Today on Who Knew Wednesday we gave some out of pocket Who Knew Facts and our Who Am I Trivia! Here’s what we talked about!
Who Knew Wednesday: Inconvenience yourself day – Go out of your way to do something!
Who Knew Wednesday: I can only imagine 2 IN THEATERS NOWW!!!!!
Who Knew Wednesday: National Chocolate Covered Nuts Day – What’s your favorite? Peanuts, almonds, cashews, maccadamia? Click HERE to read some of our dad jokes we shared!
You have one more chance to win a pair of tickets tomorrow, on The Morning Thing! Be prepared to be the first caller to call in and tell us your blessing!
Who am I?
I was born today, in 1963, in Columbus, Ohio.
I made my Major League Baseball debut in 1985 with the Cincinnati Reds.
I am best known for playing right field for the New York Yankees from 1993 to 2001, where I was a key part in their championship teams.
I won five World Series championships: 1 with the Reds (1990) and four with the Yankees (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000).
After retiring in 2001, I became a television broadcaster and analyst for the Yankees on the YES Network.
I am… Paul O’Neil!! Congratulations to Steve of Mansfield for guessing our Who Am I correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!
Tune in Tomorrow for Praise Thursday With Brook Abella and Joe!
This week’s Artist News Day featured some of your WNZR artists coming to Ohio in concert!
This week, The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive have been giving you a chance to win tickets to see Seph Schlueter’s Counting My Blessing Tour, with our Tell Us Your Blessing Giveaway. Seph is coming to Ohio this week!
Seph Schlueter will be at the Crossroads Church in Mansfield, Ohio, on Thursday, February 26.
There are some concerts that feel good to be in the room for, and the “Counting My Blessings” Tour is one of them. Seph Schlueter will take the stage with the songs that have been repeated in your playlists and church services like “Counting My Blessings” and “Running Back to You.” Plus, the warmth of Allison Eide and her breakout, “Love Who I Am,” and the storyteller charm of Charles Weems with his “Slow Me Down.” You’ll leave this evening counting more than a few blessings of your own.
You have one more chance to win a pair of tickets tomorrow, on The Morning Thing! Be prepared to be the first caller to call in and tell us your blessing!
We revisited our conversation with Blessing Offor about his Heart So Real Tour!
This concert is happening tonight at the A&R Music Bar in Columbus!
If you’re still looking to see Blessing in concert, last-minute tickets are available HERE!
Listen to our full conversation with Blessing on our SoundCloud:
We had a stumper for this week’s Song Poetry!
Here were this week’s lyrics:
Sometimes I feel like I just keep pretending And I’m slowly going out of my mind And I, I feel like you could be the one Who would catch me when my wings won’t fly
These song lyrics were from Lift Me Upby Blessing Offor!
Congratulations to Christina from Mount Vernon for calling in and correctly guessing the song title and artist, taking home two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!
Tune in on Wednesday for Who Knew Wednesday, and another chance to win a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant, with a game of Who Am I?.
Today for Monday Motivation we talked about our identity in Christ, started The Afternoon Drive’s first “Give Us Your Blessing Giveaway”, and played our family fued for Mystery Monday! Here’s what we talked about:
Joe’s Motivation:
The Cretan Church. Cultural problems affecting the church: if you lied, you were a Cretan! Titus 1:12. Liars, evil brutes, and lazy gluttons. Jewish Cretan Christians. In that order. Detestable, disobedient.
Moral looseness – sensuality normalized.
Deceptive speech – truth was flexible.
Laziness and indulgence – discipline was rare
Story-driven spiritually – myths more attractive than the truth
False teaching doesn’t usually deny truth. It dilutes it. Making it less powerful. Be careful of taking away the power of the gospel.
Why does this matter today?? The greatest threat to the modern church is not persecution, it is profession without transformation.
They claim to know God, but their actions deny him. Colossians 3:1-11. Set your hearts on things above. When you come to Christ, that is now your culture. A follower of Jesus. He transforms you. How do we live and dwell when we’re Christians? Transformation. Our culture applauds belief as long as it costs nothing. Being a Christian is tough and it costs something. You are going to wrestle with everything. How do I be a Christian and do this? (Fill in the blank) He’ll give us strength and hope as we wrestle.
But…Scripture never separates belief from behavior. It does the opposite. Behavior indicates what we believe. Romans 3. Paul wants Titus to understand that the Gospel should be changing everything. They say they know Jesus, but deny His power.
Claim vs action. It’s that simple. Our question? How is it changing us? Me? You? If we believe that the Gospel has power, we have to stop living like Cretans. We have to yield to the Gospel.
Gabriella’s Monday Motivation: Guilt should not be a paralyzing burden of blame, but rather a tool for spiritual growth that leads to repentance, healing, and deeper reliance on grace. Instead of staying stuck in shame, we are called to turn guilt into gratitude by accepting Christ’s forgiveness, replacing guilt with the joy of freedom in Him. Here’s some steps to move forward:
Turn Guilt into Gratitude: Instead of dwelling on a mistake, let it remind you of how much grace you’ve been given. This creates a heart of gratitude that motivates you to live better.
Stop “Worshiping” Your Mistakes: Remaining stuck in guilt is like worshiping your failures rather than God’s mercy. Accept that you cannot pay for your own sins—Jesus already did.
Focus on Identity, Not Action: Your identity is “child of God” and “new creation,” regardless of your performance
Hebrews 8:12: “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Based on His sacrifice, Christ will never bring up our past sins and he will treat them like they never happened.
An exciting NEW Contest is coming to The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive Monday February 23rdthrough Wednesday February 25th! Listen to The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive for the “Tell Us Your Blessing Giveaway”! Tune in at 7:30am and 4:30pm for the “Tell Us Your Blessing Giveaway”. We are going to open up the phones at both of those times and the first person to call in and share a blessing wins TWO tickets to the Seph Schlueter concert at Crossroads Church in Mansfield on Thursday night. Go to our website wnzr.fm for more information! Congratulations to Brad of Bellville for sharing his blessings and taking home a pair of tickets to Seph Schlueter’s concert!
Name something that contains the word ‘mac.’
Macaroni
Big Mac
Macintosh
Mac Book or iMac
McDonald’s
A McIntosh apple
Congratulations to Sue of Mount Vernon for guessing the top two answers correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Resturant in Utica!
Tune in Tomorrow for Artist Newsday and Gametime Tuesday with Ethan and Xander!
06. For KING & COUNTRY ft. Taylor Hill – World On Fire
05. Jamie MacDonald – Left It In The River (previously #1 for 9 weeks)
04. TobyMac – Heaven On My Mind
03. Seph Schlueter – Won’t Start Now
02. Jeremy Camp – No Survivors (Previous #1 for 2 weeks)
01. Lauren Daigle – Let It Be A Hallelujah
New Music This Week:
Pat Barrett– I’ve Got A Fire
I’ve Got A Fire Special Live Performance
Zach Williams & Ben Fuller –Wait For Me
Thank you to everyone who participated in our Even If You Can Only Imagine Giveaway!
MercyMe’s new movie I Can Only Imagine 2 is out in theatres now!
Mount Vernon’s Premiere Theatre is playing the movie starting tonight! Tickets can be found HERE!
Here’s a synopsis of the movie:
After the breakout success of the song “I Can Only Imagine,” MercyMe’s Bart Millard (John Michael Finley) is living the dream—sold-out arenas, a devoted fan base, and a thriving career. But behind the spotlight, Bart’s past threatens the family he’s built, especially the fragile bond with his son, Sam (Sammy Dell).
When hopeful newcomer Tim Timmons (Milo Ventimiglia, “This Is Us”) joins the band for their biggest tour yet, he unknowingly brings a renewed gratitude to Bart’s life through their unlikely friendship. Bart soon discovers that Tim carries hardships—and secrets—of his own, forcing him to face his past and repair his relationships with Sam and his wife, Shannon (Sophie Skelton), before fame costs him what matters most. Based on the heartfelt true story behind the hit single “Even If,” I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2 is the inspiring next chapter of faith, family, and finding God in the fire.
Directed by Andrew Erwin and Brent McCorkle, written by Brent McCorkle, and starring John Michael Finley, Milo Ventimiglia, Sophie Skelton, Arielle Kebbel, Sammy Dell with Trace Adkins and Dennis Quaid.
Congratulations to Ed from Mount Vernon for being our last Even If You Can Only Imagine Giveaway winner, taking home a pair of Fandango movie passes to see I Can Only Imagine 2 in theatres!
MercyMe – Make It Well
The band’s new song Make It Well was our Fan Choice Friday pick of the week, and you’ll hear this song in their new film!
Listen here!
We got to hear from some of the cast and faces behind I Can Only Imagine 2, where they talked about what they’re excited for you to see and experience with this new sequel!
We heard from Bart Millard, lead singer of MercyMe, John Michael Finley, actor playing Bart Millard in I Can Only Imagine 2, Milo Ventimiglia, actor playing Tim Timmons, and Andrew Erwin, director for I Can Only Imagine 2!
Listen to what they have to say on our SoundCloud here:
Brook Abella’s Devotion: The story of Blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52 (also Luke 18:35-43) features a blind beggar in Jericho who refuses to be silenced by the crowd. As Jesus passes, Bartimaeus shouts, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” defying social pressure to stay quiet, and persists louder despite rebukes, ultimately receiving sight. We should not be a follower we should be a leader and only listen to God! If you follow a crowd no matter what kind of crowd it is
Gabriella’s Devotion: What is Lent? The word “Lent” comes from the Old English word “lengten,” which simply means “spring” — when the days lengthen and new life springs forth. It is a time in which we anticipate the victory of the light and life of Christ over the darkness of sin and death. It is our prayer that as you journey with us from Ash Wednesday to Easter, you would be reminded of the reality of our broken humanity, but as days grow brighter, you would experience with greater abundance the reality of God’s redeeming grace. And so, just as we carefully prepare for big events in our personal lives, such as a wedding or commencement, Lent invites us to make our hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ death and resurrection.
We will play MercyMe Name That Tune and give you a chance to win passes to see the movie I Can Only Imagine 2. We are also giving away the book “Even If – Trusting God Through The Fire” – the Official Book for I Can Only Imagine 2, written by Lead Singer Bart Millard and his wife Shannon Millard.
We will give you a chance to win with MercyMe Trivia. Even If is the inspiration behind the major motion picture I Can Only Imagine 2. This true story of heartache and hope from MercyMe’s lead singer, Bart Millard, and his wife, Shannon, shows us how even our deepest wounds can become doorways to God’s grace.
Even If is the inspiration behind the major motion picture I Can Only Imagine 2. This true story of heartache and hope from MercyMe’s lead singer, Bart Millard, and his wife, Shannon, shows us how even our deepest wounds can become doorways to God’s grace. Purchase Even If now at a great price wherever books are sold https://davidccook.org/books/even-if/
Congratulations to Brad, Lisa, Jim and karen!!
This week’s Name That Tune was a stumper, but come back next week for a chance to win TWO $5 gift cards in Utica!
Tune in Tomorrow for the NZ Top 10 with Ethan and Joe!
Dad Jokes from Joe: What did the finger say to the thumb? I’m in Glove with you! Why is Yoda a good gardener? He has a green thumb!
Who Knew? National crab stuffed flounder day! Crab stuffed flounder is a one-of-kind dish is composed of a stuffing made with crab meat, bread crumbs, butter, and seasonings, which is stuffed into the whole flounder or rolled up into the fillets and baked. Why wouldn’t we have a National Food Day to celebrate it?
Who Knew? Ash Wednesday! Ash Wednesday signals the beginning of Lenten season for Christians. It takes place 46 days before Easter and the day after Shrove Tuesday. During this religious celebration, worshippers receive ashes on their foreheads as a sign of mortality, grief for sins, and a commitment to spiritual renewal.
Who Knew? I can only imagine 2 this weekend! MercyMe’s sequel to “I Can Only Imagine” will be in theater’s this weekend! Stay tuned for the rest of this week during The Morning Thing and Afternoon Drive for a chance to win movie passes! Check out our website wnzr.fm for more information!
We will play MercyMe Name That Tune and give you a chance to win passes to see the movie I Can Only Imagine 2. We are also giving away the book “Even If – Trusting God Through The Fire” – the Official Book for I Can Only Imagine 2, written by Lead Singer Bart Millard and his wife Shannon Millard.
We will give you a chance to win with MercyMe Trivia. Even If is the inspiration behind the major motion picture I Can Only Imagine 2. This true story of heartache and hope from MercyMe’s lead singer, Bart Millard, and his wife, Shannon, shows us how even our deepest wounds can become doorways to God’s grace.
TheMorningThing.com and wnzrdrive.com. Even If is the inspiration behind the major motion picture I Can Only Imagine 2. This true story of heartache and hope from MercyMe’s lead singer, Bart Millard, and his wife, Shannon, shows us how even our deepest wounds can become doorways to God’s grace. This true story of heartache and hope from MercyMe’s lead singer, Bart Millard, and his wife, Shannon, shows us how even our deepest wounds can become doorways to God’s grace. Purchase Even If now at a great price wherever books are sold https://davidccook.org/books/even-if/
Congratulations to Bekah of Howard and Jen of Howard for winning our contests today!
Who am I?
I was born on February 18, 1968, in Roseville, California.
I began acting as a child and was a cast member on the TV sitcom The Facts of Life before becoming a film star.
I became one of the most recognizable members of the “Brat Pack” after starring in 1980s teen classics like The Breakfast Club (1985), Sixteen Candles (1984), and Pretty in Pink (1986).
I frequently worked with director John Hughes, who helped shape my image as a defining teen actress of the 1980s.
In addition to acting, I’m also a published author and have released jazz music, including the album Except… Sometimes (2013).
I am… Molly Ringwald! Congratulations to Wendy of Mount Vernon 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.
On this week’s Artist News Day, we got to talk with Blessing Offor! He’s bringing his Heart So Real Tour to Columbus, Ohio this late winter, and we got to talk with him about it! Blessing gets “real” with us in our conversation as he talks about the struggles that come with being blind, as well as what he will be bringing on his upcoming concert coming to the A&R Music Bar in Columbus, Ohio.
Listen to our conversation with Blessing Offor and Ethan Hershberger on our SoundCloud here:
Blessing Offor will be at the A&R Music Bar, in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, February 24!
This is Blessing’s first headline tour, highlighting the release of his sophomore album Real, which was released during a season of loss for Blessing. You’ll hear Blessing get “real” with you as he shares new songs from his new record, and join him in a night of worship, raw honesty, and great music.
If you would like to purchase tickets, information can be found HERE!
WinterJam came to Columbus on Monday (President’s Day), in Columbus, Ohio! If you missed this show, you still have two more chances to see it in Ohio!
This Saturday, February 21st, you can see WinterJam at the Heritage Bank Center, in Cincinnati, Ohio, starting with Jam Nation Doors opening at 4pm, General Admission Doors opening at 5pm, and the show starting at 6pm.
On Friday, March 27, WinterJam will be stopping at the Wolstein Center, in Cleveland, Ohio, starting with Jam Nation Doors opening at 5pm, General Admission Doors opening at 6pm, and the show starting at 7pm.
This year’s WinterJam lineup consists of Chris Tomlin, Matthew West, Katy Nichole, Emerson Day, Newsong, and more!
For more information, go to the Concerts page on our website HERE!
We will play MercyMe Name That Tune and give you a chance to win passes to see the movie I Can Only Imagine 2. We are also giving away the book “Even If – Trusting God Through The Fire” – the Official Book for I Can Only Imagine 2, written by Lead Singer Bart Millard and his wife Shannon Millard.
We will give you a chance to win with MercyMe Trivia. Even If is the inspiration behind the major motion picture I Can Only Imagine 2. This true story of heartache and hope from MercyMe’s lead singer, Bart Millard, and his wife, Shannon, shows us how even our deepest wounds can become doorways to God’s grace.
Even If is the inspiration behind the major motion picture I Can Only Imagine 2. This true story of heartache and hope from MercyMe’s lead singer, Bart Millard, and his wife, Shannon, shows us how even our deepest wounds can become doorways to God’s grace. Purchase Even If now at a great price wherever books are sold https://davidccook.org/books/even-if/
Congratulations to Janelle and _____ for winning our contests today!
This week’s Song Poetry may remind you of the artist we talked with today on The Afternoon Drive
Here were this week’s lyrics:
Sometimes I feel like I just keep pretending And I’m slowly going out of my mind And I, I feel like you could be the one Who would catch me when my wings won’t fly
This week’s Song Poetry was a stumper! Tune in to The Afternoon Drive for next week’s Artist News Day, and see if you can give us the song title and artist from these Song Poetry lyrics for a chance to win two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!
Today on Monday Motivation we gave inspiration through scripture and classes, had TWO contests for The MercyMe “Even If You Can Only Imagine” Contest, along with our family feud style question for Mystery Monday! Here’s what we talked about:
Joe’s Motivation: Honor. Honorable leaders live up to their commitments. Heart. Leading from the heart cannot be feigned or coached. Humility. What’s the most important attribute people look for in their managers and leaders? A study of most admired CEOs cited humility as the number- one factor—their willingness to accept and admit their flaws. Humor. People love leaders who display a sense of humor. When you poke fun at yourself, our cheater meters swing toward “trust.” If love is the universal language, then humor is the universal trust builder. We should lead just like Christ did.
Gabriella’s Motivation: To treat yourself as if you were someone you are responsible for helping is, instead, to consider what would be truly good for you. This is not “what you want.” It is also not “what would make you happy.” You need to consider the future and think, “What might my life look like if I were caring for myself properly? What career would challenge me and render me productive and helpful, so that I could shoulder my share of the load, and enjoy the consequences?
We will play MercyMe Name That Tune and give you a chance to win passes to see the movie I Can Only Imagine 2. We are also giving away the book “Even If – Trusting God Through The Fire” – the Official Book for I Can Only Imagine 2, written by Lead Singer Bart Millard and his wife Shannon Millard. We will give you a chance to win with MercyMe Trivia. Even If is the inspiration behind the major motion picture I Can Only Imagine 2. This true story of heartache and hope from MercyMe’s lead singer, Bart Millard, and his wife, Shannon, shows us how even our deepest wounds can become doorways to God’s grace. Information about the book Even If and the movie I Can Only Imagine 2 is available on our blog TheMorningThing.com and wnzrdrive.com. Even If is the inspiration behind the major motion picture I Can Only Imagine 2. This true story of heartache and hope from MercyMe’s lead singer, Bart Millard, and his wife, Shannon, shows us how even our deepest wounds can become doorways to God’s grace. Purchase Even If now at a great price wherever books are sold https://davidccook.org/books/even-if/Congratulations to Randell and Karen for winning our contests Today!
Name a reason a man might decide to get rid of his toupee.
Bald is cool
Got a new one
Confident/secure
Hair grew back
Old/grungy
Blows/falls off
Looks silly/fake
Congratulations to Pam of Newark 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!
We saw a shift in the charts on The NZ Top 10 today, on The Afternoon Drive!
Here is this week’s countdown:
10. Katy Nichole – Have Your Way
09. Crowder – STILL
08. Anne Wilson – God Story
07. Chris Tomlin – How Good It Is
06. For KING & COUNTRY ft. Taylor Hill – World On Fire
05. TobyMac – Heaven On My Mind
04. Jamie MacDonald – Left It In The River (previously #1 for 9 weeks)
03. Seph Schlueter – Won’t Start Now
02. Lauren Daigle – Let It Be A Hallelujah
01. Jeremy Camp – No Survivors (2nd week at #1)
New Music This Week:
Elevation Worship– Alleluia
Next week you have a chance to win a pair of movie tickets to see I Can Only Imagine 2 in theatres starting this next Friday, February 20th!
We’ll be playing MercyMe Name That Tune! If you can guess the MercyMe song, you will be a winner! Tune in on The Morning Thing, 6am-9am, and The Afternoon Drive, 4pm-6pm for your chance to win!
Here’s a synopsis of I Can Only Imagine 2:
After the breakout success of the song “I Can Only Imagine,” MercyMe’s Bart Millard (John Michael Finley) is living the dream—sold-out arenas, a devoted fan base, and a thriving career. But behind the spotlight, Bart’s past threatens the family he’s built, especially the fragile bond with his son, Sam (Sammy Dell).
When hopeful newcomer Tim Timmons (Milo Ventimiglia, “This Is Us”) joins the band for their biggest tour yet, he unknowingly brings a renewed gratitude to Bart’s life through their unlikely friendship. Bart soon discovers that Tim carries hardships—and secrets—of his own, forcing him to face his past and repair his relationships with Sam and his wife, Shannon (Sophie Skelton), before fame costs him what matters most. Based on the heartfelt true story behind the hit single “Even If,” I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2 is the inspiring next chapter of faith, family, and finding God in the fire.
Directed by Andrew Erwin and Brent McCorkle, written by Brent McCorkle, and starring John Michael Finley, Milo Ventimiglia, Sophie Skelton, Arielle Kebbel, Sammy Dell with Trace Adkins and Dennis Quaid.
Driving Notes 