Regardless of the career path you chose, the level of education you have, who you married or didn’t marry, or what you’ve accomplished in life, you hold priceless value in God’s eyes. The timeless verse from  brings us comfort that God gave His Son for us—and that no matter what, He died for our sins, and because of that sacrifice, we will have eternal life.&nbsp; This week’s guests remind us that God’s unconditional love applies in all circumstances.  and  have written a new book called  where they encourage young people to explore their God-given emotions toward a healthier mental space.  has experienced the unique challenges of being a pastor in a small town, and has felt the pull toward something he perceived as bigger or better. But the years in small-town ministry have changed his heart, and he’s seen how it’s possible to make a huge impact in small spaces. &nbsp; Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:     Past interview:  Upcoming interview:   &nbsp;  &nbsp; &nbsp;      &nbsp; &nbsp;    &nbsp; Interview Quotes: “I truly believe that when God is involved in the healing process with trauma and when we can use His Word, there's just an additional life-giving factor that a counselor can bring. Because we can bring the presence of God, we can bring the hope of God in the form of the Holy Spirit to someone who's hurting.” - Michelle Nietert “David expressed feelings of anger, rage, depression, distress, fear, as well as joy and happiness and thankfulness. He expressed so many emotions, and God called David—this man expressing how he felt—a man after His own heart. So if David can be a man after God's heart and express his emotions freely to the Lord, so can I. “ - Lynn Cowell&nbsp; “There's such a spectrum of emotions, and we want children to learn that they can turn to God to share their emotions with Him—and teaching children that God made these emotions and He can help them to process these feelings, even the most uncomfortable ones.” - Lynn Cowell “I think one of the healthy coping skills we have to teach our kids before they ever encounter trouble is how to hold on to hope, how to become resilient, and how to persevere through difficult times.” - Michelle Nietert “There is nothing you are going to face that you and God can't handle together.” - Michelle Nietert “I think settling that this is where God's put me for the foreseeable future has really helped me stop looking for greener grass somewhere else and helped me stop complaining about where I was, either internally or out loud. It just helped me to resolve, to be content that this is where God wants me.“ - Donnie Griggs “What we model is that the community we have is because of what Jesus has done for us. And when you look around the room on a Sunday morning, it should feel like nothing about this makes sense except for Jesus and the way that we care for each other.” - Donnie Griggs ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bonus Podcasts: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:&nbsp; &nbsp; Peace for Everyday Life: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Peace in Uncertain Times: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; What’s Good? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Enneagram: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ________________________&nbsp; Connect with Jesus Calling

You’re Valued in God’s Eyes, No Matter What: Lynn Cowell, Michelle Nietert, & Donnie Griggs

Fathers can be quite the influence in our lives—sometimes positively, and sadly, sometimes negatively. No matter where we stand with our earthly fathers, we can know that we matter to God the Father. There’s a verse in  that contains this promise from God: “I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people… and I will be your father, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord God Almighty.” This promise is available to everyone who calls out to their Father God.&nbsp; This week’s guests were blessed to have loving relationships with their fathers, and in turn have become fathers who pray for their children, and teach them about the love of their heavenly Father.&nbsp; shares about the challenges and triumphs of his NFL career, and also about the challenges and rewards of being a father—and how he prays for his children daily.  and his daughter, Rae Anne, open up about how to navigate seasons of change in the father/daughter relationship to maintain a strong and loving bond over the years.&nbsp; &nbsp; Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:     Past interview:  Upcoming interview:   &nbsp; &nbsp;       &nbsp; &nbsp;   &nbsp; Interview Quotes: "I look back now and see that God is so much bigger than our circumstances. What I thought was a dead end ended up being really a tremendous path that set me on a dream course to go where I was hoping to go. So I look back now and realize, Lord, you've got a plan. It's not always going to be as straight and easy as I would like it to be, but I’ve got to trust you." - Kirk Cousins “It had to be God's hand leading my life, which is what it should all be about, that He gets the glory and not us.” - Kirk Cousins “I found that what's so powerful about the Jesus Calling resources is that no matter what you're walking through circumstantially that's unique to you, so many times the message of that day's word can apply to what you're dealing with. It's powerful the way that it can speak so specifically to people's situations. “ - Kirk Cousins “When I pray for opportunities to share my faith, God answers and provides those opportunities. So between praying for it, being ready for it, and then trying to walk it out on a daily basis, I think it becomes a great opportunity to treat a locker room almost like a mission field, if you will.” - Kirk Cousins “I think it's important that you shine your light in such a way that other people would start to think about how they can be generous as well.” - Kirk Cousins “I think the key to all relationships that span the course of decades, which of course a father daughter relationship will, is understanding that both people are going to evolve and change. And the key is to evolve together, and to embrace that you're evolving.” - Rae Anne Payleitner &nbsp; “It should be as if your faith runs through you like a thread through a needle, so that everything you do is stitched with it.” - Rae Anne Payleitner “You want your daughter to have her own faith, because she can't get to heaven, she can't be her best self, if she is piggybacking on your faith. She has to own her own faith.” - Jay Payleitner&nbsp; ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bonus Podcasts: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:&nbsp; &nbsp; Peace for Everyday Life: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Peace in Uncertain Times: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; What’s Good? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Enneagram: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ________________________&nbsp; Connect with Jesus Calling

Trusting The Father Who Will Always Be There: Kirk Cousins & Jay and Rae Anne Payleitner

Sometimes the people we least expect to make a difference in the world are the ones that show up in ways we never thought possible, and are used by God in big ways to draw others to Him.&nbsp;  had been sentenced to life in federal prison, but she didn’t let it define her. She consistently clung to her faith and then became a minister to other prisoners—despite the tragic circumstances—and she is now an active criminal justice reform advocate. While following anti-human traffickers in Southeast Asia to film a documentary,  witnessed the crippling heartache victims faced, and saw how God can bring hope and healing to anyone, anywhere.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:     Past interview:  Upcoming interview:  &nbsp; &nbsp;      &nbsp;    &nbsp; &nbsp;  &nbsp;    &nbsp; &nbsp;  &nbsp; Interview Quotes: “I knew that the Lord was with me, because I had peace even standing there [in the courtroom] that I can't even explain to this day how I could be calm hearing that sentence, that executed sentence of death being pronounced over me.” - Alice Marie Johnson&nbsp; “I asked the Lord, ‘Please show me my purpose in this. Show me what you have for me in this. There's got to be more than this. If You could use me in prison, use me wherever I am, Lord. Let my life stand for something.’” - Alice Marie Johnson&nbsp; “I know that it was a sovereign hand of God. For someone to see me as a human being worth a second chance, worth redemption, I know that it was God.” - Alice Marie Johnson&nbsp; “Going on the journey [following anti-traffickers in Asia] was actually in some ways so simple, because I had to be so dependent on God. I had to be so dependent on just getting every little opportunity, appreciating it, and if I made a mistake, I had to learn from the lesson.” - Christina Zorich&nbsp; “I realized the simplicity of the experience really helped guide me and made my life just simpler in a way. Because when you're doing something for the first time, that wide-eyed openness makes you appreciate things and value things. And the experience and the journey changed me in many ways.” - Christina Zorich&nbsp; ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bonus Podcasts: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:&nbsp; &nbsp; Peace for Everyday Life: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Peace in Uncertain Times: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; What’s Good? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Enneagram: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ________________________&nbsp; Connect with Jesus Calling

Hope Can Come From Our Broken Stories: Alice Marie Johnson & Christina Zorich

On this bonus episode of Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer, we’re talking to country music singer/songwriter Aaron Watson, who shares how an injury to his vocal chords necessitated a need for him to come off the road and rest his voice–with no guarantees that his voice would return. Aaron tells us how scary it was to consider that he may not sing again, but how he chose to trust that God would provide for him, and how he was motivated to tell others about God’s grace in a new way.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Guest’s Links Facebook:  Twitter:  Instagram:  ________________________&nbsp; Connect with Jesus Calling       &nbsp; *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*

[MONTHLY SERIES] Resting on Faith During Seasons Of Waiting: Aaron Watson

There are no guarantees that we won’t face heartache and disappointment in life. But God guarantees that there is deep meaning in all the seasons of our life, and that grief can eventually give way to joy. This is reiterated in scripture, where in , it says “You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” Whether we are grieving the loss of a person, or experiencing disappointment that we haven’t found what we’re looking for in life, God will find a way to bring us beauty from the ashes.&nbsp;&nbsp;  is a two-time Dove Award nominee whose music has made its way into the hands of artists like  and . Cravity faced the tragic loss of his son and made a stunning discovery about God and music during his deepest sadness.  thought she was living her dream as a news anchor, but always felt that she was made for something more. With the encouragement of her husband Kyle, Leslie stepped away from her news job and went on to create an online community that helps women in times of need——and found what she’d been meant to do all along.&nbsp; &nbsp; Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:     Past interview:  Upcoming interview:   &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;        &nbsp;      &nbsp; Interview Quotes: “Of course, as a parent, you never want to become a bereaved parent. You never want to deal with loss, but what I can say now on the other side is that God has given me beauty for ashes, that He's given me a garment of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness, that He has turned despair into dancing, and I'm thankful for that.” - Jimi Cravity “I remember there were Sundays where all I could do was just go into the service and I would just go to the altar and kneel and weep. And it was in those moments that I felt very near to Christ, that I felt very near to God, that I felt the nearness of His Spirit, that I felt strength, that I felt Him in those moments of bowing and kneeling at the altar there.” - Jimi Cravity&nbsp; “The Bible says that God is near to those who are brokenhearted. And I think it's really clear to feel that when you feel blessed, when everything is going your way, when you feel like you're on top of the world–but it's challenging to feel that and remember that when you are experiencing loss and when you're experiencing some of the darkest days that you could possibly experience.” - Jimi Cravity&nbsp; “I remember driving around for my lunch breaks and I would call my mom. I would call her every day and I'd say, ‘Something is missing. I'm not where I'm supposed to be.’” - Leslie Means “I knew that God had such a bigger plan for this [Her View From Home website], something that I could never even fathom. And I remember specifically being like, ‘Okay, God, I'm going to keep going on this site as long as you want me to.’” - Leslie Means ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bonus Podcasts: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:&nbsp; &nbsp; Peace for Everyday Life: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Peace in Uncertain Times: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; What’s Good? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Enneagram: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ________________________&nbsp; Connect with Jesus Calling

A Time to Grieve, A Time to Heal: Jimi Cravity & Leslie Means

In celebration of —a country music festival that takes place in Nashville, Tennessee—we’ve got a special episode showcasing country music and faith. We’ll revisit some favorite episodes from country singers who share their stories of heartache, joy, struggles and success–—and how they trusted God through it all, including interviews with , , , , , and . &nbsp; Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:     Past interviews:&nbsp;, , , ,  Upcoming interview:   Samaritan’s Purse: &nbsp; &nbsp;  &nbsp;   &nbsp;    &nbsp;  &nbsp;   &nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp; &nbsp; Interview Quotes: “I moved to Nashville and God said, ‘Here you go, here's your career.’ And from that moment on, I made writing songs important and I made being authentic in my songwriting important, because I feel like that is the only way to connect with your fans.” - Brett Young “God was calling me to be a light out into the world.” - Lathan Warlick&nbsp; “I never felt abandoned. I never felt like God wasn't there. I always knew any time that I wasn't feeling God, it was because that was of my own doing. God is everything to me. Jesus is everything to me. You know, it's always been that way.” - Tayla Lynn “If you believe like we do that God is sovereign, then [our son] River had three years on this Earth and all of our days are numbered and we have to surrender to that and accept that. And then just do the next best thing to try to move forward to still continue to grow our faith.” - Granger &amp; Amber Smith “I'm one of those people that can look back and say, honestly, my dreams have more than come true.” - Travis Tritt&nbsp;&nbsp; “When I don't have anything else to pray about, I just stop and I say, ‘Thank you, God, thank you. I don't know what's coming next. I don't know how I'm going to do this, but I just want to say thank you.’” - Susie McEntire-Eaton ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bonus Podcasts: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:&nbsp; &nbsp; Peace for Everyday Life: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Peace in Uncertain Times: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; What’s Good? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Enneagram: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ________________________&nbsp; Connect with Jesus Calling

Country Music & Faith: The Stage, the Songs, and the Soul

Even though it may not feel like it, grief can be a source of great hope. The way that we react against what is wrong comes from a deep desire for things to be made right. Our loss may actually lead to healing and restoration. The Bible assures us that better days are coming when God Himself will wipe every tear from our eyes. “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,” it says in Revelation, “for the old order of things has passed away.” () Our guests this week have walked through deep and unexpected grief and what even seemed like unfair losses.  uncovered a shocking secret about his father’s death while he was still in college, one that illuminated the sometimes overbearing religious convictions of his mother. Yancey shares how he dove into his family’s origins and how he ultimately found healing from what he calls “toxic faith.” After nearly thirty years of marriage,  lost his dear wife, Amy, to cancer. Mike turned to scripture to help him get through the day and to cope with processing his grief—and even today, he sees how grief and joy can coexist. &nbsp; Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:     Past interview:  Upcoming interview:  Samaritan’s Purse: &nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp;   &nbsp;   American c        &nbsp;         Interview Quotes: “When you grow up in a church environment, it's easy to learn how to behave, how to give a testimony, how to pray, how to do the things that look spiritual. And then one day you wake up and wonder, Is this just a learned behavior pattern that I have, or is it genuine? Am I really connecting to the God of the universe?“ - Philip Yancey “I started looking for people who were made larger by their faith.“ - Philip Yancey “Don't just give up on God because of the way God may have been presented to you. It's worth that quest to try to find who God really is and to find that God loves you. And God indeed does imagine a role for you on this earth that no one else has. That's why we were created. We were created in God's image to reflect something of God back to others.” - Philip Yancey “There's nothing that you can do to get God to love you more. No amount of spiritual calisthenics, no amount of trying to be more spiritual than everybody else—there's nothing you can do for God to love you less.” - Philip Yancey “God wants to remake us in a way that's good for us. God wants to restore us. God wants to give us a calling, a reason for being, a reason to live on this planet, and grace is the attitude that God has toward us all the time.” - Philip Yancey “I understand that God is really who He said He was, just like I thought He was before, in the moments of great joy and in the moments of great sorrow. And He is always near in the moments of great joy, and when it gets hard, He doesn't step back and run away. He'll just stand there and stay with you.” - Mike Nappa&nbsp; “The grief that we have is not something to be thrown aside any more than love would be thrown aside. The grief that we have is something to visit and understand and take value and take benefit from.” - Mike Nappa “I don't have to be consumed by grief. It can just be part of who I am as I also experience joy and happiness.” - Mike Nappa ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bonus Podcasts: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:&nbsp; &nbsp; Peace for Everyday Life: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Peace in Uncertain Times: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; What’s Good? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Enneagram: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ________________________&nbsp; Connect with Jesus Calling

When Our Losses Take Us To Healing: Philip Yancey & Mike Nappa

On this bonus episode of Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer, we’re talking with the head of faith-based partnerships at Facebook, preacher, and author Nona Jones about why we often compare ourselves to other people and their accomplishments, using that as a marker of our worthiness, and how she has had to deliberately learn to refocus her mind on her spiritual value as God’s beloved child.&nbsp; &nbsp; Guest’s Links Facebook:  Instagram:  ________________________&nbsp; Connect with Jesus Calling       &nbsp; *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* &nbsp;

[MONTHLY SERIES] Securing Our Identity in Christ: Nona Jones

Belief is a crucial factor in personal growth and success. It fuels our determination, inspires resilience, and empowers us to overcome challenges. When we trust what is true we are less influenced by the opinions and judgments of others, which can often be hindered by their own limitations or biases. The object of our faith and belief must be sound, reliable, and constant. When we define our worth by a divine standard instead of the perceptions of others, we find greater self-confidence, authenticity, and ultimately, fulfillment. This week, author and registered dietitian  shares her philosophy on having a “full and fed” life where we resist what society tells us is “healthy,” and decide that the bodies God gave us, no matter their size or shape, are miraculous. Author and preacher  shares how she defied the voices that told her that she was “prone to fail” by believing her status as a child of God would bring her a true definition of success. &nbsp; Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:     Upcoming interview:  Samaritan’s Purse: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp; &nbsp;    &nbsp;     &nbsp;   Interview Quotes: “It's important to have a healthy relationship with food so we can actually feed ourselves, so we can have the energy to go out and connect with others and take care of those we love around us and do our jobs. We have to be fed to live this life well.” - Leslie Schilling&nbsp; “My hope is that people realize that it's never wrong to feed yourself and that we are diverse by design so we can move into more of a fed and full life.” - Leslie Schilling&nbsp; “Diet culture has made us not trust our bodies and not believe that body diversity is by design.” - Leslie Schilling&nbsp; “I think connecting with God daily helps us have a healthy mindset. If we really think about what healthy means, it's our own definition of healthy and not the world's definition of healthy. And for me, that's starting my day with time with God.” - Leslie Schilling “I think pursuing health in a way that aligns with our individual values can help us spiritually by being fed. If you are living a fed life and not a restricted one, you can do more.” - Leslie Schilling&nbsp; “No matter what I walked into, no matter what people said, no matter what my test scores evaluated me as, I knew that I was a child of God, and with God on my side and a whole lot of work, you can step into the God call upon your life with or without a traditional educational story or a traditional story of how you were raised.” - Bianca Juarez Olthoff “We all love an underdog story, but I think it was more the Spirit of God reminding us of our truest identity, that we have a good Father who hears us and loves us.” - Bianca Juarez Olthoff&nbsp; “This idea of grit, this idea of resilience, this idea of perseverance has been something that has been fostered and fought for in my life.” - Bianca Juarez Olthoff&nbsp; “Our God is the God who redeems. If the situation is not good, then God is not done, that is the perspective that we need. That perspective allows us to be gritty.“ - Bianca Juarez Olthoff ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bonus Podcasts: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:&nbsp; &nbsp; Peace for Everyday Life: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Peace in Uncertain Times: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; What’s Good? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Enneagram: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ________________________&nbsp; Connect with Jesus Calling

Nurturing Faith and Filtering Harmful Voices: Leslie Schilling & Bianca Juarez Olthoff

Hope holds great significance in our lives and can shape our attitudes, behaviors, and outcomes. As hope affects our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, the absence of it can cause adverse results. For Christians, hope is not merely a positive emotion or wishful thinking but is deeply rooted in faith and trust in God's promises. Life is hard, but we don't have to give in to hopelessness. Though seasons of grief and sadness will come, it is possible, as Paul says in the Bible, to be “Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (). This week, we’ll hear from neurosurgeon , who shares about what hopelessness can do to our minds and spirits, how he wrestled with the idea that we can have a hard life and still have an abundant life, and what he did to cope after tragically losing his son.  shares about the devastation she experienced when her son was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and how by keeping God at the center, she was able to hang on to hope for herself and her son. &nbsp; Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:     Past interview:  Upcoming interview:  Samaritan’s Purse: &nbsp;  &nbsp;       &nbsp;   &nbsp;     &nbsp; Interview Quotes: “I was trying to figure out how to be a good doctor to people when I couldn't save [my patients], and how to be a good brother in the Lord to people when I couldn't save their bodies.” - Dr. W. Lee Warren “The last thing I heard my son say in this life was, ‘I love you.’” - Dr. W. Lee Warren “I had to say, ‘God, this doesn't feel like refinement. It feels like you're burning me up.’ But if I want to move forward in my life, I'm going to have to find some way to redeem this time and make something out of it that [my son] Mitch could be proud of.” - Dr. W. Lee Warren&nbsp; “What happens with the gift of time, as time passes, God opens your eyes in a new way, and the light comes back on a little bit and you start being able to see ways in which those promises are actually true.” - Dr. W. Lee Warren&nbsp; “Tragic events happen in our lives, and the bad news is they happen to all of us, but the good news is there really is a way back.” - Dr. W. Lee Warren&nbsp; “We heard the news that [our son Stephen] was going to be sentenced to a very long prison term, and it was really hard. So we just had to do what we had been doing up to that point when we heard the news, which was to just turn to God and say, ‘Okay, God, you can still work a miracle here.’” - Lily Taylor “[Our son Stephen] started getting a little bit of joy back because he started to feel that presence, get comfort and peace from the fact that God was so big, so loving, so amazing that nothing that he was facing was going to be impossible to face.” - Lily Taylor&nbsp; “Your destiny is not defined by what you did, a detour is not your destiny. Your destiny is whatever God says it is, and your job is just to be faithful to whatever light He gives you on your path today.” - Lily Taylor&nbsp; “God showed us that there's absolutely nothing that He can't use for good. God hears those prayers. It may not look like anything good in the natural, but in God's economy, He is covering it and He does hear our prayers and He does answer our prayers.” - Lily Taylor ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bonus Podcasts: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:&nbsp; &nbsp; Peace for Everyday Life: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Peace in Uncertain Times: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; What’s Good? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Enneagram: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ________________________&nbsp; Connect with Jesus Calling

Finding Our Way Back From Hopelessness: Dr. W. Lee Warren & Lily Taylor

We all struggle with insecurities and feeling like we aren’t enough. But we serve a God who loves us regardless of how much we love ourselves. And He can still use us, even when we don’t feel equipped. , lived much of his life from a place of low self-esteem, always comparing himself to others and wishing he looked different. But he had a special and unexpected moment with God when he realized that God doesn’t just love him—He likes him, too. That realization helped Mike begin to appreciate himself and his own special gifts, refreshing his perspective and perception of God. , knows that more than anything, our character counts, even more than what others might think about us. He shares how we can cultivate strong character, and why standing for what we believe in holds a greater reward than getting approval from someone else.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:   &nbsp;   Past interview:  Upcoming interview:  &nbsp;        &nbsp; &nbsp;       &nbsp; Interview Quotes: “I just never felt like I belonged in front of people. However, worship would give me an opportunity to disappear and still do what I love.” - Mike Weaver “The way I thought other people were accepting me is how I was able to accept me. The way I thought other people were liking me is how I gave myself permission to like me.” - Mike Weaver "I was telling God this long list of things that I hated about myself, and then that still, small voice of the Holy Spirit interrupted: 'Michael, why don't you let Me tell you what I think about you for once?'" – Mike Weaver “Jesus came in and He bailed me out again. He did it again. He broke through for me. And He always is the hero of my story. And so I was just like, ‘God, how amazing that You can bring this [song] out of self-hatred. That's how great of a Redeemer You are.’” - Mike Weaver, on the success of his song, “Redeemed” “We have experienced Him in such incredible ways in that place of need, realizing, Jesus, we need You.” - Mike Weaver “When God looks at us, He's not looking at our mistakes. He is looking at what Jesus has done on our behalf and our identity. Our entire identity is rooted not in our imperfection, but the perfection of Jesus Christ applied to our life.” - Mike Weaver “At the end of the day, at the end of your life, character is everything.” - James Merritt “Character is not taught, it's caught. And the best teachers of character are parents.” - James Merritt “I think it all begins with saying, ‘You know what? Character is more important to me than my reputation. It really is the essence of who I am.’” - James Merritt “At the end of your life, it really won't matter what anybody thought about you. The only thing that will matter is what God knew about you.” - James Merritt ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist:  Video Playlist:  What’s Good? Playlist:  ________________________&nbsp; Connect with Jesus Calling

When We Don’t Love Ourselves, God Still Does: Mike Weaver and James Merritt

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