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
Life on a Higher Plane
When life unravels, when trust is broken, when loss or disappointment corners us, Psalm 23 calls us to something deeper than just survival. It offers a way of seeing the world that lifts our eyes from the storm to the unchanging presence of our Shepherd.
David wasn’t a stranger to suffering. He knew what it meant to be pursued, misunderstood, and weighed down by regret. Yet in his darkest hours, David didn’t just wish for better days; he chose radical trust. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” These words weren’t a denial of pain, but a bold declaration of faith, a choice to believe God’s goodness when circumstances screamed the opposite.
One of the most striking images in this Psalm is the table God prepares “in the presence of mine enemies.” It’s not escape from trouble, but provision right in the thick of it. God’s peace, hope, and abundance show up in the most unlikely places while enemies still watch, while storms still rage. He makes His care for us visible, even when life is hard.
Today’s episode is an invitation: Can we look beyond our wounds to the One who is with us in every valley? Will we believe that God’s provision isn’t waiting on the other side of this trial, but is here, now, in the midst of it?
If you’re carrying disappointment, grief, or the ache of broken trust, you’re not forgotten. God’s faithfulness is greater than your storm. His table is set for you, not after the battle, but right in the middle of it.
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Well, I come today to we have done thy rod and thy staff. They comfort me. And that brings me to probably one of the most exciting things. I see the Psalm 23 as a crescendo. I see it as David. He's in bad trouble. I mean he has messed up his life. If he were living today, all of his friends have canceled him. He's a pariah. Nobody respects him, nobody loves him. He's on the run. He has very few loyal friends with him. His own son is attacking him. He has embarrassed him and humiliated him all over the kingdom. His best friend has turned on him and is causing people to help. He's helping Absalom figure out how to kill him and trying to help him get to him. If it weren't for the Holy Spirit of God, he'd be in great trouble.
Austin Gardner:And David, in all that trouble, does what I don't think I would ever do, or you would and until I really started meditating on this, I don't know that I did and that is he didn't talk about himself. He doesn't discuss how he really messed up. That's what I do. You know, when things go wrong, I say well, god is just. He's mad at me, he's tearing me up, I'm being castigated, chastised, I'm in trouble. But David doesn't do that. David is alone, maybe in that cave, surrounded by a few men. His life is in danger. His own men are scared. I think his clothes are tattered. I think he's in real trouble. I think he's in real trouble and he starts off.
Austin Gardner:The Lord is my shepherd. I'm just going to state fact. I'm just going to state some Bible truth that goes against the truth about where I'm living. He said he could have said he doesn't say it, but there was truth all around him. He could see that he was in trouble. He could see that his life was messed up. He didn't need anybody to say well, you messed up, david. Somehow, I think. Sometimes we almost think like it's our responsibility to make sure everybody knows. Oh, you really messed up and you're in trouble, and here's the conditions for you to get right. And you're not getting God's forgiveness until you. That's not the story.
Austin Gardner:David's alone. He's still on the run, everybody's still against him and he says the Lord is my shepherd. I have never wanted and I shall not want. I never will in the future. I never will in the past. I'm not wanting now. I may be in trouble, but the Lord's still my shepherd. If the Lord's my shepherd. I can't want.
Austin Gardner:He's taking care of me and the Lord he's making me to lie down in green pastures Even now, and all the mess and everything I've messed up and how I've torn it up and ruined my life. He's given me more than I need and in the middle of all that, he leads me to still waters, peaceful waters, and all this chaos and all that's going on all around me and how everybody's attacking me and how my life is falling apart, I'm able to find peace. He said I came in this cave and I was so discouraged and so distraught. I saw no way to live. I saw no way to go forward. I didn't know what to do. But he restores my soul, he encourages me, he brings me back, he gives me life again, he refreshes me, and then I don't know what to do. I've messed up so bad I don't know how to do right. But he said don't worry, he leads me. He doesn't do it because he loves me or because of who I am. He does love me. He's not doing it because of me, it's because of him, because that's who he is.
Austin Gardner:He started out with the Lord is my shepherd. Yahweh I am the great, indulgent father is doing this for us. Then he said I've been scared to death. I'm in the valley of the shadow of death, yeah, but I won't fear. I won't fear because I know he's with me. I won't fear no evil, because even though I have messed up and I am not worthy of it, god ought to run and hide from me and God ought to turn his back on me and God ought to walk away from me. God says no, he's with me. He's with me. He said. And even now, when I don't deserve it, he's here to protect me. Even now, when I don't deserve it, he's here to protect me. He'll direct me and guide me. What a God.
Austin Gardner:But this is what I really, really. I mean we're crescendoing. Do you not see how he's discouraged? And then he goes the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want he leads me beside, he makes me lie down in green paddocks. It's just keep up, up, up, up, up up. But we're going to keep going up because the Psalm ends, I think, on the highest note of all.
Austin Gardner:But I want you to notice what he says here. He says you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. I just want you to look at this with me. I want you to think about what you're reading. This is life on a higher plane. It's higher than you've ever known before. It's higher than I understand. It's higher than what's going on in your life. But you can live in the light of grace in the middle of the fight if you learn to focus on the Lord. Thou preparest the table Now. I want you to go through that with me. Those words he said thou preparest. The Hebrew word there is in the imperfect tense, meaning it's an ongoing, habitual, incomplete action.
Austin Gardner:God is not preparing a table one time or sometime in the future or sometime in the past. That means he's always preparing a table for us. He's always in the middle of our worst nightmare. He's there, he's caring for us. He's preparing a banquet. How beautiful is that. He's setting things in order. He's arranging the banquet in the middle of the darkest night, when everybody should be afraid. The shepherd's still there, meeting our need. He's furnishing you. He's joining in the battle with you and he's esteeming you worthy of the battle. He's spreading a table before you.
Austin Gardner:You need to know that he's with you right now, wherever you are. He will never leave you. He will always be there for you, no matter what your heart or the world or others tell you. On your darkest night and when you're terrified, he is there working out all things for your good. Now I need you to understand. I need you to understand, you need to listen. I need you to listen. He's preparing a table for you Now. I know you're beat up and you're hurting, but I want you to know he's preparing a table for you. I want you to know right now, wherever you are, there's a banquet right in front of you. If you'll just learn to get your eyes off the problem and get them on the Lord Now, then I think there's another interesting phrase here, and if you look at, if you look at our Bible verse, it says thou prepares the table before me in the presence of mine, enemies. Now I meditate a lot, I just think about it.
Austin Gardner:Now you get that he's not getting you out of the danger, but he's with you in the middle of it. He's going to give you victory in all your battles, but he ain't getting you out of it. And what he's really doing is he's preparing the banquet conspicuously in front of, in the sight of your enemy, the people who hate you and want to destroy you and are hoping you're dead and hoping you'll never be king again, are watching and in the middle of all this chaos, god is still good to you. He's still taking care of you. The shepherd I am God is clarifying to you that he is with you. This publicly shows that he's giving you a banquet.
Austin Gardner:You're the object of his care. He doesn't get you out of the presence of your enemies. He doesn't stop the mistreatment, he just comes to bless you in the middle of it. You shouldn't, but you want to kill your enemies. You want God to kill your enemies. You want God to destroy them. You want God to get vengeance on them, but that's not what God's doing. He blesses you while your enemies, you want God to destroy them. You want God to get vengeance on them, but that's not what God's doing. He blesses you while your enemies watch. They'll continue doing their attacks. They'll do all they can to destroy you, but they got to watch you get blessed. What in the world could frustrate them more?
Austin Gardner:So, right now, where you are and how bad you're hurting, he is at work in your life. He is at work in your life. He is preparing a table, a banquet table, a six-course meal, right in front of you in the presence of your enemies. Now look at what the verse said Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Well, that table, that's provision. That table, that's provision. The Lord is preparing a table for you a banquet, a multi-course meal. It's a table. You're in a cave. There's no tables in the cave. But in the middle of the fight, no matter how bad it gets, no matter if you got cancer, no matter if your best friends have turned on you, no matter if your family has been destroyed, no matter how bad sin has beat you up, he's building a multi-course meal for you.
Austin Gardner:Never forget or overlook all that God is doing every day in your life. You see, you need to live a life of gratitude. I know you've been looking at what you're missing. You've been looking at the bad situation. You've been thinking about how you're hurting instead of thinking about how you're blessed. But God's calling you to look at the shepherd. The shepherd's still with you. The shepherd's still leading you. God is still good and God has been gracious to you all along. So you look for his hand and blessings on you. He is providing for you in the middle of the chaos, even now, in the worst of the worst days. Think about it and think about what God has done for you. Think about how God has met your needs. I want you to think about that. I know you're hurting, I know you're discouraged, I know you're angry just a little bit, but I want you to know. This says says thou, prepares a table before me in the presence of mine.
Austin Gardner:Enemies Now David's got enemies, people that are against him. One's his best friend of his entire life, the one guy that David felt like he could let his hair down with and just be normal and just be who he was and not have on any kingly airs. He's turned against him. His son has turned against him. These are real enemies and they were causing trouble and distress. They're cramping, tying up David. They're treating David with hostility. They're harassing and attacking him. His own friends and family are his rivals.
Austin Gardner:You can have enemies, no matter who you are. At least in the New Testament we know that our enemies are not flesh and blood but demonic spirits. I want to remind you of that. You got to get rid of this anger. You got to forgive these people, because you're mad at Joe and Tom, but really your fight's not against people. You got to separate your attackers from their actions the people that God loves. God loves them like he loves you, and there are demonic forces behind them. That's why Jesus said forgive them, father. They don't know what they're doing. This war isn't between you and other people. It's between the shepherd and his enemies, and we can trust that he will fight his own battles. Don't forget you may deserve the attacks because you have failed, but what's happening is so much bigger than you. I didn't say you hadn't failed. I didn't say you hadn't messed up. I didn't say you hadn't sinned. I didn't say you're not dealing with consequences. I'm just saying that God still loves you.
Austin Gardner:Maybe David offended Ahithophel, his best friend, because it's possible he was Bathsheba's grandfather no-transcript. But there's a promise here Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine. Enemies, do you see what David's doing? David is focused not on his situation, but on his shepherd, on the I am, on what God is doing for him. He has spoken to the Lord now. At first he talked about who the Lord was and what he was doing. He quoted Bible truth. That's what I'm challenging you to do. He quoted Bible truth. That's what I'm challenging you to do. He quoted Bible truth and that's what got him up on a higher plane where he's living above everything. And then he's spoken to him and said thou art with me, I won't be afraid. And then he said you're preparing a table for me, god. I'm talking to you, the God I just described. You're preparing a table before me. See, focusing on the Lord and the shepherd instead of the situation, lifts David to a higher plane in his heart.
Austin Gardner:David is out of the dungeon of darkness and death. He's in the heavenly places of health and happiness and security. David is banqueting and flying high, even though he's physically still in a horrible fight for his life. You can live on a higher plane. You can have victory in the middle of the conflict, in the presence of your enemies. But you've got to intentionally shift your focus from yourself, your suffering, your attackers, your situation, to your shepherd, your savior, god and king. Bring your thoughts into captivity. Don't settle for anything less than the best. Let the Holy Spirit open your eyes to your actual condition in Christ, to who you are, your identity. You are right now accepted, loved, seated in the heavenly victories, victorious, and in him, in you lives? Who is greater than he? That's in the world. You have victory in the Lord Jesus. You have it. So I want you to see it.
Austin Gardner:David's on a higher plane. I mean he starts off over here like I am so discouraged. Wow, he starts quoting truth to himself and he takes three or four verses truth, truth, truth, truth. That's what you got to do. Truth, truth, truth. That's how you're going to get out of it. You got to keep repeating truth. You don't even have to talk to God. David probably doesn't feel like he's worthy to talk to God at the first, but he talks about God, then he goes. You know, I'm thinking about it. I am worthy, I can talk to him because he's my shepherd and he loves me. And David ascends above it all. I see him in the cave, but I see him above the cave. I see him in the cave hurting and scared, but I see him at the same time in the heavenlies, excited about what God's doing.
Austin Gardner:Now, where are you? What are you? How are you hurting? You can have victory today. Nothing the devil throws at you. Yes, you deserve it. Yes, yes, yes. I know you've done wrong, yes, I know that everybody else will tell you. You've messed up, but just come home, just open your arms and run into the open arms of your father, who loves you. He's ready to kiss you and hug you and throw a party. You've come home, trust him. He loves you and he's excited to see you Live life on a higher plane.
