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
Anointed with Oil: Finding Identity When Everything Falls Apart
Ever feel like you’re hanging on by a thread? Like David hiding in a cave, surrounded by trouble, wondering if you’ll ever see daylight again? That’s exactly where Psalm 23 comes alive, especially those simple words, “thou anointest my head with oil.”
This episode, “Followed by Mercy,” goes below the surface of Psalm 23 and digs deep into what it means to be anointed in the valley. Our Shepherd applying the oil wasn't just a nice touch; it was a healing, protective, and comforting gesture for the wounded sheep. For David, it was God’s quiet reminder that, even on the run and feeling like an outcast, he was still chosen and dearly loved.
You may feel anything but chosen right now. Your mind replays every accusation, every failure, and every fear. But here’s the truth: your Father loves you exactly as He loves Jesus. You are not your wounds, not your worst moments, and not what others say about you. In Christ, you are a new creation, marked and valued by God Himself.
What gets us through the darkest valleys isn’t just positive thinking or hoping life gets easier. It’s learning to see our Shepherd who applies His healing oil right when we need it most. David’s story shows us that when we remember who God is, we remember who we are in Him. No valley is final. No wound is too deep. Your Shepherd is still anointing your head with oil, claiming you as His beloved, and walking with you every step of the way.
If you’re worn out or feeling forgotten, this episode is for you. There’s hope. You’re not alone. And you are still followed by mercy.
Thanks for listening. Find us on YouTube, Substack, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
I come to you today on the Followed by Mercy podcast. I'm still in Psalm 23, and I hope the Lord is dealing with your heart like he's dealt with mine, and we've come to this verse right here. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. We've seen that God has lifted him up and in front of all of his enemies, god has shown David great blessing and how God hasn't abandoned him, and that's what he does for you. Remember. David is being chased by his son and his best friend. His life is virtually at an end, but David has learned to meditate on the scriptures and to get alone with the Lord, and that's what you've got to do. But what I really like here today, it is thou anointest my head with oil. Thou anointest my head with oil. Now, you know I read that all these years and I never really considered what he was saying, but it's one of the most powerful truths that I can ever help. You see, I think he's saying I want to remind you, David, of who you are. He says I am want you to know who you are and not who the accuser or the slanderer says that you are.
Austin Gardner:You know that anointing oil in Scripture refers to doctoring or healing the wounds on the sheep. It was the shepherd calling the sheep to him, or the shepherd going to the sheep, and he's always monitoring the sheep and he's looking for his needs and he's there to heal physically and emotionally and he heals the wounds. It doesn't matter what happened in your past or what's happening right now. There's always hope. Your shepherd will never leave you. He will never abandon you. He's always healing us and we wouldn't be able to continue on if it weren't for his help and his work.
Austin Gardner:When the sheep is hurt, the shepherd applies oil to the wound. The oil helps cure the wound. It keeps the insects away from bothering it. It protects the sheep from the torment. The shepherd even pours oil on the male sheep so that when they butt heads and they're fighting, he puts it on their head so that they can charge and try to show dominance without hurting each other so much. That's what oil symbolizes healing. He says, david, I know you're hurting and I'm anointing your head with oil.
Austin Gardner:Don't forget how the Good Samaritan poured oil and wine on the wounds of the person that he was helping in Luke 10. On the wounds of the person that he was helping in Luke, chapter 10. Don't forget the oil is used in the Bible and so you want to think about that as you go through. Thou anointest my head with oil. When he sent the 70 out to preach, he anointed them with oil. And when Jesus, or through James, has explained to us how we pray for those that are sick, he tells us to anoint them with oil. So I want you to see that the oil is to remind David of who he is. He's in a cave right now and he's afraid and he's hiding and all this garbage is in his head and doubt and fear are attacking him and bringing up his circumstances. I don't know what you're dealing with whether it's some tragedy or financial loss, or sickness, or wayward children or disintegrating marriage, whatever it is but you know you're hurting and you're losing, and I want you to know that he anoints your head with oil.
Austin Gardner:David realizes that his shepherd is anointing his head with oil. It's David, he says in the verse. He said thou anointest. It wasn't his friends, it wasn't him, it was the Lord anointing his head with oil.
Austin Gardner:Now let's remember what anointing would mean to David. Anointing that's what you do for kings and priests. The Messiah is the anointed one. You remember, samuel anointed David to be the king of Israel. 1 Samuel, chapter 16. Then the men of Judah anointed him again to accept him as king over Israel in 2 Samuel 2 and 2 Samuel 5, judah and Israel and the anointing oil is a symbol that God gives even us in Romans 8 and verse 31. He anoints us. It's a symbol.
Austin Gardner:David realizes from his shepherd that he's still who God decided to make him. He's still who God decided to make him. He's still who God decided to make him, not who his enemy would call him or not who his enemy would claim him to be. You too are who God says you are. You are what God says, more than what you think, more than what you feel, more than what others may say or do. Remember who you are in Christ. You are a new creature. Old things are passed away, all things are become new. You are loved and adored by your father. You're accepted right now in heaven, in the beloved. You are complete and oh so much more.
Austin Gardner:Are you hurting? Know this. You have a shepherd who has been through it all victoriously. He knows you and what you are going through, I am, is not out of touch with your reality. When I was in Peru, you know, there was a great time of poverty and often the people would throw in my face because I was an American and rich compared to them. They would say you don't understand our reality. And I would often remind them I don't. But he does. God knows you, he knows where you're living, he knows what you're going through. He's not out of touch with you. He understands you and he sympathizes. He shares your feelings. Your heart touches his heart.
Austin Gardner:I want you to know that when you're alone at night and think no one cares, he cares. He stands by with the heavenly medicine to meet your needs. He's helping you. Though you don't see it, even right now, he's at work in your life. You might not feel it in the middle of your pain, but he never leaves you. Do not worry about your past or your sin or your failures and thinking that might cut you off from his love. That's impossible. You can't be cut off from his love. You see, love is his very nature. God is love, I am. God is good. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.
Austin Gardner:The Bible tells us that, over and over, your shepherd will never leave you, never give up on you and never quit on you. Right now you're hurting, but you're not alone. Remember who you are. You are a child of God. He's your Abba. That's the New Testament Greek way of saying daddy. He loves you more than any mother or father ever could. Maybe right now you'd say well, my mama still loves me, but nobody else does. I'll tell you something he loves you more than she ever could and he will not stop. The Father loves you just like he loves Jesus, his own son.
Austin Gardner:In John 17, 23,. Go read it for yourself. He praised, and Jesus praised to the Father. He talks about how he and the Father have had this wonderful relationship and how the Father has loved him. He says God, help them to know that's how you love them, that's how I love them. The Father loves you. I've said it to you so you're tired of hearing it maybe, but Jesus is on his way.
Austin Gardner:He gets baptized. He's on his way to start his ministry. He's been a carpenter for 30 years, not a preacher. He's not fought against temptation. He's not been down out to fight the devil. He hasn't raised anyone from the dead, no-transcript. And the father said you are my beloved son and I am well pleased. You see, he's not well pleased with you because of who you are or what you do. He's well pleased with you because he's your father and he loves you. He loves you. He loves you like he loves Jesus. And just because you are in the valley of the shadow of death and it seems like everything is going wrong, that doesn't change the truth.
Austin Gardner:I am Yahweh. The Lord is your shepherd and he will meet every need and he will never leave you. It doesn't matter what you're facing. Your shepherd stands ready to help you and make a difference. He reminds you of who you are. You are in Christ and in Christ you have a whole new identity. You're a new creature. You're loved and adored by your Father, accepted in heaven. You're complete. You don't realize it, but the shepherd is pouring out the oil of the Holy Spirit on you right now. He lives in you, he prays for you, he touches and he heals you, and you are never alone. The Holy Spirit of God has made you his permanent residence. That is the oil poured on you right now.
Austin Gardner:Now I've got more to say to you about this, but I know you're hurting right now. I know you don't know where to turn, you don't know what to do. But we're in Psalm 23,. And David is at the bottom of the barrel, at the end of the rope. He doesn't know what to do, but he does. He does know what to do. He stops thinking about himself and he starts thinking about the Savior. He gets his mind off of his situation, he gets his mind on who his father is. And that's what I challenge you to do today. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want, and even though I'm walking to the valley of the shadow of death, he's with me. I don't have to be afraid. He's anointing my head with oil. He's lifting me up, he's refreshing me, he's marking me as his own. That's what he's doing for you today. So today, go out knowing this it's not over. There's still hope. He is bringing you up, bringing you forward, going to continue to do great things. Hang in there and trust the Lord today.
