For the Love of a Krispy Kreme Doughnut

Summary

---

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]

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.

[B]

Eat it.

[A]

Someone shouted. I want to know A Krispy Kreme donut and the power of its sugary confectionary delight and the fellowship of sharing in its nutritional sufferings, becoming like it in its fat gram measurement and its caloric count. Taking the donut in both hands, I lifted it up and broke it apart, playfully mimicking the gesture used in the Rite of Holy Communion. Again, I inhale the sweet aroma of the sugary fried bread and offered it outwardly to the congregation. The room lost its mind at this point. And then I read with dramatic pace and effect the real text of the day. 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 of the dead. And then I recited the text of Psalm 34. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. And then I lifted the donut and took a massive bite and the house filled with joyful shouts and thunderous applause as the ecstatic delight on my face completed the story. So good. Let's pray. Father, thank you for your son Jesus. Lord Jesus, you are good beyond belief and better than the best. Your life is truly life and your presence is everything. 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, praying in your name, Jesus. Amen. Wow. So journal prompt today back to those two overlapping circles. You know, knowledge and knowing. You know, I was thinking about it. These are your two overlapping circles, Right?

[C]

Right.

[A]

You got me. What would you label the overlapping portion? Right. The space in which the donuts overlap in the Venn diagram. What would you label that overlap? I'll share my answer in Monday's entry. So I think that this is self explanatory. I think you probably don't need another comment from me today, but you know, I got a donut to finish up here. And the Donut palace in DeWitt, Arkansas tastes next best thing to Krispy Kreme. Here's my point. 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. You can get a PhD in Jesus, you can become an expert in religion. You can even become a Bible master. But until you have tasted of the goodness of Jesus, of knowing him personally, you really don't know. And I think that's my point. We're going to sing today one of my favorite old ancient hymns. I'll say more about it in a minute. Dad's going to be with me to sing. It's by Bernard of Clairvaux. Jesus, the very thought of the. With sweetness fills my breast, but sweeter still thy face to see and in thy presence rest. 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. Hey, everybody, it's time for a Saturday song. Dad, you ready to sing today?

[C]

I'm ready.

[A]

We're going to be telling what we're singing today.

[C]

We're going to sing a song that you may not, might not have heard before. It's called Jesus, the Very Thought of the. It's got a good title.

[A]

Yes, sir. What's the number?

[C]

127.

[A]

This is a song, y'. All. It is over a thousand. Well, it's a thousand years old, this song.

[C]

1849.

[A]

Well, look at there. Bernard. Some people call him Bernard. Yeah, I learned in seminary. It's Bernard. Bernard of Clairvaux. 1150. He wrote this song, 1150. The. The tune come along in 1866.

[C]

1150. My goodness.

[A]

These are a thousand years old. This is why we need a hymnal, okay? This is why we need a hymnal. We're singing songs spanning 2,000 years, okay? It's not enough to sing just the latest songs.

[C]

Right. The person that wrote this, if he could hear us singing it, it'd make his day.

[A]

Guess what? I think he can. Because you know where Bernard of Clairvaux is right now? The communion of saints.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I oftentimes think, you know, if St. Francis or if Julian of Norwich or if Bernard of Clairvaux, if they walked into our church, would they have any sense that they belong there? We got us. We're singing the songs of the whole church, people. The church. This is a critique I have. I love the new songs. I love them. I've written several of them myself. But if you're only singing songs that were written from about 2000 to now, it's not enough, guys. We got to reach back. This forms our faith, okay? Our. The songs we sing, they both form our faith as they express our faith. So we're going to sing. Five verses is a short one.

[B]

Jesus, the very thought of Thee with sweetness fills my breast but sweeter for thy face to see and in Thy presence rest. No voice can sing, no heart can frame the Nor can the memory mind a sweeter sound than thy blessed art Savior of mankind. O hope of every contrite heart O joy of all the meek to those who file have Thou art how good to those who seek but what to those who find not this no harm or d and show the Lord Jesus what it is none but his loved ones know.

[A]

Last verse.

[B]

Jesus, our only joy Be thou as thou as thighs will be Jesus be Thou art glory now and through eternity.

[A]

Yeah. Isn't that a good song?

[C]

Yeah, that was a good one.

[A]

That's. That's. You just. You want to sing with the saints? Because here's the thing about worship, okay? We're worshiping here, they're worshiping there. The saints are gathered around the thrones with the angels and the archangels and the living creatures and the elders. And we're all joining in the song of salvation. We're singing the glory of God.

[C]

John B. Dykes is up there right now.

[A]

The hymn writer. Yeah, that's right, people. Memaw.

[B]

Yeah, he's telling them we are singing

[A]

the song of salvation and it comes in 20 centuries. Friends, that's why I want you to. I didn't think I was going to be so strong on this, but. Guys, get the hymnal, Our Great Redeemer's Praise. I link it every day in the email, so. And like I said, if you're a church and you want to get this hymnal, you know what? Maybe you're a church and you feel like you can't afford it. I'm your guy. Call me. I can help you. We can work this out. It's so important singing these songs. This is the worship of the church. This is the worship of God. Alright, dad, it's Saturday and we got sowing to do today. Got good to put out into the world and let's get going. We've won the day. So for The Awakening, I'm J.D. walt.

[C]

And I'm David Walt.

[A]

And we'll see you on the field.

[B]

Amen. Sam.