What If I'm Wrong?

Today’s devotion is for the person who doesn’t know what happens next. I have been reading the Psalms for the past few weeks during my devotional time, and I can’t stop thinking about Psalm 23 . You know the one: “The Lord is my shepherd.” Sit with what that means for a moment. For the Lord to be our shepherd, to actually be guiding each of our steps—waiting for us when we wander, picking us up wh...

Today Heather shares a devotional reminder of the power of gratitude. Did you know that gratitude and stress can’t live in the brain at the same time? If all of our prayers are simply us recounting our worry, have we really worshiped God? Heather invites you to make a list of five things you are grateful for this holiday season. And she exhorts us to “never stop looking for spaces in your life to...

This week, Heather sits down with writer Dorcas Cheng-Tozun to discuss how to navigate matters of social justice when you’re a reserved or highly sensitive person. Do you have to be an extrovert to inspire people to rally around community needs? Dorcas explains small, quiet ways you can make an impact. In this episode Heather also addresses National Adoption month with  Herbie Newell , president a...

Today Heather shares a devotional reminder that will encourage you in whatever waiting season you may find yourself. There is often a period of waiting between an anointing and an appointing—that is, between the event of being selected for an assignment and the act of officially stepping into that new role. David’s wait was nearly 15 years. If you are experiencing what feels like a false start, to...

This week, Heather sits down with Brady Shearer to talk about all the complexities of social media. Brady is a leader in the online ministry landscape, training churches on how to better navigate their social networks. Today he shares his best practices and tools for pastors, ministry leaders, and pretty much anyone hoping to grow their online presence. Brady, who lives and works in Canada, also s...

Every Monday for the rest of 2023, we will be facing our week together, in faith. God is invisible because he is meant to be seen in his people. Anyone who has heard me preach has probably heard me say that, and I mean it. When the world cries out, “Where is God?” It is not an indictment on God. It is an indictment on us, his image bearers, because God has always chosen to make himself known throu...

This week, Heather sits down with nationally renowned tech journalist Taylor Lorenz to discuss her bestselling book,  Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet . Taylor, one of the earliest and most consequential reporters on the social media beat, catalogs the sociological story of the internet starting with how “mommy bloggers” changed the social landscape....

“Prayer doesn’t change anything” is a sentiment Heather has heard often, even from Christians. Today, she shares a devotional reminder that will hopefully encourage you to pray confidently, no matter how dire the circumstance. Every Monday for the rest of 2023, Heather is bringing you brief messages of encouragement to provide an extra boost for your week. Today’s Scripture begins with Daniel 9:23...

This week, theologian Scot McKnight walks Heather through what we may be misunderstanding about the Book of Revelation. McKnight, a professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary, tackles popular misconceptions about the mysterious final book of the Bible that both fascinates and frightens its readers. Drawing from his latest book,  Revelation for the Rest of Us  (written with Cody Matchett), McK...

Your life is not meaningless. This day actually matters. What if you were to see your life through the lens of backward design? How would it change your perspective?  Today Heather shares a devotional reminder that will stir your sense of purpose and remind you that God is always working for your good, even when it feels like you’re sinking backward into a quagmire of hopelessness. Every Monday fo...

This week, Heather sits down with  Viral Jesus  “honorary co-host” Karen Swallow Prior to discuss the origins of the evangelical movement’s PR troubles. And few thought leaders are better qualified to put the issue into a hopeful perspective than Karen Swallow Prior. Fun Fact: This is Karen’s third appearance on  Viral Jesus , and the most of any of our guests so far. Karen’s latest book,  The Eva...

Today Heather shares a devotional reminder that you belong to a King. Your life is never in the hands of a single individual, organization, or opportunity. We serve a sovereign and compassionate King. And Kings usually have more information than we do. They have a broader perspective, as well as resources that their servants can’t even fathom.  Today’s Scripture can be found in Psalm 47:1-2 in the...

This week, Heather sits down with Viral Jesus Hall of Famer Esau McCaulley to discuss his powerful new book, How Far to The Promised Land, Esau explains why it is important to reexamine the idea of Black excellence, and he encourages us to remember that we are a part of a story that started long before us and will continue long after. In this episode Heather also taps into a lighter conversation w...

Today, as we observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Heather wants to remind us that our God is not superficial. He sees the unfair systems around us. He understands our struggles against inequality and injustice. He does not take our brokenness lightly. He will have the final word. But right now, we must find hope in the promise that God does not leave us alone in this tension.  Every Monday for the res...

Today Heather sits down for a heartfelt chat with Hosanna Wong , the best-selling author and spoken-word poet responsible for viral-video hits such as “ I Have a New Name .” If you have ever struggled with issues of identity or self-worth, today’s episode is for you. Hosanna also shares her reflections on the complicated reality of grace, and how sometimes it feels like God’s grace isn’t fair. In...

Today, Heather wants to remind you about the God of little by little. Welcome to the first installment in our Monday Meditation series. Every Monday for the rest of 2023, we will be facing our week together in faith. These devotional episodes will always be under ten minutes, perfect for morning worship or as listening material for your commute to work. And if you find it worthwhile, please share...

Today Heather sits down with José Bourget, assistant vice president for faith engagement at Andrews University, for an eye-opening conversation about the chills and spills of being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as an adult. More than 8 million US adults are affected by the disorder. If you have ADHD, your brain doesn’t work in the same way that a neurotypical brain...

Welcome to the final session of our three-part podclass “Disrupting American gods.” Today Heather sits down with hip-hop artist Kevin “KB” Burgess , as he unpacks the themes of his latest book Dangerous Jesus . KB wants us to meet a Jesus who questions the status quo, threatens those seeking to divide us, and teaches us radical love of others. This conversation also reveals how KB discovered his c...

Heather sits down with writer, speaker, and theologian Kaitlyn Schiess to discuss her latest book, The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics . Today’s episode is part two of our three-part pod-class on “Disrupting American gods.” Kaitlyn will explain the history of using the Bible as a prop in American politics, and she’ll also share her illuminating def...

Today Heather sits down with Garrison Hayes, a content creator and former pastor, who has been called “TokTok’s unofficial history professor and documentarian.” As a scholar of forgotten Black history, and a talented filmmaker to boot, Garrison has garnered millions of views for his videos, including his much-talked-about TikTok on the history of whiteness . In fact, when Heather saw Garrison’s pr...

Today Heather sits down with Jeffrey Harmon, the chief content officer of Angel Studios, to discuss the art, craft, and unconventional marketing strategies that have made both The Chosen television series and the film Sound of Freedom surprise hits in their respective mediums. Based on the true story of a US government agent who quits his job to devote his life to rescuing children from global chi...

Welcome back Viral Jesus family! Many of you asked over the summer if you could have more mental health episodes so we wasted no time in giving you exactly what you wanted. Episode 1 of season 4 is here with an incredibly thoughtful and wise conversation with TikTok's favorite trauma therapist, Kobe Campbell.  *Trigger warning* Heather and Kobe do discuss mental health and trauma, and there is a p...

This is our last episode of season 3, and we are pulling out all the stops. If you are a parent trying to figure out how to raise your kids in the age of social media and nonstop technology access, this episode is a great place to start. Heather sits down with the award-winning author Mandy Majors to discuss three practical ideas for how to navigate the toils and snares of this digital age. Today’...

Two communication questions Heather gets without fail every season are: How can I become a better public speaker? and How do I break into the Christian speaking circuit?  If one or both of these questions have ever crossed your mind, then this episode is for you. Today Heather sits down with speaking coach Mary R. Snyder to discuss everything about public speaking—from working a stage, to finding...

Today we launch our final pod-class series of the season: “Three Things That Could Change Your Life.” In this three-part series, we speak with three Christian thought leaders about their three areas of expertise and ask them to share simple strategies that everyday people can implement in their daily lives. We are thrilled to open this series with Pastor Mark Batterson, the bestselling author of ...