That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs

Today on the show, Eddie and I get to catch up about ALL the things. We’re talking about:

And we DO have a question for you today. Tell us your answers over on instagram: If you have $200 and 1 hour, where are you Supermarket Sweeping?

Find the show notes here

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

If you feel like you and your friends or you and your significant other are struggling with communication lately, keep listening. This episode is for you.

 As we talk about the importance of community, one of the fastest things to trip us up is communication. Think about how often miscommunication or lack of communication is the root problem in a disagreement or riff with your people.

Author and therapist Jason VanRuler is here to help us better understand our communication type. It gives us such a better look into why we may act certain ways i...

I'm so excited to introduce you to my sweet friend Leanna Crawford (or if you're already a fan like I am) to let you know about her incredible new album!

One of my favorite things about Leanna is that she doesn't pretend to have everything figured out. She's thoughtful, she's funny, she's deeply grounded in her faith, and I think you're going to walk away encouraged after hearing her heart.

Today we're talking songwriting, falling in love, dealing with comparison...ALL of it! Her brand new album “Thank God” is out today so you can star...

We have a fun new book announcement for you and ALL the details about what you'll get when you preorder Don't Let That Hold You Back! Visit dontletthatholdyouback.com

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We’re talking about community and commitment today… something we all can get a little bit better at, and one of my favorite couples is joining us for this conversation. 

I’ve watched Shawn Johnson and Andrew East build such beautiful friendships here in Nashville, both in their season of life before kids and now with kids. As we get spiritually stronger, this is our reminder that we do not have to do that alone. We’re going to spend the next few weeks really talking about what it looks like to commit to community, how to communica...

Every time you listen to a Spiritually Stronger episode this year, you’re hearing Riley Clemmons’ voice in the intro and outro music! Last year, I got to sit down with Riley and Dave Haywood and write this song to go along with our podcast series and I am SOOO thrilled that we get to finally release the whole song to you. So wherever you listen to music - Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, wherever, you can now stream our song Spiritually Stronger that is beautifully recorded and performed by Riley Clemmons.

Find the show notes here

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Today on the show, I get to talk with my friend, Hanna Seymour … on her birthday!

Hanna is a wife, mom, author, and podcast host and when her book, Everyday Spiritual Habits came out earlier this year I knew we needed Hanna to come on and help us do a little check in on our rhythms - what I think you’ll hear is not an opportunity to review your progress report but a reminder that it’s not about performance but about a God who just wants to be with you.

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Thank you to o...

I'm so happy to be here with you today to catch up with another artist friend who’s putting out incredible music in the world! Jamie MacDonald is a singer-songwriter with a powerful story of faith, perseverance, and finding hope in unexpected places. Her music has connected with listeners who need honest reminders that God is present even in the middle of life's hardest moments. 

We're talking about her journey of going from a back-up singer to selling out tours, what brought her back to Nashville, prison ministry, and what she’s learned on the other side of fear...

Don't miss today's episode. 7 + (25ish?) minutes of serious that felt really important and vulnerable. Eddie and I get to keep talking about hair washing days and health journeys - both complex in their own ways. But I’ll let you guess which one of us has a lot of thoughts about hair washing days.

We had a blast on the road this month with The Buddies Tour! Your fun t-shirts, your cute outfits, your excellent and hilarious questions during the show…we loved every single moment and as you’ll hear in today’s episode… hope we get to hit...

If you’ve often felt like you’re a soldier for God instead of just resting in being a child of God, I’m telling you, this conversation is for you. I know so many of you are taking vacations this time of year and our team is getting ready to do the same thing. It’s the perfect time to talk about why a yearly Sabbath really matters in the rhythm of our calendar.

Yvette Henry is home schooling her kids full time, while also being an author and podcaster. We so often get questions about what res...

Pastor Tyler Staton from Bridgetown Church is here today to help us figure out how to make space for Sabbath in our week. I know it sounds like almost impossible to reserve a day for rest and delight, but I’m telling you, this rhythm specifically has changed me. Whether you’re a busy mom or a busy college student, we’re going to talk about why Sabbath matters in your week. I think you’ll find that Tyler offers us all a really freeing invitation to practice Sabbath and how much joy there is for us to find in the mi...

Jennie Lusko is here to kick off talking about the practice of sabbath for the next three weeks. She's going to help us think through what it looks like to find moments of rest and pause in our day to day, which is perfect because her brand new book also just came out called: Fresh Mercies Everyday, and it’s beautiful. If making space for a Sabbath is something you’ve been wanting to do, we’ve created a Sabbath Practice Guide for you that’s available over on spirituallystronger.com. It’s got a list of ideas for practicing sab...

We wanted to give you a sneak peek of the brand new talk show I Gotta Ask with Annie F. Downs. This episode explores the question, "How does our faith inform our finances?" For more info on how you can watch the WHOLE season of I Gotta Ask, visit https://www.anniefdowns.com/i-gotta-ask/

If you want to watch this - check it out on your Spotify app, or YouTube!

Can you trust God and still check your bank account five times a day? In this straight-talking, soul-meets-strategy conversation...

Today on the show, I get to talk with my friend and mentor, Nancy Mattingly. Her life is testament of so much joy and gratitude despite having walked through suffering in some really significant ways. In fact, just 6 months ago, we weren’t sure Nancy was going to be with us much longer because of her battle with cancer, and today it’s an honor to hear her tell her story and share it with all of us.

We have a Gratitude Practice Guide available for you over on spirituallystronger.com - if you’ve never documented what you’...

Dating. Money. Grief. Fear. Faith doesn't remove the hard. It meets you in it. Before the answers and the breakthrough, there were real questions… and Annie is asking!
Introducing I Gotta Ask with Annie F. Downs! WATCH NOW on Wonder Project on Prime Video. Start your free trial today: https://amzn.to/4fm3U3v

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Today on the show, Eddie and I talk about:

That list of randomness is also exactly how The Buddies Tour is going. We’ve had an absolute blast so far on this tour and we have 4 more shows to go. Are you coming?!? We will be in:

Orlando, Florida on Friday, June 5th!

Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday, June 7th!

Tr...

Pastor Matt Chandler is here today for the second part of our conversation about confession. Last week, we talked about what it looks like to confess to God and today we talk about what it looks like to confess to others. Matt reminds us the way confession and repentance is a gift—an invitation to deeper intimacy with God and others.

If you missed it last week, we have a confession practice guide available for all of our paid substack subscribers over on spirituallystronger.com!
We’ve been so moved by the emails and letters y’al...

Pastor Aaron Graham is the founder and lead pastor of a thriving, multicultural church in Washington, D.C. representing more than 80 nations, called The District Church, and he’s spent years helping people navigate faith and culture. He’s also the author of a brand new book called Unshakable Faith, where he talks about how to stand firm in what we believe, even when everything around us feels like it’s shifting.

Today we’re unpacking a new spiritual rhythm-- confession. Aaron helps us rethink confession…not as something heavy or shame-filled, but as an invitation back into closene...

We recently recorded an episode of Single Purpose League about mothering, and as soon as we finished, I looked at the team and said, “Should we share this with the larger That Sounds Fun audience?”

With Mother’s Day this past Sunday, we recognize how complicated that day can be for so many of us. For some, you’re mourning the loss of your mom or the mom you’d hope for. For others, you’re mourning the fact that you can’t biologically have children. And for others, you’re carrying the tension of being a mom while also w...

Today we are unpacking generosity with my friend, Jon Acuff. Jon is always equal parts hilarious, honest, and incredibly helpful, and today’s conversation is one I think you’re going to love. As we talk about generosity…we’re going to talk about what it practically looks like, how it changes us, and ways to be generous with more than just our money. Jon brings so much wisdom and practical perspective to this conversation.

He also has a brand new book out called Procrastination Proof, so we get into that too—how to stop putting off the things t...

Welcome to the very first episode of what we’re calling AFD’s Friday Faves! I have a playlist on Spotify called AFD’s Friday Faves where I’ll update it from time to time with music I’m listening to or songs I think you’ll love, and now we’re bringing it to the podcast. 

These shorter episodes won’t happen every Friday, but we wanted to make space to tell you stories and introduce you to friends who are creating incredible music, so AFD’s Friday Faves will pop up in your feed from time to time, and t...

Now that we’ve covered 2 different spiritual disciplines, prayer and fasting, we wanted to zoom out for a minute and talk about the practical side of our rhythms. Do we have to start our mornings with a quiet time? What if you’re a busy parent or a single mom? What does time with God in the morning look like? We’re talking about all of it today with Jennifer Dukes Lee! I really think you’re going to love her new book, How to Love Your Morning. Honestly, if you’re looking for a gift idea for a mom, this wou...

Today on the show, Eddie and I get to keep talking about the new season of Serial, whether we got Olympics tickets or not, merch at the Masters, laundry services, SNL UK, and our fear of heights and claustrophobia... Y’all know we always have long lists to cover and it’s going to be the same way on The Buddies Tour!

Find the show notes here

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We hit the road for the Buddies Tour in 2 WEEKS, YOU GUYS! Have you gotten your tickets yet?! Eddie and I are coming to:

Keller...

Sissy Goff and David Thomas are here today from Raising Boys and Girls! Today we talk about the decline they’ve seen in the capability of kids throughout their work as counselors over the past 30 years, and what we, as adults who deeply care about this next generation, can do about it. Whether you’re a parent, an aunt, a teacher, or a mentor, this is an important conversation full of hope and also full of straightforward honesty about raising up boys and girls who are fully capable of taking on the world. 

David and Sissy’s brand new...

Today I get to talk with my friends Pastor Kevin Queen and Pastor Dave Clayton. Both are extremely wise voices not only in my life but in the lives of so many here in middle Tennessee. When I knew I wanted us to talk about what it looks like to do an extended fast, these were the 2 first I thought of.

We’re talking about everything from why it can feel weird to talk about fasting, what it looks like to lead people through a corporate fast, and what it looks like to do an extended fast. May...

Ryan Wekenman is back today to help us continue to unpack and better understand the spiritual discipline of fasting. If it’s something you’ve never tried and have always had questions or hesitations about, this conversation is going to be so helpful, especially as we get ready to practice fasting together tomorrow, April 14th! We have a guide for you to use to you have some things to read and pray through. That’s available to all of our paid Substack subscribers over at spirituallystronger.com. If you’re not yet subscribed, it’s never too late to jump us! 

Today on the show, I get to talk to my new friend, Sophia Ruffin-Wilson. Sophia is an influencer, author, creator, and prophetic voice whose message of deliverance and transformation has resonated powerfully around the world. I started following her on instagram and fell in love with her wisdom and overall FUN vibes and knew we were meant to be friends. 

Today you’re going to get to hear some of her story, what God’s teaching her right now, how Holy Spirit is speaking to her, and why she named her book It Will Be God.

There...

Alex Seeley is a Bible teacher, author, and co-founder of the Belonging Co. here in Nashville, and this is her 3rd time on the show. As we continue talking about the spiritual discipline of fasting, she is such a wise voice to help us understand why this practice really makes a difference in our relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and she’s also helping us better understand specifically our relationship with Holy Spirit. Her next book, which comes out tomorrow, is called  The Divine Counselor and is about just that— understanding we have direct access to the grea...

Holy Week Bible Reading: Easter Sunday

Matthew 28:1-10

Mark 16:1-13

Luke 24:1-35

John 20:1-25

(Read from my Bible in the New International Version 1984 and a portion of the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones)

#TSFHolyWeek

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Holy Week Bible Reading: Good Friday

Matthew 26:47-27:66

Mark 14:43-15:47

Luke 22:47-23:56

John 18:2-19:42

(Read in The Message Version)

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There will be no reading tomorrow. Nothing is recorded in Scripture of this Saturday. But Sunday is coming...

#TSFHolyWeek

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Holy Week Bible Reading: Thursday

Matthew 26:17-46

Mark 14:12-42

Luke 22:7-46

John 13-17:26

(Read from the Christian Standard Bible Version)

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#TSFHolyWeek

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Holy Week Bible Reading: Wednesday

Matthew 26:14-16

Mark 14:10-11

Luke 22:3-6

(Read from the New English Translation)

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#TSFHolyWeek

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Holy Week Bible Reading: Tuesday

Matthew 21:23-23:39, 26:6-13

Mark 11:27-12:44

Luke 20-21:4

John 12:2-11

(Read in the New Living Translation)

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#TSFHolyWeek

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Holy Week Bible Reading: Monday

Matthew 21:12-22

Mark 11:12-18

Luke 19:45-48

(Read in the English Standard Version)

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#TSFHolyWeek

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Holy Week Bible Reading: Palm Sunday

Matthew 21:1-11

Mark 11:1-11

Luke 19:29-44

John 12:12-19

(Read from my Bible in the New International Version 1984)

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#TSFHolyWeek

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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, Transfor...

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

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Thank you to...

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...

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 wi...

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 Fa...