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Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

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Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

Sarah Young

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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  1. 577From Breaking Point to Breakthrough: Nathan Davis Jr. & Tim TimmonsThis week, we speak with Nathan Davis Jr., an actor, singer, and songwriter whose career has taken him from church choirs to television screens and viral music platforms. But behind the success is a deeply personal story of loss and faith. After losing his little brother to suicide and enduring a season of overwhelming grief, Nathan found himself at a breaking point, until a quiet, honest cry to God changed everything.  After we hear from Nathan, we talk with Tim Timmons, a songwriter and founder of the nonprofit 10000 MINUTES. Based in Nashville, his insightful music and ministry were profoundly shaped by an unexpected diagnosis of incurable cancer twenty-five years ago. Tim shares his journey of wrestling with faith’s biggest questions, the power of praying his songs, and how he’s learned to hold the tension between deep sorrow and profound gratitude.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Chris Tomlin & Darren Whitehead Upcoming interview: RobertAnthony Cruz   Nathan Davis Jr. www.IAmNathanDavisJr.com “Woke Up This Morning” *Nathan will be the first R&B Christian/inspirational artist to perform at the 2026 Rolling Loud Festival in Orlando, Florida on May 10th!   Tim Timmons 10000 MINUTES Switchfoot Bart Millard from the band MercyMe “Even If”  I Can Only Imagine 2 www.timtimmonsmusic.com   Interview Quotes: “You go through your Jonah phases where you’re running away from your purpose because you’re afraid and you get distracted, and God has an interesting way of bringing you back around.” - Nathan Davis Jr. “The best way to honor [my brother] is to just be a better version of myself. To keep his name alive by speaking to kids and speaking to people that deal with depression and mental health situations and continue to help and to give back and to just love and show as much love as I can.” - Nathan Davis Jr. “I’m just blessed that God gave me another chance and that He’s forgiven me and showed me a lot of mercy and grace and that He’s utilizing me.”- Nathan Davis Jr. “All I could think about was waking up in the morning and praying to God and walking with Him on my walks, and His presence just felt so calm. I just felt so loved and validated and just reassured.” - Nathan Davis Jr. “Fear pays attention to facts, but faith pays attention to the Father. As long as our eyes are on God—no matter how many storms or chaos or whatever is going on—we’re going to walk on water.” - Nathan Davis Jr.  “I felt abandoned. Rejected. Depressed. I remember having a moment where all I could say was, ‘This pain is terrible. God, I need you.’ And for the first time, I felt like I had a spiritual encounter with God.” - Nathan Davis Jr.  “I wish I could say I have it all figured out, but I don’t. But at some point I remember saying, ‘Okay, God, I don’t know how all this works, but I think Your way is the most beautiful way I can see.’”  - Tim Timmons “Living as though something is true—that’s the actual definition of to believe. It’s like this verb of faith, I’m believing as though this is true. So it really became a sobering moment for me to say, ‘Okay, I’m going to bet my one and only life on you, Jesus. So You lead on.’” - Tim Timmons “Somehow, I got to wake up again this morning. Because of that, I’m just going to find gratitude for this day. This is the day that You have made, God. I will rejoice and be glad in the fact that You woke me up again. Even in the midst of sorrow, You woke me up. So how do I join You well today? I would not be the man I am today or the husband or the dad or the follower of Jesus I am today without sorrow.” - Tim Timmons  “I’m trying to figure out how to live with the idea of saying, ‘Life is hard. This thing is really hard. It sucks, period. I’m so sorry for this. And what if God is actually good and He’s at work even in the middle of the fire?’ I want to be the guy living as though these both can exist and I can hold the tension of these two—that God is good and life’s hard and God’s good.” - Tim Timmons  “We get good at what we practice and we get good at who we’re with. One of the definitions of worship is attention. What has your attention? In the way that we’re actually starting our day or ending our day or during our day, we’re saying, ‘Jesus, you have my attention.’” - Tim Timmons ________________________ 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.28 min
  2. 578Loved Beyond Performance: RobertAnthony Cruz & Christine D’Clario*This episode contains content that may be triggering for some listeners.* This week, we welcome RobertAnthony Cruz, known to many as Coach RAC. RobertAnthony is a professional baseball player with the Savannah Bananas, a former minor league athlete, and a mentor to thousands of young people through sports camps and social media. But beyond the flips on the field and the packed stadiums, Coach RAC has wrestled with anxiety, fear of failure, and the pressure to prove himself. Today, he shares how learning to root his identity in God’s unchanging love, rather than outcomes or approval, has transformed the way he competes, leads, and lives. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Christine D’Clario, who takes us behind the music and the platform into the hidden places of her story. From a childhood shaped by unspoken trauma with years of learning how to hide pain in the name of faith, Christine shares how postpartum depression became the breaking point that forced her to confront what she had carried for far too long.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Dr. Sasha Shillcutt Upcoming interview: Jonathon M. Seidl   RobertAnthony Cruz Coach RAC Savannah Bananas ESPN Psalm 1 Jared Orton Christian Dearman   Christine D’Clario postpartum depression Philippians 4:6-7 John 16:33 www.ChristineDClario.com/en Healing in the Desert   Interview Quotes: “When you make it your aim to serve your teammates and do that, it becomes such a beautiful thing, and you find so much more fulfillment in it. I’ve had to learn to detach my sense of peace and joy from the results and instead play from a place of gratitude and see how I can serve my teammates well.” - RobertAnthony Cruz “God created us to be part of the body, so we’re supposed to be connected to each other. When you can experience competition while being deeply connected to your teammates, it ends up being such a beautiful and fun thing.” - RobertAnthony Cruz “The older I get, the more I realize that God is our friend. He wants a relationship with us, and a healthy relationship requires spending time. I think that having daily rituals and prayer time are so important for you to cultivate this relationship with God.” - RobertAnthony Cruz “It took me being 100% dysregulated in my body, in my emotions, in my mind, to understand that the spirit alone cannot carry the weight of all the other areas.” - Christine D’Clario  “There was just so much compounded on each other that when I reached the moments of deep despair, I couldn’t understand that God was actually extending me an opportunity to look inward and fix those things that needed healing.” - Christine D’Clario  “I learned to hide the pain, stuff it down, because we had a lot of work to do at church. It took me a really long time to finally admit that I was broken.” - Christine D’Clario “It takes people who have been through brokenness to have the authority to pull others that are in it out of it.” - Christine D’Clario “When everybody else discards what is broken as garbage, the Lord stays. If you’re in the rut and it’s muddy and it’s dirty and it stinks, He’ll sit with you in the mud and the dirt and the stink and the rut. He’ll stay, He’ll hold you, and He will patiently wait with His inviting arms for the moment that we feel strong enough to take the step of faith, get up, and start healing.” - Christine D’Clario  ________________________ 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.29 min
  3. 579[JESUS LISTENS MONTHLY SERIES] Marriage Prayers Part 2: Turning Our Conflict Into Connection with Dr. Dan Allender & Dr. Steve CallWhat if conflict in your marriage could become a doorway to deeper connection? In this episode of “Jesus Listens,” Dr. Dan Allender and Dr. Steve Call return to explore how fear, self-protection, and past wounds often show up in the way we relate today, through the lens of their book “The Deep-Rooted Marriage.”    Guest’s Links YouTube: @AllenderCenterFacebook: @allendercenter Instagram: @reconnectmarriage | @allendercenter Watch this interview on our YouTube channel! https://bit.ly/4iw2xPu    ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website TikTok   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.10 min
  4. 580[BONUS] The Promise of Easter Every Day with Courtney HopeWelcome to a special Easter bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast. In this episode, we welcome actress and mental health advocate Courtney Hope as she shares about her personal experiences with OCD and anxiety. She also gives us an inside look at her latest project—a four-part Easter audio podcast called The Christ—in which she explores the stories of the Easter season, particularly of Jesus’ Mother, Mary, and how this exploration has led to a deeper understanding of her own relationship with God.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens   Courtney Hope The Christ Podcast   Interview Quotes: “Diving into the journey of Jesus’ Mother Mary and her heart and her story, I got an answer from God, which is everyone’s got their own journey. Mary had to trust in her heart that there was a plan and a purpose in Jesus’ journey, and that the suffering and the triumph was worth it in the end.” - Courtney Hope “I’ve always seen myself as a vessel for storytelling through God. I want people to feel less alone, I always sit in silence and see whose hearts I’m trying to speak to.” - Courtney Hope  “The more I dove into my faith and I sat with God, I realized that we can’t control what happens in life, but we can be open to the experience of what God has in store for us.” - Courtney Hope  “Sometimes if we sit in stillness, we get the answers that we need.” - Courtney Hope “God is a prince of peace, not the God of fear. The closer I am to God, the calmer I find my heart is.” - Courtney Hope “It’s so easy to turn to God when times are rough, but we forget when times are great to give thanks and gratitude and praise.” - Courtney Hope ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.12 min
  5. 581Even Christians Struggle with Addiction and Forgiveness: Jonathon M. Seidl & Yana Jenay ConnerThis week, we welcome writer Jonathon M. Seidl, who transparently shares his struggle with alcoholism. Jonathon opens up about how he turned to alcohol as a solution to his problems, the breaking point moment when he realized something needed to change, and the real, raw, honest circumstances that led him to healing.  Later in the episode, we’ll hear from author Yana Jenay Conner. She shares her personal experience of learning to forgive deep wounds from her family and friendships, highlighting the crucial difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. She also reveals the daily spiritual practices that sustain her heart in the midst of ongoing pain. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Jeanne Lakin Upcoming interview: Michael Leach   Jonathon M. Seidl Morning And Evening by Charles Spurgeon www.jonseidl.com Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic   Yana Jenay Conner www.yanajenay.com Living Beyond Offense   Interview Quotes: “I’m the Christian that became an alcoholic, not the other way around. I think what’s unique about my story and a lot of people’s stories is the shame that comes with being a Christian who falls.” - Jonathon M. Seidl “I think what’s unique about my story—and what I think is actually a lot of people’s stories but we don’t talk about enough—is that as Christians, we can still and do fall into sin.” - Jonathon M. Seidl “I finally got to the point where the Lord was like, ‘Jon, if there’s not the chance of it costing you something, it’s not a sacrifice—like the definition of sacrifice is that it has to cost you something.’ Okay, here we go. And so, here we are. I decided, Alright, Lord, I’m just going to put this in Your hands. I’m going to tell my story.” - Jonathon M. Seidl “I finally got to the point where the Lord was like, ‘Jon, if there’s not the chance of it costing you something, it’s not a sacrifice—like the definition of sacrifice is that it has to cost you something.’ Okay, here we go. And so, here we are. I decided, Alright, Lord, I’m just going to put this in Your hands. I’m going to tell my story.” - Jonathon M. Seidl “I think we think in order to have a problem with something, it has to look a certain way. That actually kept me drinking a lot longer and in an unhealthy relationship a lot longer because I said, ‘Well, I’m not doing this. I don’t look like this.’ And yet, especially if you look at the Bible, anything that occupies an unhealthy place in our life is disordered.” - Jonathon M. Seidl “We can follow Jesus and know what’s right and yet still struggle to do it.”  Jonathon M. Seidl  “My goal is for you to have a deeper, more enriching, relationship with Jesus. And that takes care of not just the sobriety, but it takes care of the anger, it takes care of the pride, it takes care of the selfishness, and all those other things that you need to work on as well.” - Jonathon M. Seidl “I think it wasn’t until I was in my early twenties that I really allowed myself to feel the ache of my dad’s absence and to really take stock of how not having him in my life was really impacting how I moved in the world.” - Yana Jenay Conner  “I am trying to create space for people to be human and to mess up and not hold them to standards of perfection that I can’t even reach.” - Yana Jenay Conner  “The thing that keeps me moving towards forgiveness is remembering the forgiveness that I’ve received. I’m learning that the power to forgive comes from remembering the grace and the mercy that I have received.” - Yana Jenay Conner “Forgiveness is releasing them of their debt and not retaliating against them in anger. We make this decision out of mercy, because people don’t deserve forgiveness, but we offer it to them freely because forgiveness was offered to us freely.” - Yana Jenay Conner  “He’s always inviting us to be in His presence. And I can confess that on the days where I choose to not accept that invitation, it shows in how I show up in the world.” - Yana Jenay Conner  ________________________ 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.29 min
  6. 582[BONUS] Jesus Listens Prayers For Every Season: SpringWelcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional, Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today we are featuring guests who share stories of renewal, restoration, and the vibrant hope that comes with starting anew. Just as spring wakes the world from winter, you’ll hear from previous Jesus Calling podcast guests about how they found strength, peace, and restoration after periods of darkness and struggle.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens   Alicia Michelle Zim Flores Dansby Swanson Chris Janssen Sonya Curry Dr. Dharius Daniels ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.30 min
  7. 583Beyond the Bottom Line: Michael Leach & David Meltzer Trust God’s Plan When Everything Is LostThis week, we’ll hear from Michael Leach, who went from the high-pressure, competitive world of the NFL to navigating the intense landscape of national politics, ultimately becoming the first-ever Chief Diversity Officer in the White House. Leach reveals the defining moments—from simple childhood boundaries on the south side of Chicago to faith-led decisions that cost him his seemingly secure career—that prepared him for roles he never planned.  Later in the episode, we’ll hear from entrepreneur and business leader David Meltzer. David opens up about growing up with intense financial insecurity, reaching extraordinary success—amassing over a hundred million dollars by age thirty—and the catastrophic moment he lost absolutely everything.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Cyndi Thomson Upcoming interview: Jon Acuff Jesus Listens for Moms   Michael Leach Chicago Bears Elevation Worship  Tauren Wells www.myfaithoverfear.com Faith Over Fear   David Meltzer www.dmeltzer.com   Interview Quotes: “I remember praying something I didn’t fully understand yet—that God would give me a life and a job that would help me change the world or my environment.” - Michael Leach “God sets boundaries, not to limit us, but to protect and prepare us.” - Michael Leach “Everyone communicates, but few connect. When you’re interacting with hundreds of people in high pressure environments, communication alone isn’t enough. Connection was what, for me, built trust.” - Michael Leach “One of the best ways to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. That’s where my commitment to servant leadership was formed.” - Michael Leach  “I left the NFL only because I believe God had called me to do so. I trusted that if He called me to unfamiliar territory that He would sustain me there also. And He did. I think we should never stop learning because life never stops teaching.” - Michael Leach  “It’s through our surrendering that God does His establishing—whether it’s in our career, our finances, our marriage, or our sense of control.” - Michael Leach  “I believe that everything you consume will eventually come out of you, for better or for worse—what you listen to, what you eat, what you view, what you watch. Even though things are going to come up, He’s always going to stay up and above what’s coming your way.” - Michael Leach  “I attributed all my success to how much money I made. Though success came early for me, I was trying to fill a God-sized hole with everything but God. And money doesn’t fill that hole.” - David Meltzer “If I could encourage anyone to make God their faith non-negotiable—whether it’s meditation or prayer, or just living in the divine direction of taking care of your sleep, your health, your family, and your faith every day—knowing that two minutes a day is worth two hours on a Sunday.” - David Meltzer  ________________________ 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.23 min
  8. 584Jesus Calling Scripture Study: The Book of Romans with J.D. WaltWelcome to a special scripture-focused bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, where we take a look at the book of Romans with pastor and author J.D. Walt. J.D. walks us through Romans and how it illuminates a “darkness to light movement, chaos to love, and chaos to new creation.”   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens   J.D. Walt Romans: From Sin Management to Love Unleashed The Book of Romans   Interview Quotes: “The awakening that I was experiencing led me to understand that the Christian life and faith is not a good-to-great program. It’s a death to life movement. It’s a darkness to light movement. It is chaos to love, chaos to new creation, lost to love.” - J.D. Walt “Consecration, transformation, demonstration—that’s Romans in a nutshell. That’s a Christian life in a nutshell.” - J.D. Walt “In the early church, they had a saying: one Christian is no Christian. Certainly every person has to become a follower of Jesus, a believer themselves. But this is not like golf, it’s like football. It’s a team sport. We are made for community, we already are connected together.” - J.D. Walt “One of the greatest acts is simply being together in God’s Word, because it’s a Word that actually moves us towards each other. It moves us towards loving one another. Love must be sincere, Paul says in Romans 12.” - J.D. Walt “The opposite of sin is love. Love is the movement toward God and others. Sin is the retraction of self into its own world at the cost of worship of God and love of neighbor. We need a better understanding of love—love is not soft and fuzzy, it’s hard and real.” - J.D. Walt ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.16 min
  9. 585Fear Comes Free, Hope Takes Effort: Jon Acuff & Leland VittertThis week, we’ll hear from Jon Acuff, a bestselling author and speaker who turns personal challenges into practical lessons for living with intention and resilience. From mastering goals to overcoming negative thinking, Jon shares insights that help listeners navigate life’s “hard middle” and keep moving forward, even when it feels impossible. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from journalist and anchor Leland Vittert, whose new book, Born Lucky, is a deeply moving story of his childhood with autism and the profound sacrifices his father made to give him hope and teach him resilience.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Ken Abraham Upcoming interview: Rebecca St. James Jesus Listens for Moms   Jon Acuff Zephaniah 3:17 Luke 15:11-32 www.jonacuff.com   Leland Vittert Born Lucky www.bornlucky.com Interview Quotes: “I just had this sense that if I would take responsibility for my life, I could change a lot of things I wanted to change.” - Jon Acuff “I think a lot of goals work better when they’re measured, when they are paced.” - Jon Acuff  “I think that a lot of life is talking yourself into doing things you don’t want to do, but you really want to. There’s a lot of mornings I don’t want to write, I don’t want to work out, I don’t want to be polite, I don’t want to be detailed—but I really do want that. If I’m honest, I really want the benefits of those things. And so I figure out games inside the middle that get me to where I want to be.” - Jon Acuff  “One of the soundtracks I use in my life is that fear comes free, hope takes work. You’ll never have to look for fear. It will find you. You’ll never have to look for stress or anxiety. They will find you. Hope takes effort. Positivity takes effort.” - Jon Acuff “The difference for me between a broken soundtrack, meaning a negative thought that’s running on a loop, and a prompting from the Holy Spirit, is often what it leads to. I think a prompting of the Holy Spirit leads to prayer, it leads to change, it leads to journaling, it leads to confession to a friend, it leads to plugging back into your small group.” - Jon Acuff “Your thoughts turn into actions, your actions turn into results. What you think becomes what you do, becomes what you get.” - Jon Acuff  “[My dad] didn’t know how it was going to end up, but he knew that being there every day and becoming my friend—he still is my best friend—was my only hope.”- Leland Vittert  “Everybody needs to feel like they have somebody who believes in them. For me, that was my dad. When I was diagnosed with autism, my dad said, ‘I don't know how this is going to turn out, but I have to try.’ I didn’t understand the word resilience as a kid. I now know how important it is, and it’s just not quitting.” - Leland Vittert “Hard work yields results. One is defined by character, not by accolades or achievements or personal wealth, but by who they are as a man.” - Leland Vittert “[My dad] had no expectations about the future, but there were standards, and the number one standard was about character and being a good person.” - Leland Vittert  “When I was diagnosed with autism, there was no therapist, there were no counselors, there were no accommodations. My parents didn’t tell anyone. They did not want me to be defined by a label or use a label as an excuse. Going to therapy on national television at forty-three years old and sharing the deepest, darkest, secrets of my life and darkest moments of my life is not a lot of fun, right? But it was worth it because it has given so many people hope.” - Leland Vittert _______________________ 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.26 min
  10. 586Unlearning the Need to Impress God and Each Other: Rebecca St. James & Zahriya ZacharyThis week, we’ll hear from Rebecca St. James, a Grammy and Dove award-winning contemporary Christian music artist. When Rebecca’s family moved from Australia to the U.S. when Rebecca was a teen, they faced serious financial struggles—the kind that forced them to rely completely on each other and outside support for basic survival like food, transportation, and medical bills. This intense period of “making it work” became the bedrock of her career and is the focus of the film Unsung Hero.  Next, we meet Zahriya Zachary, an artist and worship leader with Bethel Music who experienced a major pivot in her early twenties. She shares how she shifted from the pursuit of a traditional career to an unexpected music career. Her story explores the struggle of unlearning the need for perfection and performance, and the profound freedom found in simply showing up as yourself.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Darlene Zschech Upcoming interview: Maria Lee   Jesus Listens for Moms Rebecca St. James Unsung Hero “You Make Everything Beautiful” My Utmost for His Highest  www.rebeccastjames.com   Zahriya Zachary “Stay” www.bethelmusic.com/roster/zahriya-zachar Rediscovery   Interview Quotes: “[Hardship] really did encourage us to turn to God as a family, because we needed Him in a way that we had never needed Him so desperately before.” - Rebecca St. James “My parents were definitely the kind that encouraged us to flourish in our own gifts. I think that they were very attentive to specialized giftings within the family and encouraged us to be unique.” - Rebecca St. James  “I remember my parents being very available for just talking things through, and that’s something that I’m also trying to do with our kids, [is to be] available and present.” - Rebecca St. James “I think God’s design for the family is so beautiful, and I think when we can live that out privately in our lives, but then also if God allows us to to live that out in the public space too, there’s an undeniable loveliness to it.” - Rebecca St. James “I think something that I am currently unlearning is my performance being the thing that makes God stay, and even that makes other people stay. I’m really unlearning that because it can tend to be this driving force of, If I do good enough at this, if I can just be perfect at this, then God will just stay. The Lord is revealing to me, ‘I love you because I love because I love you.’” - Zahriya Zachary “I’ve had these moments throughout my life with God in the moments where I felt the most lost. He actually reveals to me a highlight reel of every place where I thought I was alone and every place where I thought He wasn’t. It’s actually given me strength to stay when it’s hard, because He enables me to remember.” - Zahriya Zachary  “It was never up to us to reach for God’s presence or earn it, because He’s already done it all.” - Zahriya Zachary ________________________ 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.20 min
  11. 587[JESUS LISTENS MONTHLY SERIES] God, Help Me to Trust Your Grace: Ruth Chou SimonsAuthor and artist Ruth Chou Simons joins Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer to share her journey of faith, from immigrating to the U.S. as a young girl to raising six boys while writing and creating art that points others to Christ. Ruth opens up about the struggles of striving for approval and how she discovered freedom in God’s grace.   Guest’s Links YouTube: @RuthChouSimonsFacebook: @ruthchousimons Instagram: @ruthchousimons Watch this interview on our YouTube channel! https://bit.ly/4ohxdVK  ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website TikTok   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
  12. 588Present and Imperfect: Showing Up in Our Weakness ft. First Lady Maria Lee and Brooke TaylorWhat starts as a single “yes” can influence a lifetime. In this episode, we speak with Tennessee’s First Lady Maria Lee, who shares how a short summer of ministry in Nashville turned the trajectory of her life—from teaching in a classroom to serving alongside her husband in public life—and taught her that true impact often comes from simply showing up and seeing others.  Speaker and radio personality Brooke Taylor’s story takes a different turn when a sudden stroke changes everything, forcing her to relearn how to live and let go of perfection, only to discover that God could use her brokenness to reach people in a deeper, more meaningful way. Together, their stories reveal a powerful truth—that even in the most unplanned moments, God is guiding us with compassion toward connection.  Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Anita Renfroe Upcoming interview: Trey Tucker Jesus Listens for Moms Maria Lee Bill Lee Christ Presbyterian Academy My Utmost for His Highest  COVID  Covenant school shooting Tennessee Serves Project Brooke Taylor Joy99   Interview Quotes: “The hardest part I think with being in the public eye is the criticism that comes along with that. But the thing that has grounded me and [helped with] being able to handle being in that public eye is staying in God’s Word and knowing what He’s called me to do and being able to walk that purposefully and intentionally. Being in His Word reminds me of who I am and who He is, what He values and what He wants me to value.” - First Lady Maria Lee   “I think there’s a lot of bright, shiny things in the world that draw our attention away from what the Lord has called us to, and if we’re not grounded in daily communion with Him and daily relationship with Him, you can easily be distracted.” - First Lady Maria Lee    “I think if we are going to emulate the character of Christ, He came not to be served, but to serve. And if we’re going to follow in His footsteps, I feel like each one of us who is a believer and confesses Christ should be finding a place to serve.” - First Lady Maria Lee   “There are so many ways to serve, and it doesn’t have to be big, it can be little. I think one of the greatest ways to serve somebody is just to be present with them, to show up and let them know that you see them.” - First Lady Maria Lee “When I heard how the [radio] listeners were praying for me and how they were sending cards and how they were sending messages that they were praying for me, I knew that was God’s way of surrounding me with His love.” - Brooke Taylor “As a radio personality, you’re pouring out and pouring out and pouring out. You say things, but you don’t know if anybody’s listening. You don’t know if it’s reaching anybody, or if you made any sense with that sentence. And then to have that all come back to me—the listeners pouring out to me—it was very humbling.” - Brooke Taylor “[After my stroke] I felt like God was with me, and it was as if He was saying, ‘I don’t need the perfect you. It’s actually more effective for Me if I use the broken you. Because the broken you is going to be able to reach people that are also broken.’” - Brooke Taylor   ________________________   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.29 min
  13. 589Trusting God Through Trauma and Transition: Trey Tucker & Kit Willis RutherfordWhat happens when the question “Am I enough?” follows you into every part of your life? For mental health therapist Trey Tucker, that question isn’t just theoretical—it’s something he’s seen affect the lives of countless men and one he’s wrestled with himself.  Then, writer and mother Kit Willis Rutherford invites us into a quiet, sacred moment from her own life. As her grandmother faced her final days, a tiny cross appeared in the screen of a bedroom window—unchanged through storms and still visible decades later. What began as a mystery became a lasting symbol of comfort for her family.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past Interview: Brandi Rhodes Upcoming Interview: Butch Wilmore Jesus Calling for Moms   Trey Tucker’s Rugged Counseling Taken (Movie starring Liam Neeson) 2008 Destiny Rescue Tough Enough: Hone Your Habits, Cultivate Purpose, and Forge Genuine Strength - Book by Trey Tucker Kit Willis Rutherford   Interview Quotes: “In my experience, every guy that I’ve talked to has some sort of question, Am I enough? It’s the word that haunts him, and you can fill in the blank with whatever word you want before that.” - Trey Tucker   “So being enough or being not enough is the thing that haunts the guys the most. It can drive you to make some really amazingly terrible decisions, but it can also be deceptively helpful in driving you to some great successes.” - Trey Tucker   “Looking back at all the experiences that I’ve had, I finally got it into my body or my heart that God is going to come through. And since He’s going to come through, that means I’m going to be okay….I think it’s helped me to purposely put myself in uncomfortable situations—in situations that scare me—because I just know the more I do that, the more I’m going to really feel and experience God coming through for me, and then I can help other people do the same thing in their own walk as well.“ - Trey Tucker   “[My grandmother] was always such a pillar of the community for people that were in need, quietly meeting needs without ever being prompted to do so.” - Kit Willis Rutherford   “Just because we are filled with faith or we are filled with joy or any other wonderful attribute, we’re not immune from the world. The bad things in the world sort of creep in.” - Kit Willis Rutherford   “The veil between heaven and earth is so thin and we really can, from time to time, glimpse little bits of heaven-sent love and heaven-sent information.” - Kit Willis Rutherford    “I feel like hardship has shaped my faith and been truly the balm against the agony of such a broken world where there is so much sickness and so much grief and so much hardship.” - Kit Willis Rutherford ________________________   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.26 min
  14. 590Jesus Calling Scripture Study: The Story of Abigail with Nicole C. MullenWelcome to a special scripture-focused bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, in which we hone in on the character of Abigail in the Bible with singer/songwriter, author and Dove Award-winning artist Nicole C. Mullen. Nicole shows us how we can apply Abigail’s courageous principles to our own lives in order to stand up for what’s right, even when we’re surrounded by wrongs, and what it looks like to raise our voices in a way that’s full of grace and freedom.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens   Nicole C. Mullen Corrie ten Boom Mother Teresa It’s Never Wrong to Do the Right Thing by Nicole C. Mullen   Interview Quotes: “I love studying the lives of biblical women because they remind me of myself. When I see in Scripture how God dealt with them, I know He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever, and what He did is what He still does. Their stories give me hope in my now and in my future.” - Nicole C. Mullen “[The story of Abigail] is one of those stories that’s encouraged me throughout the years to make wise decisions. Sometimes I, too, will have to run interference for the safety of my home.” - Nicole C. Mullen “Abigail’s story teaches us spiritual discernment in the realm of if there is a situation where we are faced with the decision between right and wrong, good and evil, I believe we are called to act on behalf of the good.” - Nicole C. Mullen “I was abused physically for a few years, and I had to make a decision as to, Do I continue to stay and remain silent and allow fear to make me voiceless? Or do I borrow the courage of other sheroes that have come before me?” - Nicole C. Mullen “I’m very passionate about encouraging other women and letting them know they have a voice, and that Scripture allows them to beautifully turn up the volume.” - Nicole C. Mullen “I see the Abigail spirit all the time in women who may never gain notoriety. Their names may never become famous. They may never wear a cape or have an S on their chest. But on the inside, they are sheroes, because they have courageously stood against evil, and so I applaud them.” - Nicole C. Mullen “We’re not called to be quiet when it comes to righteousness and justice and things that are promoted as biblical values. We’re called to raise our voices in a way that’s full of wisdom, full of intelligence, full of beauty, full of grace, and full of freedom.” - Nicole C. Mullen ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.16 min
  15. 591One Prayer Away From Disaster: Butch Wilmore & Brooke EnvickThis week, we’re talking with astronaut Butch Wilmore who has spent 465 days off-planet, giving him a literally out-of-this-world perspective on God’s creation. From fighter jet pilot to Space Shuttle commander, Wilmore’s career was a testament to preparation and discipline. However, his faith was truly tested when a spacecraft Wilmore was manning began losing thrusters—and he was just a prayer away from spiraling toward potential disaster. Next up, we speak with Brooke Envick, a veteran dean in higher education, who recounts how achieving every professional milestone left her feeling empty. She discusses combining lessons from neuroscience with practices like gratitude and prayer, revealing how a sudden, debilitating health crisis forced her into a necessary stillness that ultimately paved the way for profound, lasting internal change.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Nikki DeLoach Upcoming interview: Caroline Beidler Jesus Calling for Moms Butch Wilmore Boeing Starliner Stuck in Space: An Astronaut's Hope Through the Unexpected - Book by Butch Wilmore Brooke Envick True Ascension: Unlocking Greatness Through Faith, Fortitude, and Foresight - Book by Brooke Envick   Interview Quotes: “You can see the vibrancy, you can see life in the colors. Understanding and knowing that the atmosphere protects the planet and enables us to have the air to breathe that we need, and all of that, and it’s all supplied by our Lord and Savior, our God, the Creator of all things, that is a special thing to view from that vantage point.” - Butch Wilmore   “In all types of strenuous situations that we come through in life—to where realizing the Lord’s in control, He is sovereign, working providentially for His Glory and our ultimate good, if we believe. And that is the mainstay of who I am, what I understand, what I know God’s Word to say. And again, even in those moments, it brings intense comfort and intense hope. There’s always, always, eternal hope, regardless of what takes place.” - Butch Wilmore   “You’ve got to be completely committed, all in, and that commitment breeds the preparation that is required for whatever the tasks are that you’re undertaking, because the responsibility is great, sometimes greater in certain areas than others.” - Butch Wilmore   “I have to come at whatever the task is with a complete mindset of being prepared, disciplined in that preparation, because that’s what it takes—and in those extremist situations, maintaining the focus that’s required to do the task, whatever that might be.” - Butch Wilmore   “Anything that we have, everything that we are capable of doing, everything that we are tasked with doing, He’s given us the ability, and to Him be the glory.” - Butch Wilmore   “Life is tough, and in every situation, everything in life, you have to want whatever it is that’s going forward. You have to want it, you’ve got to be committed, you’ve got to prepare, because the responsibility is great that God requires of us, in all aspects of our lives.” - Butch Wilmore   “God was still shaping me in that moment and it taught me that real change doesn’t always come from moving faster or starting over. Sometimes it actually happens from stopping and listening and allowing God to align your inner life before sending you forward again.” - Brooke Envick   “I found that scripture gave me a lot of insight into broader wisdom and lessons from the Bible, prayer gave me a connection and ongoing conversation with God, and meditation brought alignment to my life. It helped me slow down and focus my thoughts and become more intentional about how I was responding to life, instead of simply reacting to it.” - Brooke Envick   “What we return to consistently is what begins to shape our thought patterns, emotional responses, and also our sense of peace. So when we connect with God daily, we reinforce those neural pathways associated with calm, trust, and meaning. Devotionals like Jesus Calling help us create space for that daily attunement and moments when we need to pause and listen and realign our thoughts with truth and with trust. What I’ve seen in my own life is that daily connection doesn’t remove challenges, but it changes how we move through them.” - Brooke Envick   “Faith isn’t meant to be passive. God gives us direction, purpose, and trust, but He expects us to use the tools He gives us to make progress.” - Brooke Envick   “Faith shapes the why, which is our meaning, our purpose, and our trust in God, and neuroscience reveals the how.” - Brooke Envick ________________________ 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.26 min
  16. 592The Loneliness of Addiction: How We Can Show Up With Love ft. Caroline Beidler & Jonathan TepperThis week, we’ll hear from Caroline Beidler, a speaker and recovery advocate who began using alcohol at just eleven years old to numb the pain of a deep sense of loneliness and not belonging. This led to years of addiction, but even after getting sober, Caroline found she was still wrestling with shame, unhealthy patterns, and wounds that hadn’t healed.   Jonathan Tepper is a founder, author, and strategic thinker whose journey began as the son of missionaries in regions of deep cultural and economic contrast. From his upbringing in Spain by missionaries who sought to help those addicted to heroin, all the way to Taiwan and the high-stakes world of global finance, he has found himself on a search for truth and fairness. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Ryan Scheckler.   Upcoming interview: Amy Grant Caroline Beidler When You Love Someone in Recovery, A Hopeful Guide to Understanding Addiction - Book by  Caroline Beidler Jonathan Tepper Shooting Up: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Addiction - Book by Jonathan Tepper Mere Christianity - Book by C.S. Lewis   Interview Quotes: “I had no name for who God was, but at the same time, I just remember knowing that He was there. I just feel like from even an early age, I was seeking that relationship, and I was seeking a connection with God.” - Caroline Beidler    “It wasn’t until I started walking in longer-term recovery that I saw how me showing up as a sober, healthy, growing person impacted people in my life, in my family, who struggled with substance use—just my presence showed people there’s another way to live.” - Caroline Beidler    “Recovery is a deep experience that we can go through, of not just physical healing and emotional healing, but spiritual healing and formation.” - Caroline Beidler    “When our loved ones have hope for us, have hope that we will heal and find addiction recovery, we are more likely to. That is a powerful statement, and that is a powerful way that I think God reveals [that] hope isn’t just some feeling.” - Caroline Beidler  “We know from the research and our own experience that the number one way to help people struggling with addiction is to connect them with people with a similar life experience.” - Caroline Beidler  “Those two pieces—hope and belonging, hope and connection—are so important when we’re talking about how people can heal from addiction, not just themselves as individuals, but as families.” - Caroline Beidler  Addiction kind of breeds and increases and gets stronger and more destructive in isolation. When we can shine some light on what’s going on, that’s where God can come in and that healing can happen.” - Caroline Beidler  “The best thing that families can do when their loved one is struggling is lead with love and lead with compassion.” - Caroline Beidler  “Addiction is a crisis of loneliness, and the way to address it isn’t just through treatment. It’s making sure our loved ones are connected in community.” - Caroline Beidler    “One thing I’ve taken away is that you can be a miserable, greedy person and poor or you can be a miserable, greedy person and rich.” - Jonathan Tepper   “You have to decide every day whether you want to be loving and compassionate. And it doesn’t really matter where you are to do that, as long as you’re doing your best with what you have.” - Jonathan Tepper   “I don’t think heroism is one single great act of courage. I think it’s showing up day to day and trying to show love and compassion to others.” - Jonathan Tepper   “My parents never planned on starting an international drug rehab center, they set out to show love and compassion to one addict at a time. And I think that taking one step at a time is a way that you can change the world, even if you don’t set out to do it.” - Jonathan Tepper ________________________   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.26 min
  17. 593[JESUS LISTENS MONTHLY SERIES] God, Help Us Hold Both Sorrow and Hope: Tanner OlsonAuthor and poet Tanner Olson joins us to share his family’s journey through unexplained infertility and the heartache it brought. Out of that season of grief came unexpected joy—the gift of adoption and the arrival of his son. Tanner reflects on the role of prayer in holding both sorrow and hope, and the childlike wonder he’s learning from his little boy.   Guest’s Links YouTube: @tannerJolsonFacebook: @writtentospeak Instagram: @writtentospeak   Watch this interview on our YouTube channel! https://bit.ly/4p3cPZC    ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website TikTok   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.9 min
  18. 594Life’s Frailty and God’s Peace: Amy Grant and Andrew OsengaThis week, we’re honored to welcome back a dear friend of the show—the iconic artist, singer, and GRAMMY winner Amy Grant. Amy joins us to share her heart about her first album of original material in thirteen years, the deeply personal project titled “The Me That Remains.” In this moving interview, Amy opens up about the profound life events that inspired her new music—navigating the tender journey of aging and caring for her parents at the end of their lives, her ongoing recovery from a serious bike accident, and the enduring joy of creating music that she feels grateful to share with the world.   Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Andrew Osenga, a Nashville-based musician, writer, and podcaster. Andrew spent years trapped in the tension between his private doubts and the crushing expectation of performing as a Christian artist. Growing up, image was everything, and he struggled under the pressure to appear “put-together”—even when he felt broken inside. It took devastating loss—including his home flooding, displacing his family, and his wife’s grueling cancer journey—for him to finally break free from performance-driven faith.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Diane Chew Upcoming interview: Annie Bosko   Amy Grant The Me That Remains - Album by Amy Grant The Book of Forgiving - Book by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu The 6th Of January (Yasgur's Farm) - Song by Amy Grant   Andrew Osenga How to Remember: Forgotten Pathways to an Authentic Faith - Book by Andrew Osenga Caedmon’s Call Young Life   Interview Quotes: “Don't ever be afraid to speak the truth of what is right now.” - Amy Grant   “Life is happening to all of us all the time, and we have to be gentle with ourselves and gentle with each other.” - Amy Grant    “I feel like the arts are good medicine for everybody.” - Amy Grant   “We are all part of humanity and we all experience good, hard and unresolved unrest; how do we sit in it and find our way forward?” - Amy Grant   “When [accidents or illnesses] come, you need people in your life to remind you what matters: you are loved by God, and if you’re still breathing, the adventure continues.” - Amy Grant   “Jesus doesn’t want us to pretend. He wants us to be the people He created. He doesn’t love a fake image of me. He loves me.” - Andrew Osenga   “There have been a number of experiences in my life that have helped redirect me towards a more quiet and grounded way of being with God, moving from performance towards presence.” - Andrew Osenga   “The wonderful thing is Jesus doesn’t meet us in our perfection, He meets us in our suffering. Jesus is introduced to us in the Bible as a man of sorrows. And so, it’s not that we have to stay there all the time, knowing that is a part of our story. Being able to be honest about that allows us this freedom to be people of joy rather than having to sort of put on a happy face.” - Andrew Osenga   “We can say that we can hold suffering and joy in both hands at the same time, and I think those are the people that we’re drawn to. And that’s when we can start to speak with an authentic voice. That takes time to learn how to do that, and that takes, honestly, walking through seasons of both suffering and joy to be able to learn how to do that.” - Andrew Osenga   “We live in a culture that prizes things like novelty, speed, and constant reinvention. I think these practices like lament, confession, shared prayer, and silence can be a form of resistance, pushing back against this speed, the hectic life, against the doom scroll.” - Andrew Osenga ________________________ 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.34 min
  19. 595The Gift of a Second Chance: Annie Bosko & Danielle KartesThis week, we’ll hear from Annie Bosko, a country artist whose career was gaining momentum when, in the middle of a live performance, her voice suddenly gave out. What followed was a vocal cord injury that required surgery and months of recovery where she couldn’t speak at all. Annie shares what that season of silence revealed, the people who stepped in to help her rebuild, and how she slowly returned to doing what she loves.   Later, we’ll hear from chef and author Danielle Kartes. After her family lost everything when their restaurant closed, Danielle struggled to rebuild her life and marriage. Though she vowed never to cook again, she was drawn back to the kitchen. Her attempt to reconcile her deep faith with her practical, food-centric work asking, “How does hope relate to pot roast?” became the foundation for her company, Rustic Joyful Food.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Jordan Smith Upcoming interview: Tim Hawkins   Annie Bosko MusiCares God Winks - Song by Annie Bosko California Cowgirl - Album by Annie Bosko Danielle Kartes Rustic Joyful Food.  The Best Kids Cookbook: 60 Fun and Simple Recipes to Get Kids Cooking - Book by Danielle Kartes   Interview Quotes: “That’s really when your faith is tested the most—when you don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you still have to believe that it’s there.” - Annie Bosko “I was forced—because I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t open my mouth and talk to anyone—to get really quiet, to quiet the outside noise, and forced to really dig deep into what I wanted to do next and what I was feeling called to do to next, which I think is really important because the world will pull you a thousand different ways if you don’t have the internal strength, fortitude, direction in here.” - Annie Bosko “I think when everything’s going really well, it’s easy to forget about consulting with God. But when nothing’s going for you, or when you feel like you’re at your wit’s end and you feel really down on all hope, I think that’s when people have to turn to faith the most.” - Annie Bosko “You have to be on the bigger spiritual plan, path, [or] course for your life that doesn’t look like anyone else’s. That’s really important to sort of tune out sometimes even like your own voices of fear, because I really believe that anytime you’re making decisions out of fear, that’s not in love.” - Annie Bosko “I can carry out God’s plan for me, [and] I think at the end of the day, it’s only you and God [that] know how far you can actually go.” - Annie Bosko   “God is still good, and He can still use your story even if it’s broken. God still wants wonderful things from you.”  - Danielle Kartes “When I stopped wanting Him to show up in the way that I thought I needed and allowed God to show up in the way that He needed for my life, everything changed as far as my peace and trusting His provision.” - Danielle Kartes “I think that you can strengthen your family bond and your bond with your children by allowing them into your day. I think that it’s really important to just involve your kids in what you’re doing.” - Danielle Kartes “The more time you spend with the Lord, the more time you make for Jesus, the better you feel, even if your life circumstances aren’t changing.” - Danielle Kartes “God didn’t promise us that it would be easy, but He did promise, “I’m going to be with you every step of the way.” - Danielle Kartes ________________________ 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.21 min
  20. 596Jesus Calling Scripture Study: Mornings in the Bible with Jennifer Dukes LeeWelcome to a special scripture-focused bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, where we contemplate the two hundred plus mornings mentioned in the Bible with author and Bible teacher Jennifer Dukes Lee. Jennifer walks us through notable mornings from Scripture, like God’s first creation on earth when He said “let there be light,” to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, and the tasks God gives people like Abraham, Moses, and Jacob to begin at daybreak. Jennifer reminds us how each sunrise reminds us that God’s mercies are new each and every day, giving us built-in do-overs and a chance to fall in love with life and the role God has for us all over again.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens   Jennifer Dukes Lee How to Love Your Morning by Jennifer Dukes Lee   Interview Quotes: “Anytime we look east, we see the sun rising and it reminds me that God’s mercies are new every morning.” - Jennifer Dukes Lee “God built these do-overs every twenty-four hours into this cycle on earth, and every morning is a new opportunity to wake up and say, ‘Thank you for this day you have given me.’” - Jennifer Dukes Lee “You study all these mornings in Scripture, and you see it as a really special time for God to set His people out to be obedient to what He has called them to do.” - Jennifer Dukes Lee “If you chase a sunrise, you stand with your eyes facing east, and you see a little bit of light creeping up over the horizon. And it’s like God saying to you, ‘Welcome to a new day. This is your day to love and enjoy and to be present with Me.’” - Jennifer Dukes Lee “On the morning when Jesus was crucified… we don’t like to think about Jesus on a cross and how painful that is. But it reminds me that Jesus gets our hard mornings, and some of the most sacred mornings in Scripture don’t start with joy, they start in the dark.” - Jennifer Dukes Lee “We have this idea that everything will be better in the morning. That doesn’t mean our problems are going to disappear, but it does mean that God could change something in us even if our circumstances don’t change.” - Jennifer Dukes Lee “It doesn’t matter what time I get up, or how much I can accomplish before 8:00 AM. What matters is that I can bring the hopefulness that God promises at the start of a new day and bring that into my life, beginning with the moment my feet hit the floor.” - Jennifer Dukes Lee ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.17 min
  21. 597Rebuilding Sanctuary in the Wake of Trauma: Tim Hawkins & Michael Charles OlsonThis week, we hear from comedian Tim Hawkins, who shares what it took to build a career on clean, relatable comedy—and the surprising lesson he learned when nearly two decades of constant road life led to complete burnout. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from singer-songwriter and pastor Michael Charles Olson, who shares a life influenced by both worship and wounds. Raised in a church where music and faith were woven into everyday life, Michael reflects on how that early sense of sanctuary was later shaken to its core by a church fire that damaged more than just its walls.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Becky Thompson Upcoming interview: Jeff Hamilton   Tim Hawkins Fist Bump - Comedy Special by Tim Hawkins   Michael Charles Olson  Rocketown Records Daddy Set the Church on Fire: A Journey Toward Restoration - Book by Michael Charles Olson   Interview Quotes: “I grew up in a very fun family. We laughed a lot. We enjoyed comedy. I didn’t know what it was. I just know it made me feel good, and it was fun to create it and make people laugh.” - Tim Hawkins “My job is to be funny. People call me a Christian comedian, but I’m a Christian who is a comedian.” - Tim Hawkins “It’s all about connection. Connection is something that we need—and lack. It’s a need that fulfills something in us.” - Tim Hawkins “A thing that I needed to learn was to control my brain, to just shut it down.. And being able to just stop that and be quiet and present.” - Tim Hawkins   “Just like that organ was a really, really intricate instrument of praise, my dad was a beautiful soul, deep soul, and through the power of unforgiveness, our home fell apart.” - Michael Charles Olson “When the heart of the father turns inward on itself through pain, the child is kind of left not knowing what to do because we’re hardwired in the way that we were created in our relationship with God for this openness and vulnerability.” - Michael Charles Olson “I really feel like my role as a worship leader is to create environments where the fire of God is experienced in the church.” - Michael Charles Olson “We all go through seasons of brokenness. We all go through seasons where we feel like we’ve let God down. We feel like we let ourselves down. I think I would just say that I’ve had those seasons, and it’s very, very important to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd speaking to you in the midst of your brokenness.” - Michael Charles Olson “When you’re wounded in the sanctuary, when the thing that you hold most dear burns to the ground, God meets you in a restorative place.” - Michael Charles Olson ________________________   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.21 min
  22. 598[BONUS] A Father’s Influence and God’s Healing LoveWelcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast. We’re talking to men who look at their lives as fathers as one of the most important roles they’ll ever have. Our earthly fathers—or the significant father figures in our lives—cast a profound and lasting shadow on who we become. We carry their wisdom, their lessons, and their support as a foundation for our own lives. Yet, for many, that influence also includes painful memories—moments of absence, criticism, or misunderstanding that leave behind wounds and a deep yearning for unconditional acceptance. No human father is perfect, and the imperfections in our relationships can sometimes make it difficult to grasp the concept of a loving Father in heaven. Through prayer and faith, we can allow God’s perfect love to mend the broken places and provide the strength to honor and navigate our relationship with our human fathers.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens   Steven Curtis Chapman & Emily Chapman Richards Rob Kenney Kirk Cousins Jeremy Rosado Trey Tucker ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.26 min
  23. 599Healing Your Past to Lead Your Family Well: Jeff Hamilton & Glen HenryThis Father’s Day week, we hear from two men whose completely different experiences of childhood and fatherhood led them to the same mission: helping dads show up with intention. Jeff Hamilton, pastor and author of Dad Academy, grew up with the rare gift of an engaged, present father. Today, he’s helping dads build stronger relationships with their children through intentional parenting.   Later in the episode, we hear from Glen Henry, known online as Beleaf in Fatherhood, whose story couldn’t be more different—a childhood marked by feeling unwanted and unloved, and a young adulthood spent shifting his identity just to feel accepted. It was becoming a father himself that finally forced the inner work he’d avoided and how he learned the importance of fathering yourself first.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Dr. Meg Meeker Upcoming interview: Dr. Michael Guillén   Jeff Hamilton Dad Academy  Dad Academy: Raising Courageous, Capable, Confident Kids - Book by Jeff Hamilton   Glen Henry  Beleaf in Fatherhood YouTube Channel Father Yourself First: Everything You Need to Become the Father Your Family Deserves - Book by Glen Henry    Interview Quotes: “Kids are going to be kind of self-conscious as they start to compare themselves to the environment or to the relationships that are around them, but our job is not to let their self-worth and value be influenced by an image of what other people want them to be.” - Jeff Hamilton “There’s inherent greatness in our kids, and it’s our job as parents to nurture it within them.” - Jeff Hamilton “I think the greatest thing that we can pass on to our kids is the value of serving. We find a sense of significance by the value and benefit that we bring to others.” - Jeff Hamilton “A dad’s mission is to prepare their kids for life by passing on their values and their skills to their children.” - Jeff Hamilton “The rituals and traditions of your family are the things that give your children a sense of identity and understanding of who they are and the priorities that they need to establish in the course of their lives.” - Jeff Hamilton “[Traditions and rituals] create memorable moments that help our kids understand when they move from one stage to another, and it affirms who they are becoming and the future and the destiny that’s ahead for them.” - Jeff Hamilton   “Once I started to grow as a man by having to apply the things that people were trying to teach me my whole life, I recognized the true gift that fatherhood was.” - Glen Henry  “My thought is that you would father yourself out of that and start to change your inner voice so that you always speak to yourself as a father that loves you, just like you love your children.” - Glen Henry  “The way I have been held as a father, I’ve never felt closer to God than I have being a part of a family. You’re collaborating with God on a masterpiece.” - Glen Henry  “There are things hidden in the relationship [with your family] that if you allow it to teach you, you will grow closer to God.” - Glen Henry  ________________________ 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.24 min
  24. 600Disbelief and Anxiety - The Surprising Places We Find God: Dr. Michael Guillén and Chris HodgesThis week, we hear from Dr. Michael Guillén, a physicist who grew up in East LA, earned his PhD from Cornell, taught at Harvard, and spent fourteen years as the science editor for ABC News—including a dive to the wreck of the Titanic that nearly killed him. Dr. Guillén shares how decades of studying invisible forces in the universe—dark matter, hidden dimensions, the limits of what science can actually see—ultimately led the self-described atheist to faith and why he believes science makes the case for God stronger, not weaker. Later in the episode, we hear from Chris Hodges, founding pastor of Church of the Highlands, who opens up about the grief, burnout, and panic attacks that brought him to a breaking point after a decade of leading one of the country’s fastest-growing churches—and the five-step process he found in scripture that pulled him out.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Nathan Davis Jr.  Upcoming interview: Victoria Arlen   Dr. Michael Guillén The Invisible Everywhere: Believing Is Seeing - Documentary by Dr. Michael Guillén    Church of the Highlands Highlands College Legacy Letters: Timeless Principles I Learned, Lived, and Leave Behind - Book by Chris Hodges   Interview Quotes: “It’s not seeing is believing; it’s believing is seeing.” - Dr. Michael Guillén  “Far from there being any contradictions, actually there were a lot of similarities between how the Bible describes heaven and how modern science describes this visible realm beyond the cosmic horizon.” - Dr. Michael Guillén  “There is no fundamental contradiction between the Biblical worldview and the modern scientific worldview.” - Dr. Michael Guillén  “Now that I’m grown up, I’m still a scientist, but now I’m a devout Christian. I don’t feel that lonely. I’m finding that more and more scientists are very receptive to the idea of God.” - Dr. Michael Guillén  “Science has made it easier for me to believe in God, not harder. I’ve grown accustomed to dealing with invisible realities. It’s the bread and butter of modern science. The fact that God is invisible is no big deal for me, because I see His fingerprints everywhere.” - Dr. Michael Guillén  “I liken the process or the feelings of depression and burnout as kind of being in the cave. Like, you know there’s a way out, but you don’t know where it is and it’s dark and it’s confusing.” - Chris Hodges “Many people only know God in the dynamic; they don’t know Him in the intimate.” - Chris Hodges “When I had a new assignment, and a fresh purpose for life.. Joy flooded my heart the moment I knew God had something He wanted me to do.” - Chris Hodges “I call it the bucket list principle—if you want to start living, start dreaming.” - Chris Hodges “I think people can come out of their burnout conditions by their closeness with the Lord, by renewing their sense of purpose and hope.” - Chris Hodges ________________________ 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.24 min
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