Podcast Summary: The Wake-Up Call

Episode: For the Love of a Krispy Kreme Doughnut

Host: John David Walt (with David Walt)
Date: February 28, 2026
Theme: Moving from Head Knowledge to Heart-Knowing of Jesus

Episode Overview

This episode draws a parallel between tasting a Krispy Kreme doughnut and the invitation of Psalm 34:8—“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Host John David Walt uses the doughnut as a vivid metaphor to explore the difference between acquiring knowledge about God and truly knowing Him through relationship. The episode weaves together scripture, a memorable sermon illustration, reflective questions, and sacred music, inviting listeners to shift from religious routine to transformative, experiential faith.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening — Consecration and Setting the Stage

John David Walt opens with a communal prayer and daily consecration, inviting listeners to refocus their minds, hearts, and bodies on Jesus (00:17).
Sets up the day’s reflection: “For the love of a Krispy Kreme doughnut.”

Scripture and the Core Analogy (01:10–03:45)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 34:8: “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
Walt tells listeners to draw two overlapping circles (Venn diagram): one labeled “Knowledge” (religious practices, information), the other “Knowing” (relationship, revelation). The overlap is left as a reflective prompt (03:40).
Sets the theme: “I’m always trying to help people understand and appropriate the difference between knowledge and knowing and between religious practices and a relationship with God.” (02:30, John David Walt)

The Krispy Kreme Sermon Illustration (03:50–09:55)

Storytime: Walt recounts a sermon stunt where he brought a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts to the pulpit at Asbury Seminary. He recounts the history and makings of doughnuts at length, repeatedly teasing a bite but stopping just short.
Tension Builds: Each time Walt teases the bite, the congregation gets more restless and vocal. Someone finally shouts, “Eat it!” (08:53). He continues to build suspense, comparing his actions to religious practices that never cross into genuine encounter.
The Payoff: After much anticipation, Walt dramatically quotes Philippians 3:10–11 and Psalm 34:8, then finally takes a big bite of the doughnut, “and the house filled with joyful shouts and thunderous applause as the ecstatic delight on my face completed the story.” (09:44, John David Walt)
- Quote: “I could get a PhD in donuts, but until I actually put one in my mouth, I have really no idea what a donut is, do I? And it's the same with Jesus.” (12:36, John David Walt)
- Insight: Knowing about God (even at a deep level) is not the same as knowing God personally.

Reflecting on Knowledge versus Experiential Knowing (11:55–13:45)

Walt encourages journaling on the Venn diagram and challenges listeners: “What would you label the overlapping portion?” (12:18).
Memorable Quote: “You can become a Bible master. But until you have tasted of the goodness of Jesus … you really don’t know.” (13:28)
Wraps up: “We’re waking up, friends. We’re waking up. And the way you wake up is you taste and see that the Lord is good. Delicious, even.” (14:08)

Hymn & Worship Reflection (14:44–18:47)

Walt and his father David introduce and sing the ancient hymn, Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee by Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1150), emphasizing the importance of singing songs from across church history.
Quote: “These are a thousand years old. This is why we need a hymnal, okay? … The songs we sing, they both form our faith as they express our faith.” (15:36, John David Walt)
The singing (17:06–18:44) reinforces the theme: experiential knowing is at the heart of worship.

Final Reflections & Challenge (18:45–20:36)

Walt ties the whole episode together, emphasizing continuity with the church of all ages and the “song of salvation” sung by saints across time.
Quote: “You just. You want to sing with the saints? … This is the worship of the church. This is the worship of God.” (18:47, John David Walt)
Encourages listeners and churches to embrace depth in worship and community, open to helping those unable to afford hymnals.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Knowledge vs. Knowing:
“I could get a PhD in donuts, but until I actually put one in my mouth, I have really no idea what a donut is, do I? And it's the same with Jesus.” (12:36, John David Walt)
On Worship & Tradition:
“It's not enough to sing just the latest songs … The songs we sing, they both form our faith as they express our faith.” (15:55, John David Walt)
On Experiencing Christ:
“To know you is to love you, and to love you is to know you more. Come, Holy Spirit, and set our knowledge on fire until it becomes knowing you.” (11:01, John David Walt—prayer)
The Dramatic Moment:
After finally tasting the doughnut: “the house filled with joyful shouts and thunderous applause as the ecstatic delight on my face completed the story. So good.” (09:44)

Timestamps for Critical Segments

Opening Consecration & Setup: 00:03–01:10
Venn Diagram/Knowledge vs. Knowing: 01:50–03:45
Krispy Kreme Sermon Story: 03:50–09:55
Audience Shouts “Eat it!” 08:53
Key Point—You Can’t Just Study About Jesus: 11:55–13:45
Hymn Introduction and Discussion: 14:44–16:10
Singing “Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee” 17:06–18:47
Final Reflections on Worship: 18:45–20:36

Summary

In this engaging, memorable episode, John David Walt uses the universal appeal of a Krispy Kreme doughnut as a metaphor to drive home a vital spiritual truth: that head knowledge about Jesus is not enough—real transformation is found in tasting and seeing, in personal experience and relationship. Through creative illustration, practical journaling prompts, and the singing of ancient hymns, listeners are challenged to move from mere religious routine into the rich, sensory reality of knowing Christ. The episode closes with both encouragement and a call to deeper, more integrated worship, in communion with the saints and with God.

Transcript

A (0:03)

Hey, Good morning, Sower Nation. It is Saturday, February 28th, in the year of our Lord 2026. I'm John David Walt and this is your wake up call. So good to be up with you on this Saturday morning. We've got a special treat today and you who are listening will get a feel for it. But you who are watching on the YouTube, if you've never watched the YouTube, today would be a good day. It's going to be special. I'm excited about it. I've looked forward to it. I got up really early today to get this ready. Let's go ahead and dive in. You ready for consecration? It's time to open up the store. Wake up, sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Jesus, I belong to you. I lift up my heart to you. I set my mind on you. I fix my eyes on you. I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice. Jesus, we belong to you. And we're praying in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. All right, today's entry. Brace for it for the love of a Krispy Kreme donut. And our text today, Psalm, chapter 34, verse 8. Hear now the word of the Lord. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Now consider this. I'm always trying to help people understand and appropriate the difference between knowledge and knowing and between religious practices and a relationship with God. Now, those two things can go hand in hand or they can be a million miles apart. So today I want you to, on your page, maybe on your journal, your book, if you got your Jesus asking book, draw two similarly sized circles, but make them overlap each other. I want you to label the left circle knowledge and the right circle knowing. You might label the left circle, also religious practices and the right circle relationship with God. You might label the left circle information. You might label the right circle revelation. Now you get the point. To make this point come alive. Some years ago, I decided to pull a stunt in one of my sermons. I was dean of chapel at Asbury Seminary. Now, I'm not given to gimmicks, but I'm always down for a good stunt, especially when the stunt actually freights the message. I was preaching a sermon on one of my favorite biblical texts, Philippians 3, 10, 11, which says, I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. And so somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead. You know, my subtext that day. Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. Doesn't say read and see. Doesn't say talk and see. It doesn't say get busy and do a lot of good things. And see. It says, taste and see that the Lord is good. Now here was my real text, right? I took with me into the pulpit a dozen fresh and hot Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Everyone oohed and awed over them as I cracked open the box and unveiled them to the congregation. Now, just today I drove over to DeWitt, Arkansas, town about 15 miles away from Gillette to the Donut palace, and I bought some donuts. Okay, they're not Krispy Kreme, but they're as close as you're going to get down here where I live. You can see them if you're watching the video today. Ooh, wow, look at those donuts. So this is a picture of me carrying these into the pulpit with me in the Estes Chapel at the esteemed Asbury Theological Seminary. When I asked, who wants a donut? Every hand in the room shot to the ceiling. So I took a single donut from the box and began my sermon. Here was my real text. I want to know a Krispy Kreme doughnut. I lifted the donut to my mouth as though I were going to take a bite, but I stopped short. And then as I lowered the doughnut, I began to recount for the congregation the origin story of donuts, how fried dough has ancient antecedents, how the donut as we know it originated with the Dutch oily Cokes or oily cakes, which were more like doughnut holes, how the Dutch brought them to America in the 17th century, and how the ring shaped came into being, and so forth. Then I paused for dramatic effect and I lifted the donut to my mouth again, opening wide only to stop short and then lower the donut again. I reached for my text. Again, I want to know a Krispy Kreme doughnut and the power of its sugary confectionary delight. I launched into a compelling depiction of the process used by Krispy Kreme to make its delectable sugary glaze, how it's made from powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract and brought to the exact consistency required for it to flow like a river across the glazing waterfall and onto the crispy baked confection, affections passing underneath again in what must have felt like slow motion, I pulled the donut to my open mouth and even pressed it past my lips and under my teeth, where I held it suspended for several seconds. As I stopped short of biting into the donut and pulled it away, people throughout the room let out an audible gasp of agonizing frustration.