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
Chased by Mercy
Have you ever stopped to wonder if God’s goodness is actually chasing you down even when it feels like everything else is falling apart? In this episode, we dig deep into the words of Psalm 23:6 and discover that “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me” means much more than just trailing behind. In the original Hebrew, “follow” describes a love that pursues you relentlessly, fiercely, the way an army hunts down a prize. It’s the same word used for tracking enemies, except here, it’s God’s kindness refusing to quit on you.
David wrote these words not from a place of comfort, but as a hunted man. He’d lost his palace, his position, and nearly everything that once defined his life. And yet, instead of being preoccupied by his enemies, he saw himself as being chased by the goodness and mercy of God. That one shift changed everything for him.
Maybe you’re walking through a dark valley right now. Maybe pain, loss, or uncertainty has been shadowing your steps. This episode is for you. We’ll talk honestly about what it means to see Christ, not just the chaos, to trust the Shepherd, not just fear the soldiers behind you. David’s story reminds us that God’s goodness isn’t seasonal or situational; it’s a daily pursuit, especially in our hardest seasons.
If you’ve ever struggled to believe that God could be for you, even when everything is against you, this conversation will open your eyes to a love that doesn’t stop at your failures, your doubts, or even your running. One listener said, “I never realized God’s goodness was hunting me down until I heard this, now I can’t unsee it in every situation.” That’s the kind of freedom and hope you’ll find here, too.
Discover a Shepherd who never gives up on you? Listen in, and let’s open our eyes to the relentless mercy at work in every chapter of your story.
Thanks for listening. Find us on YouTube, Substack, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Well, I am so excited to be with, you know, coming to the end of Psalm 23,. Though I don't want to, I do think sometimes people might think that I have beat a dead horse because I have loved this Psalm so much. But this, right here, is where the podcast came from. I call it the podcast now followed by mercy. Verse six says surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Surely, goodness and mercy. I don't think I ever thought all my life, I ever thought I had been followed by mercy. But as I got to studying that, I realized David's in a far worse place than I am. David's suffering things I've never suffered. Life's not going his way, but David believes he is followed and he's being followed by mercy.
Austin Gardner:I don't think we think like that. I think we tend to be very negative thinkers, very negative thinkers. Surely, without a doubt, it's true. Goodness and mercy. David says I know it feels like Absalom and the Hithophilers pursuing me, but no, it's goodness and mercy. He's not looking at what's happening in his life, he's not looking at the guys that hate him. He has got his eyes on the Lord and he said well, God is good to me In the worst of times and the best of times God's taking care of me.
Austin Gardner:Surely, goodness and mercy, we are the object of love. Do you understand that You're the object of love? God loves you. I know that performance-based religion might have made you think that God doesn't really. He loves you because he don't want you to go to hell, but he doesn't even love everybody, depending on what group you follow. He doesn't love everybody and oftentimes we see God as being angry. We're like God's angry. God's not angry. God is a loving God. God is love. Oh, taste and see that. The Lord is good and he is chasing us down with goodness and mercy. Surely, no doubt exclusively altogether.
Austin Gardner:Yeah, it's an assertion. Get the picture. Without a doubt, goodness and mercy are following me all the days of my life and they follow me exclusively. They're the only thing following me. Where's the mention of Absalom? Where's the mention of the enemy soldiers? That's not where David's looking. Troubles aren't chasing him down. It's not the end of his life. He's not sitting in a bar crying in a beer, thinking my life's over. He's saying I may be in the bottom of a pit and they may be chasing me, but in the presence of my enemies, God is already there. Goodness and mercy follow me. Isn't that a wonderful truth.
Austin Gardner:David could have been thinking that my enemies are about to catch me. It's about over, they're after me. It's like the old African-American hymn that they used to sing. It's spiritual. Nobody knows the troubles I've seen. Nobody knows the sorrow I've almost been put down in the ground. He said I have troubles and trials, but not David.
Austin Gardner:David says I only see goodness and mercy. That's all I see. Now, what's he mean when he says goodness? When he says goodness, what's he talking about? He said goodness is on my heels. The shepherd is chasing me down with what's pleasing and pleasant and prosperity. The shepherd is taking care of his sheep.
Austin Gardner:David is happy in the worst of the battle. God's doing delightful things in his life. He's doing things that are good for him. I am brings benefits and happiness and luxury for all that are his. Jesus said I am come that they might have life and that they may have it more abundantly. Boy, if you're of the group I've been in all my life, you don't want to talk about prosperity. You don't want to talk about abundance. You don't want to talk about God being overly good to you, but that's what the Bible's saying here. Goodness and mercy are chasing me.
Austin Gardner:David's suffering I know he's suffering. Do you see that? He lost his palace and his wives and his position. He's been embarrassed and shamed. He's only got a handful of loyal soldiers with him. He's still hiding. He's waiting for the attack.
Austin Gardner:But what does he look at? Surely goodness and mercy are chasing me. David says I am, is my shepherd. The shepherd always has and always will make sure I have enough. He makes sure I do not lack. He makes sure I eat so much I lie down in the green pastures because I just can't eat anymore. He makes me rest in beautiful places when I am discouraged and depressed and disheartened. He comes and takes care of me. When I don't know how to go, where I need to go, when I don't know how to take the steps I need to be taking, he leads me. He leads me. He never leaves me. Instead of that, he prepares me a banquet and a presence of my enemy and lifts my head. He causes my cup to run over. Now David says God's good, God's good, God's good. How do you do that? You see the shepherd, not the soldiers. You don't see the situation. You see the Savior. You don't see the chaos. You see Christ. You meditate on who you belong to. You meditate on what he said about you and what he called you.
Austin Gardner:Mercy here speaks of goodness and kindness. He says surely goodness and mercy, Surely goodness and mercy. Not only goodness, but mercy and mercy speaks of goodness. Again, it's like goodness and goodness are following me. Goodness and kindness are following me. David sees a shepherd doing him favors, benefiting him. David sees a shepherd rescuing him from his enemies. David sees a shepherd preserving his life. You see what's happening here.
Austin Gardner:He says my shepherd will not leave me. I may be in the worst place in my life, my life may have fallen apart, I may have no hope, but my shepherd will not leave me. The shepherd never gives up because he loves you and he never quits loving you. He has a love that sticks. Others may abandon you, but he's faithful and dependable and he's committed. He loves us. When we don't deserve it, when we do things that we shouldn't do, he still loves us. I may not be faithful, but he is. I may not feel loved, but he still loves me. You know, I'm a parent to four, a grandfather to 20, and now a great-grandfather to two, and another on the way. And it doesn't matter how many mistakes my children make, I love them. And I don't know anything about love compared to the Savior, he's the one that knows how to love and he has obligated himself to us. No matter how many mistakes we make, he's taking care of us. He acts kindly toward his sheep. His love never fails.
Austin Gardner:Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Do you get it? Unfailing, merciful, committed love. Now I really found something very interesting as I studied that. It says Surely goodness and mercy will follow me.
Austin Gardner:In the Hebrew that word follow is the word pursue or chase after or persecute is the word pursue or chase after or persecute. It's not like just come along slowly following you, it's like they are chasing you down and it's an over and over repeated action. He doesn't do it one time, he does it all the time. He did it yesterday, he's doing it today, He'll do it tomorrow. He's always going to do it. He intentionally and persistently follows us, like a shepherd going after his lost sheep. It's not a casual goodness, but it's on purpose. It's not coincidence, it's on purpose. You see what God David's learning. He's like David's meditating on the shepherd, and as he meditates on the shepherd, it changes everything about the perspective that he sees. He's trusting God no matter what, and I don't care how much you're hurting. Today, I want to challenge you to open your eyes and I want to challenge you to look at the shepherd and I want to challenge you to realize how much he is always taking care of you. Now notice what it said Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, chase me down all the days of my life Not some of them, all of them. When they're trying to kill me, he's still here. God's chasing you down all the days of your life. On the worst day of your life, your shepherd is here. You're going through the valley of the your life your shepherd is here. You're going through the valley of the shadow of death your shepherd is here. You're going to have surgery your shepherd is here. You're dealing with cancer your shepherd is here. You're never alone.
Austin Gardner:When my life fell apart and I got scared, I acted in ways that embarrassed me, but even then God was at work in my life. I lashed out at people and hurt people. I defended myself. I didn't realize that God was doing the work, and surely goodness and mercy, even on my worst days, were coming after me. I know my shepherd better today than I ever have. In fact, there's all the worst things that have ever happened and we've turned out to be good, because God turns what was meant for evil into something good.
Austin Gardner:I'm so thankful, even for the cancer, even for the chaos. I'm so thankful that God's doing a work in my life. I know Jesus more than I ever have and I'm more in love. So I want you to open your eyes and see how much he loves you. I want you to open your eyes and see what he's doing for you. I want you to realize he is right now loving you and he's right now here working in your life. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Now I've got one more phrase that we'll go through and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. We'll get to that too, but so much more. Would you be careful to sit down tonight and just meditate? I don't care what's happening. I don't care if you've been through a divorce. I don't care if you got cancer. I don't care if you've had something horrible happen to you. I don't care if you lost your job. Your shepherd loves you and he will never quit. You can trust him, look to him, believe him and rest tonight.
