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
You Are Never Alone: The Shepherd Stays When Everyone Else Leaves
Never Alone
Discovering the Shepherd’s Presence in Psalm 23
The most profound truth about your life is that you are never alone. Today, we step back into Psalm 23, where David, facing some of his darkest moments, anchors his hope in the unshakable presence of the Shepherd.
David doesn’t boast about perfect circumstances or having everything he wants. Instead, he clings to the One who stays when everyone else leaves. From peace to danger, from abundance to scarcity, from life to death, the Shepherd’s presence remains constant.
This conversation will help you:
• Rest without the pressure to perform, knowing the Shepherd provides still waters and green pastures.
• Be restored when life drains you, walking confidently through the valley without fear.
• Feast at a table of abundance even in the presence of enemies.
• Trust in daily goodness and mercy that pursues you regardless of your past or present struggles.
Most importantly, you’ll see that God’s love is never conditional. He knows you completely, your fears, failures, and dreams, and loves you fully. Knowing God isn’t about book study or theology. It is reality. It is living with a Shepherd who calls you friend.
Whether you’re in a season of green pastures or shadowed valleys, this episode will remind you that you are deeply loved, fiercely pursued, and never alone.
For more encouragement and devotional resources, visit:
https://waustingardner.substack.com/
https://followedbymercy.beehiiv.com
Thanks for listening. Find us on YouTube, Substack, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Welcome to. Followed by Mercy podcast. I am so excited to talk to you about our shepherd, our friend, our constant companion, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. Nothing excites me more than to think about Psalm 23. I've meditated through this wonderful psalm and you've gone with me on a journey. We're up to 40-something days now, but I want to just say you can trust the shepherd.
Austin Gardner:We've got six short verses, but David shows us the whole arc of life. He goes from peace to danger, to need, to provision, to fear, to confidence, to death, to eternity. Through it all, one truth remains the shepherd stays you are not alone. No matter where you find yourself, no matter what's going on in your life. Whether you're in the green pasture right now or in the dry valley of the shadow of death, it doesn't matter If the enemies are attacking, you have no idea what to do. You are not alone. The shepherd is there. He's your friend, your guide, your protector and your provider. You've learned that in Psalm 23. So rest and relax, rest in his love, walk in his steps, eat at his table, trust where he leads you, because he's not just taking you through life, he has taken us home. Psalm 23 is a declaration of trust, a window into the heart of someone who's discovered that God isn't just powerful, he's personal. He's a best friend, he's an oasis of peace. We walk with him, trusting him and resting in his care.
Austin Gardner:I have loved meditating on Psalm 23 as I have seen this wonderful relationship. David doesn't say he has everything he ever wanted, but he has a relationship with a shepherd, god. The relationship changes everything about David's attitude, the way David approaches life and his emotions. You see, david was in the pit, don't forget. I know you've heard it over and over, but he's in the most horrible position of his life. He's in the very shadow of death, but he knows the shepherd's his friend and he knows the shepherd protects him because he loves us. The shepherd stays. When everybody else leaves, when all your friends abandon you, when no one is there, the shepherd is still there. He is our best friend.
Austin Gardner:Life is not what you want it to be. It's imperfect, but David doesn't have to deal with that alone. Lack doesn't define David David. Love defines David. The shepherd's provision and present define David, instead of David being defined in his own heart and mind, by his failures, by his sin, by his past. He's like no, the Lord is my shepherd. I may be the black sheep, I may have messed up, but the Lord is my shepherd. I may be the black sheep, I may have messed up, but the Lord's my shepherd and he loves me and he never leaves me.
Austin Gardner:Did you know? Your shepherd is not putting pressure on you to perform. There is no challenge. He's not wanting you to compare yourself with others. He just wants you to rest in a quiet place besides still waters, a place you can breathe, a place you can lie down and refreshment can be right there in front of you. We're not asking you, I'm not challenging you.
Austin Gardner:Psalm 23 is not challenging you to some form of escapism or denial. It's soul-level reality. It's peace that passes, understanding. You see, life drains us and pulls us in every direction. It stretches us and it wears us out. But the shepherd restores us over and over. He renews our strength when we are exhausted, he breathes life back into us. He restores my soul.
Austin Gardner:The shepherd leads the sheep higher in faith and purpose of their lives. Now, when the shepherd's leading, we don't have to be afraid, because fear does not own us. Our shepherd does. It doesn't matter the valley, it doesn't matter the end. All we're doing is a path through the valley with our shepherd, and his authority is not a threat but comfort that gives strength and peace. He's leading you with confidence and care. We are not alone. Our shepherd is with us and he says eat, rest and sit. You're safe in the middle of the battle. We rest because we trust our shepherd. You don't need to live in survival mode or with a mindset of scarcity, but you want to be seated with the shepherd, the king, and join the banquet that provides in the middle of the chaos.
Austin Gardner:We face an uncertain future, but it's not dreadful. We know that God's goodness and mercy and love pursue us all the time, chase us on a daily basis, no matter what. No matter what you're going through. You can mark it down. Goodness is right around the corner. It's there, right in front of you. Open your eyes and see it. David knows where he's going. He's going home to dwell with the shepherd forever, with God forever, and he lives in his presence right now.
Austin Gardner:God's not some distant God sitting out on some planet. He's not an abstract thought, he's a personal friend. Did you know? God knows you by name. God knows every need you have. He counts the hairs on your head. He sees you just like you are and he loves you. He loved you when you were in sin. He loved you when there was no desire to follow him. He loved you with every failure.
Austin Gardner:I know preachers have made you feel like his love is conditional, but it's an unconditional love and he transforms our circumstances and chaos. He abundantly leads and comforts and loves. He never leaves us alone. So you don't need to live hustling and fretting and worrying, but you rather need to live in peace, resting, trust and enjoy what God's doing, because you are never alone. If you know Jesus as your Savior, he has already paid the price for your salvation. He is your Savior. Simply open your eyes, see and believe.
Austin Gardner:If you've not trusted Him, today is the day to trust Him. If you have trusted Him, then begin to relax, days a day to trust him. If you have trusted him, then begin to relax. You don't have to keep struggling and looking for a formula for success. I love this God.
Austin Gardner:The Father looked down at Jesus after 30 years of being a carpenter and he said to Jesus you are my beloved son and I am well pleased. He hadn't worked a miracle, he hadn't healed a person, he hadn't raised the dead. He'd been 30 years living the normal everyday life you live, but he knew this God the Father, loved him. Did you know that God, your Father, god, your shepherd, takes pleasure in you? He takes pleasure in you, he loves you. I just want you to know he loves you beyond anything you could ever imagine, and so you never ought to forget that you are loved and adored by your father, protected and cared for. Trust the shepherd.
Austin Gardner:I really hope you've been enjoying the podcast Followed by Mercy, because I really believe we are followed by mercy and I don't know if you think there's something in what you've heard that you might share with people, but I really do think it might be a blessing to you. For those of you who like to read, I also write every day on a couple of different spots and I will put that in the notes in the description of this podcast, so you can look at that. I want to challenge you to go check out what I'm writing and I want you to just hang on to the Lord that loves you. He's hanging on to you. He loves you. You're always being cared for. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
