Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

*This episode contains content that may be triggering for some listeners.*
This week, we hear from Stephen McWhirter, a songwriter and worship leader whose early life was marked by deep trauma, addiction, and a shattered view of God shaped by his father’s hypocrisy and abuse. After years of rebellion and anger toward faith, Steven encountered Jesus in an unexpected moment that transformed everything. Today, he shares a powerful story of grace, redemption, and the hard-won freedom found on the other side of forgiveness.
Later in the episode, we’ll hear from author and speaker Courtney Pray Duke, who opens up about the tragic loss of her husband. Courtney shares what it was like to navigate grief while raising three children alone, and how it encouraged her to draw closer to God as a source of comfort when everything felt like it was falling apart.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: Chynna Phillips
Upcoming interview: Sarah Drew

Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season
Stephen McWhirter
Lee Strobel
Ephesians 2:8
John 6:29
www.worshipjesus.life
Radically Restored

Courtney Pray Duke
www.courtneyprayduke.com
And She Got Up: Shattered by Loss, Restored by Jesus

This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt, call Trinity today. Trinity’s counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps! Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org
TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we’re helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments, Trinity has the knowledge and resources to make a difference. https://trinitycredit.org

Interview Quotes:
“I was the guy that literally would have either cussed you out or tried to knock you out had you mentioned Jesus’ name around me. I literally had this deep anger and this wound in me that really was connected to my earthly father and a broken view of who God is.” - Stephen McWhirter
“I’m in this room and I have drugs on the side table next to me. I always say it’s the kindness of a very real God to meet a wounded evangelist son in a place like this. I knew God was in the room, and I’m like, ‘I want to give you my life. I want to quit all this addiction, all this darkness, all this anger, all this depression, and this trauma that I’ve known for so long.’” - Stephen McWhirter
“Jesus never healed anyone [from addiction] the same way twice, because every story has a purpose. If it takes you five times or eleven times to fall at the feet of Jesus and you mean it, He’s going to use your story to draw people to Him.” - Stephen McWhirter
“There is something truly powerful on the other side of forgiveness. It’s not about reciprocation. Somebody may not say to you, ‘I’m asking for your forgiveness,’ but you have the ability to tear up the debt and throw it away. That’s real freedom, that’s real restoration.” - Stephen McWhirter
“Those early days of grief were so messy and they were so uncharted. And to be honest, I didn’t even know what grief really meant until I was in the place where I was grieving with everything inside of me.” - Courtney Pray Duke
“The Lord was so faithful to meet me in every moment, and I could lay my head on my pillow at night and look over the day and I could see where He was when I would open up the Word of God. It was like His promises and His love were illuminating off the page and they were bringing sustenance to my life.” - Courtney Pray Duke
“It wasn’t until I lost everything that my faith grew legs. It was walking through fiery times and profound loss where Jesus met me with strength and love and power and life.” - Courtney Pray Duke
“Holding the grief of my kids’ hearts and mine was impossible for me to bear. I learned so much during that time about releasing my children.” - Courtney Pray Duke
“It’s just so beautiful when you see a nugget of truth that comes from the Word of God—something that you can remind yourself of what’s true, even when your circumstances look anything like what it is that you’re contending for, to know that this is what’s true. Truth is immovable. It’s not going to change shape and waver like my life does. Truth is truth.” - Courtney Pray Duke
“God can do anything through a life surrendered to Him.” - Courtney Pray Duke
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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
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Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Welcome to a special scripture-focused bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, where we do a deep dive on the book of Philippians with Nate Pickowicz, the pastor of Harvest Bible Church. Nate walks us through the context of Philippians, and the life of the author—the apostle Paul—revealing how when we turn to God in the middle of our fear, anxiety, and uncertainty, we can find joy and peace that transcends our circumstances.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens

Nate Pickowicz
Overcoming the Darkness
Book of Philippians


Interview Quotes:
“Paul is writing from a very personal experience, sort of an authoritative experience. He’s in prison writing about joy, this is something very near and dear to his heart.” - Nate Pickowicz
“Even though [Paul’s] uncomfortable, even though he’s probably not where he wants to be, he’s not happy about where he is in prison, he has this transcendent view of his suffering that actually gives hope and gives an element of joy, because he knows that the gospel of Jesus Christ is going out because of that.” - Nate Pickowicz
“Regardless of our circumstances, not only can we find joy in the midst of trouble, we can actually find a purpose for our suffering that God is using to accomplish His end.” - Nate Pickowicz
“Paul connects these two worlds: he connects the experience of anxiety and worry and fear about the future, and he pairs it with thanksgiving and contentment and rejoicing.” - Nate Pickowicz
“Once you recognize that everything that’s good comes from God, suddenly you realize that, If I’m anxious or worried, what might I need from the Lord? I can actually just turn to Him.” - Nate Pickowicz
“Learning to become thankful becomes an antidote to anxiety and worry and fear and discontent. Being grateful to God for what He’s given changes the entire focus of our hearts.” - Nate Pickowicz
________________________
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*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

*This episode mentions suicide and may be triggering for some listeners.
This week, in celebration of Super Bowl Sunday, we’ll hear from Tim Green, a former NFL player, bestselling author, and commentator. Tim, who now speaks with the assistance of technology due to a diagnosis of ALS, reflects on a life marked by ambition, the identity-shaking diagnosis of this neurodegenerative disease, and the perspective that transformed his understanding of what matters most in life.
Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Mike Flynt, whose story inspired the 2023 sports drama film The Senior. One day when talking with his friends, Mike shared one of his deepest regrets—getting kicked off the college football team as a senior. When asked, “Why don’t you do something about it?” Mike decided to pursue a second chance, and became the oldest linebacker of a college football team in NCAA history at age fifty-nine, proving that it’s never too late to chase your dreams.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: Rosie Rivera
Upcoming interview: Stephen McWhirter
Super Bowl Sunday

Tim Green
ALS
Tracheotomy
www.authortimgreen.com
Rocket Arm

Mike Flynt
The Senior
D-Day
Battle of The Bulge
www.mikeflynt.com

This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt, call Trinity today. Trinity’s counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps! Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org
TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we’re helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments, Trinity has the knowledge and resources to make a difference. https://trinitycredit.org

Interview Quotes:
“These days, the most important thing I do is simply try to serve the people I love. My life’s work now is about family, about helping others, and about using whatever time and gifts God has given me to make a difference.” - Tim Green
“God had other plans—plans that were bigger than anything I could have imagined. Looking back, every step prepared me for the next one. He was weaving the story long before I knew it.”- Tim Green
“What really matters is your faith, family, and identity in Christ—not in a jersey or a job. Football gave me a platform, but it’s faith and family that gave me a purpose.” - Tim Green
“My diagnosis forced me to confront what really matters—to put Christ at the center, not tucked quietly in the background. It made every day, every relationship, every breath more precious and more purposeful.” - Tim Green
“One morning, I woke up with a clarity I didn’t create that this wasn’t the end of my story. I realized that God had left me here for a reason. Maybe to show that even in suffering, His goodness can still shine. That moment was a second chance, and I wasn’t going to waste it.” - Tim Green
“Prayer became less about asking and more about resting. Peace came in small moments—a hand held, a smile, a sunset—reminders that God was still here.” - Tim Green
“Every chapter of my life has required a deeper anchor than achievement. When the applause stops, when the career ends, when the body fails, you need a foundation that won’t.” - Tim Green
“It was my profession of faith in Christ, and my realization that I know so little about Him, that started me on my journey in faith that I still pursue today.” - Mike Flynt
“So many people need to know that somebody else has overcome and that Christ was there and they can take that same concern, those same weaknesses, to Him and know that if He did it for Mike, He’d do it for anybody.” - Mike Flynt
________________________
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
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Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Our first guest is Jeremy Rosado, who traced a path from New York City dreams to the bright lights of American Idol and The Voice. But the biggest spotlight in his life wasn’t a stage—it was the decision to lay down his music career for a season to become a father to his niece. Jeremy shares how choosing fatherhood over fame became a pivotal act of faith, and how God used the quiet, waiting years to prepare him for a powerful return to music.
Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Nashville singer, songwriter, and author Jason Gray. Jason offers a vulnerable look into his life—one shaped by music, but also by instability, a painful childhood divorce, and reckoning with his own difficult divorce. Jason shares how the wounds he incurred became the very doorway through which he met God. He reveals the radical peace found in accepting divine love and unpacks why allowing yourself to be loved is the most radical, powerful act of faith.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: nobigdyl.
Upcoming interview: Tim Green

Jeremy Rosado
American Idol
The Voice
www.iamjeremyrosado.com
The Waiting Room

Jason Gray
Acoustic Story Time
Frederick Buechner
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
www.jasongraymusic.com
Sparrows

This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt, call Trinity today. Trinity’s counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps! Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org
TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we’re helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments, Trinity has the knowledge and resources to make a difference. https://trinitycredit.org

Interview Quotes:
“I came off [American Idol] and took a few months—went to Nashville to start chasing this dream of mine. I quickly realized that my life was going to change and that there was a decision to be made [whether or not] to step in and help and become a father.” - Jeremy Rosado
“Even though that decision [to become a father to my niece] was not easy, it was worth it, and I would do it a million times over for my child. God provided and made ways for us. I look back now, and even in the pain and the tears, I can see His faithfulness and how He’s carried us.” - Jeremy Rosado
“When I did [The Voice], that trust and that reliance began to grow even more. It felt like every room I walked into, every stage I walked on, there was victory already there.It gave me renewed confidence in the God that I serve and in my ability to walk knowing that He’s with me and He’s for me. ” - Jeremy Rosado
“God knew how to cut through all of that [chaos] and speak the thing that He wanted me to hear in the way that He knew that I could understand it.” - Jason Gray
“All of a sudden, I had this profound sense of a loving presence in the car with me, as though it was holding me and it was saying, ‘Psst, hey, the words of this song that you love so much, this is my heart toward you. ‘When you’re weary, when you’re feeling small, when tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all like a bridge over troubled water.’” - Jason Gray
“From a very young age, I was drawn to music, and it has always been one of the places that I meet with God and one of the ways through which He speaks.” - Jason Gray
“I believe that when something connects us to our own heart, then in that same moment, worship spontaneously happens, and we are connected with the divine in that moment. Music has a way of connecting me to my heart and therefore brings me to the place where God meets with me.” - Jason Gray
“If you love tinkering on a car or working in the garden or listening to music or a conversation with a friend, those moments where you lose track of time and you forget yourself indicates that you’re on holy ground.” - Jason Gray
“The Lord has usually come to me through other people. As inconsistent and as unreliable as we often are, He demonstrates that we are still His preferred delivery system for His love in the world.” - Jason Gray
“My whole life, all the painful things—everything was leading to this moment to break me open enough to be able to receive the transformation that I had been praying for as long as I could remember. And that gave me a sense of peace and helped me to feel like I was no longer at the mercy of the storms of my life, but that this storm held within it the power to make me who I’d always wanted to be.” - Jason Gray
“The way that I have observed how God works in my life is that if I get connected to my own heart, all of a sudden, He’s meeting with me there.” - Jason Gray
“If I love the Bible so much that I only allow God to speak to me through it rather than allowing it to train me to be more in tune with the still, small voice, the voice of the Holy Spirit, then I’ve probably loved it too much.” - Jason Gray
________________________
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
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Pinterest
YouTube
Website
TikTok
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

On this episode of Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer, we’re joined by beloved authors/speakers who coined the term “Godwink”—SQuire Rushnell and Louise DuArt. Godwinks are the little gifts left on our doorstep, the personal connection moments in which God lets us know we’re not alone. SQuire and Louise share about the latest title in their collection, Godwinks for Moms, and how the mothers and mother figures in our lives impact us, make a difference, and shape us into the people we are—all a part of God’s grand design and a way to show us how much He loves us.

Guest’s Links
YouTube: @godwinks
Facebook: @Godwinks
Instagram: @godwinkguy

Watch this interview on our YouTube channel! https://bit.ly/3M8hI54
________________________
Connect with Jesus Calling
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Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
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Jesus Calling Website
TikTok
*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.