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Be a Leader!!

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!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Brook Abella, Gabriella, and Joe 🙂

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Happy Ash Wednesday!!!

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? 

  1. I was born on February 18, 1968, in Roseville, California. 
  1. I began acting as a child and was a cast member on the TV sitcom The Facts of Life before becoming a film star. 
  1. 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). 
  1. I frequently worked with director John Hughes, who helped shape my image as a defining teen actress of the 1980s. 
  1. 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.

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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Blessing Offor Talks with WNZR About his Heart So Real Tour!

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!

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

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New Contests THIS WEEK!!!

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. 

  1. Bald is cool 
  1. Got a new one 
  1. Confident/secure 
  1. Hair grew back 
  1. Old/grungy 
  1. Blows/falls off 
  1. 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!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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The NZ Top 10 for 2/13/2026

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.

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

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Happy Valentine’s Day Eve-Eve!!

Today on Praise Thursday we did devotionals, Spread The Love Giveaway, and we did Name That Tune! Here’s what we talked about:

Gabriella’s Valentines Day Devotion:

  • Willing. Jesus said, “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:18).
  • Sacrifice. There is no such thing as love without sacrifice.
  • If you are only interested in loving people because you get something good in the end, you are not motivated by love for them but by love for yourself.
  • The Bible says that Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. If he had waited until we were able to reciprocate, there would be no hope for us! 
  • Love does its best work when the other person is undeserving.

Brook Abella’s Waiting Period Devotion:

I was waiting in my guitar class to play, but ended up watching everyone else. In the end I played and did well, but one thing I realized is I wouldn’t have done as good as I did if I didn’t wait. I learned the famous saying “Patience is a virtue” in real time. It didn’t take much to realize if I didn’t wait I wouldn’t have done as well as I did in the end. Waiting is THE formative time to make sure you do good, after the waiting season God will have so much for you, you will be grateful you waited.

Joe’s Perfect Image Devotion:

In this day and age we’re so used to not having to deal with people face to face. On social media it’s easy to dislike someone’s post, but 99% of the people doing that would never do that in person. It’s important we keep note on what we should be doing. Recapture the incarnation where the word connects with face to face and we’re created in God’s perfect image. It’s easy to have low self esteem when people dislike on social media, but YOU were made in God’s perfect image.

Today was the last day to participate and the winners for the grand prize drawing with be Tomorrow during The Morning Thing!  Congratulations to Mary of Fredericktown for participating in spread the love giveaway and winning a $25 gift card to ACTS Thrift Store in Mount Vernon!

This week’s Name That Tune was Zach William’s with Heaven Help Me! Congratulations to Lyle of Apple Valley for guessing it 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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Olympics and Valentines Day!!

Today was a fun Who Knew Wednesday with lattes, new friends, Olympics, and Valentine’s Day! Here’s what we talked about:

National Latte Day:

A latte is a coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk. The term as used in English is a shortened form of the Italian café latte, caffeate or Caffe latte, which means “milk coffee”. National Latte Day was created in celebration of the tastiness and wakefulness promoting qualities of coffee!

National Make A New Friend Day:

Friends serve a vital role in everyone’s lives. They are one of life’s most valuable assets. New friends can broaden our horizons by helping us to see new perspectives, challenging us to try something different, or connecting us to opportunities. Meeting new people can help sharpen our social skills and keep us from becoming lonely.

Valentine’s Day:

Chocolate Boxes: Richard Cadbury produced the first heart-shaped box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day in 1861. Roses by the Millions: Approximately 250 million roses are grown annually specifically for the holiday. Candy Hearts: Conversation hearts originally started as medical lozenges before a machine was invented to print messages on them in the late 1800s. Pet Love: The Bugbee Senior Center says Americans are estimated to spend over $700 million on Valentine’s Day gifts for their pets each year. 

Olympics- Whats the difference between Milan and Cortina?

The 2026 Winter Olympics, officially named Milano Cortina 2026, are uniquely split between two primary, geographically distinct hubs, separating urban “ice” sports in Milan from mountain “snow” events in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Situated about 400 km (250 miles) apart, Milan hosts indoor sports like hockey and figure skating, while Cortina hosts Alpine skiing and sliding events, creating the most spread-out Winter Games in history.

You could win a fabulous prize from February 2nd through 12th! Each day of the contest, our DJs will select Valentine’s gifts to put in the WNZR Valentine’s box. During The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive, the DJs will give a cue to call 740-397-WNZR (9697). Caller #5 gets the chance to answer a Valentine’s question to win a prize. PLUS, every winner this year gets entered into a drawing for one of our 3 grand prizes! Congratulations to Cathy of Mount Vernon for participating and taking home a $10 gift card to Burrata Woodfired and to Grace of Mount Vernon for taking home two “you pick two” vouchers from Panera Bread!

Who am I?

  1. I was born today, February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio. I passed away on October 18, 1931, in West Orange, New Jersey. 
  1. I had very little formal schooling, was homeschooled by my mother, and educated myself. 
  1. After countless failures prior to success, I am most famous for inventing the light bulb. 
  1. I am also known for inventing or improving major technologies like the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the carbon microphone. 
  1. I pioneered the first industrial research lab in Menlo, New Jersey, which coined my nickname, “The Wizard of Menlo Park”.

I am… Thomas Edison! Congratulations to Eric of Fredericktown 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 Joe, Brook Abella, and Gabriella!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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Megan Woods Headlining Her FIRST Concert Series “The Truth Tour”

After joining Big Daddy Weave on their Let It Begin Tour in 2025, Megan Woods is headlining her first ever tour named after her breakout hit, titled The Truth Tour.

Joining Megan on these nights will be special guests Caleb & John and Jeremy Rosado. This tour will be all about worship, messages of identity in Jesus Christ, and songs full of God’s redeeming love.

This tour is coming to Ohio! Megan will be at the Celestia Theatre in Wadsworth, Ohio on Friday, April 24!

If you want to be a part of this night, ticket information can be found HERE!

You can read more about The Truth Tour HERE!

Amish Country is a beautiful place to take your spouse, your family, or your friends! If you’ve never been to a concert in there, what better way to experience one than with Cochren & Co. with his hits like Running Home, Church (Take Me Back), and One Day.

You can catch Cochren & Co. this month, on Saturday, February 21, at the Ohio Star Theatre in Sugarcreek, Ohio!

If you want to be a part of this evening, ticket information can be found HERE!

We had a new set of lyrics for Song Poetry this week!

Here were this week’s lyrics:

You’re pushing back the dark to get me closer to the light
Somebody tell my enemies there’s nowhere left to hide
You told me it’s Your battle, God, so I need You to fight
‘Cause if I’m going to live, then there’s some things that need to die

This week’s Song Poetry lyrics were from No Survivors by Jeremy Camp!

Congratulations to Nathan from Mount Vernon for correctly guessing the song title and artist, taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in on Wednesday with Joe Rinehart and Gabriella Stanley for fun facts on Who Knew Wednesday and a game of Who Am I?.

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

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Spread Love and Prayer!!

For ending relationships focus on spiritual well-being, alignment with biblical values, and maintaining peace .When there is any lack of peace/internal disquiet, unsafety, hindrance to spiritual growth, unequal yoking, unrepentant behavior/bad character, lack of clear guidance/confirmation, you need to rethink the relationship and talk about it or LEAVE!! You should be seeking God’s will, focus on holiness, and prioritizing God over worldly relationships.

Joe’s Monday Motivation: You might’ve felt lost or helpless and that’s never the case. You aren’t powerless if you have a plan. One way to help fight against feeling powerless is have a plan for prayer. Read the Bible and think about things YOU can pray about. Have three things ready to go to prayer about yourself, have three things you can pray about that are stressing you, and have three things that you can pray about for other people close to you or people you think about. God is our ARMERED tank.

You could win a fabulous prize from February 2nd through 12th! Each day of the contest, our DJs will select Valentine’s gifts to put in the WNZR Valentine’s box. During The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive, the DJs will give a cue to call 740-397-WNZR (9697). Caller #5 gets the chance to answer a Valentine’s question to win a prize. Congratulations to Trevor of Saint Louisville for taking home a $10 gift card to Dancing Bee Market & Studio and getting registered for the grand drawing!

Name a famous David: 

  1. David from the Bible (40) 
  1. David Letterman (11) 
  1. David Copperfield (7) 
  1. David Niven (6) 
  1. David Hasselhoff (6) 
  1. Dave Chappelle (6

Congratulations to Chris of Gambier 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 Gamete Tuesday with Ethan and Joe!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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