
John lives a monastic lifestyle, and is notoriously hard to get a hold of. Here are the best ways to stay connected with him.
Author, Founder of Wild at Heart Ministries
John Eldredge
He is also president of Wild at Heart, a ministry devoted to helping people discover the heart of God, recover their own hearts in God's love, and learn to live in God's Kingdom. John grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles (which he hated), and spent his boyhood summers on his grandfather’s cattle ranch in eastern Oregon (which he loved). John met his wife, Stasi, in high school (in drama class). But their romance did not begin until they each came to faith in Christ, after high school. John earned his undergraduate degree in Theater at Cal Poly, and directed a theater company in Los Angeles for several years before moving to Colorado with Focus on the Family, where he taught at the Focus on the Family Institute.
John earned his master’s degree in Counseling from Colorado Christian University, under the direction of Larry Crabb and Dan Allender. He worked as a counselor in private practice before launching Wild at Heart in 2000. John and Stasi live in Colorado Springs with their three sons (Samuel, Blaine, and Luke), their golden retriever (Oban), and two horses (Whistle and Kokolo). While all of this is factually true, it somehow misses describing an actual person. He loves the outdoors passionately, and all beauty, Shakespeare, bow hunting, a good cigar, anything having to do with adventure, poetry, March Madness, working in the shop, fly fishing, classic rock, the Tetons, fish tacos, George MacDonald, green tea, buffalo steaks, dark chocolate, wild and open places, horses running, and too much more to name. He also uses the expression “far out” way too much.
What are young men struggling with in this particular cultural moment—and how is God meeting them there? This three-part series continues as John and Conrad invite Matt and Jack into the studio to ask about the longings, questions, opportunities and pain points of men in their twenties. The second half of this conversation is available as Bonus Content in your Wild at Heart podcast feed. Show Notes: Part 1 of this series is available https://ransomedheartministries.subspla.sh/zkt5d53. https://wildatheart.org/books/walking-with-god by John Eldredge and https://www.amazon.com/living-simply-golden-voice-chrysostom/dp/0764800566 are available wherever you buy books. Keywords: Young Men, Young Adults, Christianity, Finances, Career, Prayer, Marriage _______________________________________________ There is more. Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at mailto:questions@wildatheart.org Support the mission or find more on our website: http://wildatheart.org/ or on our app. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wild-at-heart/id427657975 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.thechurchapp.ransomedheart&pcampaignid=web_share Watch on https://youtu.be/bxxwz0gqrf4 The stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/when-laid-to-rest More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-minute-pause/id1471913620 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ransomedheart.pause&pcampaignid=web_share
This special bonus content episode features the continuation of the conversation between John, Conrad, Matt, and Jack in Part 2 of the Young Men series. The first half of this conversation is available in your Wild at Heart podcast feed. Show Notes: https://wildatheart.org/books/walking-with-god by John Eldredge and https://www.amazon.com/living-simply-golden-voice-chrysostom/dp/0764800566 are available wherever you buy books. Keywords: Young Men, Young Adults, Christianity, Finances, Career, Prayer, Marriage _______________________________________________ There is more. Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at mailto:questions@wildatheart.org Support the mission or find more on our website: http://wildatheart.org/ or on our app. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wild-at-heart/id427657975 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.thechurchapp.ransomedheart&pcampaignid=web_share Watch on https://youtu.be/koybbuewy6o The stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/when-laid-to-rest More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-minute-pause/id1471913620 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ransomedheart.pause&pcampaignid=web_share
What are the core questions, concerns, and aspirations of young men today? In the first of this three-part series, we invite Zane and Desi into the studio to hear their stories and ask what their generation thinks about God, masculinity, career, dating, marriage, and church. The second half of this conversation is available now as bonus content wherever you watch or listen to Wild at Heart podcasts. Show Notes: https://wildatheart.org/books/fathered-by-god by John Eldredge and https://wildatheart.org/books/killing-lions by John and Sam Eldredge are available wherever you buy books. Blaine Eldredge’s essay “I Solved the Marriage Problem” is available at https://blaineeldredge.substack.com/p/bonus-i-solved-the-marriage-problemhttp://substack.com/p/bonus-i-solved-the-marriage-problem. Keywords: Young Adults, Christianity, Relationships, Finances, Career _______________________________________________ There is more. Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at mailto:questions@wildatheart.org Support the mission or find more on our website: http://wildatheart.org/ or on our app. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wild-at-heart/id427657975 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.thechurchapp.ransomedheart&pcampaignid=web_share Watch on https://youtu.be/cn6dhg12cxw The stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/when-laid-to-rest More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-minute-pause/id1471913620 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ransomedheart.pause&pcampaignid=web_share
This special bonus content episode continues the conversation with Zane and Desi from Part 1 of the Young Men series. Show Notes: https://wildatheart.org/books/fathered-by-god by John Eldredge and https://wildatheart.org/books/killing-lions by John and Sam Eldredge are available wherever you buy books. Blaine Eldredge’s essay “I Solved the Marriage Problem” is available at https://blaineeldredge.substack.com/p/bonus-i-solved-the-marriage-problemhttp://substack.com/p/bonus-i-solved-the-marriage-problem. Keywords: Young Adults, Christianity, Relationships, Finances, Career _______________________________________________ There is more. Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at mailto:questions@wildatheart.org Support the mission or find more on our website: http://wildatheart.org/ or on our app. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wild-at-heart/id427657975 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.thechurchapp.ransomedheart&pcampaignid=web_share Watch on https://youtu.be/rgd_mncsqba The stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/when-laid-to-rest More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-minute-pause/id1471913620 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ransomedheart.pause&pcampaignid=web_share
The greatest series of events in world history—all that Jesus accomplished through his cross, resurrection, and ascension— isn’t just something that happened long ago. In this special Easter podcast, John and Stasi share how we can embrace and call upon the power of this reality daily for every need or issue we face. Show Notes: Discover more resources at http://wildatheart.org/. Episodes of Stasi Eldredge’s Captivated podcast are available at http://wildatheart.org/podcasts/captivated. Access the Daily Prayer (as well as other prayers) on the Wild at Heart app or our website at http://wildatheart.org/prayer. Keywords: Christian, Easter, Spiritual Warfare, Stasi Eldredge, John Eldredge _______________________________________________ There is more. Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at mailto:questions@wildatheart.org Support the mission or find more on our website: http://wildatheart.org/ or on our app. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wild-at-heart/id427657975 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.thechurchapp.ransomedheart&pcampaignid=web_share Watch on https://youtu.be/5mazgpkiggk The stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/when-laid-to-rest More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-minute-pause/id1471913620 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ransomedheart.pause&pcampaignid=web_share
Is it possible to calm our storms, order our lives, and find true peace in this anxious, traumatized, chaotic world? To answer that, John and Allen invite Manny Arango—pastor, self-proclaimed Bible nerd, and author of Crushing Chaos—into a conversation about Manny’s chaotic family environment and his dramatic rescue from it, his first encounter with the Wild at Heart message, the downfall of pursuing peace over order, and how to see the Genesis creation story—as well as our own purpose—with new eyes. Show Notes: https://www.mannyarango.com/crushing-chaos and https://www.mannyarango.com/brainwashed by Manny Arango and https://www.amazon.com/chaos-cant-overcome-against-shaken/dp/0578762749 by Allen Arnold are available wherever books are sold. Find out more about The Garden Church at https://www.thegarden.church/http://www.thegarden.church. Keywords: Christian, Chaos, Manny Arango, Book, Church, Pastor _______________________________________________ There is more. Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at mailto:questions@wildatheart.org Support the mission or find more on our website: http://wildatheart.org/ or on our app. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wild-at-heart/id427657975 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.thechurchapp.ransomedheart&pcampaignid=web_share Watch on https://youtu.be/3wyxxpd7jxk The stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/when-laid-to-rest More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-minute-pause/id1471913620 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ransomedheart.pause&pcampaignid=web_share
Many of us have been living inside a lie so long it feels like the truth. It has quietly shaped our identity, our relationships, and even how we see God. But there is a way to be free. Jennie Allen—bestselling author, speaker, and founder and visionary of https://www.ifgathering.com/—joins John to share her passion for God and heart for the lost, the growing worldwide revival among young adults, and how her new book, https://www.jennieallen.com/lies-book, reveals the three core lies everyone believes—so you can name the one running your life and dismantle it with the spiritual authority you already have in Christ. Show Notes: You can find out more about IF:Gathering at http://ifgathering.com/. https://www.jennieallen.com/lies-book by Jennie Allen is available wherever you buy books. Keywords: Christian, Baptism, Prayer, Jennie Allen _______________________________________________ There is more. Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at mailto:questions@wildatheart.org Support the mission or find more on our website: http://wildatheart.org/ or on our app. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wild-at-heart/id427657975 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.thechurchapp.ransomedheart&pcampaignid=web_share Watch on https://youtu.be/mv6qoqpb-pw The stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/when-laid-to-rest More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-minute-pause/id1471913620 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ransomedheart.pause&pcampaignid=web_share
Several times a year, John and Allen reserve the podcast to answer as many viewer questions as possible. It’s important we learn how to partner with Jesus in every aspect of life—including our biggest questions. This week’s topics address how to navigate life with ADHD, whether God wants us to dream about our future in what feels like the end times, what is meant by the term “unholy trinity,” the challenge young adults have when parents or older authority figures dismiss their insights, and what repentance looks like, both personally and collectively. Show Notes: Discover the Wild at Heart guided prayers in our http://www.wildatheart.org/app or on our http://www.wildatheart.org/. The Daily Prayer can be found http://www.wildatheart.org/pray. Keywords: Q&A, Questions, ADHD, Mental Health, Christian _______________________________________________ There is more. Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at mailto:questions@wildatheart.org Support the mission or find more on our website: http://wildatheart.org/ or on our app. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wild-at-heart/id427657975 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.thechurchapp.ransomedheart&pcampaignid=web_share Watch on https://youtu.be/cfvtzmvysww The stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/when-laid-to-rest More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-minute-pause/id1471913620 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ransomedheart.pause&pcampaignid=web_share
Over 40 percent of the boys in this country don’t have a dad at home. The result has been a dramatic increase in drug use and school drop-out—with some kids averaging up to 70 hours a week in front of a screen yet only 40 minutes outside. Countering that trend is https://www.kidsoutdoorzone.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=13668367178&gbraid=0aaaaabtpc3psbrdvhrwieuohiwgeyvixr&gclid=cjwkcaia-__mbhakeiwasbmsbpwkmvtrbnrmbzp2jqw4ds1rc4bwtthxiqhatr8dlinsgytfevkqchocetkqavd_bwe, an outdoor ministry for boys that trains and equips men to mentor boys through outdoor adventure. In this episode, John talks with KOZ founder and Wild at Heart ally T.J. Greaney about his difficult boyhood, his deep love of nature and adventure, and the inspiring origin and growth of Kids Outdoor Zone. Show Notes: For details on how to start an outdoor ministry for boys at your church, visit http://kidsoutdoorzone.com/. Discover more about Wild at Heart events and Fires at http://wildatheart.org/events. The book referenced in the podcast is https://richardlouv.com/books/last-child. Keywords: Christian, Kids Ministry, Outdoors, Kids Outdoor Zone _______________________________________________ There is more. Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at mailto:questions@wildatheart.org Support the mission or find more on our website: http://wildatheart.org/ or on our app. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wild-at-heart/id427657975 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.thechurchapp.ransomedheart&pcampaignid=web_share Watch on https://youtu.be/mgsmdmemc7s The stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/when-laid-to-rest More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-minute-pause/id1471913620 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ransomedheart.pause&pcampaignid=web_share
It’s incredibly orienting to discover that when we say “yes” to Jesus, we are now part of a great campaign—one that’s already in motion—to help overthrow evil, restore the human heart, and fix God’s universe. This wildly beautiful invitation, however, isn’t secondary. It takes priority over our personal plans and priorities. As this series concludes, John, Blaine, and Allen reveal practices for staying grounded in the larger story, ways that God is at work in the world today, and how the unseen realm dramatically impacts our lives. Keywords: Christian, Podcast, Grounding, Spiritual Warfare _______________________________________________ There is more. Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at mailto:questions@wildatheart.org Support the mission or find more on our website: http://wildatheart.org/ or on our app. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wild-at-heart/id427657975 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.thechurchapp.ransomedheart&pcampaignid=web_share Watch on https://youtu.be/ykcnmszklni The stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/when-laid-to-rest More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-minute-pause/id1471913620 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ransomedheart.pause&pcampaignid=web_share
As a new year begins, Stasi is joined in the studio by her husband, John, for a thoughtful conversation about the pace of life and guarding our hearts. Together they reflect on what the past year has taught them and the gentle invitation of Jesus to slow down, release false urgency, and come back—again and again—to a life deeply rooted in Him. ….. SHOW NOTES: ….. VERSES: Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) – Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Psalm 46:10 (NIV) – He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ Matthew 11:29–30 (NIV) – Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. John 4:32 (NIV) – But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about.’ John 4:34 (NIV) – Then Jesus said, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’ Psalm 1:1–3 (NIV) – …That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NIV) – But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Revelation 22:2 (NIV) – Down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. ….. RESOURCES Explore the Pause App – Includes the One Minute Pause, 30 Days to Resilience, and the Experience Jesus 20-day program. Simple, beautiful, practices to help you slow down and deepen your union with God. https://www.pauseapp.com/http://www.pauseapp.com The Daily Prayer from Wild at Heart – Now available within the Pause App or on the Wild at Heart App. https://wahe.art/4e1nsig Lectio 365: https://wahe.art/3ckq7xg Pray As You Go: https://pray-as-you-go.org Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did. By John Mark Comer https://bit.ly/4jzthci Stasi’s new book, The Ladder of Love, will be available October 2026. We are so excited, and will keep you updated! Dallas Willard quote: “Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” ….. Don’t Miss Out on the Next Episode—Subscribe for Free Subscribe using your favorite podcast app: YouTube – https://wahe.art/4h8dell Spotify Podcasts – https://wahe.art/496zdfn Apple Podcasts – https://apple.co/42e0oz1 Amazon Music & Audible – https://amzn.to/3m9u6hj