Podcast Summary: “How Jesus Freaks Started”

Podcast: Christ With Coffee On Ice
Host: Ally Yost
Guest: Ashley Hetherington
Date: December 13, 2024

Episode Overview

In this moving and candid episode, host Ally Yost welcomes her close friend Ashley Hetherington for a heartfelt life update centered around vulnerability, hope, and God's faithfulness. The focus of the conversation is the behind-the-scenes story of their new faith-driven reality series, “Jesus Freaks,” which follows two women stepping out in faith and showcases everyday life as young Christians. The episode is a testament to perseverance, surrender, and listening for God’s guidance when launching a risky or unprecedented project. Listeners are invited into the raw journey of waiting, letting go, and celebrating God’s timely provision.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Reflecting on the Journey — From Uncertainty to Movement (00:00–04:55)

• Life Update Since Last Podcast:
  Ally and Ashley recall being in an Airbnb, uncertain and deeply reliant on God, with no answers and no permanent home. Now, several months later, they share newfound clarity, a home in California, and the official public launch of their much-prayed-over project.

  • “We are just living proof that he doesn't ever abandon us or leave us, and even just our deepest desires...the Lord is so on board with you that he wants those same hopes and dreams that you have.” — Ally, [01:55]

• The Waiting Season:
  Ashley gets emotional reflecting on the journey:

  • “Looking back to see his faithfulness, I'm about to cry. And I just pray that this episode gives you hope.” — Ashley, [01:32]

The Vision is Planted — Holy Zaps and Divine Frustrations (04:55–10:30)

• The Original Spark of ‘Jesus Freaks’:
  Ashley describes a moment at a 2023 conference, inspired by a talk on faith-based films:

  • “What would it look like if there was a show about living as a Christian in this day and age?...You can't even stop thinking about it.” — Ashley, [03:36]
  • Ally and Ashley explain “holy zaps” as the sensation of the Holy Spirit prompting action (“If you get a shiver, comment holy zaps in the comments below.” — [03:43])

• Dreaming of Christian Reality TV:
  Ashley pitches the idea to her family but keeps encountering dead ends and roadblocks.

  • “I brought it to my family...nothing is coming together. It is such a good idea, but nothing's coming together...I get so discouraged. I'm like, Lord, this is such a good idea...But...it was just hitting roadblock after roadblock after roadblock. So then I just surrendered it.” — Ashley, [05:50–06:46]

Divine Connections — The Friendship Catalyst (06:57–11:10)

• Meeting Ally & The Leap of Faith:
  Ashley and Ally meet in Nashville, instantly connect, and share their parallel desires to document authentic Christian life without the burden of self-filming.

  • “I just wish sometimes I could live life and show life, but someone else could just record it for me.”— Ally, [07:19]

• Ash is prompted to share her show vision after Ally’s remark:

  • “I just had this peace to share it with her. So I share her the idea, and then we proceed to watch The Hills on her blowup couch...We are going to make a show around following Jesus...” — Ashley, [08:29–09:08]

• Early Attempts to Launch:
  They pitch the idea to a producer but face ongoing misunderstanding and lack of clear support.

  • “People were understanding the concept, but they weren’t fully understanding it…everyone else just wasn’t getting the vision as clearly as God had given us the vision.” — Ally, [10:19]

The Art of Surrender — Obedience Amid Disappointment (11:10–15:00)

• Letting Go of Control:
  Despite relentless setbacks and confusion around the logistics (casting, location, production needs), Ally and Ashley repeatedly surrender control, trusting God's timing rather than forcing doors open.

  • “We would get to a point where we would say, ‘Alright, there’s a reason your grace isn’t on this, God. I guess we’re just going to have to trust you.’” — Ally, [11:19–12:10]

• Relocation to California & Shift in Vision:
  God redirects their lives to California (after initial plans in Nashville), teaching them that dreams evolve and surrender unlocks new directions.

  • “After our surrender, then God plot twists and shows us that we're not even gonna live in Nashville...the show's kind of gone over here now...God did his thing. We do live in a house now.” — Ally, [12:21]

Prophetic Encouragement & Unexpected Answers (15:00–20:06)

• Church Prophecy Affirms Their Calling:
  Before moving to California, a church friend prophesies their exact future, validating the vision for a reality show.

  • “She prayed over us...‘I see myself recording y’all. I see myself getting my equipment and recording you guys...God is saying, like, he is so excited to pursue this project with his girls’...She had no idea.” — Ashley, [16:25–17:10]

• Revelation at the Beach: Starting With Just the Two of Them:
  A breakthrough: God reminds Ashley that the foundation should be just Ally and her — “my project with my girls”—without waiting for big investors or a production house.

  • “Why are we waiting for other people to say this is a good idea when...we have our heavenly Father who will give us everything we need?” — Ashley, [18:18]
  • “So I asked the Lord, and he told me, sitting on the beach, he said, ‘Me and my girls.’” — Ashley, [19:04]

• Realization of God's Simplicity:
  They recognize that God rarely calls for complexity—He asks for faith and obedience, mirrored by their decision to “just start.”

  • “What he was telling us is that all we needed was him, which is actually quite biblical...all you need is me, that you can do all things through Christ.” — Ally, [20:06]

The Process — From Bootstrapping to Building a Show (20:06–25:06)

• DIY Filmmaking, Learning-by-Doing:
  They hire friends as rookie videographers, fill roles as writers, directors, producers, and investors themselves, paying personally for equipment.

  • “We literally bootstrapped...But I know the Lord loves it because it really gives him glory.” — Ally, [23:10]
  • “When we start recording, Allie then comes in as, like, a director…It was just cool the way that we were, like, filling these roles that I didn’t even know we would do.” — Ashley, [22:09]

• Facing Spiritual Warfare and Hardship:
  Intense challenges, technical glitches, “so much warfare,” and the need to wear countless hats underscore their total dependence on God.

  • “There was a lot of warfare. So much warfare.” — Ally & Ashley, [23:18–23:23]
  • “Going into it and realizing...we were also literally the subjects...we have had to wear a lot of hats because it was just on us.” — Ally, [23:32–23:55]

• Sacrifice Without Guarantees:
  Filming for weeks, sacrificing other work, they embrace risk even without knowing the result.

  • “We're doing this and we have no idea what the results are...Because it's worth it for the Lord. But we also are like, we don't even know what we're investing in, God. We're hoping…” — Ally, [24:40]

  • “That's where risk comes in.” — Ashley, [25:06]

Prophetic Words, Taking Risks, and the Show’s Purpose (25:06–28:24)

• Receiving Confirmation:
  A stranger delivers a prophetic word, affirming that God wants them to “create together and take risks together.”

  • “He encouraged us in taking risks with one another. And I was like, this man doesn't even know...” — Ally, [26:03]
  • “That sounds like G Freaks to me.” — Ashley, [26:23]

• The Name “Jesus Freaks”:
  Ashley gets a clear divine download: “The Lord just said, Jesus Freaks.”

  • “That's iconic. Jesus Freaks.” — Ally, [27:03]
  • “You do know that it's called Jesus Freaks, like, so you're probably gonna look a little bit like a freak, which is. Okay.” — Ally, [27:12]

• Show’s Description:
  A reality show about “two girls who move to a new city, following God and navigating the ups and downs of friendships, relationships, work, singleness, and everything in between.”

  • “We hope that it encourages you to walk with Jesus in your everyday life. That is the whole purpose of it.” — Ashley, [27:51]

• Trailer Launch and Release Date:
  Trailer just went live. Full season drops December 28th on YouTube.

Living By Faith: Lessons Learned and Encouragements (28:24–35:43)

• Invitation to Watch Parties & Community:
  They encourage groups to gather and watch, praying for community formation around the show.

  • “I really encourage you guys to schedule watch parties with your friends, please.” — Ashley, [28:33]
  • “We just pray that this is also a really sweet opportunity for people to come together in community.” — Ally, [28:43]

• On Risk and Trust:
  The pair share that they don’t know what will come next — modeling real, lived faith.

  • “Oftentimes when we step out in faith...God leads you as you move with him. So we don’t know what’s going to happen, but we know that God is going to lead us as we move with him.” — Ashley, [30:22]

• Faithfulness Through the Unknown:
  Reiterating that God’s presence, not earthly outcomes, is the “win” (“W”):

  • “No matter what happens, I still have God, which is, like, the biggest w. We could ever have. The results is not the W...the W is not, you know, the prosperity...It’s the fact that we still have our Lord and He’s proud and He’s saying, well done, and we did it for Him.” — Ally, [33:13]

  • “Because it was scarier to say no to him, actually.” — Ally, [33:16]

Testimonies of Faithfulness in Other Areas (35:43–39:35)

• God Provides A Home:
  After waiting until the “11th hour” for a house, God miraculously provides, fulfilling promises.

  • “We literally have a house and that was that alone...It was crazy.” — Ash & Ally, [36:49–37:46]

• Prophetic Dream Fulfilled:
  Ashley recounts a dream about her room—a detail that matched their new California home.

• Finding a Church:
  Through persistent fasting and surrender, God grants them a church home.

  • “You cannot expect God to lead you if you’re holding on to how you want to be led.” — Ashley, [38:32]

  • “If you are confused and you are stressed out, you gotta let go of your own understanding...seek God in everything. And I am telling you 100%, this will always work. He will always tell you what to do.” — Ashley, [39:23]

Closing Thoughts & Notable Quotes

• “It wouldn't be possible without the people who already, you know, follow us...he's already given us so many people who we know will enjoy it.” — Ally, [41:04]
• “He's our friend. And he wants you to take risks with him because he won't let you down.” — Ashley, [34:13]
• “Let's do something cool and show somebody how cool Jesus is today.” — Ally, [41:29]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ashley tears up reflecting on God’s faithfulness: [01:32]
• “Holy zaps” explanation and inside joke: [03:36–03:43]
• Prophetic word about recording them for a project: [16:25–17:10]
• The beach revelation: “my project with my girls”: [18:18–19:04]
• Naming the show Jesus Freaks: [26:54–27:03]
• Unscripted encouragement on surrender and faith: [33:13–34:13]

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Introduction, recall of last update | | 03:03 | Ashley receives original vision for a Christian reality show | | 08:29 | Ally expresses desire for true-life filming; Ashley shares her vision | | 10:19 | Challenges with producers and explaining show’s concept | | 12:10 | Move to California; Pause on show plans | | 16:25 | Church prophecy confirming TV project (“my project with my girls”) | | 18:18 | Revelation: God wants the two of them to just start | | 22:09 | Discovering their assigned roles—director, producer, etc. | | 23:23 | Acknowledging intense spiritual warfare during production | | 25:06 | Prophetic word encouraging them to risk and create together | | 27:03 | Naming the show “Jesus Freaks” | | 28:14 | Announcement of show release date (Dec 28) and launch plans | | 33:13 | Discussion of risking for God, obedience over outcome | | 36:49 | Gratitude for provision of a home and other answered prayers | | 39:23 | Ashley’s encouragement to seek God for direction | | 41:04 | Gratitude for their following and support for the new show |

Episode Tone & Style

• Warm, conversational, humorous but deeply faith-filled
• Relatable vulnerability (“We are rookies,” “We had no idea what we were doing.”)
• “Bestie” energy; genuine friendship and mutual encouragement
• Encouragement for listeners to walk with trust and risk with God, regardless of uncertainty

Final Words

This episode is a behind-the-scenes testimony to the faith, friendship, and perseverance required to do something new for Jesus—and how sometimes, God’s direction means letting go of preconceptions and simply stepping out together. Ally and Ashley invite their audience into the excitement and anxiety of their journey, eager to see how God uses “Jesus Freaks” to build both faith and community.

Be sure to catch the show trailer and plan a watch party for the full launch of “Jesus Freaks” on December 28, 2024!

Connect:

• YouTube, Instagram, TikTok: “Jesus Freaks”
• Instagram for behind-the-scenes, clips, and updates
• Release date for full season: December 28, 2024

“All you need is Me. You can do all things through Christ.”
— Message at the core of both this episode and the “Jesus Freaks” project