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189 | Christmas 2020
Most of us are coming into this Christmas having experienced some mix of loss and disappointment from the strange year known as 2020. But the answer isn't to downgrade your hopes for what's still possible this season. Sam and Blaine serve up some much-needed holiday cheer and encouragement while asking a few questions that just may change how you view the past year...and this Christmas.
God Keeps His Promises
John, Stasi, and several from the Wild at Heart team read the Christmas story as a reminder of how God fulfilled his promises long ago...and continues to do so now. (Scripture readings from Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 2:1-20, and John 1:10-14)
188 | The Hope of Advent #2
Picking up where last week's podcast left off, Sam and Blaine talk about Advent promises fulfilled—and those yet to come. The consumerism, stress, and distractions of this season can leave us empty and weary. But Advent counters that by reminding us that the story of Christmas isn't past tense but rather still unfolding. It is a holy season of both remembrance and anticipation. That is the hope of Advent.
The Fight for Hope - Part 2
In the conclusion to this series, John, Morgan and Cherie talk about what Christian hope looks like...and how to hold onto it.
187 | The Hope of Advent #1
It's Advent season. A time of hopeful anticipation. And yet it's hard to even say the word "hope" without simultaneously feeling the pain of deep disappointment, dreams delayed, and real loss of this year. In the first of this two-part series, originally recorded in 2019, Sam and Blaine look at how our longing for Jesus to come again opens the door for true hope.
The Fight for Hope – Part 1
Advent is a time of great hope, yet so many feel hopeless as our world shuts down. Morgan and Cherie join John for a two-part conversation on why hope and belief are essential in this hour.
186 | Storms & Shelter #4: Relationships
Some storms are beyond our control. But the ones that hit hardest are often relational storms of our own making. Sam and Blaine reveal how to prevent the turbulence that often sabotages our friendships. Doing so requires us to invite God into our relationships—knowing he alone can help us choose redemption over gratification or self-interest with those that matter most. The result isn't just better relationships. It transforms our friendships into the very shelter we need to weather the chaos coming against us. In these isolating times, find new ways to strengthen your relationships and be a better friend to those in your world.
School During Quarantine
Navigating the challenges of virtual school from home is hard on both kids and parents. Jamie and Morgan join John to swap stories of mistakes made and lessons learned in these trying family times.
185 | Storms & Shelter #3: Persistence
How does adversity impact our bodies and sense of worth? Luke Eldredge joins Blaine in the studio to share his story of long-term injury, the resulting shame, and eventual triumph. Discover why our bodies affect our lives rather than our lives affecting our bodies, ways to push through the "pain cave" of physical (and other) limitations, and how persistence leads to restoration.
Disappointment and Hope
This Thanksgiving will likely be quite different from past ones. John, Morgan, and Allen discuss how to honestly grieve the disappointments and losses of this year while holding on to hope.
184 | Storms & Shelter #2: Pain
The question isn't whether we have pain. We have plenty. It's where are we taking it and how are we medicating it? But running from the pain never works. Nor does trying to numb it. Sam and Blaine offer a better alternative. Facing it. Through real life examples, they share how it's possible to press in and grow during the hard times—not after the storm passes, but right in the eye of it. So come on, don't waste your pain.
Here We Go Again
As the world locks down again, we've got to protect our hearts and souls. Here's some practical advice from John and Allen.
183 | Storms & Shelter #1: Trauma
Life can turn upside down in the blink of an eye. You receive a "mayday" phone call or need to offer help to someone experiencing trauma. Now what? Dan Allender provides simple, practical counsel on how to engage those in your world who have recently experienced trauma of some kind, suggestions of what's good to do—and not do—in those moments, and how to lovingly walk alongside them over time.
Chaos Can't
In this badly shaken world, John and Allen offer a defiant, hopeful message: chaos can't win. Discover how God overcomes the chaos around and within us—replacing it with beauty, life, and order.
182 | Missing the Point in Record Time
We live in a culture that demands we react to every issue right now. Answer fast. Beat the buzzer. Get the social media "like". All while we stay on the surface rather than going deep with the person or issue in front of us. But there's a better option. The Holy Spirit is here with us...to guide us. Embracing that truth will radically shift the pace and quality of our decisions. This is an invitation to slow down, stop reacting, and to be okay not knowing all the answers. From there, it's a lot easier to ask the Holy Spirit what's really going on.
The Story is God's Story
Those with the loudest microphones try to convince us that the main story is politics or the pandemic. But the story of God and of Jesus has been, is now, and always will be the story. And that is really good news.