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Kindness at The Fredericktown Tomato Show

Daniel: I want to say a huge shoutout to whoever did the closing shift at the shell gas station in town. See, I didn’t have enough gas to get home last night, and it was very late. I pull into the gas station just mere minutes before they normally close at 11. I start to fill the tank as I go inside the store to use the restroom. I get up to the door, as he is locking the door for the night, but he let me in anyway. After I get back to the car, put the pump away, and start to pull off as the lights turn off, the store is closed.

Sometimes it’s the smallest acts of kindness that make the biggest difference. That employee could have simply locked the door and headed home, but instead he showed grace when it was needed most. It reminds me of Galatians 6:10 (ESV): “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” We never know how much a simple act of kindness can mean to someone else.

The Bible also says in Hebrews 13:2 (ESV), “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” While this wasn’t a grand gesture, it was a reminder that God often uses ordinary people doing ordinary things to reflect His love and care. So here’s a thank you to that Shell employee, and a reminder to all of us: a little kindness can go a long way.

We had a stumper this week for Name That Tune. Join us next week to win TWO $5 GIFT CARDS to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Tune in Tomorrow for the NZ Top 10 with Joe and Brock

Thanks so much for listening!

– Daniel

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Fredericktown Tomato Show!!

On this week’s Who Knew Wednesday we went On The Road With Big Blue Live with Marcy! Plus, we played Who Am I trivia! Here’s what we talked about:

Look for Big Blue in downtown Fredericktown and say Hi, e are beside the municipal court!

Make sure to stop by and register for a prize. We have prize baskets for everyone in the family. You can register at the Fredericktown Tomato Show HERE

Adults, 18 and older, can register to win a WNZR Prize Basket full of goodies

KIDS of EVERY age can WIN at the Fredericktown Tomato Show! 
We’ll have a Kid’s ultimate activity prize basket to give away Wednesday through Saturday –that’s FOUR incredible baskets.  
Kids (10 and under) can register at the festival or HERE 

  1. I was born September 9, 1890 in Henryville, Indiana 
  1. I served as a railroad man and even a lawyer for a while in Arkansas 
  1. My famous chicken recipes and the launch of my food empire started at a gas station in Corbin, Kentucky 
  1. When the new interstate bypassed my business, I closed it and pitched my recipe to others. 
  1. I never held the rank of Colonel, but it was an honorary title from the state of Kentucky. 

I am… Colonel Sanders! Congratulations to Mike of Howard for guessing our Who Am I Trivia correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in tomorrow for Praise Thursday with Daniel

Thanks so much for listening!

– Gabriella 🙂

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A Time to Celebrate and a Day to Remember

Matthew West is bringing holiday cheer to eight cities this December with his Come Home for Christmas Tour!

The tour will feature Christmas classics and some of West’s own music, all centered on the true meaning of Christmas and the birth of Jesus.

Matthew says the tour is “more than a concert,” calling it an invitation to “come home to the true meaning of the season.” He hopes the shows will create special Christmas memories filled with joy while pointing people back to the reason we celebrate—the birth of Jesus, our Savior.

Matthew is also releasing his new album, “Jesus Is King,” on September 25th!

And luckily for Ohio fans, Matthew will stop in Troy, Ohio, this December as part of the Come Home for Christmas Tour.

So, if you love Christmas, Matthew West, and most importantly, Jesus, don’t miss your chance to see Matthew West live!

Tickets are available now at MatthewWest.com.

To honor the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Steven Curtis Chapman has released a brand-new song called “Remember the Day.”

Steven actually wrote the song more than 20 years ago, after traveling to New York City with his band for a night of remembrance at Madison Square Garden.

He and his family had been in Washington, D.C., on September 11th, 2001, and watched from their hotel as smoke rose from the Pentagon. When Steven returned to New York for the first anniversary, he wrote “Remember the Day” as a way to process the grief, honor those who lost their lives, and remember the incredible courage and compassion that brought people together.

He says he never recorded the song until now, but felt the 25th anniversary was the right time to finally share it.

And his hope is that as we remember the tragedy of that day, we’ll also remember the way people responded—with compassion, courage, and kindness.

As Romans 12:21 reminds us, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

That’s the heart behind Steven Curtis Chapman’s new song, “Remember the Day.”

I’ve been stacking up the years I spent

trading punches with the enemy

Built myself a double-thick, stone tower of lies, 

higher than the eye could see

Song Poetry was a STUMPER this week, so tune in next week for your chance to win TWO gift cards to Watt’s restaurant in Utica!

Thanks for listening to the Afternoon Drive!

-Joe & Brock

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Fall is Here!!

On this week’s Monday Motivation we shared encouragement through scripture and played our Family Feud for Mystery Monday! Here’s what we talked about:

Gabriella’s Motivation: Motivated by Mission

If we view life through a lens that is only concerned with ourselves, we’ll get tired of our circumstances and disappointed by our hard work. But if we view life through a lens of worshipping God, then nothing in this life will give us more joy than serving Jesus Christ!

The best kind of motivation is always fueled by a desire to lead yourself and others closer to Christ. If everything becomes about Him, then everything is worth doing well. If we’re Christians, then our lives belong to Jesus.

Our whole world becomes about honoring God. When we do everything with Him in mind, He never fails to bless us with His peace, hope, and love.

So as you think about the work God has put in front of you, consider what it would mean to do everything for the Lord. And then ask yourself: “in what ways will I honor God and inspire others today?” 

Joe’s Motivation: Junk files

Does your phone or your computer ever remind you that you need to delete some junk files? None of us like getting nagged by our devices, but we also know that if we clean out those files, we’ve got more space for the things that really matter. Author Adam Holz reminds us, that yes, junk files on our phones or computers are easy to delete, but what about the junk files in our souls? Like our phones, our souls can be clogged with the stuff that keeps us from being able to flourish in our relationship with Jesus. The author of Hebrews understood this reality, encouraging us to pay close attention to anything that trips us up in our walk with God. Hebrews 12: 1-2 says, “let us throw off everything that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles, and run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

If we fix our eyes on Jesus, He alone can help us identify and delete those junk files hindering our life in him. Our prayer today is, “father, please give us the wisdom and courage to throw off the sin that so easily entangles.”

Name a word or phrase that starts with the word “BREAK”.

  1. Break A Leg (32)
  2. Breakfast (11)
  3. Breakup (10)
  4. Breakdance (9)
  5. Break It Up (8)
  6. Breakdown (5)

Congratulations to Satarah of Mount Vernon for guessing the top two answers correctly and taking home TWO $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in Tomorrow for Artist Newsday and Game Time Tuesday with Brock!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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NZ Top 10 for 9/4/26

Here’s this week’s countdown:

10. Zach Williams – Wait For Me

9. Tauren Wells – Breathe On It

8. Jon Reddick – Holding On (Praise God)

7. TobyMac – Lord It Feels Good

6. Matt Maher – Gonna Be Alright

5. Chandler Moore – God I’m Just Grateful

4. Micah Tyler ft. Colton Dixon – Perfectly

3. Jamie MacDonald – Ain’t No Way

2. Josiah Queen – Demons (3rd week at #1)

1. Phil Wickham & Crowder – It Really Is Amazing Grace

New Music Friday

Brandon Lake – How Good God Is

Thanks for listening to the Afternoon Drive and NZ Top 10!

-Joe & Brock

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Fear The Lord and Praise Him for Wisdom

I want to praise God for just being back at school. I know some students might not be excited to be back at school, but I personally miss school. It’s an opportunity to grow both spiritually and mentally. See, there’s something important to remember: learning itself is a gift from God.

James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Like in James, Solomon asked for wisdom when God visited him in a dream. God is generous when you desire to be wise; the key to learning wisdom is simple.

Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”

But what does that really mean exactly? Should we cower in fear whenever we think of him? No, absolutely not. Instead, fearing the lord is out of respect and love. See, fearing the Lord means that wisdom should start with a healthy fear of the Lord, a respect for his power, and remembering what he did for us.

So as we go into this next semester here at MVNU, remember throughout your studies, fear the lord, ask him for wisdom, and respect his power. 

“I killed people in the past,” Tanitan said, “but ever since I chose to believe in Jesus Christ, He will not allow me to commit such practices anymore.” Tanitan, a member of the Ilongot tribe from the Sierra Madre mountains in the Philippines, came from a culture of head-hunting—the practice of hunting humans and severing their heads. In comparing his life before he knew God to his life now, Tanitan said, “Before, I was afraid to die but not afraid to kill. Now, I am afraid to kill but not afraid to die.”

As I read Tanitan’s story in the book To the Headhunters of Sierra Madre by Florentino Santos, I thought of how his newfound fear of or reverence toward God developed his desire to obey Him. I remembered Moses’ words to the Israelites before they entered the land God promised them: “What does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 10:2). Reverence toward God was to be reflected in obedience to Him. God’s people were to “walk in obedience to Him, to love Him . . . and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees” (vv. 12-13).

As believers in Jesus, our deep respect for God’s holiness compels us to hate evil and do what pleases Him (Proverbs 8:13). Let’s ask Him to help us make reverence toward God a way of life.

Read more from Our Daily Bread by clicking HERE

This week’s Name That Tune winner was Kevin from Mount Vernon, who won TWO $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica for correctly guessing… We Are Messengers – A Thousand Times

Tune in Tomorrow for the NZ Top 10 with Joe and Brock

Thanks so much for listening!

– Daniel

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Coconut is a Fruit NOT a Nut?!

Happy Wednesday! On this week’s Who Knew Wednesday, we talked about World Coconut Day and local Who Knew Facts! Plus, we played “Who Am I?” in the second hour. Here’s what we talked about:

World Coconut Day: “A coconut is a nut?” FALSE 

Botanically: it’s a fruit, specifically a type of drupe—the same general fruit category as peaches, plums, and cherries. 

The confusion comes from its hard outer shell and the fact that the edible seed inside is commonly called a “nut.” In fact, the name coconut comes from the Portuguese and Spanish word coco, referring to the three “eyes” on the shell. 

You can love coconut and hate shredded coconut. That’s not contradictory—it’s like loving potatoes but not liking mashed potatoes. Same food, completely different texture and experience! 

And there’s another interesting distinction: young coconut vs. mature coconut. Young coconut meat is soft, almost jelly-like, while mature coconut meat—the stuff commonly shredded—is much firmer and more fibrous. 

Last First Friday for Mount Vernon: This Friday is Mount Vernon’s last First Friday for the 2026 season! First Friday happens this week on the public square 6pm-9pm. There will be Live Music, Food trucks, Community Spotlight, School Spirit-themed photo booth, Activities Zone, Touch-a-Truck, and so much more. Show your school pride as Downtown Mount Vernon turns into a community pep rally. Wear your school colors, cheer on local students and educators, and enjoy a back-to-school celebration full of spirit and hometown pride. 

Who Am I?

  1. I was born on September 2, 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon. 
  1. I am a Canadian actor, known for movies such as The Matrix and John Wick. 
  1. I grew up mainly in Toronto, Canada. 
  1. I began acting professionally as a teenager and appeared in films such as Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. 
  1. I also play bass guitar and have performed with the rock band Dogstar. 

I am… Keanu Reeves  congratulations to Connie of Mount Vernon for guessing correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in Tomorrow with Daniel for Praise Thursday!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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Identity & Influence

Since making her debut five years ago with her song “My Jesus,” Anne Wilson has stayed hyper-productive, releasing three albums full of incredible music! And she isn’t stopping now!

She has released her brand-new song, “Who I Am To You,” and it’s available everywhere now!

The song is all about identity — pushing back against insecurity, comparison, and the labels the world puts on us, and reminding us that our identity is found in what God says is true about us.

Anne says the song is about trading the lies and negative labels we believe for the truth of who God created us to be. She hopes it encourages listeners to walk confidently in their identity in Christ.

“Who I Am To You” is the first song from the next chapter of Anne’s music and follows the release of Stars (Blue Hour Deluxe) earlier this summer.

Anne will also be hitting the road this fall for the STARS Tour, with special guests Peter Burton and Aodhán King joining her on select dates.

Check out Anne Wilson’s new song, “Who I Am To You,” available now!

Dolly Parton’s legacy will be celebrated in a big way next year with Dollyfest, a new multi-continental event planned for Nashville and London.

The festival was originally planned around Dolly’s 80th birthday, but after she stepped back from the event due to health challenges, the plans were put on hold.

Now, Dolly’s estate says the celebration will move forward as a two-day event spanning two weekends — one in Tennessee and one in England.

Organizers say Dollyfest is meant to be a joyful celebration of Dolly’s life and legacy, rather than a traditional memorial. They say the festival was actually a dream of Dolly’s, and they want to bring her vision to life.

Dolly Parton’s career spanned seven decades across music, film, and philanthropy, and her influence continues to reach fans around the world.

More details about Dollyfest are expected as plans come together.

Your love is like the sunlight
That shines on my face every day
It meets me in the mornin’
Dawnin’ in a thousand new shades

Congrats to Ella from Centerburg for correctly guessing “Lord It Feels Good” by TobyMac! Tune in next week for your chance to win a $5 gift card to Watt’s restaurant in Utica!

Thanks for listening to the Afternoon Drive!

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First Day For The Cougars!!

Today on Monday Motivation we wished our assistant station manager, Eric Brown, safety during his relocation. (We’ll miss you Eric) We gave motivation through devotions, plus we played Family Feud for Mystery Monday! Here’s what we talked about:

Gabriella’s Devotion: Motivation and guide during prayer-

Anywhere you feel close to God is safe space. Invite God to hear your prayer and praises whenever you do it. Always think of not only things you or someone else needs, but praises too because there’s so many things to be thankful for!

James 1:5 (NIV) “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”. Talk to God about what you need emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically. Add those things to your prayer. Spend some time thanking him for his faithfulness in your life! Always give yourself grace when times are hard!!

Joe’s Devotional:

Romans 12:2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Paul first talks about presenting our bodies to God, then being transformed through the renewing of our minds, which results in our ability to discern God’s will.

That makes this verse incredibly useful if you’re thinking about “whole-person” self-regulation: Scripture doesn’t divide physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual life into isolated compartments. God cares about the regulation and transformation of the whole person.

Emotional self-regulation — learning to respond rather than react

The Bible doesn’t tell us to suppress emotions. Instead, it teaches us to acknowledge emotions, bring them to God, and allow wisdom and the Spirit to govern our responses.

  • James 1:19–20 — “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” This is almost a biblical description of emotional regulation. 
  • Proverbs 14:29 — Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding. 
  • Proverbs 15:1 — “A soft answer turns away wrath.” 
  • Ephesians 4:26–27 — “Be angry and do not sin.” Anger itself isn’t necessarily sinful; what we do with it matters. 
  • Psalm 42:5 — The psalmist speaks honestly to his own troubled soul: “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” He doesn’t deny the emotion; he redirects himself toward hope in God. 
  • Philippians 4:6–7 — Anxiety is brought to God through prayer, thanksgiving, and petition, with God’s peace guarding the heart and mind. 

Emotional maturity isn’t the absence of strong emotions. It is the ability to feel deeply without allowing feelings to become our unquestioned master.

This week’s Mystery Monday was a stumper, but call during the show next Monday for a chance to take home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

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