Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

This week, we hear from bestselling author Francine Rivers, who has been married to her husband, Rick, for fifty-six years. She shares how a home Bible study helped carry them from the edge of divorce, what caring for Rick—a Vietnam Marine with Parkinson’s—looks like now, and why she sees death as a beginning.
Next, Bible teacher and speaker Whitney Capps offers profound insight into the process of dying and holding fast to faith in the midst of questions, pain, and suffering. Her story touches on confronting her mortality daily, finding comfort in a supportive community, and experiencing deep peace through uncertainty.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: Esther Fleece Allen
Upcoming interview: Jaccob and Josiah Slavin
Jesus Calling: Harvest of Blessings

Francine Rivers
PTSD from the Vietnam War
Parkinson’s Disease
www.francinerivers.com
The Woman Between

Whitney Capps
small bowel adenocarcinoma
2 Corinthians
Romans 8
The Melody of Grace Bible Study

Interview Quotes:
“I think you start out with this passionate love for each other, it doesn’t die away, but your love grows and changes and matures.” - Francine Rivers
“You’re growing all the time. Things are changing, your life is changing, and you have a lot of different phases. And it’s worth the work. The love deepens, I think, as time goes by.” - Francine Rivers
“I’m in the Word every morning, and I think that’s really important to set the course for the day. I notice that when I don’t do that, for whatever reason, something happens and my day doesn’t go nearly as well. It’s a way to make sure God is in control of your day.” - Francine Rivers
“The way I look at death, you don’t really know what it’s going to be like, but you know what’s on the other side is joy that God’s promised us. So we kind of focus on that more than anything—what’s beyond, not necessarily the difficulties right now.” - Francine Rivers
“We have an embarrassment of riches in terms of community. The Lord’s kindness is not lost on me.” - Whitney Capps
“I’m really grateful that [God] was kind enough to superintend and go, ‘No, you don’t have to wait for a story to make a difference in ministry. Just being in the Word is enough.’” - Whitney Capps
“I think we should show up with our pain because whatever story we’ve been asked to steward can be heavy, it can be hard, and it shouldn’t be compared to somebody else’s hard. Whatever we’ve been asked to steward, those are stories that are worth talking about in the church.” - Whitney Capps
“I’ve followed the doctor’s protocols and we really have followed every avenue that the Lord gave us as an option. But the thing that I’ve discovered, more than any of those gifts of grace, is that He is the chief gift of grace. His presence is the thing that I want more than anything else, and His presence is the only thing that gives me any sense of control.” - Whitney Capps
“The reality is, when I see Jesus face-to-face, it’ll be the most alive I’ve ever been. Cancer cannot steal one day from me. We rest in the sovereign plan of God. He knows my final day before I was born, and cancer doesn’t have the authority to change God’s plan.” - Whitney Capps
“I know that [God] can heal me, and yet He chooses not to. I don’t think we talk about that enough—the spiritual kind of barrenness of going, I have not doubted for one day that God could miraculously heal me. And we pray for miraculous healing, but there is a wrestling that happens when His answer is no.” - Whitney Capps
“I have had to shift what the goodness of God looks like to me. I can’t think about it as ease or comfort. The goodness of God is being with me in the days of suffering. He is with me in the messy middle.” - Whitney Capps
“This has been a hard story, and there’ve been lots of tears shed as I think about the possibility of not being here for my boys, not being there for my husband. Those are some of the things I wrestle with. Ultimately, our family has chosen to just say, ‘Why not us? We have been incredibly blessed. So why not us? Why not a hard story, and what can we do with this story that makes much of Jesus?’” - Whitney Capps
“I think it’s so kind of our God to allow us lament, that He doesn’t expect us to hide our pain from Him. I find great comfort in that, that He’s not offended by our sorrow or our pain—that He entered into it, in the person of Jesus Christ, but even before the incarnate Christ, He allowed His people the space for our souls to cry out.” - Whitney Capps
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Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Interviews: https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7
Video Interviews: https://bit.ly/4f79RAW
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer: https://bit.ly/4q5iTCx
Scripture Series: https://bit.ly/4wAVGKU
Celebrity Readings: https://bit.ly/4bIS5BJ
Video Devotionals: https://bit.ly/4fG1kFb
Sleep Meditations: https://bit.ly/4w0xu37
Shorts: https://bit.ly/3RHFubh
________________________
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 hear from Italian journalist and author Aldo Cazzullo. Aldo walks us through the Song of Solomon, a book of deeply passionate and romantic poetry which celebrates love the way God designed it: to reflect His creative power.

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

Aldo Cazzullo
Song of Solomon
The God of Our Fathers


Interview Quotes:
“The Song of Solomon is a mystery, a text speaking about spiritual love but also physical love. When you open the Song of Solomon, you encounter a collection of deeply passionate, romantic poetry, unlike anything else in the Bible.” - Aldo Cazzullo
“The Song of Solomon stands out because it doesn’t impose rules. Its verses are among the most beautiful ever written, anchored by the assertion that love is as strong as death.” - Aldo Cazzullo
“This book stands as a triumphant ode because it does not shy away from the physical and emotional realities of human love, presenting it as a reflection of the divine image in which we are created.” - Aldo Cazzullo
“The boundary between physical and spiritual love is not as rigid as we imagine. By embracing both, the Song of Solomon shows us that at their best, our human connections can provide a glimpse of how devoted and loving our relationship with God might be.” - Aldo Cazzullo
“God values not only our spiritual life, but also our emotional and physical experience. The Song of Solomon teaches that the human body, desire, and intimacy are not separated from the divine, but in fact reflect God’s creative power.” - Aldo Cazzullo
“Daily connection with God and with Jesus is not about grand gestures, but about the small acts that remind us of our place in a story much larger than ourselves.” - Aldo Cazzullo
“The Song of Solomon reminds us that our capacity for love and deep affection is itself sacred, blessed by God. Our relationships can and should be places where the divine is present.” - Aldo Cazzullo
“In a world that sometimes feels disconnected, transactional, or superficial, I believe the Song of Solomon urges us to invest more fully in the bonds that matter, and to seek the presence of beauty in our everyday lives. The Song of Solomon teaches us to live boldly, sincerely, joyfully, and in doing so, to discover something eternal in each other.” - Aldo Cazzullo
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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 week, we’ll hear from writer and producer Brian Bird, whose decades-long career in film and television includes When Calls the Heart and Touched by an Angel. Brian shares how he discovered his gift for writing through others who championed for him and how he uses his ability for storytelling to bring positive change to the world.
Next, we’ll hear from Alister McGrath, a former atheist who became an Oxford trained scientist and theologian, who tries to bridge the divide between faith and science and desires to show the world that belief in God is more than just a set of ideas; it’s about a relationship.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: Josh McDowell
Upcoming interview: Josiah and Jaccob Slavin
Jesus Calling: Harvest of Blessings

Brian Bird
When Calls the Heart
Touched by an Angel
The Story of Everything
www.thestoryofeverything.film

Alister McGrath
Atheism
Christianity
C.S. Lewis
Matthew 7
Rethinking Christianity

Interview Quotes:
“When I mentor young people, one of the things that I tell them is that they have to identify the one thing that God made them to do. Find three people like me to identify what you’re good at. Get into the symphony, don’t just be in a garage band.” - Brian Bird
“I found that just by being a friend maker as a Christian—and not trying to preach at people, but just loving people—they want to know why I am the way I am. They want to know why I have peace in my life, why I am content. You have to earn the right to share your faith with people. It’s not handing them a tract, it’s handing them a life, it’s handing them a relationship.” - Brian Bird
“I think in the world today, there’s so much cynical content out there that people are starved to death for content that is not cynical; content that is even idealistic, that inspires them to reach for their higher selves, that helps them feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves.” - Brian Bird
“I found myself at a turning point in my life where I loved science and still believed my future might lie in science, but at the same time, I was having this real longing to immerse myself deeply in Christian thinking, deeply in the Bible, in really understanding what this was all about.” - Alister McGrath
“I loved studying Christianity and I wanted to make connections with science, but I also began to realize there was a need to be able to connect up with people beyond the church, to be able to deal with the questions that they had about faith, as indeed I had as an atheist.” - Alister McGrath
“What I’m finding in my many conversations with people is this growing realization that Christianity has this ability to really set out a worldview that is not going to disappear tomorrow. And it also seems to have this deep ability to make sense of life and give us a sense of personal identity and personal stability.” - Alister McGrath
“Apologetics, I think, is moving in a new direction. We need to be able to reassure people Christianity is true, but we also need to show them it really transforms life. It’s a trustworthy truth that transforms us.” - Alister McGrath
“I think one of the things I didn’t really fully appreciate was that Christianity was giving me more than just a kind of intellectual framework. It was strongly relational. This is about a friendship, a relationship with a living God who journeys with you as your Shepherd through life wherever you are going.” - Alister McGrath
________________________
Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Interviews: https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7
Video Interviews: https://bit.ly/4f79RAW
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer: https://bit.ly/4q5iTCx
Scripture Series: https://bit.ly/4wAVGKU
Celebrity Readings: https://bit.ly/4bIS5BJ
Video Devotionals: https://bit.ly/4fG1kFb
Sleep Meditations: https://bit.ly/4w0xu37
Shorts: https://bit.ly/3RHFubh
________________________
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.

This week, we hear from TV host and podcaster Kelly Rizzo, who shares about the sudden loss of her husband, comedian Bob Saget, and how she views grief and coping in the aftermath of losing a partner.

Next, we’ll hear from Dominique Jones, also known as DOE. She grew up leading worship in her father’s church before joining her family’s group, Forever Jones. After experiencing both success and setbacks in the music industry, she eventually stepped out as a solo artist and began finding the freedom to tell her own story through music.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: Stacy Henagan
Upcoming interview: Brian Bird
Jesus Calling: Harvest of Blessings

Kelly Rizzo
Bob Saget
Eat Travel Rock
TMZ
www.Kelly-Rizzo.com
www.ComfortClubOnline.com

Dominique Jones
Forever Jones
www.doejonesmusic.com
Shiloh

Interview Quotes:
“In the very, very early stages of grief—like day one or week one—you can’t possibly think about moving forward or anything in those very early stages. You can only focus on ten seconds at a time, maybe a minute, maybe an hour. You can’t even think about next week.” - Kelly Rizzo
“After a sudden loss, you’re just so disoriented and you’re in such a spiral and everything feels like a foggy dream and like this can’t be real. And the only thing that can get you through it is just literally focusing on today.” - Kelly Rizzo
“I’m not saying I understand what His plan is, and I’m not saying I totally get it, and I am not saying that I’m happy with this situation, but I’m certainly not thinking even for a second that there is no God now because something bad happened to me.” - Kelly Rizzo
“For me, loving deeply but grieving deeply, is still continuing to share Bob with the world and sharing his message of love and laughter and just caring about people.” - Kelly Rizzo
“God speaks more than English. He doesn’t just speak English, He speaks heart. There’s a reason why I can communicate something through a note, and someone can understand and hear what my heart is saying to them without me using words.” - DOE
“Every life experience, every failure, and every success—everyone has something to say and speak to concerning the fabric of our faith, the story of our faith.” - DOE
“When I was able to tell the truth and live the truth, I was actually able to find healing.” - DOE
“I think there’s room for my humanity in my relationship with God and my anguish and my pain.” - DOE
________________________
Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Interviews: https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7
Video Interviews: https://bit.ly/4f79RAW
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer: https://bit.ly/4q5iTCx
Scripture Series: https://bit.ly/4wAVGKU
Celebrity Readings: https://bit.ly/4bIS5BJ
Video Devotionals: https://bit.ly/4fG1kFb
Sleep Meditations: https://bit.ly/4w0xu37
Shorts: https://bit.ly/3RHFubh
________________________
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.

This week, we hear from legendary husband and wife songwriting team Bill and Gloria Gaither, who went from teaching school in a small Indiana town to writing some of the most sung hymns and songs in the modern church, including “Because He Lives” and “He Touched Me.” They’ll talk about the lessons they’ve learned about failure, success, and how one of their most famous songs came from a time when the world around them felt anything but stable.
Next, we’ll hear from The Voice season twelve winner Chris Blue, who initially turned down multiple opportunities to audition for The Voice. He’ll share how he eventually returned to his family’s gospel music roots after years of pursuing a different path.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: Jordan Smith
Upcoming interview: Kelly Rizzo

Bill and Gloria Gaither
Dottie Rambo
www.gaither.com

Chris Blue
The Voice season twelve
The Jackson 5
Foundations: The Hymns of My Heart

Interview Quotes:
“Jesus Himself was born into the most unstable of worlds. And so we go on with our life because the resurrection is true. It’s not just a one-time shot in history. The resurrection is built into every fiber of creation. It’s everywhere around us, and we can believe that because He lives, we can face tomorrow.” - Gloria Gaither
“Be good to that gift that God has given you.” - Bill Gaither
“We’re constantly teaching, and one of the best teachers is failure. If you learn from failure, it makes you wise.” - Gloria Gaither
“If you get up in the morning with expectations, you are bound to be disappointed. But if you get up in the morning with expectancy, saying, ‘What is God going to do today?’ then you’re never disappointed, and you’re always in awe of what God does.” - Gloria Gaither
“The pines are green. The sky is blue. It’s a riotous circus of color. Now I can either just go about my business and not notice that, or I can take that in and realize that God is sending us love letters from His heart every minute of every day. It’s up to us whether we read them or not.” - Gloria Gaither
“We have this moment to hold in our hands and to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand. Yesterday’s gone, and tomorrow may never come, but at least we have this moment today. And Jesus said, ‘I’ve come to bring you life more abundantly.’ And that is the abundant life—when you can use the God-given resources that He’s given to your mind and make the right choices on how you spend your time.” - Bill Gaither
“I think it’s a wonderful gift that prayer is portable.” - Gloria Gaither
“When it came down to being selected [for The Voice] and being the last one, I thought, Man, I’m wasting my time. Jesus never called me to this. Maybe I heard wrong. But I didn’t. He was saving the first to be last and the last to be first.” - Chris Blue
“After you win, you get money, you get the accolades, you get the deal, you get different opportunities. But then it goes away. That was hard at first because my expectation was you win and you just keep climbing. But that wasn’t the reality for me. You have to really work. You have to continue grinding. You have to continue pushing as if you never won.” - Chris Blue
“When Jesus called me to sing Christian music again, I knew that I needed to let the world know that sometimes you can stray away from your path, but like GPS, it’ll always recalculate and get you back on track.” - Chris Blue
________________________
Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Interviews: https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7
Video Interviews: https://bit.ly/4f79RAW
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer: https://bit.ly/4q5iTCx
Scripture Series: https://bit.ly/4wAVGKU
Celebrity Readings: https://bit.ly/4bIS5BJ
Video Devotionals: https://bit.ly/4fG1kFb
Sleep Meditations: https://bit.ly/4w0xu37
Shorts: https://bit.ly/3RHFubh
________________________
Connect with Jesus Calling
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Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
YouTube
Website
TikTok
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.