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Video Update: Don't Just Assume
Friends,Today I've got something helpful that will make a big difference in getting free of what you've been up against this week. Even the relational stuff that's been nagging you. (Just me?)In love, John
E123 | Beauty, Vulnerability, and the Heart of God
Stasi invites Blaine Eldredge, our Director of Spiritual Formation at Wild at Heart, for a conversation about recapturing beauty—not the exhausting beauty our culture demands, but the deeply personal beauty that originates in the heart of God. Together they explore how Jesus reveals a beauty that is vulnerable, relational, and inviting; a beauty that isn’t based on performance, but draws us into His love. Come and rediscover the beauty that moves our hearts toward Him. This is Part 1 of a 2-part conversation.…..SHOW NOTES:…..VERSES: Genesis 2:18 (NIV) – The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”Exodus 33:11 (NIV) – The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.Deuteronomy 34:10 (NIV) – Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.Song of Songs 2:14 (NIV) – My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.Hebrews 12:18–24 (NIV) – You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them… But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem… to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant.2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) – And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.John 4:16–18 (NIV) – He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.”2 Kings 17:24–41 (NIV) – Clearly referenced in the discussion of the Samaritan people being brought from five nations associated with false gods and attempting to worship Yahweh alongside them.…..RESOURCESThe Green Ember by S.D. Smith https://amzn.to/4dyvZChThe Prophets by Abraham Joshua Heschel https://amzn.to/4wUgygG The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel https://amzn.to/4nEW8npGod in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism by Abraham Joshua Heschel https://amzn.to/49cEn99Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle https://amzn.to/495TaCECreation and Fall: A Theological Exposition of Genesis 1-3 by Dietrich Bonhoeffer https://amzn.to/4tPgr3hJesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration by Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) https://amzn.to/3RvX3dVThe Glory of the Lord by Hans Urs von Balthasar https://amzn.to/4wEjTA5…..CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS00:00 The Beauty That Captures Our Hearts01:52 Jesus Pursuing the Hearts of Our Children06:11 Why Beauty Begins in God07:41 The Danger of “Instagram Face”11:12 How Empire Erases Personhood14:19 The False Beauty of Invulnerability17:19 Beauty, Limits, and Being Human19:42 Why the World Loves Artificial Beauty22:25 The Enemy’s War Against True Beauty24:14 When Beauty Becomes Power26:14 The Beauty That Invites Relationship28:15 The Trinity and Relational Love30:23 God’s Desire to See Our Faces33:09 Jesus’ Beauty Is Deeply Personal34:45 Vulnerability at the Heart of Beauty36:11 Choosing Intimacy Over Universal Approval39:08 Why Every Woman Bears Beauty40:10 The Beauty of the Crucified Christ41:50 Jesus’ Beauty Pursues Our Hearts42:58 The Samaritan Woman and Divine Love45:59 The Lordliness and Goodness of Jesus47:12 Becoming Like the One We Behold48:15 Closing Prayer…..Don’t Miss Out on the Next Episode—Subscribe for FreeSubscribe using your favorite podcast app:YouTube – https://wahe.art/4h8DelLSpotify Podcasts – https://wahe.art/496zdfnApple Podcasts – https://apple.co/42E0oZ1 Amazon Music & Audible – https://amzn.to/3M9u6hJ
E879 | How to Experience More
Wild at Heart is a global movement based on a simple model: we stay small by giving away our resources and empowering others to bring this breathtaking message of freedom through union with God to their part of the world. The results are stunning. Men and women are hosting local retreats and gatherings everywhere from Australia, Scotland, Kenya, and Colombia to big cities and small towns across North America. In this podcast, Conrad and Stacey join John and Allen to announce some new offerings and tools, share spectacular stories of allies hosting events around the globe, and invite you to lead or attend a retreat or Fire right where you are.Show Notes: To discover more about Captivating 1-Day, Fires, Experiences, and Retreats, visit WildatHeart.org/events.Keywords: Resources, Stories, Testimonies, Christianity, Events, Retreats, Hosting_______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at Questions@WildatHeart.orgSupport the mission or find more on our website:WildAtHeart.org or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App
Video Update: When You Hit The Wall
Friends,Why am I sitting on my back steps doing garden stuff when I "should" be working?Your soul wants to tell you how it's doing and what kind of care it needs. But you've got to pay attention—and you do have a choice.In love,John
E878 | Ruling Your Domain - Part 5
In this final episode of the series, John, Blaine, and Allen share how to bring key external aspects of your realm into alignment with God, including your finances and pace of life. You'll also discover how to recognize and reduce chaos within your domain through the practices of prayer, canceling legal claims in the spirit realm, and invoking God's Creation Glory. To conclude, we offer a beautiful new reflection Pause (or Examen) to help you align your domain with Jesus.Show Notes: The books referenced are Free: Spending Your Time and Money on What Matters Most by Mark Scandrette, Rees Howells: Intercessor by Norman Grubb, The Journey of Desire by John Eldredge, and Moving Mountains by John Eldredge. The Examen Pause within this podcast can be found as a separate file at WahePause Examine - WAH Podcast E878. Send your questions about this series to questions@WildatHeart.org.Keywords: Christianity, Emotional Regulation, Spiritual Warfare, Prayer_______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at Questions@WildatHeart.orgSupport the mission or find more on our website:WildAtHeart.org or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App
Video Update: Not A Luxury
Friends,For most of us, self-care feels like a luxury, something we squeeze in now and then when there's a spare ten minutes. We treat our life in God the same way. If we can agree that "How do I fit God into a really busy schedule?" is the wrong question, what's the approach that's going to produce the life in God we really want?In love, John
E122 | Deep Calls to Deep: An Invitation to Encounter Jesus
Today’s episode is a special guided encounter, where Stasi gently leads us beyond learning about Jesus and into experiencing His presence within us. Through prayer, breath, Scripture, and sacred imagination, we are invited to settle our souls, release our burdens, and meet with the living Christ in the deep places of our hearts. We encourage you to set aside a quiet moment for this encounter, come expectant, and let Jesus draw you into His love.…..SHOW NOTES:…..VERSES: Ephesians 3:17 (NIV) – so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in lovePsalm 42:7 (NIV) – Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over meRevelation 3:20 (NIV) – Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with mePsalm 23:1–3 (NIV) – The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soulPsalm 18:6 (NIV) – In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his earsPsalm 18:35 (NIV) – You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me greatPsalm 91:11–12 (NIV) – For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV) – Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own…..RESOURCESThe Pause App — Includes the One Minute Pause, 30 Days to Resilience, the Experience Jesus 20-day program, and the Prayer of Descent. https://www.pauseapp.com/…..Don’t Miss Out on the Next Episode—Subscribe for FreeSubscribe using your favorite podcast app:YouTube – https://wahe.art/4h8DelLSpotify Podcasts – https://wahe.art/496zdfnApple Podcasts – https://apple.co/42E0oZ1 Amazon Music & Audible – https://amzn.to/3M9u6hJ
E877 | Ruling Your Domain - Part 4
We all have a kingdom. Within it, our authority isn't limited to internal thoughts, emotions, and desires—but includes our external realm where what we say goes. The problem is, chaos often comes against our attempts to order our external reality. That's because while we live in a love story, it is set in a world at war. John, Blaine, and Allen explain what the Chaos Dragon is, why C. S. Lewis believed there is no neutral ground in this world, and how boundary lines affect the reach of our rule.Show Notes: The book referenced is Addiction and Grace by Gerald May. The Bible that was quoted from is The Hebrew Bible by Robert Alter. Send your questions about this series to questions@WildatHeart.org.Keywords: Christianity, Prayer, Spiritual Warfare_______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at Questions@WildatHeart.orgSupport the mission or find more on our website:WildAtHeart.org or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App
Video Update: Press Through
Friends,Today I want to offer some encouragement for when you bump up against resistance in your practices. It's not just you, and it doesn't mean you're blowing it. In fact, the resistance is how you grow your strength.In love, John
E876 | Ruling Your Domain - Part 3
In episode three of this five-part series, John, Blaine, and Allen talk about additional ways to reorder our internal world. What do our loves and emotions reveal about us? Why do grace and forgiveness change us from the inside out? And how can what upsets us expose our disordered desires—and provide an opportunity for healing?Show Notes: The book referenced is The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky. The C. S. Lewis essay is “The Trouble with ‘X.’” The Wild at Heart podcast with Mary Ellen Owen is “How Can You Survive Without...?” - Part 2 (Episode 846). The Emotions Wheel is available here. Send your questions about this series to questions@WildatHeart.org.Keywords: Spiritual Warfare, Christianity, Internal World, Emotional Regulation, Emotions Wheel, Forgiveness_______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at Questions@WildatHeart.orgSupport the mission or find more on our website:WildAtHeart.org or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App
Video Update: Asking, Listening, And Following
Friends,I want to circle back to something I shared a couple weeks ago about asking God what we need. Here's my latest story of listening and following (and maybe a little arguing).I've also got a couple of event announcements: the lottery for the October Ladder of Love event is open through May 19, and a few more Homecoming tickets have been made available, so grab them if you haven't had a chance yet!In love, John
E121 | Fueling Intimacy: When You Draw Near to Jesus, Everything Changes
Intimacy with Jesus isn’t reserved for the spiritually polished—it’s an open invitation, already within reach, and woven into our ordinary moments. In today’s podcast, Stasi and Amber Sales—of the Wild at Heart team—reflect on what it means to cultivate intimacy with Jesus over time: trusting Him with our loneliness, our shame, and our longing to be truly known. He is already nearer than our breath, already delighting over us, and as we draw near to him, he draws near to us.…..SHOW NOTES:…..VERSES: Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV) – Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.James 4:8 (NIV) – Come near to God and he will come near to you.Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV) – The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.Romans 2:4 (NIV) – Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? …..RESOURCESThe Ladder of Love Retreat — October 1–4, 2026 in Fraser, Colorado. The lottery for this event will be held May 13-19, 2026: https://wildatheart.org/events/ladder-of-love-2026The Ladder of Love: A pathway to emotional healing and spiritual intimacy with Jesus by Stasi Eldredge: Available October 6, 2026 https://wildatheart.org/books/the-ladder-of-loveStasi’s Soaking Worship Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/60NJpEJ8knwoN9seX0kqkyThe Pause App — Includes the One Minute Pause, 30 Days to Resilience, and the Experience Jesus 20-day program. https://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…..Don’t Miss Out on the Next Episode—Subscribe for FreeSubscribe using your favorite podcast app:YouTube – https://wahe.art/4h8DelLSpotify Podcasts – https://wahe.art/496zdfnApple Podcasts – https://apple.co/42E0oZ1 Amazon Music & Audible – https://amzn.to/3M9u6hJ
E875 | Ruling Your Domain - Part 2
As this series progresses, John, Blaine, and Allen discuss ways to govern one’s internal reality through the categories of thoughts, emotions, and loves. This episode focuses on our thoughts. How do we align our thought life with Jesus? What are the Circle of Interest and the Circle of Control—and which should we pursue most? And how can we curate the countless inputs vying for our attention?Show Notes: Enter the Ladder of Love October 2026 retreat lottery here. The books referenced are Atomic Habits by James Clear, The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen, and The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. The Thoughts, Words, and Deeds Examen by Valerie McIntyre can be found here. The Pause App is available here. Send your questions about this series to questions@WildatHeart.org.Keywords: Spiritual Warfare, Emotional Regulation, Prayer_______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at Questions@WildatHeart.orgSupport the mission or find more on our website:WildAtHeart.org or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App
Video Update: Our Full-Blown-Affair
Friends,We're more shaped by the world than we know, and each generation has its own particular battle to fight with its culture. This week I've been thinking about one of ours. Confession time!In love, John
E874 | Ruling Your Domain - Part 1
Each of us has a personal kingdom, or domain, for which we are responsible. Whether it’s our home, apartment, or dorm room, we have a place where what we say happens. What does it look like, in the midst of a chaotic world, to bring order and shalom to our realm? This new five-part series begins with John, Blaine, and Allen talking about why God made us to rule, how we’re meant to grow in this responsibility, and what role consecration and invocation play in banishing chaos from our domain.Show Notes: The books referenced are Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by John Paul II and Michael Waldstein and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. Send your questions about this series to questions@WildatHeart.org.Keywords: Spiritual Warfare, Emotional Regulation, Intentionality, Christianity, Prayer_______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at Questions@WildatHeart.orgSupport the mission or find more on our website:WildAtHeart.org or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App
Video Update: Everybody Gets to Play
Friends,Today I've got a bit of Wild at Heart history and a fun announcement for you. When God is moving, everyone has a role. We've just released something new to make getting in on the action a bit more accessible!In love, John