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
Wisdom, Hope, and Power: Paul’s Prison Prayer for a Free People
When a man in chains prays for your freedom, it changes how you see your own life. In this episode, we walk through Ephesians 1:17–19 and listen to Paul’s prayer not for comfort or status, but for wisdom, hope, and power. From a prison cell, he asks God to open eyes, anchor hearts, and unleash the same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead. That kind of prayer reshapes how we face storms without shrinking them, and how we live with strength that’s quiet but unstoppable.
We talk about why wisdom and revelation matter more than information, because faith is meant to change how you see, choose, and endure. Hope becomes more than a wish. It’s a confident expectation rooted in God’s character. Power is no longer an abstract doctrine; it’s present and personal, holding steady in weakness and fueling daily obedience.
Along the way, we revisit Romans 8:28 without clichés, hear Paul’s voice from confinement, and trade the trap of performance-based religion for a clearer view of Christ. We also get practical: choosing gratitude on purpose, praying big for others when you feel small, encouraging instead of envying, and learning to see yourself in Christ instead of through the lens of failure.
Key Takeaways:
• Paul’s prayer: wisdom, hope, resurrection power
• Wisdom and revelation over information
• Hope as confident expectation, not a wish
• Power that raised Jesus at work today
• Paul’s chains contrasted with our freedom
• Rethinking Romans 8:28
• From self-focus to serving others
• Practical steps: gratitude, encouragement, identity in Christ
If you’re weary or stuck in self-focus, this conversation offers a way forward anchored in hope, resurrection power, and a new rhythm for everyday life. Please share it with someone who needs strength today, subscribe for more, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway so others can find the show.
Thanks for listening. Find us on YouTube, Substack, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Thank you for listening to Followed by Mercy, where we think about surely goodness and mercy following us all the time, pursuing us, chasing us down. That's what God's doing. That's how He's working in your life. It ought to be one of the most exciting things you could ever imagine. Well, again today, I am joined by Chris Gardner, our oldest son. He's now like a co-host here on the program. So, Chris, I'm so grateful to have you here. Do you want to say a word? I'm excited about diving in again into the Ephesians chapter one. Well, we're in Ephesians chapter one, and we're going to do a little bit today on 18 and 19. Ephesians 1, 18 and 19. Do you have that open right there in front of you right there, Chris, where you can read it to them?
ChrisGardner:Yep. Can we start in 17? Okay, sure. So 17, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.
AustinGardner:All right, you want to launch out into something off of uh 17 there?
ChrisGardner:Yep, you know. I I think that really important, realize that he prayed, but then you got to think about what he's praying for. He's not praying for more stuff, he's not praying for more status, he's not praying for relief. Paul's praying for three things that are vital in the life of every follower of Christ. He's praying for wisdom, he's praying for hope, and he's praying for power.
AustinGardner:And I think what what he's praying for that for them. For them, yeah. It's not even so much of our prayer lives is give me this, give me this, give me this, do this for me. Yeah. And the apostle Paul seems to be saying, Hold on, guys, I'm praying for you.
ChrisGardner:Yeah. And and you have to understand what he's praying for them too, because he's praying for wisdom and revelation. He's not praying for information. We live in a day and age where we think if we know more, we're better off. We know stuff other people don't know, we're smart, you know, whatever. He's praying for them to have wisdom and revelation, not information, but transformation. What he's really praying for is that they might be able to see God more clearly today than they saw him yesterday. And what an amazing thought that is. I want wisdom and revelation for the people I pray for. I want them to know God better today than they knew him yesterday. The second thing he's got to call him for is the hope of his calling. Hope is not wishful thinking, it's a confident expectation. It's an assurance that God is writing a bigger story. I have hope in my calling. God's writing a bigger story. I can't whine. I can't complain. And then the third thing is resurrection power. Paul says it's the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. And guess what? His power did not stop the day he raised Jesus from the dead. His power is available today. It's available now for those that call themselves followers of Jesus. So guess what? Chain me to an chain me to this guard all you want. Guess what? I know who I have believed. I am persuaded that he is able. And the same God that raised Jesus from the dead is going to take every single circumstance that I might be worried about. And that's what he's praying for them. He's praying for wisdom and revelation, the hope of his calling, and the resurrection power.
AustinGardner:I want to real quick run back. You said it, but I want to go back to it. He's wanting them to see Jesus. Yeah. He's wanting them to in revelation and the knowledge of him. He's there. He lives in me. Can I just say to you, I have really enjoyed him showing himself to me. I've kind of decided to dedicate the last part of my life, whatever's left, to knowing God like I've never known him before, and then telling you what he's teaching me. And it's like so much of my life has been lived in a caricature. I need my understanding enlightened. Yeah. I think you need your understanding enlightened. You're listening, and you think God's mad at you, you think God's uh angry, or you think you've got to please God. You got to, you know, you almost see God like He's got a checklist and he's checking off to make sure you've been naughty or nice.
ChrisGardner:Yeah.
AustinGardner:That's not what's happening.
ChrisGardner:Yeah. Well, you know, here's here's the thing. I don't know about you, but if you've ever thought I don't have what it takes, Paul would stop you in your tracks when you say that. And he would say, Oh, yes, you do. Because he does. And he lives in you.
AustinGardner:And Christ in you, the hope of glory.
ChrisGardner:Yeah, and you we sit there and we go, I don't know, I can't do anymore, I can't go any further. And Paul goes, Stop it. It's not about that. It's about who lives in you, and if you understand there's resurrection power. And you know, I love making the contrast of Paul in prison or, you know, chained to a guard here, because think about it. Paul's in chains, but he's praying for your freedom. Yep. He's under guard, but he was praying that you would, that you would know God's power. He's cut off, but he's praying that your eyes would be open. I got cold chills just thinking about that. Think about it. Paul is sitting there saying, I want you. I I would think Paul needs to know about God's freedom, but he goes, I know freedom. You can chain me up all you want. I have the freedom that comes from God alone. He's under guard, but he's praying that you would know God's power. He's cut off, but he's praying that your eyes would be open. That is what legacy is all about. That's what faith and action looks like. Because, see, you're sitting there going, Oh man, I don't have enough to pray for anybody else. But you have the heart of Paul that goes, even from the bottom, I can lift somebody higher. And what a powerful testimony of this man of God.
AustinGardner:Now, uh, Chris earlier mentioned to you what hope is, but let's go back over that. Would you say that hope was?
ChrisGardner:Hope's not wishful thinking. Hope is not, well, maybe one day. That's not what it is. It's confident expectation, it's a settled assurance that God is writing a bigger story.
AustinGardner:So we are trusting God, not our circumstances. And so Paul says, in hope of his calling, that's not uh I hope it works out. Yeah. We use that word hope in in our day and time totally different. Paul was saying, I got the call, and I know God's gonna do it. Paul was saying, how do you put it? You put it, you called it a confident confident expectation. I am so read that that way. The confident expectation of his calling. What does that mean? So when everything in you screams, I don't know if it's gonna work, hope here is, no, God's gonna work it out. Because God called me, he's gonna work it out. God saved you, he's gonna change you. No matter what's happening, you're like the disciples out in the Sea of Galilee when the waters are tossing and everything's there, and Jesus is asleep and he's like, all he's gotta do is stand up and say, That's it, stop it, waves.
ChrisGardner:I love, I love, I've this written down as well. Hope isn't just a distant promise, it's a present reality for those that find themselves in Christ. You know, and when you think about it, and this takes me to Romans 8.28, which of course Paul also penned. Paul wrote in Romans 8.28 that all things work together for good. But the way that Christians in 2025 use that is this. Man, I just had my toe amputated, but I've but all but you know, all things work together for good. That's that's their approach to that reality. Is this all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose? So I'm just gonna trust. That's not Paul at all. Paul's in Paul is chained to a garden. He goes, and it, and if you were quoting Romans 8.28, you look at him and you're like, Paul, I am so sorry you're dealing with this. And you go, What are you talking about? Man, all things, don't you understand that this that I'm going like it would be a tough? It's not a it's not a downtrodden, oh, oh, woe is me. All things work together for good. He's like, no, I'm chained to this guy. This is going to change his life. All God's picture is way better. There's a confident expectation in that. I know what he, I don't know what he's doing, but I know who is doing it, and I trust in that. And so because of that, I really believe that all things work together for good.
AustinGardner:It's not optimism either. No. It's a it's a confidence in God's power. Absolutely. It's not like it's not positive thinking. It's not looking in the mirror and going, I am a great guy and I'm gonna have a great day. That's not what's happening. It's realizing what God is going to do. And no matter how bad the storm tosses you, you know this. Your anchor holes and it's firm and it's secure, and you cannot be sunk because God is at work in your life. And you don't have to worry about that. You don't have to be concerned about that. So when you're faced with betrayal or sickness and everything in you wants to give up, you need to hear this. Your calling is not canceled, your future is not insecure, it is secure. It's not a feeling, but a fact rooted in the God of heaven.
ChrisGardner:Okay, I love that. No, so here's the challenge today. It's about time to cut this one off, right? Or so we're getting close. Okay, so just here's here's a couple of things to think about today. I want to ask you as a follower of Christ, who are you praying for like this? I I would love for you to tell me who are you praying for like this? And I'd go a little bit deeper and ask you, who are you praying for like this that doesn't or didn't have your last name? Who do you care for like this? Who are you asking God to give wisdom, hope, and power? Because see, you we have to understand this is this you when you pray, I I want you to think about the the people at the church in Ephesus as they're can you not imagine? This is not our email day. They're not looking up tweets and they're not looking up Facebook posts and they're nothing of the sort. Somebody comes in with a scroll ready to read this letter that Paul has. Can you not imagine there as they're walking from their house to gather together to hear this scroll? They're looking at each other and go, man, I wonder how Paul's doing. I hope he tells us how he's doing over there and what's going on with him. Can you not imagine? You love Paul, you love what he's doing, you love his mission, you're all about him, you care for him, and all of a sudden his letter comes. Can you the expectation sitting on the edge of your chair listening about Paul? I can just imagine a dad and a while and his wife sitting there with tears streaming down their faces. They're sitting there going, Paul is here in prison, but he's praying for me. And I've lived in a way that he has heard of all of this great stuff about where I'm at. So don't divorce that. Understand what's going on.
AustinGardner:That kind of gets to me, though, because I'm I'm the one that would be whining. Yeah, me too. I've spent so much of my time whining, and yet Paul had learned I can trust God. I'm in prison, but I can trust God. Everything seems to be going wrong, but I can trust God. Seems like everybody's against me, but I can trust God.
ChrisGardner:Yeah. I think I stubbed my toe. I think I need to whine, and you that's what it feels like.
AustinGardner:But you know, preachers are preaching and and they're doing it to hurt him and despite him. Talks about that in Philippians, but he's like, it's okay with me. Yep. Because I know that I have the Lord's calling on my life, and I know that God is at work in me. So there's a whole lot of hope here. So, Chris, for the listener today, give him two or three takeaways right quick. I want you to help him. You know, he is we got a fellow listening right now, and he's beat up, he's lost his family, life's not going his way, and he needs a word. We have a lady who's been in love with Jesus and wanting to know him, but has been tied up in performance-based religion without meaning to be, and she wants to hear a word. What would you say?
ChrisGardner:Well, I would say, first of all, that choose to look at the thing that you can be thankful for. You get to choose what you're going to think on. You can think about, you can think about the you can think about the past that you come from, or you can think about where you're at today and you have something to be thankful for. The hope that you might be able to be with your children again, that you might be able to be with your family again, the hope that, hey, I'm so glad that that that this performance-based Christianity has been ripped, this, the scales are ripping off of my eyes as I'm actually looking forward and seeing the reality of who Jesus really is. I am so glad that happened because if not, if this had not happened, I would have lived the next 20 years of my life, 30 years of my life under that performance-based religion. Please understand, take this to heart, understand, be thankful for where God's put you. And can can I encourage you, the smallest letter in the alphabet is the letter I. The smallest zip code you're ever going to find is your little zip code where you're thinking about you all the time and constantly. Think about others. You in the middle of all his problems. Paul, I cannot even imagine the world of the people that he changed as they were sitting there listening to his letter. Change somebody else's world. Let them know. There's a young man reaches out to me and he says, I just want to thank you for being so faithful at doing this, and this has been helpful to me. That that word had nothing to do with him, but when he said that to me, it was an encouragement to me. It helped me, it grew me in the same way. Just look outside of yourself. There's a great business book called Good to Great. And if you're in business, you've read it probably a couple hundred times. But he talks about the problem between the mirror and the window. And as Christians, many times we're looking at a mirror when we need to be looking at a window. We need to stop thinking about ourselves. We need to look out the window and go, who can I be a blessing to? So be encouraged, be a blessing to those that are on the outside, and then look at yourself in the mirror and know this. You are no longer who you used to be. You are now the one that lives in Christ, and you live with his resurrection power.
AustinGardner:So, you know, I think as I've sat here and we've discussed this, I can see one of the biggest weaknesses in my life has been how often I focus on me. I got cancer, my friends canceled on me, uh, things have turned against me. Do you not realize that only drives us deeper and deeper into a pit of pity? And the Apostle Paul would not allow that to happen to him. Joseph wouldn't allow it to happen to him. No matter what happened, he kept a good attitude. He kept looking to Jesus. And so today, that's what I challenge you to do. Let's get our eyes off ourselves and look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Well, thank you for listening to Followed by Mercy. And if it's been a blessing to you, share it with somebody else. Thank you for being here.
