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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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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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New Dynamic Duo on The Afternoon Drive?!

Today on Praise Thursday we introduced a new co-host that will be with us for the 4 o’clock hour every Thursday, Brook Abella! Here’s what we talked about:

Brook Abella’s Devotional: Let God’s word wash over you! Spend some time to accept God’s light and let it shine on you, so you can point it in the direction of others! You should TRY to be like God!

Gabriella’s Devotional: Who is our neighbor? EVERYONE!! We should be a kind soul to everyone we come across and show them how a Christian should be. To read more click HERE!

Joe’s Devotional: Be a listener! In order to have a conversation you should should be just as good as listening as you do talking. Listen to the words that are spoke around and to you, so you can fully understand who people are. People should only be speaking the truth, but it’s up to you to fact check it. No one else. YOU!

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 Tim of Mansfield for winning a $10 gift card to Burrata Woodfired and getting registered to be in the grand prize drawing!

This Week’s Name That Tune was “Testify” by NEEDTOBREATHE. Congratulations to Jessica of Mount Vernon guessing correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watt’s Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in Tomorrow to The NZ Top 10 with Ethan and Joe!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Gabriella, Brook Abella, and Joe 🙂

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Sweater Weather!!

WHO KNEW FACT CHECK-  National Homemade Soup Day 

WHO KNEW FACT CHECK-  Thank a Mail Carrier Day 

WHO KNEW FACT CHECK-  National Sweater Day 

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 Krista Hottinger for winning a $10 gift card to Burrata Woodfired and to Brody for winning a “pick 2 voucher” to Panera!

Who am I? 

  1. I was born today, January 28, 1981 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 
  1. I started my acting career at a young age in the early 1990s, with notable roles, like Mike in Radio Flyer and Mark Evans in The Good Son. 
  1. My most famous role is for playing Frodo in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. 
  1. I am also a voice actor, most notably voicing Mumble in Happy Feet and Spyro in The Legend of Spyro video game series. 
  1. I co-founded the production company SpectreVision, which focusses on independent and genre films. 

I am… Elijah Wood! Congratulations to April of Mount Gilead. for guessing correctly and taking home TWO $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in Tomorrow for Praise Thursday with Brookabella and Gabriella!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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God’s Word AND Giveaways?!

Most importantly, the Spirit of God lives in each believer, knitting us together so powerfully that the Bible compares us to the interconnected parts of the human body. First Corinthians 12:13 says, “We were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body”—the body of Christ.

God often works in our lives through others who love Him, whether they’re near or far, known or new acquaintances. In our loneliest times, we can ask Him to send His people—even as we offer ourselves to be used by Him to encourage others. Click HERE to read more!

God said, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing.” These verses were spoken to Israel during their exile in Babylon—a period of deep despair and longing for restoration. God commanded His people to not fixate on their past failures or the pain of captivity but to look forward to the new work He was about to do—a new and more significant exodus—their deliverance from Babylon and return to their homeland. He wasn’t just erasing the past but “making a way” (v. 19) to a future filled with hope and purpose.

Instead of dwelling on failures or regrets, let’s trust that God has “scrubbed” our past sins, regrets, and shame and—through Jesus’ sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10)—“remembers [our] sins no more” (Isaiah 43:25). God propels us toward the future He’s preparing. Click HERE to read more

Congratulations to Wyatt for guessing the WinterJam Trivia correctly and taking home a pair of WinterJam 2026 passes!

Congratulations to Robin of Fredericktown for guessing our Beat The Box Office Giveaway for the Ohio State Fair! For more information go to our website wnzr.fm!

We had a stumper for this week’s Name That Tune, but come back next week for a chance to win TWO $5 to Watts Restaurant in Utica!!

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

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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Beyond a Billion Downloads for YouVersion!!

For this Praise Thursday, we shared inspiring worship music, gave devotions, shared updates, and played a fun game of NTT! Check out our website wnzr.fm!

The goodness of God will always come for you. No matter what you’re doing in your life he will always come back for you. Even when you can’t feel him with you he is always here. Let him guide you!

Proverbs 19:8-13 (NIV)- It was a few Sundays later that I observed the same woman (who hadn’t returned my greeting) being helped by a friend who was showing her when to stand or sit—acting as her caregiver. My old church friend was apparently very sick and hadn’t recognized me. I’m glad I didn’t approach her or even get upset when she didn’t return my enthusiastic greeting. Proverbs offers a lot of advice for living wisely, and not being easily offended is one of its gems. In fact, it says “sensible people . . . earn respect by overlooking wrongs” (19:11). Choosing not to get offended and learning to “control [our] temper” (v. 11 nlt) can bring us honor. It may require patience and “wisdom” (v. 8), but the rewards also are well worth getting over ourselves and choosing to love others.

To read more click HERE!

The 25th Annual WNZR Totally Tasty Tom Turkey Hunt is back! Listen for Tom’s “Gobble” and be caller #5 to be REGISTERED to win a turkey thanks to Smithhisler Meats of Mount Vernon!

Don’t miss our Contest – The Afternoon Drive has Sing for Rend Collective! Each day THIS WEEK, you will have a chance to sing a Rend Collective song to win a pair of Deluxe Experience Tickets to The Rend Collective Folk! Fall Tour at MVNU on 11/14!  These Deluxe tickets are valued at $75 each! Congratulations to Justin of Mount Vernon for winning a pair of deluxe tickets to Rend Collective!!

Our Name That Tune was Jenn Johnson with Goodness of God! Congratulations to Chris of Gambier for guessing our artist and song title correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

A historic event celebrating the Bible through worship and storytelling. YouVersion Bible app is celebrating their one billion app downloads with guest speakers and artists! Click HERE for more information. This November, ministries, businesses, Bible-based apps, churches, and people all over the world are rallying together to elevate the transformative, life-changing, and time-transcending power of God’s Word.

Tune in Tomorrow for the NZ Top 10 with Ethan!

Thanks so much for listening!!

– Ethan and Gabriella

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Soup for the Soul?!

Who Knew: National soup for the soul day– Celebrates who you are and how you’ve gotten there, often by sharing stories. Click HERE to read some stories!!

Who Knew fact checks: Weight gain around this time of year may not only be due to comforting fall foods like pumpkin pie and cider, researchers have found that lack of vitamin D reduces fat breakdown and triggers fat storage.

Who Knew fact checks: Koalas have fingerprints that are nearly identical to humans.

The 25th Annual WNZR Totally Tasty Tom Turkey Hunt is back! Listen for Tom’s “Gobble” and be caller #5 to be REGISTERED to win a turkey thanks to Smithhisler Meats of Mount Vernon!

Don’t miss our Contest – The Afternoon Drive has Sing for Rend Collective! Each day THIS WEEK, you will have a chance to sing a Rend Collective song to win a pair of Deluxe Experience Tickets to The Rend Collective Folk! Fall Tour at MVNU on 11/14!  These Deluxe tickets are valued at $75 each! Congratulations to Cliff of Mount Vernon for winning a pair of deluxe tickets to Rend Collective!!

Who am I?  

  1. I was born today, November 12, 1982 in Brooklyn, New York. 
  1. I am married to actor and producer Adam Shulman, and we have two sons together! 
  1. I won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for my role as Fantine in Les Misérables in 2012. 
  1. My breakout role was playing Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries in 2001 when I was 18. 
  1. Some of my other well-known roles are Selina Kyle, or Catwoman, in The Dark Knight Rises, Brand in Interstellar, and Daphne Kluger in Ocean’s 8

I am… Anne Hathaway! Congratulations to Alyssa 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 Ethan and Gabriella!

Thanks for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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Jesus On American Idol!

If you would’ve told me that the name of Jesus was being lifted up on the Voice and American Idol, I might not believe you at first. But here we are in 2025, with songs about conversations with the Lord being sung on live television. If you listened to the Backstreet Boys back in the day, you’ll love this next story.

It’s Artist Newsday and Game Time Tuesday here on the Afternoon Drive, and there’s some really cool stuff happening in media right now.

Baylee Littrell, the son of Backstreet Boys singer Bryan Littrell, has been making a name for himself on the latest season of American Idol, performing a song he wrote in a time of pain and loneliness, called “Hey Jesus”. The performance went viral and Baylee is using his platform to encourage others to follow the Lord.

“There’s a kingdom waiting for you,” The young artist said. “There’s a God waiting for you. All you have to do is trust Him.”

Check out the full story HERE, and the performance here!

Don’t forge that Mom’s Night Out is THIS FRIDAY! Click this link to grab your spot! https://www.wnzr.fm/momsnightout

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want
He leads me by still waters ’til my fears are gone
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Oh, I know You are with me, my Father, my friend
Your goodness and mercy will follow me all of my days”

Those are the words to “Still Waters” by Leanna Crawford! Congratulations to Kathleen from Mount Vernon, she wins the $5 Gift Card to Watts Restaurant!

Thanks for listening!- Judah

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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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