- 22 minutes 28 secondsTrusting God’s Presence in Success and Sorrow: Dude Perfect & Jennifer Marshall Bleakley
Today, we’re joined by Coby and Cory Cotton of Dude Perfect, who share how a simple idea filmed in a backyard with friends grew into videos watched by millions around the world on YouTube. They reflect on the early days of creating trick shots just for fun, the challenges that came with unexpected success, and a medical emergency that reminded them to slow down and make room for what matters most.
Next, we hear from author and grief counselor Jennifer Marshall Bleakley, who shares how losing her golden retriever, Bailey, opened her eyes to the depths of pet grief, the memories that remain, and the love we carry after saying goodbye.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Steve Wohlberg
Upcoming interview: Megan Piphus
Coby and Cory Cotton of Dude Perfect
Interview Quotes:
“I’ve gone through different seasons in my life where I’ve been more consistent and less consistent, but there is no doubt that meeting with Jesus every single day differentiates someone that just says they’re a believer and someone that actually has a relationship with Jesus.” - Cory Cotton
“I wouldn’t trade that experience [of having Bell’s Palsy] for the world, because I think it was really God helping me lean into that dependence on Him.” - Cory Cotton
“The only answer for how [Dude Perfect] happened is God, because it doesn’t really make a lot of sense.” - Cory Cotton
“The business [Dude Perfect] cannot be healthy unless our friendships are healthy.” - Coby Cotton
“I think when I meet with [God] in the morning and try to find the peace in whatever situation that I’m dealing with, and try to center [myself] on what the priority in life really is—if you’re not in the Word, or if you’re not in the devotional that’s pointing you to the Word, I think you’re missing out.” - Cory Cotton
“I think God planted the seeds in my heart to see animals as ambassadors of His grace on this planet.” - Jennifer Marshall Bleakley
“The world right now can seem a rather harsh place. So many people have been so hurt by other people. How kind of God to sprinkle ambassadors of His grace all across this planet in the form of animals. God is constantly pointing us to animals throughout Scripture, encouraging us to look to the eagle, to look to the lion who He feeds, to look to the ant who’s busy at work.” - Jennifer Marshall Bleakley
“Animals are the ones that we can be 100% ourselves with. They show up for us on the good days and the bad days and are as impressed by us when we feel like we have it all together and when we’ve just fallen on our face. I really do think it is a beautiful picture of God’s love and His feelings toward us that we don’t have to try to clean ourselves up to come to Him. He just loves us as we are and just desires for us to be present with Him.” - Jennifer Marshall Bleakley
“I discovered firsthand that God is not afraid of our questions and that He will hold us through them.” - Jennifer Marshall Bleakley
“I think it’s vitally important for us, especially as believers, to honor the grief that people feel when they’ve lost a pet. It is such a kindness and a gift to hold space for someone who is grieving, to be a compassionate witness and just say, ‘I see you and I’m going to stay here with you in the hurt and in the heavy.’” - Jennifer Marshall Bleakley
“Invite people to invite us into their pain and then to weep with them, to stand with them in that pain, to sit with them, and then gently start to walk with them toward the light of healing.” - Jennifer Marshall Bleakley
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Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Interviews: https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7
Video Interviews: https://bit.ly/4f79RAW
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer: https://bit.ly/4q5iTCx
Scripture Series: https://bit.ly/4wAVGKU
Celebrity Readings: https://bit.ly/4bIS5BJ
Video Devotionals: https://bit.ly/4fG1kFb
Sleep Meditations: https://bit.ly/4w0xu37
Shorts: https://bit.ly/3RHFubh________________________
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Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
20 August 2026, 5:00 am - 13 minutes 53 seconds[BONUS] Jesus Calling Scripture Study: Mothers in the Bible with Rhonda Stoppe
Welcome to a special scripture-focused bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, where we examine the stories and roles of mothers in the Bible with author and host of the Old Ladies Know Stuff podcast Rhonda Stoppe. Rhonda walks us through the lives of women in the Bible like Naomi, Eunice the mother of Timothy, Mary, Rahab, the woman at the well, Herodias, and more. Rhonda shows us what we can learn from Biblical mothers that challenge and equip us to guide the next generation.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Interview Quotes:
“God calls older women to teach the younger. When I look back on my life, I remember not having a clue how to be the wife I wanted to be, the mom I wanted to be, the woman I wanted to be. I needed mentors. I needed help.” - Rhonda Stoppe
“I couldn’t stop exploring the lives of these women in history that God used for their time. So many of their flawed stories reflect the grace of God that says, ‘Now I’ve got you broken and now I can use you in a way I never could have used you had you not failed.’ Because now you’re relying completely on Christ alone.” - Rhonda Stoppe
“If you look at all the moms in Scripture, and children throughout history, you will find that their first teachers were not theologians. It was their moms.” - Rhonda Stoppe
“Eunice and Lois were pouring into Timothy. They didn’t know that they were raising the young man who Paul would one day hand over the mantle of his ministry to. Do what’s in front of you, trust God with the outcome.” - Rhonda Stoppe
“We want to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. We want to raise our kids in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We want to live in a manner worthy of our calling. And we want our life to reflect Christ’s love so that our kids want to follow Jesus.” - Rhonda Stoppe
"‘No greater love has a friend than this: that he lays down his life for a friend.’ You are God-ordained, called to be the moms of this next generation. You’re shaping world changers. You are the architects of the next generation—this is an incredible calling that God has put on your life." - Rhonda Stoppe
Connect with Jesus Calling
*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
18 August 2026, 5:00 am - 25 minutes 29 secondsHow Faith Finds Us When Life Takes a Detour: Heather Land & Rachel Kessler
Joining us this week is worship leader turned viral comedian Heather Land. After growing up in the shadow of her mother’s decades-long addiction, Heather reflects on how this painful season—alongside her unexpected shift from the worship stage to the world of comedy—taught her that while our paths may take unforeseen turns, our core calling to encourage and uplift others remains constant.
Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Rachel Kessler, an Episcopal priest and Kenyon College chaplain who completed her PhD in medieval studies at the University of Toronto before pivoting to seminary after hitting academic burnout, then built a following as the “Nerdy Priest” on TikTok after a student secretly downloaded the app on her phone.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Cole Arthur Riley
Upcoming interview: Dude Perfect
Harcourt Parish Episcopal Church
Interview Quotes:
“It was challenging growing up in addiction. I think when you’re young, you don’t necessarily know what’s going on. You hear your family talking about it or you know it in theory, but you don’t know how to piece it together.” - Heather Land
“When you’re in addiction, codependency is just alive and well. And I think it makes the best of people act extremely erratically and say things they don’t mean.” - Heather Land
“I asked [my mom] one time, ‘What keeps you sober now?' And without hesitation, she said, ‘This time, I finally decided to stop living in shame.’” - Heather Land
“I went through a little season where I really questioned my faith. I had a lot of doubt. I think I was undoing some messed up theology that I needed to deconstruct. This was no surprise to God.” - Heather Land
“When you’ve had a certain life for fourteen years or however long, and then you find yourself walking into the unknown, it is very scary.” - Heather Land
“When we doubt God and we’re like, ‘I don’t know about this,’ He’s like, ‘Well, hang on, I’ve got something up My sleeve!’ I just think that's such a beautiful story of who God is and how faithful He is.” - Heather Land
“There is something to be said for the habits of faith when we’re not necessarily feeling that deep connection to God, for just still showing up.” - Rachel Kessler
“My online platform as ‘The Nerdy Priest’ really is just an authentic representation of who I am.” - Rachel Kessler
“I think you get burnt out in ministry when you are focusing on the ends as opposed to the means. It is so easy to get caught up in writing a good sermon or making a good post that goes viral and getting the engagement. What’s so critical is staying grounded in the truth.” - Rachel Kessler
“What I came to realize is that there aren’t rules on how we are meant to relate to Jesus. Through ritual, through the traditions of the church, those are the ways that I communicate with Jesus.” - Rachel Kessler
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Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Interviews: https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7
Video Interviews: https://bit.ly/4f79RAW
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer: https://bit.ly/4q5iTCx
Scripture Series: https://bit.ly/4wAVGKU
Celebrity Readings: https://bit.ly/4bIS5BJ
Video Devotionals: https://bit.ly/4fG1kFb
Sleep Meditations: https://bit.ly/4w0xu37
Shorts: https://bit.ly/3RHFubh________________________
Connect with Jesus Calling
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
13 August 2026, 5:00 am - 32 minutes 11 secondsLiving Truth in a World of Lies: Sarah Jakes Roberts & Timothy Cho
*This episode contains content that may be triggering for some listeners.*
Today we’re joined by author and speaker Sarah Jakes Roberts, who invites us to rethink what true strength looks like—shifting from building a tolerance for the world’s noise to finding stillness in our calling. From stepping back from social media to anchoring identity in daily prayer, Sarah shares the liberating truth she discovered when she finally hit “mute” on the digital world.
Next, we hear from human rights defender Timothy Cho, who recounts his harrowing escape from North Korea. He recounts the oppression and lies that were leveled at him from an early age and the moment he was labeled a traitor in his own country, driving his daring escape to experience the freedom truth brings, and how he now advocates for others to find their own freedom.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Cyntoia Brown-Long
Upcoming interview: Heather Land
Interview Quotes:
“Strength is not our tolerance for whatever comes our way. It is our ability to stay focused regardless of what comes our way.” - Sarah Jakes Roberts
“Coming to a place where you can admit that I don’t have to be strong enough takes so much pressure off of yourself.” - Sarah Jakes Roberts
“My gratitude becomes more magnified because I realized just how unworthy I am, and how good God has been in allowing me this space and opportunity.” - Sarah Jakes Roberts
“When we talk about trying to figure out our identity in Christ in a world that is so noisy, we have to be the one to turn the volume down. You have to remember that you hold the remote control. At any given moment, you can hit mute. And in the process of hitting mute, you have to be willing to confront some of those voices that exist within our own head.” - Sarah Jakes Roberts
“Our identity is constantly being developed, and we get to decide whether we allow it to be formed by digital algorithms or by words from God, affirmations that come from stillness and prayer.” - Sarah Jakes Roberts
“Connecting with God daily allows us to be rooted and anchored in such a way that when we show up to the world, we’re not asking the world to tell us who we are.” - Sarah Jakes Roberts
“I asked God, ‘If you are really there and you give me freedom, I will give my life to you.’” - Timothy Cho
“Arriving in a democratic country, a free country, I thought it was the end. What I didn’t realize was that it was the beginning of another part of the journey.” - Timothy Cho
“I was [able to] fight back against a wave of darkness and trauma. In my desperation and screaming out and tears, I would keep hearing, ‘Son, I love you, I love you, I love you.’” - Timothy Cho
“We are facing a lot of hatred in this world at the moment. But hatred never [wins]; only love can overcome all of this hatred.” - Timothy Cho
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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
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Connect with Jesus Calling
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
6 August 2026, 5:00 am - 21 minutes 37 secondsHow We Find God In the Highs and Lows of Life: Butch Hartman & Matt Cooper
This week, we’ll hear from Butch Hartman, the animator and creator behind Nickelodeon’s biggest shows, including The Fairly OddParents and Danny Phantom. Butch grew up in a chaotic household in Michigan, where television and comic books served as his primary escape. This early passion eventually led him to California’s top animation school and then to a long career at Nickelodeon. Today, we’ll hear why he walked away after nearly twenty years at the network to start his own studio.
Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Matt Cooper, a country artist from Jacksonville, Florida who turned the worst year of his life into a number one radio single. After losing his mother to cancer, Matt found himself white-knuckling his grief, until a late night group therapy session cracked something open and sent him home to write a song in a single hour that would change everything.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Jimi Cravity
Upcoming interview: Sarah Jakes Roberts
The Garden - Cartoon created by Butch Hartman
“Good God” - song by Matt Cooper
“Highs and Lows” - song by Matt Cooper
Interview Quotes:
“I was [at Nickelodeon] for a lifetime, and I thought it’s time to go build a new life somewhere else with my own way to do this.” - Butch Hartman
“There are millions of people out there that will never go into a church, but they’ll hold a screen in their hand and they’ll watch something. So it’s my job as a producer and a showrunner and a studio head to make sure that whatever goes on that screen is uplifting and is good for people’s souls and their spirit.” - Butch Hartman
“There are kids out there I will never meet, but I know that the content I’m producing is going to somehow affect their life in a positive way for the Lord.” - Butch Hartman
“We have to be very wise about the decisions we make, especially when it comes to entertainment, because it lives forever.” - Butch Hartman
“I think it’s really hard, especially as a man, to deal with grief, because you try to white knuckle everything as a dude.” - Matt Cooper
“I’m a big believer in therapy. It was really, really great for me. It was a way for me to talk through the emotions that I had just been hiding a lot.” - Matt Cooper
“I wrote my song 'Highs and Lows' in one hour. It was the fastest song I ever wrote. And that was the first sense of like finding music as a way of dealing with my grief.” - Matt Cooper
“I think the biggest thing that I’ve taken away from grief is that I understand more of the love of the Father than I ever had in my life.” - Matt Cooper
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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
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Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
30 July 2026, 5:00 am - 10 minutes 25 seconds[JESUS LISTENS MONTHLY SERIES] God, Help Me Move from Shame to Wholeness: Erin Kerry
In this deeply honest conversation, Erin Kerry opens up about living with PTSD, depression, and bipolar disorder—and the labels that once defined her. As a nutritionist and health coach, Erin shares how she moved from shame and self-limiting beliefs to a place of healing, hope, and wholeness.
Guest’s Links
YouTube: @erinbkerry
Facebook: @ErinBKerryInstagram: @sparkingwholeness
Watch this interview on our YouTube channel! https://bit.ly/44xz2Xs
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*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
28 July 2026, 5:00 am - 30 minutes 18 secondsHope Through Life’s Deepest Heartaches: Dr. Jim Burns and Dr. Joshua W. Brown
Dr. Jim Burns, founder of HomeWord, returns to the Jesus Calling Podcast to discuss how parents can navigate the heartbreak of estrangement with their adult children. He offers advice on avoiding self-blame, communicating without unsolicited criticism, and prioritizing healthy boundaries.
Later, neuroscientist Dr. Joshua W. Brown shares how a terminal brain tumor diagnosis at age thirty sparked his interest in investigating how faith practices and prayer contribute to healing. Using his scientific training, he describes seeing cases that medical professionals cannot explain, exploring how healing may happen beyond the scope of traditional treatment.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Brooke Envick
Upcoming interview: Butch Hartman
Doing Life with Your Adult Children: Keep Your Mouth Shut and the Welcome Mat Out - Book by Dr. Jim Burns
When Your Adult Child Strays: Trading Heartache For Hope - Book by Dr. Jim Burns
Reconnecting with Your Estranged Adult Child: Practical Tips and Tools to Heal Your Relationship - Book by Tina Gilbetson
Global Medical Research Institute
Proving a Miracle: Unlocking the Power of Prayer to Heal - Book by Dr. Joshua W. Brown
Interview Quotes:
“I say to people whose kids are just moving into adulthood: ‘Number one, you’re fired as a day-to-day parent. You have to give the kid the passport to adulthood.’” - Dr. Jim Burns
“Mentors don’t necessarily give advice, they give advice when they’re asked.” - Dr. Jim Burns
“I say to parents all the time, take the lead, but take the lead with love. Take the lead with kindness.” - Dr. Jim Burns
“There are very few estrangements where we don’t need the help of counsel. We need somebody coming alongside us to give us insight, especially with estrangement, because we don’t know what to do.” - Dr. Jim Burns
“So the tightrope that you walk is you show love, you practice kindness, you expand the relationship to not just be a one-topic parent. And in doing that, you can embrace your child and love your child.” - Dr. Jim Burns
“I think the bottom line with a lot of people, a lot of adult children, is they’re asking one question, ‘Do you still love me?’” - Dr. Jim Burns
“If you hope for nothing, you are protected from being disappointed. And so hope has a cost to it. I was starting to see people, right in front of me, experience healing through this kind of prayer ministry. And so that gave me some degree of hope that there was at least something going on there that was worth pursuing.” - Dr. Joshua W. Brown
“If you spend your time praying, thinking about God, thinking about His goodness, thinking about how He loves you and cares for you, your brain cells will become more responsive to those thoughts over time.” - Dr. Joshua W. Brown
“Can what we believe, or our prayers for example, lead to mind-body effects that can have effects on actually reducing pain?” - Dr. Joshua W. Brown
“As with food, you are what you eat. And I think the same principle applies spiritually and even psychologically [as to] the things that you spend time thinking about.” - Dr. Joshua W. Brown
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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
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Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
23 July 2026, 5:00 am - 28 minutes 2 secondsBreaking Free from The Wreckage of Our Past: Tom Hardin & Dawn Cazedessus
Today, we’re joined by two people who found their way through the wreckage of their pasts to build something new. First, we hear from Tom Hardin. A former Wall Street insider trader, Tom saw his entire world unravel the morning the FBI knocked on his door. He joins us to share how he moved from a double life of secrets to finding a faith that finally holds up on Monday mornings.
Then, we’re joined by Dawn Cazedessus [CAZZ de sue], author of Trailer Park CEO. Raised in an environment of generational poverty and abuse, Dawn navigated the difficult path from survival to becoming a regional leader for Keller Williams International. She’ll walk us through how she broke that cycle and why she’s learned to embrace failure as a way to fail forward.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Tim Green
Upcoming interview: Dr. Jim Burns
Wired on Wall Street: The Rise and Fall of Tipper X, One of the FBI’s Most Prolific Informants - Book by Tom Hardin
Trailer Park CEO: 12 Leadership Cornerstones to Become a Godly Woman of Influence - Book by Dawn Cazedessus
Interview Quotes:
“Ambition without any anchoring was sort of like velocity without direction. I had all the drive in the world; I just hadn’t built the moral infrastructure to sustain it.” - Tom Hardin
“The most dangerous lie isn’t the one you tell others; it’s absolutely the one you tell yourself so fluently you forget it’s a lie at all.” - Tom Hardin
“God didn’t meet me at the top of my career; He met me at the bottom of my character.” - Tom Hardin
“Guilt says, I did something bad, shame says, I am something terrible. Guilt can drive you towards repentance, but shame drives you into hiding—not only from yourself, but from others and from God.” - Tom Hardin
“This idea of “Who am I hurting” is the most seductive question a person can ask because the answer is always larger than you’re willing to imagine while you’re asking it.” - Tom Hardin
“Faithfulness isn’t a feeling. It’s a decision you make every morning before the feelings arrive.” - Tom Hardin
“As I drove off [from the trailer park], in my mind, I was leaving that past behind and going into the future, but what I realized later on in my life is that I physically left that day, but it took years to mentally leave.” - Dawn Cazedessus
“The people who have given me their time have been even more valuable because they took time to pour into me, to speak into me.” - Dawn Cazedessus
“You’ve got to be able to approach life with a glass that is overflowing, so that you can navigate the difficulty of the things.” - Dawn Cazedessus
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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
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Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
16 July 2026, 6:00 am - 18 minutes 16 secondsJesus Calling Scripture Series: Understanding the Trinity with Timothy Jones
Welcome to a special scripture-focused bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, where we think about the concept of the Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—and what their presence and purpose means to each of our individual lives. Pastor, author, and speaker Timothy Jones helps us contemplate this relational view, and how the communing of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit brings a new level of intimacy and belovedness to each of us.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Interview Quotes:
“I found that knowing God as Father, Son, and Spirit warms our view of God. There’s a real tenderness here, and that surprises some people.” - Timothy Jones
“I see in the three-person portrait of God a wonderful invitation to know all three in more intimate ways, to realize how God comes close to give us help for our everyday life.” - Timothy Jones
“Before humankind even appeared on the scene, God was already busy relating. It makes sense that God, already full of love and communing, would create.” - Timothy Jones
“God is not some aloof, distant being. This is not some deity who can’t understand what it means to be in an intimate relationship.” - Timothy Jones
“Because God has shown us this picture of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we glimpse a delight that grows out of a communion that’s already at play between the three persons of the Trinity.” - Timothy Jones
“We’re all searching for a more lasting love, something that’s reliable, sturdy, dependable, and abundant. This is what I see in the picture of the Trinity. Because of all this relational depth, it’s not intimidating as much as it is life-changing.” - Timothy Jones
“Human tenderness alone cannot satisfy our deepest longings. What I’m seeing here [in the Trinity] can heighten our anticipation for a life with God, a relationally richer life.” - Timothy Jones
“God cares about our daily worries, about the hardest things that happen to us, whether we’re loved and valued.” - Timothy Jones
“The early church spoke of the Trinity not merely as doctrine, but as something that could take a lifetime of exploring and pondering, and could deepen and enrich our worship in wonderful ways.” - Timothy Jones
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*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
14 July 2026, 6:00 am - 27 minutes 56 secondsChoosing Freedom Over Fear in the Wake of Crisis: Jameson and Mary Reeder & Greta Eskridge
This week, we hear from Jameson and Mary Reeder, authors of Rescue at the Reef. They share the miraculous story of their ten-year-old son, Jameson Jr., who narrowly survived a devastating bull shark attack in the Florida Keys. Despite a life-altering injury, Jameson Jr.’s faith remained unshaken, and just four days later, he asked to return to the reef.
Later in the episode, we hear from Greta Eskridge, author and homeschool mom of four, who shares her story of healing after her husband Aaron confessed to an affair and a years-long pornography addiction. While working to heal the damage to their marriage, Greta became convinced that parents must break the silence around this issue and initiate difficult conversations with their kids about pornography.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Chelsea Damon
Upcoming interview: Tom Hardin
Rescue at the Reef: The Miraculous True Story of a Little Boy with Big Faith - Book by Jameson & Mary Reeder
It’s Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn - Book by Greta Eskridge
Interview Quotes:
“It goes from the greatest day of our life to the worst day, just like that. [My son] hears me scream, “No,” and the first words out of his mouth are, “Daddy, it’s okay. Jesus is going to save me.” - Jameson Reeder
“When you face your fear, the fear doesn’t go away, but what you focus on is what rises. Do you focus on the fear or do you focus on your heavenly Father who’s with you in those fearful moments? He’s not abandoned you. He’s with you. And when you focus on your Father over the fear, then freedom rises.” - Jameson Reeder
“Cultivating connection isn’t about these singular once-a-year, twice-a-year big moments. It’s everyday intentional time spent with one another.” - Greta Eskridge
“We need to have conversations about pornography and the disconnection that it causes.” - Greta Eskridge
“Out of that brokenness [of betrayal] has come a desire for both of us to not only cultivate meaningful, intentional, lasting connection as a couple, but also with our children, with friends, because not only have we experienced the disconnection ourselves, but we have recognized that our world is becoming increasingly more disconnected.” - Greta Eskridge
“As much as [my husband] wanted to escape addiction, the nature of addiction is that it is very hard to do that on your own, and he needed support.” - Greta Eskridge
“Beginning to understand what [my husband] was dealing with was impactful for me to have compassion and understanding for him..Being willing to do that and pursue my own healing as a betrayed spouse at the same time, those two things were transformative, and really, honestly, what changed everything for both of us.” - Greta Eskridge
“When we allow ourselves to have that conversation [about pornography] with our kids or with one another, it takes away the power of the thing, and it reduces the shame. Shame tells us this is the end. But when we bring it into the light, it loses its power.” - Greta Eskridge
“It’s incredible how much can change just by simply opening the door to honest, heartfelt conversation.” - Greta Eskridge
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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
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
9 July 2026, 6:00 am - 23 minutes 40 secondsDespite Suffering, We’re Promised Hope and a Future: Victoria Arlen & Hillary Phillips
This week, we’ll hear from Victoria Arlen, a former Paralympic swimmer and ESPN personality, who shares her harrowing journey of surviving a rare autoimmune condition that left her in a “locked-in” vegetative state for four years beginning at age eleven. Beyond her physical recovery, she faced the intense emotional pressure of being labeled a “miracle,” while silently struggling with trauma and mental health. She eventually found peace by learning to embrace vulnerability, a transformation she details here.
Later in the episode, we hear from author and actress Hillary Phillips as she bravely shares about transforming a broken view of God—seeing Him as angry and tallying mistakes—into an authentic relationship. After a complicated childhood turned into years of internalizing pain, Hillary recounts the raw moment she cried out to God in anger, only to be met with a supernatural love she never knew was possible.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Chris & Lindsey Wheeler
Upcoming interview: Jameson and Mary Reeder
My Brain While Reading the Bible - Book by Hillary Phillips
The Big Blue Book - Show ft. Hillary Phillips
The Greatest Thing Ever! - Movie ft. Hillary Phillips
Interview Quotes:
“What the doctors failed to realize was I could hear everything that they were saying, and I could see, but nobody knew that I could. So I was literally locked inside my own body.” - Victoria Arlen
“..You really have a choice—you fight or you give in. I saw how my family refused to give up on me.. They set up a hospital room in our living room and basically brought the world to me, because in their eyes, if they had a month with me, or a couple years, or the rest of my life, they wanted to take care of me.” - Victoria Arlen
“I had this peace that surpassed understanding, and this journey as my mom calls it—our tragic, beautiful journey—is where we found God. It’s where we found our family, on a whole different level, and it really set my life in a whole different direction.” - Victoria Arlen
“When I broke down, that was the beginning of that breakthrough in which God orchestrated so many things, to essentially help me get to that path where, Oh, I get that peace that surpasses understanding.” - Victoria Arlen
“It was the first time the Gospel really sunk in for me—You don’t just love me because of how I perform or because of all these outward things, You love me [through] all of that stuff that I’m seeing.” - Hillary Phillips
“Learning to be still with God and realize, Oh wait, you don’t actually expect me to be anything other than who I am. You don’t call me to wear a mask. You call me just to be. And learning how to do that is such a liberating thing, but also it’s just ongoing.” - Hillary Phillips
“I was angry and felt wronged, and God really started to challenge me on how I was showing up in love. One of the things I realized was that I was not accepting my parents as they were [or] where they were. I was holding them to this idea of who they needed to be and who they weren’t.. God really helped me realize that’s not actually walking in love. I am rejecting who they are and only holding them to this idea or their past.” - Hillary Phillips
“God didn’t promise us an easy life, He didn’t promise us a life free of suffering, but He did promise us hope and a future. He promised us that whenever we are struggling, He’ll be there with us through it. He’ll never leave us or forsake us.” - Hillary Phillips
“I think that God used that experience to really show me His love is because I had to learn to sit and see trauma up close, but also recognize it’s not my job to fix.” - Hillary Phillips
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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
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