Followed By Mercy
Followed By Mercy
W. Austin Gardner
The Followed By Mercy PodcastReal Grace, Honest HopeYou 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.
Fig Leaves and Fake Religion: Why We Still Hide from God
Send us Fan Mail Are you exhausted from trying to "achieve" a spiritual status you already possess? In part two of this deep-dive series, W. Austin Gardner and Grace Walk author Steve McVey dismantle the "Original Lie" that keeps most Christians stuck in a cycle of religious performance. Austin shares a candid confession about his early years in ministry: he used to read the Bible like a "Chilton’s Repair Manual"—looking for instructions to fix himself instead of looking for the heart of his ...
May 28
52 min
The Dangerous Prayer That Changes Everything | Austin Gardner & Steve McVey
Send us Fan Mail What happens when you’ve known someone longer than your own wife? You get the kind of raw, honest conversation that only 54 years of friendship can produce. In this episode of Followed by Mercy, Austin Gardner sits down with his lifelong friend and mentor, Steve McVey—the best-selling author of Grace Walk. They take us back to the beginning in 1972, sharing hilarious stories of street preaching and "witnessing" in bars, before diving into a profound truth: the danger of askin...
May 27
47 min
Spiritual Direction: Finding a Safe Place for Your Story
Send us Fan Mail "Evicting Shame and Embracing the Identity of the Beloved."Podcast Show Notes / Description: "Most of us are busy trying to 'fix' ourselves, but Mike Pennington suggests a different path: Spiritual Direction. Unlike coaching, which focuses on your next action step, Spiritual Direction asks: 'What is God’s invitation to you right now?' Austin and Mike get 'down in the weeds' to talk about: Shame & Self-Rejection: Why the devil never takes a day off, and how to use Romans 8...
May 26
33 min
From Burnout to Beloved: Practical Soul Care with Austin Gardner & Mike Pennington
Send us Fan Mail Are you living as God’s employee or His beloved child? In this episode of Followed by Mercy, Austin Gardner sits down with his longtime friend and cousin, Mike Pennington, to discuss the radical shift from performance-based religion to the rest of "belovedness." Mike shares his journey from the hills of Tennessee to the mission fields of Venezuela, revealing how even decades of successful ministry can hide an exhausted soul. If you’ve ever felt like your spiritual life is jus...
May 25
33 min
Trauma, Shame, and the Truth About Being God's Beloved
Send us Fan Mail Why do we feel like we have to "perform" to be loved by God? In this third part of our series, I’m joined by my cousin Mike Pennington to tackle the heavy weights of trauma and shame. Mike opens up about his own childhood trauma and how it created a cycle of shame that took years to break. We discuss why shame is a "slap in the face to God's grace" and how to return to the reality that you are already 100% attached to Him—not because of what you’ve done, but because of who He...
May 22
22 min
4 Enemies of Your Peace: Overcoming Shame & Performance 🛡️
Send us Fan Mail Why is it so much easier to believe God loves us in our heads than it is to feel it in our hearts? In today’s episode of Followed by Mercy, Austin Gardner continues his conversation with missionary and SoulCare coach Mike Pennington. Together, they dive deep into the "blockages" that keep us from resting in our identity as God’s beloved. If you’ve ever felt like your spiritual life is just a "check-box" of performance, or if you struggle with a voice in your head telling you ...
May 21
26 min
God is Smiling at You: Breaking the Performance Trap with Mike Pennington
Send us Fan Mail Are you tired of trying to prove you deserve God’s love? In this episode, Austin Gardner sits down with his cousin, Mike Pennington—a former missionary and pastor—for a deeply personal conversation about the "bedrock of a healthy soul": Belovedness. For decades, both Austin and Mike lived under the heavy weight of legalism, relating to God through performance rather than relationship. Mike shares the transformative moment in the Colorado mountains where he finally heard the F...
May 20
26 min
The Fierce Compassion of God
Send us Fan Mail "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you." — Isaiah 66:13 We often focus on the "Fatherhood" of God, but on this Mother’s Day episode, Austin Gardner explores the deep, nurturing, and protective "Motherly" love of our Creator. Using his own childhood memories of his grandmother’s house and the profound imagery of Scripture, Austin reframes our relationship with God. If you’ve ever felt like you were "auditioning" for God’s approval, listen to this. Austin exp...
May 19
28 min
Why You’re Exhausted: The Truth About "Performance Christianity"
Send us Fan Mail "Have you ever felt like you were auditioning for God instead of serving Him? After 50 years in ministry—preaching thousands of sermons and traveling to 50 countries—I found myself exhausted. Not from the work, but from a deeper, invisible pressure: the Performance Trap. In this video, I want to talk to the 'tired' people. The ones who know the verses about grace but secretly believe God is mostly disappointed with them. I share my own journey of hitting rock bottom in a hosp...
May 18
19 min
As a Mother Comforts: Finding God’s Heart in a Mama’s Love
Send us Fan Mail Is your view of God missing the "Sweetest Comfort"? In this special Mother's Day message, W. Austin Gardner dives into the profound mystery of God’s nature, revealing that while we often focus on God as Father, He explicitly describes His affection for us through the lens of a mother’s tenderness. Drawing from Isaiah 66:13 ("As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you") and Isaiah 49:15, Austin explores why motherhood is one of God’s chosen windows into His own h...
May 15
25 min
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