This week, we’ll hear from Jay Lowder, an evangelist who has spent more than two decades traveling the globe, sharing the message of the gospel with audiences ranging from NFL teams to prison inmates. Early in his life, Jay struggled with depression which led him to medicate with alcohol, but ultimately brought him no peace from his pain. Feeling like giving up, Jay considered suicide, and he shares about the series of events that led him to finally find the peace he was looking for.
Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Riley Kehoe, an influencer and author, who shares the harrowing story of how her family survived a tsunami in Thailand when she was just a little girl. Riley recounts the terrifying events of the day, how her family stayed to help those who lost everything, and how she leaned on scripture to deal with the aftermath of such a traumatic event.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Davey Blackburn
Upcoming interview: Ann Voskamp
Jesus Listens for Lent & Easter
Interview Quotes:
“Church was just a place that we went, but not something that added any real value to my life. I didn't have a connection because I didn't have a relationship to Christ.” - Jay Lowder
“I was in such a dark place that I questioned, Was God real? Was everything that I was ever told going to church authentic? Was that real? And I really didn't know the answer to that.” - Jay Lowder
“The next thought that goes through my mind is, If God could forgive those Roman soldiers [who crucified Christ], maybe He could forgive me.” - Jay Lowder
“I've never been the guy that says, ‘Well you know, if you come to know the Lord, all your problems are going to fade away.’ The truth is if you give your life to the Lord, there may be a season where things get worse.” - Jay Lowder
“Knowing Jesus goes way beyond just going to heaven. It even goes beyond being forgiven. It goes to a Friend that's closer than a brother that wants to walk with you, lead you, and guide you. And it goes back to the verse that I heard the night I met Jesus. Christ said, ‘I came to give you not just life, I came to give you an abundant life.’” - Jay Lowder
“We would go and do missions work wherever we would land—my family would just find somewhere or someone to love on.” - Riley Kehoe
The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami hit the coast of Southeast Asia and with it took 230,000 lives. We were among the few that were survivors.” - Riley Kehoe
“I was so confused at the moment, Why are we not leaving this island as quickly as we can? I want to just get back to my life in New Zealand. I want to snuggle my pony and be in my bed. My mom told us, ‘Hey, girls, we're going to stay. We need to have courage to care for others right now, and we need to help these people who have lost absolutely everything.’” - Riley Kehoe
“I just want to encourage anyone that there is light and that Jesus will redeem, and He will be with you in your pain and your suffering. He promises to be close to the brokenhearted.” - Riley Kehoe
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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
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