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
To Not Suffer Want, Trust the Shepherd
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
These words from Psalm 23 aren't wishful thinking; they are a bold, faith-filled declaration made during a crisis. In this episode, we explore what it truly means to trust God as our Shepherd in a world filled with anxiety, scarcity, and fear.
David didn't write these words from a place of comfort. He penned them during one of the darkest chapters of his life—betrayed by someone close, hunted by his own son, forced out of his home, and surrounded by danger. And yet, in that very place of chaos, he wrote, "I shall not want." The Hebrew behind that phrase carries a deeper meaning: I haven't lacked, I don't lack, and I will never lack. David wasn't talking about perfect circumstances. He was talking about a perfect Shepherd.
Most of us live under the illusion that we must fend for ourselves. We worry constantly about money, our health, our kids, and our future. We compare our lives with others and often conclude that we're falling short. But Jesus speaks directly to this mindset in Matthew 6. He tells us not to worry about what we'll eat, drink, or wear because our Father already knows what we need. The invitation is simple and profound: "You worry about Me, and I'll worry about you."
This episode explores how we can shift our focus from our problems to God's promises. We discuss Paul's journey of learning contentment, how the enemy uses comparison to steal our peace, and why gratitude is a powerful weapon against anxiety.
We also see how easy it is to misjudge God's care based on our circumstances. But David shows us that the Shepherd's presence truly sustains us, not comfort, not clarity, not control. Even when nothing makes sense, the cave is cold, and the betrayal is fresh, we can confidently say, "I lack nothing because He is with me."
This isn't just theory; it's life or death for a weary soul. If you're tired of carrying the pressure to hold it all together, this episode will point you back to the One who already holds you. "I am" has not abandoned you. God has not overlooked you. The Shepherd is right there with you, and He's not going anywhere.
In this episode, we'll explore:
- What "I shall not want" really means in Hebrew—and why it matters
- How Matthew 6 frees us from the lie of self-sufficiency
- What Paul's secret of contentment teaches us about peace in all circumstances
- Why comparison is a thief of joy and a distortion of God's love
- How David found peace while hiding in a cave, not sitting on a throne
- What to do when you feel forgotten by God
- How to rest in the Shepherd's presence even when life is falling apart
If this message speaks to you, don't keep it to yourself. Share it with someone who needs to know that God hasn't stopped providing, leading, or loving.
Thanks for listening. Find us on YouTube, Substack, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Did you meditate on that? Did you hold on to the fact yesterday? The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want you see, god is calling us. The Lord Jesus is calling us to trust him as our shepherd, to believe in him, to take our eyes off of ourselves and to put our eyes on him, who loves us and has done everything for us.
Austin Gardner:In Matthew, chapter 6, verses 24 through 34, it's like he takes that idea of I shall not want and takes it to a whole other level. But it's the same truth. He talks and he says no man can serve two masters. You got to hate one and love the other, hold to one and despise the other. You can't serve God and materialism, god and mammon, God and things, god and yourself. You got to despise one and turn to the other.
Austin Gardner:And then he tells us take no thought for your life, stop worrying about what you're going to eat, what you're going to drink, what your body needs, because you are worth more than all of those small needs. You are worth more than all those small needs. He said why don't you look at the birds? They don't do like that, but the Lord takes care of them. Don't you look at the birds? They don't do like that, but the Lord takes care of them. Are you not better than birds? And he said which one of you can add a cubit 18 inches to your height? Who could add 18? It's hard to wear that kind of high heel even, huh. So why are you worried about clothes? He said Solomon with all of his glory wasn't arrayed like the birds of the field and the flowers, because God takes care of all of that. So he says again take no thought. I think one of the most wonderful things, and let me just say this I know what it's like to take thought. So I am not accusing you, I'm certainly not demeaning you or talking down to you, because I want to know what I can do to stop my cancer. I want to know what I can do to solve the problems I'm facing. I want to know how I can make sure I got enough money to live out the rest of my life. You know worries, all the things that bother us. But he said take no thought. Matthew 6, 32,.
Austin Gardner:He said Gentiles need all these things. If you have a Bible, you ought to underline this Three times. He said all these things. He said lost people, people that do not have a God need the same things you need, and your heavenly Father knows you need them. It doesn't shock God to know that you need food and clothes and a place to stay and how to pay your bills. He knows that. He knows you need those things. They're not just wants, you need those things, you need need those things. They're not just wants, you need those things, you need all those things.
Austin Gardner:Then he says but if you'll seek me, if you'll turn to me, if you'll trust me as your shepherd, if you'll believe in me as your shepherd, I'll take care of all these things. They'll all be added to you. You just worry about me and I'll worry about you. That's basically what he says. You worry about me and I'll worry about you. That's basically what he says. You worry about me and I'll worry about you. Now here's our problem. I'm like God, I'll take care of me unless I get in real bad trouble. And we live in a frenzied world and a frenzied, anxiety-filled world, because we're trying to take care of ourselves. We worry about tomorrow, when God just wants us worried about today. The Lord is our shepherd, he takes care of us. So I would just like to challenge you to look at this. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want and let's let that be the meditation of our heart again today. He loves you and he's there for you and he's going to meet your need, and you've got enough to make it through today, and that's all you need to worry about, and he'll take care of tomorrow when it gets here. That does mean, though, that you and I have to learn to be content with what we have. You see, we have to be satisfied with the Savior, satisfied with the shepherd. We have to accept what the shepherd says, accept what the shepherd's doing. It has to become our heart that that's what we're doing.
Austin Gardner:In Philippians 4, the Apostle Paul writes this I have learned, and whatsoever state, I am therewith to be content, I have learned, I have learned. Do you understand? He had to learn to be content with God's provision Because I want things that, necessarily, god doesn't want me to have. I want to be in places he's not ready for me to be in. I want things and God's like no, I'm the shepherd. I'm the shepherd, you just stay right here and I'll take care of you and I'll meet your need. You trust me. Learn to be satisfied with what I'm doing in your life. Then Paul used another word in verse three. He said I know. So see, he had to learn and now he knows. He said I know how to be abased and I know how to abound. He said I had to learn but I've learned. Then he uses the phrase I am instructed. I am instructed, he's instructed to be full and to be hungry, to abound and to suffer and eat. So it's like the Lord had to be taught how to do that. That's what he's doing in your life and my life.
Austin Gardner:We are willful, stubborn sheep. We're hard-headed and stiff-necked. We choose what we want to do and believe. We kind of want to push God to the side like we're God and we want to run things like that for a while. God will get you through. He'll give you all the strength you need to make it. But you need to learn. You want to learn to trust him, learn to believe in him and learn to accept that he's the shepherd. He knows what pastures you need to be eating, he knows what water you need and when you need it.
Austin Gardner:Now, if he was a lousy shepherd, it'd be different. If he was a sorry shepherd, then we would be hurting and maybe have a right to say something negative, but he's not a sorry shepherd, he's a wonderful shepherd and he's always about our needs and he always will meet our needs and we can trust him. So that would lead me to the next thought that comes along with the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want, and that is.
Austin Gardner:We got to quit making comparisons. We got to quit competing and coveting. You see, the Bible says in 2 Corinthians, 10, 12, that we are not of the number that compare ourselves among ourselves and commend ourselves, measure ourselves, compare ourselves, because that's not wise. I'd like to say that's not true of me, but I can't say that and I don't think you can either. I think I look around and see what's he doing for that sheep. Is he giving that sheep better food than me? Is he giving that sheep some treats that he's not giving me? And I'm comparing myself. I'm comparing how God's treating me to how he's treating others. Instead of having my relationship with my shepherd, I'm trying to have my relationship with other sheep. But other sheep aren't my problem, not my issue. They're the shepherd's. We're not to do that.
Austin Gardner:It's time to stop comparing yourself. Don't compare how much you have, don't compare how much your church is growing. Don't compare how much money is coming in. Don't compare how your children are turning out. Just focus on you and your relationship to the shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want this is not a generality, it's a definite thing for you. Stop comparing yourself, stop bragging on yourself, stop competing with other people and stop coveting. And then I'll end with this Decide to be grateful for his provision.
Austin Gardner:Instead of gratitude, we grumble In everything. Give thanks. That's the will of God concerning you In everything. When God gives you bean seed, you're thankful. When God gives you steak to eat, you're thankful. When God gives you steak to eat, you're thankful. When God gives you water to drink, you're thankful. When he gives you a diet of Mountain Dew, you're thankful. In other words, you and I need to realize the shepherd's taking care of us. I shall not want. That is how good our shepherd is to us. That's how kind and how sweet our shepherd is to us. That's how our shepherd meets our needs.
Austin Gardner:Can I remind you of where David's saying this? Let me give you one more verse and then I'll remind you. In Philippians 4, 6 he said be careful for nothing, don't worry about anything. Don't be anxious for anything. Always pray and ask God for it and say thank you right off. That doesn't mean you're not in bad places. It doesn't mean things aren't going wrong in your life at all. That is not the issue here. The issue is you're satisfied with the shepherd, not necessarily the circumstances. Maybe your surroundings aren't what you want. Is David saying this when he's got everything going his way? No, he's saying this when his whole life has fallen apart and what's going to bring him back to even keel, what's going to settle the boat on the raging waters? What's going to give him peace in the storm is the Lord is my shepherd. I know he'll take care of it. The Lord is my shepherd. He has always taken care of me. He will always take care of me and I'm going to focus on my shepherd.
Austin Gardner:We spend too many hours every day focusing on ourselves and our surroundings and not on our shepherd. For a moment in the cave, with enemy soldiers approaching, david stops the world, puts everybody on standby and David says the Lord is my shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. The Lord is my shepherd. The Lord, jehovah, yahweh, I am. He's my shepherd.
Austin Gardner:He's here with me in the middle of the battle, in the middle of the storm. He's here. He hasn't left me. He hasn't left me, he hasn't abandoned me. I know everything seems to be falling apart and my world's gone, but he's with me, he hasn't left me. He's not going to leave me. He's not going to leave me and David's thinking that and calm is coming and David is calming down in joy and peace Because he got that truth that you need. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. I don't know if this is being any blessing or help to you. I hope it is, I pray it is, I believe it is. But if you would share this on social media, if you invite other people, I'd like to help people because it's helping me. God bless you.