Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

This episode mentions suicide and may be triggering for some listeners. On today’s episode, we talk with two guests who have navigated both the heights of success and the depths of personal struggle, learning a profound truth: finding hope isn’t just for the good times. Candace Cameron Bure, the beloved actress and author, shares how she rooted her identity not in Hollywood fame, but in her faith, discovering her true value when the applause stopped. Then, Pastor Shawn Johnson opens up about his lifelong battles with anxiety, depression, and a devastating medical diagnosis, revealing how he found the courage to “kiss the fire” and walk through his hardest seasons with God’s strength. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Anthony Lucia Upcoming interview: Brenda Lee Candace Cameron Bure Full House Fuller House Bob Saget Luke 2 NIV Jesus Listens for Advent and Christmas www.candacecbure.com Pastor Shawn Johnson Attacking Anxiety Kiss the Fire Mayo Clinic Parkinson’s disease www.redrockschurch.com Interview Quotes: “I really started digging deeply into the Word of God and understanding that my identity isn’t in my occupation, who I know, or how much money I have. My identity is rooted in Christ, that I am the daughter of the King. My purpose is to glorify God in all that I do.” - Candace Cameron Bure “There was always a hug at the end of Full House and Fuller House, and we always worked through the problems. It was a really great model for so many people that have families that don’t feel safe. This was a family that they could look to for that.” - Candace Cameron Bure “My joy comes from the Lord and the goodness that He gives me and having hope in Him for eternity. And through that joy, He gives me my strength to persevere each day, to endure every day, to take another step, to be able to breathe deeply. God calls us to walk with Him, and you can’t get to know someone if you don’t spend time with them.” - Candace Cameron Bure “As a working woman, there are so many days that I can feel overwhelmed. I have to remind myself that my joy doesn’t come from the circumstances around me, but from the Lord. He gives me the strength to persevere, endure, and take another step each day.” - Candace Cameron Bure “I started to realize the more I would be willing to talk about my real struggles, the more people felt like, Oh my gosh, me too. If that guy can admit he struggles, then I could too.“ - Shawn Johnson “We’re gonna kiss this fire and walk away whistling. That phrase ‘kiss the fire’ just sort of became almost like a mantra for me. I didn’t talk to anyone else about it, but I would remind myself daily that, I’m not going to give up. I’m not going to quit. I’m not going to stop trusting God, although part of me wants to. I’m not gonna stop believing that He has a plan for my future. I’m not going to stop trying to do the things I think He’s called me to do.” - Shawn Johnson “I work out a lot, and remind myself every day that none of us know how long we’re going to live. And so today I’m going to be a really good dad to my three boys. I’m going to be a good husband to my wife. I’ll try to be a great pastor this week, a good friend.” - Shawn Johnson “A daily devotion is so important because life’s already hard enough, and we need to constantly be reminded that God is with us and that God is working and that God has a plan even when we can’t see it and don’t understand it.” - Shawn Johnson ________________________ 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 suicide and may be triggering for some listeners.* This week, we hear from author, podcaster, and entrepreneur Theresa Bruno. After experiencing a profound loss that threatened to plunge her into complete despair, Theresa shares how through raw honesty and unwavering prayer, she discovered the strength to not only keep going, but to find hope amidst the wreckage. Next up, we talk with Reverend Joash Thomas, author, speaker, and tireless advocate for liberation, especially for those caught in the brutal grip of trafficking and all who suffer at the margins. The Reverend’s spiritual work centers on a justice-focused interpretation of Scripture, guiding us to envision a faith that unifies rather than separates, pleading for mercy for all of God’s precious souls. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past episode: God Loves Broken People Upcoming interview: Candace Cameron Bure Theresa Bruno The Soul Talks Podcast He’s Not Coming Back: Rewriting Life After Loss Reverend Joash Thomas Anglican Episcopalian tradition Luke 4:18 NIV The Justice of Jesus Psalms Interview Quotes: “The way I really like to look at the whole of my life and all the things I’ve done is that early on, the beauty of music organized me.” - Theresa Bruno “Even though I was mad and I yelled at [God] a lot, there was still a presence I was being invited into, and I think that word is so important. There’s an invitation in our darkest times.” - Theresa Bruno “I tried to be perfect, because I thought if I was perfect, then God would love me. But I never really understood what it meant at all to have any kind of intimacy with God.” - Theresa Bruno “I’ve tried to flip my prayers into thankfulness for whatever is provided, so I don’t feel like I live in a place of constant begging and beseeching. In order to live more fully into faith and less into fear, it requires dedicated practice.” - Theresa Bruno “Courage is like a burst. You have enough courage to do something. Resilience is that slow burn that gets stronger and stronger and rises and rises, and that builds with every little tiny step.” - Theresa Bruno “Grief, the way we deal with it, is such a jagged line. And everybody does grief differently. I know you can’t feel it or know it right now, but this is not your final moment. Your story is still being written.” - Theresa Bruno “I know that if it breaks my heart, it also breaks the heart of God. Who we see throughout the Bible is a God of justice and mercy. If something like sexual abuse or human trafficking is keeping the little children from coming to Jesus, then we need to remove those hindrances.” - Rev. Joash Thomas “Jesus coming down to earth is called the incarnation and that was physical, through which spiritual truths were made known. My hope for the church is to retrieve the physical good news while still holding onto the spiritual good news that we embody, and to fully proclaim both together so that it actually sounds like good news to people who are poor and oppressed.” - Rev. Joash Thomas “People read the Bible in very different ways, but we’re still united in Jesus, and we have to be united in Him to bring the good news to a world in need of good news today—a world full of injustice and oppression.” - Rev. Joash Thomas “We’re human beings with mistakes who don’t always get everything right. But at the same time, there’s also goodness in us because we’re all made in the image of God.” - Rev. Joash Thomas ________________________ 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.

Welcome to a new monthly bonus series of the Jesus Calling Podcast, where we focus on specific books of scripture with an expert guest. This month, we’re doing a deep dive on the book of Luke with pastor and author Rob Morgan. Rob walks us through Luke’s vision for the gospel and the eyewitness accounts that it’s formed out of. He shares what we can learn from Zechariah and Elizabeth about being faithful, even when we’re anxious and disappointed. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Robert Morgan World Outreach Church Book of Luke God Hasn’t Forgotten You Interview Quotes: “Luke is a very consummate historian who wrote with great accuracy and gave us the facts of the gospel so that we could be absolutely certain that when we read it, we were reading truth and true history.” - Rob Morgan “Whenever we worry, especially if the worry overtakes us and we just begin living in chronic anxiety, it’s a sign that we aren’t really trusting those promises of the God whom we believe. We are saying, ‘Well, I believe in God, but at this particular moment in my life, I’m not sure He is able to handle this.’” - Rob Morgan “John was the opening act for the Lord Jesus. He was the one who was going to preach a message of repentance which would convict people of their sins and give them a spiritual openness for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.” - Rob Morgan “Everything about our background, the good and the bad, everything about our lineage, the good characters and the bad characters, has been preparing us to do what God has called us to do. It’s all bound up in Jesus Christ. It’s His work and His ministry, but we have been appointed and preordained in order to be exactly where we should be to do what the Lord wants us to with the gifts that He has chosen for us to have.” - Rob Morgan “We may age, but we never get beyond the place where God can use us in ways greater than He’s ever used us before.” - Rob Morgan “The Lord has not forgotten us, and He wants to do some remarkable things in us and through us. And we get a pretty good glimpse of what some of those things are by reading Luke chapter one and the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth.” - Rob Morgan ________________________ 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.

This week, we’ll hear from Melissa Ferguson, a mother of five whose love for stories and the countryside has inspired her creative life. From her family’s Tennessee farmhouse by the mountains, she writes heartwarming romantic comedies for television and children’s books. Melissa reflects on the lessons she’s learned from farm life, family rhythms, and faith—and why at the end of the day, it all comes down to keeping what’s most important at the top of the to-do list. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from worship artist Natalie Runion. Natalie grew up as a pastor’s kid watching her parents serve their church, but found herself needing to forgive certain toxic elements that had shaped her upbringing. Today, through her ministry Raised to Stay and her writing, Natalie gives us a glimpse into how she’s helping others reconcile their love for Jesus with the realities of a sometimes imperfect church culture. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Chris and Kelly Janson Upcoming interview: Theresa Bruno Melissa Ferguson Great American Family Our Friendly Farmhouse Instagram Homesteading Jesus Calling for Kids www.melissaferguson.com Our Friendly Farmhouse Natalie Runion Raised to Stay Campus Crusade for Christ 2 Corinthians 11 NIV Hebrews 13 NIV www.natalierunion.com I Don’t Even Like Women Interview Quotes: “We definitely stepped into [homesteading] slowly and kind of enjoyed getting to know the adventure of each thing because there is such a learning curve there. It’s been an adventure along the way, and I think it’s been really healthy for our children and for ourselves.” - Melissa Ferguson “It’s important to step back, especially when something feels off. I broke it down by the hours that each activity in that priority order would take, and I realized this is why I’m stressed. I’m stressed because I’ve swapped the extras, the least important priorities in my life, with the things that are.” - Melissa Ferguson “I have allowed myself to be too busy doing other things and that was a choice not to spend time in the Word or pray because I thought, Oh, well, it doesn’t matter that much. I’m too busy. I’d rather go do this. And I’ve experienced the consequences of what became a growing sense of restlessness or a lack of peace.” - Melissa Ferguson “The older I get, the more aware I am that we live in a very broken and hurting world. So I absolutely need to spiritually set aside time in my day. Otherwise, I can’t fight those feelings that come at me that try to cause chaos and unrest.” - Melissa Ferguson “I think how good God is that even when our plans change because of people, that His plan for us can’t be changed.” - Natalie Runion “It shouldn’t come as a surprise when we walk into situations where we think that we’re going to just tell the gospel without getting wounded, because throughout Scripture, we’re being warned this is going to happen. For me, it has been really separating imperfect people from a perfect gospel, imperfect people from my perfect Jesus, saying the standard has been set, but we won’t reach that standard until we get to heaven, and we’re all made perfect in the sight of the Lord.” - Natalie Runion “God has promised me that He will never leave me and He will never forsake me. And though people are going to fail me, institutions and organizations are going to fail me, He remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.” - Natalie Runion “This is why I love our Father so much—He knows what we need in the season that we need it.” - Natalie Runion “I do believe that as we as women begin to like ourselves and then we start to love ourselves, that then we will begin to like and love other women and become that force that we are reckoned to be in the church, when we unify as God’s daughters and stop competing and comparing and start collaborating.” - Natalie Runion “I wanted women to see that not only are they worthy of friendship, every woman is worthy of being loved, wanted, invited, seen. They’re worthy of giving their opinions. They’re worthy of collaboration. I also wanted them to reconnect to their friendship with God, to see from the garden that God made us unique as women.” - Natalie Runion ________________________ 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.

In this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, you’ll discover inspiring stories of individuals doing good in the world. Hear from Ken Isaacs of Samaritan’s Purse as he shares the impact of Operation Christmas Child. Evan Dougoud, founder of the Be Heard Movement, talks about his family background of scarcity and homelessness and how that moved him toward helping others in providing basic needs, and bringing dignity to those who have lost everything. Caregiver and life coach Diane Chew offers insights on finding strength while caring for her husband with Lewy Body Dementia. Finally, multi-platinum country artist Tracy Lawrence talks about his annual Mission Possible Turkey Fry, which feeds hundreds of people at Thanksgiving. These guests live out how faith and a desire to love their neighbors fuel their efforts toward making a tangible difference. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Ken Isaacs Evan Dougoud Diane Chew Tracy Lawrence Interview Quotes: “In my experience, you have yet to fall fully, completely, without reservation into God’s arms and trust Him with everything. Get involved.” - Ken Isaacs “I’m constantly looking for ways to intertwine all the avenues in such a way as to reach people who are in the ditches of life for the purposes of saving lives, reducing suffering, and doing it in Jesus’ name.” - Ken Isaacs “It has a profound impact on me, the way that [God] weaves things together beyond the horizon of our vision.” - Ken Isaacs “God comes through on His promises, but that doesn’t always mean you’re going to have happy endings. What God promises is that He will be with us through the valley of the shadow of death. I find in my most desperate situations is when I most desperately turn to the Lord and seek His guidance.” - Ken Isaacs “I wanted to present that to those experiencing homelessness—by listening to them, listening to their stories, elevating their voice, it could help save thousands of people. God saved me, and I want to help and go to the same for somebody else.” - Evan Dougoud “One of the most powerful things you can provide somebody is your ears. So by listening, by affirming to them, by allowing their voices to be heard, by allowing their testimony to be heard, that really is breaking barriers, but also creating a solution of trust.” - Evan Dougoud “It takes constant practice to look for the blessings, and to stay connected to something bigger than my thoughts and feelings.” - Diane Chew “There are ways we can take care of ourselves, even as we’re taking care of somebody else. It takes intention, it takes willingness, it takes stubbornness, I think, to not go down with the ship.” - Diane Chew “Whatever you’re facing that feels like it’s beyond your ability to cope, the truth is yes it is. But together with your Creator, you will cope and you will be stronger than the storm.” - Diane Chew “Since I was a young kid, I always believed that God had a plan for me and He had great things in store for my life.” - Tracy Lawrence “It seems like the more you do, the more you realize you’re barely scratching the surface. But hopefully you’ll inspire somebody else, somewhere else, to just do our part to help out our fellow man.” - Tracy Lawrence “I think we all have a responsibility, wherever we’re at in life and whatever you can afford to do, to just contribute and help your fellow man out. I think that when God has blessed you, you have a responsibility to share that with the people you come in contact with and to spread a little bit of that love and joy.” - Tracy Lawrence ________________________ 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.