That Sounds Fun With Annie F. Downs

You may remember Pete Greig when he was on our last prayer series here on That Sounds Fun. He’s an author and founder of the 24/7 prayer movement, and y’all have heard me reference the daily devotional Lectio365 so many times- he's the co-host of that! I LOVE it. Today we’re talking about Pete’s recent 3 month sabbatical, how time with God and prayer shifted for him and his wife during those months, what they learned from it, and how prayer impacts our relationship with God. I also got to ask him what we do when God doesn’t answer our prayers.. and I think Pete’s wisdom in his response is SO helpful.  I can’t wait for you to hear this, and I would love for you to keep talking to us about this episode over on Substack! You can find today’s post and questions over at spirituallystronger.com! Find the show notes here  . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. Tovala: Save up to $300 on the Tovala smart oven when

Today on the show, I get to keep talking with our buddy Eddie Kaufholz. A new year and new us… we’re talking about mice, the Winter Olympics, The Golden Globes, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Will Arnett...and then a **special announcement** I think you’re absolutely going to love! You don't want to miss this one!  . . . . . On a related note... TheBuddiesTour.com 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. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/THATSOUNDSFUN and use code THATSOUNDSFUN. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular

We are going to spend the next 5 weeks talking about prayer, and Christine Caine is here to help us kick off that conversation. If we’re going to be spiritually stronger in a world we cannot control, we have got to get serious about prayer. Chris is going to fire you up today about your prayer life! We talk about her prayer life as an activist, her turning 60 this year and continuing to run her race harder, olive trees, and what Jesus tells the disciples to pray for in Matthew 9. You don't want to miss this one!  She also has a new book coming out  on February 10th called The Faith to Flourish which is perfect for what we’re talking about right now. You’re going to want to preorder your copy today!  We want our miniBFFs to learn about prayer today too, so parents, there’s a brand new episode for them today over on the miniBFF podcast. We also will continue this conversation and I’ll tell you some of my over on our Substack. You can find that at spirituallystronger.com. Find the show notes here  . . . .

This is Kevin Queen's 10th time on That Sound Fun which basically means he just lapped Hall of Fun status twice!! Today he’s helping pastor us as we get started on this journey to become spiritually stronger. We talk about one of the tensions you might face as we get started talking about spiritual disciples and rhythms. We don’t want any of this to feel like things you need to check off in order to earn something from God, and Kevin has a really helpful way for us to keep that in check. Then we’re going to talk about journaling. If we’re going to spend 18 months talking about ways to get spiritually stronger, what if we document what God’s doing all the way through? Kevin’s a big journaler (I am too), so we talk about his process, how he spends his time with God, and the journaling system that works for him. Remember, none of this is meant to be prescriptive. We’re not asking you to adopt the same plan that every guest uses or that I use. These are descriptive, so you get an idea and take it to God to deci

Today on the show, I get to talk to my friend—and one of our spiritual mothers and mentors—Beth Moore. We talk about her experience with her surgeries and recoveries last year and learning how to 100% lean on the Lord, and what it looks like to grow with God and sit with Him everyday. Plus, we got to talk about her new study: Walking with God. She’s created this study to help us understand what it looked like to walk with God in different eras of Scripture. It’s fascinating. I think this conversation is SO helpful as we start talking about the small, daily habits we can lean into this year to increase our spiritual strength. . . . . . In case you missed it, we have a brand new Substack! If you’re not familiar with what that is, it’s like a blog… so if you’ve been around THAT long, you may remember the ole’ AnnieBlogs days. Over on the substack, after every episode, you’ll find a deeper dive from me and the team where we’re talking more about that episode, offering some encouragement as you process, and giv

Last year we spent the entire year talking about the seasons—how they impact us both physically and spiritually—and how our life seasons change so often without warning. We see it all around us. Things are changing SO quickly. So much feels unpredictable, a little unsteady, often hard to understand. And I just keep coming back to this reality: in a world we can’t control, we can be spiritually stronger. That’s why our theme on That Sounds Fun for the next 18 months is exactly that—Spiritually Stronger. We’re going to lean in together. Not with pressure or perfection, just with intention. We’re going to talk about the spiritual disciplines: prayer, fasting, reading scripture, worship, and celebration. And after you listen to each episode, we’re going to give you a way to go a little bit deeper every single day. We’re launching the Spiritually Stronger Substack, where you’ll be able to find a way to reflect on the topic for the week, things to pray through, and resources to help you apply what you’ve heard.

If you are new around here, we have a yearly tradition today, January 6th. Epiphany. The tradition of you and I just chatting. The last day of Christmastide. Day 12 of the 12 days of Christmas. This Epiphany episode is the only time all year that I sit in this podcast studio alone. It matters to me that y’all know this. It matters because, in part, I want today to feel like a one on one conversation, like we’re getting coffee. Except you know me, I’m drinking tea. In December, Emily P. Freeman joined us on the podcast and gave us a few leading questions for shaping our year. As I thought about this episode today, there are two questions, inspired by Emily, I want to answer for you: What are we stopping this year?  What are we starting this year?  These are not just for That Sounds Fun podcast, this are for all things AFD Inc- from my writing, to speaking, to podcasting. I want to give you a full view of what God might be up in 2026 to through the work my team and I get to do and make. . . . . . Join ou

In this final installment of 2025 we get to Keep Talking WITH ALL OF YOU-- ALL OF OUR BUDDIES! We got to do a live call-in show so a bunch of you got to pop in and ask your questions and loved every minute. It went exactly the way you thought it would. Things were unhinged for a bit… And before we started we even had a conversation about toilet seats. And Wicked. You’re in for a treat. Come tell us your thoughts over on instagram: @thatsoundsfunpodcast If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, you’ll find your LAST note-taking page on page 133. Have a great week, the New Years, and we’ll see you back here in 2026! We’ll be back on Tuesday (not Monday) but Tuesday, January 6th for our annual Epiphany episode. . . . . . 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!  . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to ou

Y’all, we have spent an entire year talking about the impact of the seasons on our spiritual, emotional, and physical lives. A whole year working through things in our TSF Seasons Guidebook. Sooo many brilliant friends have joined us to mentor us through the winter, spring, summer, and fall and now we’ve circled all the way back. It’s cold outside again. The snow is on the ground again for some of you. The days are darker outside. And we’ve made it. On December 21st, winter begins and we will have officially finished our lap through all four seasons.  Today, there was only one person who could help us end what we started and that’s the pastor that made us all so curious about what God does in seasons. If you haven’t heard Episode 851 about the season God has you in with Pastor Banning Liebscher, I would love for you to go back and listen to that. It was the conversation that started this whole year doing a deep dive about seasons. Today, we’re going to talk about what we’ve seen God do across the world this

I have absolutely no chill about today’s episode. I mean it…you might want to grab a notebook, a pen, maybe even two, because this is a full-on mind-blown episode. Rabbi Jason Sobel is a Jewish man who believes Jesus is the Messiah, and the way he connects the dots between the Old Testament and the New? Y’all… it’s like watching the story of Jesus go from regular definition to full-on high definition. We’re talking about his journey of faith, how we can better understand and connect with Jewish culture, the significance of the number eight (just wait for that part!), and he even gives us the cultural and historical context of the birth of Jesus in a way that will have you sitting there going, “How did I not know this?!” He has served as a spiritual advisor for The Chosen since its inception and you’re going to love getting to learn from him. His new book, Transformed By the Messiah, is absolutely beautiful.  In your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 129, so get those note-taking pages ready.  Find the

If your head’s starting to spin as you think about this year as a whole and turning the page to 2026, just hang on. We’re going to help take off the pressure to figure out and reflect on the whole year by the end of this month. It’s a process and we’re going to start by answering the question, “How do I find the next right thing for next year?” Today I get to talk to my friend and America’s favorite Spiritual Director, Emily P. Freeman. This is her 5th time here on That Sounds Fun which means she’s officially a member of the Hall of Fun. Today’s she helping us figure out: How we take the pressure off of January to have our whole year solved What steps we can take (and questions we can ask) to help us figure out how to process the season  The practice of caring without carrying  And the practice of releasing something everyday As you walk through Advent, you also will love her Advent Collection. You can find that on her Quiet Collection App! You’re going to need your notes for this one, so gra

I am SO EXCITED to talk to Pastor Rich Villodas about Advent and the Christian calendar. Advent officially started yesterday and Rich is helping us better understand why the Christian calendar even matters and what Advent means to our relationship with God. We’re going to talk about what it looks like to wait well (which I don’t like to do!), and we unpack the reality of living in the middle of both pain and rejoicing. Advent is all of it, right?  If you’re looking for a study to go through this Advent, it’s not too late to start one. You can grab it today and jump right in. Our Stay Tuned series is available to download now at shopanniefdowns.com AND you’re going to love hearing about Rich’s Advent devotional, Waiting for Jesus, today. If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, We’re on page 127. As always, the guidebook is available for you at anniefdowns.com/seasons. Find the show notes here . . . . .  Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guest If

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all my friends here in the U.S. I hope you’re running turkey trots or watching the parade or serving at a food bank or seeing family you haven’t seen in a while. Today on the show, me and my pal Eddie do what we do best…we keep talking. In this Thanksgiving installment of Annie and Eddie Keep Talking, we talk about… A new thing my family is doing today for Thanksgiving Our thoughts on Costco and the day I sobbed my way down the aisles Eddie’s job update & his thoughts on the John Candy documentary (did you watch it too??) And then do not miss the end - because Eddie may have phoned a friend about the definition of a panini If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, you’ll find a note-taking on page 125. You can find all the info at anniefdowns.com/seasons. . . . . . 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!  . . . . .  Thank you to our sponsor

Today I get to talk to one of my favorite worship artists, Jon Reddick! Jon is a worship pastor and songwriter, and has a heart for the church and the songs that pour out from congregations into the world. He's been a part of the CAIN tour with me this fall, and we recorded this one on the road a couple of weekends ago, so you’re in for a treat. But it also means your girl Annie was both your host AND your audio engineer... whoops! So this episode is only available in audio today! We talk about what it's like being a part of this tour together, being present where God has us, his meet-cute story with his wife... all the things! We also answer the question, “What if I don’t love the fall?”  His latest album, No Fear, is out now. You’ve got to listen to it if you haven’t heard it yet. If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 124. The guidebook is available for you at anniefdowns.com/seasons. Find the show notes here . . . . . If you enjoyed this episode, I think you’d also lo

Today we’re answering the question, “How do I shape my life for a new year?”As we start to think about changing seasons and a new year ahead of us, we’ve got an incredible guest with us today to help us figure out how to do all of this well-- Jeff Henderson.  Jeff is an author, speaker, incredible leader and all-around wealth of wisdom, who’s going to help us think about our transition into the end of the year. How do we process and deal with change? When do we celebrate? What can we control and what can’t we control? And if you’re trying to make a decision about something right now, I think you’d also love Jeff’s book, What to Do Next. In your TSF Seasons Guidebook, We’re on page 123. The guidebook is available for you at anniefdowns.com/seasons. 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! . . . . . If you enjoyed this episode, I think you’d also love: Don’t Rush Your Reset with

Lysa TerKeurst is back for the *5th* time today, and we’re going to talk about how to walk through a season full of more loss than beauty. Her brand new book, Surviving An Unwanted Divorce releases tomorrow, and this book is such a helpful tool for those of you walking through a divorce or those of you that want to know how to help someone who is.   Whether you know you’re about to enter a winter season or one is thrust upon you, figuring out how to navigate the trauma, grief, and healing can be so overwhelming and Lysa’s experience and wisdom is SUCH a gift. I think this is one of those episodes you’re going to want to text to a friend. If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 121. The date is different because we moved this one up, but the question is there for you. The guidebook is available for you at anniefdowns.com/seasons! View the show notes here If you enjoyed this episode, I think you’d also like to hear Episode 479 with Brandi Wilson when she also talks about findi

Today we wanted to bring you into a conversation we’re having with Single Purpose League about loneliness, but specifically the level of loneliness for women in leadership. Whether you’re single or married, I bet you can relate to this conversation. What we’ve noticed is that Single Purpose League consists of a LOT of leaders, and many of whom are leading in ministry. So, we recently started the SPL Leadership Mastermind, where our single friends in ministry have a place to be encouraged and talk about the complexities of it.  If Single Purpose League or the SPL Leadership Mastermind would serve you or a friend, head over to ⁠singlepurposeleague.com⁠ to learn more and sign up, PLUS our very first Lunch and Learn from Leadership Mastermind is happening tomorrow, November 5th at 12:30pm CT, so it’s a great time to get signed up today so you can join us for that tomorrow. 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

Today I get to talk with my friends, Dallas and Amanda Jenkins. Dallas is the creator, director and producer of the tv show The Chosen, and Amanda writes Bible studies and content that goes along with the show. They just finished shooting Season 6 of The Chosen -- Jesus's crucifixion. I think you’re really going to love hearing what they are learning about Jesus and how we can find strength in Him in this season. If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 119. You can order your copy–with all 4 seasons–at anniefdowns.com/seasons! . . . . . 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! If you enjoyed this episode, I think you’d also love: Red Sea Moments Leading to a Dream of Producing The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Movie with Dallas and Amanda Jenkins- Episode 935 Episode 447: Jonathan Roumie on Surrendering to Jesus, Balancing a Public and Private Faith, and How His Catholic Backgrou

In this month’s installment of Annie and Eddie Keep Talking, we talk about…what special day we are celebrating today, Eddie’s new preferred shirt, Annie's current life on tour with CAIN, paninis versus grilled cheese, and some things we’re going to research so we’re ready to keep talking about them in November! Eddie shared on the show about his love for Three Roots International and their work helping families in Ethiopia overcome poverty through education, health, and income programs. When you give, you’ll support that impact—and be entered to win a virtual call with Annie and Eddie!Give and enter to win today at TSF.threeroots.org. No donation necessary to enter. Email info@threeroots.org with “TSF Call” in the subject line by November 13, 2025. . . . . . If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, you’ll find a note-taking page for all the profound and life-changing things Eddie said on page 117. There’s a really fun Fall “This or That” activity on the next page…and I want to see your a

David Platt is here today, and I’m SO excited about this conversation. He recently got back from Brazil and shared some incredible stories from his time there, and we talk about the role we play in the Gospel reaching every nation, including unreached people groups. We were never meant to watch the harvest from the sidelines. We were created to experience life by leading others to life. The harvest isn’t just a mission—it’s an invitation. If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 116 (the guidebook is available for you at anniefdowns.com/seasons).  Find the show notes here . . . . . If you enjoyed this episode, I think you’d also love our last episode with David Platt, episode 857, where we talked about singleness and the Church. In fact, if you’re single today or you have a friend who is, we’d love to invite you to come be a part of Single Purpose League. It’s a community of women who are finding their single purpose and their purpose while single. The price goes up to $9/m