Show Notes
This week, we speak with Nathan Davis Jr., an actor, singer, and songwriter whose career has taken him from church choirs to television screens and viral music platforms. But behind the success is a deeply personal story of loss and faith. After losing his little brother to suicide and enduring a season of overwhelming grief, Nathan found himself at a breaking point, until a quiet, honest cry to God changed everything. After we hear from Nathan, we talk with Tim Timmons, a songwriter and founder of the nonprofit 10000 MINUTES. Based in Nashville, his insightful music and ministry were profoundly shaped by an unexpected diagnosis of incurable cancer twenty-five years ago. Tim shares his journey of wrestling with faith’s biggest questions, the power of praying his songs, and how he’s learned to hold the tension between deep sorrow and profound gratitude.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Chris Tomlin & Darren Whitehead Upcoming interview: RobertAnthony Cruz
Nathan Davis Jr. www.IAmNathanDavisJr.com “Woke Up This Morning” *Nathan will be the first R&B Christian/inspirational artist to perform at the 2026 Rolling Loud Festival in Orlando, Florida on May 10th!
Tim Timmons 10000 MINUTES Switchfoot Bart Millard from the band MercyMe “Even If” I Can Only Imagine 2 www.timtimmonsmusic.com
Interview Quotes: “You go through your Jonah phases where you’re running away from your purpose because you’re afraid and you get distracted, and God has an interesting way of bringing you back around.” - Nathan Davis Jr. “The best way to honor [my brother] is to just be a better version of myself. To keep his name alive by speaking to kids and speaking to people that deal with depression and mental health situations and continue to help and to give back and to just love and show as much love as I can.” - Nathan Davis Jr. “I’m just blessed that God gave me another chance and that He’s forgiven me and showed me a lot of mercy and grace and that He’s utilizing me.”- Nathan Davis Jr. “All I could think about was waking up in the morning and praying to God and walking with Him on my walks, and His presence just felt so calm. I just felt so loved and validated and just reassured.” - Nathan Davis Jr. “Fear pays attention to facts, but faith pays attention to the Father. As long as our eyes are on God—no matter how many storms or chaos or whatever is going on—we’re going to walk on water.” - Nathan Davis Jr. “I felt abandoned. Rejected. Depressed. I remember having a moment where all I could say was, ‘This pain is terrible. God, I need you.’ And for the first time, I felt like I had a spiritual encounter with God.” - Nathan Davis Jr. “I wish I could say I have it all figured out, but I don’t. But at some point I remember saying, ‘Okay, God, I don’t know how all this works, but I think Your way is the most beautiful way I can see.’” - Tim Timmons “Living as though something is true—that’s the actual definition of to believe. It’s like this verb of faith, I’m believing as though this is true. So it really became a sobering moment for me to say, ‘Okay, I’m going to bet my one and only life on you, Jesus. So You lead on.’” - Tim Timmons “Somehow, I got to wake up again this morning. Because of that, I’m just going to find gratitude for this day. This is the day that You have made, God. I will rejoice and be glad in the fact that You woke me up again. Even in the midst of sorrow, You woke me up. So how do I join You well today? I would not be the man I am today or the husband or the dad or the follower of Jesus I am today without sorrow.” - Tim Timmons “I’m trying to figure out how to live with the idea of saying, ‘Life is hard. This thing is really hard. It sucks, period. I’m so sorry for this. And what if God is actually good and He’s at work even in the middle of the fire?’ I want to be the guy living as though these both can exist and
More from Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith
This week, we hear from bestselling author Francine Rivers, who has been married to her husband, Rick, for fifty-six years. She shares how a home Bible study helped carry them from the edge of divorce, what caring for Rick—a Vietnam Marine with Parkinson’s—looks like now, and why she sees death as a beginning. Next, Bible teacher and speaker Whitney Capps offers profound insight into the process of dying and holding fast to faith in the midst of questions, pain, and suffering. Her story touches on confronting her mortality daily, finding comfort in a supportive community, and experiencing deep peace through uncertainty.
Welcome to a special scripture-focused bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, where we hear from Italian journalist and author Aldo Cazzullo. Aldo walks us through the Song of Solomon, a book of deeply passionate and romantic poetry which celebrates love the way God designed it: to reflect His creative power.
This week, we’ll hear from writer and producer Brian Bird, whose decades-long career in film and television includes When Calls the Heart and Touched by an Angel. Brian shares how he discovered his gift for writing through others who championed for him and how he uses his ability for storytelling to bring positive change to the world. Next, we’ll hear from Alister McGrath, a former atheist who became an Oxford trained scientist and theologian, who tries to bridge the divide between faith and science and desires to show the world that belief in God is more than just a set of ideas; it’s about a relationship.
This week, we hear from TV host and podcaster Kelly Rizzo, who shares about the sudden loss of her husband, comedian Bob Saget, and how she views grief and coping in the aftermath of losing a partner.
This week, we hear from legendary husband and wife songwriting team Bill and Gloria Gaither, who went from teaching school in a small Indiana town to writing some of the most sung hymns and songs in the modern church, including “Because He Lives” and “He Touched Me.” They’ll talk about the lessons they’ve learned about failure, success, and how one of their most famous songs came from a time when the world around them felt anything but stable. Next, we’ll hear from The Voice season twelve winner Chris Blue, who initially turned down multiple opportunities to audition for The Voice. He’ll share how he eventually returned to his family’s gospel music roots after years of pursuing a different path.