About this episode

Our first guest is Jeremy Rosado, who traced a path from New York City dreams to the bright lights of American Idol and The Voice. But the biggest spotlight in his life wasn’t a stage—it was the decision to lay down his music career for a season to become a father to his niece. Jeremy shares how choosing fatherhood

over fame became a pivotal act of faith, and how God used the quiet, waiting years to prepare him for a powerful return to music.  Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Nashville singer, songwriter, and author Jason Gray. Jason offers a vulnerable look into his life—one shaped by music, but also by instability, a painful childhood divorce, and reckoning with his own difficult divorce. Jason shares how the wounds he incurred became the very doorway through which he met God. He reveals the radical peace found in accepting divine love and unpacks why allowing yourself to be loved is the most radical, powerful act of faith.  Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: nobigdyl. Upcoming interview: Tim Green   Jeremy Rosado American Idol  The Voice www.iamjeremyrosado.com The Waiting Room   Jason Gray Acoustic Story Time Frederick Buechner The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence www.jasongraymusic.com Sparrows   Interview Quotes: “I came off [American Idol] and took a few months—went to Nashville to start chasing this dream of mine. I quickly realized that my life was going to change and that there was a decision to be made [whether or not] to step in and help and become a father.” - Jeremy Rosado  “Even though that decision [to become a father to my niece] was not easy, it was worth it, and I would do it a million times over for my child. God provided and made ways for us. I look back now, and even in the pain and the tears, I can see His faithfulness and how He’s carried us.” - Jeremy Rosado  “When I did [The Voice], that trust and that reliance began to grow even more. It felt like every room I walked into, every stage I walked on, there was victory already there.It gave me renewed confidence in the God that I serve and in my ability to walk knowing that He’s with me and He’s for me. ” - Jeremy Rosado  “God knew how to cut through all of that [chaos] and speak the thing that He wanted me to hear in the way that He knew that I could understand it.” - Jason Gray  “All of a sudden, I had this profound sense of a loving presence in the car with me, as though it was holding me and it was saying, ‘Psst, hey, the words of this song that you love so much, this is my heart toward you. ‘When you’re weary, when you’re feeling small, when tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all like a bridge over troubled water.’” - Jason Gray “From a very young age, I was drawn to music, and it has always been one of the places that I meet with God and one of the ways through which He speaks.” - Jason Gray “I believe that when something connects us to our own heart, then in that same moment, worship spontaneously happens, and we are connected with the divine in that moment. Music has a way of connecting me to my heart and therefore brings me to the place where God meets with me.” - Jason Gray  “If you love tinkering on a car or working in the garden or listening to music or a conversation with a friend, those moments where you lose track of time and you forget yourself indicates that you’re on holy ground.” - Jason Gray “The Lord has usually come to me through other people. As inconsistent and as unreliable as we often are, He demonstrates that we are still His preferred delivery system for His love in the world.” - Jason Gray “My whole life, all the painful things—everything was leading to this moment to break me open enough to be able to receive the transformation that I had been praying for as long as I could remember. And that gave me a sense of peace and helped me to feel like I was no longer at the mercy of the storms of my life, but that this storm held within it the power to make me who I’d always wanted to be.” - Jason Gray “The way that I have observed how God works in my life is that if I get connected to my own heart, all of a sudden, He’s meeting with me there.” - Jason Gray  “If I love the Bible so much that I only allow God to speak to me through it rather than allowing it to train me to be more in tune with the still, small voice, the voice of the Holy Spirit, then I’ve probably loved it too much.” - Jason Gray ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7  Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw  Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C  Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj  Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u  What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj  Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY  ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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