That Sounds Fun With Annie F. Downs

Pastor JP Pokluda is back and today he officially joins the Hall of Fun! This is his 5th time on the show and we are so grateful he’s always willing to show up here and drop some wisdom. The question we’re diving into today is, “Is this Spiritual warfare or am I just tired?” JP’s latest book, Your Story Has a Villain, is an incredible book helping us navigate the reality of spiritual warfare, and learn how to fight back.  If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 75. You can purchase our guidebook at anniefdowns.com/seasons. If you enjoyed this episode, I think you’ll also enjoy: Experiencing Jesus, Lingering in Prayer, and Finding Refuge in God with John Eldredge- Episode 964 . . . . . 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 sponsors! BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/THATSOUNDSFUN to get 10% off your first month. Geviti: Use

OUR FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF SUMMER HERE ON THE POD. Today we're answering the question, “What is summer and how do I define it in my life?” and Pastor Mike Kelsey is back to help us kick off this new season. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since we recorded. We talk about the fun of this season, but we’re also talking about the ways summer can be really hard, the expectations we put on it, and insecurities it can bring up. If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 74 of our summer pages. You can purchase yours at anniefdowns.com/seasons. . . . . . Now that summer’s kicked off, if you’re looking for some extra series to listen to while you travel or sit by the pool, check out any of our EnneaSummer series our Summer Lovin’ series on dating from 2023: EnneaSummer Summer Lovin' Series Playlist  . . . . . Find the show notes here Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Sign up to receiv

Isn’t it so interesting to pay attention to the changing of one season to another? This year talking about the seasons is teaching us about rhythms, transitions, seasonal expectations—and it’s giving us eyes to see what God’s doing through it all.  And now… it’s time for SUMMER! Starting Monday, June 23rd, we officially kick off the summer on the podcast with our pastor of the pod this year, Pastor Mike Kelsey. I have not stopped thinking about this episode, you guys. As always, he’s bringing some TRUTH to the podcast and helping us ask ourselves some real questions about our expectations for summer as we step into it. How do I celebrate well? How do I rest well in the summer? What does nature teach us about the seasons?And what are the gifts of summer? The summer pages in our TSF Seasons Guidebook have everything you need to take notes and process questions from each episode. But for summer, we’ve added some fun coaching, a this or that game, a summer playlist, and a recipe for a summer treat. If you a

Our friend Eddie Kaufholz is back today! We tie up some loose ends from previous episodes, talk about going to a Yankees game, Coke Icees, Eddie's sleep study, and more of course... We have some note taking pages for you for this episode over in our TSF Seasons Guidebook on page 59. We’re officially kicking off summer on the podcast on Monday, so if you don’t have a guidebook, you can still purchase one at anniefdowns.com/seasons. . . . . . Find the show notes here Want to watch this episode on YouTube? 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 our sponsors! Geviti: Visit gogeviti.com/thatsoundsfun and use code TSF for the month of June for 20% off your first three months of membership. Thrive Market: Head over to ThriveMarket.com/THATSOUNDSFUN to get 30% off your first order and a FREE $60 gift.  Shopify: Sign up for your

Today on the show, we’re answering the question, “How do I change seasons well?" If you’ve been around here for a while you know Craig Thompson (or CRAIGLES or the prince as we called him around the office). He used to be part of our media team here at AFD, Inc. but last fall he and his wife, Hannah, moved to Indiana. SOO many of you talk to me about deciding whether or not to move or figuring out what to do if a season is changing and I think you’re going to love this conversation with Craig. We’re going to talk about transitioning from “a good season to a good season”...what it looked like for Craig and Hannah to decide to move…making decisions as a single person vs a couple…and then we’re going to talk about some advice if you’re starting to feel the inkling of a season change. If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 58. And be on the lookout in your inboxes today, because we’re emailing out the summer pages! If you don’t have a copy of the TSF Seasons Guidebook, it’s the p

Today on the show, we’re answering the question, “What should I take with me from spring into summer?” and y’all are in for a TREAT. You’ve been asking for these guests for a long time and today my new friends Ben and Erin Napier from the show HGTV’s Home Town and Home Town Takeover are here. You’re going to love getting to know them and hearing how their work and their shows have not only revitalized families, but entire towns. You know we love talking about revival around here, and we’re going there today. The work God’s put in front of them isn’t just captivating millions on TV, it’s changing the future of small towns.  If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 57. We’re getting so close to the official start of summer, which means new guidebook pages are coming! If you don’t have a copy of the guidebook (with our winter and spring pages), you can purchase yours at anniefdowns.com/seasons and our summer pages will be emailed to you on June 16th. . . . . . Find the show notes

Today we’re answering the question, “How do I bring my doubts into a new season?” Margaret Feinberg is back for her second time and y’all don't want to miss it. She has a brand new book about the Holy Spirit out called, The God You Need to Know and y’all ask OFTEN about how we hear from the Holy Spirit, so we’re going there! We’re also talk about what we picture when we picture the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit throughout Bible, and we even talk about bringing our dreams to God... If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 56. And as always, you can still get a guidebook 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 sponsors! BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/THATSOUNDSFUN to get 10% off your first month. Thrive Causemetics: New customers can get the Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara and a mini-sized

Today on the show, our pal Eddie Kaufholz and I keep talking…FROM D.C! We got to record this at Eddie’s house when I was recently in town and as you can imagine, it was just the best. We talked about his cookbook collection, what we're watching and reading right now, and SNL (of course).  We have some note taking pages for you for this episode over in our TSF Seasons Guidebook, so you can find that on page 55. Keep in mind, in a few weeks you’ll get our summer pages in the guidebook, so that’s a great time to jump in with us. You can still purchase a guidebook if you don’t have one at anniefdowns.com/seasons. . . . . . Find the show notes here Want to watch this episode on YouTube? 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 . . . . . If you’d like to partner with Annie as a sponsor for the That Sounds Fun podcast, fill out our Advertise With Us form! . . .

DawnCheré Wilkerson her husband Rich are the lead pastors at VOUS Church in Miami, Florida, and she’s a beautiful writer along with being such a peaceful presence. You’re just going to absolutely love her. We get to talk about what God’s up to in Miami, what God’s doing in Gen Z, and what to do while you’re waiting on God to answer your prayers–her new book Slow Burn is all about that waiting conversation. And it’s an important one for us to have.  If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 54. And if you’re wondering what we’re even talking about with this guidebook thing, you can find it 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! . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/THATSOUNDSFUN to get 10% off your first month. Hiya Health: Receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal you must go to hiyahealth.com/THATS

Today we’re answering the question, “How do I find joy in this season?” with Tauren Wells. You know him from his music—you’ve heard his voice, you’ve sung along in the car—but today we’re talking about some really exciting new chapters in his life. He’s releasing his first book called Joy Bomb  and we talk about what joy really means, and how to carry it in hard seasons. Also, Tauren’s pastoring a new church in North Austin called Church of Whitestone and we’re talking about what this move and new step has looked like for him and his family. If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 53. And if you don’t have a guidebook, you can find it at anniefdowns.com/seasons. It’s never too late to jump in! . . . . . 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 sponsors! BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/THATSOUNDSFUN to get 10% off your first mont

Ashley Anderson is a ministry leader and wise voice who lives in New York and has become a dear, dear friend of mine. She was our April guest on the Single Purpose League podcast last month, and we had a conversation around having a theology of singleness—What does that mean? Why does it matter? What does Scripture say about being single? It felt so important to all of us so, today, we’re sharing that conversation with all of you.  We’re doing that this week because Single Purpose League registration is open! We only open it up certain times a year, so we’re able to have intentional time going a little bit deeper with our members, so SPL registration is open RIGHT NOW but it closes on Thursday—THIS Thursday May 15th—at 11:59pm CST. If you have a friend who could benefit from a community of women figuring out our single purpose and our purpose while single, will you text them this episode and let them know about Single Purpose League? Every month we’re tackling topics that help us thrive as single people. We

Christy Nockels is here today to help us answer the question, “How do I process change in busy seasons?” She’s in the process of launching her third kid into the world, marrying off another, releasing a brand new lullaby album (of course you’re going to love it) and figuring out what parenting and life looks like entering an empty nest. Whether you’re in a similar parenting season or just trying to navigate the craziness that is May, I think you’re going to love this episode.  If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 52.  . . . . . 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’ve been thinking about joining Single Purpose League, now is your chance! Registration is now open until this Thursday night—Thursday, May 15th—so head over to singlepurposeleague.com to learn all about it and come join this special community of friends. We’ve got our own exclu

From time to time, we want to replay episodes that really stuck out to us or maybe episodes that feel relevant to things going on around us, and this is one of those. Whether you’ve heard it before or this is your first time, I think there’s always something new to learn about Scripture.  I recently got to teach the kick off to a brand new series at Cross Point, where we’re spending an entire year going through the book of Mark. Y’all know how I feel about the Gospels!! This Cross Point sermon could not have been more perfectly picked for me. I read a bunch of books and commentaries to prepare for this sermon, and I went back to our Gospels episode with Dr. Esau McCaulley to listen to him teach on the book of Mark and my feet were barely on the ground—I was so fired up about this book.  This episode isn't in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, but you'll want your notes page out for this one! . . . . . You’re invited to read through the Gospels with us during the month of May. We’ve got a whole reading group of

Y’all get ready because my friend Lisa Harper is here! She’s one of my favorite teachers and today we’re talking about being lifelong learners, the kindness of God, and what we love about Jesus. Her brand new book, A Jesus Shaped Life, comes out tomorrow and I kept wanting to slow down and re-read and underline because it’s just so deep and special.   We’re also going to dive into our question in our TSF Seasons Guidebook today: How do I rest in this season? If you’re following along we’re on page 51.  . . . . . You’re invited to read through the Gospels with us during the month of May. We’ve got a whole reading group of friends joining us and can listen along with us over on the Let’s Read the Gospels podcast, so make sure you’re subscribed. We’re also going to be reading in the order that’s in the Let’s Read the Gospels Guided Journal, so you choose to just listen, or just read and journal along with us OR DO BOTH. It’s totally up to you! We also have a facebook group for all of us who are reading toget

Our friends, Abner and Amanda from JOHNNYSWIM are back with us today and we got to sit down in person at the Hepzibah House in New York City to record this one.  Their brand new album, When The War is Over came out in February and y’all know we needed an album to be our soundtrack for the spring, so I hope you’ve already started listening to this one. It’s SO good. We talk about how this album was inspired by an intense season of change, our shared love for musical theater, and our favorite NYC restaurants. If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 49! Find the show notes here . . . . . Starting May 1, you’re invited to read through the Gospels with us during the month of May. We’ve got a whole reading group of friends joining us and can listen along with us over on the Let’s Read the Gospels podcast, so make sure you’re subscribed. We’re also going to be reading in the order that’s in the Let’s Read the Gospels Guided Journal, so you choose to just listen, or just read and

Our friend Eddie Kaufholz and I keep talking about anything and everything from which band we’d go see in a different country, what we love most about big concerts, prioritizing rest, and then Eddie offers up some GREAT suggestions for me and CAIN and the Live And In Color tour.  We added some note taking pages for you for this episode over in our TSF Seasons Guidebook and you can find that on page 48 of your guidebook! Come tell us over on @thatsoundspodcast instagram if you have an idea for a great name for Annie & Eddie listeners. What should we call you?! If you have any questions from this episode drop them in the Q&A box on your Spotify app if you’re a Spotify listener, or send them to us on instagram at @thatsoundsfunpodcast and we’ll try to answer them there! . . . . . Find the show notes here Want to watch this episode? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe  OR watch on your Spotify app! . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to fu

“How does love look different in different seasons?” Jada Edwards is here- I know y’all love her and I do too! We’re going to talk about what it looks like to actually love people well and being honest with the Lord. That’s not always easy, especially depending on the season you’re in, but Jada’s new book A New Way to Love Your Neighbor is an excellent resource to help us figure out how we do this. And I’m not just talking about you loving Christian friends. I hope you have people in your life who don’t believe everything you believe. If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 47. And if you’re wondering what we’re even talking about with this guidebook thing, you can find it at anniefdowns.com/seasons . . . . . Find the show notes here Want to watch this episode on YouTube? 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 t

Today on the show, we’re answering the question, “How do we identify when spring is here?” with Pastor Jon Tyson. Jon is the pastor of Church of the City in New York and a best selling author. We’re going to talk about identifying spring, revival and resurrection, and what role we play in all of it.  This is also our last episode before Holy Week and Easter, since we don’t release episodes during Holy Week, so we also talk about ways to enter into this next week as we finish Lent and celebrate the resurrection.  And if you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 45. As always, if you still want to get a Guidebook and join us, you can find it at anniefdowns.com/seasons.  As you know, we don’t release shows during Holy Week, but we do have an entire Holy Week playlist that you can go back and listen to where I read the Scripture from each day of that week leading up to Easter.  . . . . . Find the show notes here Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel

Today we’re answering the question, “How do I transition seasons?” with Pastor Levi Lusko. Spring is here, and with the changing of seasons can come all sorts of transitions—whether it’s physically happening around us, or in our hearts, our work, or our relationships. Levi is such a wise voice in this and, especially, can speak to the realities of the big impact of it all with the release of his new book, Blessed Are the Spiraling, which comes out tomorrow. If you’re following along and taking notes in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 43, and if you don’t have a copy but would like one, you can find that at anniefdowns.com/seasons . . . . . Find the show notes here Want to watch this episode on YouTube? 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 our sponsors! BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/THATSOUNDSFUN today to get 10% off your fir

Today Melanie Shankle is here to help us answer the question, “What do I do when spring still feels like winter?” Melanie’s always making us laugh on The Big Boo Cast, telling us which jeans to wear on the internet, and writing brilliant books and her latest is just incredible. It’s called Here Be Dragons: Treading the Deep Waters of Motherhood, Mean Girls, and Generational Trauma and it’s Melanie’s honest and deeply personal story of trusting God to heal generational wounds so she can be a strong presence for her daughter. I know she’s not the only one with this kind of story and like many of us has found herself at times in a winter season when everyone else is in spring and we’re going to talk about how to navigate that. I think you’re really going to love this conversation. If you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we're on page 42. If you don’t have a guidebook yet, head to anniefdowns.com/seasons to purchase yours so you can hop in with us for the spring. You’ll get emailed the winter and