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Praise Thursday

Call On Jesus!

Even with a couple technical difficulties today, we still had a great show! Today on Praise Thursday, we read some devotions out of Our Daily Bread Devotions!

We read a story about a woman, Nancy, who was walking in her town, and on her way she walked past a dog being walked on a leash. The dog tried to attack Nancy, but the owner held on to the leash, keeping the dog from harming her.

This reminded Nancy how the devil is prowling around waiting to attack us and paralyze us with fear, however we do not need to fear at all, because he is no match for the God we know and believe in. God calls us to “submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you,” found in James 4:7. Cry out to Jesus in times of fear, desperation, anxiety, when you need help, and as it says in 1 Peter 5:10, “And the God of grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

Read the full devotional HERE!

Jesus is our everything. We couldn’t possibly get through life without Him. Our other devotion we went though talks about how Kennedy Blades, a 2024 Olympian gave all glory to God, and praised Him for her victories. It is so incredible to see Kennedy using the platform God gave her to give Him glory and praise for everything. We see this heart posture reflect David in Psalm 63 where he says in verse 1, “I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you.” Kennedy acknowledged that she couldn’t have gotten anywhere, or done anything without the hope and grace that she has been blessed with by Jesus Christ!

If you want to read the full story, click HERE!

Today we took a 20 second clip of a song we played during The Afternoon Drive today!

Today’s song was Firm Foundation from Cody Carnes! Congratulations to Adam from Fredericktown for calling in and guessing the song title and artist correctly, taking home that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow for the NZ Top 10, where we count down the top 10 songs in Christian music of the week! We’ll also have some new music for you as well!

Thank you so much for tuning in and listening!
– Xander and Ethan

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Festival time again!

Today we’re back On the Road with Big Blue at the Centerburg Heart of Ohio USA Days Festival! Ethan, Sue and Zoey were live with us – remember this event runs through Saturday!

The Heart of Ohio USA Days Festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a weekend packed full of excitement, flavor, and hometown pride.

Make sure to stop by and register for to win a Family 4 Pack of One-Day Passes to the Hiawatha Water Park and Pool ($36 value)! Registrations will only be accepted at the festival, NO online registrations. You do NOT need to be present to win.  

WNZR will broadcast tonight until 8 and on Saturday 6/28 from Noon – 2pm.  We will also be in the parade Saturday morning at 10!

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We also shared some wise words from Tauren Wells from his devotional book, Joy Bomb:

Burying your feelings isn’t the same as surrendering them.

And what you bury doesn’t die. It lives just beneath the surface.

Quiet. Unresolved. Controlling your joy from the shadows.

But when you invite God into your fears, confusion, and sadness?

You open the door to a joy that’s rooted in something deeper than your mood. Not a surface-level smile. But soul-level peace.

#1: Pause the performance. Stop trying to prove you’re okay. God isn’t scared by your emotions.

#2: Feel your feelings with faith. You don’t have to choose one or the other. Invite God into your emotions. Let him speak peace over your pain.

#3: Don’t go solo. Your healing wasn’t meant to happen in isolation. Open up in community — whether that’s by sharing in a church small group or calling a friend.

Congratulations to Linda from Gambier, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

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God Is SO Graceful.

Today is Praise Thursday, and we got to listen to some worship music as we winded down the day!

Something God put on my heart was the realization that He is not here to wait for the moment we sin or make a mistake to punish us or condemn us. Rather, He is graceful and instantly forgiving, knowing the position of our hearts. The song that this reminded me of was Danny Gokey’s “More Than You Think I Am”. In the song, he sings:

Rumour has it, there’s a gavel in my hand,
I’m only here to condemn.
But let me tell you secrets you would’ve never known
I think of you as my best friend.

This is so freeing for us that we can be sure to know that as believers and followers of Jesus, we don’t need to worry about getting punished or condemned for every little mistake or sin we make. He is graceful and forgiving! “For a righteous person falls seven times and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of disaster.” – Proverbs 24:16

We also God’s grace, from a story found in Our Daily Bread Ministries, and we remember that we are washed completely clean from our past sins and mistakes. It doesn’t matter who we are, what we’ve done, or what we look like. His grace is sufficient for everyone, no matter where they are, or where they’ve come from! “Oh what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!” – Psalm 32:1. To read the quick, full story, click HERE.

Today we played Name That Tune! We played a fifteen second clip of a song played on WNZR so you can guess the title and artist of that song!

Today’s song clip came from bodie and his song Whisper and the Wind! Congratulations to Olivia from Mount Vernon for guessing the title and artist correctly! Make sure to tune in tomorrow from 4-6pm for The NZ Top 10!

Thank you so much for watching!
– Xander and Ethan

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Thank God for Dads!

Today is our last day of registration for WNZR’s ‘Take Dad to Dinner’ – get your dad registered here!

I wanted to share some wisdom that one of our artists, Rhett Walker, recently shared about fatherhood:

“There is not enough we can do to make yourself feel better about the time missed. There are not enough presents to give to make up for the times we react in anger. Truly, our only hope is Jesus and pointing our kids to Him! As fathers, it is our responsibility to love well, but to also remind our kids that we are all messed up and are in need of Jesus.”

Rhett suggests, “As you walk through this next week, remind yourself of these scriptures:

The righteous who walks in his integrity—blessed are his children after him! -Proverbs 20:7 ESV

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. – Ephesians 6:4 ESV

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. “- Proverbs 22:6 NIV

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Xander shared a devotional from Our Daily Bread called, “Calling Our Heavenly Father.” Read it by clicking here!

This one was a two-week stumper – ‘The King is in the Room’ by Phil Wickham. Congratulations to Lincoln from Utica who wins 2 $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Xander

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Jesus Is Our Everything. He Is The Perfect Example!

The first full week of June is almost over, and we are thanking God for it! We listened to worship music together today on Praise Thursday and read some devotionals to brighten up the afternoon on this cloudy day! I’m glad we can take the time to just slow down, and give God the glory for every day He has made and everything He has done for us!

We read some devotionals from Our Daily Bread Ministries, and we talked about how Jesus is everything in us and our lives. We saw David display what that looks like in Psalm 63. “O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.” We see that even in the worst of troubles of being pursued and lost, David never lost sight of God, keeping his eyes set on the true, eternal treasure, who is his Heavenly Father, who is the same God we serve and love.

This passage also reminds me a little bit about Tasha Layton and Chris Brown’s song “Worship Through It”, which encourages us to just worship God for who He is, and that He is holy and above all, no matter what you’re going through. We see in David’s life and struggles that the battle simply belongs to the LORD, who has never lost a single battle.

If you want to read the full devotional, click here!

We also talked about the perfect example Jesus was to us when He lived on earth. We dove into how He washed all 12 of the disciples feet. Yes, ALL 12, including Judas, who Jesus knew was the one who was going to betray Him. Jesus showed us what love is and how to show love to your friends and your enemies. Something that will change the world is showing grace, love, and forgiveness to your enemies. You never know how much God will move with a simple act of love, especially to your enemies!

Today we played Name That Tune! We played a fifteen second clip for you to guess the title and artist, and win that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Today was a stumper! Make sure you tune in next week for the Afternoon Drive to see what the clip was, and see if you can guess the title and artist of the song! If you get it right, you’ll get two five dollar gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Make sure to tune in tomorrow for a special NZ Top 10 where we count down the top 10 songs of the week, but also for a special broadcast for June First Friday!

Thank you so much for listening!
– Xander and Ethan

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He’s An Abundant God

Today we looked at two incredible devotions from Our Daily Bread! Our first devotional pulls from Matthew 18, and reminds us that we are to forgive others no matter how many times they may wrong us. If they ask forgiveness with pure intention and remorse, you are to forgive them, just as God has done so many times for you. Forgiveness, to infinity and beyond! Read the full devotional here.

Our second devotional reminds us that God has given us far more than we need. He has given us an abundance in His creation. From the many trees that bear fruit, to the stars in the sky, it’s evident our God is a creative, loving, and abundant God. But creation is not all that feels his abundance, Paul assures us in 1 Timothy that God’s grace is far more than enough, and offered knowing that we need it every day. Read the full devotional here.

We also played Name That Tune! We played a 15 second clip to see if you could tell us the artist and title of the song and win two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Unfortunately, our clip was a stumper for the second week! We’ll have a new clip for next week!

Thanks for listening!
-Traven

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Trust in God, He is in Control!

Today we listened to some great worship music! From Delirious to CeCe Winans, we had a wide variety of blasts from the pasts and new goodies all afternoon! We also shared some devotions, which certainly helped brighten up this cloudy, wet day!

On “Our Daily Bread Ministries”, we found a really inspiring story about a husband and wife, Tom and Nancy. While they were hiking in Maine one day, Tom fainted three times. Every doctor they visited said there was nothing they could find that was wrong. When Nancy asked the doctor what to do next, what they told her changed Nancy’s outlook on the situation. “Go live your life” is what they told her. What Nancy realized is that she doesn’t have to worry about what’s going to happen with her husband, because the One who knows all and has everything in control already has a plan. God spoke through that doctor that day, and we see here that God can speak through anyone and anything, in any situation!

If you want to read the full story and devotional, click here.

We also shared about trusting God in the trials. We know trials are going to come, the Bible makes that clear. But what the enemy means for evil, God means for good, and He’s shown time and time again that He will remain faithful and use whatever we go through to bring people to Him, and build His Kingdom! Whether, you’re angry, sad, or struggling with sin, God wants you to come to Him however you are, and leave changed! He wants you to trust in Him. He has good, specific plans for each and every one of us!

Today we played Name That Tune! We played a 15 second clip of a song, and if you can tell us the title of the song we play, and the artist, you can win that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Today was a stumper! So make sure you tune in next week to hear the song clip, and try to guess the song title and artist who sings the song!

Thank you for listening!
– Xander and Ethan

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Praises and Prizes!

Today we shared a devotional from Our Daily Bread that refers to listening to the voice of God, which was inspired by 1 Samuel 3! Click here to read the daily devotional called “God Speaking To Us” from Our Daily Bread.

Today’s song was “Build My Life” by Pat Barrett and Cory Asbury. Congratulations to Jan from Howard for guessing the song title and both artists correctly!

Thanks for listening today! We had a blast!
– Joe, Xander, and Ethan

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National Day of Prayer!

How fitting for the National Day of Prayer to fall on Praise Thursday here on The Afternoon Drive! Today we came together to pray for our families, neighbors, community and nation! Any prayer request can be lifted and heard today, and if you’d like to hear some prayers from our local community leaders and members, check them out here!

Here’s the recap from today:

12:30am – Marcy Rinehart, WNZR Station Manager and President of Knox Network of Christian Ministries shares a prayer.

1:30am – Richard Hite, Pastor of Church on the Rise in Mount Vernon shares a prayer.

2:30am – David Carter with Child Evangelism Fellowship and a former High School Guidance Counselor shares a prayer.

3:30am – Leslie McCann with LifeWise Academy shares a prayer.

4:30am – Thom Collier from e-Merge Real Estate Champions and the Knox County Chaplains shares a prayer.

5:30am – Tim Stickle with Revive Knox County shares a prayer.

6:30am – Troy McNichols, Pastor of New Life Church of the Nazarene in Mount Vernon shares a prayer.

7:30am – Dave Mills, Vice President for Spiritual Life and Church Relations at Mount Vernon Nazarene University shares a prayer.

8:30am – Andy Smith, Pastor of New Life Community Church in Fredericktown shares a prayer.

9:30am – Joe Rinehart, MVNU Assistant Professor of Communication and Department Chair and Director of Broadcasting, WNZR-FM and WNZR.TV shares a prayer.

10:30am – Christopher Liberati, Pastor of Gay Street United Methodist Church in Mount Vernon shares a prayer.

11:30am – Cody Blust, Pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Mount Vernon shares a prayer.

12:30pm – Joe Proudfoot, Pastor of Mount Vernon FirstNaz shares a prayer.

1:30pm – Jess Kirby, Starting Point Pregnancy and Family Resource Center Director of Development shares a prayer.

2:30pm – Kandee Popham, Executive Director for Place 4 Grace shares a prayer.

3:30pm – Amy McDougale, Executive Director for The Least of These Ministry shares a prayer.

4:30pm – Mount Vernon Mayor Dr. Matt Starr shares a prayer.

5:30pm – Dr. Carson Castleman, Mount Vernon Nazarene University President shares a prayer.

6:30pm – Lois Carter with Child Evangelism Fellowship and LifeWise Academy shares a prayer.

7:30pm – Scott Sharpes, Pastor of Lakeholm Church of the Nazarene in Mount Vernon shares a prayer.

8:30pm – Carolyn Fergus, Executive Director for Knox County Interchurch Social Services shares a prayer.

9:30pm – Marvin Haught, Pastor of Brandon Baptist Church shares a prayer.

10:30pm – Debi Fry, Housing Director with the Mount Vernon Georgia’s House for Women and the Mount Vernon Alpha House for Men shares a prayer.  

11:30pm – Jessica Reynolds, Program Director of TouchPointe Marriage & Family Resources and KNCM Board Member shares a prayer.

Today’s track for Name That Tune was “Let It Begin” by Big Daddy Weave! Congratulations to Casey from Mount Vernon for winning the $5 Watts Restaurant Gift Cards!

Thanks for listening!- Judah

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