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Driving Notes

The Official Blog of WNZR's Afternoon Drive

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Game Time Tuesday

God can use ANYTHING… even a broken back to bring glory to His Name!

Forrest Frank is hot off of releasing chart-breaking songs like “Good Day” and his latest, “Your Way’s Better”, receiving so much love on Instagram and TikTok. Recently, he has done it once again, but this time it wasn’t because of a song… kind of.

Forrest has gone viral once again on social media, but unfortunately the Internet isn’t the only thing he broken these past five days. Forrest was skateboarding outside his home and had an accident, breaking his back. He has been bed-ridden, with a fractured L3 and L4. However, despite the circumstance, Forrest has not let this stop him from making music to continue worshipping and praising God.

Two days later, stuck at home, he teased the chorus of a new song he’s been working on, called “God’s Got My Back”, which as you can see is poking a little bit at his accident.

You can watch him make the song here. Be aware: The video contains a couple seconds of raw footage when Forrest hit his back on the pavement.

It is absolutely incredible to see Forrest continuing to worship and praise God, despite the situation he is in right now. While he may not realize, he’s portraying an honorable example to a younger generation– Taking an unfortunate circumstance, and turning it into praise!

Here is what Forrest teased a couple days ago, reacting to all the love and support he’s already received from this new song he’s working on!

“You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.” – Genesis 50:20

Here are the lyrics we took from a song we heard on The Afternoon Drive today for a game of Song Poetry!

Some days life feels perfect
Other days, it just ain’t workin’
The good, the bad, the right, the wrong,
And everything in between.

Today’s Song Poetry lyrics were from TobyMac’s song “Speak Life”. Congratulations to Jenn from Mount Vernon for calling in and guessing the artist and song title correctly, taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow for a game of Who Am I? and a special Who Knew Wednesday where we continue going On The Road With Big Blue at the Knox County Fair!

Thank you so much for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

We’re “Counting Our Blessings”, Listening To Seph Schlueter’s New Full-Length Album!

We’re absolutely loving the music Seph Schlueter has been putting out! We get to see some of our favorites from him, and some brand new ones, in a full-length, 11-song album called “Counting My Blessings”, including the title track which was his first big hit!

On Artist Newsday today, we went more in depth with Seph’s new album that is out now, Josiah Queen’s new album, and something new coming from a band from the vault we hear on WNZR, called Kutless!

Seph Schlueter blows us away with his style of music that the Lord has spoken through to so many people, touching so many lives. This album reminds us of God’s grace and that His grace is always sufficient for us and never runs out. It’s an album full of worship and gratitude towards God. We’ve been so blessed to hear songs like Running Back To You and the title track, Counting My Blessings, on WNZR, which you can find on this new album!

With this new release, Seph will be taking his these new songs with him on his Counting My Blessings Tour this Fall alongside a favorite new artist, bodie! They’ll be stopping at The George in Cincinnati, Ohio on Thursday, October 2nd! You can find more details and ticket information on the Concert page on our website by clicking HERE!

What can you look forward to next with new album releases? You can keep an eye out for Josiah Queen, who’s releasing a new, full-length album titled MT. ZION. This new album includes the new one from Josiah and Brandon Lake, Can’t Steal My Joy, alongside some songs of his that have been blowing up on social media! God is once again using artists like Josiah to spread the love of God to areas like social media, and spread the Good News of the Gospel to people who may not have heard that much about Jesus or what He did to pay for each and every one of all our sins!

Josiah Queen be here in Ohio soon, joining the stage with Tauren Wells at the Ohio State Fair on Monday, July 28th! Keep listening in for ticket giveaways for this concert! We’re doing Tauren Wells and Josiah Queen trivia questions, and whoever calls in first with the correct answer takes home two tickets to the concert! Don’t miss your chance and tune into The Morning Thing, 6am – 9am, and The Afternoon Drive, 4pm – 6pm! More details about this concert and the Ohio State Fair can be found HERE on our website!

With their unique and hard rock style, the band Kutless creates a Revelation-inspired 6-song EP which is called The Seventh Seal. You can find this new EP on their YouTube channel, by clicking HERE and find it where they stream music!

Today we played Song Poetry! We took a segment of lyrics from one of the songs we heard during The Afternoon Drive. Here were the lyrics we had for Song Poetry today:

I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You,
I’d probably fall off the edge.
I don’t know where I’d go if You ever let go,
So keep me held in Your hands.

This week’s song was… “Thank God I Do” from Lauren Daigle! Congratulations to Janell from Mount Vernon for calling in and guessing both the song title and artist correctly, taking home the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow for a game of Who Am I? and some fun facts on Who Knew Wednesday!

Thank you so much for listening!
– Ethan Hershberger

Call On Jesus!

Even with a couple technical difficulties today, we still had a great show! Today on Praise Thursday, we read some devotions out of Our Daily Bread Devotions!

We read a story about a woman, Nancy, who was walking in her town, and on her way she walked past a dog being walked on a leash. The dog tried to attack Nancy, but the owner held on to the leash, keeping the dog from harming her.

This reminded Nancy how the devil is prowling around waiting to attack us and paralyze us with fear, however we do not need to fear at all, because he is no match for the God we know and believe in. God calls us to “submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you,” found in James 4:7. Cry out to Jesus in times of fear, desperation, anxiety, when you need help, and as it says in 1 Peter 5:10, “And the God of grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

Read the full devotional HERE!

Jesus is our everything. We couldn’t possibly get through life without Him. Our other devotion we went though talks about how Kennedy Blades, a 2024 Olympian gave all glory to God, and praised Him for her victories. It is so incredible to see Kennedy using the platform God gave her to give Him glory and praise for everything. We see this heart posture reflect David in Psalm 63 where he says in verse 1, “I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you.” Kennedy acknowledged that she couldn’t have gotten anywhere, or done anything without the hope and grace that she has been blessed with by Jesus Christ!

If you want to read the full story, click HERE!

Today we took a 20 second clip of a song we played during The Afternoon Drive today!

Today’s song was Firm Foundation from Cody Carnes! Congratulations to Adam from Fredericktown for calling in and guessing the song title and artist correctly, taking home that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow for the NZ Top 10, where we count down the top 10 songs in Christian music of the week! We’ll also have some new music for you as well!

Thank you so much for tuning in and listening!
– Xander and Ethan

Lauren Daigle From The Super Bowl To The U.S. Capitol!

Lauren Daigle has been taking audiences by storm, performing in some of the U.S.’s most well-known areas! Today is Artist Newsday, and we’re highlighting how incredible it is to be getting artists like Lauren Daigle to perform in all these areas where she gets the opportunity to let Jesus shine through her!

You may remember when Lauren sang live at this past year’s Super Bowl, wowing the stadium with her rendition of America The Beautiful with singer and trombone specialist Trombone Shorty. That train continues as she got the opportunity to sing at the U.S. Capitol for the 45th Anniversary of PBS’s Capitol Fourth Concert, singing live in front of thousands. She brought her special rendition of America The Beautiful with her once again, along with her version of Walking On Sunshine, and one of her biggest hits Rescue for her performance in D.C.

Lauren Daigle performing Rescue at “2025 A Capitol Fourth”, courtesy of PBS and Capital Concerts

Seeing this is so incredible to see, as artists like Lauren will get to reach other audiences on these platforms and spread the Gospel of Jesus through music, that of which she is unashamed of! We’re excited to see how the LORD uses Lauren and other artists to spread His Word and build His Kingdom next!

Matthew West is going on tour with a new Christian artist! On his Don’t Stop Praying 2025 Tour, Matthew is bringing Peter Burton along with him, of which we got to learn a little about him during Momentum 2025. We got to see one of the songs he has been working on, called Where Would I Be, and he will be bringing these songs with him as he goes with Matthew West on this tour!

Peter Burton’s Where Would I Be Lyric Video

Matthew West will be bringing his Don’t Stop Praying 2025 Tour to the Genoa Baptist Church in Westerville, OH on November 6th! If you want to be a part of this prayer, worship-filled night, and hear more from Peter Burton, click the link HERE to find more information and purchase tickets! Matthew has been so passionate about prayer, and strongly believes that prayer makes a difference, and that’s what he wants to bring to Ohio, and this entire tour.

So much artist news this week! If you want to join CeCe Winans on her More Than This tour with Charity Gale, make sure to find ticket information on our website, wnzr.fm. She will be in Kettering, OH on July 23rd!

Today we played Song Poetry! Here were today’s lyrics that we took from a song played during the Afternoon Drive:

Wide awake while the world is sound asleep, and
Too afraid of what might show up while you’re dreamin’
Nobody, nobody, nobody sees you
Nobody, nobody would believe you…

Today’s song was God Only Knows, from for King & Country! Congratulations to Jennifer from Centerburg for calling in and guessing the song title and artist correctly, taking home that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow for a game of Who Am I? and Who Knew Wednesday!

Thank you so much for listening!
– Ethan Hershberger

TobyMac is bringing a very special tour to Ohio!

Today is a very special Artist News Day! We’ve got news from TobyMac, a unique tour from him, Seph Schlueter, releasing his first full length album and announcing a full tour along with it, and news from Stars Go Dim as well!

Last week, TobyMac announced the Heaven On My Mind Start To Finish Tour, and it’s a little different from other tours he has taken. He’s stopping at the Akron Civic Theatre in Akron, OH on November 6th, which is one of five states he will be visiting on this tour! This is an intimate, more personal concert, where TobyMac will be performing his entire latest record live from start to finish, as the name suggests! Not only that, he’ll also be performing other great hits from his earlier records as well!

Ticket sales go live tomorrow, Wednesday, July 2nd and if you want to buy tickets, click HERE! The concert is on November 6th, at 7PM!

TobyMac’s latest record is called “Heaven on My Mind”, where TobyMac is on the other side of grieving the tragic loss of his son, Truett. This record is deeply honest, and as the record title says, after everything TobyMac has gone through, he has Heaven on his mind, keeping his “eye on the prize”, so to speak. He is counting on God, and he’s diving in even deeper into his trust in God!

Seph Schlueter is coming out with a his first ever full-length album on July 11th! It will have a whole 17 songs on it, and includes collabs with the likes of Matt Maher and Essential Worship. Alongside this album release, he’s going on tour with this record and all of his other songs, so you’ll get to hear songs like “Counting My Blessings”, “Running Back To You”, and many more! He’s coming to Cincinnati, OH with bodie to bring you a fun, worship-filled night! If you want to order tickets for this concert, click HERE!

Stars Go Dim is releasing a full length album called Roses on July 11th! Check it out HERE!

Today we played Song Poetry! Here were the lyrics we took from a song we’ve heard during today’s show:

I will not be afraid
In the end, you will lose
I will dance on your grace
With the one who buried you.

Today’s song was “Oh Death” from MercyMe! Congratulations to Kelly from Mount Vernon for calling in and guessing the song and artist correctly, taking home that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow for Who Knew Wednesday!

Thank you so much for listening!
– Ethan Hershberger

The King Of All… The King Of Hearts

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

The Bens? News about these artists!

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.

Learn more at benfullerofficial.com.


Now for the other Ben, Benjamin William Hastings!

If you were wanting to see him in concert, then you’re in luck!

Jamie MacDonald is joining him on the “At The Heart Of It” Tour as they tackle 8 cities across the country in the month of November!

They are stopping at Life City Church in Pickerington on November 14th!

If you want to get tickets or see the other shows, click HERE!

Week 2 stumper!

How long will I have to fight
Just for me to stay alive?
I know You’re there God, please
Just meet me here tonight.

Congratulations to Lisa from Mount Vernon, who guessed Katy Nichole and ‘When I Fall.’ She wins two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Xander

New Album Drops From Current & Old Artists!

Do you remember Tenth Avenue North? It’s been five years since we have seen something new from them aside from some singles released throughout the years, but this week on Artist News Day, we talked about their brand new full release album, called “Learning to Trust”. Alongside that, we talked about Jon Reddick releasing his new one called “No Fear”, which includes the title track that has been exploding on the charts as of recent.

After being disbanded for a little over 5 years, we see Tenth Avenue North getting back together, bringing us a whole 14 songs on their latest release, “Learning to Trust”. As they reunite, we’re seeing new faces, and regarding that, the band stated, “We’re a new band that happens to have an old catalog that you love!” If you want to see more of what the band has to say, click here!

This is the band’s 10th full length album, and they dropped it last Friday, May 30th! It’s everywhere you stream music, and it’s called “Learning to Trust”.

We have loved the song from Jon Reddick called “No Fear”! It turns out that is the title track for Jon Reddick’s full length album that he released on Friday, May 30th as well! The album also includes another song we love, “I Believe It”, which was our theme for Lifeline 2024! Click here to here Jon Reddick talk about nis new

Jon Reddick has shown so much gratitude for the support and love you have shown toward the songs he’s been putting out. He’s going to be going on tour with these new songs, on CAIN’s “Live and In Color” tour, coming in November! He’ll be in Grove City, OH at The Naz Church, and that’ll start at 7pm! If you want to hear his top songs and maybe some of his new songs live, be sure to catch him there!

Today is Tuesday, so that means we played Song Poetry to win that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Here is what our song poetry was today:

How long will I have to fight
Just for me to stay alive?
I know You’re there God, please
Just meet me here tonight.

Today’s Song Poetry was a stumper! If you think you know what song this is and who sang this song, come back next week on Tuesday and give us your answer for a chance to win two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Make sure to tune in tomorrow for a game of Who Am I, where we give you 5 biographical facts about a person, and you try to guess who it is!

Thank you for listening! See you tomorrow afternoon!
– Xander and Ethan

Exciting News for Two Christian Music Legends!

Today we talked about some movie releases from two Christian music legends here on the station! We discussed how Jeremy Camp’s movie, I Still Believe, will be coming to Netflix. This will bring the movie to a whole new global audience, and give you one more option to view it. The movie follows Jeremy’s incredible story of faith, love, and loss. It is based off his 2002 hit, I Still Believe from his album, Stay.

We also shared exciting news from MercyMe! March 20th, 2026 is the day when I Can Only Imagine 2 comes to theaters. The movie is a direct continuation of lead singer Bart Millard’s inspiring story and deeply personal battle as a father that he can’t fight alone. John Michael Finley will return to star as Bart Millard, while Dennis Quaid and Trace Adkins will reprise their roles as Arthur and MercyMe’s manager Scott Brickell. 

We also played song poetry today! We play this fun trivia game every Tuesday at the 5 o’clock hour to give you a chance to win two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Here was today’s song poetry:

I learned the lines and talked the talk
But the road less traveled is hard to walk
It takes a soldier
Who knows his orders
To walk the walk I’m supposed to walk

This one, for the second week, was a stumper today! We’ll have some new song poetry for next Tuesday!

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