That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs

Today on the show, I get to talk with my friend, Rabbi Jason Sobel. You may remember him from episode 1022 when we had him here during Advent to talk about the connections between the Old Testament and the New Testament when it comes to Jesus’ birth. Immediately when we finished recording that episode, I told him he had to come back and talk to us during Lent to help us also talk through Jesus’ resurrection.

He has served as a spiritual advisor for The Chosen since it started and y’all went nuts for his latest book, Transformed By the Messiah. ME TOO. Rabbi Jason is a Jewish man who believes Jesus is the Messiah, and the way he connects the dots between the Old Testament and the new is like watching the story of Jesus go from regular definition to full-on high definition.

Next week, we won’t be airing any new Spiritually Stronger episodes, but we are going to air a daily Scripture reading for Holy Week. I’ll read through the stories from the Gospels that correlate with each day’s events during Holy Week. We’ve made a reading plan for you too that you can check off whether you prefer to read or listen along. You can find that at spirituallystronger.com!

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NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends.

Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests!

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We’re going to keep talking about fasting today with my friend, Dr. Derwin Gray. He is the co-founding and Lead Pastor of Transformation Church, just outside of Charlotte, NC. 

We also talking about memorizing Scripture and what grace really looks like as we prepare for Holy Week. Head over to spirituallystronger.com after you listen because he also mentions “virtue ethics” today and I want us to talk about this some more and how it relates to spiritual disciplines. I’m really curious what you think.

View the show notes here

. . . .

Thank you to our sponsors!


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Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun.


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NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends.

Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests!

#thatsoundsfunpodcast
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Today on the show, Eddie and I get to keep talking about the Winter Olympics (mountaineering is wild!), the latest wild west movie I’ve watched, snow skiing stories, the difference in weighing things vs measuring them, and what makes a good biscuit... and of course we're just adding to the list of what we want The Buddies Tour to look like! 

Plus, you’re not ready to hear Eddie’s new way of saying, “I have to use the restroom.” Things get a bit unhinged today. 

Have you gotten your tickets to The Buddies tour yet?! Eddie and I are coming to:

Keller (Fort Worth), Texas on Friday, May 15th

Colorado Springs, Colorado on Saturday, May 16th

Orlando, Florida on Friday, June 5th

Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday, June 7th

Trussville (Birmingham), Alabama on Friday, June 12th

Nashville, TN on Saturday, June 13th

Y’all, this is going to be an actual blast. I hope these nights are just pure fun. Tickets are selling QUICKLY! Go to thebuddiestour.com We cannot wait to see you there!

IF YOU MAKE SOAP, please come tell us over on instagram at @thatsoundsfunpodcast or shoot us an email at [email protected].

. . . . .

⁠Find the show notes here⁠

Want to watch this episode? Watch on your Spotify App, or head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe! 

We have a Substack now! Find it at spirituallystronger.com.

Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests!

. . . . .

Thank you to our sponsors!


Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠.


Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun.


Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun.

NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends.

#thatsoundsfunpodcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time to talk about fasting. Lisa Bevere is a spiritual mom to a lot of us and was the exact right person to help us kick off this conversation.

What I love about this conversation is how Lisa reframes fasting not as punishment or performance — but as invitation. As a way of intentionally making space for God to move in us and through us.

We talk about what fasting actually is — and what it isn’t. We talk about motives, about hunger (the physical and the spiritual kind), and about how fasting, when paired with prayer, can sharpen our awareness of God’s presence in everyday life. It’s practical and deeply spiritual at the same time. If fasting is something you’ve been curious about but never tried, we talk about some simple ways to start.

Head over to spirituallystronger.com after you listen as we process this together and give some questions to think through this week. Remember, this year we’re saying give us one hour a week listening to this episode and 10 minutes a day going through the Substack questions. We have loved this rhythm and love reading your comments each week!

Find the show notes here

. . . .

Thank you to our sponsors!


This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and my friends get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun.


ELIC: To learn more, visit elic.org/thatsoundsfun.


Wayfair: Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home.


Our Place: Visit fromourplace.com/TSF and use code TSF for 10% off sitewide.


Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠.


Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun.


Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun.

NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends.

Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests!

#thatsoundsfunpodcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My friend Jen Lilley is joining us today. She’s an actress, producer, storyteller, and just a total delight of a human. You may know her from Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, or Hallmark and Great American Family movies. But here’s what I really love about her: behind the film sets is a woman with a deep, vibrant, anchored faith. So, while we thought we were taking a break from our theme this week, what you’ll hear is a friend who is indeed Spiritually Strong.

Jen has written a 365-day devotional called Wake Up Your Faith that you absolutely want a copy of and in this conversation we get to beautifully usher in next week’s introduction to our next spiritual discipline: fasting.

Join us on Substack at spirituallystronger.com! 

Find the show notes here

. . . . 

Thank you to our sponsors!


AG1: Go to drinkag1.com/SOUNDSFUN to get an AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 for FREE in your AG1 Welcome Kit with your first AG1subscription order!


This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and my friends get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun.


CreaTone: Let me get you started with 20% off your first order. Visit TONETODAY.com, promo code TSF.


ELIC: To learn more, visit elic.org/thatsoundsfun. 


Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠.


Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun.


Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun.

NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends.

Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests!

#thatsoundsfunpodcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices