Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

Do you struggle with how to fit a faith routine into your life? It’s hard to prioritize time for prayer and reflection in our busy, over-scheduled lives, but when we come up against those moments that stretch us beyond our normal limits and make us question the very foundation of our faith, turning to that connection that we have already been establishing day by day to God can be crucial for us to lean on when nothing else makes sense.  Author and podcaster Cleere Cherry Reaves clung hard to her relationship with God when her son Sledge, who was born three months premature, fought for his life. Author Larry Loftis shares about the incredible bond Corrie ten Boom had with God, and how she bravely trusted His guidance to do what was right as she helped hide Jewish people in her home who were fleeing Nazi oppression during World War II. The relationship these women built daily with God informed their responses to heartache and tragedy.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Cam Ayala Upcoming interview: Dionne Warwick   Cleere Cherry Reaves Cleerely Stated  Apneic episodes The Miracle of You   Larry Loftis Corrie ten Boom The Watchmaker’s Daughter Gestapo Ravensbrück Mother Teresa  Darmstadt www.LarryLoftis.com Interview Quotes: “I feel like when we were in the hospital, before Sledge came home and that daily experience, I felt like the veil between heaven and earth was thinner than a sheet. It was so obvious to me that God's presence is the miracle.” - Cleere Cherry Reaves “We learned how to walk through waves that once fell like tsunamis. We learned how to operate and say, ‘Lord, this is not our preference. We would love to take [our son Sledge] home, but we know that Your ways are higher, Your plan is greater, and You are working miracles all around us. Help us see those miracles.’” - Cleere Cherry Reaves “Life really is a gift, it's pure grace. And I think when we operate from that, we really can fight for contentment in any circumstance.” - Cleere Cherry Reaves “Miracles are not always water into wine, or the healing that we had expected. Miracles are a million different things in a million different ways.” - Cleere Cherry Reaves “Fight for a life that operates in contentment and peace that isn't based on what's happening in the world or what's happening to us… I know that good is happening here because God is here.” - Cleere Cherry Reaves “When we think of people that have to go through things like [what Corrie ten Boom faced], we think Well, they're superhuman. But these were regular people. And what's inspiring is that you have these normal people that rise to the occasion.” - Larry Loftis “Lots of people hid Jews in the Netherlands, so [Corrie ten Boom is] not unique in that sense. She's not unique in that she suffered, where she's unique is this: Corrie forgave everybody.” - Larry Loftis “[Corrie ten Boom] traveled the world sharing the gospel, sharing her message of peace and forgiveness and what had happened to her and her family and how the answer was in Christ and He will give you the strength to forgive as He's done for her and her family.” - Larry Loftis “Corrie is unique in that she was able to forgive the hardest people to forgive, people who were cruel to you, people who betrayed you, people who were responsible for the death of your family. Corrie realizes that, I can't do it on my own, but with God's grace and God's help, I can do it. That’s the big takeaway, because we're all called with the great commission to share the gospel.” - Larry Loftis “We can look at what Corrie did to forgive the hardest people in the world, to forgive what she [forgave], and use that as our inspiration—with that example and with God's grace, we can forgive, too.” - Larry Loftis ________________________ 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.

It’s a blessing to be able to celebrate with others when joyful things happen in their lives. But it’s also an honor to be able to stand by someone when they are heavy with sorrow and joy seems nowhere to be found.  Popular Christian writer Karen Kingsbury and her son Tyler Russell help others celebrate the joy of their faith by writing stories for families through their Baxter Family children’s books. Pastor David Emmanuel Goatley, the sixth president of Fuller Theological Seminary, has traveled all over the world as a minister and has been inspired at how Christians from all walks of life hold each other up and bear each other's burdens, no matter how much or how little they have.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Nikki DeLoach and Pat Bradley Upcoming interview: Cleere Cherry Reaves   Karen Kingsbury  Tyler Russell  Philippians 4 NIV NIV Bible  Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Los Angeles Daily News Baxter Family Children books Being Baxters John 16:33 NIV Colossians 3:23 NIV 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 NIV www.karenkingsbury.com A Thousand Tomorrows   David Emmanuel Goatley Fuller Theological Seminary   Interview Quotes: “The family that God puts you in are the ones who are going to be with you forever, so really foster those relationships and pour into those relationships.” - Tyler Russell “I had a beautiful relationship with the Lord, but I was still seeing pain. I was still seeing people going through hard things. And I just didn't think that Christian fiction would be able to handle that. I want to tell stories that are real and true.” - Karen Kingsbury “We really do both want to serve the Lord first. That's kind of our top thing in everything we do, we want to please God first.” - Tyler Russell “Prayer is an all day, everyday thing for me. I am so thankful to be able to walk through this life not alone, but with Jesus, and knowing that I have His presence beside me.” - Karen Kingsbury “I believe that we need to love and laugh often and look for the miraculous in the everyday and lean hard into our relationship with Jesus.” - Karen Kingsbury “My father's orientation was that you always talked about church and community together. You never spoke of church in isolation from the community because the church should be embedded in community, and the community was informing the life of the church.” - David Emmanuel Goatley “We were taught to be salt for the earth and light for the world, and so you have to engage the world that God puts you in so that you can bear good and faithful witness. I think that that kind of nurture helped to inform who I have become and how I see the world.” - David Emmanuel Goatley “I think it's important for students to listen to and learn from the testimonies of people in the global church.” - David Emmanuel Goatley “I don't recall ever feeling like the hard work of Christian leadership has not been worth it. There have been times where the weight of it has been heavy and wearisome and draining and fatiguing. There have been those times where it's been a headache, but I have not felt that it's not worth it. I've been fortunate to sense that I am where the Lord has sent me.” - David Emmanuel Goatley “If we don't try to get out in front of Jesus and we let Jesus lead us, then we'll make it through the sleepless nights and we'll make it through the anxious moments, and then we will be able to look back on it and say, ‘The Lord both led me through it and taught me something in it.’ The Lord has been exceedingly kind. And for that, I'm grateful.“ - David Emmanuel Goatley ________________________ 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.

We’re back with another Jesus Listens Stories of Prayer special bonus episode and we’re talking with Hollywood beauty expert and reporter Kym Douglas who makes it her mission to bring laughter and positivity to the world, but is also candid about the tough seasons she’s been through recently. The loss of her husband of 37 years and a recent cancer diagnosis led her to rely on her faith even more–and also reshaped her sense of her own beauty; by seeing herself through the eyes of her Creator.   Guest’s Links Facebook: @hollywoodbeautyexpert Twitter: @kymdouglas Instagram: @kymdouglas ________________________  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.

In the very beginning of the Bible, God stresses the concept that we were created for community: “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for a man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18 NIV) People were designed to better one another, to look out for one another, and to be a support system in good times and bad.  This week’s guests, professional soccer player Walker Zimmerman and author David Kim, are both the sons of pastors—an experience which guided them early on to care deeply about other people, and to prioritize cultivating supportive communities that stimulate growth in both themselves and in others. Walker seeks to be authentically relatable and present in his interactions with teammates, fans, the kids he’s mentoring, and in his family. David Kim’s story of loneliness in his early years shaped his desire to help people find connectedness. He walks us through a five-step system to help us open up to the idea of true connection, even when it feels uncomfortable.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Seth and Heather Thompson Day Upcoming interview: Karen Kingsbury and Tyler Russell Genesis 2:18 NIV   Walker Zimmerman  Nashville SC  U.S. Men's National Team Furman University  LA FC World Cup Will Boni book of John www.walkerzimmerman.com   David Kim WestGate Church Interview Quotes: “I think one of my biggest passions has always been making other people feel welcome—or trying to bring in different groups of people who might not normally all hang out together—and bringing them together for the same purpose or cause.” - Walker Zimmerman “When I think about soccer and I think about having a bad game, I'm like, Well, my identity isn't wrapped up in one game or being a soccer player. There's something that I'm playing for that's way bigger. I want to honor the Lord with what He's blessed me with on the field.” - Walker Zimmerman “It doesn't matter what we do. It's who we are as people that matters most at the end of the day.” - Walker Zimmerman “I think what I was trying to do was just distract myself from experiencing all the pain of what it means to be alone in America, and navigating all the different ways in which I had to face my new world.” - David Kim “When I'm talking to people, instead of getting easily distracted and being self-focused and self-centered about what I need to get through throughout the day, I try to see what they're sensing, what they're feeling, what might be something that they may need. And I try to lean in, and as I do, I believe that they are met with an incredible sense of belonging and care.” - David Kim  “In this culture where we're so busy and hyper mobile, and we can tend to be easily isolated, many of us long to belong, but we just don't know how.” - David Kim “[The priority practice] is a reminder to intentionally prioritize relationships that God has given in our lives and for us to intentionally reach out and build friendships." - David Kim “There is a way in which we can build and love and care for our entire community and still forge the few that God is bringing greater connection, whether that's through shared values or shared interests and things like that, we are able to lean in and build chemistry.“ - David Kim  “The invitation from God is to be honest and real. And as we do, we are able to truly open up and be seen for who we are.” - David Kim “I'm often self-centered and self-focused, but if I spend time with Jesus, Jesus gives me the eyes to see that I live in this world not for myself, but for Jesus and this world.” - David Kim ________________________ 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.

One of the greatest markers of our adult life is when we fully come to realize that we were designed with intention, created for a specific purpose and mission. Nothing God has ever done has been an accident, and He knows every part of you, even the talents you might not have realized yet. Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” No matter where life takes you, you can trust that He knows where you’re headed, and is guiding you through every step.  Our guests this week each have beautiful abilities that they consider to be gifts from God. Aaron Tippin is a country music star who enjoyed great popularity in the 90’s, but before that, grew up on a family farm, where he learned to fly planes with his father and absolutely fell in love with being in the air, and being “closer to heaven” as he likes to describe. Eleven year-old Jude Kofie, who experiences autism, surprised his family—especially his father Isaiah, who worried about his future—when he walked in to hear Jude playing their portable keyboard like a seasoned pianist, though he’d never played before in his life. When piano tuner Bill Magnusson heard their story on the news, he was compelled to help this family and gave a gift that would allow Jude to realize his potential in a bigger way, and a beautiful relationship was born that has been a gift to them all.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Jodi Stuber Upcoming interview: Walker Zimmerman Proverbs 19:21 NIV   Aaron Tippin 4H Future Farmers of America Elvis Presley Loretta Lynn Clint Black "You've Got to Stand for Something" Bob Hope Show Christmas in 1990 "Where the Stars and Stripes and Eagle Fly" Tennessee Flying Machines www.aarontippin.com   Jude Kofie Isaiah Kofie emergency C-section G tube Autism Local news segment on Jude and Isaiah The Kelly Clarkson Show CeCe Winans Interview Quotes: “From four years old, I first put my hands on the controls in an airplane. And when I looked out the window and I saw those cars on the ground looking like Hot Wheels toys, I said, ‘This is it. There's nothing greater.’” - Aaron Tippin “Getting close to Christ during those [early days in Nashville], was very, very comforting. You find out you're not as alone as you think you are.” - Aaron Tippin “I don't know where my next blessing is going to be. I'm not sure I want to know or need to know. I believe that He does have a plan. God's not through me yet.” - Aaron Tippin “I know how important it is to have a good instrument to practice on and how lovely it is to have a wonderful piano to play on to make beautiful music.” - Bill Magnusson “That wonderful gift [of a piano], that selfless act, is what secured Jude's future. It was taking all our worries away.” - Isaiah Kofie “We seem to live in a world where people are utterly desperate for a little bit of good news and to feel a little better than they feel right now.” - Bill Magnusson  “I just bought a piano and that was all I did. All the rest of this stuff is God, it's not me.” - Bill Magnusson ________________________ 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.

There’s an element to having a relationship with God where you feel compelled to tell others about His love. Because when we’re in a loving relationship, we thrive. It brings us joy, and it gives us stamina to face whatever’s in front of us. Our guests this week had circumstances in their lives that could have made their lives go in directions that might not have been optimal. Having God’s love as a foundation for how they saw themselves in the world was key to giving them that “push” they needed to believe they were made for something more.  Akbar Gbajabiamila is a former NFL player turned television host who almost didn’t take the leap of faith that led him to the career he has today, but it was advice from his father to finish what he started and to be an ambassador for God that motivated him to keep going. Kristian Stanfill is a worship leader of the Passion movement who vulnerably sought sobriety in order to overcome the tough emotions that he was burying and hiding from others.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: The Power of Love Upcoming interview: Aaron Tippin   Akbar Gbajabiamila American Ninja Warrior  CBS The Talk Los Angeles Lakers Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar San Diego State Oprah Winfrey NFL Network Fight to Survive Everyone Can Be a Ninja   Kristian Stanfill Passion movement  Louie Giglio www.kristianstanfill.com Make It Out Alive Passion’s new album I’ve Witnessed It   Interview Quotes: “I felt like an outcast. I felt like an outsider. But I had to learn how to persevere. I remember something that my father told me, and I never forgot this: ‘Make them say your name.’ Whenever they say your name, it should be in a favorable light. You're doing things that people are going to remember you by.” - Akbar Gbajabiamila “What's the story here? The story is sometimes you have no idea. You have your mind set on something else, and sometimes others see something special in you that you can't see in yourself.” - Akbar Gbajabiamila “The better you understand the playbook, the more comfortable you are on the football field. And this is how God was starting to work in my life. As I started to become taught, I started seeing the Lord ordering my step in a certain way. And that right there was the beginning of my journey as a Christian.” - Akbar Gbajabiamila  “The point of that story is that sometimes you do have to create your own opportunities. Sometimes you have to step in faith, and sometimes it looks scary. My father used to say, ‘You're an ambassador for the family, and you're an ambassador for God.’ And I never, ever, ever forgot that.” - Akbar Gbajabiamila “I thought, Man, if I could be a part of helping people see Jesus and encounter the presence of God with my life, that would be pretty cool.” - Kristian Stanfill “Alcohol became something that I used to numb these feelings of inadequacy or failure or I'm not good enough or I'm not measuring up. And I think we all feel similar emotions and similar things, and we all live in the same world and feel a lot of the same pressure. I just wasn't dealing with it in a healthy way.” - Kristian Stanfill “The first step that everybody took was toward me and not away from me.” - Kristian Stanfill “God started to help me understand things about who He is and His love for me. I started to understand my community's love for me, and it was just transformative.” - Kristian Stanfill “I've grown up hearing about grace and God's love. But you have to understand that it's real for yourself and that God's grace flows down into the deep, dark place that you're at and meets you there, but it doesn't leave you there. It changes you. It transforms you.” - Kristian Stanfill “God uses these things in our life, even these broken things, these struggles that we go through, to refine us and make us more like Himself.” - Kristian Stanfill “If you want a resurrection, then a dying has to happen. But this death is not the end. It's where your life begins.”- Kristian Stanfill ________________________ 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 human beings, we’re all on an individual journey, a walk that is all our own. Perhaps you grew up in a family of faith that laid the groundwork for the beliefs you have today, or perhaps you discovered your faith later and can mark the moments where God made Himself present on your journey. No matter how we got to our faith, or where we’re headed, the faith that lives inside us will guide us on a beautiful journey that will take us to the place we’re meant to be.  Andrea Bocelli, the world’s most beloved tenor singer, joins us this week to talk about his faith journey, along with his wife Veronica, who closes the interview with a prayer from Jesus Listens. Speaking in his native Italian, which has been translated to English for this podcast, Andrea recounts how his love for his family and his faith have kept him centered during all the years his career had him jet-setting across the globe to perform on the world’s most iconic stages. Licensed counselor and national speaker Debra Fileta specializes in relationships and mental and emotional health. In her new book, Reset, Debra walks readers through a journey to transform their old habits and bring about lasting change in their lives.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Kristin Smedley Upcoming interview: Akbar Gbajabiamila   Andrea Bocelli The Journey   Debra Fileta  Reset Mark 12:30 NIV Romans 7:15 NIV John 8:31-32 NIV www.debrafileta.com   Interview Quotes: “I realized that there can't be a clock without a clockmaker…this convinced me right away that between the idea of God and fate, I was going towards the first one, and from that moment everything I had done so far—going to the mass, all these things—wasn't something abstract anymore, instead it was extremely serious, tangible, and important.” - Andrea Bocelli “I must say that faith has always been very important to me to keep myself down to earth, to remember that everything I've done wasn't my merit, but a gift from God.” - Andrea Bocelli “The problem is when we approach change from the outside in, it doesn't lead to lasting change.“ - Debra Fileta “Just because you're a Christian doesn't mean you're healthy. We have to take a journey of healing with Jesus by our side." - Debra Fileta “There is no trauma that is more powerful than the power of Jesus at work in me.” - Debra Fileta “Your thoughts ultimately affect how you feel, which then affect how you behave and what you choose to do and how you act.” - Debra Fileta “Many times, the Lord needs to take us on a journey of going backward in order to heal some of those hurts and insecurities and fears from the past, in order to replace them with God's truth so that we can begin getting unstuck in our present.” - Debra Fileta “When God reveals a struggle, when God reveals something in your life that's a weakness or a sin, and He's bringing it to the surface of your life, it's not to shame you. It's to invite you into a deeper level of healing.” - Debra Fileta “It is hard to heal, but it's also hard to stay the same. It's also hard to live with struggle and sin and addiction and bondage.” - Debra Fileta ________________________ 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 special monthly episode of Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer, hosted by Susie McEntire, we’re talking with YouTuber Rob Kenney, the man behind the “Dad, How Do I?” Channel that provides encouragement, practical advice, and tips to anyone who might not have a key parental figure in their lives. Rob’s made all kinds of knowledge accessible as the “Internet Dad,” In this episode, he shares the story of how he started this channel, why it’s important to him to provide a place that people can go for advice and encouragement, and a few tips on how to strengthen your relationship to God through prayer.  Guest’s Links Facebook: @dadhowdoi Instagram: @dadhowdoi ________________________  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.

Are you one of those people who finds it hard to ask others for help? Though we might find ourselves facing things alone or maybe we just want to tough it out and not burden anyone else with our problems, we should remember when we ask for help—including help from God—we honor those in whom we place our trust—giving them a chance to joyfully give of themselves to support us in whatever we’re facing.  Our guests this week each had moments in their life where they had to face that they couldn’t rely only on their own strength, they needed help to overcome the problems in front of them. Nazareth is a Christian comedian who actively looks to bring laughter to places all over the world that need it most. Michele Cushatt is an author and speaker who knows the lonely places of suffering and is passionate about sharing ways to find joy on the other side.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Tammy Bullock Upcoming interview: Andrea Bocelli   Nazareth Subway Muhammad Ali Comedy Store The Improv www.nazarethusa.com   Michele Cushatt  ENT doctor squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue A Faith That Will Not Fail: 10 Practices to Build up Your Faith when Your World is Falling Apart   Interview Quotes: “I'm going, Wow, I didn't know I can push myself to do that. And I asked myself the question, What do I want to do in life that if I never get paid for it, I will still do it to the best of my ability? I loved seeing people laugh. So I said, ‘This is what I want to do.’” - Nazareth  “I sat there [in church] and I don't know what the message was about, but I heard that God loves me. I can come as I am. I don't have to fix myself. And that He has a plan for my life.” - Nazareth “The Holy Spirit gave me the go-ahead to become an evangelist, to bring people to Christ through comedy, to encourage believers.” - Nazareth “I started going to places where it's going to be a tough audience. Prison would be a tough audience. How about IRS agents? How about homeless shelters? I want to go where laughter is needed.” - Nazareth “The doctors told me clearly, ‘We threw everything but the kitchen sink at you in the hopes of maybe saving your life.’ But in the process, I almost died.“ - Michele Cushatt “Honestly I didn't know a human being could endure that much physical suffering and still survive.” - Michele Cushatt “What do you do with your faith in a God who doesn't always behave the way that you expect Him to?” - Michele Cushatt “He takes the things that look like our biggest devastation and somehow, by some miracle of grace, He goes, ‘I know you think this is going to destroy you. I'm actually going to use it to save you.’” - Michele Cushatt “I cannot deny how many sweet moments and sweet conversations and sweet experiences and relationships have come not in spite of my suffering, but as a direct result of it.” - Michele Cushatt “Lament is as much a part of worship as praise is.” - Michele Cushatt “Even if you have nothing to give, God still has everything to give you. He didn't come and save you because you were so strong and faithful. He came and saved you because He loves you, and that's enough.“ - Michele Cushatt ________________________ 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 figure out how to navigate the various things that life puts in front of us, we may question whether we’re always doing the right thing. When we don’t know what to do, it’s good to remember what Jesus says that can help put us on the right path: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” [John 13:34] “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” [John 15:13] Some people do literally lay down their lives on a daily basis for others. But the rest of us can choose to lay down our lives and love extravagantly in smaller, every-day living type ways. Those moments when we go out of our way to help someone in need are always something we can know is the right way to go.  James Patterson is considered the world’s bestselling author, and he’s the creator of beloved, enduring fictional characters like Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, and is also known for his critically-acclaimed narrative nonfiction, including works like Walk In My Combat Boots, and E.R. Nurses. When James started writing his new book, Walk the Blue Line, he was astounded, despite recent events that reflect poor choices by police officers, by the good so many other police officers are doing out there, and the challenges they face each time they put on their uniform. Luke Sherman, a former police officer, has experienced thirty years of some of the scariest situations imaginable. Now, he’s taken a new role at the nonprofit organization Folds of Honor, founded by Dan Rooney, and has helped expand their scholarship program from military families to also include the families of America’s first responders. Rachel Faulkner Brown is a gold star wife whose children were scholarship recipients from Folds of Honor, and now as one of the organization’s speakers, Rachel shares how she is passionate to help the families of first responders move from tragedy to hope for the future.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Gary Sinise Upcoming interview: Nazareth John 13:34 NIV John 15:13 NIV   James Patterson  Walk In My Combat Boots E.R. Nurses Dolly Parton Along Came a Spider Kiss the Girls Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN Edgar® Award Matt Eversmann Black Hawk Down Walk the Blue Line St. Patrick's Cathedral www.jamespatterson.com   Luke Sherman Rachel Faulkner Brown Folds of Honor Dan Rooney Be Still Ministries Never Alone Widows World War II Naval Air Station New Orleans Genesis 50:20 NIV Revelation 12:11 NIV Tulsa Police Department www.foldsofhonor.org   Interview Quotes: “I don't expect things to come to me, and I'm grateful when they do.” - James Patterson “What can we do that's the most valuable to everybody else and to ourselves and to our own family?” - James Patterson “These policemen and women, they really need your prayers too. They need them every day.” - James Patterson “Now, more than ever in my lifetime, people just need to go somewhere where they can be at peace and believe that somehow it's all going to turn out in a good way, you know? And the crazy thing [is] the truth will set you free. I think it does.” - James Patterson “Education can never be taken away from us. There are very few things in this world that can't be taken away, and that is definitely one of them, which is why I'm so passionate about having a good education for my children and any other child, because I do think it is the gift that never stops giving.“ - Rachel Faulkner Brown “I look back and I'm like, Oh, my gosh, what You have done with something the enemy meant to take me out, honestly, to take out me and my children. Look what God has done and flipped it on its head and said, ‘Don't worry, Rachel, I've got people that are going to take care of you and your little children, just like Joseph told his own brothers.’” - Rachel Faulkner Brown “The work that you do sometimes you don't see the results of. But if it's done with good intentions and the foundation of our faith behind it, it'll change lives. It'll bring mountains down.” - Luke Sherman “Everybody has fear. But what are we going to do? Because there's something more important. And from every crisis and tragedy, I think there's an opportunity.” - Luke Sherman  ________________________ 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.