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
Love That Washes The Unworthy
In this conversation, Austin Gardner reflects on the profound love of Jesus, particularly in the context of washing Judas's feet. He explores the challenge of loving unconditionally, acknowledging his own struggles with selfishness. Gardner emphasizes that true love comes from allowing Christ to live through us, transforming our actions and attitudes. He discusses the importance of surrendering to the Holy Spirit, which enables believers to forgive, serve, and love others without conditions. The conversation culminates in a call to action, encouraging listeners to embody Christ's love in their daily lives.
takeaways
- Jesus's love is unconditional and transcends betrayal.
- Selfishness can hinder our ability to love others.
- Living through Christ means allowing Him to guide our actions.
- Transformation comes from surrendering to the Holy Spirit.
- We are called to love without expectations or conditions.
- Forgiveness is a key aspect of living in Christ's love.
- We should strive to serve others, just as Jesus did.
- Bitterness and hurt can be overcome through Christ's love.
- Our identity is found in being alive in Christ.
- Loving others is a continuous process of becoming more like Jesus.
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As I watched the chosen and saw Jesus washing Judas's feet, my mind ran in a hundred directions. Here Jesus was kindly, lovingly washing the feet of the one who was about to betray him to be crucified. He washed feet because he loved them all, even his enemy, and others who would be unfaithful to him. There were no conditions but on his love. There were no expectations. It was God who is love, loving the unlovable. Thought about myself and how what I was watching just wasn't me. I fear I'm a selfish lover. I love those who love me. I love those who treat me right. I have no desire to love those who would hurt me. I may not be the only one like that. Then I thought of how Jesus now lives in me. Galatians two twenty says, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. Love lives in me. The one who will wash Judas' feet lives his life in and through me. I am dead but alive, but he is living in me, and the life that I now live, well, it's not by me, but by him. That changes everything. How will I treat those who lie about me or walk away? How do parents love the child or grandchild who's lost their way? How do you treat your wife, friends, or others at church? If the life that I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God, where does pride, resentment, or even defensiveness fit in my life? That is not who I am. I am dead, and my life is hid with Christ in God. I do not have to try harder to be like Jesus. I'm not trying to imitate him. I am simply letting him live through me. After all, I died with him and was raised to live in the newness of life. Romans 6 11 says, likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. That's Romans chapter 6, verse eleven. Now I will depend on him, the Holy Spirit who lives in me. I, as a believer, live, move, and have my being in my Father. When I can't love, forgive, give, or serve, he can. I'm not strong enough, but he is. Grace from God my Father shows up in my life when I allow him to love others through me, when instead of being angry or getting even or holding on to my bitterness and hurt, I love my brother or sister in Christ. I too love to wash feet without putting conditions or rules. I do not love because I get what I want. I love because Jesus loves through me. After all, he who is love lives in me, and I live in him. No more keeping score, no more snapping, breaking, or settling the score, just him loving through me. Be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. That's Ephesians chapter four and verse thirty two. Be in this verse means to keep becoming or continue being made. I'm not here completely, but my life is continuing to change. It is an imperative. So it's not just sitting here like a victim of my feelings, but taking steps of action. So we will not allow the hurt to harden us. We will not let bitterness beat us. We will allow Jesus to be Jesus in and through us. We are witnessing a miracle. We see bitterness conquered, hurts healed, enemies become brothers. We do not wait for apologies. We do not set expectations. We wash feet, we stoop down and serve, we forgive. Jesus lives in us today. His love rules our hearts. We're not imitating, but surrendering and allowing, yielding.
