Fear Comes Free, Hope Takes Effort: Jon Acuff & Leland Vittert

About this episode

Jon Acuff and Leland Vittert share personal stories of resilience and hope in overcoming life's challenges.

This week, we’ll hear from Jon Acuff , a bestselling author and speaker who turns personal challenges into practical lessons for living with intention and resilience. From mastering goals to overcoming negative thinking, Jon shares insights that help listeners navigate life’s “hard middle” and keep moving forward, even when it feels impossible. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from journalist and anchor Leland Vittert , whose new book, Born Lucky , is a deeply moving story of his childhood with autism and the profound sacrifices his father made to give him hope and teach him resilience.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned : Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Ken Abraham Upcoming interview: Rebecca St. James Jesus Listens for Moms   Jon Acuff Zephaniah 3:17 Luke 15:11-32 www.jonacuff.com   Leland Vittert Born Lucky www.bornlucky.com Interview Quotes: “I just had this sense that if I would take responsibility for my life, I could change a lot of things I wanted to change.” - Jon Acuff “I think a lot of goals work better when they’re measured, when they are…

People in this episode

Host: Jesus Calling

Guests: Jon Acuff, Leland Vittert

Topics covered

• resilience
• personal growth
• overcoming challenges
• autism
• parental sacrifice
• goal setting

Keywords

• resilience
• autism
• personal challenges
• goal setting
• hope
• Jon Acuff
• Leland Vittert
• Born Lucky

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Jesus Calling, Jesus Always, Jesus Listens, Ken Abraham, Rebecca St. James, www.jonacuff.com, www.bornlucky.com

Products: Jesus Listens for Moms

Books & works: Born Lucky

Places: Zephaniah 3:17, Luke 15:11-32

More episodes of Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

• Rebuilding Sanctuary in the Wake of Trauma: Tim Hawkins & Michael Charles Olson · June 11, 2026 · 21 min
• [BONUS] Jesus Calling Scripture Study: Mornings in the Bible with Jennifer Dukes Lee · June 9, 2026 · 17 min
• The Gift of a Second Chance: Annie Bosko & Danielle Kartes · June 4, 2026 · 21 min
• Life’s Frailty and God’s Peace: Amy Grant and Andrew Osenga · May 28, 2026 · 34 min
• [JESUS LISTENS MONTHLY SERIES] God, Help Us Hold Both Sorrow and Hope: Tanner Olson · May 26, 2026 · 9 min
• The Loneliness of Addiction: How We Can Show Up With Love ft. Caroline Beidler & Jonathan Tepper · May 21, 2026 · 26 min