The Wake-Up Call

Latest Episodes:

From a Burning Bush to a Burning House Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

This episode is a wake-up call from Romans 1:18–23, contrasting the “burning house” of sin with the “burning bush” of God’s presence and the power of the gospel. J. D. Walt emphasizes that while sin is real and destructive, Christians should not let it dominate their attention; instead, the true focus must remain on Jesus, whose salvation is comprehensive and life-renovating.

Through prayer, Scripture, and the hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” Walt invites listeners to shift from a mindset of sin management and self-improvement into one of beholding Christ and becoming like Him. The central message is that when believers fix their eyes on Jesus, the problems of the world and their own hearts lose their power and the gospel becomes the lens through which everything is seen.

CHAPTERS:
00:04 Introduction and Context of Romans
01:54 The Wrath of God and Human Wickedness
04:27 The Dilemma: Focus on Sin or the Gospel?
08:35 The Shift from Sin Management to Love Unleashed
12:48 Beholding Jesus: The Key to Transformation
16:14 The Gospel: Reconciliation and Hope

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Get the Wake-Up Call in your email each day ► https://seedbed.com/wakeupcall ⛪️ Are you a pastor? We'd love to connect ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/to/dymjFhUB Join the Field Team and help us sow the Wake-Up Call into new hearts ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/fieldteam Join the conversation: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seedbedwakeupcall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewakeupcall/ Listen to the podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wake-up-call/id1040184070 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t5qb5dpC7n0yxdyNsTKzTsi=e87495c982f145f6

How to Have a Blessed Life Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

This episode centers on a warm, devotional gathering built around Romans 1:16–17 and the hymn “Amazing Grace.” J.D. Walt opens by welcoming family and guests, framing the day as a “red letter” morning of worship rather than a performance. He emphasizes that the gospel is not about being a “good” person, but about the deeper reality of being dead and made alive, broken and restored, lost and found. That theme is reinforced through the singing of “Amazing Grace,” which serves as both the emotional and theological centerpiece of the episode.

The second half turns into a reflective teaching on the “hard and beautiful truth” of the gospel: that human worth is not earned by goodness and is not erased by failure. Using examples like the Pharisee and the tax collector, the host argues that Jesus dismantles the usual moral calculus of good versus bad and replaces it with grace, mercy, and faith. He also shares a poem about a reunion with an old friend, using it to underline the message that people are not defined by moral performance but by being loved by God. The episode closes in prayer and with a call to go out into the world and “sow” the grace of God.

CHAPTERS:
00:04 Introduction and Morning Prayer
02:38 Understanding the Gospel's Power
08:43 The Hard and Beautiful Truth
11:15 Journal Prompt and Reflection
12:05 Crushing the Good vs. Bad Dichotomy
16:03 Introduction to Choir and Guests
17:33 The Message of Amazing Grace
20:48 Closing Thoughts and Sending Forth

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Get your physical copy of All The Things ► https://my.seedbed.com/product/all-the-things-wake-up-call-workbook/ Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/

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Give Me 100 Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

- - - - - - - P. S. ❗️ Follow Along with Us . . . If you would like to order the book, I'll send you an additional copy at no charge so you can share it with a friend and invite them to join our journey—BUY ONE SOW ONE. Use the code BOSO. Get the book HERE: https://my.seedbed.com/product/romans-from-sin-management-to-love-unleashed-daily-seeds/ - - -

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What happens when a tiny church of 100 people starts shaking an empire? This Romans 1 episode makes the case that faith spread through ordinary obedience, and it still can.

JD Walt opens with a charge to wake up, pray, and lean into Romans 1:8-15, then unpacks how Paul's words to the church in Rome land with fresh force in a world that feels just as chaotic. From first-century Rome, ruled by Nero and filled with house churches, to modern-day upheaval, JD traces the power of a small community whose faith was "reported all over the world" without internet, platform, or influence.

CHAPTERS:
00:04 Introduction and Context of Romans
03:10 The Power of Faith in Early Christianity
06:11 The Relevance of Romans Today
08:49 Prayer and Awakening
12:07 Personal Reflections and Family
13:57 Conclusion and Hymn Singing

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Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/

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What Is Your Calling? Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

- - - - - - - P. S. ❗️Follow Along with Us . . . If you would like to order the book, I'll send you an additional copy at no charge so you can share it with a friend and invite them to join our journey—BUY ONE SOW ONE. Use the code BOSO. Get the book here: https://my.seedbed.com/product/romans-from-sin-management-to-love-unleashed-daily-seeds/

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This episode launches a thirteen-week journey through the book of Romans, beginning with Romans 1:1–7 and the question, “What is your calling?” J.D. Walt argues that calling is not mainly a job, role, or career path, but first and foremost belonging to Jesus Christ. He frames the daily Christian life as consecration, transformation, and demonstration: offering yourself to Jesus, being changed by his word, and then carrying his presence into the world.

The episode also sets a warm devotional tone through prayer, journaling prompts, and a sung hymn with David Walt, JD's father. Their conversation reinforces the idea that God is not done with people at any age, and that retirement does not apply to a life of calling. Overall, it’s an inviting first episode that blends teaching, worship, and encouragement to start the Romans series with a heart of surrender and trust.

CHAPTERS:
00:04 Introduction to the Journey through Romans
03:00 Understanding Your Calling
09:39 The Importance of Consecration and Transformation
12:58 Living Out the Gospel in Daily Life
13:36 Welcoming Back and Setting the Tone
16:25 The Power of Hymns in Worship
19:25 Aging Gracefully and God's Ongoing Work

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Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/

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HSS: You Are a Witness with a Commission Aug 29, 2026

Show notes

What does it look like when ordinary people actually live as witnesses of Jesus? Dan Wilt closes out Holy Spirit Story Summer with a commissioning message that turns everyday moments - coffee shops, hospital rooms, roadside prayers, grocery stores, and senior living hallways - into evidence that the Holy Spirit is still moving powerfully through normal lives.

Dan reflects on more than 100 stories submitted by Sower Nation and shares a deeply personal moment of his own: a simple hallway prayer that felt, in his words, like heaven opening. From there, he lays out the heart of this episode's challenge - you do not need a stage, a microphone, or spiritual-superhero status to participate in the ministry of Jesus. You just need attentiveness, gentleness, and a willingness to say yes when the Spirit prompts you.

CHAPTERS:
00:04 Introduction to Holy Spirit Stories
02:56 Commissioning and Empowerment in Ministry
05:50 Personal Stories of Faith and Witness
09:10 The Heart of Evangelism and Ministry
12:02 Invitation to the New Room Conference
14:36 Closing Prayer and Reflection

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An Invitation to Wake Up Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

This special edition of the Wake-Up Call presents a direct invitation to follow Jesus. It frames the gospel through John 3:16 and retells Jesus’s life, ministry, death, resurrection, ascension, and the birth of the church. The message emphasizes that the central human problems are sin and death—and that Jesus offers forgiveness, restored relationship with God, and eternal life.

J.D. invites listeners to respond personally through prayer, trusting Jesus as Savior and following him as Lord. He reassures those still exploring that they are welcome to keep learning through the daily Wake-Up Call, then offers a journal prompt about their own decision to follow Jesus. The episode closes with songs of faith and an encouragement to carry God’s love into the day and share the invitation with others.

CHAPTERS:
00:04 The Great Invitation to Wake Up
10:05 Understanding the Gospel of Jesus Christ
14:09 The Journey of Following Jesus

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Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get the Wake-Up Call in your email each day ► https://seedbed.com/wakeupcall ⛪️ Are you a pastor? We'd love to connect ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/to/dymjFhUB Join the Field Team and help us sow the Wake-Up Call into new hearts ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/fieldteam Join the conversation: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seedbedwakeupcall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewakeupcall/ Listen to the podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wake-up-call/id1040184070 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t5qb5dpC7n0yxdyNsTKzTsi=e87495c982f145f6

The Jesus Manifesto Challenge Aug 27, 2026

Show notes

J.D. Walt introduces a three-day on-ramp to the upcoming thirteen-week journey through Romans. Centering on Romans 12, he frames the Christian life as a daily movement of consecration—offering ourselves to God, transformation—renewing our minds through Christ and Scripture, and demonstration—living God’s love out in the world. He calls Romans 12 “the Jesus Manifesto,” describing it as a picture of what the gospel looks like when it takes root in everyday people.

He invites listeners to join the “Jesus Manifesto Challenge” by slowly committing Romans 12 to long-term memory, adding a small passage each week rather than trying to memorize it all at once. The episode closes with prayer, journaling prompts about the passage and the challenge, and a simple worship moment with “Spirit of the Living God,” sending listeners into their day ready to live out the love of Christ.

CHAPTERS:
00:04 Introduction to the Journey through Romans
02:47 The Jesus Manifesto Challenge
05:54 Consecration, Transformation, and Demonstration
11:47 The Call to Rememberize Romans 12
14:39 Daily Practices and Journal Prompts

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Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/

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Introduction—Dear Christian Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

Romans is not just a book to study. It is a letter meant to awaken a people. J.D. Walt opens the doorway to a thirteen-week journey through Paul’s most consequential writing and shows why reading Romans as relationship, not just theology, changes everything.

As the Wake-Up Call shifts into a new season, J.D. invites listeners to see the church in Rome not as a tiny house-church in a massive city, but as a living letter to the world. He explains why Romans has so often been flattened into doctrine, commentary, or “Roman’s Road” shortcuts, and why that misses the pulse of Paul’s message entirely.

CHAPTERS:
00:04 Introduction to the Wake-Up Call
03:00 Preparing for Romans: Context and Significance
11:52 Understanding Romans as a Letter, Not a Book
15:03 Intentions for the Journey Ahead
20:00 Living Out the Message of Romans

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Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/

Jesus Was in a Band Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

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P.S. Are You Coming to the New Room Conference?

I’d love to see you at the New Room Conference, coming up next month on Sept 30–Oct 2 in Montgomery, Alabama, at Frazer Church. New Room is always an inspiring, refreshing gathering where we get to connect with fellow sowers. It is a meeting with Jesus, where we are equipped, empowered, and sent out to sow for a great awakening.

Today, the Wake-Up Call and Seedbed are offering a special discount code for registration. If you have already registered, pass it on to someone else who needs to get there. I look forward to seeing you there! Register here (https://seedbed.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=108622&action=edit&classic-editor) and use the promo code: NRCWAKEUP

P.P.S.
Order Your Banding Book If you would like physical copies of Discipleship Bands: A Practical Field Guide, you can find that here: https://my.seedbed.com/product/discipleship-bands/ -

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This episode focuses on the idea that Jesus modeled deep, life-giving community by having an inner circle—Peter, James, and John—and that we, too, are made for that kind of belonging. Using the Transfiguration as the central example, Mark Benjamin argues that we need to be known and loved not just in our strengths, but also in our struggles, and that healing often begins when we risk letting a few trusted people in.

The message then turns practical with the concept of a “band,” a small group that meets weekly for honest questions, prayer, and mutual support. It also explores the difference between public, social, personal, and intimate belonging, encouraging listeners to build intentional relationships that can help carry shame, foster growth, and deepen their walk with God.

CHAPTERS:
00:26 The Importance of Community in Jesus' Life
07:00 Understanding Our Need for an Inner Circle
14:13 Cultivating Deep Relationships for Healing

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Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/

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Don't Climb Mountains Alone Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

- - - - - - - P. S. ❗️ Are You Coming to the New Room Conference? I’d love to see you at the New Room Conference, coming up next month on Sept 30–Oct 2 in Montgomery, Alabama, at Frazer Church. New Room is always an inspiring, refreshing gathering where we get to connect with fellow sowers. It is a meeting with Jesus, where we are equipped, empowered, and sent out to sow for a great awakening. Today, the Wake-Up Call and Seedbed are offering a special discount code for registration. If you have already registered, pass it on to someone else who needs to get there. I look forward to seeing you there! Register here: https://seedbed.com/newroomconference2026/ and use the promo code: NRCWAKEUP.

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This episode is a pastoral wake-up call about the danger of trying to do life alone. Mark Benjamin opens with a story about getting lost and dehydrated on a mountain in Haiti, using that experience to anchor the main message: human beings are not built to carry hardship, temptation, or pain in isolation. Drawing from Ecclesiastes 4, he argues that community is not optional but essential, especially when life becomes difficult and dangerous.

He then connects that lesson to his own spiritual formation, explaining how honesty with a few trusted men led to the development of band meetings and, eventually, deeper transformation in his life. The episode is both personal and practical: it calls listeners to admit their need for help, invite others in, and resist the urge to “climb mountains alone.” It closes with a prayer for courage, journal prompts for reflection, and a hymn, reinforcing the theme of dependence on Jesus and one another.

CHAPTERS:
00:04 Introduction and Setting the Stage
02:50 The Importance of Community
10:34 Personal Story: A Lesson from the Mountain
18:53 The Journey of Transformation and Invitation

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Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/

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