Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

Unlearning the Need to Impress God and Each Other: Rebecca St. James & Zahriya Zachary

This week, we’ll hear from Rebecca St. James [https://www.rebeccastjames.com/], a Grammy and Dove award-winning contemporary Christian music artist. When Rebecca’s family moved from Australia to the U.S. when Rebecca was a teen, they faced serious financial struggles—the kind that forced them to rely completely on each other and outside support for basic survival like food, transportation, and medical bills. This intense period of “making it work” became the bedrock of her career and is the focus of the film Unsung Hero [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23638614/].  Next, we meet Zahriya Zachary [https://zahriyazachary.com/], an artist and worship leader with Bethel Music who experienced a major pivot in her early twenties. She shares how she shifted from the pursuit of a traditional career to an unexpected music career. Her story explores the struggle of unlearning the need for perfection and performance, and the profound freedom found in simply showing up as yourself.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/] Jesus Calling [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/] Jesus Always [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/jesus-always/] Jesus Listens [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/jesus-listens/] Past interview: Darlene Zschech [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/true-connection-with-god-and-each-other-darlene-zschech-margaret-feinberg/] Upcoming interview: Maria Lee [https://www.instagram.com/firstladymarialee/]   Jesus Listens for Moms [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/jesus-listens-for-moms/] Rebecca St. James [https://www.rebeccastjames.com/] Unsung Hero [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23638614/] “You Make Everything Beautiful” [https://open.spotify.com/track/6fLhGYIjcaxTpzrzoDtBq2] My Utmost for His Highest [https://utmost.org/]  www.rebeccastjames.com [http://www.rebeccastjames.com]   Zahriya Zachary [https://zahriyazachary.com/] “Stay” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS2uR1R9gVw] www.bethelmusic.com/roster/zahriya-zachar [https://bethelmusic.com/roster/zahriya-zachary] Rediscovery [https://open.spotify.com/album/5WKbd9lbctdAXcjwK2X4PV]   Interview Quotes: “[Hardship] really did encourage us to turn to God as a family, because we needed Him in a way that we had never needed Him so desperately before.” - Rebecca St. James “My parents were definitely the kind that encouraged us to flourish in our own gifts. I think that they were very attentive to specialized giftings within the family and encouraged us to be unique.” - Rebecca St. James  “I remember my parents being very available for just talking things through, and that’s something that I’m also trying to do with our kids, [is to be] available and present.” - Rebecca St. James “I think God’s design for the family is so beautiful, and I think when we can live that out privately in our lives, but then also if God allows us to to live that out in the public space too, there’s an undeniable loveliness to it.” - Rebecca St. James “I think something that I am currently unlearning is my performance being the thing that makes God stay, and even that makes other people stay. I’m really unlearning that because it can tend to be this driving force of, If I do good enough at this, if I can just be perfect at this, then God will just stay. The Lord is revealing to me, ‘I love you because I love because I love you.’” - Zahriya Zachary “I’ve had these moments throughout my life with God in the moments where I felt the most lost. He actually reveals to me a highlight reel of every place where I thought I was alone and every place where I thought He wasn’t. It’s actually given me strength to stay when it’s hard, because He enables me to remember.” - Zahriya Zachary  “It was never up to us to reach for God’s presence or earn it, because He’s already done it all.” - Zahriya Zachary ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7 [https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7]  Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw [https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw]  Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C [https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C]  Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj [https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj]  Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u [https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u]  What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj [https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj]  Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY [https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY]  ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jesuscalling/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/JesusCalling/] Twitter [https://twitter.com/Jesus_Calling] Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/Jesus_Calling/?eq=jesus%20calling&etslf=5858] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/c/Jesuscallingbook?sub_confirmation=1] Website [https://www.jesuscalling.com/] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@jesuscalling?lang=en] Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com [https://www.lifeaudio.com/] and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us [https://www.lifeaudio.com/contact-us].

Fear Comes Free, Hope Takes Effort: Jon Acuff & Leland Vittert

This week, we’ll hear from Jon Acuff [https://jonacuff.com/], a bestselling author and speaker who turns personal challenges into practical lessons for living with intention and resilience. From mastering goals to overcoming negative thinking, Jon shares insights that help listeners navigate life’s “hard middle” and keep moving forward, even when it feels impossible. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from journalist and anchor Leland Vittert [https://bornlucky.com/], whose new book, Born Lucky [https://www.amazon.com/Born-Lucky-Dedicated-Grateful-Journey/dp/140025468X], is a deeply moving story of his childhood with autism and the profound sacrifices his father made to give him hope and teach him resilience.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/] Jesus Calling [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/] Jesus Always [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/jesus-always/] Jesus Listens [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/jesus-listens/] Past interview: Ken Abraham [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/threads-of-redemption-stories-of-empathy-and-resilience-from-ken-abraham-susan-binkley/] Upcoming interview: Rebecca St. James [https://www.rebeccastjames.com/] Jesus Listens for Moms [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/jesus-listens-for-moms/]   Jon Acuff [https://jonacuff.com/] Zephaniah 3:17 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Zephaniah%203%3A17&version=NIV] Luke 15:11-32 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2015%3A11-32&version=NIV] www.jonacuff.com [http://www.jonacuff.com]   Leland Vittert [https://bornlucky.com/] Born Lucky [https://www.amazon.com/Born-Lucky-Dedicated-Grateful-Journey/dp/140025468X] www.bornlucky.com [http://www.bornlucky.com] Interview Quotes: “I just had this sense that if I would take responsibility for my life, I could change a lot of things I wanted to change.” - Jon Acuff “I think a lot of goals work better when they’re measured, when they are paced.” - Jon Acuff  “I think that a lot of life is talking yourself into doing things you don’t want to do, but you really want to. There’s a lot of mornings I don’t want to write, I don’t want to work out, I don’t want to be polite, I don’t want to be detailed—but I really do want that. If I’m honest, I really want the benefits of those things. And so I figure out games inside the middle that get me to where I want to be.” - Jon Acuff  “One of the soundtracks I use in my life is that fear comes free, hope takes work. You’ll never have to look for fear. It will find you. You’ll never have to look for stress or anxiety. They will find you. Hope takes effort. Positivity takes effort.” - Jon Acuff “The difference for me between a broken soundtrack, meaning a negative thought that’s running on a loop, and a prompting from the Holy Spirit, is often what it leads to. I think a prompting of the Holy Spirit leads to prayer, it leads to change, it leads to journaling, it leads to confession to a friend, it leads to plugging back into your small group.” - Jon Acuff “Your thoughts turn into actions, your actions turn into results. What you think becomes what you do, becomes what you get.” - Jon Acuff  “[My dad] didn’t know how it was going to end up, but he knew that being there every day and becoming my friend—he still is my best friend—was my only hope.”- Leland Vittert  “Everybody needs to feel like they have somebody who believes in them. For me, that was my dad. When I was diagnosed with autism, my dad said, ‘I don't know how this is going to turn out, but I have to try.’ I didn’t understand the word resilience as a kid. I now know how important it is, and it’s just not quitting.” - Leland Vittert “Hard work yields results. One is defined by character, not by accolades or achievements or personal wealth, but by who they are as a man.” - Leland Vittert “[My dad] had no expectations about the future, but there were standards, and the number one standard was about character and being a good person.” - Leland Vittert  “When I was diagnosed with autism, there was no therapist, there were no counselors, there were no accommodations. My parents didn’t tell anyone. They did not want me to be defined by a label or use a label as an excuse. Going to therapy on national television at forty-three years old and sharing the deepest, darkest, secrets of my life and darkest moments of my life is not a lot of fun, right? But it was worth it because it has given so many people hope.” - Leland Vittert _______________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7 [https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7]  Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw [https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw]  Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C [https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C]  Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj [https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj]  Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u [https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u]  What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj [https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj]  Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY [https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY]  ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jesuscalling/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/JesusCalling/] Twitter [https://twitter.com/Jesus_Calling] Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/Jesus_Calling/?eq=jesus%20calling&etslf=5858] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/c/Jesuscallingbook?sub_confirmation=1] Website [https://www.jesuscalling.com/] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@jesuscalling?lang=en] Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com [https://www.lifeaudio.com/] and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us [https://www.lifeaudio.com/contact-us].

[BONUS] Jesus Calling Scripture Study: The Book of Romans with J.D. Walt

Welcome to a special scripture-focused bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, where we take a look at the book of Romans with pastor and author J.D. Walt. J.D. walks us through Romans and how it illuminates a “darkness to light movement, chaos to love, and chaos to new creation.”   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/] Jesus Calling [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/] Jesus Always [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/jesus-always/] Jesus Listens [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/jesus-listens/]   J.D. Walt [https://www.jdwalt.com] Romans: From Sin Management to Love Unleashed [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310171709/?bestFormat=true&k=romans%20from%20sin%20management%20to%20love%20unleashed&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-bk-ww_k0_1_19_de&crid=2ETY34DCP3IG&sprefix=romans%20from%20sin%20man] The Book of Romans [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%201&version=NIV]   Interview Quotes: “The awakening that I was experiencing led me to understand that the Christian life and faith is not a good-to-great program. It’s a death to life movement. It’s a darkness to light movement. It is chaos to love, chaos to new creation, lost to love.” - J.D. Walt “Consecration, transformation, demonstration—that’s Romans in a nutshell. That’s a Christian life in a nutshell.” - J.D. Walt “In the early church, they had a saying: one Christian is no Christian. Certainly every person has to become a follower of Jesus, a believer themselves. But this is not like golf, it’s like football. It’s a team sport. We are made for community, we already are connected together.” - J.D. Walt “One of the greatest acts is simply being together in God’s Word, because it’s a Word that actually moves us towards each other. It moves us towards loving one another. Love must be sincere, Paul says in Romans 12.” - J.D. Walt “The opposite of sin is love. Love is the movement toward God and others. Sin is the retraction of self into its own world at the cost of worship of God and love of neighbor. We need a better understanding of love—love is not soft and fuzzy, it’s hard and real.” - J.D. Walt ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jesuscalling/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/JesusCalling/] Twitter [https://twitter.com/Jesus_Calling] Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/Jesus_Calling/?eq=jesus%20calling&etslf=5858] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/c/Jesuscallingbook?sub_confirmation=1] Website [https://www.jesuscalling.com/] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@jesuscalling?lang=en]   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com [https://www.lifeaudio.com/] and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us [https://www.lifeaudio.com/contact-us].

Beyond the Bottom Line: Michael Leach & David Meltzer Trust God’s Plan When Everything Is Lost

This week, we’ll hear from Michael Leach [https://www.instagram.com/mrmichaelleach/], who went from the high-pressure, competitive world of the NFL to navigating the intense landscape of national politics, ultimately becoming the first-ever Chief Diversity Officer in the White House. Leach reveals the defining moments—from simple childhood boundaries on the south side of Chicago to faith-led decisions that cost him his seemingly secure career—that prepared him for roles he never planned.  Later in the episode, we’ll hear from entrepreneur and business leader David Meltzer [https://dmeltzer.com/]. David opens up about growing up with intense financial insecurity, reaching extraordinary success—amassing over a hundred million dollars by age thirty—and the catastrophic moment he lost absolutely everything.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/] Jesus Calling [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/] Jesus Always [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/jesus-always/] Jesus Listens [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/jesus-listens/] Past interview: Cyndi Thomson [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/when-giving-back-is-more-important-than-getting-ahead-chris-blair-cyndi-thomson/] Upcoming interview: Jon Acuff [https://jonacuff.com/] Jesus Listens for Moms [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/jesus-listens-for-moms/]   Michael Leach [https://www.instagram.com/mrmichaelleach/] Chicago Bears [https://www.chicagobears.com/] Elevation Worship [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/the-gift-of-music-to-heal-our-broken-spirits-kelly-lang-and-chris-brown/]  Tauren Wells [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/a-counter-cultural-guide-to-joy-tauren-wells-out-of-eden/] www.myfaithoverfear.com [http://www.myfaithoverfear.com] Faith Over Fear [https://www.amazon.com/Faith-Over-Fear-Harnessing-Uncertainty/dp/0063442965/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2WF9FEXZRXCRD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wrCqx59ZQy1GEDOm5U_MhjLT8iVKNdmoAFlMiyAJ87bvQwzD8e0vK6H--hW-OZ7AzxvCU-0tFavH9inpXrAB6BLnWu6l40ek8k82fLw4XZ2o6w7JUyCcOEoZBWlB_XDxsvkUBCEfwSBhJRt8dddROWtrbsLQ0o7gScVwMEw--SY.0c0NsYy3bdkw2jwonBVV4waWG3wVfvQGyfcG-DXGnW0&dib_tag=se&keywords=faith+over+fear+michael+leach&qid=1774551785&sprefix=faith+over+fear+michael+leac%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-1]   David Meltzer [https://dmeltzer.com/] www.dmeltzer.com [https://dmeltzer.com/]   Interview Quotes: “I remember praying something I didn’t fully understand yet—that God would give me a life and a job that would help me change the world or my environment.” - Michael Leach “God sets boundaries, not to limit us, but to protect and prepare us.” - Michael Leach “Everyone communicates, but few connect. When you’re interacting with hundreds of people in high pressure environments, communication alone isn’t enough. Connection was what, for me, built trust.” - Michael Leach “One of the best ways to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. That’s where my commitment to servant leadership was formed.” - Michael Leach  “I left the NFL only because I believe God had called me to do so. I trusted that if He called me to unfamiliar territory that He would sustain me there also. And He did. I think we should never stop learning because life never stops teaching.” - Michael Leach  “It’s through our surrendering that God does His establishing—whether it’s in our career, our finances, our marriage, or our sense of control.” - Michael Leach  “I believe that everything you consume will eventually come out of you, for better or for worse—what you listen to, what you eat, what you view, what you watch. Even though things are going to come up, He’s always going to stay up and above what’s coming your way.” - Michael Leach  “I attributed all my success to how much money I made. Though success came early for me, I was trying to fill a God-sized hole with everything but God. And money doesn’t fill that hole.” - David Meltzer “If I could encourage anyone to make God their faith non-negotiable—whether it’s meditation or prayer, or just living in the divine direction of taking care of your sleep, your health, your family, and your faith every day—knowing that two minutes a day is worth two hours on a Sunday.” - David Meltzer  ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7 [https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7]  Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw [https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw]  Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C [https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C]  Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj [https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj]  Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u [https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u]  What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj [https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj]  Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY [https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY]  ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jesuscalling/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/JesusCalling/] Twitter [https://twitter.com/Jesus_Calling] Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/Jesus_Calling/?eq=jesus%20calling&etslf=5858] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/c/Jesuscallingbook?sub_confirmation=1] Website [https://www.jesuscalling.com/] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@jesuscalling?lang=en] Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com [https://www.lifeaudio.com/] and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us [https://www.lifeaudio.com/contact-us].

[BONUS] Jesus Listens Prayers For Every Season: Spring

Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional, Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today we are featuring guests who share stories of renewal, restoration, and the vibrant hope that comes with starting anew. Just as spring wakes the world from winter, you’ll hear from previous Jesus Calling podcast guests about how they found strength, peace, and restoration after periods of darkness and struggle.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/] Jesus Calling [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/] Jesus Always [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/jesus-always/] Jesus Listens [https://www.jesuscalling.com/books/jesus-listens/]   Alicia Michelle [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/empowering-recovery-through-belief-and-self-discovery-ian-morgan-cron-alicia-michelle/] Zim Flores [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/painful-endings-and-new-beginnings-zim-flores-kayla-stoecklein/] Dansby Swanson [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/the-restorative-power-of-connection-dansby-swanson-and-john-inazu/] Chris Janssen [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/rising-up-from-our-lowest-moments-benjamin-hall-chris-janssen/] Sonya Curry [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/god-helps-us-find-the-missing-peace-sonya-curry-sheila-walsh/] Dr. Dharius Daniels [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/lifting-each-other-up-changes-everything-dr-dharius-daniels-ron-hall/] ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jesuscalling/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/JesusCalling/] Twitter [https://twitter.com/Jesus_Calling] Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/Jesus_Calling/?eq=jesus%20calling&etslf=5858] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/c/Jesuscallingbook?sub_confirmation=1] Website [https://www.jesuscalling.com/] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@jesuscalling?lang=en] *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com [https://www.lifeaudio.com/] and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us [https://www.lifeaudio.com/contact-us].