Followed By Mercy

Send us Fan Mail Are you on a spiritual treadmill? For years, Austin Gardner has taught and led, yet he’s found himself struggling with the same question many of us face: Am I a son or a servant? In this episode, Austin dives into the identity crisis that keeps many Christians in a state of burnout and resentment. Using the stories of Martha and Mary, the Prodigal Son’s older brother, and David’s...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you survive one miracle, only to be hit by a second disaster? W. Austin Gardner shares the second chapter of his survival story. After the "rough" process of learning to stand and walk again following COVID-19, he was hit with a diagnosis of five tumors in his abdomen. Austin doesn't hold back on the "TMI" details—the physical exhaustion,...

Send us Fan Mail "I hadn’t had a bath in 30 days. I stank to high heaven. I couldn't even stand up in the shower." In this incredibly raw and unfiltered episode, W. Austin Gardner shares the "messy" side of his miraculous recovery from a medically induced coma and a 30-day hospital battle with COVID-19. From his son’s emergency flight out of a locked-down Peru to the humbl...

Send us Fan Mail W. Austin Gardner shares the raw, unfiltered story of his COVID recovery—from a medically induced coma to the realization that "Home" isn't a place, but a person. "Peace is not a place; it's a Person. Home is not a place; it's a Person." In this raw and deeply personal episode, W. Austin Gardner shares the final chapter of his harrowing battle wi...

Send us Fan Mail Are you tired of performance-based religion? Austin Gardner explores Ephesians 3, revealing how we have bold access to God as "Daddy." Learn how to stop trusting your own faith and start trusting the "faith of Him" to carry you across the street. In this session, international keynote speaker Austin Gardner breaks down the revolutionary truth of Ephesians 3:12....

Send us Fan Mail After 52 years of marriage, Austin Gardner has learned one thing: you can't truly love your spouse until you understand how God loves you. In this episode, Austin breaks down why marriage isn't a contract, how to pull the "Johnson grass" of bitterness out of your home, and why God's love is never transactional. "You don't know how to love until y...

Send us Fan Mail "Austin Gardner shares a deeply personal account of his battle with COVID-19. It wasn’t just a battle for breath; it was a battle with his own mind and a crushing loss of dignity. Austin recounts the 'humiliating' moments of hospital life—needing help with the simplest tasks and feeling the weight of total vulnerability. But in that weakness, he found a profound tru...

Send us Fan Mail "Why in the world is this happening?" That was the question Austin Gardner was asking from a hospital bed after waking up from a three-week coma. Having lost 70 pounds and his sense of reality, Austin found himself in a battle not just for his physical health, but for his faith. In this episode, Austin shares the raw details of his recovery from COVID and cancer. From th...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 3 of The Austin Gardner Story , Austin shares the most intense part of his journey: being put on a ventilator, placed into a medically induced coma, and losing time he can’t remember. For 21 days, his family feared the worst, while Betty battled COVID at home. Austin describes the terrifying delirium and nightmares, the confusion of waking up to masked faces and unfamil...

Send us Fan Mail Recovery is rarely a straight line. After beating cancer, Austin Gardner found himself in a new valley: COVID-19. Austin talks about the dangers of pride, the physical toll of low oxygen, and why even in our most "difficult" moments, God’s goodness never leaves our side. A must-listen for anyone struggling with a health crisis or family tension during hard times. Thanks...

Send us Fan Mail "I woke up at a youth camp in Tennessee, and my life changed in a single moment." In this first installment of a special series, W. Austin Gardner shares the raw, honest truth behind his first cancer diagnosis nearly 14 years ago. From the shock of the initial symptoms to the robotic surgery that saved his life, Austin reflects on the fear, the uncertainty, and the overw...

Send us Fan Mail After 50 years in ministry, traveling to 50 countries, and planting churches on nearly every continent, Austin Gardner realized something profound: It is possible to serve God for decades and still completely misunderstand His heart towards you. In this episode, Austin Gardner shares his personal journey from the "treadmill of faith" to the stillness of grace. For years,...

Send us Fan Mail Hey, it's Austin Gardner. In over 50 years of global ministry and training leaders, I’ve discovered that the most dangerous person I face isn’t an enemy across the world, it’s the man I see in the mirror every morning. In this episode, we’re looking at Ruth chapter 4 to uncover a word that destroys more leaders and ministries than any scandal: "Mine." We often prote...

Send us Fan Mail W. Austin Gardner shares a raw, personal look at facing cancer surgery and the discovery that true peace isn’t a feeling—it’s a Person. When life knocks you down, and you’re struggling to catch your breath, where do you turn? In this episode, Austin walks through the "theatre of surgery" and the powerful truth found in Ephesians 2. We often treat peace like a contract or...

Send us Fan Mail Are you tired of performing for a God who already loves you? In this episode, W. Austin Gardner shares a raw and transformative look at Ephesians 3. If you have ever felt like your relationship with God depends on your performance, your prayer life, or your "good behavior," this message will change your perspective. W. Austin Gardner —international speaker, author, and m...

Send us Fan Mail Power can look polished, prayerful, and even generous—until you notice every decision was made before the meeting. We take a hard look at church boss syndrome through the story of Diotrephes in 3 John and ask a pressing question: who really leads, the Spirit or the strongest personality? Drawing from pastoral experience, we reveal how quiet control grows: backchannel conversations...

Send us Fan Mail For many believers, the Lord’s Supper has become a quiet, heavy ritual. We bow our heads, think about how bad we are, and focus on how much Jesus suffered for us. But is that really what the table was meant to be? In this episode, I invite you to revisit the Lord’s Supper through the lens of covenant, not performance. We walk from Abraham’s one-sided promise, through the Passover,...

Send us Fan Mail What if the table you keep trying to earn is already set for you? In this episode, we explore the Lord’s Supper through the lens of covenant, not performance. Jesus said, “With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” On the eve of the cross, His heart was not focused on inspection, but on fellowship. We trace the table back before the Upper Room to a...

Send us Fan Mail We all know the "Pharisee" characters in the Bible—the ones who stood on street corners and judged others. But the "Pharisee spirit" is more subtle than we think. It’s the inner voice that prioritizes rules over relationships and performance over presence. In this episode, Austin Gardner dives into the mirror of his own 50-year journey in leadership and mission...

Send us Fan Mail There are moments in life when we feel completely alone, as if no one truly understands the depth of our pain or the weight of our burdens. But Scripture reminds us of a powerful name for God: El Roi —The God Who Sees. In this second episode of our podcast, Austin Gardner shares from his own journey of overcoming health battles and deep personal loss to show how God’s presence is...

Send us Fan Mail https://waustingardner.com/the-big-leap-of-faith-believing-god-loves-you-exactly-as-you-are/ W. Austin Gardner Podcast: followedbymercy.buzzsprout.com https://waustingardner.com/book-page/ o Are you waiting until your life is "perfect" before you finally approach God? In this episode, we talk about the "Internal Delay"—the feeling that we have to clean ourselve...

Send us Fan Mail Most people don’t become Pharisees because they stop loving God. They become Pharisees because they love Him deeply and are afraid of losing Him. This episode begins with the prayer of Psalm 139:23–24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” It is a confession, not an accusation. I share how my own journey into a Pharisee spirit did not start with rebellion or pride, but with devot...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wake up soul tired? Not physically exhausted, but drained deep inside. You love God. You’re trying to do what’s right. And yet the joy feels gone, like your strength has quietly leaked away. In this episode, we take a fresh look at one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible: “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Most of us were taught that joy is some...

Send us Fan Mail What if the heaviness you feel isn’t failure at all, but a sign you’ve been carrying a burden God never asked you to lift? In this episode, we talk honestly about spiritual exhaustion. Not the kind that comes from rebellion, but the kind that settles in on sincere believers who love God and keep trying harder to please Him. We look at how “try harder” faith sneaks in quietly, how...

Send us Fan Mail summary In this engaging sermon, Austin Gardner delves into Ephesians chapter two, emphasizing the importance of remembering our past and recognizing the transformative power of Christ in our lives. He highlights how Christians often forget their former state of being without Christ, which can lead to a sense of superiority over others. Gardner stresses that salvation is a gift fr...