Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

This week, we’ll hear from Dr. Chris Rappazini—a professor of leadership and former pastor—as he shares a deeply personal story through the lens of grief and recovery. Chris reveals how his father's death propelled his brother into a downward spiral of addiction and estrangement. Yet, amidst the chaos, a narrative of hope and forgiveness emerges, highlighting the profound realization that our past does not define our future. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from author, editor, and speaker Lisa-Jo Baker. She discusses her awakening to the cycle of anger she risked repeating from her father if she continued to live on autopilot. Through her journey of healing and reconciling with her father, Lisa-Jo illustrates how we can all seek reconciliation and live life to the fullest.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Rosie Rivera Upcoming interview: BeBe Winans Jesus Calling commemorative edition   Dr. Chris Rappazini Anderson University www.faithfulstepsforward.com Moving Forward After Messing Up   Lisa-Jo Baker Apartheid Zululand in South Africa Dr. Christiaan Barnard www.lisajobaker.com It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping   Interview Quotes: “God is in the business of fixing broken relationships, and that's what He's been doing in our relationship for the last several years.” - Dr. Chris Rappazini   “For us to be able to ask forgiveness from those that we've hurt the most, I mean, it's hard to do. And I think the only way you can do it is somehow with the grace of God, with the power and the strength of the Holy Spirit.” - Dr. Chris Rappazini   “If we're going to have a future that God wants for us, we have to keep our eyes moving forward. We have to keep our eyes on what we want that relationship to look like, not what it has looked like in the past.” - Dr. Chris Rappazini   “Oftentimes, the hardest person to get forgiveness from is ourselves. The hardest person to forgive is the person that we see in the mirror every morning, because we feel so guilty and we feel so shameful for what we've done and how we've hurt people.” - Dr. Chris Rappazini  “The beauty of Jesus that I've discovered is that, as we know, God is not limited by time. This is what's so powerful about Him.” - Lisa-Jo Baker  “I needed to stop and pull off onto the side of the road and figure out the story I had inherited, because I was really determined to write a new one.” Lisa-Jo Baker  “I think for family trees to heal, we have to be willing to lay down our defenses. It doesn't happen all at once. It happens slowly over years between generations, because we have a God who is so adamant, passionate about forgiveness, about reconciliation, about redeeming generations, who wrote a new plot line out of an old bloodline.” - Lisa-Jo Baker ________________________ 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 TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

*This episode mentions violence and may not be suitable for all listeners.*  This week, we’ll hear from Davey Blackburn, founder of Nothing Is Wasted Ministries, who shares his heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and finding life again after profound pain. After planting a new church, Davey faced unimaginable tragedy when his wife, Amanda, and their unborn child were killed in a home invasion. Through his journey, he discovers a path forward—one that blends sorrow with a powerful hope, reminding us that even in our darkest moments, truly, nothing is wasted. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Allyson Golden, an author, speaker, and pediatric nurse. From bringing hope into the difficult moments she faces as a nurse, to reflecting God’s love on social media, Allyson actively seeks to be a light to those who are trying to overcome darkness.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Amy Downs Upcoming interview: Dr. Chris Rappazini Jesus Calling commemorative edition   Davey Blackburn Nothing Is Wasted Ministries Elevation Worship “Nothing Is Wasted” by Elevation Worship Romans 8:28 NIV Romans 12:19-21 NIV www.nothingiswasted.com Nothing Is Wasted: A True Story of Hope, Forgiveness, and Finding Purpose in Pain Other Jesus Calling interviews about coping with grief Other Jesus Calling interviews about healing Other Jesus Calling interviews about wrestling with God   Allyson Golden pediatric nurse Aloha Church San Diego Prayer House www.wordsaregolden.com Arise and Shine: How to Be the Light That Ignites Hope in a Dark World Other Jesus Calling interviews about loneliness    Interview Quotes: “It feels like the bottom had just dropped out and we're going, ‘How in the world, God, is this at all working for good?’” - Davey Blackburn “God reached into that hospital room in the darkest moment of our lives, and filled it with His presence and whispered to our souls.” - Davey Blackburn “When we wrestle with God, we begin to realize how big God is, how sovereign God is, and how good God is.” - Davey Blackburn “It's so hard at times to find the light or have hope. It's really easy to ask the Lord, ‘Where is Your light? You say You're the light of the world, but why am I still seeing all these hard and dark things?’” - Allyson Golden  “As a nurse, prayer plays a huge part in my life. I am praying before and on every shift, asking for strength, asking for grace. It makes me feel connected to the Lord and like I'm not alone.” - Allyson Golden  ________________________ 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 TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week, we’ll hear from Alyssa Bethke, who’s a mom of three, a blogger, YouTuber, and co-host of the Real Life Podcast with her husband, Jeff. Alyssa reflects on the overwhelming pressures women face to excel in every area of life, and the need for honesty and grace toward ourselves, others, and God about our struggles. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from author and content creator Chelsea Damon, who takes a closer look at the inner workings of marriage. She offers valuable insights into communication, conflict resolution, and seeking the power of grace for couples, with practical advice to keep their relationships thriving.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Christa Hardin  Upcoming interview: Davey Blackburn  Jesus Calling commemorative edition   Alyssa Bethke Real Life Podcast  Psalms www.jeffandalyssa.com When Doing It All Is Undoing You   Chelsea Damon Living the Sweet Wife Liberty University Jesus Calling blog post about prayer in marriage www.chelseadamon.com  I Thought This Would Make Me Happy   Interview Quotes: “I came to this place of feeling completely undone. It wasn't that I needed to find the solution or that the outcome was the answer, but it really was meeting God in those moments. How do I bring my real life to Him? How do I really work through those disappointments with God? How do I still have hope in my life that doesn't look the way I want?” - Alyssa Bethke “I think that as a church, we need to know how to lament, because this is such a part of being human.” - Alyssa Bethke “First and foremost, we are not what we do. We are children of God, and we have to learn to rest and to be and to know that our value is not based on our performance, but our value is based on that we're image bearers of God.” - Alyssa Bethke  “He has this way of increasing our capacity, increasing time, helping us get the things done that we need to get done. But learning to do it out of a place of rest and peace instead of this anxious, stressful spirit. And we can do that when we invite Him into it.” - Alyssa Bethke  “Eventually, we found ways to manage our disagreements in loving and respectful ways that gave each other the benefit of the doubt. And we couldn't have done that without looking at how much grace we've been given by Jesus Christ and then learning how to mirror that same grace in our lives with each other.” - Chelsea Damon “I wholeheartedly believe that if you really want to see change in your marriage, you need to be willing to be the first one to step up and make a change.” - Chelsea Damon  ________________________ 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 TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

As we enter the season of Advent and Christmas, we’re bound to be overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle. The list of dishes to prepare, gifts to buy and wrap, cards to send, and parties to attend feels never-ending… which often results in the real reason for the season getting pushed aside. But when we set time aside to properly prepare our hearts to honor the birth of Jesus, the experience of Christmas can take on a whole new meaning—becoming a season of hope, rest, and renewal.  For this special holiday bonus episode, we’re joined by Lanier Ivester, a writer and homemaker who has taken time-honored holiday traditions and shaped and molded them to fit her family—keeping restful intentionality at the center of it all. Lanier shares how to let go of what doesn’t serve your soul, how to embrace the imperfection that makes gathering with our communities more authentic and real, and how to find glimmers of joy when you’re celebrating Christmas with a grieving heart.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Jesus Listens for Advent & Christmas Jesus Calling for Christmas   Lanier Ivester’s website Glad & Golden Hours by Lanier Ivester  Lanier Ivester’s Facebook Lanier Ivester’s Instagram Lanier Ivester’s Twitter   Interview Quotes “We can burden ourselves even with wanting to bring intention into the holiday season. But the fact is that very turning of our hearts towards intention is itself intention. And that's honoring to God.” - Lanier Ivester  “In Christ, we can serve and prepare for the holidays and love our people and do all the things from a place of unconditional love. And that is a resting place. We don't have to do it all. We can step in, out of the wind of our culture, and just take refuge under His wings and really ask Him for wisdom.” - Lanier Ivester  “Scientists will tell you that taste and scent really create these pathways in our brain. They are what's known as memory bridges that can connect us to a place and a people and a time really effortlessly. And it's for that reason I've subconsciously carried forward a lot of my favorite meals and recipes from my childhood and brought them into my celebrations to this day with my husband and our friends.” - Lanier Ivester  “It's definitely a combination of anticipation and savoring. We need both, and there's so little room in our culture for either one of those.” - Lanier Ivester  “The reality is, many times the holiday season can be extremely difficult. Whatever we're walking through—whether it's grief, whether it's loss, whether it's deferred hopes or unanswered prayers, or things just not being the way that we want them to be—the holidays really amp that up, because it's easy for expectations of what a happy holiday is supposed to look like to slam up against our reality and make us feel a sense of lack in the light of what seems to be going on in the world around us.” - Lanier Ivester “Traditions serve our relationships. The traditions that we love are a container for our relationships—they were not the thing. The people are the thing, and the traditions hold the people.” - Lanier Ivester  “We serve a God who is in the details of our lives, and it's very easy to overlook that or think something is not large enough or important enough for His notice. But when we sit down with our plans for our holidays, our plans for our gatherings, and invite Him first before we invite anyone else into this space—asking Him to create a welcoming atmosphere—I think that that brings our holidays into a much more sacred space.” - Lanier Ivester “Advent makes space for our grief. It gives us freedom to name our sorrows, our longings, our yearnings to the One who will set them right, ultimately. But the flip side of that is if Advent makes space for our grief, Christmas makes space for our joy.” - Lanier Ivester ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.