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Keep Climbing with Christ!

We love getting to start our week off with some Monday Motivation for you! We took a look at some encouraging and uplifting songs during The Afternoon Drive! Here’s what we talked about:

Joe talked about how important it is to stay focused on your walk with Christ. There are many things to distract us on our walk. For majority of us it isn’t a “walk” with Christ, but more of a “climb”. Most of the time on our climb there are “rocks” to slip on or people in our way. The closer you are to the top the harder it is to be patient. Sometimes taking a time out and regathering yourself is the best thing to do. Patience is a virtue! Joe’s motivational Monday went hand in hand with Patient by Apollo LTD.

Gabriella talked about Walk With Jesus by Consumed by fire. We should focus on commitment to Christ through life’s challenges, emphasizing that Jesus is the only true path and that He is present with believers even in “the fire” of trials, ultimately transforming them rather than destroying them. – Walk with Jesus is a declaration of commitment to Christ, meaning to follow His ways, obey His teachings, and live in His presence, despite the challenges and unpopularity it may bring. 

Here is your Verse Of The Week on WNZR!

Romans 8:11 (NIV)- “And if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Crist from the dead will also give life to you mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

October is Clergy appreciation month. This month is a time to honor our local pastors and their commitment to families in our community. Tell us why you love your pastor. Go online to wnzr.fm and click on the Clergy Appreciation Month banner. Your Church should be within 25 miles of Mount Vernon. Each Friday, 5 local pastors will be honored on The Morning Thing (throughout the 7am hour). We will ALSO put ALL nominated pastors into a drawing for a GRAND PRIZE for Clergy Appreciation Month! We will award FOUR Grand Prizes which is an overnight stay in the Mount Vernon Grand Hotel. Nominate your pastor at wnzr.fm TODAY!

Cast your predictions for the Dove Awards and get registered to win a special Dove Award Nominee Prize Package featuring special gifts from 2025 Dove Award nominees!! Tell us who you think will win “Song of the year” and “Artist of the year” at the 56th annual Dove Awards, go to wnzr.fm and click on the “Dove awards predictions 2025” banner. The deadline to vote is this Thursday, October 9th at 11:59pm and The Morning Thing will announce the winner Monday, October 13th! – Go to wnzr.fm for more information and prizes!

For our Mystery Monday, we had another game of Family Feud!

Name something people do at a wedding. 

  1. Dance – 35 
  1. Eat – 30 
  1. Cry – 20 
  1. Toast – 15 

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

Thanks for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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NZ Top 10 for 10/3/25

The first Friday in October and we’re live at Johnny Appleseed Fall Fest downtown tonight! Here’s this week’s countdown:

10. MercyMe – Oh Death
9. Crowder – STILL
8. Hope Darst – Mighty Name Of Jesus
7. Tauren Wells – Let The Church Sing
6. Forrest Frank – Your Way’s Better
5. Zach Williams – Jesus Loves
4. Emerson Day – Get Behind Me
3. Elevation Worship f/Brandon Lake – I Know A Name
2. Josiah Queen f/Brandon Lake – Can’t Steal My Joy
1. Phil Wickham – What An Awesome God (9th week at #1)

No new songs this week, but our NZ Top 10 Back-to-Back featured Matthew West! Remember when he had vocal surgery? Watch the video for ‘The Motions’

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Gabriella

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Walk in the Light!!

Today on Praise Thursday, we gave wonderful devotions, had fun contests, and shared upcoming events at WNZR! Go to our website wnzr.fm!

Many of us as kids loved playing in the dark and Karen’s nieces were no different. They loved turning off the lights and makin scary faces when they turned the lights off. In his letter to the early believers in Jesus, the apostle John talked about choosing to walk in a different kind of darkness. First John 1:6 refers to sin as “darkness.” Walking in darkness isn’t a momentary lapse but a choice to keep engaging in wrong doing. John reminds us that our holy God “is light” and “in him there is no darkness” (V.5). If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. Only when we live in full obedience to God can we enjoy the full blessing of relationship with Him and to with other believers.

If you want to read more of our devotionals click HERE!

We did another Mark Schultz giveaway! Win tickets for “an evening with Mark Schultz”, this Saturday October 4th! Be caller #3 when you hear the Mark Shultz music montage. Tomorrow during Congratulations to Ebony of Mount Vernon, Kari of Newark, and Nina of Mount Vernon for winning tickets to “an evening with Mark Schultz” this Saturday in the chapel!

Tune in next Thursday for a chance to win a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Guess the song title and the artist correctly for Name That Tune and you will win!

Tune in tomorrow for The NZ Top 10!

– Ethan and Gabriella 🙂

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Happy 39th Anniversy WNZR!!

Today during The Afternoon Drive, we celebrated WNZR’s 39th anniversary! We were live from the chapel parking lot giving away 90+9 ice cream cups from Round Hill Dairy! Marcy shared wonderful memories about WNZR’s growth and worship music that went along with them! Our memories and songs started at 2007 during The Afternoon Drive!

Who knew fact checks: WNZR purchased Big Blue in 2009? Yes! Our station vehichle was purchased from Federicktown Chevrolet and it took a month to get our logo wrap finsihed along with our equipment. We’ve been on the road since June 2009!

Who knew fact checks: WNZR used to host video premieres of VeggieTales? WNZR radio hosted live remote broadcasts at approximately 30 off- campus community events. WNZR also hosted three community VeggieTales video premieres on campus in July, November, and March!

Who Am I?

1. I spent time at WNZR before I was born

2. My first baby laugh was used as a Christmas liner

3. I hold the record for being the youngest on air DJ at WNZR

4. I was a host at a new children’s program called “Kid’s Playlist”

I am… Rachel Rinehart! Congratulations to Emily of Mount Vernon for guessing our Who Am I Trivia correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in tomorrow for Praise Thursday on The Afternoon Drive!

Thank you so much for listening!

– Ethan and Gabriella 🙂

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Christmas Tours!! Already?

Today on Artist News Day, yes, we’re already talking a little bit about Christmas! Some of your favorite WNZR artists are bringing their Christmas tours to Ohio, and they could be coming to a city near you!

Chris Tomlin is coming to Grove City, Ohio, on his tour called “Christmas with Chris Tomlin”. He’s bringing a special guest, Jamie MacDonald, along with him!

Chris is excited for this night of worship, prayer, and even laughter as he put it! It’ll be a great time worshipping with him and Jamie MacDonald. They’ll be at The Naz Church in Grove City, Ohio on December 19th!

You can get tickets by clicking HERE!

We Are Messengers are coming to Wooster, Ohio on their “A Celtic Christmas” tour!

Hailing from Northern Ireland, they’ll be bringing a Celtic style of music that is worshipping and glorifying God! The band will be in Wooster, Ohio at Movement Church on Sunday, December 7th!

You can get tickets by clicking HERE!

One of your favorite worship music artists, Pat Barrett is releasing his fourth studio album called Walk Through Fire!

This new release is coming out this Friday, October 3rd, with a total of 11 songs on it! This album is coming after his third album, Shelter, which he released in October 2023!

Pat is going on tour with Brandon Lake and Franni Cash on Brandon Lake’s King Of Hearts Tour this Fall and Spring! You can find tickets on our concert page HERE!

You can find out more about this new record HERE!

We’re seeing a brand new album from Tasha Layton coming out next Friday!

Tasha’s new album is called Life In Me, which features songs we’ve heard on WNZR, like Thank You Isn’t Enough ft. The Choir Room and Worship Through It ft. Chris Brown! This is what Tasha says about this upcoming release: “This album is so special to me! Each track really represents a season from my walk with Jesus. In its entirety, the album is a beautiful picture of His life in me.” She can’t wait for you to hear these songs!

You can find more information about this record HERE!

Today, we took some lyrics from a song we listened to on The Afternoon Drive and turned it into a poem for Song Poetry!

Here were this week’s lyrics:

Take my heart and let it move
In spirit and in truth
For the glory of Your Name
With every breath that’s in me
With every song and melody

Today’s Song Poetry came from Lauren Daigle and her song Let It Be A Hallelujah.

Congratulations to Chris from Gambier for calling in and correctly guessing the song title and artist, taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in on Wednesday for a special broadcast, celebrating our 39th Anniversary!

Thank you so much for listening!
– Ethan Hershberger

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No Struggle= No Progress!!

We love getting to start our week off with some Monday Motivation for you! We took a look at some encouraging and uplifting songs during The Afternoon Drive! Here’s what we talked about:

It is Monday Motivation!!! Gabriella chose Heart of the Father by Ryan Ellis:

It conveys the comfort, security, and unwavering love found in a relationship with God, experienced through the Holy Spirit’s guidance to the Father’s loving heart. He can reach anyone. It reminds me that God is in me and I’ll be okay. 

Joe chose Flowers by Samantha Ebert and Seph Schlueter:

Here is your Verse Of The Week on WNZR!

1 Timothy 2:5-6 (NIV)- For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.

We’re doing another fun giveaway and all this week during The Morning Thing and Afternoon Drive! Be Caller #3 when you hear the Mark Schultz Music Montage, and you will WIN! Don’t miss your chance to win two tickets for “an evening with Mark Schultz”! Congratulations to Lindsay of Mount Vernon for being caller #3 and winning tickets for “an evening with Mark Schultz”!

For our Mystery Monday, we had another game of Family Feud!

Our Family Feud question today was “name something you have to squeeze into”

Tight clothes/shoes- 84 (votes)

Parking spot- 3 (votes)

Crowded bus- 2 (votes) 

Booth at a diner- 2 (votes)

Congratulations to Jean of Mount Vernon for guessing the top two answers and taking home TWO $5 gift cards to the Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in tomorrow for Artist News Day and Game Time Tuesday!

Thank you so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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The NZ Top 10 for 9/26/2025

The last top 10 of September, and it’s a good one! Here’s this week’s countdown:

10. Hope Darst – Mighty Name Of Jesus
9. Crowder – STILL
8. MercyMe – Oh Death (former #1)
7. Tauren Wells – Let The Church Sing
6. Forrest Frank – Your Way’s Better
5. Zach Williams – Jesus Loves
4. Emerson Day – Get Behind Me
3. Josiah Queen f/Brandon Lake – Can’t Steal My Joy
2. Elevation Worship f/Brandon Lake – I Know A Name (5th week at #2)
1. Phil Wickham – What An Awesome God (8th week at #1)

New Music This Week:

Jon Reddick – The Way

Ben Fuller – Black Sheep

Thank you so much for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

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Be Slow to Anger!!

Today on Praise Thursday, we gave wonderful devotions, had fun contests, and shared upcoming events at WNZR! Go to our website wnzr.fm!

Here’s our devotional we talked about for Praise Thursday!

“Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. (Ecclesiastes 7:9).

Most human conflicts—shattered marriages and ruined friendships—are likely rooted in some form of unmanaged anger. Selfishness and power plays, unresolved misunderstandings, slights and counter-aggression—it’s all foolishness. So often, our ill-advised perceptions or reactions lead to destructive anger. Yet Ecclesiastes offers wisdom: “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools” (7:9).

 Since “death is the destiny of everyone” (v. 2), Solomon advises us to live life with our end in mind, pondering life’s brevity instead of pursuing festivity, “for sadness has a refining influence on us” (v. 3 nlt). In light of life’s brevity and adversity and death’s reality, we’re to decide how to wisely spend our time. Even as we experience the uncertainties of life—adversity and prosperity, good times and bad times—God is in control (vv. 13-14).

Read more about this devotional by clicking HERE!

We’re doing another fun giveaway and all this week and next week during The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive. We’ll be doing a Mark Schultz giveaway! Win tickets for “an evening with Mark Schultz”, October 4th! Be caller #3 when you hear the Mark Shultz music montage, and you will win! Congratulations Melinda of Howard for being caller #3!

Tune in during The Afternoon Drive for our daily prayer! This week is Global Prayer Week and WNZR celebrates by doing a daily prayer on The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive! give your prayer requests on our website! wnzr.fm

Today we played a 15 second clip of a song that we listened to on The Afternoon Drive for Name That Tune! This week’s Name That Tune was a stumper so come back next week and you have a chance to take home TWO $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in tomorrow for New Music Friday and this week’s countdown of The NZ Top 10!

Thanks for listening!

– Gabriella and Ethan 🙂

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See You at the Pole!!

Who Knew fact checks: Can you smell the rain? Yes! A combination of plant oils and bacteria-produced compounds create an earthy smell. This phenomenon is called petrichor.  

Who Knew fact checks: National Cherries Jubilee Day! Defined by its dramatic table-side presentation and a delicious contrast of flavors and textures. The dessert combines a warm, flamed cherry sauce with cool, creamy vanilla ice cream. It’s a classic dessert where pitted cherries are simmered in a sweet syrup, then flambéed with brandy or kirsch, and served hot over vanilla ice cream. 

Who Knew – See you at the pole! Today is National See You at the Pole Day! In the early 1990s a small group of teenagers in Burleson, Texas, came together at a flagpole and prayed. Over 45,000 teenagers met at school flagpoles in four different states to pray before the start of school. Over 69 countries participate with over one million students in “see you at the pole”. Go to www.wnzr.fm to see several special videos for 2025’s Global Week of Student Prayer and the 2025 See You at the Pole event! The Global Week of Student Prayer is THIS WEEK (September 21st through 27th). At WNZR, we are planning two special times of prayer and praise during the week. Tune in at 7:30am on The Morning Thing and 5:25pm on The Afternoon Drive. We will be sharing your prayer requests and praise reports. Go to wnzr.fm and click on the Prayer Request banner. 

To learn more about how to participate in today’s holiday click here.

Who Am I?

  1. I was born on September 24, 1936, in Greenville, Mississippi. 
  1. I created the voices for Kermit the Frog and the Swedish Chef. 
  1. My characters first appeared on a local TV program called Sam and Friends in 1955. 
  1. My Muppets became famous worldwide through Sesame Street, which premiered in 1969. 
  1. I directed and produced films like The Dark Crystal in 1982 and Labyrinth in 1986. 

I am… Jim Henson!! Congratulations to Bob of Howard for guessing correctly and taking home a $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

We’re doing another fun giveaway and all this week during the morning thing and Afternoon Drive we’ll be doing a Mark Schultz giveaway. Win tickets for “an evening with Mark Schultz”, October 4th! Be caller #3 when you hear the Mark Shultz music montage, and you will win! Congratulations Jen of Howard for being caller #3!

Tune in tomorrow for Praise Thursday on The Afternoon Drive!

Thank you so much for listening!

-Gabriella and Joe 🙂

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