Hearing Becomes Believing: Love becomes contagious

The house lights come up, the guitars fade, and a stadium shouts, “I am the one that Jesus loves.” That electric moment from Brad Arnold of Three Doors Down launches a candid, soul-level journey through how faith actually takes root: someone speaks, someone hears, and something in the heart awakens.

We dig into Romans 10 with clear, practical language. Paul’s chain is simple and heavy: people can’t call on Christ without believing, can’t believe without hearing, and can’t hear without someone speaking. That’s why testimonies matter and why the proclaimed word about Jesus—his death, resurrection, and lordship—still changes lives. We explore the tension between access and response, how hearing moves beyond sound into understanding and trust, and why ordinary conversations can carry eternity’s weight. Along the way, we point to real stakes—addiction, illness, hope—and the audacity of telling a crowded venue that love has a name.

Then we pivot to a powerful reading from Og Mandino’s The Greatest Salesman in the World, Scroll IX, treating love as both strategy and safeguard. Love greets the day, refuses gossip, praises quickly, and guards the gates of body, mind, soul, and heart. It opens doors logic can’t, shields us from bitterness, and trains us to act with courage and tenderness in the same breath. Whether you lead a team, parent a child, or walk into a room of strangers, this is a field guide for living a message people can hear.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Brad Arnold’s Bold Faith
• 2:59 Introducing The Love Theme
• 5:01 Romans 10 Explained
• 10:01 Hearing, Believing, And Proclaiming
• 13:01 Keep The Gospel Conversation Alive
• 16:01 Book Pivot: Og Mandino
• 19:31 Reading Scroll IX On Love
• 24:01 Love As Shield And Practice

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 1:07

Brad Arnold, the lead singer for Three Doors Down, has been openly sharing his faith in Jesus from the stage for years. At nearly every show, he pauses the concert to talk about what Christ has done in his life. One of his signature moments is getting the entire crowd to shout, I am the one that Jesus loves. And at a Hershey show a few years back, thousands of rock fans screamed it together at full volume. He did it again at the Ruhoff Music Center near Indianapolis, delivering a several-minute message about Jesus and hope that left the whole venue buzzing. Arnold has battled addiction and even stage four cancer, and he says Jesus is the one who saved his life, which is why he refuses to stay silent about his faith. A rock star preaching the gospel between his songs. Now that's real kryptonite to the darkness. My name is B-Robb, and that's Food for Thought. Indeed it is, and this is the Food for Thought Faith Cast. And man, that is a Brad Arnold's an incredible story. He's an incredible singer. He has some incredible lyrics. I've always been drawn to his music as heartbreaking as some of it is, but a lot of it's really motivational stuff. And he wrote some songs for our military, that sort of thing. Everybody knows who they are. Once again, this is B-Robb. You are on the Food for Thought Faith Cast. Thank you for tuning in this afternoon. We're going to get to it. We're going to get to it down to it. Like I said, this week's subject, or whatever you want to call it, we're going to be talking a lot about love. And there is no greater love than God giving his only begotten Son. There is no greater love. John 3 16. And he loved you so much that he did that. And Jesus loved you so much that he did that. Can I get a amen to the triune God? Can I? Can I get a amen? Romans 10 17. So then comes faith. So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So the NIV version, consequently, faith comes from hearing the message and messages heard through the word about Christ. A lot of different versions out there. The King James, so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. You've heard a lot of different translations. You've heard um the key Greek term here is word, which is rima Christu, which is word of Christ, and that's a Greek term in emphasizing the spoken or proclaimed message about Jesus rather than just the general scriptures. So it's a gospel, if you will. Um, the basic context of the book of Romans, the apostle Paul wrote Romans to explain the gospel. Salvation comes by faith in Jesus Christ, not by works or Jewish law. That's Romans 1, 16 and 17. Chapters 9, 11 specifically address why many Jews rejected the Messiah while Gentiles, Gentiles accepted the Messiah. In Romans 10, Paul stresses that righteousness, right standing with God, back that up. Righteousness means right standing with God is by faith, and it's available to everyone, not just Jews, but Jews or Gentiles. Everyone who believes, and you can go back to verse nine through thirteen, which state that he then poses a series of rhetorical questions in verses fourteen through fifteen. How can people call on the Lord if they haven't believed? How can they believe if they haven't heard? How can they hear without someone telling or preaching to them? How can anyone preach that's not sent? Or unless he is called or sent by God. Now, this builds to verse seventeen. Faith arises when people hear the gospel message about Christ proclaimed. Paul notes that Israel had heard. Quoting Isaiah fifty-one fifty-three one, the issue wasn't lack of access, the issue was rejection. But faith comes by hearing, right? Saving faith comes by hearing, trusting in our Lord Jesus for salvation. Which actually develops through encountering the gospel and the message. Hearing isn't just auditory. It's receiving, understanding, and proclaiming the word. Hearing isn't just auditory, it's receiving, understanding, and proclaiming the word. Because the word is proclaimed. What word am I talking about? I'm talking about the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, the death, the resurrection, and the lordship. His preachings. I'm just trying to spark faith. Anyways, guys, this verse is a cornerstone for understanding how God draws people to salvation through the preached word. Through the word of God. While highlighting human responsibility to respond in faith. This is often a huge discussion of missionaries, Bible studies, and personal devotion. Keep the faith alive, keep the conversation alive. The gospels are meant to be told, preached. Jesus' message is meant to be heard. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So you must tell somebody, show them the word of God. Show them how to pray. And God will guide the way. Show them how to pray, God will guide the way. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Guys, I love you. Um, I just read a book in the past three days called The Greatest Salesman of All Time. And this book is written by Ogmandino, and it's a great, great book. I think you don't have to be a salesman. This is more of uh life lessons, and a lot of this stuff I already know. I was in sales for over 30 years, but I didn't really understand how to put it into life if that makes sense. Anyways, I'm gonna read you a chapter out of the book. The um I gonna read you chapter. We're gonna keep with the love theme. We're gonna keep with the love theme. I'm gonna read you chapter nine. And if you haven't read this book, it's not a long read. And they've got an audio book that's cheaper than the actual book. So it is perfect. I think it's about a three-hour read, three-hour listen. Um, perfect for a nice drive. Might be a little bit longer, don't hold me to that. Maybe five. I don't, I don't know. But here is chapter nine, and I hope you like it. I hope you like it, guys, because I really, really enjoy the message. God bless you. I love you. Stay prayed up. Love everybody. Walk into the room glowing. It's your choice. God bless you. For this is the greatest secret of success in all ventures, in all things. Muscle can split a shield and even destroy life, but only the unseen power of love can open the hearts of men, and until I master this art, I will remain no more than a peddler in the marketplace. I will make love my greatest weapon, and none on whom I call can defend against its force. My reasoning they may counter, my speech they may not trust, my clothes they may disapprove, my face they may reject, and even my bargains and deals may cause them suspicion, yet my love will melt all their hearts like unto the sun whose rays soften the coldest clay. I will greet this day with love in my heart. And how will I do this? You ask? From this day forth I will look on all things with love, and I will be born again. I will love the sun for it warms my bones. I will love the rain, for it cleanses my soul. I will love the light, for it shows me the way, yet I will love the darkness because it shows me the stars. I will welcome happiness, for it enlarges my heart, yet I will endure sadness, for it opens my soul. I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due, yet I will welcome obstacles, for they are my challenge. I will greet this day with love in my heart. And how will I speak? You ask. I will praise my enemies, and they will become my friends. I will encourage my friends, and they will become my brothers. Always will I dig for reasons to applaud. Never ever will I scratch for excuses to gossip. When I am tempted to criticize, I will bite my own tongue. When I am moved to praise I will shout from the rooftops. Is it not so that the birds, the wind, the sea, and all of nature speaks with the music of praise for their creator? Can't I speak with the same praise, the same music, the same purpose to the Creator's children? So from this moment I will remember this secret, and it will change my life forever. I will greet this day with love in my heart. And how will I act? You ask, I will love all manners of men, for each has qualities to be admired, even though a lot are hidden. With love I will tear down the wall of suspicion and hate which they have built round their heart, and in its place I will build bridges so that my love may enter their soul, the love of God. I will love the ambitious for they can inspire me. I will love the fail, for they can teach me. I will love the kings, for they are but human. I will love the meek, for they are divine. I will love the rich, for they are yet lonely. I will love the poor, for there are so many. I will love the young for the faith that they hold. I will love the old for the wisdom that they hold. I will love the beautiful for their eyes and sadness. I will love the ugly for their souls of peace. I will greet this day with love in my heart. But how will I react to the actions of others? You ask, with love. For just as love is my weapon to open the hearts of men, love is also my shield to repulse the arrows of hate and the spears of anger. Adversity and discouragement will beat against my new shield and become as softest as the softest rains. My shield will protect me in the marketplace and sustain me when I am alone. It will uplift me in moments of despair, yet it will calm me in time of exaltation. It will become stronger and more protective with use until one day I will cast it aside and walk unencumbered among all manners of men, and when I do, my name will be raised high on the pyramid of life. And I will greet this day with love in my heart. And how will I confront each person I meet? You ask. In only one way. In silence and to myself, I will address them and say, I love you. Those words are spoken in silence. These words will shine through my eyes, unwrinkle my brow, bring a smile to my lips, and echo in my voice, and their heart shall be opened. And who will say, No, When his heart is open and feels my genuine love, I will greet this day with love in my heart. And most of all I will love myself. For when I do, I will zealously inspect all things which enter my body, my soul, my mind, and my heart. Never will I overindulge the request of my flesh. Rather I will cherish my body with cleanliness and moderation. Never will I allow my mind to be attracted to evil and despair. Rather I will uplift it with knowledge and the wisdom of the ages. Never will I allow my soul to become complacent and satisfied. Rather I will feed it with meditation and prayer. Never will I allow my heart to become small or bitter. Rather I will share it and I will grow and warm it and warm the earth. I will greet this day with love in my heart. From this moment forward I will love all mankind. From this moment, all hate is let go from my veins, for I have not time to hate. No time to hate, only time to love. From this moment I take the first step required to become a man among men. With love I will increase my sales a hundredfold and become a great salesman. If I have no other qualities, I can succeed with love alone. Without love, you will fail. Though you can possess all the knowledge and skills of the world, without love, you will fail. So I will greet this day with love, and I will succeed.