Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith
Millions have been encouraged and inspired by the words of the #1 best-selling 365-day devotional "Jesus Calling." Listen to real-life stories of faith as told by those who have experienced the power of living in His presence.
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- 265Healing the Holes In Our Hearts From Loss: Holly Singletary and Andy GriggsGrief, death, and loss are an inevitable part of life, though knowing that doesn’t make the pain any easier to bear. Whether you’ve faced unexpected loss time and time again or are navigating grief for the very first time, the waves of difficulty can be drowning. But the good news is that God can offer us a life raft. Isaiah 57:18-19 says, “I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners, creating praise on their lips. Peace, peace, to those far and near.” This week’s guests, Holly Singletary and Andy Griggs, share the holes left in their hearts, and how God has helped heal them, and they share how we can find comfort in the legacies of loved ones passed, and also know deep in our hearts that one day, we will see them again in heaven. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Isaiah 57:18-19 NIV Jesus Listens Past interview: Eddie Montgomery Upcoming interview: Travis Tritt Holly Singletary Daryle Singletary Hope With Holly Podcast Hope With Holly Blog Merle Haggard George Jones www.hopewithholly.com Andy Griggs Job 1:10 NIV www.andygriggs.com Interview Quotes: “I came home that weekend after meeting Daryle and told my mom and dad that I found the man I was going to marry.” - Holly Singletary “It was really sweet to watch [Daryle as a dad] because I think our role of waiting so long prepared us for a different kind of parenting. I felt like we had a lot more patience and we appreciated some of the moments maybe that we would not have appreciated earlier on in life.” - Holly Singletary “It's okay to cry. We have good and bad days and some days we miss [Daryle] more, especially on those special days or special moments or just an everyday moment. I'm like, ‘It's okay to be sad.’ But one thing I tell them, ‘It's not okay to stay there. I don't want you to stay there. I don't want that to turn into bitterness and anger and madness.’” - Holly Singletary “Legacies don't die. They don't die very easily. It takes a long time to see the sunset of a legacy. Yeah, because everybody's life is a sunset, that's a beautiful thing at times. Life is a beautiful thing. Beautiful thing. how God made this.” - Andy Griggs “I think it is instilled into man that outside of our heavenly father and His sovereignty, the most powerful thing in this universe is my words and my prayer, I really believe them. I think prayer, it changes. It changes the future, it changes everything I'm looking at.” - Andy Griggs “I have learned that when you grieve through the Spirit, there's a healing that takes place. And it's supernatural. It's godly.” - Andy Griggs “As a true believer in Christ, I think that one of our biggest assets in all of life is having that Comforter with us, and that gets me through the valleys.” - Andy Griggs ________________________ 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.
- 266Wherever God Leads, I’m Going: Travis Tritt & Tom PhillipsFinding our way in life can be challenging, overwhelming, and discouraging. The path may seem clear at times, and then others, we feel pushed in a direction that may not feel comfortable or familiar. The only thing that we can trust is that God will show us the way and we must step out in faith to find our purpose. Travis Tritt, a wildly popular 90’s country star, thought he had his life mapped out in his hometown of Marietta, Georgia, managing the family air conditioning business. Tom Phillips, a pastor who worked with the Billy Graham Association as a crusade director, studied medicine in college. Both men were led to follow dreams that seemed out of reach, but God had their futures in mind the whole time. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Sarah Young Past interview: David Crowder Upcoming interview: Brett Young Travis Tritt Grand Ole Opry Ray Charles Eagles Common Thread Charlie Daniels Set in Stone Tom Phillips Billy Graham Association Billy Graham Cliff Barrows www.billygraham.org Dr. Tom Phillips’ latest books Interview Quotes: “I grew up with the understanding of what God meant to my family's life, to my life. We had Bible study on a regular basis. And it was just a great place to sort of build your foundation for the rest of your life.” - Travis Tritt “Even though there were times when I strayed away from [faith], it was always something that was in the back of my mind, in the back of my heart.” Travis Tritt “I'm one of those people that can look back and say, honestly, my dreams have more than come true.” - Travis Tritt “I am a big believer in counting your blessings. So my prayers start off each night with thanking God for all the blessings.” - Travis Tritt “I believe now we are in the early phases of the latter rain in America that will cause the greatest fruit that's ever been borne by the church of this nation.” - Dr. Tom Phillips “It was like a light bulb for destiny came on in my heart and my life. And I surrendered to whatever God wanted me to do. And I made a deal with Him though, I didn't want to give up medicine, so I’d surrender to medical missions. And He said, ‘That's not what I asked you to do. I didn't ask you to surrender half yourself. I asked you to surrender your whole self.’” - Dr. Tom Phillips “The church is here to change the culture. The word of God is here to change the culture and make us more like the Creator.” - Dr. Tom Phillips ________________________ 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.
- 267Hold Up Your Lost Dreams To God: Brett Young and Sarah Jakes RobertsDo 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.
- 268When 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.
- 269Where Do You Find God? with Dr. Michael Guillen and Larry FleetWhen 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.
- 270God Can Transform Us In Our Darkest Moments: Edward Grinnan & Damon WestRomans 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 you're even there, man, just know I'm so tired, I'm ready to be done.’” - Damon West “I got on God's back and God carried me all around that prison.” - Damon West “Jesus died on the cross for our past. And so I had to come to terms with that and my past doesn’t define me, we all wouldn't be listening to some ex-con from Texas talking about the things you learned inside a maximum security prison. But it's because our past is our lesson. And our present today is a gift. And that gift, it's not a gift for you, it’s a gift of what you can do for other people.” - Damon 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.
- 271Facing Fear & Following Your Heart: Joni Harms & Jennifer AllwoodBeing 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.
- 272[BONUS] Coping With GriefThis 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.
- 273God’s Path To Wholeness and Joy: Anne Lamott and Tabitha BrownOften, 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.
- 274God Listens When We Pray: Sarah YoungMany 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.
- 275The Faith Between Sisters: Reba McEntire, Susie McEntire-Eaton, & Alice ForanThis 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.
- 276Can God Save Me From A Horrible Place?: Christi Paul and Glo AtanmoWhen 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.
- 277[BONUS] The Power of PrayerThis 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.
- 278Boxing Up Hope with Operation Christmas ChildOn 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.
- 279How Can I Know God Hears Me When I’m Hurting? Levi Lusko & Peter MutabaziAs 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.
- 280Being Light Bearers for Jesus: Kristin Chenoweth and Sadie Robertson HuffHave 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.
- 281God Is Fiercely Pursuing Our Hearts: Dan Allender and Cathy Loerzel & Andrew FarleyEach 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.
- 282Giving Thanks Instead of Giving Up: Patti LaBelle & Tracy LawrenceAt 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.
- 283[BONUS] Gratefulness & BlessingsThis 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.
- 284How Can We Rejoice in Our Suffering?: Amanda Kloots & Nell O’ LearyWhen 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.
- 285Taking Control Of Lies and Living In Truth: Louie Giglio and Diana Butler BassYou 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.
- 286God’s Power Overcomes The Darkness: Sinach & Ryan Casey WallerThe 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.
- 287When You Don’t Feel Joyful, God Still Sees You At Christmas: Steve Wariner and The IsaacsThough 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.
- 288[BONUS] Hope For A New YearThis 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.
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