Today’s Monday Motivation starts with Casting Crowns and ‘All Because of Mercy’. See the lyric video and the story behind the song with Mark Hall below!
Ephesians 2:8-9 – “8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.”
We had more motivation come in from Matthew West and ‘Don’t Stop Praying’. See the lyric video and an interview with Matthew West where he talks about the story behind the song!
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “16Rejoice always, 17pray without ceasing, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
TODAY’S QUESTION: What do kids love jumping on?
The bed (71 votes)
A trampoline (20)
The couch (5)
A pile of leaves (3)
Congratulations to Lauren from Mount Vernon for guessing the top two answers correctly, winning that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!
Praise the Lord it’s Friday! Here’s this week’s countdown:
10. We Are Messengers – A Thousand Times 9. bodie – Whisper & the Wind 8. Phil Wickham – The King is in the Room 7. ELEVATION RHYTHM f/Gracie Binion – Goodbye Yesterday 6. Matthew West – Unashamed 5. Brandon Lake f/Jelly Roll – Hard Fought Hallelujah 4. MercyMe – Oh Death 3. Jamie MacDonald – Desperate 2. TobyMac – A Lil’ Church (Nobody’s Too Lost) 1. Jon Reddick – No Fear (3rd week at #1)
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.
SonFest is back this fall at MVNU and it will look different!
Mount Vernon Nazarene University is excited to announce updates are in store for SonFest 2025, MVNU’s premier one-day Christian music festival. Scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, SonFest will now be held in the newly renovated R.R. Hodges Chapel/Auditorium, making it a rain-or-shine event for the first time.
The 2025 lineup features a powerful lineup of worship, alternative rock, and faith-driven performances, headlined by ELEVATION RHYTHM. Also taking the stage are acclaimed artists John Mark McMillan, Citizens, and central Ohio favorite Rock City Worship, with more artists to be announced.
ELEVATION RHYTHM is the youth expression of Elevation Church (Charlotte, N.C.), crafting music for the next generation to sing, dance, and worship.
Tickets are on sale now at mvnu.edu/sonfest. Due to venue capacity, concert tickets are limited. A full festival schedule will be released soon.
General admission: $40
Limited availability VIP admission: $75 (includes a Meet-and-Greet with artists and early entry)
Group sales (10 to 50 tickets) or Children ages 4-10: $25
Children 3-and-under: Free (must sit on a lap)
In true SonFest tradition, the event will feature outdoor activities throughout the day, free and open to everyone. Attendees can also enjoy a variety of food trucks and a vendor tent for shopping and refreshments. Please note: Concert entry requires a ticket; outdoor festivities are free and open to all.
For the latest updates, visit the link above or follow @mvnu1968 on social media. CLICK HERE to hear Xander’s conversation with Ben Slater and Zoe Bricker!
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Last night, the United States witnessed a stunning celestial event: the Strawberry Moon climbed into the night sky. Named after the wild strawberry harvest, this June full moon offered more than just seasonal charm—it broke expectations by appearing at its lowest point in the Northern Hemisphere in nearly two decades. This rare alignment, known as a major lunar standstill, won’t happen again until 2043.
Time Magazine and the London Times reported that the moonrise began just after sunset on the evening of June 10. Peaking at 3:44 a.m. Eastern Time, it hovered near the southeast horizon on the U.S. East Coast. Its proximity to the horizon amplified its size—thanks to the “moon illusion”—and its color shifted to soft golden-orange, tinted by atmospheric scattering
As the first full moon after the summer solstice approaches, its Sagittarius backdrop and energetic feel have inspired celebrations of renewal and growth.
Check out this photo from the BBC!
I was born on June 11, 1913, to an Italian-American family and grew up in a tight-knit Catholic household.
I played college football at Fordham University, where I was one of the famed “Seven Blocks of Granite” on the offensive line.
I became head coach of the Green Bay Packers in 1959 and led the team to five NFL Championships, including the first two Super Bowl victories (Super Bowls I and II).
I was known for my tough, inspirational leadership and for my famous quote, “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.”
After my death in 1970 from cancer, the Super Bowl trophy was renamed in my honor.
Who Am I? Vince Lombardi. Congratulations to Phillip from Fredericktown, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.
The Bens? Yeah, we’re talking news about Ben Fuller and Benjamin William Hastings!
SONY/Provident artist Ben Fuller has released his second studio album, Walk Through Fire.
The 13-track collection features Fuller’s most personal and redemptive work yet, including WNZR songs like “Turn” and “If I Got Jesus,” plus the song “If It Was Up to Me,” a stirring duet with Carrie Underwood, performed live at the Grand Ole Opry to a standing ovation.
Blending rock, country, and gospel, Walk Through Fire reflects Fuller’s journey from addiction and loss to faith and freedom.
Ben says, “This album is about transformation. I had to walk through fire to find God—and now I walk with Him.”
With over 56 million streams, major tour appearances, and Dove Award nominations, Fuller continues to rise as a bold voice in Christian music.
Today our Monday Motivation song tackles the phrase, ‘”Even If…” with the song ‘Hallelujah Anyway’ by Chris Llewellyn and the guys from Rend Collective. Can we find joy and praise even in the face of difficult circumstances and challenges? This song tells us, emphatically, YES. By the way, did you know that Matt Maher helped co-write this song?
TODAY’S QUESTION: What’s tough to do if you accidentally put on superglue instead of lipstick?
Eat (32 votes)
Talk (32)
Kiss (25)
Breathe (8)
Remove it (2)
Congratulations to Karen from Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!
It is Friday, praise the Lord for giving us another week! Here’s this week’s countdown:
10. bodie – whisper and the wind (third week at #10) 09. Katy Nichole – When I Fall 08. ELEVATION RHYTHM – GOODBYE YESTERDAY 07. Phil Wickham – The King Is In The Room 06. Matthew West – Unashamed 05. MercyMe – Oh Death 04. Brandon Lake f/Jelly Roll – Hard Fought Hallelujah 03. Jamie MacDonald – Desperate 02. TobyMac – a lil Church (nobody’s too lost) 01. Jon Reddick – No Fear (Jon’s first ever #1 hit, now two weeks straight!)
We didn’t have any brand new music added this week, but we did feature a relatively new song to WNZR, and it’s from CeCe Winans, called “Come Jesus Come”!
Thank you so much for listening! Make sure to tune in Monday for Monday Motivation and Mystery Monday, and win that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica with Joe Rinehart and Ethan Hershberger!
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
Well, maybe some do… others maybe not so much. Today is Who Knew Wednesday, and we talked about some of the national days that land on June 4th!
Today is National Hug Your Cat Day! Whether you’re a dog or cat person, this day is sure to bring some smiles to these playful and flexible house pets. Let me know in the comments if you’re a dog or cat person, and what breed it is! It’s so cool to see all of the different types that God has made!
So how can you celebrate this day? Why, just simply give your cat a hug if you have one. If you don’t have a cat, I suppose a dog or even a friend will suffice! See how long you can hug your cat can go until they get bored or try to squirm away. Deep down they’ll know you love them.
Today is also National Cheese Day! I’d love to hear your favorite cheese in the comments. Mine has got to be mozzarella just because of how good it tastes on pizza and as stuffed crust! I’m interested to hear what you like the most!
You can celebrate this today by trying a new kind of cheese, or scour your fridge, grab all the cheese, and have yourself a feast trying all the different kinds!
On top of all of that, it’s National Christian T-Shirt Day! Put on your favorite artists’ merch, or make your own t-shirt to celebrate! People might ask you about your shirt if you go out with it. You could come across a great opportunity to tell someone about Jesus, who may not know much about Him yet!
Who knows… maybe if you have a t-shirt from your favorite artist, you could run into them in public, and it would be a really cool encounter!
Today we played a game of Who Am I?, which is where we give you five biographical facts about a person, and you guess who it is! Here were the five facts:
I was born today, in 1975 in Los Angeles California, and previously married to Brad Pitt.
I gained major recognition for my role in “Girl, Interrupted”, which earned me an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
I became an international actions star by portraying Lara Croft, the video game heroine in Tomb Raider, and I was in the movie in 2001.
I also portrayed the iconic Disney villain Maleficent, which reimagined the classic “Sleeping Beauty” story from the villain’s point of view.
I served as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and later as a Special Envoy, focusing on refugee and humanitarian crises.
I am… Angelina Jolie. Congratulations to Ester from Mount Vernon for calling in and guessing me correctly, and winning that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!
If you want a chance to win that $5 gift card, tune in tomorrow for a game of Name That Tune. Listen to a clip of a song with us and be the first caller to guess the song and artist. We’ll see you there!
Thank you so much for listening! – Ethan Hershberger
Driving Notes 