From Clown to Cook County: How God Uses Every Broken Piece | David Ebel episode artwork

EPISODE · May 2, 2026 · 36 MIN

From Clown to Cook County: How God Uses Every Broken Piece | David Ebel

from Just Talkin' About Jesus · host Jan Johnson

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts!David Ebel was born dying — subject to a medical experiment at one day old, carrying 21 birth defects, and living in chronic pain from age 6. By 20, he had made five suicide attempts. Then he walked into a church because a girl was cute, found Jesus, and nothing was ever the same. In this episode, David walks us through an extraordinary life shaped by obedience: from dressing as a clown to share the gospel with children, to 12 years of road ministry in 49 states, to planting a church in inner-city Detroit, to serving as chaplain inside Cook County Jail, to building a Salvation Army corps from the ground up. He talks openly about living with chronic pain, his book When the Doctors Say No, God Says Yes, and his podcast God Says Yes — and why he wakes up every morning asking, “What’s my adventure today, Lord?”David Ebel's Website God Says Yes podcastThis is a conversation about what happens when you say yes to God and never look back.•       Hebrews 13:5 — “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (David’s anchor verse through chronic pain and hard days)•       Matthew 28:20 — “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (The “always” sermon that changed David’s early faith)•       00:00 — Welcome & Introduction•       00:32 — The Clown: David’s First Step in Ministry•       01:52 — 800–1,000 Souls a Year: Kids & Family Evangelism•       03:17 — Going National: 49 States, 20 Countries, 12 Years on the Road•       04:55 — Saying Yes When You Don’t Know Why•       05:17 — 21 Birth Defects, Chronic Pain & the Road to Brokenness•       06:24 — Five Suicide Attempts & Finding Jesus•       07:48 — How God Speaks: The Still Voice, the Mighty Wind & the Two-by-Four•       10:02 — Stacking Dominoes: Detroit, Cook County Jail & Church Planting•       13:04 — Building a Salvation Army Corps: Zero to 28,000 Sq Ft Debt-Free•       13:29 — Life Inside Cook County Jail•       15:08 — The Joseph Principle: God Uses Every Layer•       19:02 — Living with Chronic Pain: “Always and Anyhow”•       21:54 — Chosen for the Hard Places•       22:55 — When the Doctors Say No, God Says Yes: The Book•       26:38 — The Skeptic Editor & the Appendix of Victories•       27:49 — The Car, the Bridge, and the Frozen River•       29:25 — The God Says Yes Podcast•       31:01 — Who God Is Perfecting (Not Just Perfect People)https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/essence-of-lightLicense code: ZML1ML0ELF5JH4VJWelcome to Just Talkin' About Jesus.I'm Jan Johnson, a seasoned believer who loves relationships and, you know, just talkin' about Jesus.Here you will find testimonies of those who God has changed through his grace.Stories of feeling unworthy because of being sex trafficked, or of radical redemption of a woman who grew up with abuse, neglect, abandonment and drugs. A story of an abortion survivor. This and more. Lean in now. Consider subscribing to this podcast, YouTube and Substack- all with the same name: Just Talkin' About Jesus!https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesushttps://jan-johnson.com/https://justtalkingaboutjesus.com/https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesusThanks for listening!If you have a story to tell, check out the form on my website- justtalkingaboutjesus.com.I'd love to connect with you!No, really.... hit me up! 

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Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! David Ebel was born dying — subject to a medical experiment at one day old, carrying 21 birth defects, and living in chronic pain from age 6. By 20, he had made five suicide attempts. Then he walked into a church because a girl was cute, found Jesus, and nothing was ever the same. In this episode, David walks us through an extraordinary life shaped by obedience: from dressing as a clown to share the gospel with children, to 12 years of road ...

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From Clown to Cook County: How God Uses Every Broken Piece | David Ebel

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