Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

There's an African proverb that pairs well with John 14:6 where Jesus proclaims Himself "the way, the truth, and the life." It goes like this: "We make the road by walking." What comes to the fore in both of these statements is the thought that life is not necessarily stretching out in front of us well-paved and easily discernible, but that life is an active endeavor requiring learning, maturing, and adapting. Jesus emphasizes His nearness to us in the process, but the implication is to step forward confidently even while the unknown confronts us with every step we take. We don't have to know where we'll be exactly twenty years down the road, but only where we are now and what we’ll do next. This week, we talk to two people who have learned to navigate their callings in the now and the next. Jeff Henderson is a pastor and businessman who talks about the thumbprints of God that mark our lives, giving us clues to living out our purpose. Jonathan Evans is the son of Dr. Tony and Lois Evans. With numerous efforts to become an NFL player thwarted, Jonathan reshifted his expectations and began to see how God was getting him to his dream—just not exactly in the way he thought. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: John Maxwell Upcoming interview: Tayla Lynn John 14:6 NIV   Jeff Henderson  The For Company COVID Atlanta Braves Chick-Fil-A Peter Drucker  John Maxwell  Maxwell Leadership Truett Cathy www.jeffhenderson.com What To Do Next   Jonathan Evans  Dr. Tony and Lois Evans Dallas Cowboys  Mavericks San Diego Chargers Tennessee Titans Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Your Time Is Now: Get What God Has Given You Book of Joshua  Deuteronomy 34 NIV www.jonathanblakeevans.com   Interview Quotes: “The path to your dream job often leads through your day job. So God's thumbprints on you, the way He's created you, God’s thumbprints on you are clues about His plans for you. And so I think the purpose of our lives is a lot closer than we might think.” - Jeff Henderson “You don't know what door God will open up if you're faithful in the small things. So be faithful in the small things. Be faithful where you are, because God's paying attention.” - Jeff Henderson "I think it breaks God's heart that so many of His sons and daughters go to work and they're mistreated. Everyone deserves to be led well because they are a son or daughter of God." - Jeff Henderson “If I'm in a difficult situation, I'm trying to change that prayer to, ‘God, I want to get out of this. But if you choose to leave me here, help me to learn the lesson that you're trying to get me to learn right now. What is the lesson in this season of suffering that you're trying to teach me that a season

Have you ever been in a desperate situation wondering how you will make it to the next day? Perhaps there isn’t enough money to pay that one bill, or perhaps your health hasn’t been the greatest and you wonder if you’ll ever feel better, or maybe you’re in a dire situation and you just can’t see your way out of it. During these times, one person’s kind gesture or offer of help is sometimes the way we’re able to make it to the next day—turning a corner away from a turbulent season of our lives. So often these “angels” appear in the form of friends, family, and sometimes even strangers who act as God’s agents to lift us up into a better place. This week we will hear two touching stories that speak to how God sends his help through others—right when we need it most. We’re talking with singer Walker Hayes and his friend, Pastor Craig Allen Cooper, and founder of the Be Heard movement, Evan Dougoud.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Krispin Mayfield Upcoming interview: Jeff Henderson   Walker Hayes Craig Cooper Glad You’re Here Redeeming Grace Church   Evan Dougoud Be Heard Movement Transformation Church www.beheardmovement.com   Interview Quotes: “I’d just been beat up by Nashville and wasn't really excited to be known or know people. I was not a very approachable person when I met Craig, at all. And a lot of that was by choice, and just that was kind of comfortably where I lived.” - Walker Hayes “I said, ‘Lord, I try to encourage other people, you know that. I need you, please, to encourage me. Is anything I'm doing to make a difference in anybody's life? Please show me that you have me where you want me.’” - Craig Allen Cooper  “I think God was kind to show me Christ in another human, and I'm so grateful for that.” - Walker Hayes “It was just very, very tough to try to focus on school when you're trying to focus on surviving.” - Evan Dougoud “I'm standing here today only as a walking miracle, but most importantly, God saved me and I want to help and go and do the same for somebody else.” - Evan Dougoud “What if I didn't move to Tulsa? There's people on the street I would've never met, who may have died on the street if I didn't move, if God didn't use my story, if God didn’t redirect my steps.” - Evan Dougoud “I stopped putting God in a box of how He will provide for us.” - Evan Dougoud  “I learned that trust is gained in buckets, but lost in drops. By us being consistent, by us being a man of our word, by us just showing up, it created a unique, trusting relationship to those who are unhoused.” - Evan Dougoud ________________________ 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</a

When we feel we are falling short, failing, or generally losing, it’s important to remember that when we don’t fail, we may not learn, we won’t have the experience of recovering, and we may not try again. Some Christians are deluded into thinking that because they are in a relationship with God, failure is not an option. However, scripture tells us in multiple places that God uses suffering and failure to build strength and character in our lives.  All three of our guests today know what it’s like to fail. Discovery Channel’s Todd Hoffman has had highs and lows in his mining career. He's learned as much–if not more–from his mistakes navigating the world of gold mining as from his successes. Pastor Adam Hamilton and his wife Lavon know what it’s like to serve the Lord and their family as best as they possibly can, but that sometimes, they don’t meet the mark as spouses and parents. They speak about the challenging transitions of parenting kids as they become adults.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Dr. Meg Meeker Upcoming interview: Walker Hayes and Craig Cooper Luke 16 NIV   Todd Hoffman Hoffman family Gold Rush on Discovery Channel Joshua 24:15 NIV Hoffman Family Gold   Adam Hamilton United Methodist Church of the Resurrection www.cor.org   Interview Quotes: “I don't care about fame, but I do care about the reach when it comes to my faith.” - Todd Hoffman “I was kind of depressed and coming out of that and trying to fix things in my marriage. And that's when God kind of met me. I said, ‘I need a good idea and I need something new to believe in.’ And that's when I got that vision of Gold Rush.” “We try to serve the Lord the best we can and we fail, but we get back up and we ask for forgiveness and we carry on.” - Todd Hoffman “I would hope that as long as we're still alive, that we're finding ways to parent, that you're still finding ways to show [your children] love and care.  And I know as we age, the tables kind of turn and they start helping take care of us. But I think that no matter how old you are, you can still look for ways that you can be a mom or dad to your children.“ - LaVon Hamilton “I feel like all of our best years were way after our thirties. You know, there were some things that were great at that time, I'm not denying that, but I feel like we have more joy. There is more satisfaction in life. I think we feel more in love with each other today than at any point in our past.” - Adam Hamilton “You have to figure out how you transition together, or how you learn the dance steps for this phase in your life. Because dance music doesn't stay the same throughout your whole life. It changes as you go through life.” - LaVon Hamilton “There's a direct correlation between our spiritual life and our time with God and how we live out our faith towards the people that are closest to us.” - Adam Hamilton ________________________ 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 <a href="https://www.instagram.c

Emotions can be a sticky topic for Christians. While most of us know having a healthy range of emotions is good for us and those we love, we are often dissuaded from leaning too much into our emotions or feelings for the fear of becoming swept away by them, and distracted from our calling. But Jesus shows us a true picture of how emotions can give us perspective and language for relating to ourselves and others. He shows the gamut of emotions from anger to those who are exploiting the things of God for their own gain, to compassion for the Samaritan woman at the well who had been discarded by her people (John 4 NIV). Jesus exemplified how our emotions can inform us as to how we show up in the world, and having a healthy balance of emotions keeps us in touch with ourselves and others. Today's guests discuss emotions from two different perspectives. Dr. Gary Chapman looks at his seminal work, The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts, not only as it relates to human relationships but also in our relationship with God. His discussion comes as the book celebrates its 30th anniversary, having sold over twenty million copies world-wide and being translated into fifty languages. Jason Wilson is a writer and non-profit CEO who advocates emotional intelligence among men. He shows the example of Jesus as the “comprehensive man,” in the fact that He was not only bold, strong, and aggressive, but compassionate, nurturing, and caring.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. Daniel Amen Upcoming interview: Todd Hoffman John 4 NIV   Dr. Gary Chapman The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts www.5lovelanguages.com   Jason Wilson Yunion Obama administration  This Is Us Cry Like A Man  Laurence Fishburne Battle Cry Romans 12:2 NIV Matthew 5:16 NIV Matthew 6:25-34 NIV www.mrjasonwilson.com   Interview Quotes: “There's an ancient Hebrew proverb that says life and death is in the tongue. We can kill people by the way we talk to them or we can give a light. And for some people, affirming words really communicates a love to them or an emotional level.” - Dr. Gary Chapman “Each of us has a primary love language. And if you don't speak [your loved one's] primary language, they will not feel loved, even though you're speaking some of the other languages.” - Dr. Gary Chapman “One of our deepest emotional needs as humans is the need to feel loved by the significant people in your life.” - Dr. Gary Chapman “My life has never been the same, it was almost like God was saying, ‘I have something for you to do, but I don't know if you're ready for it yet.’” - Jason Wilson “Like Moses, when his desire was to free the Israelites, he did it his way at first and it almost cost him his life. That's the majority of us. When I became a follower of Christ, I had the t-shirt, hat, bumper stickers, you know, everything Jesus, okay? But it was really my way, not His way.” - Jason Wilson <

This monthly special 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 formed relationships that last. The relationships God has given us in this life bring us joy, connection, and safety. Whether it be a spouse, our family, our friends, or even a beloved pet—much like our relationship with God—the bonds we foster with others carry us through good days and tough times. Through tragedy and loss, our treasured relationships leave an imprint on our heart that will last beyond the time we have together here on earth.    Links To Full EpisodesJeremy Miller & Dr. Brandon Lane Phillips John & Stasi Eldredge Michael & Zina Goodin Peter Mutabazi Mark Miller & Madison Brown Dr. Jim Burns Rev Run & Justine ________________________  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.

The statement "God works through people in our lives" could be thought of as just a cliche—until we start to really take notice of the people around us and begin to identify what they bring to our world. This realization provides a comforting perspective that shifts us from feeling alone in the world to a grateful understanding that God shows up through the people he uses to walk alongside us through the worst and greatest times of life—and in that, we see a little bit of the divine in the faces of our friends and family. Our guests this week articulate with great clarity how special people have helped them find their paths forward when it didn’t seem possible to get there on their own. Kristin Smedley became an advocate within the blind community after becoming a mother to three children, two of whom are blind. She has given a TED talk about her experiences and also hosts the podcast  Brilliantly Resilient. Donovan Carter is a former NFL player turned actor who makes it abundantly clear that his successes would not have happened without those who stood by him before he ever threw a football or landed an acting role.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Derek Evans Upcoming interview: Gary Chapman   Kristin Smedley Brilliantly Resilient Podcast LCA CRB1 Braille Literacy International Challenge Jesus Calling for Moms  www.kristinsmedley.com Thriving Blind: Stories of Real People Succeeding Without Sight   Donovan Carter  Dwayne Johnson Philippians 4:6-7 NIV www.donovanwcarter.com   Interview Quotes: “I was raised in a firm foundation of faith and that God is good and He wants good things for you in this world. And I thought to myself, What kind of a god does this? This is hard. And honestly, I thought, It's mean. I mean, I'm looking at this perfect little person and all of my hopes and dreams for him were extinguished.” - Kristin Smedley “It was like God took a freight train and hit me in the head and said, ‘Kristin, look at this little person. Blindness is not bothering him. It's bothering you. He is figuring everything out.’” - Kristin Smedley “I was just trying to figure out how to make it. And I just kept staying in the Word, kept praying, kept talking to God, you know, ‘Whatever you got for me, Lord, just let me know.’” - Donovan Carter “God made me fearfully and wonderfully. I could do anything in this world if I wanted to and if I had the right mindset, and I'm just so appreciative of Him in my life.” - Donovan Carter ________________________ 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</p

We humans are, by design, creators. We build. We write. We cook. We adapt. We learn. Hardship tends to bring out the best in our creative abilities. The first book of the Hebrew Bible describes in poetic brilliance the story of God creating order out of supreme chaos, bringing light out of darkness, and life from lifeless spaces. We praise our Creator in no greater way than when we take what is before us in our skills, our desires, and our time to create beautiful things where there was nothing. Today's guests found that difficult times and their unique life stages gave fertile soil for their creative ideas. The husband and wife team of David and Tamela Mann turned to their music and comedy sketches to bring joy and hope; Laura Story turned to writing and penned a book about courage not being the absence of fear but the strength to take another step.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Alex Seeley Upcoming interview: Kristin Smedley   David and Tamela Mann Willie Stewart James Moore Mattie Moss Clark Twinkie Clark Overcomer “Help”  Tyler Perry show Assisted Living on BET   Laura Story “Blessings” Casting Crowns www.laurastorymusic.com So Long, Normal: Living and Loving the Free Fall of Faith   Interview Quotes: “I thank God for Him living in me and giving me the opportunity to represent Him, and my thing is always to represent Him well.” - Tamela Mann “I try to use my platform to bring more light to [God]." - David Mann “A lot of us need help, but we're afraid to ask for help, and we all need a touch from the Lord.” - Tamela Mann “I'm just praying that we can all just unify somehow, see each other as people and not skin color and not political affiliation.” - David Mann “Don't seek to be famous. Seek to be faithful.” - Laura Story “I'm great at being a person of faith until whatever chapter of my story actually requires faith.” - Laura Story “God didn't create us for normal. He created us for extraordinary lives that are completely and utterly dependent on Him." - Laura Story ________________________ 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.

Recent attention to mindfulness through the popularity of prayer and meditation apps reminds us how important it is to stay in the present with God. Our perspective is transformed when we are more able to recognize God in each moment. Scripture backs up this premise with the statement “pray without ceasing.” [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV]. When we open our hearts to the presence of God in every moment, we begin to look at life differently. Today's guests both pay special attention to the present by emphasizing the importance of a daily walk with Jesus. Both wrestle with conditions that require ongoing attention. Jim Sonefeld, drummer for the rock band Hootie and the Blowfish, addresses his alcoholism on a daily basis, noting that his spiritual growth blossomed, "When [he] made that decision to practice a daily surrender, a daily prayer, [and] a daily devotion." Our second guest, Sara Gruber, deals with chronic disease. After the initial and very scary discovery, she has found that the daily impact of an ongoing illness presses her into a complete dependence upon God.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: John Hill Upcoming interview: David and Tamela Mann 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV Jesus Calling app   Jim Sonefeld Hootie and the Blowfish Contemporary Christian music Proverbs 26:12 NIV “Not Waiting on Sunday” Swimming with the Blowfish Remember Tomorrow www.jimsonefeld.com   Sara Gruber Dysautonomia Blessings of Chronic Illness   Interview Quotes: “My first experience meeting Hootie and the Blowfish [was] a great enactment of love—unconditional love, giving, and using their position on stage to influence--giving to somebody who really needed it.” - Jim Sonefeld  “In a rare moment of motivation, I decided to face the truth, the truth that I was not in control of my life. And I needed to ask someone else for help.” - Jim Sonefeld “I needed to go out and follow Jesus. And that led me to bringing my spiritual music to audiences—smaller audiences than I was used to—and giving them a message of hope and redemption.” - Jim Sonefeld “All of that busyness, I couldn't do it anymore. And it was just me and God and John and the girls and we had to figure out a new life, a new way to approach things, a shift in our household.” - Sara Gruber “Nobody understands what it's like to live inside my body except God and I, and it led me to this complete dependance on God. I could explain all of my symptoms. I could explain what I felt and what I was going through. But I felt like God was the one I was living it with.” - Sara Gruber “I've spent a great part of my life being a caretaker and now I have to learn how to receive care and receive it with grace and know that in some way I am gifting others by allowing them to care for me.” - Sara Gruber “Isn't it so amazing when you have those moments, those little brilliant moments where you have these small miracles that maybe aren't so small, and you realize that God worked this just for you, all these little things that we take for granted?” - Sara Gruber “I absolutely believe

As we celebrate the origins of America with 4th of July events, it’s a great time to reflect on the beauty of God’s earth, the people He created, and the ways we are gifted to serve and be served by others. Amy Kennedy and David Degler are part of a ministry called A Christian Ministry in the National Parks, formed to meet the faith needs of national park employees while also helping visitors find the most beautiful manifestations of God’s creation in the parks. John Sowers is an author who developed a love for writing when his grandmother wrote him weekly letters while he was away at college. He carried that legacy forward by writing special letters to his daughters, which he shares in his latest book entitled Say All the Unspoken Things.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Rick Steves Upcoming interview: Sara Gruber   A Christian Ministry in the National Parks Amy Kennedy David Degler  Olympic National Park Smoky Mountains National Park www.acmnp.com    John Sowers Say All the Unspoken Things www.johnsowers.com Interview Quotes: “That summer, I learned so much about who I was, what God was calling me to, how to love people, and just really opened my mind for a bigger world.” - Amy Kennedy “The heartbeat of [the ministry] is that we would provide a space for people to use the national parks landscape and the beauty that's there to reflect the love of this great Creator.” - Amy Kennedy “Our team members are intentionally working on their own leadership development while trying to be a great example of Christ in the place that they live, work, and serve.” - Amy Kennedy “I left that summer, and I realized what ministry should be. It's not sitting behind a pulpit and speaking to people that you never interact with. It's being a part of a community, showing up daily, interacting with them, getting to know them, and figuring out how to share Christ's love through your actions on the smallest level.” - Amy Kennedy “Writing to me has just been a real blessing and a real fulfilling thing that I feel like that's why I was put on the earth.” - John Sowers “I have a whole stack of these beautifully cursive written letters from my great-grandfather to my great-grandmother. And so it's been really neat to be from a family of letter writers and then get to carry on that tradition to write these letters to my daughters.“ - John Sowers “Do my friends know how much I love them? Am I holding on to grudges? Have I expressed my full heart to my children or to my spouse or parents? Have I said all the unspoken things to them?” - John Sowers “[When I lost my mother and grandmother] I had some really great friends who showed up for me and who helped point me to God and, in some ways, helped be the hands and feet of God to me.” - John Sowers ________________________ 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 <a href="ht

This monthly special 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 learned to let go, start over, and find healing from difficult situations. Sometimes we may not understand why we face times in our lives when we need to move on and begin anew. Letting go of something we’ve been a part of for a long time—good or bad—can be painful. Letting go of relationships, whether through a loss or through changing circumstances can be especially heartbreaking. Many of the stories you’ll hear in this episode are from those who responded to either dire situations where letting go was required, or who purposefully chose to start something new that led them to a place where they could fully discover who God wanted them to be.   Links To Full EpisodesBrett & Brad Warren Tara Royer Steele Emily Ley Dr. Derwin Gray Kayla Stoecklein Steve White ________________________  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.