Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

It seems that much of our lives is driving toward something big. Whether it’s career, personal goals, seeking success or building a life for our loved ones, we’re often aiming high to be or do something big. However, we’ll miss some important moments if we don’t look at the small ways God is showing up in our lives: a simple word from a friend that brightens our day, an act of service from someone that makes our day go smoother, or even a thought from a complete stranger that reminds us we are seen and heard. When we actively look for these moments, we realize that God is all around us, at all times—in the small details of our days as well as the big moments—and recognizing His presence in all of our moments will draw us closer to Him. Flight Attendant Taylor Tippett started a project of leaving encouraging notes on the planes she worked on for passengers to find as a small act of kindness that has netted big results. Texas country music artist Curtis Grimes sees the value of reaching people for God not only in the big stadiums and auditoriums, but in the small honky tonks, fairs, festivals, & rodeos he plays regularly.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling  Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Lisa Harper Upcoming interview: Elaine Welteroth and Jonathan Singletary   Taylor Tippett Pan Am @wordsfromthewindowseat Words From The Window Seat   Curtis Grimes The Voice  CeeLo Green Andraé Crouch song, “Through It All”  “Graves Into Gardens” Interview Quotes: “I'm a very big believer in things happening for a reason. And so I was like, What if somebody finds this and really needs this? And so I wrote “Be kind to yourself” and took a picture and left it on the seat back.” - Taylor Tippett “Through this project of really keeping an eye out for the small moments and for the kindness, that's my whole goal with this; it's just that people would feel understood and loved where they're at.” - Taylor Tippett “I think just having patience and grace with people that look different from us or act different from us or seem different from us is so important.” - Taylor Tippett “I was having a lot of conviction for how I was living and just was not representing Christ the way I should in not only in my music, my lifestyle. And from that point on, just kind of really made a conscious effort to use the talent and ability that God had blessed me with to reach people, to go into the bars, honky tonks, fairs, festivals, rodeos, wherever we were playing, and actually use that to point people to Jesus, not do the opposite.” - Curtis Grimes “Initially, my thought was to just remove myself from the environment, just get out of the scene, get out of the lifestyle, get away from it, and just go lead worship in a church. But God really put it on my heart that, ‘I have you here for a reason. I want you to do whatever you think that you were going to do in a church out here where you're actually reaching people in a place where people aren't going to hear about Jesus.’“ - Curtis Grimes ________________________ 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 <a href

You might have heard about the popular personality typing assessment called the Enneagram. What you might not know is that the Enneagram has many applications for Christians and has some of its early formation shaped by historical Christian thinkers. By looking at ourselves and those we care about in the context of the nine Enneagram types, we can understand ourselves and who God created us to be, so that we can in turn better understand others and have a more compassionate heart. For this episode, we’ll speak with several experts on the Enneagram who help us walk through the different personality types and share deep personal insights they found from utilizing the Enneagram in their relationships both at home and in their church community.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Listens Jesus Calling Jesus Calling YouTube  Enneagram Relating to God through the Enneagram YouTube Series Jesus Calling Enneagram discussion guides Past interview: Shannon Bream Upcoming interview: Taylor Tippett   Mark Eaton Dr. Harv Powers Enneagram assessment Enneagram Two  Matthew chapter 7 www.eatonleadership.org   Jackie Brewster Eve Annunziato Jesus Calling app Jesus Calling for kids Hearing God Speak   Interview Quotes: “The Enneagram studies motives, it studies drivers, it studies what motivates a person. And if we know what motivates us, what drives us, what's the thing behind the thing, then we can be much more effective in our leadership.” - Mark Eaton “Enneagram twos tend to withdraw when we get into a little bit of conflict. We don't understand our own needs. We understand everybody else's, if you will, but we have trouble getting our own. So I can tend to withdraw for sometimes for two or three days before I understand what I'm feeling.” - Mark Eaton “Enneagram can help us. It's just a tool, but it can help us have much more intimate relationships with those who we say we love.” - Mark Eaton “The Enneagram helps me become the humble guy that I really want to be. When I'm facing my wife, I am aware, at least at some level, of the logs in my own eye and maybe, just maybe, I can help someone else with a splinter in their eye.” - Mark Eaton “I had never really looked at my life through the lens of the Enneagram. And so because of the tool that it is, it's allowed me to really slow down, process what's happening in my life, like take notice of patterns of behavior, ask myself where they're coming from. And it really has made a huge, huge difference and impact on the way that I function in my marriage with my children and in my business, with my friends, just really understanding what's happening on the inside of me and owning my own parts of my story.” - Jackie Brewster “I feel like through the work of the Enneagram, I'm accepting my own personality. And really, most importantly, I'm accepting other people's personalities that perhaps are different than mine. It's helped me view my life with compassion and empathy for others and even for myself.” - Eve Annunziato “I realize that there is no better or worse or best number and that our numbers aren't a problem to be solved. Our numbers are a beauty to be embraced, and that's helped me warmly welcome my own personality, my own vulnerability.” - Eve Annunziato “As we do recognize different parts of ourselves, [G

This season is a time for giving, reflection and joy. But what if you’re having a hard time seeing God in the swirl of busy-ness that encompass the holidays? Or what if you’re not connected with him how you’d like to be? There’s a powerful verse in the Bible from 1st John 4:12 that says even though none of us here on earth have actually “seen” God, “if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us."  Our guests today believe that love and understanding toward others, along with prayer and seeking Him are our primary connections to God and find their faith strengthened when they are acting in kindness and service. We’ll talk with Oscar-nominated actor and recent New York Times bestselling author Will Smith and Grammy Award-winning iconic Christian singer Amy Grant.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast 1st John 4:12 Jesus Calling Jesus Listens  Sarah Young Past guest: Lauren AkinsUpcoming guest: Enneagram through a spiritual lens with experts Mark Eaton   Will Smith  Carnegie Mellon University Will    Amy Grant Church of Christ Belmont College  Word Records www.AmyGrant.com Interview Quotes: “External success doesn't fix your internal difficulties.” - Will Smith “I'm flawed, but so is everybody, and I get to be better moving forward.” - Will Smith “A concentration on love and service above all things can't yield anything but greatness.” - Will Smith “I want to be an ambassador of God and goodness trying to correct the lack of love in the world.” - Will Smith “Little by little, my stage grew and the audience grew and my proficiency grew and took me places I never dreamed I would go. I'm really grateful and surprised how my life turned out.” - Amy Grant “Prayer changes circumstances, it changes people, it changes the person who's going through it, it changes the person who prays, and I believe prayer is active, compassionate thought wrapped around another person.” - Amy Grant “One of the first things that comes out of my mouth in the morning is, ‘This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.’ And I feel that joy. I'm so glad to be alive.” - Amy Grant “I think we're all wired so uniquely that God gives us gifts because He knows that's what we need to get through. And then when you enjoy that gift, then it pours out on other people.” - Amy Grant ________________________ 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 the topic of hope. Through a variety of situations, many difficult, some tragic, our guests from all walks of life share how hope stayed alive in their hearts and how their faith fueled that hope.    Links To Full EpisodesDr. Rick Rigsby Jim & Jill Kelly Tammie Jo Shults Randy & Mary Travis Hal Donaldson Kristin Chenoweth ________________________  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.

Though Christmas is typically a happy time of year, full of gifts and parties and celebrations, many find it hard to find joy at Christmas time. Maybe you’ve had a loss, or received some bad news, or a scary diagnosis. Through all the celebrating and good cheer, God still sees you. And in Him, you can draw strength that will never fail you. Jeremiah 33:3 tells us that God is just waiting to do mighty things if we’ll just reach out to Him. “Call to Me,” He says, “and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” We wish we could know what our future holds or if and when we’ll get out of a season of hurt and pain—but what we do know is that we can call on God and He will be there for us. His very existence assures us that we’re never alone. Our guests this week, country music star Steve Wariner and country gospel group The Isaacs know a little bit about what leaning on God looks like, and how He shows up not only in the Christmas songs and celebrations we hear and see at Christmas, but through times of confusion, doubt, pain, sickness and sorrow.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jeremiah 33:3  Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Jesus Always Past interview: Dave Pittman  Upcoming interview: Amy Grant   Steve Wariner Dottie West Bobby Bare Jim Ed Brown Chet Atkins Capitol Records Burnin’ the Road House Down COVID Feels Like Christmas Time   The Isaacs The Isaacs Foundation Polish Jewish Holocaust survivors Bergen-Belsen concentration camp  Buna concentration camp  Feldafing Grand Ole Opry www.theisaacs.com   Interview Quotes: “I remember the first time I played music was in church, the first music I heard was in church.” - Steve Wariner “During those really hard times when you look around and so many friends are going away and friends of friends or relatives that it was starting to get really close, the circle closer, I found myself really turning into faith a lot. And really, you know, you get down on your knees and you go, Man, this is an unprecedented time we're in. And you draw back on those early experiences in your life lessons and turn to those things. It's very humbling, these times, that’s for sure. And I try to turn to some people that need some help and help them if I can.” - Steve Wariner “It really does my heart good to play that music and bring it out and sing beautiful melodies, and the real lyrics that really mean what Christmas is.” - Steve Wariner “We recorded when we were just small children singing in harmony. And so it was something that was just surrounding us. And so it was a very natural fit for us to grow up loving music, different kinds of music…faith has been the core of everything that we are and everything that we've ever wanted to do, just to be whatever God wanted us to be. ” - Sonya Isaacs Yeary “There was a banjo and a guitar and prayer in our home all the time.” - Rebecca Isaacs Bowman “To be able to be where I am now and look bac

The news in the world today is often troubling and might send us into a tailspin of anxiousness and worry. When we hear stories of people hurting each other and conflicts around the world, we may wonder if there’s a hope in our future, or if we are just descending into chaos. When things seem out of control, the Bible gives us assurance that God is still in charge. Isaiah 41:10 says “do not be dismayed, for I am your God—I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” This week our guests both share about how they have come to know the greatness of God and how they’ve seen His power to overcome darkness in our world and in their own lives. We’ll hear from Sinach, an award-winning singer from Nigeria, and psychotherapist Ryan Casey Waller.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Isaiah 41:10 NIV Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Past interview: Levi Lusko Upcoming interview: Steve Wariner   Sinach “Greatest Lord” www.sinachmusic.com   Ryan Casey Waller Anxiety, Depression, and Other Things We Don’t Want To Talk About Mental illness www.ryancaseywaller.com   Interview Quotes: “As I grew as a Christian being born again, I started understanding, Oh, wow, the Lord could actually use what I'm doing, and as I saw the number of people that were being impacted with my music, I just realized that, Oh, wow, this is more than just a hobby. It is more than just something that I sing when I want to sing. This is something that the Lord will use. “ - Sinach “It was not particularly about the music, but the spirit, the power of the name of Jesus behind the music.” - Sinach “The name of Jesus is greater than depression, is greater than any sickness that has been named or will ever be named, and that we must have confidence in the name of Jesus and be able to trust Him for what He said He is.” - Sinach “I understood myself first and foremost as a child of God. That's the lens through which I saw the rest of the world. I understood that first and foremost, no matter what I did, no matter what I said, no matter what I accomplished or how I failed, I knew that God had brought me into existence, out of love and made me for love. And that blessed me so I might have the opportunity to bless others.” - Ryan Casey Waller “By the grace of God, working with that therapist and beginning to take medication, I experienced a tremendous amount of healing. And I became really passionate advocating for Christians to try and understand mental health as health and not as some separate category.” - Ryan Casey Waller “It was that moment of deep embarrassment and shame that allowed me to see that I needed to push pause on everything. And then I need to return to the basics and I need to go and get some serious treatment and to take time to understand that my own mental health had gotten in a bad place and I had to step back.” - Ryan Casey Waller “If the church is going to be a place of true healing, then it must be a place where every kind of pain can be brought into and entrusted. Jesus never promises to take our pain away, but what is promised is that He'll be there with us.” - Ryan Casey Waller “I think that the abundant life that Jesus offers, the life that He wants us to enjoy, is one in which we are entering into the healthiest versions of ourselves as possible.” - Ryan Casey Waller “God has a future for you, there are people who love you, and if you're in pain today, please tell them. Don't be ashamed. You'll be met with love and you'll be guided toward healing.” - Ryan Casey Waller ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: <a href="https://b

You may have heard the Bible verse from John 8:32 that says if you “know the truth, the truth shall set us free.” However, so many of us are vulnerable to lies we hear from others (or even tell ourselves) about who we are, about who others are, and about how we should be in the world. Our guests today encourage us as to how we can overcome lies by walking in truth and embracing who we’re meant to be in God’s eyes. We’re speaking with pastor of Passion City Church Louie Giglio and author and speaker Diana Butler Bass.     Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast John 8:32 NIV Jesus Listens Past interview: Ben Higgins Upcoming interview: Sinach   Louie Giglio Passion City Church Georgia State University Baylor University Passion gatherings Isaiah 26:8 NIV Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table John 10:10 NIV Psalm 23 NIV www.passioncitychurch.com   Diana Butler Bass Matthew 25 NIV Grateful Jesus Calling www.diantabutlerbass.com Freeing Jesus: Rediscovering Jesus as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence   Interview Quotes: “That's really how I've gotten from that moment to this moment, it's just by waking up every day and saying yes to the opportunities that God gives me.” - Louie Giglio “If you just preach the gospel and preach the Word, it stays relevant in every season.” - Louie Giglio “I realized that I had let the adversary dominate my thinking, disrupt my peace of mind, cause confusion and consternation, and keep me up at night. I'll never forget the moment I just decided I'm taking the table of my mind back, starting right now, saying ‘You are not welcome at my table and you are not welcome in this conversation. I'm not going to give you a seat anymore at my table.’” - Louie Giglio  “Psalm 23, it said, ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are with me, your rod and your staff. They comfort me.’ And He didn't say “We're going to the valley.” He said, “We're going through the valley.” And God has a way of bringing us through every trial and every circumstance.” - Louie Giglio “[Church] gave me a sense of freedom to not be afraid of questions, because if you're part of a tradition that’s centuries and centuries old, you know that it's not going to go away next year, it's going to last. And so you can ask whatever questions need to be asked. And in that context of church, I both felt grounded and incredibly free.” - Diana Butler Bass “Real church happens when you go out the door....the church loving our neighbors, caring for the poor, feeding the hungry, visiting prisoners in jail, all that stuff, that's church, that's what Jesus said.” - Diana Butler Bass “Share your story in such a way that your neighbors want to have coffee with you. Be able to tell your story of Jesus as easily and naturally. As I think Jesus told His own story.” - Diana Butler Bass ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ</p

When the problems of our life are pressing in from all sides, we can be blinded to the beautiful moments that are also happening. Through our grief and pain, our sorrow and our confusion, it’s really tough to turn our eyes away from the wreck that’s happening in front of us to focus on those little moments of joy that are inevitably sprinkled into the tough times. Romans 5:3 tells us to “rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Our guests this week were able to find rays of hope through times of adversity and change—we’re speaking to talk show host Amanda Kloots, who lost her young husband Nick Cordero to Covid-19 in 2020, and managing editor of Catholic Women’s ministry Blessed Is She Nell O’ Leary.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Romans 5:3 NIV Past interview: Mattie Jackson Selecman  Upcoming interview: Louie Giglio   Amanda Kloots Nick Cordero The Talk Live Your Life Amanda Kloots Fitness Rockettes  Bullets over Broadway COVID www.amandakloots.com   Nell O’ Leary Blessed Is She  Perry Mason www.blessedisshe.net Interview Quotes: “For me, any kind of movement, whether it's dancing in ballet class, running on a treadmill, jumping rope, going for a walk—it's just an instant mind shifter, a body shifter. It never doesn't help. That’s how I can best describe it.” - Amanda Kloots “Finding comfort came from my family, from Nick’s family—definitely from God and from prayer and believing and having faith.” - Amanda Kloots, after losing her husband Nick to COVID-19  “Grief is a journey that you really can only go on on your own. I think that you have to look beyond that anger. You can't say what if or it should have been a certain way or because that'll just tear you down. You can't change what's happened.” - Amanda Kloots “We're just so humbled by what the Lord is doing with our meager offering.” - Nell O’Leary on her ministry Blessed Is She “To think if I had known that seven years ago, Oh, someday you'll do something that you'll really love, I wouldn’t have learned the important lesson of just being trusting and satisfied with what God had in front of me.” - Nell O’Leary ________________________ 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 YouT

This special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast features multiple guests talking specifically about gratefulness. We hope you find inspiration from the stories of the blessings God has brought our guests’ way and how being grateful, even through the hard times, has changed their lives.    Links To Full EpisodesMax Lucado Sarah Jakes Roberts Matthew McConaughey Ellie Holcomb Kurt Warner Harold Earls Rita Wilson ________________________  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.

At this time of the year, we hear a lot about being thankful and having an attitude of gratitude. But from an everyday perspective, why is gratitude key in allowing good things to flow in our lives? When we are grateful to God—even in the bad times, it has the power to energize us. When we are broken, a grateful heart can bring healing, and when we feel like giving up, giving thanks can bring us hope. Our guests this week have learned to be grateful—not only in the good times, but in the difficult times, and they share how practicing gratefulness opens them up to more blessings, and gives them the strength to share those blessings with others. We’ll hear stories of gratefulness from legendary singer Patti LaBelle and country music icon Tracy Lawrence.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Past interview: CeCe Winans Upcoming interview: Amanda Kloots   Patti LaBelle Luther Vandross Dancing with the Stars www.pattilabelle.com   Tracy Lawrence Glen Campbell Charley Pride Mission Possible Turkey Fry Sticks and Stones George Strait  Merle Haggard Mission Possible Nashville Rescue Mission www.tracylawrence.com www.tlmissionpossible.com   Interview Quotes: “Faith took me through, because I said, ‘I have to do this because I'm born to sing.’ So a lot of prayers help me become the not-so-scared Patti LaBelle now.” - Pattie LaBelle “People believed in me so much. And it just gave me faith and courage to just, no matter how bad my voice is, just continue to sing. And guess what? By the grace of God, it came back stronger than ever before. And it was prayer.” - Pattie LaBelle “I miss all of the things that come along with having sisters, having a family who can say anything to you and get away with it because it's blood. This time is precious.” - Patti LaBelle “I've always known that God’s had His hand on my shoulder even through the hard times in life. I've never felt alone. I've always known that there was a greater power watching over me, and I've always felt guided, that I was here for a purpose.” - Tracy Lawrence “I think we've all seen through this last year that the homeless and the need that is out there across the country is just getting greater and greater. It's a little disheartening. It seems like the more you do, the more you realize that you're barely scratching the surface. But hopefully you'll inspire somebody else to do something with their church or somewhere else and just do their part in helping out our fellow man.” - Tracy Lawrence “I think whenever you do know that God has blessed you, that you have a responsibility to share that with the people that you come in contact with and be able to spread a little bit of that love and joy and humanitarianism around to them as well.” - Tracy Lawrence  ________________________ 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 <a href=