Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

This month we’re featuring multiple guests who have previously appeared on the Jesus Calling podcast, speaking about prayer during times of sorrow and in times of joy. Christmas is the season to celebrate the love and hope of Jesus; but for some, it can bring difficulty. Our guests remind us that no matter what season we’re in, prayer can be a light in our darkness.    Links To Full EpisodesMargaret Feinberg Zim Flores Tana Amen Jess Connolly Levi Lusko Natalie Grant Tabitha Brown ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Whether you’ve been a Christian your whole life because you were raised in the faith, or you’re just curious about what Christianity is all about, there are many ways we can come to know God, sometimes when we’re not even looking for Him. In the Bible, the prophet Isaiah tells us in Romans 10:20 that “[God] is found by those who did not seek [Him], [He] became manifest to those who did not ask for [Him].” As we all enjoy our favorite stories of Christmas this year, and as Christians celebrate the birth of Christ, everyone can pause and reflect on the ways God might show up in our lives and look forward to new ways we might uncover His goodness in the coming year as well.  Actress Danica McKellar always felt a tug at her heart that there was something out there she hadn’t quite uncovered yet. Not long ago, when her friend and fellow actress Candace Cameron Bure sent her a Bible, the switch flipped and she came to the realization that it had been God tugging at her heart all along. Now, she’s embarked on a new-found journey of faith and is eagerly anticipating this Christmas season with a new lease on life. Author and pastor Matt Rawle loves digging deep into our culture to find traces of God in places we’d least expect. He’s uncovered themes in beloved Christmas classics like The Grinch and has found joy and a new understanding of God and the way He presents Himself in the world.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Mark Lowry Upcoming interview: Harris Faulkner Romans 10:20 NIV   Danica McKellar  Candace Cameron Bure The Wonder Years Christmas at the Drive-In Great American Family Channel Carlos Whittaker   Matt Rawle Duke Divinity School How The Grinch Stole Christmas United Methodist Church Asbury United Methodist Church John the Baptist Advent Christmas The Nutcracker www.mattrawle.com The Heart That Grew Three Sizes The Redemption of Scrooge The Gift of the Nutcracker Jesus Revealed Interview Quotes: “Jesus is something that I wanted my whole life, or had my whole life and just didn't realize it.” - Danica Mckellar “Of utmost importance is not the religion, it's the relationship. And that is precious to me. And it's a journey of discovery.” - Danica McKellar “I can let go and let God. I can find that peace that surpasses understanding, because I know it doesn't matter what's going on in this world now that I have this connection to True Peace." - Danica McKellar "You know that childhood joy when you see how excited they are for Christmas? This year there's a whole new layer for me. It's the actual meaning behind the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ." - Danica McKellar “We don't always use culture beneficially, but culture in and of itself certainly isn't bad, but it can, I think, powerfully communicate to us who God is." - Matt Rawle “If we believe The Incarnation [of God in the form of Jesus] to be true, then culture is a vehicle through which we can discern God…Scripture says that God created all things through Christ and God was pleased to reconcile all things through Christ. Therefore, there is a hint of God in everything.” - Matt Rawle “Jesus taught using pop cultural references of the time. Of course, we're 2,000 years removed from that, so they don't seem to be so popular in terms of pop culture today. But in Jesus's time, they absolutely were.” - Matt Rawle “Christmas in particular is a great time to explore that intersection between culture and our shared lives together in spreading the gospel.” - Matt Rawle ________________________ 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 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Theologian and monk Thomas Merton once wrote, “The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.” We were designed by God to live life with and surrounded by people. But to successfully do so, we have to learn what makes others tick. We have to know how they move, and how we can speak love and understanding into their lives. Truly loving people comes with knowing that they are flawed, but resisting the desire to “fix them” to some standard of our own. When we choose to let others be perfectly themselves, we begin to understand God’s unconditional love toward all of us. Our guests this week are people who’ve truly come to the realization that in order to make a relationship thrive, acceptance and resiliency are so important. Beatboxer, cellist, and singer/songwriter Kevin Olusola from the acapella musical group Pentatonix talks about what it takes to make space for his bandmates through their differences, and how they move beyond those differences to make beautiful harmonies together. Husband and wife duo Seth and Heather Thompson Day speak about the tensions they’ve experienced with their individual families and how as a couple, they are committed to the hard work of living relationally with others and with God.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Tauren Wells Upcoming interview: Matt Rawle Thomas Merton   Kevin Olusola Pentatonix Celebrate and Collaborate with Yo-Yo Ma  KRS-One David Crowder Band The Sing-Off Pentatonix’s performance of “E.T.” by Katy Perry Imagine Faith Talk www.kevinolusola.com   Seth and Heather Thompson Day  Jesus Christ Superstar I’ll See You Tomorrow   Interview Quotes: “I said to God, ‘I think you're absolutely crazy. This doesn't make any sense, but I can't deny that I feel like you're leading me here. I don't know if it's forever, but I know I at least have to follow this right now.’” - Kevin Olusola  “I don't think any of us knew that it was going to lead to all this. We're five such different people in such a beautiful way. That's what makes the sound interesting. We're all bringing our different ideas of musicality to make one joyful noise.” - Kevin Olusola “If God Almighty is the one that has put the plan in place for you to be successful so that His glory is known, you better believe that God will create a way for you to have success not just in your career, but also in your family, also in your health. He's created a way because God wants a holistic, loving, joyous life focused on Him.” - Kevin Olusola “I don't know why we struggle to speak life into ourselves. But when I met Heather, I was able to speak life into her. And she was able to speak life into me.” - Seth Day “I think the beauty of the Christian experience is we actually can allow our spirits and our brains and our bodies and our hearts to be transformed in the hands of God. And I've seen that firsthand in my own family.” - Heather Thompson Day “One of the things that Heather has done by willing the good for me is that she's valued my pain. But she's also definitely valued the promise that God has over my life.” - Seth Day “I think that's what all of us need to do in our lives, is to look to people who have done it when things weren't ideal, to build our confidence, and go, ‘Well they did it. So can I.’” - Seth Day ________________________ 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 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

As we approach Christmas, it’s nice to reflect on the gift God gave us through Jesus and how He served the people in his circle and beyond–and how He shows up for us through others in ways we’d never expect. Have you ever received a gift that was so intentional it brought you to tears? Or maybe you’ve given a gift that ended up having a profound effect on someone else’s life. This holiday season, we’re talking to several people who know a few things about meaningful gifts, and what it means to them to provide a place of business in the community for people to find gifts and resources that lift others up, and what it’s like to be in service to the people around us—especially at this time of the year.    Quotes “What we're about is encouraging faith, inspiring change, and sharing life, not just our personal lives, but the life that comes from knowing Jesus Christ.” - Donna McCullough, Dove Christian Supply  “We've been told over and over again by our community how important and how vital we [Logos Bookstore] are. People come in with all kinds of prayer requests and needs and we are there to love on them. And we count it as a privilege.” - Susan Lewis, Logos Bookstore “For me personally, as we own and operate these Christian bookstores, we are constantly on our knees before God depending upon Him to supply so that we can keep the stores alive and open with all the challenges that we've faced. So prayer is critical. And Sarah [Young] is communicating to her readers how important it is to have a powerful dependance in our God.” - Kevin Furgusen, Willamette Valley Christian Supply “Jesus Calling, it's the right words at the time that you need them. It's the Lord speaking to you, it just speaks to your heart and it comforts you. It soothes your soul.” - Vickie Achord, Olive Branch Bookstore “I think with all the craziness that's going on in the world around us, I think people are recognizing the importance of direction from God. And I think it's making people spend more time praying for their personal lives, for their decisions that they make. We understand the importance of prayer for the people that we care about.” - Dennis Lovvorn, New Covenant Bookstore    LinksJesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens   Dove Christian Supply Logos Bookstore Willamette Valley Christian Supply Olive Branch Bookstore New Covenant Bookstore _______________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

All of us have experienced what we like to call “gut feelings.” At various times in each of our lives, it’s been that deep intuition that perhaps moved us to make a decision that was good for us—choosing one thing over, or avoiding a situation that didn’t feel quite right. Other times, perhaps we didn’t follow that quiet tug on our hearts, and pursued a different route—maybe ending up in a less than ideal result. However we view those gut feelings, the message is the same; God will always find a way to reach us. He is that "still small voice" that Elijah heard (I Kings 19:12), and in our lives often presents itself as that deep intuition about who we are and what we should do.  Our guests this week had those “gut feeling” moments that they ended up following that led to some pretty amazing things in their lives. Hallmark actress and producer Nikki DeLoach tells about her singularly-focused dream to become an actress and how she felt the pull to learn how to “tell stories” by learning how to produce projects as well. Pat Bradley worked for Crisis Aid International ministry for years, helping people all over the world. But it wasn’t until he felt the unexplainable tug toward helping people in a place no one else wanted to go that he had to trust where his heart was leading him. They both found that the more time they spent in conversation with God, the more they could trust the “still small voice” of their intuition to lead them to the right place.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Emily Chang Upcoming interview: Kevin Olusola I Kings 19:12   Nikki DeLoach Ryan Goodell Hallmark Christmas movies Hallmark Channel Children's Hospital of Los Angeles The Gift of Peace   Pat Bradley  Crisis Aid International Open Doors International Christian ConcernColin Powell www.crisisaid.org   Interview Quotes: “I spent a lot of time looking up at God saying, 'Why, why not me? Did you forget about me? And what I didn't realize in those moments was that I was actually very deeply being taken care of by God because I just didn't know what fame would have done to me at such a young age." - Nikki DeLoach "I don't care about the color of your skin. I don't care about your gender. I don't care about your socioeconomic level. I don't care about what religious faith you're in. What I care about is; are you in need? Can I help you? Can I pray for you? Let's be in community together. That's how Jesus lived his life." - Nikki DeLoach "Christmas is really about remembering what's most important. Are we alive? Are we breathing? Are we honoring the ones we've lost? Are we being good to other people? Are we giving back? That's Christmas." - Nikki DeLoach "Somebody had to do something in these hopeless situations. God really did put it on my heart that doing nothing was no longer an option." - Pat Bradley "The 'no go' zones were areas where no one was going to help people. And we found ourselves to be the only ones in there doing something." - Pat Bradley ________________________ 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   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In the hours before September 28th, 2022, as Hurricane Ian roared toward the Florida coast, no one knew the level of devastation that would occur in its wake. With 147 deaths, multiple homes and buildings decimated, and over 60,000 people displaced from their homes, volunteers from all over the world streamed into Florida communities to lend their help toward healing and rebuilding. We talk to two of those Good Samaritans who gave of their time and resources to offer refuge and hope after devastating loss.    Quotes “God had been preparing me even before I knew He was preparing me.” - Rev. David Acton “If you have a heart to share hope and a heart to love on others, God figures out the rest.” - Rev. David Acton “A lot of times we just sit and we just cry and pray together because there are no answers sometimes.” - Rev. David Acton “I knew right then I had to do something to help. I didn't know what that looked like. I just prayed that God would show me some guidance and what do I need to do? How can I help?” - Krista Kowalczyk “In my everyday prayers, what I was saying is, ‘Okay, I'll do this while I'm waiting to hear what you want me to do.’ It took me a long time of helping people with their photographs to realize that I'm actually helping people more than I realized.” - Krista Kowalczyk “I have really relied on prayer to get me through this time. It has been hard, just seeing so much devastation and so much loss. I've prayed every day that I have the strength to continue to help people.” - Krista Kowalczyk   LinksJesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens   Christ Fellowship Church Hurricane Irma American Red Cross New Hope Church   Impressions Photography Hurricane Ian ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Each one of us is uniquely made by God and given a specific life path. God wants us to celebrate the way He made us and serve Him with our different abilities. By embracing our differences and bridging our unique stories with our faith, we can help connect God’s love to more people.   Our guests this week share with us how they’ve used their unique life paths to share God’s love with others—whether it’s with their communities or their family circle. Stars of the TV show Reservation Dogs, Lil Mike and Funny Bone are Indigenous entertainers who have delighted audiences with their humor and talent on television and on stages across the country. Their personal stories of the challenges they’ve faced and their talent for the creative arts has helped create a bridge between their Christian faith and their culture. Andy Dooley is a fitness influencer and author who found a way to connect his seemingly disparate gifts of athleticism and artistry to share his brand of hope and faith with the world. By allowing God to shape his life and embracing his differences, Andy found his purpose in teaching fitness to others through videos online and is beginning a newer journey of leading his family through a faith-filled life.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Dr. Derwin Gray Upcoming interview: Nikki DeLoach   Lil Mike and Funny Bone Reservation Dogs The Power Team Indigenous people  “Fist in the Air” www.mikebonemedia.com   Andy Dooley Building a Family of Faith   Interview Quotes: “We like to be living examples of what we speak about in our music. You know, we talk about not drinking, not smoking. And when you see us out in public, we are not drinking and not smoking…Something that's real cool in the Indigenous community; a lot of the beliefs line up with the Word, to be thankful in all things and to pray in all things.” - Funny Bone “Just being able to watch [our kids] ask questions and find relationship with God in their way is just cool. And it starts with us as parents just modeling it, exposing them to it, and having time together and just showing them how cool God really is.” - Andy Dooley “Prayer isn't just one time. You know, prayer can be throughout the day. You can just talk to God while you're driving. You could just talk to God while you're at the gym. Or you have thoughts or decisions or you're going through a certain situation in a season in your life, God wants to hear from you on a regular basis.” - Andy Dooley ________________________ 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 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

On this episode of Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer, we’re talking to mom, author, and entrepreneur Emily Ley, who’s the queen of organization. She walks us through how we can set ourselves up for success and get closer to the Lord in the process.   Guest’s Links Facebook: @emilyley Twitter: @emilyley Instagram: @emilyley ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We all long—at some point in life—to have that moment of clarity where we know exactly what we’re supposed to do and which way we need to go, and everything feels like it clicks into place. Those “aha!” moments can be hard to come by, but we can rely on God to reveal clues to us about where He wants us to be—and often it’s in those little details that we ourselves might not even notice. Taking time to be still, read God’s Word, and watch for those signs that He’s working goes a long way to making the most out of the short time we have on earth.  When she was a little girl, Tamera Mowry-Housley knew that she wanted to be an actress, and with the support of her family, dove in headfirst. But navigating a life in the spotlight at such a young age presented a unique set of difficulties. Mike Kinney was miraculously rescued from a tragic car accident, which led him to consider, Who am I and where do I go from here? After healing from the accident, Mike came to realize that God was organizing the details for him to lead others to see what God has for them, and help them find their own “aha!” moments in life.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Inky Johnson Upcoming interview: Andy Dooley Ephesians 2:10 NIV   Tamera Mowry-Housley Days of our Lives As the World Turns Sister, Sister The Real Ezekiel 34:11-16 NIV You Should Sit Down For This   Mike Kinney Tom Griswald Bob and Tom  Pete Townsend Out of the Fire: How an Angel and a Stranger Intervened to Save a Life   Interview Quotes: “I used to struggle with the spirit of perfection. I thought that if I was perfect, all the problems would go away. All my insecurities would go away. And later I found out it was actually the more you think like that, the more you're imprisoned, because the Lord loves us without perfection.” - Tamera Mowry-Housley “I've realized that prayer and reading the Word isn't something I want to do. It's something I need to do. It's a necessity to protect my peace, my spirit, and my mind daily…I've learned that if I don't feed my soul with the Word of God and talk to God daily, it's easy for me to kind of lose my step.” - Tamera Mowry-Housley “Whenever I feel like I'm struggling, lost, uncertain, I go to the Word. I go to the Word of God. And there,I find my answers.” - Tamera Mowry-Housley “It was kind of like I was on this journey to try to figure out what my purpose, what my calling could be.” - Mike Kinney “The [car] accident had messed with some areas of my brain that could affect motor skills. And they didn't know if I'd be able to play music again because the area of my brain that was impacted by the accident should have affected my ability to play music. There was this need, and I feel like the Lord gave me this dream. It was a gift that He gave me and it became a symbol of hope over the next, you know, eighteen plus years.” - Mike Kinney “That's been part of the anthem of my story is that you're never too broken to be used by God.” - Mike Kinney ________________________ 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 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Sometimes our plans in life can be misdirected and net us emptiness. When we decide to live selfishly and aren’t open to where God is leading us, we effectively put God “in a box” by limiting ourselves from the vast potential for light and goodness He wants to bring to our lives. Each of our guests this week had life experiences that required them to let go of their ideas of what their lives were supposed to look like so that they could grow into the plans that God had for them. Jesse Bradley admits he never thought he'd ever be a pastor. His goals were professional sports, and he achieved that success. But when his body had an allergic reaction to some medication he was taking, he had to make a shift and found God transforming him for new pursuits and new passions. Tovares and Safa Grey have—in a very short time—helped many young people navigate the world of dating and relationships. They understand that many young people feel the pressure of being in a relationship. They feel the key to staying open to what will unfold in our lives is letting go so that we don't put God in a box. This place of compromise is a scary place—a mental battleground—but it holds tremendous potential for God’s goodness to manifest itself in our lives.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Nate Pyle Upcoming interview: Tamera Mowry-Housley PFR   Thank you to our sponsor, Samaritan’s Purse!   Jesse Bradley Grace Community Church University of Minnesota  Golden Gophers  Dartmouth College C.S. Lewis Psalm 63:8 NIV Psalm 62:8 NIV Isaiah 41:10 NIV Every Group www.jessebradley.org    Tovares and Safa Grey Godly Dating 101 Proverbs 5 NIV Ephesians 5:25 NIV www.godlydating101.com   Interview Quotes: “The inside story is the real story and the full story. And sometimes you're the only one who knows it and God knows the inside story as well. And the outside looked like success, but the inside for me, there was emptiness.” - Jesse Bradley “Pain has been a big part of my transformation.” - Jesse Bradley “You want a godly marriage, you want a healthy marriage. But there are some people who desire a marriage because everyone else on their timeline is married.” - Tovares Grey “My advice to other young people who are dating today, don't limit God to your idea of who you think you should be with.” - Safa Grey “[God's] concerned about every single aspect of our lives. He wants us to talk to Him. He wants us to have a relationship.” - Safa Grey “At the end of the day, everything points back to God, and so we have to date with that intention in mind.” - Safa Grey ________________________ 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   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.