This week, we’ll hear from Jay Lowder, an evangelist who has spent more than two decades traveling the globe, sharing the message of the gospel with audiences ranging from NFL teams to prison inmates. Early in his life, Jay struggled with depression which led him to medicate with alcohol, but ultimately brought him no peace from his pain. Feeling like giving up, Jay considered suicide, and he shares about the series of events that led him to finally find the peace he was looking for.

Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Riley Kehoe, an influencer and author, who shares the harrowing story of how her family survived a tsunami in Thailand when she was just a little girl. Riley recounts the terrifying events of the day, how her family stayed to help those who lost everything, and how she leaned on scripture to deal with the aftermath of such a traumatic event.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:

Jesus Calling Podcast

Jesus Calling

Jesus Always

Jesus Listens

Past interview: Davey Blackburn

Upcoming interview: Ann Voskamp

Jesus Listens for Lent & Easter

Jay Lowder

Matthew 27:32-56 NIV

Luke 23:34 NIV

John 3:16 NIV

John 3:36 NIV

Salvation Army

Madison Square Garden

www.jaylowder.com

Midnight in Aisle Seven

Riley Kehoe

2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

www.rileywithcourage.com

Three Seconds of Courage

Interview Quotes:

“Church was just a place that we went, but not something that added any real value to my life. I didn't have a connection because I didn't have a relationship to Christ.” - Jay Lowder

“I was in such a dark place that I questioned, Was God real? Was everything that I was ever told going to church authentic? Was that real? And I really didn't know the answer to that.” - Jay Lowder

“The next thought that goes through my mind is, If God could forgive those Roman soldiers [who crucified Christ], maybe He could forgive me.” - Jay Lowder

“I've never been the guy that says, ‘Well you know, if you come to know the Lord, all your problems are going to fade away.’ The truth is if you give your life to the Lord, there may be a season where things get worse.” - Jay Lowder

“Knowing Jesus goes way beyond just going to heaven. It even goes beyond being forgiven. It goes to a Friend that's closer than a brother that wants to walk with you, lead you, and guide you. And it goes back to the verse that I heard the night I met Jesus. Christ said, ‘I came to give you not just life, I came to give you an abundant life.’” - Jay Lowder

“We would go and do missions work wherever we would land—my family would just find somewhere or someone to love on.” - Riley Kehoe

The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami hit the coast of Southeast Asia and with it took 230,000 lives. We were among the few that were survivors.” - Riley Kehoe

“I was so confused at the