Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith Sarah Young

When we face self-doubt, we may find ourselves not believing in our own innate abilities, or we might even decide to turn away from our aspirations in the belief that we’re not “good enough” to get where we want to be. When we willfully stop listening to the voices that tell us we can’t do it, and replace our fears with faith, a transformative effect takes place that allows us to believe in ourselves again and realize that our dreams are worth chasing. 
Our first guest is the multi-talented Taraji P. Henson. Taraji is not only a renowned actress but also a dedicated mother, philanthropist, author, director, and producer. Though Taraji had dreams of becoming an actress, early rejection caused her to question herself, and move in a different direction. It took the words of her trusted father to remind her what she was made for, and to find the courage to chase her dreams. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from actress and filmmaker Sope Aluko. For over two decades, Sope built a successful corporate career. However, the passion for acting never left her. After the loss of her parents, and a time of personal reassessment, she awakened the dream in her heart and decided to pursue her first love of acting.
 
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: Brett Young
Upcoming interview: Chris and Lindsey Wheeler
Jesus Listens Notetaking Edition
 
Taraji P. Henson
Duke Ellington High School of the Performing Arts
North Carolina A&T
The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation
You Can Be A Good Friend
 
Sope Aluko
Black Panther
Parkinson's Disease
Chadwick Boseman

 
Interview Quotes:
“I could go anywhere and make friends with anyone, because I came from a great foundation of love. And when you have that foundation, you can turn negatives into positives.” - Taraji P. Henson
“God did an amazing thing by putting us on this earth. We're all humans and we all look different. And it is our charge, as humans on this earth, to learn how to get along.” - Taraji P. Henson 
“I keep God close to me at all times, and I'm constantly in communication with God at all times. I'm nothing without God, like, the fact that I'm here? I'm blessed and I know why.” - Taraji P. Henson 
“These roles that I booked, every single time I would pray to God, I said, ‘Lord, let it be a role that really speaks to me, that resonates with me.’” - Sope Aluko
“It's amazing how God works because He is a planner and He planned every single detail ahead of me.” - Sope Aluko
________________________
Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7 
Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw 
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C 
Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj 
Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u 
What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj 
Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY 
________________________ 
Connect with Jesus Calling
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
YouTube
Website
TikTok

The most valuable life lessons often emerge from our most difficult circumstances. While these experiences give us insight into our own lives, they also provide meaningful stories to share with others and point them towards God, who can ultimately give them comfort through their darkest moments. 
This week, we’ll hear from Jesse Hutch, a Canadian-born American film and television actor, who recalls how a near-death experience taught him the peace that comes from fully trusting in God’s control and the importance of using scripture and prayer to ground your beliefs. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Randy Frazee, author of The Story, which arranges the Bible chronologically so that readers can experience it as one, whole narrative. He shares how his journey through depression deepened his empathy and reliance on God, and how he now uses this experience to support others facing similar struggles.

 
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: Jeff Allen
Upcoming interview: Taraji P. Henson
 
Jesse Hutch
Hebrews 4:12 NIV

 
Randy Frazee
The Story
Philippians 1:3-6 NIV
www.randyfrazee.com
The Joy Challenge



Interview Quotes:
“It really is a miracle that I'm alive, and I owe all that to God.” - Jesse Hutch
“You still have an option. If you're still breathing, if you're still above ground, you have an option, and that option is to completely give it all over to God, because that honestly is the most peaceful place you can be.” - Jesse Hutch 
“I'm very interested in the human heart. I think God made it very unique and it's awesome and it's amazing and special. And so I can go play a character that I've never done in real life, and yet I can understand hurt and pain and sadness, joy, jealousy, and all these different emotions that we all go through at times, and you bring that to the table.” - Jesse Hutch 
“God has this beautiful way of never taking you back on the same trail you walked on. He always brings you back to Him in a new, fresh way.” - Jesse Hutch  
“I really am mindful to stop and to speak into the life of somebody, whether it's a kid or an adult, a person who is discouraged, because that speaking vision into them, what you see, could really change the outcome of their life.” - Randy Frazee 
“I think it's important for people to realize that the feelings of anxiety or depression are not sinful. These are emotions that God has given us to alert us and to allow us to go through seasons of difficulty.” - Randy Frazee 
“He is going to carry us along. He's going to encourage us. He's going to walk us through it. And He factors in our weakness in selecting us.” - Randy Frazee 
“God offers us in our relationship with Jesus, a joy that's despite our circumstances, despite other people, despite our past, and a level of joy that can actually defeat worry in our lives.” - Randy Frazee 
“God is writing a story. And you are a character in that story, He deeply loves you and He wants you to look up. And if you look up, He promises that everything is going to turn out just all right for you, it’s going to turn out great for you, and He wants to give you His joy.” - Randy Frazee
________________________
Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7 
Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw 
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C 
Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj 
Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u 
What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj 
Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY 
________________________ 
Connect with Jesus Calling
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
YouTube
Website
TikTok

There is an intricate dance between the difficulty of making changes in our lives and a profound trust in God to guide us through. When we have to make the decision to leave something behind and start anew, there is an emotional toll and a fear of the unknown. However, there is much to be learned from endings and new beginnings, and how sometimes we end up finding peace in the midst of our turmoil. 
Emily P. Freeman is a spiritual director and author who hosts The Next Right Thing Podcast. Emily shares practical thoughts on how to navigate change, taken from her new book, How to Walk Into A Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away. Stephanie May Wilson is a Tedx speaker, author, and podcaster who speaks to young adults who are facing crucial years where they will make some of their biggest life’s decisions, and advises them on how they can faithfully move forward by trusting God with their questions and their fears. 

 
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: Reba McEntire
Upcoming interview: Jesse Hutch
 
Emily P. Freeman 
The Next Right Thing Podcast
How to Walk Into A Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away
 
Stephanie May Wilson
Tedx speaker
Create A Life You Love



Interview Quotes:
“I have a lot of compassion for anyone who is standing in the threshold of a room that they have been in for a really long time, and maybe feel a really deep sense of belonging, to walk out of that room into something that could be amazing and beautiful, but something that also might come with some risk.” - Emily P. Freeman 
“In reality, there is both beautiful and terrible in probably every space that we're in. And so if we decide to walk away, I think it's so good to do it with our eyes wide open, not just at the hesitations, but also to the gifts, so that we're having a truer experience of not only the room, but also our leaving of it.” - Emily P. Freeman
“I truly believe God is always aware of us, that God is fully love and fully attentive and and God will not let us miss our own future. Which means that as I make my decisions, I'm not making them in a room by myself.” - Emily P. Freeman
“Even if I make a move in a direction that turns out terrible and I learn something from it, God was still with me. And in that move, I am becoming someone. Because what is infinitely more important than the decision that I make, ultimately, is the person who I am becoming as I make my decisions.” - Emily P. Freeman 
“True peace is not the absence of discomfort or conflict, but it is an inner brokenness and an inner wholeness and an inner knowing that even though chaos may be all around me, I can still be aligned with what I know and who I am, I can live in congruence with my own core values, with my true identity, with the common good, with my life and God.” - Emily P. Freeman
“The ‘everything era’ really is this super tricky period of time where a bunch of different forces are pushing and pulling us in different directions, and where I think it leaves us constantly feeling like we're falling short and falling behind.” - Stephanie May Wilson
“I don’t know that I knew that I got to participate in my life. I felt like there was one exact right way to do it, and I had to figure it out. And if I couldn't figure it out, then I was going to mess it all up. And I think that that's a really big lie that I had to combat.” - Stephanie May Wilson 
“I started to learn that a beautiful life isn't one size fits all, and that there are a whole bunch of different ways that life can be lived, that are all right and beautiful and good and God-approved.” - Stephanie May Wilson 
________________________
Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7 
Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw 
J

On this episode of Jesus Listens, we hear from Evan Craft, a singer-songwriter who discovered the importance of loving and serving others during a mission trip to Mexico. Through his music, Evan now spreads messages of hope and love while raising awareness for causes like homelessness. 

 
Guest’s Links
Evan Craft’s Facebook: @evancraftmusic
Evan Craft’s Twitter: @EvanCraft
Evan Craft’s Instagram: @evancraft
________________________ 
Connect with Jesus Calling
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
YouTube
Jesus Calling Website
TikTok
 
*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*
 

*Content Warning: This episode mentions suicide and depression and may not be suitable for all listeners.*
We all carry scars, both visible and invisible, that life's challenges leave behind. Far from permanently marring us, our scars can become sites of incredible healing and strength when we open ourselves to faith.This faith doesn't erase the pain or revert the past, but transforms our relationship with our scars. It encourages us to see them not as symbols of hurt but as markers of healing and resilience: vibrant signs of what we've overcome through faith.
Lauren Green is a seasoned journalist and the chief religion correspondent for Fox News Channel. Exploring the intricate intersection of religion and journalism, Lauren found herself reporting on stories ranging from everyday news to the profound mysteries of faith that shaped her perspective on communication and human connection. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Carrie Sheffield, whose troubled, nomadic childhood eventually gave way to a season of academic success and achievements, where her agnostic beliefs were challenged by a quest for deeper meaning.

 
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: Jana Monroe
Upcoming interview: Emily P. Freeman
Jesus Calling for Graduates
 
Lauren Green 
Fox News Channel
Miss America Pageant 
Medill School of Journalism
AME church
Light For Today
 
Carrie Sheffield
Harvard Kennedy School of Government
You Are The Universe
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
Curt Thompson
Motorhome Prophecies
 
Interview Quotes:
“When I became a journalist, it was as if I was trying to translate from one language to another. I was trying to find words to communicate something that I only felt in music.” - Lauren Green
“That is one of the challenges for living in a very secular world, is understanding and seeing God in the everyday.” - Lauren Green 
“Everyone is made in God's image. So first and foremost, whoever they are, whatever they've done, you have to see them first as someone made in God's image.” - Lauren Green 
“You cannot know God's will for your life unless you read His words.” - Lauren Green
“I kind of took pride in what I thought was being humble about being a shoulder shrugger, but part of why I did not believe in God was because I just felt anger toward if there was a God, why would He put me in such a horribly abusive family that eventually led three of my siblings to attempt suicide? That I would think about suicide and have depression and PTSD and anxiety for many years? Why would God do that?” - Carrie Sheffield 
“Mathematically and statistically and probabilistically, it actually takes a lot more faith to believe in random chance than in some type of divine order.” - Carrie Sheffield
“I think trusting that God can help us to do differently and to choose differently, and to know that He wants differently for us, that takes faith.” - Carrie Sheffield
________________________
Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7 
Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw 
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C 
Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj 
Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u 
What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj 
Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY 
________________________ 
Connect with Jesus Calling
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
YouTube
Website
TikTok

When things get tough, and it feels like hope is barely hanging on, it always helps to remember we’re not alone. Haven’t we all benefited from a friend or a loved one who reached out, was able to lend an ear, or who was just there for us when we were going through a rough patch? It's amazing how a little kindness and understanding can bring us back to life. In Ephesians from the Bible, we are instructed to “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. [Ephesians 4:32]” We might never know how the smallest kindnesses we show could have a life-changing impact on those who receive it.
Our first guest is Willie Robertson, the CEO of Duck Commander and a familiar face from the Duck Dynasty television series. Willie shares a story about the transformative power of being there for one another—about a minister who showed up for his father, Phil, in one of his darkest hours—and how it inspired a new found faith that would eventually turn his life, and the lives of his family, in a new direction. We’ll also hear from Ben Fuller, a Nashville-based singer/songwriter, who faced addiction in his youth and early twenties. When he lost a close friend to addiction, Ben’s future seemed destined for a similar, dismal outcome. But a family who’d known Ben as a child decided to take him under their wing, invited him to church, and Ben found the hope he’d been looking for all his life.  



Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: Delilah
Upcoming interview: Lauren Green
Ephesians 4:32 NIV
Jesus Calling for Moms 
Grace for the Moment for Moms
Jesus Calling for Graduates 
 
Willie Robertson
Duck Commander 
Duck Dynasty television series
John 4 NIV
fruit of the Spirit
Gospeler
 
Ben Fuller
Romans 10:9 NIV
“If I Got Jesus”
 
Interview Quotes:
“If you talk to someone and they change their lives, all that could be generational change for them, for their children, for their grandchildren. And all that could take place just by telling someone a story.” - Willie Robertson 
“Whether I'm studying the Bible with someone and trying to teach someone, or if I'm just literally trying to figure out some of the answers to life, I always just go into the Bible and see what it says.” - Willie Robertson
“What I find is when you share your faith, when you do that a lot, it starts fixing a lot of the other problems that you may have in life anyway.” - Willie Robertson 
“In a moment [during my first time at church] hearing music and worship and seeing everyone's hands in the air and just feeling the Holy Spirit tangible in the room, it was like, This is what I've been looking for.” - Ben Fuller 
“My Savior, His last few days on earth, He's washing filthy feet and He's spending His night with a leper. That's the Savior that saved my life.” - Ben Fuller 
“It's amazing how when I don't open the Word of God, or if I'm not constantly seeking His presence, if I'm not constantly asking Him to guide me, to lead me, to just walk with me, it's amazing how upset I'll get, how short tempered I'll get, how quick I am to forget.” - Ben Fuller 
________________________
Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7 
Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw 
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C 
Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj 
Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u 
What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj 
Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY 
________________________ 
Connect with Jesus Calling
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
YouTube
Website
TikTok