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Constant Uncertainty
These months have taken a toll on our emotional and spiritual reserves. In the first half of this series, John and Morgan reveal what can get in the way of union with God.
169 | Summer Remix #3: The Dating Game
The focus turns to dating in this third installment of the And Sons Summer Series. Michelle Patterson from the Wild at Heart team chose Episode 85 as her favorite past And Sons podcast. In it, Sam, Blaine, and Luke share stories from their experiences in dating from high school to college to, eventually, marriage. You won't find any pat answers or formulas here - just stories offered to help you interpret the challenges and joys of dating, love, and marriage in fresh ways.
Invitation Into the Unknown
Jesus regularly invites us to follow him into new terrain, both external and internal. In Part 2 of the New Frontier series, discover how your reaction to change exposes your beliefs about growth.
168 | Summer Remix #2: Let Go of Control
It's summer...and that means outdoor adventure, lots of ice cream, and the And Sons Summer Series. This week, Stacey Burton from the Wild at Heart team shares her favorite past And Sons podcast. Episode 58 - originally titled The Danger of the Self-Arranging Life - is a look at what happens when we believe it's up to make life work. We need to care for our joy and our hearts, but the self-arranging life isn't soul care. It's a trap that can lead to isolation, obsession, and striving.
Facing New Frontiers
In Part 1 of the New Frontiers series - which originally aired in 2015 - John and Craig McConnell discuss how God invites us into new seasons and opportunities as a way to grow us up.
167 | Summer Remix #1: What Does It Mean to Be Healthy?
Welcome to the AndSons Summer Series. To mix things up (and to give them some vacation time), Sam and Blaine invited six of the Wild at Heart team to select and introduce their favorite past AndSons podcasts. First up to bat is Jon Dale - and he chose episode 73 featuring Dr. Randy James from True Life Medicine in Colorado. Dr. James redefines what being well - and what being sick - really means. In the process, he reveals how our culture and Western medicine have confused us about the best ways to care for our bodies - and why true wellness always involves the mind, soul, and body.
How to Really Live
There's striving and then there's living. Bart and Allen discuss how to pursue an authentic, wholehearted life connected to Jesus and filled with the fruits of the Spirit.
166 | The Shaping Forces of Our Time
Many of today's emerging social, political, and spiritual movements aren't actually new. Earlier iterations can be found throughout history. Sam and Blaine highlight some specific centuries-old forces expressing themselves in new ways, including: 1) Materialist vs. Supernatural and 2) Nationalism vs. Globalism. In describing these movements, they reveal how - without God - either side of a force will inevitably turn toxic or destructive.
Blessing Our Bodies
Stasi Eldredge invites Sue and Stacey to discuss how women can speak mercy and kindness over the bodies God has given them rather than chasing perfection or giving way to accusation, resignation, or shame.
165 | Life is Hard
Why can't most days be easier? We expect the occasional big storms that come. But it's the slow grind of the daily hard that wears on us most over time. Yesterday's leaky pipe. Today's flat tire. Tomorrow's unexpected bill. All men face this low-level thwarting by the enemy. Unfortunately, difficulty alone doesn't guarantee growth. Here are some new ways to interpret your hard days.
The Sentence of Death
In Scripture, Paul describes feeling the "sentence of death" in his heart—a despair of life that leads to a loss of joy and sense that all good things are ending. As the "Guard Your Heart" series concludes, John, Alex, and Allen reveal ways to resist this attack and cultivate hope in our hearts.
164 | Fathering Sons and Daughters
Being the dad of a girl is a radically different experience than fathering a boy. Yes, every child has their own personality. But a boy and girl also provoke the heart of a father in uniquely specific ways. Sam and Blaine share stories of being dads to their sons and daughters - as well as what this season is revealing about them as men, husbands, and fathers. It's the beautifully messy, always new, never dull adventure of being a dad.
Don't Let Hate In
In Part 2 of the "Guard Your Heart" series, John and Stasi address how to invoke love against the raging hatred that's swirling in our world.
163 | Jonathan Tremaine Thomas: Civil Righteousness
Jonathan Tremaine Thomas is an actor, activist, pastor, producer, social entrepreneur, fifth generation “preacher’s kid”, and the grand-nephew of the legendary Civil Rights artist Dr. Nina Simone. In this timely and timeless conversation, he addresses the topic of racial justice and reconciliation through the unique lens of the gospel. He calls it Civil Righteousness and it involves four key pillars: 1) Engaging Justice, 2) Restoring Communities, 3) Mobilizing Allies, and 4) Building Bridges. Discover how God, at his core, is a healer - and what it looks like to participate in the restoration of all things in this chaotic moment in time.
The Kingdom of Your Heart
In the first of the Guard Your Heart podcast series, John and Stasi discuss the concept of governing our hearts and how - even in hard times - we have the choice whether to let our hearts be troubled.
162 | The Challenge of Change
We live in a polarizing time of stark opposites. The result is growing tension fueled by an odd swirling of opposition, offense, anger, and withdrawal. Sam and Blaine process what's going on behind the scenes - drawing on research and examples of why we believe certain things, how we process new information, and why true change is both more valuable and complex than we imagine.