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: David's Final Realization in Psalm 23
Followed by Mercy: The Shepherd Who Never Lets Go
Do you realize that God has been pursuing you from the very start? In this episode, we dive into the final verse of Psalm 23, where David confidently declares, “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” This isn’t just the happy ending to a famous psalm. It’s the beautiful truth that our spiritual journey is, in fact, God’s pursuit of us from beginning to end.
It’s easy to believe that faith is about chasing after God, trying to measure up, or finding ways to be worthy of His love. But what if the story is really about a Shepherd who has always been after your heart? From walking with Adam in the garden, to living among His people in the tabernacle, to sending Jesus as “God with us,” the whole of Scripture tells us that God’s greatest desire is to be close to us.
Sheep don’t buy shepherds. Shepherds buy sheep. Your salvation, your place in God’s family, doesn’t hinge on how hard you try, but on what Jesus has already done. Psalm 23 leads us through every season—green pastures, dark valleys, feasts in the presence of enemies, and every one, the Shepherd stays close. For those in Christ today, the relationship is even more intimate: God doesn’t just walk with us, He lives in us.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re enough or if you’re truly loved, this conversation is for you. You’ll find there’s no pressure to perform in Psalm 23. There’s only comfort in being led, protected, and loved by a Shepherd who never lets go.
So wherever life finds you today, whether you’re full of faith or full of questions, remember: you are never alone. God loves you right where you are. Will you trust the Shepherd who’s been guiding you all along?
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Well, I'm kind of sad to admit this, but we're coming to the end of Psalm 23, though I'm going to spend some more days talking to you about it. It says and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I want to get to that part today. I want to just discuss that with you a little bit. I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever, and what you've got, what you're dealing with right there, it's kind of funny because what you're dealing with here is David is finally realizing, you know, in a whole big, long discussion, that, yeah, he's with me. You see, he was with him in the beginning. The Lord is my shepherd. He was with him. But it's been crescendoing all the way up. We have gone through all of it and we're watching David grow and meditate through all of these scriptures and all that's happening, and it's so exciting to see what's happening in David's life. I want to bring you back to the fact that the Lord is my shepherd was the very first statement, and sometimes it's like we want to make a statement like and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever, like it was you looking to be with the Lord, when it has been the Lord looking for you all along. First off, sheep don't buy shepherds, shepherds buy sheep. You're purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. You belong to him. He loves you. He is the one that originated it. If salvation was dependent on what I started, what I'm doing and what I could continue doing, I'd be in a heap of trouble. But if salvation is dependent on what Jesus did, I can trust him. The Lord is my shepherd. And then he ends up and says I shall always live with him.
Austin Gardner:Have you ever noticed that from the very beginning, it was God who wanted a relationship? It was God who created man. It was God who walked with him in the cool of the evening. It was God who went for a walk with Enoch and said hey, enoch, we're closer to my house than we are to yours. Why don't you just come home with me? It was God. Put a tabernacle right in the middle of them so he could tent, he can camp out with the people of God. It was God who said I'll make Jerusalem my place. It was God who said I'm sending my son, emmanuel, god, with you. It was God all along. It's God who wants a relationship with you. Don't ever, ever forget it. You don't have to be begging God. God, please come to me. That's like a child looking at her mama and saying Mama, please be my mama. You don't have to do that. He's already your Savior and your shepherd. If you trusted him, you do not have to worry about that. He is your friend, he is your constant companion. So I hope, as you'll meditate through the psalm with me, it was God.
Austin Gardner:By the way, no-transcript David's still Old Testament. There's a lot he doesn't understand, but we're New Testament and in the New Testament you know what happens, don't you? I'm sure you do. He's not with us, he's in us. Well, that's with us, all right, but he's here.
Austin Gardner:In six verses we have gone from peace. We've gotten to a place of danger to peace. We've gotten from a place of provision, from need. We have seen God conquer everything. One truth remains the shepherd stays.
Austin Gardner:If you started out in the first of this chapter, if you ended up at the end of this chapter, david says the shepherd, he's my shepherd, he does this and he does this and I won't be afraid because he's with me. You're not alone. No matter what's going on, no matter what's happening in your life, you're not alone. You may be in green pastures, you may be in dry valleys, you may have enemies attacking you. You have no idea he's there, but you are not alone. He is your friend, your guide, your protector and your provider. So you can rest in his love. You can walk in his steps, eat at his table, trust where he leads you. He's not taking you through life, he is taking you home.
Austin Gardner:In Psalm 23, david just makes a declaration of trust. I trust the Lord to be all he says he is. We're looking into him, seeing how close and personal relationship he's. The best friend, jesus is an oasis of peace. We walk with him, trusting him and resting him.
Austin Gardner:David says he doesn't have everything. Doesn't say he's got everything he wants. He doesn't say there's no trouble. He said but I got a shepherd. I'm not saying there aren't dangers. I'm not saying there aren't lions and tigers and bears, but you have a shepherd, you have somebody to protect you.
Austin Gardner:Life's not perfect, but you're never alone. You can have lack and needs, but that doesn't define you. Your shepherd defines you. You can be attacked and maligned, but that doesn't define you. Your shepherd defines you. You can be attacked and maligned, but that doesn't define you. You can make mistakes yourself, but that doesn't define you. The Lord defines you. There's no pressure on you to perform In Psalm 23,.
Austin Gardner:Not one time is it. I will do this. I don't even know where to walk. He leads me in paths I don't know where to rest. He leads me in paths. I don't know where to rest. He makes me lie down in green pastures. I'm not trying to deny anything. I'm not trying to escape. I'm just trying to help you realize it's a salvation's, a God thing, and it gives us a peace that passes all understanding. Life is draining you. You're pulled in every direction, you're stretched thin, you're wore out, but God breathes life back into you. God has a higher purpose for you. When the shepherd is leading, we don't have to be afraid. We can trust him. We know that he's going to take care of things. The future may seem uncertain, but it's not.
Austin Gardner:I spent many years of my life, I would have to admit I spent many years of my life, I would have to admit I spent many years of my life worried about whether or not I had what I needed to have if I measured up. But the truth is, it was my shepherd, who was with me, who was providing for me food and water and drink, who was encouraging me. When I got discouraged, it was my shepherd who was leading me. Because I got discouraged, it was my shepherd who was leading me because I didn't know how to walk. And I've looked back over my life and I can see so many mistakes I made, in so many places. I shouldn't have gone or done so many attitudes I ended up having. I didn't need those. But the Lord was leading me and now I can trust he was leading me. He's leading you. I've been attacked and maligned, but he prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. I've been discouraged and had my head down, but he lifts my head. Psalm 3.3. He anoints me with oil, my cup runs over and surely goodness and mercy are chasing me down. God has been good to you. He's always with you.
Austin Gardner:Now, here's what I want you to focus on today as you leave to go from this podcast now, to go live your life, do your job. We've talked on the phone. You're hurt and afraid. You feel like no one's with you anymore. You've been all by yourself, to the point it's causing you to have problems in your mind, but you're not alone. He is with you. I recently spoke with someone. They made the comment I didn't know God wanted to be with us. I didn't know God loved us like that. And then this person told me that they'd read a Bible verse and then they heard me preaching on Psalm 23. And we're so excited to know God loves you right now, right where you are, god loves you. You're not alone. The Lord is my shepherd and I shall abide, live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Today, go about your day and know that he loves you, trust him.
