The Wake-Up Call

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J. D. Walt reflects on Romans 10’s warning about “zeal without knowledge”: religious energy and good intentions can become harmful when they come from insecurity, control, and self-righteousness rather than a real, surrendered relationship with Jesus. He contrasts working for God with living and serving with God, arguing that faith rooted in knowing God produces love, while zeal rooted in fear can damage people, relationships, and communities.

The message then becomes a prayerful invitation to self-examination. Listeners are encouraged to acknowledge their own need for control, bring their insecurity honestly before God, and seek humility, repentance, and support from trusted community. It closes by emphasizing that freedom comes from being one’s true self in God’s love—a security that replaces performance and false identity with grace, peace, and genuine connection.

CHAPTERS:
00:04 Waking Up to the Soul
03:05 The Danger of Zeal Without Knowledge
09:01 The Need for Control and Insecurity
15:02 The Role of Community in Growth
18:02 Embracing True Identity and Humility

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Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/

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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

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JD Walt reflects on Romans 9 and contrasts Jesus with Paul before Paul’s conversion. Though they were near contemporaries with a shared longing for Israel to fulfill its calling, Paul pursued righteousness through rigid legalism while Jesus fulfilled the law through overwhelming love. The turning point comes on the road to Damascus, where Jesus transforms his fiercest opponent into a devoted follower—showing that no one is beyond redemption.

The message then turns personal: anyone who feels too far gone is invited to “come home.” Using Paul’s past and the parable of the prodigal son, JD emphasizes that Jesus offers unending grace and calls believers to become ambassadors of second chances. The episode closes with JD and his father singing and reflecting on “Softly and Tenderly,” framing faith as walking one another home and inviting the weary, lost, and hurting to join.

CHAPTERS:
00:04 Awakening to Jesus
03:06 The Contrast Between Jesus and Paul
05:46 The Transformation of Paul
08:51 The Call for Second Chances
15:06 Introduction to the Hymn and Its Purpose
16:12 The Prodigal Son: A Call to Return
18:10 The Message of Grace and Forgiveness
22:23 Walking Each Other Home: A Journey Together

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Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/

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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

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P.S. Join Us for Taco Tuesday Today! 

Come join us for Taco Tuesday today at 11:30 a.m. CST! RSVP HERE: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/ojlMT1ZMQnicKTmCLQruoA#/registration.

Bring your favorite taco and hang out with Shelbi Shutt, the host of our Behold Advent series. Order your books here: https://seedbed.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=108956&action=edit&classic-editor.

Bonus: Use code 30OFF today to get 30 percent off of an order of three or more Behold books!

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JD Walt reflects on Romans 9 and frames “What if God?” as the essential posture for approaching difficult questions about faith, suffering, and God’s purposes. He encourages humility over certainty, arguing that Scripture should shape how believers understand the world—like stained-glass windows that both filter light and give us a lens for seeing life. The message closes this teaching portion with a prayer to live a “what if God” kind of life.

He then expands on the stained-glass image, describing how churches tell the larger story of creation, Jesus, redemption, and new creation through their art and architecture. The episode shifts into a warm conversation with his father, David, about perseverance and hope in Jesus, followed by their singing “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less.” They end by encouraging listeners to offer support, encouragement, and second chances to people they meet.

CHAPTERS:
00:04 Awakening to Jesus
01:37 The First and Last Question of Theology
10:06 The Power of 'What If God?'
11:19 Interpreting Life Through Scripture
15:01 Finding God in Tragedy
16:10 Introduction and Personal Reflections
20:40 Building on Solid Ground
22:01 Encouragement and Support for Others

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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

P.S. Join Us for Taco Tuesday Tomorrow! 

Come join us for Taco Tuesday on October 20th at 11:30 a.m. CST! RSVP HERE: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/ojlMT1ZMQnicKTmCLQruoA#/registration.

Bring your favorite taco and hang out with Shelbi Shutt, the host of our Behold Advent series. Order your books here: https://seedbed.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=108956&action=edit&classic-editor.

Bonus: Use code BEHOLD30 today to get 30 percent off of an order of three or more Behold books!

P.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

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J.D. Walt reflects on Romans 9 and the tension between God’s sovereignty, mercy, and human understanding. Using Paul’s transformation from persecutor to champion of Jesus, he argues that our lives are not the main story—they become part of the greater story of Christ. The central invitation is to stop trying to fully explain God before trusting him: faith begins with trusting God’s goodness, justice, and mercy even when his ways exceed our understanding.

The message turns to the image of God as the potter and people as clay. Joined by his father, David, J.D. connects Jeremiah’s potter’s-house vision with the hymn “Have Thine Own Way,” emphasizing surrender, healing, and the hope of endless second chances. They close by encouraging listeners to carry that hope to people who are wounded, weary, and looking for Jesus in the world around them.

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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

P.S. Join Us for Taco Tuesday

Come join us for Taco Tuesday on October 20th at 11:30 a.m. CST! RSVP HERE: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/ojlMT1ZMQnicKTmCLQruoA#/registration.

Bring your favorite taco and hang out with Shelbi Shutt, the host of our Behold Advent series. Order your books here: https://seedbed.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=108956&action=edit&classic-editor.

Bonus: Use code BEHOLD30 today to get 30 percent off of an order of three or more Behold books!

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JD Walt reflects on Romans 9 and the difficult questions surrounding predestination, arguing that the passage should be understood through the Bible’s larger story of God’s mercy. Rather than seeing God as choosing some people for salvation and others for condemnation, he emphasizes God’s desire for everyone to come to repentance and frames Jesus as the open door into God’s kingdom. He acknowledges the complexity of the theology and offers the reflection as a “practice swing,” inviting listeners to hold Scripture’s individual passages within its broader message of mercy and redemption.

The episode then turns to a warm conversation with JD’s father, David, about a lifetime in church and his decades teaching five-year-olds in Sunday school. They encourage listeners—especially younger men—to serve children in the church, before singing verses from “The Church’s One Foundation.” They close with an invitation to a forthcoming Taco Tuesday Zoom gathering, where the community can share lunch and hear about upcoming opportunities.

CHAPTERS:
00:04 Morning Wake-Up Call and Consecration
01:23 Exploring Predestination and Its Complexity
04:03 Understanding Mercy in the Context of Predestination
09:30 The Mission of Mercy and Redemption
11:09 Reflections on Calvinism and Free Will
17:02 A Legacy of Faith and Teaching
19:48 The Importance of Church Foundations
22:57 Community Engagement and Upcoming Events

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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