley Pride Mission Possible Turkey Fry Sticks and Stones George Strait Merle Haggard Mission Possible Nashville Rescue Mission www.tracylawrence.com www.tlmissionpossible.com Interview Quotes: “Faith took me through, because I said, ‘I have to do this because I'm born to sing.’ So a lot of prayers help me become the not-so-scared Patti LaBelle now.” - Pattie LaBelle “People believed in me so much. And it just gave me faith and courage to just, no matter how bad my voice is, just continue to sing. And guess what? By the grace of God, it came back stronger than ever before. And it was prayer.” - Pattie LaBelle “I miss all of the things that come along with having sisters, having a family who can say anything to you and get away with it because it's blood. This time is precious.” - Patti LaBelle “I've always known that God’s had His hand on my shoulder even through the hard times in life. I've never felt alone. I've always known that there was a greater power watching over me, and I've always felt guided, that I was here for a purpose.” - Tracy Lawrence “I think we've all seen through this last year that the homeless and the need that is out there across the country is just getting greater and greater. It's a little disheartening. It seems like the more you do, the more you realize that you're barely scratching the surface. But hopefully you'll inspire somebody else to do something with their church or somewhere else and just do their part in helping out our fellow man.” - Tracy Lawrence “I think whenever you do know that God has blessed you, that you have a responsibility to share that with the people that you come in contact with and be able to spread a little bit of that love and joy and humanitarianism around to them as well.” - Tracy Lawrence ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 278God Is Fiercely Pursuing Our Hearts: Dan Allender and Cathy Loerzel & Andrew Farley
Each one of us has a unique story to share—and within each of these complex stories many of us have experienced loss, heartache, shame, and tragedy which profoundly affect our lives. But once we begin to face our heartaches and realize their effect on our lives, we can see the slow steady pursuit of a God who only desires our healing and wholeness. This week we’ll be discussing the way that God cares about each of our stories and is there to walk us through our trauma with Dr. Dan Allender and Cathy Loerzel—founders of the Allender Center, and how we can act out of the new heart He so lovingly restores to us with Pastor Andrew Farley. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Past interview: Anne Lamott Upcoming interview: Patti LaBelle Dr. Dan Allender Cathy Loerzel Allender Center Psalms Redeeming Heartache: How Past Suffering Reveals Our True Calling TheAllenderCenter.org Pastor Andrew Farley Book of Hebrews Hebrews 11 NIV Romans 8:31-39 NIV 1 Thessalonians 5:19 NIV Galatians 5:22-23 NIV www.andrewfarley.org The Perfect You Interview Quotes: “Anyone who thinks they have a boring story does not understand the deep, redemptive commitment of Christ to find us.” - Dr. Dan Allender “There's more going on than what people are saying, especially in the church, because we're so committed to, you know, believing that if we have the spirit in our souls, then we're healed and never having to go back and actually deal with what was true about who we were in our backgrounds.” - Cathay Loerzel “We can hold the reality of our brokenness and our renewed beauty as image bearers and as re-created in the image of Christ.” - Dr. Dan Allender “It's the valley of the shadow of death where the light of His goodness shows.” - Dr. Dan Allender “I think that we have accidentally communicated a God that is in some sort of barber shop chair in heaven and is swirling around away from us when we sin and then rotating back when we have our quiet time. And so then we've got an in and out and in and out of fellowship. And I think we need to know that His face is always toward us and that He never leaves us.” - Andrew Farley ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 277Being Light Bearers for Jesus: Kristin Chenoweth and Sadie Robertson Huff
Have you ever heard the phrase “to whom much is given, much is expected?” In the case of our two guests today, God has gifted them with amazing platforms to reach thousands of people—and they take the responsibility to lead well very seriously. Actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth has graced the Broadway stage as well as movies and television, and she uses her platform to spread faith, hope, and light to everyone she encounters. Sadie Robertson Huff was part of her family’s TV show as a kid and as a young woman went on to find an even bigger audience through her appearance on ABC’s Dancing with The Stars. Both of these women wanted to be faithful to the opportunity given to them to be a light to their followers—and though it’s not always easy, they trust that God will help them when things get hard. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Luke 12:48 NIV Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Past interview: David Crowder Upcoming interview: Dan Allender Kristin Chenoweth Happiness Is...Christmas! Sadie Robertson Huff ABC’s Dancing with The Stars A&E’s Duck Dynasty Live Original Live on Purpose Duck Commander Interview Quotes: “We're all just humans trying to do the best we can. So why don't you give yourself permission to be human, there's a weight that lifts that you go, ‘Oh yeah, that's right. I'm not perfect. Only God is.’” - Kristin Chenoweth “We have families that inspire us. We have friends around us that make us laugh and giggle and be able to be ourselves. But then as life goes on, like someone says something that tears you down, someone says something that makes you feel embarrassed about the thing that you used to be so confident in. And so by the time I was seventeen, I did not think about preaching or speaking, like that was not on my radar at all.” - Sadie Robertson Huff “If I'm going to be famous, then I'm going to do it with a purpose, and if I'm going to say words on a platform, then I want to say words that matter. And if people are going to look at my life then I want to point them to Jesus.” - Sadie Robertson Huff “I think so many times people forget that God's on the journey to get to where you're going, not just where you want to arrive. And I try to encourage people with that daily, even though that's a hard thing, I think, to believe even for ourselves.” - Sadie Robertson Huff ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 276How Can I Know God Hears Me When I’m Hurting? Levi Lusko & Peter Mutabazi
As children, many of us have been taught to pray and that God will help us. But as we grow into adulthood our simple prayers can turn into desperate pleas as our lives become more complex and difficult. What happens when the prayers we pray don’t seem to be heard, or the circumstances of our lives become so traumatic we may doubt if God is even listening? Our guests this week had their own ups and downs in their relationship to prayer and to God. Pastor Levi Lusko faced the tragic loss of his five-year-old daughter that shook his whole world. Foster Dad Peter Mutabazi grew up in mind-numbing poverty made worse by the abuse of his earthly father—robbing him of the hope of possibly ever knowing the love of a true Father. These men share their experiences and what gave them hope to survive the most devastating experiences of their lives. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Psalm 46:10 NIV Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Past interview: Joni Eareckson Tada Upcoming interview: Kristin Chenoweth Levi Lusko Fresh Life Church Roar Like a Lion Matthew 14:13-21 NIV Lord's Prayer Henry David Thoreau www.levilusko.com Peter Mutabazi Compassion International World Vision Compassion International Uganda Luke 12:48 NIV Foster care Starlight Foundation www.nowiamknown.com Interview Quotes: “When [my daughter] Lenya went to heaven, we were at a loss as parents, not only how to go through what we were facing ourselves, but how to help our kids process it.” - Levi Lusko “I feel empowered in my pain and there's a purpose in it. But then I also love that it acknowledges that this might take a while. It's not instant. I have to wait sometimes. And in that waiting is where God really is going to develop the muscles of strength inside of you that hopefully can help you to handle the kind of blessing that He ultimately wants to give you.” - Levi Lusko “Abuse wasn't just coming towards me, but it was going towards all my siblings, including my mom. So even though one parent was there to protect us, most of the time, we could not protect her because she faced the same abuse from my dad. And so that that was what life was. That was just the worst you could think of. So for me, you know, if you told me to dream, today was bad enough that I didn't really want to think about tomorrow.” - Peter Mutabazi “I realized just how good I was at school as well. And so that's really how I began to hope and how I began to truly see myself as someone who will get somewhere, not because I had it, but because someone saw that in me and he believed and had faith in me.” - Peter Mutabazi “I went to the restaurant and the amount of food I saw being thrown away really, really [made me] question my faith, you know, because to see how much was thrown away and knowing that kids in my village are going to die today because they didn't have a meal, I began to ask God like, “God, do you love us the same way? How can some people have so much to throw away every day, but others have so little that they will lose their lives?” You know, and that was a challenge for me.” - Peter Mutabazi “Things that I can draw from my own life and be able to share with them has truly been so meaningful, you know, that you look back and say, ‘Wow, God, I had no idea, but you allowed me to go through all of that. But at the same time, I can use the past to change your little ones here in the United States.’” - Peter Mutabazi “We stand to be an advocate for those who are not seen and those who are not heard.” - Peter Mutabazi ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 275Boxing Up Hope with Operation Christmas Child
On this week’s episode, we’ll hear from three people with special connections to the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child, which collects shoebox gifts filled with toys, school supplies, and hygiene items, and delivers them to children in need around the world to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way. For many children, this shoebox is the first gift they’ve ever received. Bill Pfister, the senior regional director of OCC for the Americas and the Caribbean, gives some insight into the mission and inspiration behind the organization, and how they’re seeking to show God’s love in a tangible way.. Vladimir Prokhnevskiy, a shoebox recipient, grew up in Kiev, Ukraine, in an impoverished family of eleven. Vladimir remembers one harsh winter when he and his siblings underwent extensive travel to get to an Operation Christmas Child distribution center, and how that gift impacted his life. Elvina Arventii will share how Operation Christmas Child changed her life as a little girl, and how she’s now volunteering with them, hoping to pay it forward. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Listens Sarah Young Past interview: Green family Upcoming interview: Levi Lusko Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child www.samaritanspurse.org/OCC Bill Pfister Vladimir Prokhnevskiy Elvina Arventii Interview Quotes: “When friends or family members or a local church come together and pack gift boxes and then send them overseas, a child is able to hear about the good news of Jesus in a local church. They are taught that Jesus is the greatest gift they can ever receive and that is a tangible expression of God's love.” - Bill Pfister “For me [my Operation Christmas Child box] was extra special because it was my first Christmas gift ever. But most importantly, the gospel came with it.” - Vladimir Prokhnevskiy “Over the years, you forget little details about the shoebox here and there, but you never forget how it makes you feel. And on that day, I felt loved.” - Vladimir Prokhnevskiy “I have a five year old and an eight year old, Ashton and Elliot, and we pack shoeboxes every single year. It's a family tradition now. It's a great example for my kids because I demonstrate to them what generosity looks like...I want my kids to grow up and be generous because generosity moves people's hearts. Generosity is what unites people, it brings people together. And I want them to grow up to be generous people. And packing shoeboxes helps them become generous.” - Vladimir Prokhnevskiy “For the first time, I realized that God is real and He can answer even the prayers of a little girl.” - Elvina Arventii ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

[BONUS] The Power of Prayer
This special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast features multiple guests talking specifically about the power of prayer. We hope you find inspiration from the stories of how the simple act of prayer brings hope, peace, and a deeper relationship with God to people from all walks of life. Links To Full EpisodesLauren Akins Joyce & John Smith James Martin Carlos Whittaker Travis Tritt Sarah Young Bishop T.D. Jakes ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 274Can God Save Me From A Horrible Place?: Christi Paul and Glo Atanmo
When we find ourselves in a difficult season of our lives, we may ask ourselves the question, How did I get here? And when we aren’t able to figure it out right away, we may turn on ourselves for the blame—bringing on deep feelings of regret and shame. Psalm 145 reminds us that when we seek the Lord, He will answer us and deliver us from all our fears. It also says “Those who look to Him are radiant—and their faces shall never be ashamed.” Our guests this week dealt with really tough circumstances—ones that caused them to question deeply who they were and where they would end up. CNN anchor Christi Paul dealt with an abusive spouse and didn’t know where to turn, until she was at the end of her rope and a verse from Proverbs brought her hope that she could trust God to find a way out—not her own understanding. Travel blogger Glo Atanmo was in another country when she became very ill and had to have a major surgery that set her back for months. As she wondered how she would recover physically, emotionally and financially, a caring nurse gave her a copy of Jesus Calling where she was able to find a bit of hope to see beyond the place she was in. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Jesus Calling Podcast Sarah Young Psalm 145 NIV Past interview: Lathan Warlick Upcoming interview: Operation Christmas Child Christi Paul CNN New Day Weekend Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV Love Isn’t Supposed to Hurt Glo Atanmo www.theblogabroad.com Interview Quotes: “God wants us to be who He created us to be, and living in an abusive relationship is not going to create you to be the person you're supposed to be. I tell people all the time, ‘You were not born to be abused, but God can take really horrible situations and make something really good out of them.’” - Christi Paul “I realized the importance of words because of how they were used against me. I felt how they cut you, even if they don't cut you physically, emotionally they just can rip you to shreds if you do not use the right words, if you do not use some care and compassion.” - Christi Paul “We will never run out of chances with God, even if we screw up again and again and again. God is there every single time to just hold our hand and pick us up and say, ‘Let's try this again together.’” - Christi Paul “I learned that a healthy relationship will never require you to sacrifice your friends or your dreams or your dignity, and I just want everybody to know God is for you.” - Christi Paul “When I look back on that journey, I think it was that moment where I stopped giving the glory and the honor and the praise to God. I got so full of my own skills and what I accomplished. And, Oh, Glo, you're killing it, girl, like, you know, and you forget who qualified you, who gave you the opportunities and the blessing.” - Glo Atanmo “I don't care about what I can do for myself. How can I help the world? How can I heal the world? How can I speak to those who are also going through a traumatic experience? And it's so incredible how God will use seasons of pain to really set you up for your next season of elevation.” - Glo Atanmo “When you have purpose and legacy behind what you do, you feel more called and led in your work. [And] if we can be more intentional with the way we use our words and how we deliver them and how we pour into people with them, we're literally delivering healing to other people.” - Glo Atanmo ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 273The Faith Between Sisters: Reba McEntire, Susie McEntire-Eaton, & Alice Foran
This week we get to hear from three very special guests—they are sisters who have stuck together through the good times and the bad: Country and Gospel music singing sisters Reba McEntire, Susie McEntire-Eaton (host of the second season of Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith), and Alice Foran. These sisters look back on what it was like growing up on an 8000 acre ranch, traveling to rodeos with their cowboy dad and their school teacher mother and They reflect on lessons of faith learned from their grandmother, Reba Smith, plus share family in a special way that only sisters can. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Peace In Uncertain Times video with Ellie Holcomb Upcoming interview: Christi Paul Reba McEntire Susie McEntire-Eaton Atoka Lake Opry Revised, Remixed and Revisited Interview Quotes: “People say, ‘How long have you known the Lord?’ I can't remember not knowing the Lord.” - Reba McEntire “Every one of our kids have been influenced by [Grandma] and into our grandchildren because of her. So one little seed can go so far into eternity.” - Susie McEntire-Eaton “I remember one time [Daddy] said, ‘Well, you get insurance for your house, you ought to get insurance for your soul.’” - Susie McEntire-Eaton “Sisters are good for lots of things, and I really feel sorry for women who don't have a sister, but God will always provide a very good friend to be with each other. It's a sisterhood. It's something that's blood. And it goes farther than blood.” - Susie McEntire-Eaton "It's God that gives us what we need." -Susie McEntire-Eaton “When I don't have anything else to pray about, I just stop and I say, ‘Thank you, God, thank you. I don't know what's coming next. I don't know how I'm going to do this, but I just want to say thank you.’” - Susie McEntire-Eaton ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 272God Listens When We Pray: Sarah Young
Many of us struggle with the concept of prayer. What should a good prayer look like? Am I doing it wrong? How can I make sure I know that God is hearing me? The good news from God is that every single one of your prayers—even the silent ones—are heard and cared about by Him. There is no right or wrong way to pray, all that matters is that you talk to God consistently, and you will find the joys of a relationship with Him. This week we’re honored to speak with Sarah Young, the author of Jesus Calling, Jesus Always, and a new book of daily prayers called Jesus Listens. Sarah takes us all the way back to her early years and shares how she began writing in her prayer journals. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Sarah Young Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Jesus Calling Podcast Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis Philippians 4 NIV Matthew 27:51 NIV Romans 8:26–27 NIV Psalm 62:8 NIV Luke 18 NIV First Thessalonians 5:17–18 NIV www.jesuscalling.com Past interview: Bishop T.D. Jakes Upcoming interview: Reba McEntire, Susie McEntire-Eaton Interview Quotes: “Our unrestricted access to God in prayer is a glorious, blood-bought privilege.: - Sarah Young “Since He understands us completely and loves us eternally, we can safely unburden ourselves to Him.” - Sarah Young “I'm thankful that God uses our prayers not only to change circumstances, but to change us.” - Sarah Young “Remember that Jesus is always with you, listening to every one of your prayers.” - Sarah Young ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 271God’s Path To Wholeness and Joy: Anne Lamott and Tabitha Brown
Often, when we are in our most desperate, vulnerable state, looking for answers and help, God is our last resort, our final plea when nothing else is working. Psalm 30:2 says, “Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me,” which reminds us that no matter where we’ve turned, how we might’ve fumbled our plans, He will always help us pursue His path to wholeness and joy, because it is never too late for us in His eyes. This week’s guests, author Anne Lamott and actress Tabitha Brown, share their come-to-Jesus moments that guided them away from sickness and put them on a path to healing and wholeness that can only be found in pursuit of the Creator. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Psalm 30:2 NIV Jesus Listens Past interview: Ruth Chou Simons Upcoming interview: Sarah Young Anne Lamott alcoholism bulimia Dusk Night Dawn: On Revival and Courage Help Thanks Wow Operating Instructions Bird by Bird Kierkegaard Genesis 22:12 NIV C.S. Lewis Tabitha Brown Feeding the Soul North Carolina School of the Arts Columbia College in Chicago What the Health ALS www.iamtabithabrown.com Interview Quotes: “I remember making that leap of faith, of thinking, If I don't decide for God, I'm so doomed anyway, the world is harsh and ugly and isolating and shaming and competitive, and and I did and I didn't know what that meant, I didn't have a clue what it meant. But I made the leap of faith and I thought, Well, I'll figure it out as we go. And that's what I did. But that was the day my healing began.” - Anne Lamott “From this crummy rundown church with this Charlie Brown Christmas tree out in front, I walked in, I got that Holy Spirit nudge, and I could hear gospel music, which I've always loved, and I could hear the spiritual anthems I'd grown up on.” - Anne Lamott “I had no self-love. I believed in God, but I believed in a God who is as disappointed as I was in me.” Anne Lamott “I can walk around with these glasses, these bad glasses of judgment and seeing everything that really is not working for me, everything that is either annoying or infuriating, or I can put on the good glasses and I can see God's hand everywhere I look.” - Anne Lamott “I'm like, You know what? God said he had a plan for me. And I know it's not just working a regular nine to five. I know it's not, you know, just living in North Carolina and being content with that life. And so I've been on a pursuit ever since of that voice and of my passion.” - Tabitha Brown “I thought, Oh my God, what is wrong with me? You know, I was falling apart inside and out and really thought I was going to die. And when doctors can't tell you what's wrong with you, it gets frustrating. My faith wavered. I was scared. I fell into depression, had major anxiety.” - Tabitha Brown “We should all strive to share without judgment, live our life authentically us and know that we are enough in the process of doing so.” - Tabitha Brown ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

[BONUS] Coping With Grief
This special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast features multiple guests speaking to the topic of grief. We hope you find encouragement, comfort and healing as you listen to mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, sisters and children who have lost someone close to them, how they leaned on God as they coped with the loss and how, with His help, they were able to move forward. Links To Full EpisodesMattie Jackson Selecman Rosie Rivera Casey, C.J, & Tucker Beathard Beth Nimmo Bo Stern Jonathan Pitts Kay Warren ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 270Facing Fear & Following Your Heart: Joni Harms & Jennifer Allwood
Being raised in a faith-steeped environment can provide rich soil in which we can plant ourselves, allowing us to grow tall and firm and confident in the good news of the gospel. But remaining steadfast in faith comes with a heaven-sent assignment: to share it with others. That doesn’t mean, however, that we should push ourselves to the brink of burnout—it’s a careful balance of stewarding our mission well and caring for our loved ones, and ourselves. Our guests this week, rodeo queen and music artist Joni Harms and entrepreneur coach Jennifer Allwood share how their roots of faith have given them the ability to face their fears and follow their hearts. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Past interview: Mica Paris Upcoming interview: Anne Lamott Joni Harms Oregon Trail Chester A. Arthur Molalla Buckaroo Women's World Magazine https://www.joniharms.com/ Jennifer Allwood The Magic Brush Fear Is Not The Boss of You https://jenniferallwood.com/ Interview Quotes: “We could sing gospel songs together as a family and other people, if we had folks over that maybe didn't sing or play, they still seemed to love to listen and enjoy the music.” - Joni Harms “What I was saying through my music wasn't just a message that made me happy to sing about. It was really reaching and touching other people. And I thought, what a rewarding feeling this is.” - Joni Harms “With all the different things that you're faced with out there in this world today, especially having faith and being able to stay grounded and just talk to the Lord every day about the different things that you have to deal with is so important.” - Joni Harms “I feel like God has called me to be more of a person that gets out there and helps take some of that pressure off of some of these other people just by being calm, wearing a smile, maybe having a special song to share with them that might take a little of the load off and make them realize things are not so bad.” - Joni Harms “Even though I knew I was doing what God asked me to do, it didn't necessarily mean that I liked it or that it was very comfortable….if the worst thing that I'm imagining was to happen, would I still be okay? What would I still have left? And so if I kind of go through those exercises, it really, really helps me to determine if what I'm actually most fearful about is actually valid or if it's me just making it worse than what it actually really is.” - Jennifer Allwood ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 269God Can Transform Us In Our Darkest Moments: Edward Grinnan & Damon West
Romans 8:28 reminds us that God will work all things together for good—not just the rosy parts of life, but also the ugly, twisted parts. This week’s guests have both overcome addictions that could have wiped them out completely, but instead they chose to call on God in hopes of finding something better—and were amazed to see Him show up in their darkest moments. Editor-in-chief of Guideposts Magazine, Edward Grinnan, grew up in a family bound together in faith—a faith they had to lean on heavily after the tragic loss of his special needs brother, Bobby. In trying to cope with his brother’s death and navigating life as a young adult, Edward turned to alcohol as a source of comfort, and battled that addiction for years. After starting at Guideposts Magazine in what he thought would be a temporary position, Edward ended up climbing the ranks and staying there until this day, where he continues to inspire and be inspired by the stories of faith of everyday people. Motivational speaker Damon West has faced countless obstacles in his young life, including drug addiction and prison time. Although Damon believed he developed negative patterns of behavior at an early age, he used his time in jail to learn about the Bible and to get insight from his fellow inmates about how life circumstances can transform you for better or worse. Damon ultimately chose—with God’s help―to become his best self. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Romans 8:28 Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Past interview: Karen Ehman Peace In Uncertain Times Series: Jennie Finch Upcoming interview: Joni Harms Edward Grinnan Guideposts Magazine The New York Times Conde Nast Vanity Fair Esquire Dr. Norman Vincent Peale Edward Grinnan’s books https://www.guideposts.org/ Get a FREE issue of Guideposts at: shopguideposts.org/friends Damon West University of Houston Downtown University of North Texas Serenity Prayer https://damonwest.org/ Interview Quotes: “I came from a family of very, very strong faith, and when you lose a child, that tends to tear apart marriages. And looking back all these years later, I didn't really see it as a child, but my parents stayed together. Their marriage was as strong as ever, and that's because they turned to their faith every single minute of that crisis and every single hour after that crisis.” - Edward Grinnan “The alcoholism slowly but surely ate me alive so that by the time I was out of graduate school, my late twenties/early thirties, I was basically a homeless wreck. I was just living on the streets on and off, begging for money just so I could continue drinking. There's lots of things that happened in between, college, jobs, travel, vagabond travel, graduate school, but at the end, life spit me out onto the streets.” - Edward Grinnan “God had brought me to the place where I needed to be.” - Edward Grinnan “I began to feel that my own spiritual anchor was being strengthened by these stories and this audience. And I suddenly realized as I was going through a story with a narrator that my own faith was being strengthened. And eventually I realized that the bargain that God was offering me was, ‘I brought you to Guideposts and I want you here. In exchange, I will help you with your sobriety and you will help me with Guideposts.’ And that was the bargain I struck in 1986 or so, and it's the bargain I’m keeping to even today.” - Edward Grinnan “My sponsors in AA said you should have prayer time every day whether you think it does any good or not. And, you know, prayer for me was something I had to practice. I had to get good at it. I have to believe in it. And it was a part of my spiritual evolution. As I began to believe that God cared about me, He cared about my life, the more I believed I could reach God through prayer.” - Edward Grinnan “Without hope, we don't get up in the morning. We don't love without hope. We don't forgive without hope. Hope is the underpinning to all of those human actions that make us better people and closer to God.” - Edward Grinnan “My bad belief system at ten and twelve years old said, ‘All you're doing is drinking a little beer, smoking a little pot. You're not hurting anybody. You're not even hurting yourself.’ But I couldn't be more wrong because those belief systems, those behaviors took me further away from Christ and the home that I grew up in.” - Damon West “I gave away my job, my home, my car, my savings account, my family, my tethering to God. I went from working on Wall Street to living on the streets of Dallas, homeless, living in abandoned buildings, sleeping in people's parked cars, living in dope houses with the dope fiends, because that's what I am, is a dope fiend. And I start committing property crimes to fight my addiction.” - Damon West “I remember saying to God, ‘Hey, God, if you're out there, if you're even there’—because at this point I'm so lost in my life, the spiritual warfare going on inside of me is intense. And I remember saying, ‘God, if

S1 Ep 268Where Do You Find God? with Dr. Michael Guillen and Larry Fleet
When talking about the concept of faith, the Bible tells us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Even though we can’t literally see God, the Bible also tells us simply; when we seek God, we shall find Him. The ways we seek and find God in the midst of our lives can look different from one person to another. One may study everything they can about how the world came into being, just to get a glimpse of the mind of God. Another may look for the moments in their lives where they felt God was in their corner, through a circumstance that worked out better than they could have imagined, or a seeming answer to a long whispered prayer. The truth remains that even though we can’t see our Creator, we can know Him, believe in Him, and build a relationship with Him wherever we find ourselves in life. Our two guests this week have cemented their faith in God through different avenues—one, a scientist whose devotion to figuring out the secrets of the universe led him to believe in a divine creator, and another who shares with others through music all the places and situations in which we might find God. We’ll talk to Emmy-award winning journalist and former physics instructor Dr. Michael Guillen, and country music singer and songwriter of the song “Where I Find God,” Larry Fleet. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Hebrews 11 NIV 1 Chronicles 28:9 NIV Jesus Calling Sarah Young Romans 12:2 NIV Jesus Listens Dr. Michael Guillen Science editor for ABC News UCLA Cornell Harvard First Peter 3:15 NIV Believing Is Seeing Larry Fleet “Where I Find God” Gospel Song Sunday www.larryfleet.com Interview Quotes: “God wasn't on my radar. He wasn't in the picture. My worldview was based on the notion that seeing was believing. What I believed in was what I could see with my own eyes.” - Dr. Michael Guillen “I was a thick-headed, stubborn intellectual and in some ways I still am. So it took me actually many, many years, decades actually, to finally surrender my life. But that encounter with that Bible, that was my first authentic—even though I was brought up as a child with a Bible—encounter with the Bible, as a thinking adult, as a scientist, as a skeptic, as a cynic, as an atheist. And boy, it turned my life upside down.” - Dr. Michael Guillen “In a nutshell, the Bible teaches who created the universe and why. Science teaches me the wonderful details about the universe God created. And because of the Bible and science, I have the blessing of having a very deep understanding of both the Creator and the creation.” - Dr. Michael Guillen “God is real, not just because the Bible says so, and not just because He radically changed my life, but also because the scientific evidence says so.” - Michael Guillen “Love God with everything you've got, including your mind, and then love one another.” - Dr. Michael Guillen “As a kid, I don't think I really realized that it was gospel music, that's just all I knew and that's what I knew how to play. So I'd always play just old hymns and stuff like that.” - Larry Fleet “I can tell you right now where I do most of my praying and talking to God, that's in a deer stand or a hayfield or on a boat, you know, like whenever I'm outside. I do a lot of driving from Chattanooga to Nashville a lot, and that's kind of where I talk to God.” - Larry Fleet “One of the things that I hope and pray for is that I do a good job of delivering the songs in a positive way. Honestly, a lot of times I pray before I go on stage just to calm my nerves.” - Larry Fleet ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 267When Your Eyes Are Blurred with Tears, God Will Help You See: Dave Pittman & Briana Domenica
*Trigger Warning* This episode contains content that talks about suicide and self-harm that could be disturbing to some listeners. Many of us could never imagine that we would ever go through a dark time so dark and so hopeless that we would consider taking our own lives. Yet, so many people who have experienced deep depression know what it feels like when their minds can’t seem to grasp on to hope any longer. During Suicide Prevention week, we’ll speak to two guests whose lives have been directly altered by depression and suicide, American Idol alumnus Dave Pittman & singer Briana Domenica. Dave shares how he was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at an early age, how being “different” and not understanding why caused problems at school, and how the hopelessness he felt sent him spiraling down a dark path toward taking his own life. Briana Domenica recounts her own struggles with suicidal tendencies and how she has tried to turn her pain into purpose by pouring her heart and soul into music—hoping she can uplift others and encourage an environment of positivity and love. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Suicide Prevention week Sarah Young Jesus Calling Jesus Listens National Suicide Prevetion Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Past interview: Chad Robichaux Upcoming interview: Larry Fleet Davd Pittman “Crazy Brave’ song “Different Kind of Love” album Tourette Syndrome ABC’s American Idol Neil Patrick Harris Bible Gateway Briana Domenica Psalms 23:4 NIV Angel in the Sky Romans 8:28 NIV brianadomenica.com Interview Quotes: “I was more afraid of living through that again than I was of dying.” - Dave Pittman, on being bullied as a child with Tourette Syndrome ”My mom—both my parents—just drilled into my head and my heart the importance of accepting yourself for who you are, and not just who you are, but who you are in Christ, your identity, who you've become in your walk with Christ.” - Dave Pittman “I think it's okay to ask why, even now, because Job did. We look at Job in the Bible, he asked God, ‘Why? Why is this happening to me?’” - Dave Pittman “Anyone can accept something they have to do, but when you can embrace something that you get to do, it’s different. It changes things.” - Dave Pittman “I dealt with this hopelessness for four years until my aunt Linda noticed the cuts on my wrist. She kissed them and she told me I was worthy, loved, and a child of God. That conversation not only saved my life, but it encouraged me to get the help that I so desperately needed.” - Briana Domenica “I think simply starting a dialog can combat that [mental health] stigma because unless we start a dialog, we will never see change. And I want people to know that they are not alone. There is help, but most importantly, there is hope. And I love this acronym for hope: hold on, pain ends.” - Briana Domenica “Everyone's journeys are different, but moving from a place of darkness to light is possible. All you need is a little faith, even if it's the size of a mustard seed. Take it one day at a time, speak up, and reach out, because help and hope are available.” - Briana Domenica ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

S1 Ep 266Hold Up Your Lost Dreams To God: Brett Young and Sarah Jakes Roberts
Do you have a dream for your life that didn’t pan out exactly as you had planned? Maybe something out of your control happened that made that dream impossible, or maybe you made some choices that turned your life in a direction that wasn’t in line with your hopes and goals? Though we can be filled with regret over dreams lost or deferred, God has another way of looking at those shifts in our lives and He encourages us that He will always guide us to where He wants us to be, as we’re reminded in Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Country music star Brett Young had dreams of being a pro baseball player until an injury halted his career. Sarah Jakes Roberts, daughter of Bishop T.D. Jakes, never imagined that she would become pregnant as a teenager and for many years dealt with the shame and disappointment of having a life that didn’t turn out as she had planned. Each of these stories shows us that God can take our circumstances, no matter what they are, and still get us to where we can live the amazing life he has in store for us. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Proverbs 19:21 NIV Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Sarah Young Past interview: Pastor Matthew Barnett Upcoming interview: Ben Courson Brett Young Fresno State Arizona State Love You, Little Lady Weekends Look A Little Different These Days www.brettyoungmusic.com Sarah Jakes Roberts Bishop T.D. Jakes Woman Evolve The Potter's House One Woman Evolve: Break Up With Your Fears and Revolutionize Your Life Interview Quotes: “Without my faith, I wouldn't have been able to get over the injury and let baseball go and be open enough to let something else come in. And music ended up being something that I love more than I loved baseball. And it feels exactly like what I was supposed to do in life.” - Brett Young “I always say, ‘If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.’” - Brett Young “The fact that God is giving us this life and these unique days one at a time, it feels almost irresponsible to try to fit them into a mold or try to make today yesterday or look forward to tomorrow rather than living in this precious moment that you've been given.” - Brett Young “I think life is a collection of God opening and closing doors. And I think we're the only ones that get in our way of seeing when a door is being closed and when the door is being opened.” - Brett Young “[I] decided to completely stay away from anything that looked like ministry and even God, because I wasn't sure that there was a place for a girl who had made such a big, big mistake that I thought was beyond recovery.” - Sarah Jakes Robert “It took a step of faith for me to believe that maybe [salvation] applied to me too, not just the woman who's on the other side of the pew or my neighbor, but this same redemption is available to me.” - Sarah Jakes Roberts “It doesn't matter what color we are—on the inside, we're all trying to sort through the sin of life and missing the mark and wondering where we fit. And I have found that sometimes we allow things to divide us that keep us from actually being able to edify one another because of the barriers that exist in culture.” - Sarah Jakes Roberts “God's presence is always available to us. But sometimes we are present in our life, so much so that we miss out on God's presence.” - Sarah Jakes Roberts ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.