Search

Driving Notes

The Official Blog of WNZR's Afternoon Drive

Open Search
Tag

Afternoon Drive

Let’s Dive Deeper Into Psalm 23!

Today for Praise Thursday on The Afternoon Drive, we got to understand Psalm 23 a little bit deeper!

This is what Psalm 23 (NIV) says:

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

This video helped us get a better understanding of this Psalm! If you have 10 minutes to spare, give this video a watch to get a deeper look into Psalm 23!

A couple notes:

– Shepherds are not just gentle fence keepers. In Biblical times, they were warriors, prepared to fight off lions, bears, and thieves. Have you made God the Shepherd of your life?

– Sheep only lie down when there is absolutely no danger to be sensed. What is something in your life that is keeping you from lying down in green pastures? Choose to surrender it to God and let Him protect you!

– The Hebrew word for “restore” means to turn back, or to retrieve something lost. If you feel like you’ve lost pieces of yourself, God heals you! Sometimes, He will take something away for your good, but He will ultimately restore your soul!

– The rod is to fight off predators, or anything that tries to attack you. The staff keeps you from straying and brings you back to the path God is setting you on!

– God’s goodness and mercy is not only following you, it’s chasing after you! It is so good to know God does not stop chasing us down!

Today’s Name That Tune was a stumper from last week!

Our song clip was from World On Fire by For KING & COUNTRY!

Congratulations to Satarah from Mount Vernon for calling in and correctly guessing the song title and artist! She will be taking home two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Watch the World On Fire music video by For KING & COUNTRY here!

We’ll see you on Friday for this week’s countdown for The NZ Top 10, and new music on WNZR!

Thank you for listening!
– Ethan Hershberger

0

Big Dreams and Hygiene!!

Who Knew Fact: Is there a day to celebrate dreaming? YES, today is National Dream Day, where we promote that any of our aspirations and dreams should be pursued with perseverance. 

Who Knew Fact: Should you wash your nose? YES. Daily? YES. Washing out the nose hasn’t always been a very common practice for everyone, but it should be. Most people don’t realize how many germs, allergens, and other icky invisibles can be present inside the nose just from daily living. Practicing daily nose washing helps to support the body’s defenses as the nasal passages work to rid themselves of irritants. 

Who Knew Fact: Is March named for a Roman god? YES. For Mars or Martius, the Roman god of war and a mythical ancestor of the Roman people. In Roman times March signaled people that it’s time to fight since soldiers paused fighting during the winter. Which is why March is named after the God of war!

Today is also national prom-posal day!! As prom approaches it’s time to start thinking about who and how you’re going to ask someone to prom!!

Who Am I? 

  1. I was born on March 11, 1931, in Melbourne, Australia, son of a newspaper publisher.
  2. When my father died in 1952, I inherited The News, a small newspaper in Adelaide. 
  3. I expanded the company and eventually started News Corp.  which became one of the world’s largest media companies. 
  4. In the late 1980’s, I launched the Fox Broadcasting Company and then Fox News, significantly shaping television and news media in the United States.
  5. I stepped down as chairman in 2023 and my son took over. 

I am…Rupert Murdoch. Congratulations to Bonnie 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 so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

0

We Spoke with Darren Mulligan from We Are Messengers!

Today on The Afternoon Drive, we heard our conversation with Darren Mulligan and Ethan Hershberger about The Hope Nights Tour, featuring Danny Gokey, We Are Messengers, and special guest Jon Reddick!

Darren gives us some insight on why the tour was given the name “Hope Nights”, and what his heart posture is for these concerts. He also shares what hope means to him, as well as the importance of Christian radio and hearing songs that point to hope through the airwaves.

Listen to the full conversation on our SoundCloud here:

The Hope Nights Tour with Danny Gokey, We Are Messengers, and Jon Reddick will be stopping in Archbold, Ohio, at the Archbold Evangelical Church, this Friday, March 13th, with General Admission Doors opening at 6:15pm!

You have another chance to win a pair of tickets for The Hope Nights Tour Wednesday morning, 3/10, on The Morning Thing! Make sure you listen from 6-9am for you chance to win!

Lifeline 2026 is coming April 8th through the 13th! Wednesday, 4/8 – Day of Prayer and Praise, Thursday 4/9, Lifeline Choice Challenge,  Friday 4/10, Matching Challenge Day, Monday 4/13, Lifeline Wrap-Up Day.

For Lifeline 2026, our staff has found a way to say thank you to ministry partners.

We have Lifeline 2026 appreciation gifts for donations at designated levels.

  • Everyone that makes a donation will receive a Lifeline 2026 refrigerator magnet.
  • Donors giving $10 per month will receive a Lifeline 2026 Journal featuring the “God Did It!” theme.
  • The official Lifeline 2026 t-shirt, featuring the “God Did It!” theme, will be given for gifts of $25 per month.
  • A WNZR vintage full zip hooded sweatshirt will be given for donations of $50 per month.
     Keep watching our website to see pictures and a breakdown of our appreciation gifts.

The Lifeline Challenge is back for 2026. This challenge encourages individuals and families to support WNZR’s ministry and asks for a monthly donation of $25 dollars over the next 12 months. We are looking for 250 individuals and families to take our Lifeline Challenge. We offer a day sponsorship to every donor that gives monthly support at the $300 dollar level. The day sponsorship can be used to honor a special day or a special person. You can honor a birthday, anniversary, wedding, graduation, engagement, or honor someone who has had an impact in your life! For more information about the Lifeline Challenge or the day sponsorship, call 740-392-9090 and ask for Marcy. Check out our website wnzr.fm!

Today on Game Time Tuesday, we played Song Poetry!

Here were this week’s lyrics:

I’ve crawled through the valley and the shadow of death
And somehow I walked out alive
I’ve run from my Father, I’ve run back again
Time after time after time

This week’s Song Poetry was from Have Your Way by Katy Nichole!

Congratulations to Trevor from Saint Louisville for calling in and being the first to correctly guess the song title and artist for these lyrics, taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Thank you for listening!
– Gabriella and Ethan

0

The Queen is HERE!!

Steven Curtis Chapman concert is tonight. The Speechless Tour, with special guest La Via Quartet 

Steven Curtis Chapman is bringing back his “Speechless The Tour” this Spring, and this time, he’s coming to Ohio! He continues to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his album, “Speechless”, which brought several #1 hits like “Dive,” “Be Still and Know,” “Fingerprints of God,” and “Speechless.” He has some other surprises up his sleeves, and he will be featuring the La Via Quartet. 

Steven Curtis Chapman will be in Dayton, Ohio on Friday, March 13th!

If you want to experience the 25th anniversary of the [Speechless] album, ticket information can be found HERE!

Elevation Nights Tour 2026, with Elevation Worship, ELEVATION RHYTHM, and Pastor Steven Furtick 

Synopsis: 

Pastor Steven Furtick will be preaching a message and Elevation Worship will be leading several of their powerful worship anthems such as “Praise, Trust In God,” RATTLE!, and one of their latest singles “Jesus Be The Name”. In addition, ELEVATION RHYTHM will kick off the night with some of their hits like, “At The Altar”, GOODBYE YESTERDAY” and “WASHED”. Doors are at 6:00PM 

Ticket information can be found at our website, on our Concerts page HERE!

Lifeline 2026 is coming April 8th through the 13th! Wednesday, 4/8 – Day of Prayer and Praise, Thursday 4/9, Lifeline Choice Challenge,  Friday 4/10, Matching Challenge Day, Monday 4/13, Lifeline Wrap-Up Day.

For Lifeline 2026, our staff has found a way to say thank you to ministry partners.

We have Lifeline 2026 appreciation gifts for donations at designated levels.

  • Everyone that makes a donation will receive a Lifeline 2026 refrigerator magnet.
  • Donors giving $10 per month will receive a Lifeline 2026 Journal featuring the “God Did It!” theme.
  • The official Lifeline 2026 t-shirt, featuring the “God Did It!” theme, will be given for gifts of $25 per month.
  • A WNZR vintage full zip hooded sweatshirt will be given for donations of $50 per month.
     Keep watching our website to see pictures and a breakdown of our appreciation gifts.

The Lifeline Challenge is back for 2026. This challenge encourages individuals and families to support WNZR’s ministry and asks for a monthly donation of $25 dollars over the next 12 months. We are looking for 250 individuals and families to take our Lifeline Challenge. We offer a day sponsorship to every donor that gives monthly support at the $300 dollar level. The day sponsorship can be used to honor a special day or a special person. You can honor a birthday, anniversary, wedding, graduation, engagement, or honor someone who has had an impact in your life! For more information about the Lifeline Challenge or the day sponsorship, call 740-392-9090 and ask for Marcy. Check out our website wnzr.fm!

Here were this week’s Song Poetry lyrics:

“I had burdens on my shoulders all my life

I tried and tried to leave ‘em all behind,

but freedom’s one thing I could never find” 

This week’s Song poetry was… Left It In The River by Jamie MacDonald! Congratulations to Brian of Mount Vernon for guessing correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! 

Tune in Tomorrow for Who Knew Wednesday with Ethan and Xander!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe, Gabriella, Marcy 🙂

0

Say a Prayer Even When You’re at the Top!!

On this week’s Monday Motivation and Mystery Monday we gave motivation related to scripture and did our Danny Gokey Giveaway, plus we did our Family Feud Style trivia! Here’s what we talked about:

Joe’s Motivation: My devotion is from KB when he spoke at our momemtum trip last summer. The two hardest things to get caught up in is our own comfort and success. Those two things focus on ourselves and takes away from God. The want and almost need to be comfortable is close being idolized. Our comfort is getting in the way being involved in our church and small groups. God needs to be the center on of our life. We always pray to God during our hardship times, but we need to prayer during our success.

Gabriella’s Motivation: My devotion is from YouVersion. Finding your purpose is a hard thing to do no matter your age or gender. The two things you always have to ask is “am I an active Christian?” and “is it on God’s timing?”. You always have to keep in mind if you’re a negative person it’s hard to live a positive lifestyle. People should be able to look at you and see you’re a Godly person.

Catch Danny, We Are Messengers, and special guest Jon Reddick for “The Hope Nights Tour”, with joy, worship, hope, at the center of each night! It’s at the Archbold Evangelical Church, Archbold, OH 43502 on Friday, March 13. Doors open at 6:15pm and the show starts at 7pm! This is a great opportunity to take your friends and family out for the weekend! Listen to The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive THIS WEEK for your chance to WIN tickets to this concert! Congratulations to Paul of Mount Vernon for taking home TWO pairs of tickets!

What month does the neighborhood slacker take down his Christmas lights?

  1. Never (22)
  2. February (17)
  3. March (16)
  4. April (10)
  5. July (10)
  6. June (10)

Congratulations to Bob of Howard 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 Game Time Tuesday with Gabriella and Ethan!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

0

The NZ Top 10 for 3/6/2026

10. Jamie MacDonald – Left It In The River 

09. Jeremy Camp – No Survivors

08. Phil Wickham – Homesick For Heaven

07. Chris Tomlin – How Good It Is

06. Seph Schlueter – Won’t Start Now

05. Anne Wilson – God Story

04. for KING + COUNTRY ft. Taylor Hill – World On Fire 

03. Katy Nichole – Have Your Way

02. Lauren Daigle – Let It Be A Hallelujah

01. TobyMac – Heaven On My Mind

New Music This Week:

Gateway Worship ft. Claire Smith – Who Else

Official LIVE Performance

THE QUEEN’S LATEST HIT:

CeCe Winans – Worthy Of It All (Worthy)

Lyric Video:

Tune in Monday with Joe and Gabriella for Monday Motivation

Thanks so much for listening!

– Gabriella

0

Your Pain Is Not In Vain!

Have you heard the fable of the boy and the butterfly?

One day, a boy is given a cocoon in his hands, but told not to touch it. When he looked down and saw something struggling on the inside of the cocoon, he took a pair of scissors and cut it open to free the butterfly.

To the boy’s dismay, the butterfly could not take off flying, fell to the ground and passed away.

When we find ourselves in the middle of the struggle, we need to remember that our strength is built through the storms and trials.

Romans 5:3-4 says, “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

While we don’t deny that pain and struggles are difficult, God is going to use everything you go through, good and bad, to strengthen you. We can rejoice in the pain even when it’s hard.

If you need to lift up a hard-fought hallelujah, sing along here with Brandon Lake Jelly Roll:

Today’s Our Daily Bread Devotional dives deeper into this topic! Read more HERE.

Ethan talked about how he heard at an MVNU chapel service that God sometimes doesn’t always give us the quickest way out of the desert.

Instead, He does something incredible and chooses to plant and grow a garden in the middle of the desert! This reminds us of the song Flowers by Samantha Ebert and Seph Schlueter.

Listen along if you need a reminder that God sees you where you are. He is going to grow something beautiful!

We played Name That Tune today on The Afternoon Drive!

This week’s Name That Tune was a stumper!

Tune in next Thursday on The Afternoon Drive and see if you can figure out the song title and artist from our song clip! We will give you a chance to win on Name That Tune at 5:15pm next Thursday, March 12th! (Hint: This artist is coming to the Ohio State Fair this summer, August 3rd!)

Thank you for listening!
– Ethan Hershberger

0

What Is Your Favorite Snack?

Today on Who Knew? Wednesday, we learned that today is National Snack Day and National Dance The Waltz Day!

What is your favorite snack? Today is National Snack Day!

We are blessed to be able to enjoy snacks of all kinds, like granola bars, chips, fruit, veggies, and as Ethan shared on The Afternoon Drive today, candy bars!

Give this day a celebration by enjoying one of your favorite treats!

Here are a couple of suggestions to get you started:

  • Apples
  • Potato Chips
  • Oranges
  • Chocolate Bar
  • Bananas
  • Ethan Hershberger’s Pick: Mr. Beast’s Feastable Peanut Butter Cups

There are so many snacks we get to enjoy! What do you usually munch on while listening to The Afternoon Drive?

Learn more about National Snack Day HERE!

Today is also National Dance The Waltz Day!

This dance originates back to the Tyrol region of Austira. Since it’s creation back in 1748, it has exploded in popularity all around the world.

You typically dance the waltz in a 1-2-3 rhythm with graceful turns, and it has grown to be very common in ballroom settings.

To celebrate National Dance The Waltz Day, we listened to Steven Curtis Chapman’s song Cinderella.

Learn more about National Dance The Waltz Day HERE!

Do you remember reading this verse last year? YouVersion announced that the verse Isaiah 41:10 was “the most engaged-with verse throughout 2025.”

Isaiah 41:10 NIV: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

What an encouraging verse to remind us to not rely on our own strength, but cling to God and depend on His strength alone!

Read more HERE!

Today’s Who Am I? mystery person was a famous actres!

Here were this week’s five biographical hints:

  1. I was born on March 4, 1954, in Toronto, Canada, and I grew up in a large family. I recently passed away this year, on January 30, 2026.
  2. I got my start in comedy as a member of Toronto’s Second City improv troupe, which helped launch my career in television and film.
  3. I became widely known for my work on the sketch comedy show SCTV, where I played many different characters and earned critical acclaim.
  4. I am best recognized for my role as Kate McCallister in Home Alone.
  5. Throughout my career, I worked extensively as a voice actress, including roles in several animated films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride.

I am… Catherine O’Hara!

Congratulations to Wid from Fredericktown for calling in and correctly guessing this week’s mystery person! He will be taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in on Thursday with Ethan Hershberger for praise, worship music, and inspiring devotionals for Praise Thursday on The Afternoon Drive!

Thank you for listening!
– Ethan Hershberger

0

Spring Time – Start Fresh!!

Today, on Monday Motivation, we shared some insight on spring and continued going over sermons, plus we had our Mystery Monday Family Feud-style question. Here’s what we talked about:

Gabriella’s Motivation: Let spring motivate you to start fresh. Spring represents “new life” and Resurrection, embrace it! Let go of your worries and remember that God is doing something new and great. Intentionally grow your heart, mind, soul, and body. Truly start fresh. Matthew 6:28 (NIV) “See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.”

Joe’s Motivation: We continued the book of Titus. What do you imagine when we say “live your life like a Christian”? Yesterday, I was put in an upsetting situation where I was required to take the high road and go about my day. My dinner plans fell through, instead of yelling at the manager for a problem he can’t help, I told him it’s no big deal and went somewhere else. Being slow to anger and patient is one of the actions we have to hold as Christians.

Name something you’ve been wishing for years your husband would do.  

  1. Be more romantic (27) 
  1. Housework/ Chores (13) 
  1. Grow up (12) 
  1. Take me on a trip (12) 
  1. Be less angry (11) 
  1. Lose weight (6) 

Congratulations to Lisa of Howard for guessing the top TWO answers correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in for Artist Newsday and GameTime Tuesday with Joe and Gabriella!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑