Just Talkin' About Jesus

Jan Johnson
  • 5.0 (15)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A place with real people sharing their real faith. What was the moment when you first realized how real Jesus is? Tell me about your But God moment. Have you had moments when you were so low you could only rely on your faith? What makes you joyful when the rest of the world isn't? These are a few of the questions that lead my interviews. Once a month we have a roundtable chat with a few people about a topic.

  1. "Mary, It's Me"—Finding Jesus in the Middle of Your Grief

    6D AGO

    "Mary, It's Me"—Finding Jesus in the Middle of Your Grief

    Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! The Trouble with Jesus Easter isn't just a holiday — it's a story about getting up when grief has pinned you down.  In this episode, Jan and guest Constance Hastings walk through the resurrection accounts in John 20 and Matthew 28, exploring the raw human emotions of that first Sunday morning.  Why did Mary Magdalene not recognize Jesus at first?  Why did the disciples go back to fishing?  And what does it mean that Jesus called her name — Mary — in the middle of her weeping?  Constance, author of "The Trouble with Jesus," brings warmth, honesty, and deep scriptural insight to these questions, including why it's okay to say "Lord, I believe — help my unbelief."  A beautiful episode for anyone carrying grief, doubt, or hope this Easter season. Isaiah 55:8–9 (NLT) "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/it-happens License code: 1VGTL4IFRH9CMKAU Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/monument-music/tears-of-joy License code: P0TCMFWPYAIEW94V 0:00 Opening Reflection — How Do You Rise in the Morning? 1:05 Welcome & Introduction 1:41 The World We're Living In — Grief, Anxiety & Shaken Ground 2:48 Scripture Reading — John 20:1–18 (Mary at the Tomb) 4:44 Scripture Reading — Matthew 28:1–10 (The Angel & The Women) 6:07 The Women's Grief — Going in Faith Without Answers 8:42 "Why Get Out of Bed?" — The Depth of Their Loss 9:11 They Watched Him Raise Lazarus — Why Couldn't They Grasp It? 10:06 Was It Literal or a Metaphor? The Question Then and Now 11:15 The Empty Tomb Wasn't Enough — They Needed to Encounter Jesus 11:50 Christmas Parallels — Angels to the Outsi Welcome to Just Talkin' About Jesus. I'm Jan Johnson, a seasoned believer who loves relationships and, you know, just talkin' about Jesus. Here you will find testimonies of those who God has changed through his grace. Stories of feeling unworthy because of being sex trafficked, or of radical redemption of a woman who grew up with abuse, neglect, abandonment and drugs. A story of an abortion survivor. This and more. Lean in now. Sometimes it's just better to read the podcast content.  You might not have your ear buds, or it's not a good time to listen, but you can grab a few minutes to read the gist of the episode. Not only is a lot of the podcast content in the newsletter, there are also photos and links to the guests information. There's also content and photos of me and what going on in my life. https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus https://jan-johnson.com/ https://justtalkingaboutjesus.com/ https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus Thanks for listening! If you have a story to tell, check out the form on my website- justtalkingaboutjesus.com. I'd love to connect with you! No, really.... hit me up!

    44 min
  2. Jesus, Passover and the Final Cup with Lon and Ryan Wiksell

    MAR 28

    Jesus, Passover and the Final Cup with Lon and Ryan Wiksell

    Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! To celebrate Episode 100, host Jan revisits one of her most meaningful conversations — a deep dive into Passover and its profound connection to Easter and the Christian faith. Joining her are Dr. Lon Wiksell and his son Ryan Wiksell, a father-son duo of ordained Christian ministers from very different faith traditions — Messianic Judaism and the Episcopal Church — who together founded Our Father Abraham to help Christians understand the Jewish roots of their faith. In this rich conversation, Lon and Ryan walk us through the Passover Seder's four cups, rooted in Exodus 6, and reveal how the Last Supper wasn't a new event but a fulfillment — and continuation — of Passover. You'll discover why the Last Supper has never actually ended, how Psalm 118 was being sung by Jesus and his disciples on the night of his arrest, and what the Marriage Supper of the Lamb has to do with a Seder meal. Lon and Ryan also discuss their new book trilogy, The Passover Trilogy, beginning with The Last Seder of James — a fiction/nonfiction hybrid that imagines the final night of James, the brother of Jesus, through the lens of Passover. Jan closes the episode with a reading of Psalm 118 — the very psalm Jesus and his disciples sang together before going to the Mount of Olives. 🌿 Whether you're new to Passover or have celebrated it for years, this episode will leave you with a richer, more layered understanding of just how deeply the Old and New Testaments are woven together. 🔗 Find Lon and Ryan at ourfatherabraham.com https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3ADr.%2BLon%2BA.%2BWiksell&s=relevancerank&text=Dr.+Lon+A.+Wiksell&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1 Welcome to Just Talkin' About Jesus. I'm Jan Johnson, a seasoned believer who loves relationships and, you know, just talkin' about Jesus. Here you will find testimonies of those who God has changed through his grace. Stories of feeling unworthy because of being sex trafficked, or of radical redemption of a woman who grew up with abuse, neglect, abandonment and drugs. A story of an abortion survivor. This and more. Lean in now. Sometimes it's just better to read the podcast content.  You might not have your ear buds, or it's not a good time to listen, but you can grab a few minutes to read the gist of the episode. Not only is a lot of the podcast content in the newsletter, there are also photos and links to the guests information. There's also content and photos of me and what going on in my life. https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus https://jan-johnson.com/ https://justtalkingaboutjesus.com/ https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus Thanks for listening! If you have a story to tell, check out the form on my website- justtalkingaboutjesus.com. I'd love to connect with you! No, really.... hit me up!

    40 min
  3. Step Out Anyway: What It Really Means to be Courageous

    MAR 21

    Step Out Anyway: What It Really Means to be Courageous

    Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! In this rich and honest conversation on Just Talkin' About Jesus, host Jan sits down with friends Lynn Shortman and Luba Shalya to talk about something every believer wrestles with — courage. Together, these three women unpack what courage really looks like in the life of a Christian: not the absence of fear, but the willingness to act in faith anyway.   Luba shares the courage it took to launch an online women's prayer group for Oregon, the grief of losing two children, and how speaking God's Word over her life — even 100 times a day — carried her through some of the hardest seasons imaginable. Lynn reflects on her Abraham-like leap of faith in 1977, packing up and driving across the country with no plan, which ultimately led her to meet God in a new place. Jan adds her own story of choosing life and integrity in the face of an unplanned pregnancy.   The conversation goes deep into biblical examples of courage — Job's unwavering trust through catastrophic loss, Esther's surrender as she walked before the king declaring "if I perish, I perish," and Mordecai's refusal to bow. Woven throughout is a powerful thread: the more intimately you know God, the more courageous you become. https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/flow-state License code: U8LCZSJQYF0FUAP6 0:00  Welcome — Introducing Lynn & Luba 0:44  How Lynn & Luba Met Through Glory of Zion Ministry 2:38  It Took Courage to Start — Luba's Story 3:08  Defining Courage: Biblical & Practical 4:10  What Held Luba Back — Stepping Into the Unknown 6:14  The Blessings That Followed — Lynn's Perspective 6:59  Getting to Know Each Other: Community & Connection 9:13  When God Tells You to Do Something — Trust the Step 9:53  Lynn's Courageous Moment: An Abraham-Like Journey 11:39  Courage Gives Way to Faith — Finding God in Oregon 12:00  Jan's Story: Choosing Courage During an Unplanned Pregnancy 13:03  The Courage to Trust God Through Mistakes 14:38  Biblical Characters Who Showed Courage: Job & Joshua 15:09  Luba on Job — Suffering, Loyalty & Surrendering to God 18:32  Welcome to Just Talkin' About Jesus. I'm Jan Johnson, a seasoned believer who loves relationships and, you know, just talkin' about Jesus. Here you will find testimonies of those who God has changed through his grace. Stories of feeling unworthy because of being sex trafficked, or of radical redemption of a woman who grew up with abuse, neglect, abandonment and drugs. A story of an abortion survivor. This and more. Lean in now. Sometimes it's just better to read the podcast content.  You might not have your ear buds, or it's not a good time to listen, but you can grab a few minutes to read the gist of the episode. Not only is a lot of the podcast content in the newsletter, there are also photos and links to the guests information. There's also content and photos of me and what going on in my life. https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus https://jan-johnson.com/ https://justtalkingaboutjesus.com/ https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus Thanks for listening! If you have a story to tell, check out the form on my website- justtalkingaboutjesus.com. I'd love to connect with you! No, really.... hit me up!

    47 min
  4. From Chaos to Kenya with Ashley Davis

    MAR 14

    From Chaos to Kenya with Ashley Davis

    Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! Helping Hands International In this powerful episode of Just Talkin' About Jesus, host Jan Johnson sits down with Ashley Davis — a woman whose childhood was marked by domestic violence, abandonment, addiction, and trauma.  Ashley takes us on a raw and redemptive journey from growing up in chaos in Washington State, to finding faith through a godly young man in Seaside, Oregon, to becoming a devoted wife, mother, children's ministry leader, and missionary to Kenya, Africa.  Ashley shares how God drew her to Himself even before she knew Him, how He transformed her marriage, and how He gave her a heart for the nations — fulfilling a dream she dared to hold as a teenage girl. If you've ever felt forgotten, broken, or unworthy of love, this episode is for you. Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/dan-phillipson/moments License code: AWMMVCHCGOXAXQX4 Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/sonder-house/fading-sun-marcus-heier License code: 5HG1G45SCHMVZGYB https://uppbeat.io/t/jonny-easton/warming-light License code: EUXRWYWTFRNQMRXO Welcome to Just Talkin' About Jesus. I'm Jan Johnson, a seasoned believer who loves relationships and, you know, just talkin' about Jesus. Here you will find testimonies of those who God has changed through his grace. Stories of feeling unworthy because of being sex trafficked, or of radical redemption of a woman who grew up with abuse, neglect, abandonment and drugs. A story of an abortion survivor. This and more. Lean in now. Sometimes it's just better to read the podcast content.  You might not have your ear buds, or it's not a good time to listen, but you can grab a few minutes to read the gist of the episode. Not only is a lot of the podcast content in the newsletter, there are also photos and links to the guests information. There's also content and photos of me and what going on in my life. https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus https://jan-johnson.com/ https://justtalkingaboutjesus.com/ https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus Thanks for listening! If you have a story to tell, check out the form on my website- justtalkingaboutjesus.com. I'd love to connect with you! No, really.... hit me up!

    36 min

  5. MAR 7

    Swallowing Sunshine: Finding Joy with Brenda Savanhu and Marti Darcangelo

    Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! What does it feel like to truly encounter God's joy?  In this episode of Just Talking About Jesus, Jan Johnson, Marti Darcangelo, and Brenda Savanhu gather around a powerful quote from Methodist missionary E. Stanley Jones —  "When I met Christ, I felt that I had swallowed sunshine" —  and let it spark a rich, honest conversation about choosing joy even in the darkest seasons.  From King Jehoshaphat's battle cry to Moses glowing on the mountain, from Paul writing from prison to personal stories of desert seasons and breakthrough moments, this episode is a reminder that joy isn't just a feeling — it's a choice, a gift, and a witness to the world.  Come swallow some sunshine with us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA3RVuyf_3w&list=RDlA3RVuyf_3w&start_radio=1 Welcome to Just Talkin' About Jesus. I'm Jan Johnson, a seasoned believer who loves relationships and, you know, just talkin' about Jesus. Here you will find testimonies of those who God has changed through his grace. Stories of feeling unworthy because of being sex trafficked, or of radical redemption of a woman who grew up with abuse, neglect, abandonment and drugs. A story of an abortion survivor. This and more. Lean in now. Sometimes it's just better to read the podcast content.  You might not have your ear buds, or it's not a good time to listen, but you can grab a few minutes to read the gist of the episode. Not only is a lot of the podcast content in the newsletter, there are also photos and links to the guests information. There's also content and photos of me and what going on in my life. https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus https://jan-johnson.com/ https://justtalkingaboutjesus.com/ https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus Thanks for listening! If you have a story to tell, check out the form on my website- justtalkingaboutjesus.com. I'd love to connect with you! No, really.... hit me up!

    32 min
  6. "Were My Wounds Not Enough For You?" — Nakesha's Story of Abuse, Addiction & Radical Redemption

    MAR 1

    "Were My Wounds Not Enough For You?" — Nakesha's Story of Abuse, Addiction & Radical Redemption

    Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! What happens when a child raised in severe abuse — physical, sexual, and spiritual manipulation — somehow hears a quiet voice saying you are meant for more?  Nekesha's story is one of the most remarkable testimonies of redemption you'll ever hear. Growing up with a father who twisted scripture to justify abuse, Nekesha found herself homeless, addicted, and self-harming as a teenager — convinced she wasn't worth saving.  But God had other plans. Nekesha shares how a therapist's secret act of kindness, and a husband who barely believed in anything became the unlikely threads God used to weave her back together.  She opens up about forgiving her mother — and eventually welcoming her into her home.  About a 13-year battle with infertility that ended in surrender, and then a miracle. About finding her identity not in diagnoses or therapy labels, but in the image of God. This is a story about what it looks like when the Lord doesn't just heal you — He transforms you.  2 Corinthians 12:9 | 2 Corinthians 5:17  https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ Insta: @justtalkinaboutjesus https://jan-johnson.com/ https://justtalkingaboutjesus.com/ Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/the-summit License code: YEMOID7DEYZIE4N3 0:00 - Introduction & Nekesha's Story Preview 1:01 - Growing Up: Faith, Family, and a Father's Abuse 2:02 - The Darkness at Home: Physical and Sexual Abuse 3:23 - Baptism, the Holy Spirit, and Being Sealed by God 4:01 - Redemption of the Mother-Daughter Relationship 5:00 - Leaving Home at 15: Marriage, Streets, and Addiction 5:43 - Self-Harm and the Voice That Said "You Are Mine" 6:05 - Meeting Zach: God Redeems Even the Messy Moments 7:45 - The Ultimatum: Get Healthy or Lose the Relationship 8:06 - The Therapy Session That Cracked Everything Open 8:38 - The Verse That Changed Everything: 2 Corinthians 12:9 9:11 - Including God in the Healing Journey 9:44 - "Were My Wounds Not Enough For You?" — The Night Self-Harm Ended 10:53 - Zach's Journey from Atheism to Faith 11:21 - Selling Everything, Buying an RV, and Leaving Tennessee 13:57 - Finding a Church That Fed Welcome to Just Talkin' About Jesus. I'm Jan Johnson, a seasoned believer who loves relationships and, you know, just talkin' about Jesus. Here you will find testimonies of those who God has changed through his grace. Stories of feeling unworthy because of being sex trafficked, or of radical redemption of a woman who grew up with abuse, neglect, abandonment and drugs. A story of an abortion survivor. This and more. Lean in now. Sometimes it's just better to read the podcast content.  You might not have your ear buds, or it's not a good time to listen, but you can grab a few minutes to read the gist of the episode. Not only is a lot of the podcast content in the newsletter, there are also photos and links to the guests information. There's also content and photos of me and what going on in my life. https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus https://jan-johnson.com/ https://justtalkingaboutjesus.com/ https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus Thanks for listening! If you have a story to tell, check out the form on my website- justtalkingaboutjesus.com. I'd love to connect with you! No, really.... hit me up!

    43 min

  7. FEB 21

    Chosen for the Fire: Finding Purpose in Your Hardest Season with Angie Clayton and Ruth Cowles

    Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! "What if the hardest thing you're walking through isn't happening TO you—but FOR you? What if you were actually chosen for this season?" This isn't your typical "chosen" conversation—it's a paradigm shift about surrender, submission, and the sacred journey of trusting a faithful God even when nothing makes sense. In this deeply moving episode of Just Talking About Jesus, Jan welcomes Angie Clayton (compiler of the book Chosen: Sacred Journeys with a Faithful God) and Ruth Cowles for an honest conversation about what it really means to be chosen by God—especially in the seasons that break you. For show notes, scriptures, and updates on the book release, visit https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." John 15:16 "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." 00:00 - Welcome & Introduction  00:38 - What Does "Chosen" Really Mean?  00:50 - Introducing the Book: Chosen: Sacred Journeys with a Faithful God  01:51 - Angie's Story: Chronic Illness & the Refiner's Fire  03:29 - Changing Your Attitude Changes Everything  04:34 - Open Hands vs. Clenched Fists  05:05 - Ruth's Story: Chosen to Submit  06:23 - When You're Both Right: Navigating Marriage Decisions  09:24 - The Little Girl Who Found Her Forever Family  11:06 - Did We Hear God Wrong?  12:15 - How Submission Strengthened Their Marriage  13:20 - Jan's Story: Another Adoption Journey  14:29 - Avoiding Resentment When Plans Change  17:16 - Jan's Healing: Sexual Trauma & Vindication  21:45 - The Vision That Changed Everything  22:37 - Beauty FOR Ashes, Not FROM Ashes  23:25 - Angie's Foster Care Journey Begins  24:34 - Trauma, Broken Child Welcome to Just Talkin' About Jesus. I'm Jan Johnson, a seasoned believer who loves relationships and, you know, just talkin' about Jesus. Here you will find testimonies of those who God has changed through his grace. Stories of feeling unworthy because of being sex trafficked, or of radical redemption of a woman who grew up with abuse, neglect, abandonment and drugs. A story of an abortion survivor. This and more. Lean in now. Sometimes it's just better to read the podcast content.  You might not have your ear buds, or it's not a good time to listen, but you can grab a few minutes to read the gist of the episode. Not only is a lot of the podcast content in the newsletter, there are also photos and links to the guests information. There's also content and photos of me and what going on in my life. https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus https://jan-johnson.com/ https://justtalkingaboutjesus.com/ https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus Thanks for listening! If you have a story to tell, check out the form on my website- justtalkingaboutjesus.com. I'd love to connect with you! No, really.... hit me up!

    43 min
  8. Thriving in the Barren Place: When God Meets You in the NICU with Paula Romang

    FEB 14

    Thriving in the Barren Place: When God Meets You in the NICU with Paula Romang

    Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! What happens when the Christian life you imagined doesn't match the reality you're living?  When the prayers aren't answered the way you hoped?  When suffering becomes your daily companion? Paula Romang thought that if she just did all the things and checked all the boxes, God would deliver her version of the wonderful Christian life on a silver platter. Good Christians don't suffer. What she found out was that lie wasn't true. Paula Romang shares her raw, beautiful, heartbreaking journey of raising twin boys—one healthy, one with severe special needs and a terminal seizure disorder. Paula discovered that God doesn't promise an easy road—but He promises to never leave us on it. Isaiah 43:2  "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." Paula Romang's website 0:26 Paula's Beauty for Ashes Story Begins 0:36 The Infertility Journey & IVF Process 1:38 Pregnancy Complications Begin 2:16 Matthew's Struggles Become Clear 3:16 Emergency Delivery Decision 3:37 The Twins Are Born 4:37 Paula's Christian Foundation 5:29 Faith Forced Into Action 6:18 Living with Heart & Apnea Monitors 7:21 The Exhausting Feeding Schedule 8:21 Shattered Expectations 8:51 "Good Christians Don't Suffer" - The Lie 9:31 Learning We Are Not in Control 11:00 Crisis of Faith & Wrestling with God 11:52 The Truth About Quiet Times 12:31 The Day She Turned Off the TV 13:34 Truth Pouring Into Her World 14:23 Christians DO Suffer - Biblical Truth 15:12 The Growing Disparity Between the Boys 16:05 Diagnosis: Developmental Delay 16:54 Matthew's First Seizure at 18 Months 17:25 The Ambulance in the Driveway 18:26 "I Will Never Leave You" 19:32 Moses & the Tent of Meeting 20:24 Learning to Trust at New Levels 20:42 Walking the Rope Bridge of Faith 22:13 The Barren Place - Book Title Origin 23:13 Christianity is Relationship, Not Religion 24:18 Finding a God Who is Tender & Terrify Welcome to Just Talkin' About Jesus. I'm Jan Johnson, a seasoned believer who loves relationships and, you know, just talkin' about Jesus. Here you will find testimonies of those who God has changed through his grace. Stories of feeling unworthy because of being sex trafficked, or of radical redemption of a woman who grew up with abuse, neglect, abandonment and drugs. A story of an abortion survivor. This and more. Lean in now. Sometimes it's just better to read the podcast content.  You might not have your ear buds, or it's not a good time to listen, but you can grab a few minutes to read the gist of the episode. Not only is a lot of the podcast content in the newsletter, there are also photos and links to the guests information. There's also content and photos of me and what going on in my life. https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus https://jan-johnson.com/ https://justtalkingaboutjesus.com/ https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus Thanks for listening! If you have a story to tell, check out the form on my website- justtalkingaboutjesus.com. I'd love to connect with you! No, really.... hit me up!

    38 min
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About

A place with real people sharing their real faith. What was the moment when you first realized how real Jesus is? Tell me about your But God moment. Have you had moments when you were so low you could only rely on your faith? What makes you joyful when the rest of the world isn't? These are a few of the questions that lead my interviews. Once a month we have a roundtable chat with a few people about a topic.

Information

  • Creator
    Jan Johnson
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Just Talkin' About Jesus
  • Show Website
    Just Talkin' About Jesus