Just Talkin' About Jesus

Jan Johnson

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. From Chaos to Kenya with Ashley Davis

    6D AGO

    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 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!

    37 min
  2. 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 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!

    33 min
  3. "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 Them Real Scripture 14:44 - College, Victim Culture, and a Radical Wake-Up Call 15:45 - Discovering Identity in the Image of God (Imago Dei) 16:28 - When Mental Health Becomes an Idol 17:08 - The Beatitudes: More Counsel Than Any DSM 18:01 - Anchoring Identity in Christ Amid Cultural Chaos 19:34 - Balancing Therapy with Biblical Truth 21:01 - How God Speaks: Through His Word, Prayer, and Confirmation 24:18 - The Power of a Prayer Journ 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
  4. 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 Children & the Call to Adopt  26:45 - The Heartbreak of Disrupted Adoption  27:53 - Two Failed Adoptions & God's Perfect Plan  29:32 - Nothing Is Ever Wasted  30:19 - Believing You Were Chosen for the Hard Stuff  32:01 - Other Ways We're Chosen: Estrangement, Death, Blame  33:23 - When God Chooses, He Enables (Moses at the Burning Bush)  34:25 - Jesus: The Ultimate "Chosen"   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
  5. 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 & Terrifying 25:20 Getting as Close to God as Possible 25:50 Matthew's Special Needs Journey Continues 26:21 Lennox Gastaut Diagnosis 27:19 First Near-Death Experience at Age 10 28:10 The Feeding Tube & Hospice Decision 28:47 Matthew Wants to Be Home 29:02 Singing Him Home with Hymns 29:17 Everything Paula Wanted for Matthew 29:28 We Grieve with Hope 29:39 Advice for Special Needs Parents 30:37 Scripture is Where You'll Find Help 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!

    39 min
  6. Forgiving the Unthinkable: An Abortion Survivor Speaks

    FEB 7

    Forgiving the Unthinkable: An Abortion Survivor Speaks

    Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! Amy Miles thought she knew her story: adopted as a premature baby with cerebral palsy by loving Christian parents. But when she decided to search for her birth mother after having her first child, she discovered a truth that would change everything—she had survived a failed abortion at 27-30 weeks gestation. In this powerful episode, Amy shares her journey from shock and survivor's guilt to forgiveness and purpose. She opens up about: The moment she learned she was an abortion survivorHow she went from being angry at God to leaning on Him more than everFinding community with 750+ other survivors through the Abortion Survivors NetworkForgiving her birth parents and reaching out to her birth motherWhy she now advocates for life and shares her story publiclyAmy's testimony is proof that every life has value, regardless of how it begins. God knew her before she was formed, and He had plans for her life from the very beginning. Key Statistics: ~1,734 babies survive failed abortions in the US annually750+ survivors connected through Abortion Survivors NetworkMany states have no protections for babies born alive after abortionResources: AbortionSurvivors.org "The Way to My Heart" by Jan (novel based on Amy's story) Scriptures: Jeremiah 1:5, Zephaniah 3:17, Psalm 139:13-16 If you've been touched by abortion in any way, please know your story matters. There is healing, community, and hope available. #AbortionSurvivor #ProLife #Faith #Testimony #AdoptionStory #EveryLifeMatters 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!

    37 min
  7. Locked Out— Let into My Heart: How Jesus Kept Knocking

    JAN 31

    Locked Out— Let into My Heart: How Jesus Kept Knocking

    Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! Michelle Fewell shares her remarkable testimony on Just Talkin' About Jesus, Episode 91.  From a childhood marked by kidnapping and displacement, through years of anger and rebellion against God, to a life-changing encounter in a small Bronx church—Michelle's story demonstrates God's faithful pursuit.  This conversation offers hope for parents praying for prodigal children and reminds us all that God's word never returns void.  Discover how forgotten keys became a divine appointment and why dwelling in the secret place of the Most High changes everything. I would love for you to create a short recording: Your nameWhere you liveWhat you're doing while you listenWhat you like about Just Talkin' About JesusEmail to: janjohnson.author@gmail.com and I'll include it in an episode 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!

    50 min
  8. Is Your Mind Looping Negative Thoughts? Transform Your Mind: Angie Clayton and Marti Darcangelo

    JAN 24

    Is Your Mind Looping Negative Thoughts? Transform Your Mind: Angie Clayton and Marti Darcangelo

    Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! Jan Johnson has started Let’s Talk About It! once a month where we have a few of us dissecting a topic. Today’s episode is one of those.  Do you ever get stuck in stinkin’ thinkin’? You know what I’m talking about.  Someone says something to you that sticks in your head… and not the good kind of something.  The next thing you know, you start to believe it because you ruminate on it.  It keeps coming to the forefront of your mind. It starts to attack your identity. Marti Darcangelo and Angie Clayton join me today as we dig deep into the topic Transforming our Minds.   Not only do we hash out how that appears in our own minds, but lead you to what to do about it.  Problems with solutions.  Join us now.  Psalm 19:7. the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Psalm 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction, for your word has given me life Philippians 4:8 Finally brethren whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, just pure, love are of good report, if there is any viture and if there is anything praiseworthy- meditate on these things.  Col 1:9-14 “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long suffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”  Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”” Romans chapter 12 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/the-summit License code: YEMOID7DEYZIE4N3 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!

    39 min
5
out of 5
14 Ratings

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.