Followed By Mercy
The Followed By Mercy Podcast
Real Grace, Honest Hope
You might notice a new name and a fresh look, but the heart behind this podcast is the same. After years as the World Evangelism Podcast, I sensed God leading me to a deeper, more personal path centered on His relentless mercy and the kind of honest hope that can reach into every hurting place. That’s why this show is now called Followed By Mercy Podcast. The format may shift, and the tone may be a bit more personal, but my mission hasn’t changed: I still believe the world desperately needs to hear the good news of God’s love in Jesus Christ. You are welcome here if you’ve been with me from the beginning or just found us now.
What if God’s love is more personal, stubborn, and relentless than you ever imagined?
Welcome to The Followed By Mercy Podcast, where we get honest about pain, hope, and the kind of grace that finds you right where you are, five days a week. This isn’t about religious performance or church routines. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt worn out, unseen, or unsure if they belong in the story of God’s love. Every conversation is rooted in this reality: God loves you right now, just as you are, and He isn’t giving up on you.
Here’s what you’ll find in every episode:
Experience God’s Relentless Love
Every show starts by reminding you that the Shepherd knows your name, cares about your story, and isn’t offended by your failures or questions. This is personal—it’s about God’s unwavering affection for you.
Find Your Place in His Heart
Once you grasp how fiercely you’re loved, sharing that love with others doesn’t feel forced. It becomes the most natural thing in the world. Real grace overflows.
Prayer That Changes You
We pray together—not just for the world “out there,” but for the battles and hopes you’re carrying right now. These prayers are honest, rooted in Scripture, and meant for hearts that need a gentle touch from the Shepherd.
Discover Your Unique Role
Whether you’re called to go, give, serve, or show kindness in your corner of the world, God’s mercy meets you where you are. You’re not just a bystander. You are His beloved, invited into the story He’s writing.
When life knocks the wind out of you, this is a place to catch your breath. You’ll hear the encouragement that meets you on your hardest days, and your honest questions will be welcomed. No pretending, no heavy-handed advice—just the reminder that your Shepherd is right there with you, walking every step with you, even when you feel like giving up.
Why does this matter? Because some days, it feels like nobody sees you or cares what you’re going through. But the truth is, you have a Shepherd who never takes His eyes off you, lets you slip through the cracks, and never gives up on you. That kind of love can put you back on your feet, and it might be the hope someone else is waiting to see in you, too.
If you’re longing for more than just religious talk—if you want to know you’re not alone and that God’s mercy is following you all the way home, you’re in the right place. Whether you listen in the car, on a walk, or in a quiet moment, let every episode remind you: God’s mercy is after you right now, ready to bring real grace and honest hope.
Subscribe today and join a community to discover what happens when loved people become loving people. The journey’s just beginning, and there’s a place for you here.
Followed By Mercy
Success over Stinking Thinking 3
Cornered in a cave, facing betrayal and danger, David didn’t let fear or despair have the final word. Instead, he turned his thoughts to the Shepherd who promises to stay close, no matter how dark it gets. Out of that desperate place came Psalm 23, a declaration of trust that has brought comfort and hope to countless people through the ages.
If you’ve ever felt trapped by negative thoughts, past failures, or overwhelming circumstances, this episode is for you. We’ll explore how David used biblical meditation, not just reading Scripture but letting it shape his thinking and bring his mind back to God’s promises. Meditation, in God’s way, isn’t about emptying your mind. It’s about filling it with truth, asking the Holy Spirit to speak, and letting God’s character become your anchor.
David didn’t pretend his problems didn’t exist, but he chose to focus on who God is rather than what he was facing. He moved from “I am in danger” to “The Lord is my shepherd.” That shift didn’t change the cave, but it changed David’s heart.
You can have that same transformation. Success over stinking thinking doesn’t come from changing your circumstances but from drawing near to the Shepherd who leads you, even in the darkest valley. In this episode, you’ll learn practical steps for meditating on God’s Word, bringing every thought captive to Christ, and finding peace that doesn’t depend on what’s happening around you.
You’re not alone. The Lord is still your shepherd, and He hasn’t forgotten you. Let’s discover together how biblical meditation can help you exchange anxious thoughts for God’s peace, starting today.
Thanks for listening. Find us on YouTube, Substack, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
we're talking about getting success over stinking thinking, and I just want to bring you to this great truth that we're facing here. David is in tragedy. David is in desperate need of help. David has to be discouraged beyond anything that we can imagine, but the Lord helps him have victory, even in the middle. And even if he had died, he had victory, because he goes from the Lord is my shepherd to I'm never going to leave his house and he goes all the way to. It doesn't matter if I die, he'll take care of me. He's got his mind under control. His heartbeat is slowing down. There's making a difference. So I want us to talk about how we get victory over your thinking.
Austin Gardner:How do you get success over stinking thinking? And it starts with meditation. Now let me just go over a little bit about meditation with you. You know it's repeating it over and over and it's looking for the meaning of that word. It's trying to figure out what does this word mean?
Austin Gardner:And so what you want to do is you want to ask the Holy Spirit, who is your teacher, questions. You know the Holy Spirit lives in you. You know that he is your teacher. You know he is God living in you, god in you, god sent to guide you, god who loves you no matter where you go, goes with you no matter where you go. He is here to teach you. So you need to say to him, as you open the Bible what are you saying here, holy Spirit, open my eyes and show me marvelous truths from your word. Holy Spirit, help me learn how this applies to me. Help me learn how to put this to work in my life. Holy Spirit, what are you going to show me? What's the truth you're showing me? And then listen quietly, pay attention, write down what God is teaching. You. Share it with others so you can let it become a part of you. Apply the truth to your life, practice what the Holy Spirit of God is teaching you.
Austin Gardner:So you memorize Bible verses, you say them over and over, you look up every word, you personalize it all. You want it to become yours, because you're going to bring every thought into captivity, to obedience to Christ. We're going to rise to success over thinking. Thinking, because as we learn to control our thinking, our life will follow and we will succeed. God wants you to walk in victory, never in fear. God wants you to have victory over sin and doubt and fear. God wants you to succeed in fulfilling your purpose. God wants you to bear fruit that lasts. God wants you to succeed.
Austin Gardner:I know that you're so against prosperity gospel preachers that you don't even want to hear that, but it's biblically true. So ask yourself are you allowing stinking thinking to hold you back? Are you allowing stinking thinking to hold you back, or are you allowing God to renew your mind so that you can see success from the inside out? You want to see success from the inside out. You want to see success from the inside out. That's who we are. So our success isn't based on what's happening around me. It's not based on circumstances but on Christ. Not based on what I can see, but what's beyond what I can see.
Austin Gardner:David is hiding, his life is in danger and he goes. The Lord's my shepherd. I shall not want. I never have wanted. I don't want now. I didn't want yesterday. I won't want tomorrow. I will not want Because the Lord, he leads me beside still waters. He gives me peace in the middle of the storm. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He says to me lay down, buddy, I'll give you enough food to eat.
Austin Gardner:We were driving down the road just the other day and my wife said those cows are laying down in the pasture. I said he makes me lie down in green pastures. I said that to her immediately. She said well, why would they be laying down in the pasture? I said he makes me lie down in green pastures. I said that to her immediately. She said well, why would they be lying down in the daytime? I said they're full, they've eaten, they're satisfied, they're chewing the cud, they're relaxing, there's enough food to eat today and tomorrow and they're happy.
Austin Gardner:That's what the Lord's doing to David. In the middle of trauma, in the middle of trauma, in the middle of horrible things happening, in the middle of horrible thoughts attacking him, in the middle of guilt, in the same time when guilt would assault his heart, he goes no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. The Lord's my shepherd. I shall not want. He leads me beside still waters. He makes me lie down in green pastures.
Austin Gardner:Oh, when I'm hungry, when I'm beat up and when I'm whipped, he restores my soul. I don't even know where to go and he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake, because he loves me. And I'll be honest with you if I die, I won't fear no evil because I know you're with me. I know I'm in with you. If I die, I will fear no evil because I know you're with me. I know I'm in a cave and I know my life's falling apart, but you're with me. You're with me right here in the cave and you're riding your staff to protect me. I got men around here, but no, you'll take care of me. Thou art with me. Thou ride on us if they comfort me.
Austin Gardner:Oh, in the middle of all this tragedy, you bless me. With everybody hating me and my life falling apart, you bless me. You lift me up and you give me a six-course meal, a big old banquet. You're just pouring it out on me. Oh, not only that, you're the lifter of my head. You anoint my head with oil. We'll get into this later, but that's one of the most beautiful things, because typically we come to God with our head bowed and we're beat, and he's lifting his head and he's pouring the oil on.
Austin Gardner:He said you look at me. There's nothing between us. I'm not upset about what's happened. I'm not looking at your past. I took care of that on Calvary. I love you. Cheek to cheek, face to face, we can talk to each other, and that's what he does. And that's what he does.
Austin Gardner:And then David says I just can't take it. He said my cup runs over. I mean, I got so much I can't hold on to at all. Oh, good night, I'm just realizing it. All my life, goodness and mercy have been chasing me all my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Wow, god, you are so. And wait a minute, david, stop. Where are you? I'm in heaven, I'm seated by the Father. All my life is wonderful. But David, the enemies, oh, I'm not thinking about that. Oh, but David, they're going to kill you. That's not where I am right now. You know where I am. I'm lifted to the heavenlies and that's what God's doing.
Austin Gardner:David is surrounded by his own ex-army, led by his son, who hates him, and he knows he's messed up. He's messed up so much in his life. He's failed so many times as a dad, a husband, even a friend. He killed his friend. He could have done much better, but now it was too late. And that's where you are, isn't it? You know you messed up and you know it's too late. You know you can't fix it. David knows David. He said man, I'm a mess. He doesn't need anybody to remind him of his failures. He sees it every time he looks in the mirror. He's not worried about what his brethren think of him. He feels terrible already. He feels badly enough. God knows David even better than David knows David.
Austin Gardner:Notice what David does when he's inspired by the Holy Spirit. He writes Psalm 23. The Holy Spirit says lift your head, david. Lift your head, look at me, david. David, listen to. Lift your head, david, lift your head, look at me, david. David, listen to me. You're my son, you're my sheep. I take care of you. I knew you was a mess when I saved you and I still love you and I'm here for you. And David says the Lord's my shepherd, the Lord's my shepherd. Sheep don't worry about what they're going to eat, they don't worry about the attack coming. They know the shepherd's got a rod and a staff. Sheep just frolic and enjoy the food and the drink, and the shepherd and David's doing that.
Austin Gardner:David doesn't talk about his circumstances, doesn't talk about his needs. He's not begging God to do anything for him. He's not talking about his hurts or his failures. He's not talking about anything like that. David talks about his God, the great I am, the great I am. David says I'm not going to think about David, I'm going to think about God. That's what you need to do right now. That's how you're going to get success over your stinking thinking. He floods his heart and mind and soul with God's person and character. That's where he goes right now. That's what he's thinking about.
Austin Gardner:The first three verses he spends talking about God and what God does. The Lord is my shepherd. I don't want, because the Lord's my shepherd. I don't have to worry about food, because the Lord's my shepherd. I don't have to worry about peace, because the Lord leads me to still waters. I have to worry about water. I don't even have to worry about getting discouraged, because when I get discouraged, he comes and gets me. I don't have to worry about where I'm going. He leads me and then he changes and meditates on.
Austin Gardner:He's been focused on God and now he talks to him and he simply says facts no matter where I am, you're with me. No matter how bad my situation is, you're here. Your rod and staff comfort me. I will not fear. I want you to know that wherever you are right now and whatever's going on in your life, he loves you. He hasn't left you. I don't care how much you've messed up, I don't care how foolish you feel right now. I want you to know the Lord is your shepherd. You say I jumped the fence, ran away. The Lord's coming after you. Surely, goodness and mercy are chasing you, and I want to challenge you. You can have success over your stinking thinking today if you want to. We got a lot more. We got a lot more in Psalm 23,. But I want you to know he loves you, he cares about you and he's here for you.
