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Just Pray!

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

In the animated movie Toy Story, one character, a space ranger named Buzz Lightyear, shouts his signature catchphrase while flying about the bedroom: “To infinity and beyond! It’s a phrase that has confused many. Isn’t infinity as far as you can go? How can there be anything “beyond” infinity? Jesus seems to employ such exponential effort in the realm of forgiveness. When Peter asked Jesus about forgiving another person, “How many times must I forgive him . . . seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, you must forgive him more than seven times. You must forgive him even if he wrongs you seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21-22 ncv). Jesus goes on to tell a parable comparing a merciful king and an unmerciful servant, making the point that when someone truly regrets their error, there is no limit to the number of times we’re to forgive. That’s why we constantly need to ask God for His help. Only in His strength can we do this. Forgiven people forgive people. To infinity and beyond!

If you want to read more click HERE!

I realized I neglected to ask god for help in this stressful time of working on a work project with an impossible deadline. So i prayed… and immediately felt better. nothing changed- the project was still challenging, but peace washed over me. Perhaps David felt the same way submitting his fears and worries to God. In Psalm 6, he starts off describing his anguish at being hounded by his enemies. He continued to turning to God for help, he felt reassured: “The Lord has heard my cry… the Lord accepts my prayer.” Prayer isn’t a feel-good technique, but it’s a direct connection with the all-seeing, all-powerful One who will help is in His time and way. Feeling discouraged or down? Just pray- God hears.

If you want to read more click HERE!

Congratulations to Dwight of Mount Vernon for guessing our Name That Tune correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica. This week’s Name That Tune was Seph Schlueter’s Running Back To You. Come back next week to win a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

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. Nominate your pastor at www.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 online to www.wnzr.fm and click on the Dove Awards Prediction Prize Giveaway banner. Tonight at 11:59 is the deadline!!

Tune in tomorrow for The NZ Top 10!

– Ethan and Gabriella 🙂

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Baby Eyes and a Gospel Queen!

Who Knew Facts- Movie trailers originally played after the movie? Trailers played after the film to generate excitement for future movies and serial installments. 

Who Knew Facts- Newborn babies are colorblind? At birth, babies’ eyes are still developing and their cones (the cells responsible for color vision) are not fully functional. As a result, they can only see in shades of gray, black, and white. Full color vision typically develops by the age of 6 months. 

Who Knew Facts- A person’s arm span (the length of their arms stretched out) is about equal to their height? A person’s arm span is generally considered to be about equal to their height, a ratio also known as one-to-one. This is an approximation. 

Who Am I? 

  1. I was born today, October 8, 1964, in Detroit, Michigan 
  1. I was born into a well-known gospel family. My parents had ten children, and many of us went on to become prominent gospel artists. 
  1. I was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011. 
  1. I am the most-awarded female gospel artist of all time, with 17 GRAMMY Awards, 33 GMA Dove Awards, 28 Stellar Awards, and 7 NAACP Awards. 
  1. I am currently nominated for this year’s GMA Dove Awards for “Song of the Year” and “Artist of the Year”

I am… CeCe Winans! Congratulations to Dawn of Mount Vernon for guessing correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tomorrow at 11:59pm is the deadline to cast your predictions for the Dove Award Nominee Prize Package! Go to wnzr.fm and click on the “Dove Awards Nominee Prize Package” banner and vote for the “song of the year” and “artist of the year”!

Tune in tomorrow for Praise Thursday on The Afternoon Drive!

Thank you so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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The 56th GMA Dove Awards are Happening this Week!!

All your favorite WNZR artists are down in Nashville, TN this week for the 56th Annual GMA Dove Awards! Today during The Afternoon Drive, we talked about the nominees, and a really special prize you can win regarding these awards as well!

You could win special gifts from some artists that are nominated for a Dove Award this year! We’re giving away CeCe Winans’ More Than This Limited Edition LP vinyl, Brandon Lake’s King Of Hearts CD, Seph Schlueter’s Counting My Blessings CD, and a signed Song Of The Saints CD from Phil Wickham!

You could be the winner of all of these prizes in our Dove Awards Prediction Prize Giveaway. All of the gifts mentioned will be all together in one basket, and we’re giving away three of these prize baskets!

It’s super easy to enter this giveaway! Just click here, scroll down to the Prediction Form, and choose an artist who’s nominated that you think is going to win “Artist of the Year” and “Song of the Year”. Every person who guesses both categories correct will be entered into a drawing to win this awesome prize package!

To get your brain flowing, here are your GMA Dove Award nominees:

Artist of the Year:

Brandon Lake
CeCe Winans
Forrest Frank
Josiah Queen
Lauren Daigle
Phil Wickham

Song of the Year:

Counting My Blessings – Seph Schlueter
Good Day – Forrest Frank
Goodbye Yesterday – Elevation Rhythm, Gracie Binion
Hard Fought Hallelujah – Brandon Lake, Jelly Roll
Still Waters (Psalm 23) – Leanna Crawford
That’s My King – CeCe Winans
That’s Who I Praise – Brandon Lake
The Prodigal – Josiah Queen
The Truth – Megan Woods
Up! – Forrest Frank, Connor Price

If you want to see all the categories of nominations for the 56th Annual GMA Dove Awards, click here!

Cory Asbury is thinking of getting some of your favorite WNZR and Christian music artists to do a family friendly version of the Super Bowl Halftime Show!

Nothing official has been announced yet, but a name for this show that’s been thrown around is “Halftime for Heaven”. If this is something you want to see, show your support for this idea from Cory Asbury by going to his post, commenting on it, give it a like, and we’ll see if this goes anywhere!

Here were lyrics for this week’s Song Poetry!

Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine
He’s been my fourth man in the fire, time after time
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood
And what He did for me on Calvary is more than enough

This week’s Song Poetry was a stumper, so tune in next Tuesday for a chance to win two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica if you think you know what song this is!

Tune in on Wednesday for some fun Who Knew? facts with Joe Rinehart and Gabriella Stanley!

Thank you so much for listening!
– Xander and Ethan

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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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