Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

Even Christians Struggle with Addiction and Forgiveness: Jonathon M. Seidl & Yana Jenay Conner

This week, we welcome writer Jonathon M. Seidl [https://www.jonseidl.com/], who transparently shares his struggle with alcoholism. Jonathon opens up about how he turned to alcohol as a solution to his problems, the breaking point moment when he realized something needed to change, and the real, raw, honest circumstances that led him to healing.  Later in the episode, we’ll hear from author Yana Jenay Conner [https://www.yanajenay.com/]. She shares her personal experience of learning to forgive deep wounds from her family and friendships, highlighting the crucial difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. She also reveals the daily spiritual practices that sustain her heart in the midst of ongoing pain.   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: Jeanne Lakin [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/forgiveness-can-heal-our-deepest-wounds-jeanne-lakin-randy-hartley/] Upcoming interview: Michael Leach [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-leach-07334a15/]   Jonathon M. Seidl [https://www.jonseidl.com/] Morning And Evening by Charles Spurgeon [https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/morning-and-evening/today] www.jonseidl.com [http://www.jonseidl.com] Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic [https://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Christian-Alcoholic-Conversation-Addiction/dp/0800747305]   Yana Jenay Conner [https://www.yanajenay.com/] www.yanajenay.com [https://www.yanajenay.com] Living Beyond Offense [https://www.amazon.com/Living-Beyond-Offense-Doing-Forgiveness/dp/0736990348]   Interview Quotes: “I’m the Christian that became an alcoholic, not the other way around. I think what’s unique about my story and a lot of people’s stories is the shame that comes with being a Christian who falls.” - Jonathon M. Seidl “I think what’s unique about my story—and what I think is actually a lot of people’s stories but we don’t talk about enough—is that as Christians, we can still and do fall into sin.” - Jonathon M. Seidl “I finally got to the point where the Lord was like, ‘Jon, if there’s not the chance of it costing you something, it’s not a sacrifice—like the definition of sacrifice is that it has to cost you something.’ Okay, here we go. And so, here we are. I decided, Alright, Lord, I’m just going to put this in Your hands. I’m going to tell my story.” - Jonathon M. Seidl “I finally got to the point where the Lord was like, ‘Jon, if there’s not the chance of it costing you something, it’s not a sacrifice—like the definition of sacrifice is that it has to cost you something.’ Okay, here we go. And so, here we are. I decided, Alright, Lord, I’m just going to put this in Your hands. I’m going to tell my story.” - Jonathon M. Seidl “I think we think in order to have a problem with something, it has to look a certain way. That actually kept me drinking a lot longer and in an unhealthy relationship a lot longer because I said, ‘Well, I’m not doing this. I don’t look like this.’ And yet, especially if you look at the Bible, anything that occupies an unhealthy place in our life is disordered.” - Jonathon M. Seidl “We can follow Jesus and know what’s right and yet still struggle to do it.”  Jonathon M. Seidl  “My goal is for you to have a deeper, more enriching, relationship with Jesus. And that takes care of not just the sobriety, but it takes care of the anger, it takes care of the pride, it takes care of the selfishness, and all those other things that you need to work on as well.” - Jonathon M. Seidl “I think it wasn’t until I was in my early twenties that I really allowed myself to feel the ache of my dad’s absence and to really take stock of how not having him in my life was really impacting how I moved in the world.” - Yana Jenay Conner  “I am trying to create space for people to be human and to mess up and not hold them to standards of perfection that I can’t even reach.” - Yana Jenay Conner  “The thing that keeps me moving towards forgiveness is remembering the forgiveness that I’ve received. I’m learning that the power to forgive comes from remembering the grace and the mercy that I have received.” - Yana Jenay Conner “Forgiveness is releasing them of their debt and not retaliating against them in anger. We make this decision out of mercy, because people don’t deserve forgiveness, but we offer it to them freely because forgiveness was offered to us freely.” - Yana Jenay Conner  “He’s always inviting us to be in His presence. And I can confess that on the days where I choose to not accept that invitation, it shows in how I show up in the world.” - Yana Jenay Conner  ________________________ 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].

[JESUS LISTENS MONTHLY SERIES] Marriage Prayers Part 2: Turning Our Conflict Into Connection with Dr. Dan Allender & Dr. Steve Call

What if conflict in your marriage could become a doorway to deeper connection? In this episode of “Jesus Listens,” Dr. Dan Allender and Dr. Steve Call return to explore how fear, self-protection, and past wounds often show up in the way we relate today, through the lens of their book “The Deep-Rooted Marriage.”    Guest’s Links YouTube: @AllenderCenter [https://www.youtube.com/@AllenderCenter]Facebook: @allendercenter [https://www.facebook.com/allendercenter] Instagram: @reconnectmarriage [https://www.instagram.com/reconnectmarriage] | @allendercenter [https://www.instagram.com/allendercenter] Watch this interview on our YouTube channel! https://bit.ly/4iw2xPu [https://bit.ly/4iw2xPu]    ________________________  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] Jesus Calling 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].

[BONUS] The Promise of Easter Every Day with Courtney Hope

Welcome to a special Easter bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast. In this episode, we welcome actress and mental health advocate Courtney Hope as she shares about her personal experiences with OCD and anxiety. She also gives us an inside look at her latest project—a four-part Easter audio podcast called The Christ—in which she explores the stories of the Easter season, particularly of Jesus’ Mother, Mary, and how this exploration has led to a deeper understanding of her own relationship with God.    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/]   Courtney Hope [https://www.instagram.com/thecourtneyhope/%20%7C%20] The Christ Podcast [http://thechristpodcast.com/]   Interview Quotes: “Diving into the journey of Jesus’ Mother Mary and her heart and her story, I got an answer from God, which is everyone’s got their own journey. Mary had to trust in her heart that there was a plan and a purpose in Jesus’ journey, and that the suffering and the triumph was worth it in the end.” - Courtney Hope “I’ve always seen myself as a vessel for storytelling through God. I want people to feel less alone, I always sit in silence and see whose hearts I’m trying to speak to.” - Courtney Hope  “The more I dove into my faith and I sat with God, I realized that we can’t control what happens in life, but we can be open to the experience of what God has in store for us.” - Courtney Hope  “Sometimes if we sit in stillness, we get the answers that we need.” - Courtney Hope “God is a prince of peace, not the God of fear. The closer I am to God, the calmer I find my heart is.” - Courtney Hope “It’s so easy to turn to God when times are rough, but we forget when times are great to give thanks and gratitude and praise.” - Courtney Hope ________________________  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].

Loved Beyond Performance: RobertAnthony Cruz & Christine D’Clario

*This episode contains content that may be triggering for some listeners.* This week, we welcome RobertAnthony Cruz [https://www.instagram.com/coach.rac/], known to many as Coach RAC. RobertAnthony is a professional baseball player with the Savannah Bananas [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/trusting-god-with-the-glorious-and-the-ordinary-michael-iskander-christian-dearman/], a former minor league athlete, and a mentor to thousands of young people through sports camps and social media. But beyond the flips on the field and the packed stadiums, Coach RAC has wrestled with anxiety, fear of failure, and the pressure to prove himself. Today, he shares how learning to root his identity in God’s unchanging love, rather than outcomes or approval, has transformed the way he competes, leads, and lives. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Christine D’Clario [https://christinedclario.com/en/], who takes us behind the music and the platform into the hidden places of her story. From a childhood shaped by unspoken trauma with years of learning how to hide pain in the name of faith, Christine shares how postpartum depression became the breaking point that forced her to confront what she had carried for far too long.    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: Dr. Sasha Shillcutt [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/rooting-our-identity-in-christ-brandi-rhodes-dr-sasha-shillcutt/] Upcoming interview: Jonathon M. Seidl [https://www.jonseidl.com/]   RobertAnthony Cruz [https://www.instagram.com/coach.rac/] Coach RAC [https://coachrac.com/] Savannah Bananas [https://thesavannahbananas.com/] ESPN [https://www.espn.com/search/_/q/savannah%20bananas] Psalm 1 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%201&version=NIV] Jared Orton [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/faith-that-takes-us-beyond-the-ordinary-jared-orton-rachel-g-jordan/] Christian Dearman [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/trusting-god-with-the-glorious-and-the-ordinary-michael-iskander-christian-dearman/]   Christine D’Clario [https://christinedclario.com/en/] postpartum depression [https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postpartum-depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20376617] Philippians 4:6-7 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=philippians%204%3A6-7&version=NIV] John 16:33 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2016%3A33&version=NIV] www.ChristineDClario.com/en [http://www.christinedclario.com/en] Healing in the Desert [https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Desert-Finding-Journey-Brokenness/dp/0830791493]   Interview Quotes: “When you make it your aim to serve your teammates and do that, it becomes such a beautiful thing, and you find so much more fulfillment in it. I’ve had to learn to detach my sense of peace and joy from the results and instead play from a place of gratitude and see how I can serve my teammates well.” - RobertAnthony Cruz “God created us to be part of the body, so we’re supposed to be connected to each other. When you can experience competition while being deeply connected to your teammates, it ends up being such a beautiful and fun thing.” - RobertAnthony Cruz “The older I get, the more I realize that God is our friend. He wants a relationship with us, and a healthy relationship requires spending time. I think that having daily rituals and prayer time are so important for you to cultivate this relationship with God.” - RobertAnthony Cruz “It took me being 100% dysregulated in my body, in my emotions, in my mind, to understand that the spirit alone cannot carry the weight of all the other areas.” - Christine D’Clario  “There was just so much compounded on each other that when I reached the moments of deep despair, I couldn’t understand that God was actually extending me an opportunity to look inward and fix those things that needed healing.” - Christine D’Clario  “I learned to hide the pain, stuff it down, because we had a lot of work to do at church. It took me a really long time to finally admit that I was broken.” - Christine D’Clario “It takes people who have been through brokenness to have the authority to pull others that are in it out of it.” - Christine D’Clario “When everybody else discards what is broken as garbage, the Lord stays. If you’re in the rut and it’s muddy and it’s dirty and it stinks, He’ll sit with you in the mud and the dirt and the stink and the rut. He’ll stay, He’ll hold you, and He will patiently wait with His inviting arms for the moment that we feel strong enough to take the step of faith, get up, and start healing.” - Christine D’Clario  ________________________ 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].

From Breaking Point to Breakthrough: Nathan Davis Jr. & Tim Timmons

This week, we speak with Nathan Davis Jr. [https://www.iamnathandavisjr.com/], an actor, singer, and songwriter whose career has taken him from church choirs to television screens and viral music platforms. But behind the success is a deeply personal story of loss and faith. After losing his little brother to suicide and enduring a season of overwhelming grief, Nathan found himself at a breaking point, until a quiet, honest cry to God changed everything.  After we hear from Nathan, we talk with Tim Timmons [https://www.timtimmonsmusic.com/], a songwriter and founder of the nonprofit 10000 MINUTES [https://www.10000minutes.com/]. Based in Nashville, his insightful music and ministry were profoundly shaped by an unexpected diagnosis of incurable cancer twenty-five years ago. Tim shares his journey of wrestling with faith’s biggest questions, the power of praying his songs, and how he’s learned to hold the tension between deep sorrow and profound gratitude.   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: Chris Tomlin & Darren Whitehead [https://www.jesuscalling.com/video/chris-tomlin-darren-whitehead-unlock-the-mystery-in-praising-god/] Upcoming interview: RobertAnthony Cruz [https://www.instagram.com/coach.rac/]   Nathan Davis Jr. [https://www.iamnathandavisjr.com/] www.IAmNathanDavisJr.com [http://www.iamnathandavisjr.com] “Woke Up This Morning” [https://open.spotify.com/track/0T22HzueBkYKi1whnS1YiN] *Nathan will be the first R&B Christian/inspirational artist to perform at the 2026 Rolling Loud Festival in Orlando, Florida on May 10th!   Tim Timmons [https://www.timtimmonsmusic.com/] 10000 MINUTES [https://www.10000minutes.com/] Switchfoot [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/reflecting-our-makers-love-surfer-bethany-hamilton-and-switchfoots-jon-foreman/] Bart Millard from the band MercyMe [https://www.jesuscalling.com/podcast/hurts-gods-healing-mercymes-bart-millard-actor-jim-caviezel/] “Even If”  [https://open.spotify.com/track/5Hx4hsqJb4bhieL1zmSuwj] I Can Only Imagine 2 [https://icanonlyimagine.com/] www.timtimmonsmusic.com [http://www.timtimmonsmusic.com]   Interview Quotes: “You go through your Jonah phases where you’re running away from your purpose because you’re afraid and you get distracted, and God has an interesting way of bringing you back around.” - Nathan Davis Jr. “The best way to honor [my brother] is to just be a better version of myself. To keep his name alive by speaking to kids and speaking to people that deal with depression and mental health situations and continue to help and to give back and to just love and show as much love as I can.” - Nathan Davis Jr. “I’m just blessed that God gave me another chance and that He’s forgiven me and showed me a lot of mercy and grace and that He’s utilizing me.”- Nathan Davis Jr. “All I could think about was waking up in the morning and praying to God and walking with Him on my walks, and His presence just felt so calm. I just felt so loved and validated and just reassured.” - Nathan Davis Jr. “Fear pays attention to facts, but faith pays attention to the Father. As long as our eyes are on God—no matter how many storms or chaos or whatever is going on—we’re going to walk on water.” - Nathan Davis Jr.  “I felt abandoned. Rejected. Depressed. I remember having a moment where all I could say was, ‘This pain is terrible. God, I need you.’ And for the first time, I felt like I had a spiritual encounter with God.” - Nathan Davis Jr.  “I wish I could say I have it all figured out, but I don’t. But at some point I remember saying, ‘Okay, God, I don’t know how all this works, but I think Your way is the most beautiful way I can see.’”  - Tim Timmons “Living as though something is true—that’s the actual definition of to believe. It’s like this verb of faith, I’m believing as though this is true. So it really became a sobering moment for me to say, ‘Okay, I’m going to bet my one and only life on you, Jesus. So You lead on.’” - Tim Timmons “Somehow, I got to wake up again this morning. Because of that, I’m just going to find gratitude for this day. This is the day that You have made, God. I will rejoice and be glad in the fact that You woke me up again. Even in the midst of sorrow, You woke me up. So how do I join You well today? I would not be the man I am today or the husband or the dad or the follower of Jesus I am today without sorrow.” - Tim Timmons  “I’m trying to figure out how to live with the idea of saying, ‘Life is hard. This thing is really hard. It sucks, period. I’m so sorry for this. And what if God is actually good and He’s at work even in the middle of the fire?’ I want to be the guy living as though these both can exist and I can hold the tension of these two—that God is good and life’s hard and God’s good.” - Tim Timmons  “We get good at what we practice and we get good at who we’re with. One of the definitions of worship is attention. What has your attention? In the way that we’re actually starting our day or ending our day or during our day, we’re saying, ‘Jesus, you have my attention.’” - Tim Timmons ________________________ 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].