Praise the Lord it’s Friday! Here is this week’s countdown:
10. Brandon Lake f/Jelly Roll – Hard Fought Hallelujah 9. We Are Messengers – A Thousand Times 8. Micah Tyler – God Did It 7. Matthew West – Unashamed 6. ELEVATION RHYTHM – Goodbye Yesterday 5. Phil Wickham – The King Is In The Room 4. Jamie MacDonald – Desperate [formerly #1 for 7 weeks] 3. MercyMe – Oh Death 2. TobyMac – a lil Church 1. Jon Reddick – No Fear [5th week at #1]
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.
Reserves Day is a vibrant celebration dedicated to acknowledging the contributions of reservists who balance civilian life with military duties.
These individuals commit their time to serve in the Reserve Forces and are ready to support national security whenever needed. This day highlights their role and brings recognition for their dedication and service!
We got to talk with Faith West today, who is a recent graduate of MVNU and an intern with the Knox County Convention and Visitors Bureau! In her senior year at MVNU, she was able to balance being a student, finishing senior projects, being an intern, and serving as an Air Force Reservist. Her decision towards becoming a reserve stemmed from a heart of wanting to serve, and her family, who is also involved in the military, helped her get involved, and they helped her get involved!
You can find us on the road with Big Blue this weekend in Centerburg! You can catch us on site and broadcasting on the air in studio on Thursday 5-8pm and on Saturday Noon-2pm! We’ll be giving away Family 4 Packs of One Day Passes to the Hiawatha Water Park and Pool while we’re there. To get signed up, find Big Blue at the festival!
Here were today’s 5 biographical facts about our mystery person:
I was born Eric Arthur Blair on June 25, 1903, in Motihari, British India.
I later adopted a pen name for my writing.
I am best known for the dystopian novels 1984 and Animal Farm.
I served in the British Imperial Police in Burma (now Myanmar) and later fought against fascism in the Spanish Civil War.
I died of tuberculosis on January 21, 1950, at age 46. My work remains highly influential in literature, politics, and discussions about surveillance and personal freedom.
I am… George Orwell. Congratulations to Tim from Mount Vernon for calling in and guessing me correctly, taking home that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow for Praise Thursday and a game of Name That Tune!
Today’s Artist Newsday is packed with exciting news! MercyMe is releasing their twelfth full length album called “Wonder & Awe”, which includes songs like “Oh Death”, which we hear on WNZR! Not only that, but Third Day is back for the first time in such a long time, with their 30th Anniversary Tour, featuring a Zach Williams!
We haven’t seen Third Day on the road since 2018 after their Farewell Tour and lead singer Mac Powell decided to pursue a solo career. They will be in Dayton, Ohio on May 7th, but if you want to go, be prepared. Their last tour, the Farewell Tour, sold out in just twelve minutes, so if you want tickets for this tour, they’ll be available this Friday at 10am! If you want to save the link, click here!
MercyMe has been anticipating listeners with their newest full length album! They have given us a taste of what “Wonder & Awe”, their new album, is going to look and sound like with their song “Oh Death”, and they have announced this record will release on August 8th on streaming services! They talked about their upcoming record, the heart behind it, and what they want listeners to take away from listening to it on their YouTube channel!
Today we played song poetry! We picked four lines of lyrics from a song we hear on WNZR, and spoke it like a poem! Here were the lyrics to our Song Poetry:
Yeah, I don’t always feel it, Yeah, but that’s when I need it the most. So, I’ma keep on singing, ‘Til my soul catches up with my song.
Today’s song was Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll’s “Hard Fought Hallelujah”! Congratulations to Brylan from Mount Vernon for guessing the title and artist correctly, taking home that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow on Wednesday for a game of Who Am I? and Who Knew Wednesday!
Thank you so much for listening! – Xander and Ethan
Today we talked about some of the songs we get to listen to on WNZR, and highlighted the songs “Hymn of Heaven” by Phil Wickham and “When I Fall” by Katy Nichole.
In Phil Wickham’s song, we worship Jesus for Him and who He is. We know and remember in this song that Jesus is forever victorious and all-powerful, regardless of our circumstances, or what may be going on in the world right now.
Katy Nichole expresses through her song how we desperately need God’s help. Whether we’re on a high mountaintop or the lowest of valleys, we need Jesus. This song is Katy Nichole’s cry for help, and we related this song to the Scripture in Matthew 11:28-30, where it says “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” He wants us to come to Him as we are. He is faithful to give us rest for us.
Today we played Mystery Monday! Here was the prompt we had this week, with the top four answers:
Name a common item people forget to take with them when leaving the house.
Keys (50)
Phone (25)
Wallet (15)
Sunglasses (10)
Congratulations to Pat from Mount Vernon for calling in and guessing the top two answers correctly, taking home that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow for Artist Newsday and Song Poetry!
Happy Friday and Summer Solstice Day! Here is this week’s countdown:
10. Micah Tyler – God Did It 9. We Are Messengers – A Thousand Times 8. ELEVATION RHYTHM – Goodbye Yesterday 7. Phil Wickham – The King Is In The Room 6. Brandon Lake f/Jelly Roll – Hard Fought Hallelujah 5. Matthew West – Unashamed 4. Jamie MacDonald – Desperate [formerly #1 for 7 weeks] 3. MercyMe – Oh Death 2. TobyMac – a lil Church 1. Jon Reddick – No Fear [4th week at #1]
New Music Friday Adds This Week:
Big Daddy Weave – I’ve Just Seen Too Much
Thank you so much for listening! – Ethan Hershberger
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
Did you know young sunflowers move with the sun and follow it during the day to get as much sunlight as they can so they can grow big and strong? That’s so cool!
For Who Knew Wednesday today, we went over some super fun facts about summer as the season kicks off with the Summer Solstice on Friday, June 20th!
The Summer Solstice is when the Earth is tilted closest to the sun, making it the longest day of the year! To celebrate this day, you can watch the beautiful sunrise or sunset on Friday, and if the sky is clear, you can stargaze at the beautiful stars. If you look closely, you might be able to spot some planets up there in the sky as well, like Venus and Mars!
– Image Credit: Redbubble
Do you like to eat popsicles on a hot summer day? Did you know popsicles were created by accident? That’s right! In 1905, a man named Frank Epperson accidentally left a mixing stick in water and a soda mixture outside in the cold night, and came back to it, and it had become a frozen and delicious treat! He called it the ‘Epsicle’, which would be renamed later to the ‘popsicle’ after his kids came up with the name! It’s so cool to see what God can use out of a happy accident like that!
We played Who Am I? today! This is where you get five biographical facts about a famous person born today, and you try to guess who it is! Here were the facts:
I was born today in a small town in Oklahoma and wrote my first song when I was just 15 years old.
I’ve won 10 CMA awards, 6 ACM awards, and I’ve had over 25 No. 1 country hits.
I was a longtime coach on NBC’s The Voice, where I led multiple contestants to win the competition!
I’m married to the pop star Gwen Stefani, who was also a coach on NBC’s The Voice, and we released a few songs together.
I became a Grand Ole Opry member in 2010!
I am… Blake Shelton.
Congratulations to Brandon from Danville for guessing me correctly! He won that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow for Name That Tune!
Thank you so much for listening! – Ethan Hershberger
Today is Artist News Day, and one WNZR artist keep very busy as of recent. Brandon Lake has released his highly anticipated, full release album called “King Of Hearts”. It includes some beloved songs heard on WNZR from the likes of “That’s Who I Praise”, “I Know A Name”, and “Hard Fought Hallelujah”.
However, Brandon decided he wasn’t going to end with only 16 songs on his full release, so he came back just a few days later with his Deluxe version of his album, “King Of Hearts (Full Deck Deluxe Version)”. He added 8 more songs to the mix, bringing the deluxe album to 24 songs in total!
And on top of all of that, Brandon is going on tour with these new songs! He will be in Ohio on October 12, so if you want tickets for that concert, you can find it on our full list of concerts HERE!
Our other artist news involves Blessing Offor and his new album that he recently announced is coming! Titled “Real”, this album is set to be released on the 8th of August with a whole 16 songs scheduled to arrive with this one!
If you want to see the full report on this new album, click HERE!
Today we played song poetry! Here were the lyrics we chose from a song played on WNZR:
A thousand generations falling down in worship To sing the song of ages to the Lamb. And all who’ve gone before us, and all who will believe Will sing the song of ages to the Lamb.
The song today was “Holy Forever” from Chris Tomlin! Congratulations to Michelle from Mount Vernon for guessing the title and artist correctly, winning that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow for Who Knew Wednesday, and a game of Who Am I? from 4-6pm!
Thank you so much for listening! – Xander and Ethan
Driving Notes 