The Wake-Up Call

Seedbed
  • 4.9 (396)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Daily

The Wake-Up Call is a daily encouragement to shake off the slumber of our busy lives and turn our eyes toward Jesus. Each morning our community gathers around a Scripture, a reflection, a prayer, and a few short questions, inviting us to reorient our lives around the love of Jesus that transforms our hearts, homes, churches, and cities. seedbed.com/wakeupcall

  1. 1d ago

    Welcome to the Second Half of the Gospel

    - - - - - - - P.S. Behold, Advent!  Advent is the season of preparation and expectation leading up to Christmas. This year Shelbi Shutt will be walking us through the season of Advent. Shelbi is an amazing witness to Jesus and has an incredible story to share with us.  Beginning December 1, Shelbi will be leading us on the Wake-Up Call. It's a great time to start planning and extending the invitation to others to join in. Check it out and order your copy of Behold here: https://my.seedbed.com/product/behold/ P.P.S. Want to See My Old Video Addressing This Topic?  In the earliest days of Seedbed, we crafted one of our first seeds. It’s me on a chalkboard. I’m talking about why we are stuck in our lives and faith and how we might get unstuck. Look for a lot more on this in the coming season of our work. If you haven’t seen this, please watch it. And no making fun of my younger self’s haircut! Watch it here: https://vimeo.com/77166888 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - John David Walt reflects on Romans 8 as “the second half of the gospel”: moving beyond forgiveness and freedom from sin’s penalty into a Spirit-led life transformed by freedom from sin’s power. He contrasts a faith that is true in principle with one lived in practice, urging listeners to move from commitment to consecration and to become people whose lives make the reality of Christ visible to those around them. He closes the devotional portion with prayer and journal prompts about whether listeners are ready to let the Spirit govern their lives. Later, JD welcomes his father, David Walt, to join him in discussing and singing “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.” Their conversation connects the hymn’s message of full salvation with the episode’s central idea: Jesus does not merely save people for a future heaven, but brings his life, love, and freedom into the present. They encourage listeners to carry that love into everyday life, trusting that a visibly transformed life can awaken others to Jesus. CHAPTERS: 00:04 Awakening to Christ's Presence 01:28 Understanding Romans 8: The Second Half of the Gospel 04:46 The Shift from First Half to Second Half of the Gospel 08:38 Living the Second Half: A Call to Action 10:07 Research Insights: The State of Christianity Today 11:48 Introduction and Special Guest 13:24 The Power of Salvation 18:18 Living Heaven on Earth - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get the Wake-Up Call in your email each day ► https://seedbed.com/wakeupcall ⛪️ Are you a pastor? We'd love to connect ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/to/dymjFhUB Join the Field Team and help us sow the Wake-Up Call into new hearts ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/fieldteam Join the conversation: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seedbedwakeupcall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewakeupcall/ Listen to the podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wake-up-call/id1040184070 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t5qb5dpC7n0yxdyNsTKzTsi=e87495c982f145f6

  2. 2d ago

    The Reason We Stay Stuck in Vertigo and How to Get Free

    - - - - - - - P.S. Behold, Advent!  Advent is the season of preparation and expectation leading up to Christmas. This year Shelbi Shutt will be walking us through the season of Advent. Shelbi is an amazing witness to Jesus and has an incredible story to share with us.  Beginning December 1, Shelbi will be leading us on the Wake-Up Call. It's a great time to start planning and extending the invitation to others to join in. Check it out and order your copy of Behold here: https://my.seedbed.com/product/behold/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  In this episode, John David Walt reflects on Romans 7 and the struggle many Christians experience when they want to do good but still feel trapped in old patterns. He argues that lasting transformation requires more than information, Bible studies, or individual effort—it takes consecration to Christ and trusted, honest relationships. His central invitation is to move beyond isolation by forming small, committed groups of two to four people who can become truly known, deeply loved, and accountable to one another in faith. He calls this practice “banded discipleship,” sharing how it has shaped his own life and ministry and encouraging listeners to explore joining or starting a band. The episode closes with prayer, journal prompts about participants’ experience with these relationships, and an invitation to learn more through an upcoming survey and resources. He also shares a hymn centered on Christian friendship and previews an Advent series, Behold, led by Shelbi Shutt. CHAPTERS: 00:04 Awakening to Transformation 01:28 Understanding Vertigo and Consecration 04:50 The Role of Community in Transformation 07:52 Banded Discipleship: A Path to Freedom 11:02 Invitation to Join a Band 13:00 Living Out Transformation in Daily Life 18:13 Preparing for Advent and Community Engagement - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get the Wake-Up Call in your email each day ► https://seedbed.com/wakeupcall ⛪️ Are you a pastor? We'd love to connect ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/to/dymjFhUB Join the Field Team and help us sow the Wake-Up Call into new hearts ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/fieldteam Join the conversation: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seedbedwakeupcall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewakeupcall/ Listen to the podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wake-up-call/id1040184070 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t5qb5dpC7n0yxdyNsTKzTsi=e87495c982f145f6

  3. 3d ago

    Uno, Dos, Tres, Catorce . . . ?

    - - - - - - - JD Walt reflects on Romans 7’s tension between wanting to do good and repeatedly falling into the same patterns of sin. He describes this disorienting spiritual state as “vertigo”: a place where sincere believers can become stuck in rule-following, self-improvement, shame, and frustration rather than experiencing the transforming grace of Jesus. Using U2’s “Vertigo” and its “one, two, three, fourteen” lyric as a bridge to the Stations of the Cross, he argues that the way forward is not trying harder but returning again and again to kneel with Jesus. The episode closes as a call to consecration and surrender. Through prayer, journal prompts, and a hymn, JD invites listeners to release control of their lives to Jesus—not merely offering partial access, but giving him “the deed.” He encourages anyone who recognizes this struggle to be patient with the process, trusting that freedom and transformation grow through repeated surrender, the way of the cross, and following Jesus day by day. CHAPTERS: 00:04 Awakening to Jesus 03:00 Understanding Romans 7 06:10 The Struggle of Functional Christianity 09:09 The Path to Transformation 12:08 Consecration and Surrender 14:57 Living the Cross Life - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get the Wake-Up Call in your email each day ► https://seedbed.com/wakeupcall ⛪️ Are you a pastor? We'd love to connect ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/to/dymjFhUB Join the Field Team and help us sow the Wake-Up Call into new hearts ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/fieldteam Join the conversation: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seedbedwakeupcall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewakeupcall/ Listen to the podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wake-up-call/id1040184070 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t5qb5dpC7n0yxdyNsTKzTsi=e87495c982f145f6

  4. 4d ago

    On Infinite Capacity for Self-Deception

    - - - - - - - John David Walt reflects on Romans 7 and the human capacity for self-deception. Using the image of “spiritual vertigo,” he describes the disorienting middle ground where sin and grace compete for our trust—where wrong can feel right and God can seem distant or opposed. He emphasizes that the goal of faith is not mere information, but a lived transformation of heart, mind, and soul through trusting and receiving what God gives. The episode closes as a call to humility as the way through this confusion. Through prayer, journal prompts, and the refrain “Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord,” Walt encourages listeners to release self-will, self-righteousness, and self-justification, finding stability at the cross. He frames the journey from sinner to adopted child to a saint in the making as a path sustained by mercy, grace, and continued surrender to Jesus. CHAPTERS: 00:04 Awakening to Christ's Presence 01:19 Journey Through Romans: Heart and Soul Learning 03:22 Understanding Sin and Grace: The Deceptive Nature 10:15 Navigating Spiritual Vertigo: The Middle Ground 12:52 The Path to True Humility and Transformation 17:58 The Journey of Grace: From Sinner to Saint - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get the Wake-Up Call in your email each day ► https://seedbed.com/wakeupcall ⛪️ Are you a pastor? We'd love to connect ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/to/dymjFhUB Join the Field Team and help us sow the Wake-Up Call into new hearts ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/fieldteam Join the conversation: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seedbedwakeupcall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewakeupcall/ Listen to the podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wake-up-call/id1040184070 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t5qb5dpC7n0yxdyNsTKzTsi=e87495c982f145f6

  5. 5d ago

    The Dastardly Broken Brokeness of the Human Race

    - - - - - - - P. S. ❗️ Again, here’s the link to the Romans 12 Jesus Manifesto PDF in case you missed it: https://seedbed.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Romans-12-The-Jesus-Manifesto.pdf - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - JD Walt reflects on Romans 7, explaining that God’s commands are meant to protect and bring life—not restrict joy—yet human sin often turns even good boundaries into invitations to rebel. Using Adam and Eve, the image of a cliffside warning, and a childhood story about breaking Coke bottles in the street, he explores the deep, inherited brokenness that drives people toward what harms them. The central message is that the law exposes this condition, while Jesus offers the way out of sin, self-reliance, and spiritual exhaustion. The episode closes as JD turns the reflection into a prayerful invitation: acknowledge the brokenness within, receive Christ’s grace, and let a life oriented toward Jesus reshape desire, character, and everyday choices. He then joins his father David for a warm, conversational reflection on the story and a rendition of “Come Thou Fount,” emphasizing the hymn’s movement from wandering to surrender—giving one’s heart to God rather than merely trying harder. CHAPTERS: 00:04 Wake Up Call: A New Beginning 01:05 Understanding Brokenness: The Human Condition 04:19 The Law and Its Paradox: Life and Death 07:12 Childhood Lessons: The Dastardly Brokenness of Humanity 08:32 The Need for Redemption: A Prayer for Wholeness 11:28 Surrendering to Jesus: The Path to Healing 14:50 Introduction and Meaning of 'Amen' 15:56 The Jesus Manifesto and Memorization 16:51 Reflections on Childhood and Sin 18:11 Singing Hymns and Spiritual Connection 20:21 Living Out Faith in Daily Life - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get the Wake-Up Call in your email each day ► https://seedbed.com/wakeupcall ⛪️ Are you a pastor? We'd love to connect ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/to/dymjFhUB Join the Field Team and help us sow the Wake-Up Call into new hearts ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/fieldteam Join the conversation: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seedbedwakeupcall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewakeupcall/ Listen to the podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wake-up-call/id1040184070 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t5qb5dpC7n0yxdyNsTKzTsi=e87495c982f145f6

  6. 6d ago

    Facts Lead to Faith, and Faith Leads to Feelings (and Not the Other Way Around)

    - - - - - - - P. S. ❗️ Jesus Manifesto Again, here’s the link to the Romans 12 Jesus Manifesto PDF in case you missed it: https://seedbed.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Romans-12-The-Jesus-Manifesto.pdf - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This episode explores the idea that lasting transformation begins with the facts of the gospel—not with our changing emotions or efforts at self-improvement. Reflecting on Romans 7, JD explains that through Jesus’s death and resurrection, believers have died to sin and the law’s condemnation and now belong to Christ. The central invitation is to renew the mind by grounding faith in what Jesus has already accomplished, trusting that real, durable feelings and lived experience will follow from that truth. The conversation then turns practical and devotional, with JD and David emphasizing that Jesus’s presence is a constant reality rather than something measured by a momentary feeling. They contrast the fleeting emotional pull of a fictional movie with the deeper, lasting impact of the true story of Christ, then close with a hymn and an encouragement to carry that faith into the day—“farming the gospel,” sowing hope and love, and trusting Jesus to go with them. CHAPTERS: 00:04 Awakening and Consecration 01:11 Transformation Through Consecration 02:19 Understanding Romans: Law and Grace 04:23 The Shift from Sin to Grace 06:36 The Reality of Christ's Work 09:35 Renewing the Mind and Experience 12:03 The Power of True Stories - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get the Wake-Up Call in your email each day ► https://seedbed.com/wakeupcall ⛪️ Are you a pastor? We'd love to connect ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/to/dymjFhUB Join the Field Team and help us sow the Wake-Up Call into new hearts ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/fieldteam Join the conversation: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seedbedwakeupcall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewakeupcall/ Listen to the podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wake-up-call/id1040184070 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t5qb5dpC7n0yxdyNsTKzTsi=e87495c982f145f6

  7. Oct 3

    Moving from My Commitment to Jesus's Consecration

    - - - - - - - J.D. Walt explores consecration through the rhythm of “wake up, rise up, light up,” drawing from Ephesians 5 and Romans 6. He frames the daily act of turning toward Jesus not as trying harder to earn God’s love, but as responding to the devotion Jesus has already shown. Consecration becomes a whole-person practice—offering one’s heart, mind, attention, and body to God—and a way of moving from self-improvement into genuine transformation. The episode closes by emphasizing that eternal life and holiness begin in the present as a life of belonging to Jesus. Walt invites listeners to release shame, stop managing life through willpower alone, and trust more deeply in God’s love. Through prayer, reflection prompts, and a simple song, he encourages listeners to begin each day by fixing their eyes on Jesus and stepping into a life of renewed love, wholeness, and service to others. CHAPTERS: 00:04 Wake Up to Transformation 02:55 The Power of Consecration 05:53 Understanding Devotion and Commitment 09:08 The Daily Practice of Surrender 11:49 Eternal Life and Holiness 15:00 Living in the Love of Jesus 18:10 Going All In for Love - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get the Wake-Up Call in your email each day ► https://seedbed.com/wakeupcall ⛪️ Are you a pastor? We'd love to connect ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/to/dymjFhUB Join the Field Team and help us sow the Wake-Up Call into new hearts ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/fieldteam Join the conversation: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seedbedwakeupcall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewakeupcall/ Listen to the podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wake-up-call/id1040184070 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t5qb5dpC7n0yxdyNsTKzTsi=e87495c982f145f6

  8. Oct 2

    The Problem of Vertigo

    - - - - - - - J.D. Walt reflects on Romans 6:15–18 and the tension between sin and grace, describing it as a kind of spiritual “vertigo.” Using a Venn diagram, he explains that believers can feel caught between old patterns of self-will and the new life offered through grace. The central invitation is not to work harder through shame or willpower, but to surrender afresh to Jesus, trusting his patience and allowing grace to become the guiding force in daily life. The episode closes with prayer, journaling prompts, and an encouraging reminder that spiritual growth takes time. J.D. is joined by his dad for a warm conversation and a rendition of “How Great Thou Art,” followed by a dedication to the editor who helps bring the daily program together. Their closing encouragement is simple: even in discouragement, lean into Jesus, trust him with the next step, and hold on to hope. CHAPTERS: 00:04 Wake Up Call: Introduction to Transformation 03:22 The Problem of Vertigo: Understanding Sin and Grace 10:23 Moving Beyond Vertigo: Embracing Grace and Surrender - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get the Wake-Up Call in your email each day ► https://seedbed.com/wakeupcall ⛪️ Are you a pastor? We'd love to connect ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/to/dymjFhUB Join the Field Team and help us sow the Wake-Up Call into new hearts ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/fieldteam Join the conversation: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seedbedwakeupcall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewakeupcall/ Listen to the podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wake-up-call/id1040184070 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t5qb5dpC7n0yxdyNsTKzTsi=e87495c982f145f6

See All (1.4K)

Hosts & Guests

4.9
out of 5
396 Ratings

About

The Wake-Up Call is a daily encouragement to shake off the slumber of our busy lives and turn our eyes toward Jesus. Each morning our community gathers around a Scripture, a reflection, a prayer, and a few short questions, inviting us to reorient our lives around the love of Jesus that transforms our hearts, homes, churches, and cities. seedbed.com/wakeupcall

Information

  • Creator
    Seedbed
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1.4K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Seedbed
  • Show Website
    The Wake-Up Call

More From Seedbed

You Might Also Like