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Who Doesn’t Love Jelly Beans??

On this weeks Who Knew Wednesday we talked about jelly beans and did our Who Am I trivia! Here’s what we talked about:

Who Knew Fact Check: Is it true over 1 billion people in more than 190 countries participate in Earth Day? Yes. Earth Day is considered the world’s largest civic-focused day of action, with more than 1 billion people in over 190 countries participating annually! 

Who Knew Fact: Did jelly beans go to space? YES. President Reagan was fond of jelly beans and sent them aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1983. Astronauts were filmed enjoying the candies in zero gravity, turning the sugary treats into floating, bite-sized snacks. 

Jelly bean dad jokes: What do you call a group of jelly beans singing? A jam session.

How did the jelly bean get good grades? He was on a roll.

Happy National Jelly Bean Day!!

WHO AM I? 

  1. I was born today, April 22nd, 1904 in NYC, and passed away on February 18, 1967. 
  1. I was an American theoretical physicist and known as the “father of the atomic bomb.” 
  1. I served as the scientific director of the Manhattan Project during World War II, and led the team that developed the first nuclear weapons at Los Alamos Laboratory. 
  1. After World War II, I became a prominent voice warning about the dangers of nuclear weapons and advocating for international control. 
  1. I have a movie about me! I was portrayed by Cillian Murphy, alongside a cast of Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Robert Downey Jr. 

I am… Robert Oppenheimer! Congratulations to Mark of Utica for guessing correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in Tomorrow for Praise Thursday with Brook Abella, Gabriella, and Joe!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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Jamie MacDonald Performs on the Kelly Clarkson Show!

Jamie MacDonald has been making waves since her debut single Desperate, which only took 12 weeks to hit #1!

She hasn’t stopped there. Jamie made her television debut appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, featuring a song from her first and latest self-titled album!

Watch and listen to Jamie MacDonald’s performance of her song Won’t Let Go on The Kelly Clarkson Show here!

Jamie is also making her Grand Ole Opry debut on Friday, May 1st! To read more about this upcoming appearance, click HERE!

We Are Messengers are back with their 5th studio album, Halfway Home!

This new 13-track record is set to explore “the tension between the now and not yet.” Darren Mulligan, lead singer of We Are Messengers, talks about the need for other believers in his faith journey, a theme this album explores throughout.

This project will release this fall, on Friday, September 25th. More information can be found HERE!

We had a stumper this week for Song Poetry! Here were this week’s lyrics:

Go tell the world about Me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

Congratulations to Bonnie from Mount Vernon for calling in and correctly guessing the song title and artist. Because this week’s Song Poetry is a stumper, Bonnie will be taking home two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in on Wednesday for some Who Knew? fun facts for Who Knew? Wednesday, and another chance to win a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica with a game of Who Am I!

Thank you for listening!
– Xander and Ethan

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Blessed to be a Blessing!!

On this weeks Monday Motivation we gave motivation through scripture and played our Family Feud style question for Mystery Monday! Here’s what we talked about:

Joe’s Motivation:

We are all blessed and it’s important to make sure other people know how blessed they are. Share positivity to others!

  1. Compliment the first three people you talk to today
  2. Smile at everyone you come across today
  3. Purchase extra dog or cat food and take it to an animal shelter
  4. Encounter someone in costumer service who is kind and write a good review about them
  5. Leave a box of goodies to your mail carrier
  6. Email or write a former teacher who made a difference in your life
  7. Write a positive review to a local business

Gabriella’s Motivation:

It’s important to take a day and relax. Being burned out is a commonly known phrased and it means to take on too much and you hit a wall mentally. It’s important to understand it’s not a sin tired. It’s a good sign that you are working. We are supposed to work 6 days a week, but we need to take a day and relax and go into God’s word. It doesn’t have to be on Sunday, but we all need a break. If you can’t do it all by yourself (which you can’t) ask someone for help. It can be a close friend or God because He will won’t let you down. It’s also important if we can’t take anything more on we say NO.

Name something you can catch.

  1. A cold/ Illness (42)
  2. A ball (26)
  3. A fish (26)

Congratulations to Doug of Mount Vernon for guessing the top two answers correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

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

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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NZ Top 10 for 4/17/26

Praise the Lord it’s Friday! Here’s this week’s countdown

10. Caleb & John – Finished
9. Matthew West – Good  
8. TobyMac – Heaven On My Mind
7. Chris Tomlin – How Good It Is
6. MercyMe – Make It Well
5. Blessing Offor – Lift Me Up
4. Katy Nichole – Have Your Way
3. For KING + COUNTRY ft. Taylor Hill – World On Fire
2. Peter Burton – Where Would I Be
1. Phil Wickham – Homesick For Heaven

New Music Friday! Here are new adds to the WNZR playlist:

Carly Ann Taylor – Why Should I Worry?

Phil Wickham & Crowder – It Really Is Amazing Grace

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

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It’s a Marathon NOT a Sprint!!

On this weeks Praise Thursday we gave devotions through scripture and played Name That Tune! Here’s what we talked about:

Gabriella’s Devotion: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

Mark—a marathoner and a dedicated pastor who served two churches over the span of thirty-five years—recently retired. One gift presented to him was a pair of new running shoes. I ran with Mark once over twenty years ago, but throughout his life, he’s run the 26.2-mile race in numerous cities across the country. At his retirement celebration, people from the community and the churches he served also expressed their appreciation for Mark’s faithfulness. Because of God’s power and grace, Mark finished well.

Life’s more like a marathon than a sprint. At times we experience fatigue and we feel like giving up. Yet God’s grace and strength are unending for those who trust Him. As the imprisoned apostle Paul neared the finish line of life (2 Timothy 4:6), he encouraged his protégé Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (v. 7). Life’s paths take us to different places. But regardless of where we are on life’s journey, it’s always good to remember that faith-filled endurance is essential and rewarding (v. 8); that God is the source of our strength (v. 17); and that, by His grace, he “will bring [us] safely to his heavenly kingdom” (v. 18). Click HERE to read more!

Join Ben with special guest Band Reeves, on Ben’s “Black Sheep Tour”. 
This will be a special night for anyone who’s ever felt like they’re too far gone, the one God rescued anyway. It will be full of worship, raw honesty, and full of hope! This Sunday at Fairfield Christian Church, Lancaster, Ohio. The VIP Doors open at 5PM, Early Entry Doors at 6PM, General Admission at 6:15PM, show begins at 7PM. Congratulations to Eli of Plain City for being caller #3 and taking home a pair of tickets to see Ben Fuller!

This week’s Name That Tune was Happy Day by Jesus Culture! Congratulations to Joseph from Mount Vernon for guessing the song and artist name correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in Tomorrow for the NZ Top 10 with Ethan and Joe!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Brook Abella, Gabriella, and Joe 🙂

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We Serve a BIG God!!

Today on Who Knew Wednesday we had a conversation with Marcel Shyaka, President of Ibuka USA and MVNU student Pamela Isimbi about the Saturday’s Kwibuka 32, remembering the Rwandan Tutsi genocide of 1994. We also played Who Am I Trivia! Here’s what we talked about:

Who Knew: Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU) will host Kwibuka 32, an annual commemoration honoring the victims and survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, on Saturday, April 18, 2026, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Foster Hall at Ariel Arena. The event, organized in partnership with IBUKA USA, the Rwandan community in Ohio, Peace and Love Proclaimers, MVNU’s Office of Intercultural Life and the Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission, is open to the public.

Kwibuka — meaning “to remember” in Kinyarwanda — is observed annually around the world as a time of reflection, education, and solidarity. This year marks the 32nd anniversary of a genocide that claimed more than one million Tutsi lives in just 100 days. The commemoration theme, “Remember, Unite, Renew,” calls communities together to honor those who were lost, support survivors, and recommit to a future built on peace.

The program will include testimonies from genocide survivors who will share their lived experiences, an exhibition tracing the history of the genocide, and a time of communal remembrance. Attendees are asked to wear black, grey, or other dark colors as a sign of mourning and respect. To listen to the conversation click HERE!

Who Knew: Jackie Robinson Day! Jackie Robinson Day is April 15 every year. We celebrate the debut of one of the biggest icons of Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson. He was the first Black player to be selected for Major League Baseball and was also the first Black lieutenant to protest the laws of segregation on an army bus. Later in life, he became the first Black American to assume the post of vice president of a major corporation. On and off the field, Robinson remained a hero.

Who Am I?

  1. I was born April 8, 1940, in Martins Ferry, Ohio 
  1. I played basketball for coach Fred Taylor at Ohio State, winning a national championship in 1960 
  1. I played my entire pro career with the Boston Celtics 
  1. I won 8 NBA championships with Boston and a 13-time All-Star 
  1. I retired in 1978 and joined the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984 

I am John Havlicek! Congratulations to Lisa of Mount Vernon for guessing correctly and taking home TWO $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in Tomorrow for Praise Thursday with Brook Abella, Gabriella, and Joe!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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Ben Fuller is Coming to Ohio!

Ben is bringing raw testimony and real faith on the road with him on The Black Sheep Tour! He’s making a stop in Lancaster, Ohio this weekend on Sunday, April 19th, and we’re so excited to give you a chance to go out and see him live!

This week, The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive are giving away a pair of tickets for The Black Sheep Tour on Wednesday, 4/15 and Thursday, 4/16!

To win tickets, listen in during The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive, and be caller #3 to win!

This concert you have a chance to go to will be in Lancaster, Ohio, on Sunday, April 19th! Ben is also bringing his friends Band Reeves, a new country band, with him!

With a night full of transparent honesty, Ben is bringing songs like Who Am I, Turn, and of course, Black Sheep, which you’ll hear all of that and many more live!

The concerts starts at 7PM, so make sure you arrive about an hour early as doors start to open!

Ticket information for The Black Sheep Tour can be found HERE!

Did you hear that Ben Fuller recently got engaged? Here’s Ben’s post about his proposal during a music festival!

Here are this week’s Song Poetry lyrics!

Go tell the world about Me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

This week’s Song Poetry is a stumper! That means next week, these same lyrics will be worth two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica. Make sure you tune in at 5:15PM on Tuesday next week on The Afternoon Drive!

Tune in on Wednesday for some Who Knew? fun facts for Who Knew? Wednesday, and another chance to win a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica with a game of Who Am I?!

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

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Anne Wilson Sings The National Anthem at NASA’s Artemis II Launch!

NASA’s Artemis II has officially launched, taking multiple astronauts to orbit the moon!

Anne Wilson was excited to be performing The National Anthem before Artemis II’s launch!

Anne said this on social media:

“What an incredible honor it was to sing the National Anthem at the Artemis II launch!!! This moment feels so full circle for me. There was a time in my life when I dreamed of becoming an astronaut and working for @NASA.”

You can watch Anne’s performance here!

To learn more about this occasion, click HERE!

Yesterday, on April 6th, the Artemis II astronauts woke up to Mandisa and TobyMac’s Good Morning!

We’re so excited to see the astronauts on this mission expressing glory to the Lord!

If you want to remember Mandisa’s Good Morning, check out her live performance on Good Morning America here!

We had a stumper on Song Poetry from last week! Here are this week’s lyrics:

He’s not done with me, not done with you
No matter what we’re going through
Our hope is in an empty tomb
And the God that’s still not in it

Congratulations to Isabella from Mount Vernon for correctly guessing the song title and artist! Isabella will be taking home two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in on Wednesday for some Who Knew? fun facts for Who Knew? Wednesday, and another chance to win a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica with a game of Who Am I?!

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

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Because He Lives – All Fear is Gone

Joe’s Motivation: As we approach Lifeline 2026, we look back on Easter with gratitude and joy at what GOD DID through the sacrifice of Jesus! It reminds me of the song ‘Because He Lives,’ originally by Bill and Gloria Gaither, but covered in 2014 by Matt Maher.

“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone! Because I know who holds the future, and life is worth the living, just because He lives!!”

Remember that fear is one of the greatest barriers to living a Christlike life. Fear is something our enemy uses to keep us from fulfilling our purpose. But because He lives, what or whom should we fear? Jesus defeated our greatest enemy, death. ‘Fear not’ appears 365 times in the King James version of the Bible. That means it’s important!!

Gabriella’s Motivation: In order to have a purposeful life we need to live every step of the way with hope. Going through life with intent, making proactive decisions based on core values rather than reacting to circumstances. Self-Awareness, Understanding your own strengths, talents, and passions to guide your path. Contribution, focusing on making a positive difference in the world and serving others. Remember God is is almighty and will help YOU if you let him.

Name someone who gets paid to wear a mask.

  1. Surgeon (32)
  2. Hockey goalie (9)
  3. Clown (8)
  4. Batman (7)
  5. Disney Mascot (5)
  6. Welder (4)
  7. Fireman (4)
  8. Spiderman (4)

Congratulations to Rosetta of Mount Vernon for guessing the top two answers correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in Tomorrow for Artist Newsday and Gametime Tuesday with Xander and Ethan!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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