Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

This 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.

Welcome 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.

This 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.

Welcome 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.

This 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.

Welcome 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.

*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.

This 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.

This week, we’re joined by beloved television host, actress, songwriter, and author Kathie Lee Gifford. Kathie Lee shares her deeply personal faith journey, emphasizing that she is not a “churchy person” but a “relationship person.” She advocates for understanding the Scriptures deeply, going beyond surface-level readings, and ultimately seeking to bring Jews and Christians together in the love story of God. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Dr. Julia Garcia, also known as Dr. J., who joins us to dismantle the myth that hope is an elusive personality trait. Drawing from years of clinical practice and her own raw, lived experience—including overcoming addiction, failed businesses, and seasons of deep uncertainty—Dr. J offers a powerful, practical pathway back to hope, even when the darkness feels permanent. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Tauren Wells Upcoming interview: Nathan Davis Jr. Jesus Calling app Kathie Lee Gifford Psalm 143:8 Psalm 103 Psalm 25:4-5 Acts 17:28 www.KathieLeeGifford.com Nero and Paul Herod and Mary Dr. Julia Garcia The 5 Habits of Hope www.DrJuliaGarcia.com Interview Quotes: “When Jesus says. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant,’ He didn’t say ‘perfect servant.’ He said ‘good.’ ‘Your heart was good. Your heart was in the right place. You walked with Me and were faithful to the little things, faithful to proclaim Me.’” - Kathie Lee Gifford “I would never take a role that required anything that dishonored the Lord. The Lord gives us a conscience for a reason.” - Kathie Lee Gifford “I follow Him, and I’m going to use every opportunity that comes my way to proclaim Him, because people are hurting. People are broken. People are desperate. People are hungry, not just for food. They’re hungry for life itself. They’re hungry for the truth. The only thing that has been constant in my life that never changes is my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” - Kathie Lee Gifford “Our life should be a prayer constantly.” - Kathie Lee Gifford “I think religion puts us in chains, and Jesus came to get us out of the chains. It’s all about relationship, not religion, and I think we’ve really lost touch with that in Western Christianity.” - Kathie Lee Gifford “I’ve always had to go back to different habits at different times to make sure that I don’t associate how I feel with who I am.” - Dr. Julia Garcia “Hope is not a personality trait. People can feel like they need to have a huge amount of hope. It just takes that mustard seed—a tiny, tiny, tiny, little piece of hope is enough to carry you through.” - Dr. Julia Garcia “Habits of hope are an emotional framework to help us with those perspective shifts so we can interrupt harmful thought patterns.” - Dr. Julia Garcia “We’re going to have to get a lot stronger in our ability to emotionally risk so that we can deepen our relationships, not just with other people, but in our faith and with ourselves.” - Dr. Julia Garcia “We can reshape our thought patterns by constantly interrupting them and building these little tiny practices of hope, these emotional practices.” - Dr. Julia Garcia “The more we learn language around identifying what support would look like or feel like, the more we can get in the emotional habit of receiving that support. But it starts with us identifying what it is, who it is, and what we need from those people—our support pillars—so that we can receive hope.” - Dr. Julia Garcia “Being honest has helped me heal because you can’t have hope without honesty.” - Dr. Julia Garcia “Keep coming back to that place that aligns you with God’s call on your life. Even if the external things around you don’t make sense and it feels chaotic inside, just keep coming back, keep aligning back to the voice that you know is real and true.” - Dr. Julia Garcia “If we can just take a moment to receive the truth that we are not alone, that we are enough, then that is a building place for us to help navigate out of that feeling of feeling stuck or overwhelmed. It’s to replace these feelings with truth, with identity statements, reminding us who we are. We are not alone and we are made perfect in His image.” - Dr. Julia Garcia ________________________ 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.

Welcome to a special scripture-focused bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, where we do a deep dive on misunderstood women in the Bible with author, podcaster, and speaker Mary DeMuth. Many of us grew up hearing the stories of women like Bathsheba, Tamar, and the Woman at the Well, often presented in a simplified—and sometimes judgmental—light. But what if the Sunday School lessons we learned missed the mark by overlooking the cultural context, the brutal realities of the time, and what the Bible actually says about these women? Mary DeMuth takes us through a powerful rereading of their narratives, challenging the common misconceptions. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Mary DeMuth Pray Every Day Podcast The Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible by Mary DeMuth Restory Your Life by Mary DeMuth Interview Quotes: “There are some amazing women in the Bible, and sadly I have not heard them preached much except for the heavy hitters. And it gave me an ignited desire to highlight these women because they are part of the story of Scripture.” - Mary DeMuth “These women, maybe like you, were misunderstood, misjudged. You can learn a lot from these women of the Bible.” - Mary DeMuth “I think a lot of women ask, How can I get rid of this feeling? How can I get rid of this pain, this trauma, this worry? And yet the Lord is so good, He is with us when we walk through those kinds of really painful journeys.” - Mary DeMuth “If you have felt like things have been really, really, hard, God is at work. And there will be a moment when He brings healing.” - Mary DeMuth “One of the themes of my life has been how God has intersected a very broken, traumatic story and brought beauty out of it, healing me to bring me into places of ambassadorship where I am able to walk alongside those who have a similar story and just to see the beauty of the Lord intersecting them.” - Mary DeMuth ________________________ 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.