Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

When life deals a tough blow, it can be challenging to know where to go next. Perhaps the plans you’d been working toward have been blown out of the water, or maybe you’re experiencing a loss that has made you wonder how to move forward. When it feels like nothing makes sense in our lives anymore, all we can do is continue to show up and look for what God has next for us. Musician Danny Gokey was encouraged by his wife to try out for American Idol, and while they worked toward that moment, she unexpectedly passed away and Danny wasn’t sure how to go on. Minister Hosanna Wong lost her father at eighteen and longed to follow his legacy and help others learn of God’s love, but realized that it would take being present for others and really showing up in their lives to be able to live out her faith in a way that was authentic and compelling.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Matthew West Upcoming interview: Bubba Watson   Danny Gokey American Idol Phillips, Craig and Dean Hebrews 12:2 NIV Jesus People www.dannygokey.com   Hosanna Wong How Not to Save the World   Interview Quotes: “I'm glad God kept pushing me because I just didn't see myself as the lead person or the lead singer.” - Danny Gokey “In the most difficult time of my life, losing a spouse, all of a sudden there's a wide open door in the midst of that to fulfill a dream that God was giving me in that moment.” - Danny Gokey “I think God was pulling away and resetting the foundation so that I would know and that people would know that [my music career] was God built.” - Danny Gokey “People want to be seen, people want to be known, people want to know they're not alone. And there is no point in putting on a facade to impress the world Jesus called us to serve.” - Hosanna Wong “Being a part of God's beautiful church all over the country, I realize the truth that the church was way more beautiful than I ever imagined.” - Hosanna Wong “Let us also live and love others in the same way that God loves us, not giving people shame, but also telling them the truth about who they are too.” - Hosanna Wong ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This special bonus edition of the Jesus Calling Podcast features multiple guests who have appeared in their own episodes on the Jesus Calling Podcast speaking to how they’re overcoming worry and anxiety in our lives. “Do not fear” is one of the most oft repeated phrases in the Bible. God knows that we as humans struggle with fear, worry, and anxiety and He gives us many reasons to believe that He will guide us through the unknown and help us move past our fears. We hope these stories will encourage you and remind you that you are not alone–and that a life plagued by anxiety and worry can be replaced with a life of assurance that things can ultimately work out for our good, according to God’s plan.    Links To Full EpisodesSara Evans Nik Wallenda Ally Brooke Ryan Casey Waller Gloria Gaynor Michelle Bengtson Darren Whitehead/Chris Tomlin ________________________  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.

When we are not completely honest with ourselves or others about our problems, struggles, or emotional pain, we can find ourselves disconnected from the world and may even turn to drugs, alcohol, or other addictive behaviors to combat our shame. This shame can grow over time and fuel our addictions to become even worse. But there is hope in overcoming these destructive cycles—and we don’t have to live in the shadows of our secrets. Jesus tells us in the Bible that if we follow Him we can know the truth; and that truth can set us free. Our guests this week battled their own secret pain and addictions only to find the freedom that comes by pursuing the truth that Jesus so readily wants to show us. We’re talking with country music artists and songwriters Brett and Brad Warren from the Warren Brothers and Broadway, film, and television actress Amanda Jane Cooper. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Ryan Sheckler Upcoming interview: Danny Gokey   Warren Brothers Van Halen album Women and Children First Buzz Cason Tom Douglas Tim McGraw 9/11  www.warrenbrothers.com   Amanda Jane Cooper Glinda in Wicked Carnegie Mellon University Mr. Stephen Schwartz Kristin Chenoweth www.amandajanecooper.com   Interview Quotes: “The partying and the drinking and being in a bar band and just having fun and hanging out with other people that were partying and drinking turned into medicating pretty quick.” - Brett Warren “The very first hit we had was in our first year of sobriety, so we thought we were giving something up creatively [by not drinking] but the truth is we were gaining tons.” - Brad Warren “The God I met in recovery and the God that I was introduced to as a little kid that was holding a lightning bolt that couldn't wait to pelt me all the time, and then the God I've gotten to read in Jesus Calling, each of them, they've all circled into one.” - Brad Warren “God is good. They always say that when something good happens to them, but [Brad’s] seeing that God is good in the worst thing that could happen to you, and the good that's happened to our family as a whole, and the change that it's made in all of us and increased our faith and trust.” - Brett Warren “Helping other people [is] what helps us to stay sober. And it makes us feel fulfilled.” - Brett Warren “I really did think that I had to earn my value, earn my worth, prove my perfection. So that was through misusing and abusing my body, but also trying to fill that God-shaped void in my soul with relationships, with promiscuity, with substances, with success, even.” - Amanda Jane Cooper “I have a new perspective that God says who I am. I do not need to “prove” to the world my worth through a certain size or through a certain weight at all. God looks at the heart and He wants to tend to our hearts.” - Amanda Jane Cooper “I fully believe that by the blood of Christ and His healing power, we can be set free from addictions, compulsions. We can go to Him in distress, pain, anger, insecurity. He is big enough and good enough, better than good enough, to handle whatever we bring to His feet.” - Amanda Jane Cooper ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Countless articles have been written and studies conducted about the power of prayer, not just from theologians, but from mental health experts and those who study the pathways of the brain; and they all come to the same conclusion–prayer and having a relationship with God makes us stronger. Prayer can calm our nervous systems, shutting down our fight or flight response. It can make us less reactive to negative emotions and less angry. It can give us hope that we are not alone–even in the most trying of times. Our guests this week share how their personal relationship with God has held them up in times of sadness and loss, doubt and fear, and that building a foundation of trust and familiarity with God has been what keeps them moving forward when things fall apart in their lives. Michelle Hord is a media executive and storyteller, and founder of the non-profit Gabrielle’s Wings. Krispin Mayfield is a writer and a counselor who studies attachment science—a discipline that looks at how relationships develop between humans, and correlates our various styles of attachment to how we develop our relationship with God.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Chris Norton Upcoming interview: Brett and Brad Warren   Michelle Hord  Gabrielle’s Wings America's Most Wanted President Reagan The Oprah Winfrey Show Good Morning America J.C. Penney studio Jesus Calling app The Other Side of Yet   Krispin Mayfield D.L. Mayfield Psalms Henry Nouwen Mr. Rogers Attached to God: A Practical Guide to Deeper Spiritual Experience   Interview Quotes: “We sometimes have our course, we think, and then God provides what we think are detours that are actually the great path…I always thought the beauty of how the human spirit fights to survive, fights to find faith, and how strangers even try to be a part of helping to be the light in really dark stories. ” - Michelle Hord “I immediately looked for a dark room, a closet, and I shut the door and I got on my knees and I said, ‘God, I do not know what this is, but whatever it is, please give me what I need to survive it.’” - Michelle Hord “It was an act of defiance to say, ‘In the end, God is going to win.’ I don't know how. I don't believe God did this to my child. I don't believe the platitudes of ‘everything happens for a reason.’ But I do know there's a God. “ - Michelle Hord “My relationship with Jesus Calling, the intimacy of how the passages are written, was familiar in a time where there wasn't much that still felt familiar.” - Michelle Hord “I know that He has used this horrific, horrific experience and the holes in my heart as a testimony to others…There is the complete vulnerability and weakness and brokenness that takes us to Him in a unique way where He truly can shine through all of the broken pieces.” - Michelle Hord “The science actually shows us that the way we relate to God is just the same way we relate to everyone else.” - Krispin Mayfield “We want closeness with God. And actually, there are these predictable patterns of how we try to get it, especially depending on what beliefs we've been told about God.” - Krispin Mayfield “I believe that if you're sad or worried or don't have hope, those are great things to bring to God knowing that God can handle it and God can meet you there.” - Krispin Mayfield “It's been a transformation for me to move from this place of being afraid that God is going to punish me or judge me to knowing that even with all my flaws, God still likes me.” - Krispin Mayfield “I've been learning a lot about Sabbath and a lot about this idea of just being with God, not worrying so much about if I'm getting it right, not worrying as much about my behavior and focusing on the fact that I'm a beloved child of God.” - Krispin Mayfield “I think that has been transformative for me to recognize that the more I try to keep closeness through following the rules, the less secure I actually feel. Because they never get that chance to be able to test the relationship and they never get a chance to see that even if I fail at everything, God is still there holding me.“ - Krispin Mayfield ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When we look back on our lives, we all hope we can consider them well lived. But what signifies a life well lived? How much money we made or achieving great fame? Not according to our guests this week. Both have achieved fame and recognition for their musical talent, while recognizing God gave them the words and platform to spread His message of love. We’re talking with Florence LaRue, a singer with the iconic music group The Fifth Dimension, and country music artist Michael Ray.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Patti LaBelle Upcoming interview: Michelle Hord   Florence LaRue The Fifth Dimension Lamonte McLemore “Aquarius”  COVID Grace in Your Second Act: A Guide to Aging Gracefully   Michael Ray Warner Music Nashville Gatlin Brothers  Oak Ridge Boys  Garth Brooks “The Dance” Opry Porter Wagoner version of “Green Green Grass of Home” Ricky Skaggs “Real Men Love Jesus” www.michaelraymusic.com   Interview Quotes: “I had no intentions of becoming a singer at all. That was strictly God.” - Florence LaRue “I enjoy communicating with people. I enjoy the exchange of singing songs and making people feel things, making people happy.” - Florence LaRue “You are not alone. God is with you always. He loves you more than you know, more than you can understand, more than anyone else could ever love you.” - Florence LaRue “You know, a prayer doesn't have to be eloquent. It can just be ‘help’ or ‘thank you.’” - Florence LaRue “[My  grandfather] wanted everybody to have a chance to play music, and to see his passion for it for his entire life was unbelievable.” - Michael Ray  “I think that's all you can do in this life is try to make the next twenty-four better than the last.” - Michael Ray ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When you feel broken and lost, and the life you wanted seems far from reach, there’s Someone you can turn to. God is just a prayer away and no matter where you are or what life circumstance has laid you low, you can call His name. He listens. He cares. He’s there for you always. Our guests this week have had times in their lives of complete brokenness—and they found that when they whispered a prayer up to heaven, peace, comfort, and restoration was never too far to follow. We’re talking with baseball pitcher Daniel Ponce De Leon, and musician and founder of Tipping Point Artist Wellness Lanny West.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Holly Hayes Upcoming interview: Florence LaRue   Daniel Ponce De Leon St. Louis Cardinals Chicago Cubs Victor Caratini epidural hematoma One Line Drive: A Life-Threatening Injury and a Faith-Fueled Comeback   Lanny West Tipping Point Artist Wellness Beatles  Staple Singers  Otis Redding Amy Grant https://www.tippingpt.coach/ Father, Son, And The Unholy Road: The Dark, Twisted Truth of My Journey From Cocaine to Christ   Interview Quotes: “My dad was a very big part in teaching me the Word, and every morning, you know, he was up reading. So he'd talk to me about it, and I didn't really understand most of the things. But you know, later on in my life as I read the Bible, all the words that he told me before now kind of are coming together, and I'm starting to understand that even more.” - Daniel Ponce de Leon “On good days and bad days, I need God.” - Daniel Ponce de Leon  “I believe the whole journey that He put me through was different ways of God chastening me.” - Daniel Ponce de Leon  “I'm using my baseball talents to spread the gospel and I'm able to talk with people and see their connection, their walk with God, and hopefully bring them closer and hopefully just bring us all as a church closer.” - Daniel Ponce de Leon “My dream was to escape the turmoil and the abuse within my family. And I just was trying to figure out how the heck to get out of that mess because nothing was getting better.” - Lanny West “I felt like I had to continue drinking and doing these drugs because people expected me to be a certain way, this entertainer, this radio DJ. And so I got hung up in it and I couldn't get out of it.” - Lanny West “Even though I didn't know my real father, there was a Father that was watching out for me…I don't miss having a cocktail. I don't miss drinking. I don't miss cocaine. I don't miss any of that because I'm filled with God's spirit, and that's the most important thing in my life right now.” - Lanny West  “I knew at that moment that the spirit had entered me and that God had finally shaken me to the point where I realized that I could not go on in my life without Him.” - Lanny West ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast features multiple guests who have appeared in their own episodes on the Jesus Calling Podcast speaking to how they pursue peace for their lives. God promises us a peace that passes all understanding when we trust Him to meet our needs. In good times or bad, we’re still able to experience that peace only God can give—letting us know that He’s got everything in His hands. We hope these stories will encourage you that anyone can find peace–—even in times of pain and loss—and that we all can experience the kind of peace that will get us through any situation we may be facing.    Links To Full EpisodesTrent Shelton Erwin McManus Jeremy & Adrienne Camp Chrystal Evans Hurst Melissa D'Arabian Paul Cardall Lolo Jones Reba McEntire ________________________  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.

Uncertain times can cause us to reflect about and reassess what really matters to us. When we take that time to get quiet, pray, and really ask ourselves why we’ve been put on the earth to begin with, we can begin to feel a sense of purpose that directs our next move. And when we’re moving in the direction of our purpose, we begin to connect to our impact in the world and feel the satisfaction of knowing we can make a difference. Our guests this week have come to their sense of purpose and direction through prayer, understanding their strengths and passions, and events that made them pause and look within themselves toward what matters most to them. We’re speaking with country music singer and songwriter Chris Janson and his wife Kelly and author and President, Special Counsel to CEO [Comcast], Steve White.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Sadie Robertson Upcoming interview: Lanny West   Chris Janson Jerry Lee Lewis Waylon Jennings  Johnny Cash Hank Jr. Ree Guyer www.chrisjanson.com   Steve White Uncompromising Moms In Prayer Theodore Roosevelt   Interview Quotes: “I think that God puts certain situations in your life to be honest with you, that really mold you. And I think sometimes you have to live in those spaces and almost kind of be miserable sometimes before you really get to see the clarity at the end of the tunnel.” - Chris Janson  ”I think through our family, it gives us all peace knowing that God is always there and you can talk to Him no matter where you are. It gives confidence. It gives peace.” - Kelly Janson  “I saw God when our children were born. I saw God when we got married. I saw God when I was sleeping in the back of a car.” - Chris Janson “The way you lead, the way you handle yourself, the joy you display, that's your pulpit.” - Steve White “You should never allow your circumstances or your environment impact your ability to dream.” - Steve White “The more you demonstrate an interest in being better, the more you demonstrate that you want your light to shine brighter.” - Steve White “Great things cannot happen unless you're in the arena. So learning is being in the arena because you never know what can happen.” - Steve White “No one really remembers how big your house was. No one really remembers how many awards you got. What they do remember [is] did you change my life? Did you impact my life? That's what people remember.” - Steve White “We all have a purpose. We're all here on this earth for a reason. And so the more you can get quiet and reflect, it will help you start to identify your purpose and ‘why.’” - Steve White ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When it comes to loving others, we sometimes have to stretch ourselves to honor the commands that Jesus has about love. How can I love someone who is so different from me, we might ask ourselves? How can I love someone who I don’t understand and who doesn’t understand me? In our daily lives, it’s natural for us to make bonds with people who are like us, who have our same values, who believe like us. It can be tempting to live in that bubble and *think* that we are practicing love. But Jesus calls us to do more. He asks that “all we do be done in love.” If we can remember that before each conversation we have, before each decision we make in regards to others, as we measure the words and actions that we speak and do each day, we’ll find that a life lived in love will bring healing, reconciliation and benefits to us that we could have never imagined. Our guests this week are deliberate about taking a posture of love toward what they do in the world. Tauren Wells is a musician, songwriter and speaker who encourages us to recognize God’s love in all that we do and say, and pastor and writers John Siebeling and Wayne Francis have purposefully made unconditional love a part of how they welcome people of all kinds into their churches, and now they’re building off of that to bring people together to have conversations about love, acceptance, and race.  Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Past interview: Cynthia Garrett Upcoming interview: Chris Janson and Kelly Janson   Tauren Wells Michael Jackson  Prince  Donald Lawrence  Fred Hammond Israel Houghton NSync Indiana Bible College  “Known”  www.taurenwells.com   John Siebeling Wayne Francis God and Race: A Guide for Moving Beyond Black Fists and White Knuckles Association of Related Churches—ARC Black Fists, White Knuckles sermon Ahmaud Arbery case Revelation 7:9 NIV Acts 2 NIV Joyce Meyer 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 NIV   Interview Quotes: “I love performing, I love having fun. And I don't think that the presence of God is a fun-free zone.” - Tauren Wells “If we're really trying to make our churches diverse and multicultural, it's not just having people in the room that look like the culture we want. It's creating the pieces of fabric that make up those cultures and weaving them into the faith community that we're building.” - Tauren Wells “The key to moving forward beyond some of the racial tension that we've seen is just super open-handed, open-hearted conversations. And when you have an open heart and you have an open hand, you sit down with somebody that's different from you and you get the opportunity to see and hear their heart and their perspective. You grow and you learn.” - John Siebeling “We're not just trying to empower white people to have these conversations. We're empowering black people, people of color, how to have these conversations in a way that's life giving. And it blends us, moves us closer together toward the vision that we see in scripture, which is one nation, one people, one tribe.” - Wayne Francis “We have to keep the condition of the soul right so that even when we're angry, we can communicate in ways that don't blow everything up…canceling people is not the way that we move the conversation forward.” - Wayne Francis “The Bible says, ‘Pray without ceasing.’ That means somehow, even in the midst of work and working out and cooking and doing all that we're doing, we are communing with God.” - John Siebeling “Diversity isn't reserved for heaven.” - Wayne Francis ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

During a season when “love” is celebrated with flowers, candy, and romantic cards, it’s easy to forget that love has many facets. The kind of love that sticks around when it feels like there’s not much to celebrate. The kind of love that forgives in the face of disappointments and dishonesty. The kind of love that lives up to the promise that God, who Himself is love, made to us; that no matter what, He will never leave us or forsake us. Our guests this week are two couples who have walked together through joyous and difficult seasons—only to find that their love had the capacity to carry them through it all.  We’re talking to country singers Linda Davis and Lang Scott and one time fugitive Bobby Love and his wife Cheryl.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Past interview: Danielle Coke Upcoming interview: John Siebeling and Wayne Francis   Linda Davis Lang Scott Grand Ole Opry Reba McEntire Love Remains Hebrews 11 NIV Lady A   Bobby Love Richard Nixon The Redemption of Bobby Love   Interview Quotes: “God has blessed our life and our family with wonderful opportunities and experiences that we share with people now that we can go out and talk about.” - Lang Scott “Music has been our life. It's been our life together and now for our children as well. God uses what we have done in our life to make an impact in a positive way and in a spiritual way to us, to others.” - Lang Scott “My mother, she prayed that I would straighten up and do the right things, and she prayed that God would just be there for me.” - Bobby Love “I knew somewhere in my deepest of hearts that this is what I had been feeling for so many years, that he was keeping something from me. I just didn't know what it was.” - Cheryl Love “We had a faith in God, and we talked about that, that God had always been with us. He had never left us. And, you know, I just felt like I had to forgive [Bobby].” - Cheryl Love ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.