Jeff Johnson, a worship leader from Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia, has become a viral sensation after sharing his Chick-fil-A hack on how to save money feeding a family of five.
He has gained national attention from media outlets across the country.
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After posting a video on social media of his family ordering 30 chicken nuggets (6 per person) with buns on the side to make their own sandwiches, Johnson was surprised at how quickly outlets like USA Today, New York Post, Fox Business and Yahoo Finance picked up on the money-saving tip and wanted the inside scoop.
While the price of individual sandwich meals at the well-known restaurant are typically around $45, Johnson discovered big savings ordering his way, with a bill of only $17.
After seeing a social media clip about the hack, Johnson noted, “We started trying it and started seeing the savings so we kept doing it.”
He then posted the information on social media.
As a result of the notice the affordable and family-friendly food hack has been getting, people across the country have been going to their local Chick-fil-As and placing the same order.
“I was incredibly shocked at all the attention this has been getting,” Johnson said. “Friends started sending me messages when it started getting millions of views on X, and then when it got picked up by the New York Post, I was shocked.
“The following day, USA Today linked my Instagram and the post. I’ve had so many people sending me messages that they are trying it. It’s just funny.”
The Johnsons are grateful for this fun and unexpected way to connect with families across the country, and they enjoy hearing about other money-saving tips.
“People are always willing to help out and share the deals they are finding,” Johnson said, noting his family also looks for kids’ meals, family deals and finding out where kids eat for free.
Podcast
A year ago, Johnson and his wife, Jourdan, started a podcast called, “Open Spaces,” as an approach to navigating his personal testimony of battling same-sex attraction during his teen years and young adulthood, while learning to overcome those struggles through the power of the gospel.
“The heart behind the podcast is to help bring people out of shame and the lies the accuser brings against them,” Johnson noted, “that sins have rankings, and some are worse than others, or that to confess our weakness and sin is embarrassing. We speak against the enemy and plead the blood of Jesus over every sin, and call on followers of Jesus to walk in the full victory that Jesus died to give them.
“We were a bit afraid [since] you don’t often hear about same-sex attraction … in the church. So we wondered if we would get hate from those who consider themselves ‘affirming.’ But … we quickly saw the amount of people that were reaching out saying, ‘Me too,’ and needing a space to talk about this.
“We have received a small handful of comments that are against our message, but so small. God has protected us all along the way.”
Shared testimonies
Since starting the podcast, many have shared their own testimonies with the Johnsons.
“We’ve heard so many stories of individuals who are also struggling with same-sex attraction, not knowing that God can be a part of the process,” he noted, “many who felt like they had to walk away from God because of their attractions.
“We’ve heard from many married couples who have had hard times, and we’ve heard from many parents of kids who are battling their sexuality. We get to tell parents to hold onto hope and prayer, be curious and lean into the conversations with their kids. These conversations have been such a gift to us.”
The couple hopes others “would come to believe the impossible in front of them can be turned around with Jesus in the mix.”
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