Hole in My Heart Podcast
283 episodes — Page 1 of 6
Episode 262: Uncomplicating Our Relationship to God | Hosanna Wong
Episode 261: How to Become a Person | Debra Fileta

Ep 260Episode 260 | How Should Christians Think About AI? | Christopher Lind
It’s time to talk about AI! We sit down with AI expert Christopher Lind and ask: What even is AI? • How can we have a gospel lens when it comes to engage it? (Is that possible?) • What is the potential for evil? • What about good? • Is there an overlord of AI? (Who controls it?) • How can we help our kids live in an AI world when we don’t understand how to? • What’s the hope? Next Steps: • His site here. • His Substack here. • Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. • Our NEW book here.

Ep 259Episode 259: The Myth of Good Christian Parenting | Kelsey Kramer McGinnis
We know there is not *a formula* for parenting and discipleship, but is there at least a “Christian” way to do it? Author Kelsey Kramer McGinnis says, “That’s talk about that.” Okay! Let's do it. With her book, The Myth of Good Christian Parenting, as our guide, today on the podcast we explore how Christians started to believe there was *a right way* to do “Christian parenting,” and how we can parent in a Christlike way without feeling like we are walking on a tightrope. Next Steps: Watch it here. Find her book here. Kelsey’s IG here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Read the Krieg’s latest book here.

Ep 258Episode 258: HIMH Podcast LIVE!! | Laurie & Matt Krieg
It’s our first ever Hole in My Heart Podcast LIVE, and we are taking your questions as they relate to raising wise kids in a sexually broken world: What are Matt and Laurie’s stories—and how do they relate to the Hole in My Heart? How did Laurie and Matt get into this work? Why is the gospel so important to conversations around sexuality? How can Christians approach pronouns? How can we help our kids not just put boundaries on porn but build strength to fight it when they encounter it? How can we talk to our kids as they go through puberty? How can we talk with people who demand we buy into their affirming LGBTQ worldview but refuse to hear ours? As a public school teacher, how can we lead well in these conversations? How can we talk about crushes? My kids are 3 and 5, my sister just married a woman, how do I help them navigate it? How can we talk with our kids about God’s design for sex if it feels too early? (We don’t want to over-expose them!) How can we talk to our kids about modesty? Next Steps: • Find Raising Wise Kids here. • Find the Impossible Marriage book here. • Find Laurie’s Journey Well book here. • Watch the whole event here. • Want to invite Laurie and Matt to your next event? Email [email protected]!

Ep 257Episode 257: From 2016 to 2026 | Kristen Miele
We are reflecting today on the last 10 years of the sexuality conversation with ministry leader Kristen Miele. We explore changes over the last 10 years as well as: How has fear of the conversation morphed in the last 10 years? How have disciple-makers in this convo changed for the better? What can we learn from our past mistakes? Next Steps: • Kristen’s site here. • Her IG here. • Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. • Ask Laurie a Q on IG here. • Read the Krieg’s book here.

Ep 256Episode 256: It’s Time to Talk about P*rn | Greta Eskridge
We always love conversations with people who truly understand the complexities of human sexuality, and today’s guest is no exception. Author and podcaster Greta Eskridge joins us to help parents and caregivers navigate one of the most challenging discipleship conversations of our time: pornography. Together, we explore how to thoughtfully and faithfully engage the topic of porn while leading the younger disciples in our lives with wisdom, clarity, and compassion. In this episode, we discuss: What to do when we feel unequipped to talk with our kids about pornography Why these conversations need to start earlier than most of us expect The specific words that are helpful before and after a child encounters porn Whether punishment is ever the right response when a child watches porn repeatedly How heart needs—not just curiosity—can drive teens toward pornography How to engage a culture that celebrates porn while forming resilient, Christ-shaped kids This conversation is practical, honest, and deeply hopeful for anyone raising or discipling kids in a sexually broken world. Next Steps: • Greta’s book here. • Her site here. • Her IG here. • Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. • Ask Laurie a Q on IG here. • Our book here. • Watch it here.

Ep 255Episode 255: Why We Wrote This Book Now | Laurie & Matt Krieg
It’s behind the scenes time of our latest book! Matt interviews Laurie on the writing process and more: What was the inspiration? What were the hardest and best parts in writing? What does it mean “by Laurie Krieg with Matt Krieg”? What is the one takeaway you hope people take from it? Next Steps: Find Raising Wise Kids here! Get the audiobook here. Raising Kids Video Series here. Our marriage book here. Our Journey Well book here. There’s still time to join the live podcast! Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Ask Laurie a Q on IG here.

Ep 254Episode 254: Faith and Food | Aarti Sequeira
Food Network star and author, Aarti Sequeira, is bringing the party to the podcast today. We hear her story of finding Jesus as well as: How did she get into the Food Network world? Does she even struggle with cooking dinner every day? How can we turn the kitchen into a sanctuary instead of a place of angst? How can God use our past challenges to shape our futures? How does Aarti shine light both in the secular world and in the Christian world? Next Steps: Get her book here. Follow her on IG here. Live podcast here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Ask Laurie a Q on IG here.

Ep 253Episode 253: Q&A: Marriage vs. Singleness, Helicopter parents, LGBTQ Family | Laurie & Matt
Happy New Year! We’re kicking off the year by diving into your thoughtful questions, including: How do we find the courage to speak truth with love? How can I love a gay friend well when they enter a same-sex relationship? How can a same-sex attracted man discern between marriage and singleness? How do I navigate pornography and masturbation conversations in a mixed-faith marriage? What healthy boundaries can we set for our kids when it comes to preventing sexual abuse without becoming “helicopter” parents? How do we engage and disciple our kids when family members identify as gay or trans? Thanks for bringing the content! We’re so glad you are here. Next Steps: Live podcast here. Raising Kids Video Series here. Our book here. Fight the New Drug Link here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Ask Laurie a Q on IG here.

Ep 252Episode 252: Healing the Wound Within | Chuck DeGroat
We’ve got author, pastor, and therapist Chuck DeGroat in the house—and he brought at least one of us to good tears. In this episode of the Hole in My Heart Podcast, we talk about healing the wound within and explore: Why so many of us swing from an anxious go-go-go pace into depression How we can begin looking inward—beyond simply calling a therapist The difference between solitary suffering and plain-old suffering Why boundaries matter… and where they can become a problem It’s tender, practical, and deeply hopeful. Join us? | Next Steps | Get his book here. Visit his site here. Snag the LIVE podcast link here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Ask Laurie a Q on IG here.

Ep 251Episode 251 | Q & A: Age-Appropriate, Boys Painting Nails, & Two Choices
It’s another Q and A! You ask, and we are thinking it through with you. What did you ask? “My husband is gay and left our family to be with a man. How do I talk with my kids about this?” “My son wants to paint his nails, play with dolls, or wear a dress. How do I lead him?” “My transitioning cousin is coming to the holidays. How do I engage them and lead my kids? “How do I know what is age appropriate to teach my kids about God’s vision for marriage and gender?” “How did you overcome your struggle with wanting to end your life, Laurie?” | Next Step Resources | Link to our book here. Link to our launch team here. Ask more questions on IG here. Join the HIMH FB Group here.

Ep 250Episode 250: Tame Your Thoughts | Max Lucado
People have 70,000 thoughts per day and about 80% of them are negative. What is that doing to our emotional health? What is that doing to our actions? How is that affecting our very DNA? Global bestselling author and pastor, Max Lucado, is here to help us understand not only the science behind our thoughts but the heart beneath them. How can we “take every thought captive?” How does something like anxiety and depression factor in? Is this just plastering a smile on a bad day or a rough life? Let’s talk about it all. | Highlights | • “Everybody else says ‘do,’ but Jesus says ‘done.’” —Max Lucado • “Just because you have a thought does not mean you have to think it.” —Max Lucado • “Thought management can also be called unceasing prayer.” —Max Lucado | Next Steps | • Get his latest book here. • Check out his site here. • Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. • Find Laurie on IG here.

Ep 249Episode 249: Father Yourself First | Glen Henry
How can we walk with others—our kids or those we are called to disciple— if we are wounded by our own parents? We need to be fathered by the Father first. Today, author and popular YouTuber, Glen Henry, helps us understand his journey of being fathered by God as he walks with his own kids. | Highlights | “When you have a child, you are collaborating with God on a masterpiece.” “I will fail my children. It’s not if I do but when I do.” “Our children and our spouses are our biggest assets. The biggest stage you will ever stand on is in your living room. | Next Steps | Join HIMH Live! Get Glen’s book here. Check out Glen’s site here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Ask Laurie a Q on IG here. Let us know what you think about the podcast here.

Ep 248Episode 248: Surrendered Sexuality | Juli Slattery
We don’t just follow a biblical sexuality We surrender our sexuality. What does that mean? Today we have Authentic Intimacy co-founder, author, and psychologist, Juli Slattery, back on the show to help us understand the difference as well as: What do we do if we feel stuck in our broken sexuality and shame? How do we love people who want to fight us? How do you invite someone into bringing their full selves to Jesus? What if we don’t want to do this ministry work anymore? | Highlights | “Most Christians have a saving knowledge of Christ, but they don’t have an ongoing intimacy with Jesus that changes anything.” “The idea of offering your body to God when you have been sexually traumatized is terrifying. It could be helpful to remember that although God has every right to pull rank, He never does that. He is always inviting. He gives, and He invites.” “When I wake up and my job every day is to engage in sexual issues, I have no energy for that. Honestly. I don’t like it. When I wake up and I see that my calling is to engage people on the spiritual issues that sexually often represent, boy do I get energized.” | Next Steps | Join us in GR in November. Join HIMH Live! Get Juli's book here. Check out Juli's site here. Hear our convo on her pod here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Follow Laurie on IG here.

Ep 247Episode 247: Q & A | Attraction, Protecting our Kids & Cross-Dressing
You aren’t making it easy for us today! Today, Laurie and Matt take YOUR questions including: + How should we navigate attraction—when it’s not to toward our spouses? (Single people, there is is stuff in this one for you especially when we speak generally about friendship/intimacy in friendships) + Is it hard to be married to someone who experiences same-sex attractions? + How do you protect your kids from violence while keeping them informed? + How did we talk with our kids about the shooting at Annunciation by someone identifying as transgender, and how did we talk with our kids about Charlie Kirk? (We recorded this before the funeral, FYI.) + How should we engage someone who attends our church and cross-dresses? Find Out More: • The Nov 7-8 Raising Kids Event here. • The Jan 31 HIMH Live Podcast Event Info coming soon!! • Preorder the Kriegs’ book here. • Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. • Ask Laurie a Q on IG here.

Ep 246Episode 246: Don’t Try This Alone | Toni Collier
Many of us know that we were not made to be alone, but what if we don’t have good friends? What if we don’t have friends who we can rely on in not just the good times but the hard? Today, ministry leader, speaker, and author Toni Collier is back to help us understand why we need godly community and how to get it as well as: What if I feel too disappointed in God to even talk to him as my friend? What if I don’t access my emotions well enough to share with others? What if I’m an introvert? Find Out More: • Get Toni’s book here. • Check out her site here. • Watch the last episode with Toni here. • Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. • Ask Laurie a Q on IG here.

Ep 245Episode 245: A New Tool To Help the Next Generation | Preston Sprinkle
It’s hard to meet a parent of young kids today who isn’t desperately wondering how to equip their kids for this sexually broken world. Thankfully, God is calling people to resource parents to equip their kids with a gospel vision for human sexuality, including a massive parenting discipleship project. It is called Christian Sexuality: Raising Kids, and you can hear the behind-the-scenes details with friend, author, and theologian Dr. Preston Sprinkle today on the podcast! Next Steps: • Preorder the series here. • Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. • Laurie’s IG here. • Watch here.

Ep 244Episode 244: The Day I Knew I Was Burned Out | Steve, Matt, Laurie
Burnout. Maybe you’ve experienced it—or maybe you’re in it right now and can’t quite name it yet. All we see is: 1 . Emotional exhaustion 2. Autopilot living or cynicism 3. Loss of fulfillment Yup. That’s burnout. How can we heal from it? How does it affect our relationship with God? And how can we move forward with hope? | Next Steps | • Forbes article (with a quiz) here. • Psychology Today article here. • The app Steve mentioned here. • Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. • Connect with Laurie here.

Ep 243Episode 243: Family Devotions Don’t Have To Be Hard | Ruth Chou Simons
It’s our season wrap episode, and we could not have asked for a better guest. Ruth is a teacher and author, and she knows the real-life challenges of helping kids to and parents to turn their hearts toward God. How can we practice something like family devotions without it feeling too forced? What if husbands and wives are on different pages about how to lead the family spiritually? Is structure helpful or hurtful? Let’s dive in. | Next Steps | Ruth’s site here. Her IG here. This book here. Her new book here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Sign up to get on the HIMH email list here.

Ep 242Episode 242: The Gap between Our Experience and our Faith | Michael John Cusick
THIS EPISODE. We literally cried. All of us. And it led to a mentoring relationship between Matt and our guest, Michael John Cusick. Why? We were struck thinking about how to *actually live* in that tension between our faith and our experience. Join us? Next Steps: Michael’s site here. His book here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Follow Laurie on IG (where she is the most active) here.

Ep 241Episode 241: Ministering to Families in Crisis | Jennifer Ripley
As ministry leaders and therapists (Matt and Laurie), we have often wondered: When do church leaders and pastors utilize therapists and para-church ministries and when do they care on their own? Do pastors always outsource? Do they never outsource? What role does the church have for families in crisis? Let’s talk about it with author and psychologist (and lover of the Church), Jennifer Ripley. | Highlights | “The church…will bring you casseroles, but when a crisis shows up, we often don’t know what to do.” “Pastors have a role in a person’s life that a therapist or medical doctor does not have.” “A Church community can provide healing in ways that others cannot. I can provide that somewhat as a therapist…but a whole community that holds people and gives them opportunities for growth? That’s beautiful.” | QOTW | What was your favorite children’s book while growing up? | Next Steps | Her book here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Follow Laurie on IG (where she is the most active) here. Sign up to get on the email list here.

Ep 240Episode 240: How to Help Our Kids Navigate A Porn-Saturated World | John-Michael Bout
If the average age of pornography exposure is between 8 and 12 years old, and the majority of Christians are looking at it regularly, we need to talk about it. Specifically, documentary creator and author John Michael Bout helps us ask and answer: How can we help our kids prepare to see it? How can we help them recover? What hope do we have? | Highlights | “Parents are often like, ‘We live in a technological world. I know there is pornography out there. I have no idea what to do!” We can throw our hands in the air, and bury our heads in the sand. I always want to say to parents, ‘Yeah, this is hard. This is challenging. We live in a unique time. But God has given you everything you need to talk about sexuality.” “At the heart of every situation where there is pornography going on, there are good and holy desires. They are finding their end in a counterfeit—in the wrong thing.” “There are good studies to show that the first person to teach on the topic will become the expert. As a parent, you want to be the expert when it comes to questions of sexuality.” | QOTW | What is something you have purchased off a cookie ad or As Seen on TV and it was actually good? | Next Steps | The trailer here. The site here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Follow Laurie on IG (where she is the most active) here. Sign up to get on the email list here.

Ep 239Episode 239: How to Form a Gospel-Identity in the Next Gen | Jonathan Holmes
It’s so easy to identify as “I am what I do” or “I am how I feel.” The next generations especially seem to feel this pull. How can we help Gen Z and Alpha understand who they are in Christ? How can we start with our own identity so we speak from a place of firm-footing instead of hypocrisy? Author and therapist Jonathan Holmes is here to help lead us. | Highlights | “A gospel identity is one that is received and not achieved.” —Jonathan Holmes “All of us parents can struggle with wanting to make our kids into our image, rather than helping them fulfill and live into their image-bearing capacity.” “God’s first words about sexuality are ones of invitation not prohibition.” —Jonathan Holmes | QOTW| If you had the time and the desire, what sport would you want to get really good at? | Next Steps | His IG here. His book here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Sign up to get on the email list here.

Ep 238Episode 238: Screens: From Fighting to Flourishing | Chris McKenna
Many parents feel a mixture of emotions about screens: On one hand, we see they can be useful tools. On the other, we feel a lot of shame because we are probably addicted to them ourselves and we let our kids use them too often. We feel shame, anger, and . . . gratitude? How should we feel? How can parents approach screen time with their kids—and move us all from fighting to flourishing? Christian dad, tech-guru, and founder of Protect Young Eyes, Chris McKenna, is here to help us. | Highlights | “Some of the loudest voices advocating for our children are coming not from the Church.” —Chris McKenna “There is no other issue on earth today that is at risk for darkening the hearts of our children than their digital spaces. It must be the thing we talk about second most to Jesus Christ.” —Chris McKenna “This is Brain against the Game—not Kid versus Parent. If our child acts wild after stopping a game or show, our instinct is to think, ‘This is my kid is fighting back against me and being disobedient.’ That stirs up anger and confrontation between us. But if parents can remember, ‘That game is harming them. I am going to be upset at the *game* because of what it is doing to my precious child.’ That pivots our anger into empathy.” —Chris McKenna | Next Steps | Follow Protect Young Eyes on IG here. Read Protect Young Eyes Resources here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Follow Laurie on IG (where she is the most active) here. Sign up to get on the email list here.

Ep 237Episode 237: Parenting Without Panic | Rachel Gilson
Parents and caregivers of the next generation need help to lead their kids in an affirming-LGBTQ world. Our guest and author, Rachel Gilson, said it well on today’s episode: “Even my friends who had great discipling moms and dads didn’t grow up in this cultural moment. Their moms and dads didn’t have to help them navigate these cultural questions.” She continued: “So even they feel out on a limb: ‘No one prepped me for this.’ There is a panic of feeling without a guide and lost. That’s no one’s fault but it’s where a lot of us find ourselves now.” Parents were not prepared for this. How do we live and teach the next generation wisely? We also talk discuss: How do we engage this topic not with a culture-warrior mentality but a Jesus mentality? When do we talk about sex and sexuality? How can we teach our kids a gospel identity? | Highlights | “We are made for love, but for love that is richer and deeper and thicker than our culture is currently telling us it is.” “If I talk about sex and sexuality in a way that is calm and confident, I am going to signal to my daughter that she is never going to be shamed for asking questions, and that she is not going to cause me to curl up into embarrassment and fear. “I worked as a campus minister with college students for a long time. I kept asking the kids who grew up in Christian households and came to university and who were strong in the faith, ‘Why did you not get inoculated to the gospel? How did this become real to you?’ The number one answer I heard over and over and over again was, ‘It was real for my parents. As in, when they did something wrong, they asked for forgiveness.’”** | QOTW | What generation do you actually belong to and which one should you belong to? | Next Steps | Snag Rachel’s book here See her site here: https://www.rachelgilson.com We talked with Rachel about temptation on the show here We talked with Rachel about friendship here We mentioned thinking through school systems with a certain lens. This is the episode Laurie was referring to.

Ep 236Episode 236: Remember Discipleship? Let’s Do It | EK Strawser
Discipleship is something Christians are talking about more. It’s so important. But…what is it? Today, author and pastor Eun (EK) Strawser helps understand what discipleship is as well as: --How can we become a community that centers discipleship? --How can we know if we are doing it “right”? --How does parenting relate to discipleship? | Highlights | “Discipleship means to imitate Jesus within the context of a community for the renewal of the local place around you.” “If discipleship is centered within a community, then that also means within a family.” “The discipleship of deficiency develops because people self-disqualify themselves all of the time. Jesus set out and said, ‘Every one of you who are making an intentional decision to imitate me within the context of community, you are a disciple maker. Go and make more.’ If that’s the call, then that should not be a leadership call. Making disciples should not be a criteria for leaders. It should be a baseline criteria for every congregant.” | QOTW | What do you need to prepare for winter? | Next Steps | Eun’s book here Her IG here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Follow Laurie on IG (where she is the most active) here.

Ep 235Episode 235: The Most Important Part of Parenting | Dan Allender
This episode left us speechless. Today, we are joined again by psychologist and author Dan Allender to talk about the most important part of parenting: Your marriage. (If you are a single mom or dad, we bless you and intersperse much of the conversation with relating the conversation to close friendships.) For those of us who are married, why is that the most important part of marriage? Dan tells us well: “Our children are given the gift of watching the reality of love and life brokenness and beauty being played out in the theater of our marriage,” he says. “They are in the audience watching closely—far more closely than we presume. If our marriage doesn’t have the ability to actually name brokenness but also glory in one another, our children are going to be hungry souls looking for what they were made for.” Okay, Dan. Help us out, friend. How can we lean in without setting the bar too high or low? This episode is one we will be going back to again and again. | Highlights | “The process of growing in maturity is a family affair.” —Dan Allender “You can communicate well in marriage when you learn to suffer on behalf of the other.” —Dan Allender “My story needs to be known by my spouse well enough and deep enough to be able to engage it. Eventually, our kids need to know our stories. Each and every detail? No. Age appropriate.” —Dan Allender | QOTW | What is your go-to birthday dinner? | Next Steps | Talking with us about “Sexuality and Shame” here. We also talked with Dan and Cathy Loerzal about “Which of the Six Types are You?” here. Check out Dan’s sites here and here. Snag his latest marriage book here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Follow Laurie on IG (where she is the most active) here.

Ep 234Episode 234: Your Parenting + Discipleship Q & A | Matt, Laurie, Steve
To launch our spring season focused on parenting and discipling the next generation, we are starting with YOUR QUESTIONS. We toss around: “What parts of ‘the sex talk’ were helpful for us when we were growing up?” “How can we protect our kids’ bodies without being a helicopter parent?” “How can we approach school systems that don’t agree with our beliefs?” “Should we talk to our kids about p*rn even if they don’t have unlimited access to the internet?” Pull up an earbud and join us! | Highlights | “My parents taught me, ‘You are not defined by your behavior by your sin. It does not identify you or define you.’ That was very helpful in critical moments.”—Steve O’Dell “One of the biggest indicators for how well people will recover from trauma is if they know they have a place they can come in the event that something does happen.”—Matt Krieg “If our kids are going to hear an unbiblical worldview of marriage and sexuality in their schools, they need to hear the gospel vision of marriage and sexuality in our homes ten times more.” —Laurie Krieg | QOTW | Do you have a word, a focus, or theme for the year? | Next Steps | Jay Stringer’s book we cited Julia Sadusky’s book My friend, Phylicia Masonheimer who talks a lot about parenting from the home here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Follow Laurie on IG (where she is the most active) here.

Ep 233Episode 233: Why Can’t We Stay Friends? | Bryan Loritts
Happy new year! Let’s talk about friendships? Author and pastor Bryan Loritts joins us today to discuss: Are friendships seasonal? (Should they be?) How can we make and keep lifelong friends? How should we think about boundaries with friends? | Highlights | “The reason so many of our relationships are superficial is we are too scared of taking the time and the risk to walk in truth with each other.” “There is a place to draw boundaries. I am just cautious against that being our reflex reaction the first time someone does something to us.” “Many people confuse transparency with authenticity. We have to be authentic with everyone but transparent with few.” “We are so busy so we don’t make time and margin for the longing of our souls for friends.” | QOTW | What is your go-to quotable movie? | Next Steps | His site His book His IG Connect to O’Neill Asset Management here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Follow Laurie on IG (where she is the most active) here.

Ep 232Episode 232: The Genesis of Gender | Abigail Favale
If you care about the gender conversation at all, we believe this conversation is critical. Dr. Abigail Favale wrote Laurie’s favorite book on gender this year called “The Genesis of Gender,” and the conversation about it is—*chef’s kiss*—rich and practical. Together, they talk about: —Is sexual difference an afterthought of the Bible? How can we define woman and man? Is the fact that intersex people exist the proverbial “trump card” for more than two sexes? How can people walk alongside those they love who wrestle with gender? (And what if we wrestle ourselves?) | Highlights | “The gender-affirming medical model presents itself as a quick fix. It is concrete. ‘I now have a very concrete, step-by-step process that I can follow that will speak to this misery I am undergoing.’ That is a very compelling narrative, so I have nothing but compassion for people who go down this road to try to manage their suffering. I have less compassion for people in authority who should know better.” —Abigail Favale “Yes, boys can play with these toys, but they are still boys because of the kind of bodies they are…You have a body where you could grow up and be a daddy one day.” And: “You have a body that could grow up and be a mommy one day.” —Abigail Favale “There was never a time where the medical establishment said, ‘The cure for anorexia is liposuction or to affirm young women’s views of themselves…’ Now we have adults in authority telling distressed young women [who wrestle with gender], ‘You are right about how you feel about your body, and let me help you to radically change it.’” —Abigail Favale | QOTW | What is the best pickle? (Oh, my word…Matt writes a haiku against pickles hahaha) | Next Steps | Abigail’s new memoir here. Her gender book here. Her Twitter: Twitter/X @FavaleAbs Connect to O’Neill Asset Management here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Follow Laurie on IG (where she is the most active) here.

Ep 231Episode 231: Everyday Evangelism | David Bennett
We LOVED this conversation. In the midst of divisive ... everything… in the world today, it reminded us about what really matters: JESUS. THE GOSPEL. And that sharing Jesus (evangelism) is an absolute joy when you love Him. Theologian, author, and our friend, David Bennett, is the one who reminds us of our first love (Jesus), and also helps us think through: —Why should we tell people about Jesus? How can we make it less awkward? Should it feel natural to us? What if people respond poorly? | Highlights | “If I was married, I would tell people how amazing my spouse is all the time because I like to share good things with people. If you’re in love with Someone, you talk about them. That’s my favorite form of evangelism.” —David Bennett “Why do I love evangelism? Because I get to see God—Jesus—born in someone. There is nothing better than that in the world.” —David Bennett “When you realize, ‘I ain’t got nothing’—that’s when you’re the best evangelist. Because I don’t have anything. Even with all my degrees, who cares? What matters is that Jesus died and rose again and he’s awesome and there’s nothing better in life and people need that and are perishing and it’s urgent.” —David Bennett | QOTW | What was your youth group name if you had one—or what would you name it now? | Next Steps | David joined us twice before. Listen here and here. David’s site here. David’s IG here. Connect to O’Neill Asset Management here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Follow Laurie on IG (where she is the most active) here.

Ep 230Episode 230: Laurie’s Book Club | Anxious Generation
We’re trying something new called Laurie’s Book Club, where “she reads the book so you don’t have to. Granted, we would love it if you read the book and “discussed” it alongside us on the pod, but if you’re anything like most of the world, you’d love to hear a summary of the book, any major nuggets, a little discussion, and call it a day. That’s what we are starting today! The book of focus is Jonathan Haidt’s instant NYTimes best seller, The Anxious Generation. It’s globally shaking up families, school systems, and even legislation around phones and screen times for the Gen Z—and we believe it’s shaking it in a good way. How? It names some of the problems for the massive anxiety and depression outbreak among Gen Z and it offers some solutions. What are they? You’re going to have to listen in—but you don’t have to read the book. | Highlights | “I see the mindsets in p*rnography as in social media: They can be a means to control negative emotions, they can foster passivity to your real life, you can consume the image of another person, and you are always seeking novelty. The more we live out of these mindsets in social media, the easier it is to jump over to the more overtly negative ones like p*rn.” —Matt Krieg “If I was to summarize Haidt's thesis statement it would be: Parents, over-protect online, and under-protect in real life when it comes to real life, outdoor play with trusted friends.” —Laurie Krieg “I think that the ironic thing about this is that what we have been told the intent of mobile technology is that it is a point of connection, but the evidence is showing that it is creating this weird isolation. It is an ironic result.” —Steve O’Dell | Next Steps | Find Haidt’s book here. Connect to O’Neill Asset Management here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Follow Laurie on IG (where she is the most active) here.

Ep 229Episode 229: Let’s Get a Proper Theology of Suffering | Kelly Kapic
Suffering, eh? Sounds … super … fun. Ya know, the older we get, the more we realize just how important our theology of suffering is when we are … well, suffering. As Kelly Kapic said in today’s episode, “You don’t realize how flimsy your theology of suffering is until you use it as a resource to live on.” For example, if we think suffering should be escaped, *when* we suffer we will try to outrun it. (Which is hard to do if we are enduring physical pain.) If we think suffering should be embraced, *when* we suffer we might try to make it our identity. Let’s get a proper theology of suffering with someone who isn’t just a theologian of suffering but someone who knows it personally: Author Kelly Kapic. Together, we talk about: How can we suffer with high hope and high lament? How can we deal with our chronic pain of the soul or body? What is up with the book of Job? Is God a bully or kind? How can we pivot our hearts to suffer well now or in the future? | Highlights | “You don’t realize how flimsy your theology of suffering is until you use it as a resource to live on. It’s like trying to exist on saltine crackers, and you think, ’No, I need some real nourishment here.’” —Kelly Kapic “How we respond to suffering really does betray a lot of our view of God.” —Kelly Kapic “The unsettling thing about Job is that God never answers Job’s questions. He doesn’t. The answer to Job’s question is that God shows up.” —Kelly Kapic | QOTW | Space or ocean? Which is better? | Next Steps | Find Kelly’s book here. Find Kelly’s articles on TGC here. Connect to O’Neill Asset Management here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Follow Laurie on IG (where she is the most active) here.

Ep 228Episode 228: Discipling Someone Who Wrestles with Gender | Kat LaPrairie
When I [Laurie] met Kat, she was planning to marry her girlfriend and was considering transitioning to male. But God was already drawing Kat to Himself, and He tapped me on the shoulder to join the process. Hear the whole discipleship journey between us today on the podcast. | Highlights | “I would be doing absolutely nothing and I would feel this conviction … This fear of ‘Am I making the right choice? Am I rejecting The One?’” —Kat LaPrairie “This is going to be difficult, it is not solved, my life is still a mess, but this is the first choice in a series of choices that is going to make a difference.” —Kat LaPrairie “Now, when I notice that temptation for a relationship or when gender dysphoria really ramps up, I know that it is signifying something deeper going on inside of me. “ —Kat LaPrairie | QOTW | Mullets: Yes or no? ;) | Next Step Resources | Listen to Kat’s first conversation with us Find Kat on IG here. Find Journey Well here. Connect to O’Neill Asset Management here. Join the HIMH Pod FB group here. Follow Laurie on IG (where she is the most active) here.

Ep 227Episode 227: Recovering Our Souls From P*rn Addiction | Sam Jolman
A new Barna study says 54% of Christians watch p*rnography. This number is only 7 percentage points behind the percent of all U.S. adults who consume it (61%). We need help. How can we get the help we need for our addictions at a soul-deep level? Author and therapist Sam Jolman is here to assist. Together, we discuss: —Is male sexuality just extra broken or what? —How can we (as men and women) process our first encounter with p*rnography? —How can we as parents help ready our kids for a porn-pervasive world? —What can we do if we are caught in an addiction cycle? Is there anything to do other than accountability programs? | Highlights | “Evil hates your sexuality. Evil hates the sexuality of your children. It does not want you to be alive and well in your sexuality; nor does it want that for your children, because our sexuality mirrors so much of our hearts as lovers and worshippers of God.” —Sam Jolman “Most men’s story of being introduced to pornography is a story of harm.” —Sam Jolman “[Pornography introduction to kids is a story of harm because…] you have no capacity to know what is coming… You have no capacity to consent. You’re a kid! Even if you ‘knew’ what it was, you really have no idea what this pornography world is. When somebody introduces it to you, often there is an invitation—sometimes out of that person’s arousal or desire to sexualize you… But to suddenly have such material, and to have your body awakened to something but without a category for what you are experiencing—that is a violation.” —Sam Jolman “Even in our worst sin we cannot eradicate the glory of God in us.” —Sam Jolman |Next Step Resources| Good pictures and bad pictures: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Pictures-Bad-Porn-Proofing-Todays/dp/0997318732 Sam’s book: https://www.samjolman.com/the-sex-talk-you-never-got-book/#buynow Sam’s site:https://www.samjolman.com/ Sam’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/samjolman/?hl=en Connect to O’Neill Asset Management: https://www.oneillassetmanagement.com Join the HIMH Pod FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/himhpodcast Follow Laurie on IG (where she is the most active): https://www.instagram.com/laurie_krieg/

Ep 226Episode 226: Are You Weak? Good! | Eric Schumacher
Many of us grew up in the church hearing that weakness was a good thing: In our weakness, God is strong through us. If that’s true, why does weakness feel so terrible? Today, we talk with author, podcaster, and pastor, Eric Schumacher about “the good gift of weakness,” why many of us don’t like it, and why it is the best place to thrive as a human being. We also discuss: —How did Eric’s “failing at ministry” help him to recover his life? —Is weakness found in creation and in the new heavens and new earth, not just in the sinful world? —What if we are tired of being weak? | Highlights | “Is there a place in the Kingdom for someone as weak as me?” “This is the good news for the Christian: Jesus became weaker than we will ever be because He was dead under God’s curse, and we will never be that weak because He was.” “Paul knew Jesus was the kind of man who would invite his disciples to see him trembling and sorrowful to the point of death in the garden of Gethsemane. Part of imitating that Savior is putting your own weakness on display for all to see.” | Next Step Resources | Eric’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Gift-Weakness-Strength-Redemption/dp/0736988661 Eric’s site: https://emschumacher.com/about-eric/ Eric’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/emschumacher Connect to O’Neill Asset Management: https://www.oneillassetmanagement.com Join the HIMH Pod FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/himhpodcast Follow Laurie on IG (where she is the most active):https://www.instagram.com/laurie_krieg/

Ep 225Episode 225: How to Stay Sane Through Another Political Cycle | Preston Sprinkle
Something we so appreciate about Dr. Preston Sprinkle is he doesn’t tell us what to think, he encourages us to think about what we are thinking about. When it comes to engaging politics, we need people to help us think about politics biblically first. If you’re like us, you’re all done with politics…yesterday. And yet, we cannot escape it. Is there a way to engage it without losing our minds (and faith)? Theologian, author, podcaster, and friend of the podcast, Preston Sprinkle, is just the expert we need to help us think about politics biblically. We discuss: How can we vote with a Kingdom of God mindset? What is the Kingdom of God anyway? You talk about “exiles” and “Babylon,” and I hear that language in the Bible, but how does that apply today? If we are primarily citizens of the Kingdom of God, does that mean we should never take an active role in political things? | Highlights | “The day after the election, your kingdom mission is exactly the same, and the power you have to fulfill that kingdom mission is exactly the same. The values you are to embody are exactly the same.” “Our primary citizenship is as a member of Christ’s global, multiethnic kingdom that has been dispersed among the nations.” “Our allegiance to King Jesus should throw a heavy shadow on all the things that these earthly kingdoms are doing.” | QOTW | What game are you secretly good at? (You guys make us laugh!) | Next Step Resources | Read Preston’s ‘Exiles’ book here Read the Bible he edited here Connect to O’Neill Asset Management here Join the HIMH Pod FB group here Follow Laurie on IG here (where she is the most active)

Ep 224Episode 224: Why We Need to Look Back to Move Forward | Lisa-Jo Baker
If you have ever struggled to process your story (and who hasn’t??), this episode is for you. Author, teacher, and child-of-a-one-time angry father, Lisa Jo Baker, takes us by the hand and guides us to take the tiniest look back so we can move forward into healing. | Main Themes | Why do we avoid going back into our stories? Why do we need to? (Do we need to?) How can you write a book about the most painful places in our lives? What if those we love don’t want to or can’t reconcile? | Highlights | “A thought dropped into my head, ‘You need to speak about what it was like to be the child of an angry parent.’” “By the time I finished writing the chapter, I would feel this profound sense of, ‘Oh, He did it again!’ Jesus went back, picked apart these terrible places in my life, and brought healing.” “If you take anything from my story, it’s this: it wasn’t me, I didn’t do it. It wasn’t my dad. He didn’t do it. It was Jesus and his grace and mercy he orchestrated the entire thing simply because I was willing to look.” | About the Guest | With a BA in English/prelaw from Gordon College and a JD from the University of Notre Dame Law School, Lisa-Jo has lived and worked on three continents in the human rights field and subsequently spent nearly a decade leading the online community of women called (in)courage as their editor in chief and community manager. She’s the co-host of the Out of the Ordinary podcast. Originally from South Africa, Lisa-Jo now lives just outside Washington, D.C., where she met and fell in love with her husband in the summer of ’96. Their story together spans decades, languages, countries, books, three very opinionated children, and one dog, and is written in Lisa-Jo’s latest book, It Wasn’t Roaring, It Was Weeping. | Next Steps | Lisa’s book Her IG Her site Thanks to O’Neill Asset Management! Join the HIMH Podcast FB Page!

Ep 223Episode 223: Protecting Our Kids in This Wild World | with Julia Sadusky
If you’re a parent or mentor of young kids right now like we are, I am pretty sure you could marinate in fear every day of the week. Add the fact that it is up to us parents and mentors to teach these kids facts and wisdom about sexuality and body safety, and you can just find us in a panic attack on the floor every-other day of the week. But what if we didn’t have to? What if we could learn how to wisely lead them in the midst of this wild world? Today, psychologist and author Julia Sadusky helps us to do just that. Together we discuss: • Why is avoiding conversations about bodies and sex lead to a lack of safety for our kids? • What is the difference between sharing sexualized content with kids and talking about sexuality with kids? • How do we non-anxiously but wisely engage body-exploration that kids naturally do? • What are family rules and why might I consider having them? • What if we already feel like we failed as parents and mentors of young kids? How can we recover missed years? | Highlights | “What is beautiful about parenthood is you get to be this imperfect representation to the world and to your kids of what we do when we fall short of the glory of God.” —Julia Sadusky “You will either be the first to have the sexuality conversations or the last.” —Julia Sadusky “What we know from know from research on childhood sexual abuse that the number one thing that protects children and makes it less likely for them to experience sexual abuse in childhood is for them to know the accurate terminology of their private parts. When I learned that it blew my mind and it made me think to myself: If we could get all Christians on the same page that we are going to do this, sexual abuse in childhood in our generations can go down markedly.” —Julia Sadusky “Young people are naturally curious about everything… We want to scaffold and support that learning. But without guidance from the primary people in their corner, young people will go elsewhere.” —Julia Sadusky | QOTW | Are you an ice or no-ice person? And what shape does it need to take? (Square, round, or perhaps Death Star shaped??) | Do the Next Thing | Julia’s book, Start Talking to Your Kids About Sex Julia’s IG: instagram.com/drjuliasadusky Julia’s site: juliasadusky.com Join the HIMH FB group here Follow Laurie (where she is talking about things like this often) here: instagram.com/laurie_krieg Email us your questions here Watch the episode here

Ep 222Episode 222: Q & A with the Kriegs | Therapy, Burnout, and Your LGBTQ Q’s
It’s that time again: Let’s take your questions and try to respond with wisdom! Here are the ones we respond to today! How do you know when or if you need to move on from a therapist? How can we walk with people experiencing unwanted sexual desires? How do I recover my soul from burnout? How do I talk with my kids about a family member who is transitioning? How do I know if a temptation is spiritual attack or fruit from my sinful nature? | Highlights | “Our kids do not have to be fed rage and othering in order to cultivate a heart that is both passionate for truth and grieves over sin.” —Laurie Krieg “If you are working harder than those you are caring for—that is a recipe for burnout.” —Matt Krieg “People who transition from male to female are never going to actually be a woman. But can we know that, and maybe even say that, but can we speak it from a heart that is tender and compassionate while empathetically thinking, ‘Man, doesn’t it stink that idols don’t work?’”—Laurie Krieg | Do the Next Thing | We mention Journey Well here or here We talk about Jay Stringer’s book Unwanted here Join the HIMH FB group here Follow Laurie (where she is talking about things like this often) here Email us your questions or to find out more about sponsorship here Watch the episode here

Ep 221Episode 221: Two Approaches to Pride | Part 2 with Elizabeth Delgado Black
Today, we conclude our two-part series looking at strategies to intentionally and evangelistically approach Pride Month. To continue the conversation, we talk with Elizabeth Delgado Black who is an evangelist and the co-founder and president of Kaleidoscope. Together, we talk about practical ways to love LGBTQ people like Jesus as well as: Can we talk a little bit about language? Why use LGBTQ language at all? How do LGBTQ people in New York City seem to view Christians generally? Why? How does Elizabeth’s nonprofit seek to love LGBTQ people into the Kingdom of God? What contextual ways does she care for her community? What fruit is she seeing from what she and her team do? | Highlights | “You don't have to invent something on your own. Some of the most powerful work that we do is with other organizations because they do not expect that a Christian is going to want anything to do with them.” —Elizabeth Delgado Black “I’m doing missional work, but people are not a mission.” —Elizabeth Delgado Black “How can we share the good news of Christ if we see certain people as completely other and unworthy? Then whatever we share is no longer good news.” —Elizabeth Delgado Black | QOTW | What is your most *you* music? (Ya’ll are too funny…) | Do the Next Thing | Find out about Kaleidoscope here Follow them on IG here Join the HIMH FB group here Find Laurie and Matt on IG here Email us here Watch the video here

Ep 220Episode 220: Two Approaches to Pride | Part 1 with Stephen Nylen
Some Christians write off June’s Pride festivals as Sodom and Gomorrah. They don’t think anyone there could possibly want God. Are we so sure about that? At least two ministries in the U.S. are regularly going to Pride festivals in their areas, and they are seeing people come to know Jesus because of their presence, preaching, and practical love of neighbor. This week, we interview a street evangelist who has been going to Grand Rapids, Michigan’s Pride Festival for the last five years. We ask: Why does he go? What heart does he have when he goes? What pushback does he receive? What fruit does he see from his going? What can we learn from his work? You’re not going to want to miss these episodes. | Highlights | “We are either open and affirming or we are openly condemning, but in the middle ground is the gospel.” —Stephen Nylen “They will not know if I do not go. So I have to go. But if you’re going to preach and your feet aren’t beautiful (Westboro Baptist, legalists, moralists, open and affirming, or openly condemning) then you’re not preaching the right gospel.” —Stephen Nylen “If you’re a firefighter and you see a fire, then your calling is to go. And so I go.” —Stephen Nylen | QOTW | What do you always need instructions for? (Making rice, Mac and cheese, or using a lawnmower?) | Do the Next Thing | Find everything about Stephen’s work here Or on his FB here Or here His minidoc on the ministry here And his two-minute gospel presentation here Join the HIMH FB group here Follow Laurie on IG here Email us with thoughts or questions at [email protected] Watch the episode here

Ep 219Episode 219: Treasures in the Dark with Katherine Wolf
When we are going through suffering, we don’t usually think, “Hmm, what treasures might God have for me to discover here?” It just feels like suffering. However, author and major stroke survivor, Katherine Wolf, has a message for us: God has gems for us to find in the darkness. “If you have to go through hardship, why not get the treasure? My goodness, don’t waste the pain,” she says. What else do we talk about? What exactly are these “treasures” anyway? How should we respond to our friends’ immediate suffering? What if we are in a major depressive season? Is there hope for us? What if we don’t think our struggles are worth even naming as “suffering”? What steps can we take in the midst of a hard season to find hope? // Highlights: “Before we can ever accept the circumstances of our life, we have to go through the process of grieving the life we thought we should have had.” --Katherine Wolf “The gift we can give one another as the body of Christ is to sprint toward one another’s pain and suffering.” --Katherine Wolf “We need to remember that we are called and assigned to our stories.” --Katherine Wolf “What saved my life was the logic of it all: If I should have died, I would have died. I did not die, therefore God has purpose in my being in this body and on this planet in this moment.” --Katherine Wolf “We need less people telling you what to think in the pain and more just being with you in the pain.” --Katherine Wolf // Question of the Week: What two random things are in your junk drawer right now? // Do the Next Thing: Katherine’s amazing new devotional/reflection book? Find it here Follow Katherine on IG here Join the HIMH FB group here Follow Laurie on IG here Email us with thoughts or questions at [email protected] Watch it here

Ep 218Episode 218: How Not to Be Discouraged in a Discouraging Year with Derwin Gray
“Hope in the gospel and discouragement are not mutually exclusive,” Pastor Derwin Gray encouraged us on today’s episode. But, how is that possible? The world can feel so defeating: Politics, racial division, pastor scandals, congregant sin, and the drudgery of faithfully trying to do this thing called advancing the Kingdom of God wherever we are called can overwhelm anyone. How can we both experience grief, discouragement, or mourning, and allow it to propel us further into the heart of God? Author and pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in America, Derwin Gray, preaches exactly the answer and exactly what weary souls needed to hear today. // Highlights: “When I find my heart becoming cynical I know that I have stepped out of grace and into self righteousness.” —Derwin Gray “I’m finding encouragement because that tomb in Jerusalem is still empty.” —Derwin Gray “We need more local pastors not teaching moralism, sin management, left-leaning secular ideologies or Pharisaical rightism. We need them to preach the gospel-centered, beautiful, bloody resurrection power of Jesus.” —Derwin Gray // QOTW: What is your favorite sign of spring? // Do the Next Thing: Watch the video here! Find all of Derwin’s work here Join the HIMH Podcast here Keep up with Laurie and the HIMH Podcast on IG here

Ep 217Episode 217: What Trees Can Teach Us About Living with Joy Marie Clarkson
This is a very gentle but powerful episode. Since having the conversation, I (Laurie) can’t stop seeing the people-as-trees metaphor everywhere. How? You’re just going to have to listen to find out. :) // Highlights: “We all have the seasons in life. We can’t expect the same things of ourselves in every single season. When we don’t experience seasons that are fruitful or blooming, it doesn’t mean that something is wrong with us, it can just mean we are in a different season.” —Joy Marie Clarkson “You can’t have buds and the blooms [on a tree] without ... the old leaves dying.” —Joy Marie Clarkson “I had cleared the land of my life of all the things that seemed ‘pointless’ … In doing that, I made the field of my life infertile and barren. ” —Joy Marie Clarkson // Question of the Week: What do you accidentally buy too much of at the grocery store? (You have grocery-nesia?) // Do the Next Thing: Find Joy on IG here On Twitter here On FB here On her Substack here Her podcast here Join the conversation at the HIMH FB Pod Page here! Watch the episode here

Ep 216Episode 216: From Christian Cult to Christ Follower with Christy Lynne Wood
Christy grew up in a hyper-legalistic system that added rigid rules to the gospel of Jesus. (You might have seen glimpses of it if you watched the documentary, ‘Shiny Happy People.’) Even after leaving, Christy internally battled the legalism that attached itself to her knowledge of the real Jesus. How did she break free—not only physically, but mentally and spiritually? We also explore: What is the difference between authority and authoritarianism? How can you tell if you’re in a legalistic system? Why would someone be drawn to such a structure? How can we break free from either a direct cult like Christy experienced, or simple (but unbiblical) legalism? // Highlights: “Legalism and behavior-driven stuff (feeling like you have to perform for God) holds on tight. Even after getting out [of the cult] and going to college (I was wearing pants, I had shorter hair, and I looked way more normal than I used to look), I was still very much stuck in this idea that God didn’t like me if I wasn’t performing correctly.” —Christy Lynne Wood “The most damaging part of this cult was the idea of who God was: He was angry, he wanted certain behaviors and activities, and he was going to judge you and condemn you if you didn’t follow these rules and behaviors.” —Christy Lynne Wood “God wants us to be reconciled to the real Jesus, not to some fake god who is crushing us under his thumb… And, He wants this more than we do.” —Christy Lynne Wood // Question of the Week: Do you have grocery-nesia? Do you go to the store and think you *definitely* need something, but get home only to discover you already have four? We want to hear about it. // Do the Next Thing: Watch the episode here! You can read Christy’s blog and more here You can find Christy’s book, Religious Rebels, here We talk about understanding the genre, etc. of the Bible. This book may be a help Christy mentioned A Matter of Basic Principles book found here You can find the Diane Langberg book we talked about that explored authority, Redeeming Power, here Join the HIMH Podcast FB group here

Ep 215Episode 215: A Testimony of Surrendered Gender with Kyla Gillespie
Oh, wow. This story. How does one woman go from a childhood of following Jesus as much as she knows how, to professional hockey, to same-sex relationships, to transitioning to male for six years, to finding the real Jesus, and then to de-transitioning in the midst of a loving church community? This episode has her story. Hear a testimony and take part in a conversation on how to walk well with people who wrestle with gender today on the podcast. // Highlights: “I was crying out to God on the bedroom floor, and I heard him say, ‘Kyla. Return to me.’ And I was like, ‘What do you mean, return to you? Can’t I follow you and be Brycen?’ I heard him very clearly say to me, ‘No.’ I was weeping: ‘I don’t know what this looks like. Can I ever be female again?’ And he said to me, ‘Do you trust me and are you willing?’ And I cried out in that moment, ‘Yes!’” --Kyla Gillespie “Do we think we are powerful enough in ourselves to change and will somebody to love Jesus? Or do we believe in the power of the Holy Spirit who saves and changes people? That’s what [the people who discipled me] did. They called me to this gospel, but they loved me in the mess.” --Kyla Gillespie “It’s always different when we have face-to-face relationships. Suddenly all those things we did and said on the internet turn into, ‘Oh, maybe that wasn’t so kind or so nice or so gentle. Maybe I didn’t love you the way I’m commanded to love you.’” --Kyla Gillespie // Question of the Week: What was your favorite childhood cereal? // Do the Next Thing: Find Kyla’s ministry here Search her on IG here Join the HIMH Podcast Group here Watch the episode here

Ep 214Episode 214: What is Uniquely Hard and Hopeful for Married People Now? With Chris Bruno and Tracy Johnson
Is anyone else feeling like they are in a rut in their marriage? Maybe you’re not in crisis mode, but it’s kinda just . . . meh? It’s easy to function; to sit on opposite couches and scroll on your phone. But, do you wonder if marriage could be better than that—not with some fantastical potion or even a weekend intensive per se, but what if it began with small, simple movements of risk toward one another? Today, marriage experts Tracy Johnson and Chris Bruno guide those of us who feel “in a rut” toward a gentle path of hope. How? Grab a coffee drink you’ve never ordered before (you’ll get this reference after you listen ;)), and pull up an earbud. (Oh, and single friends? Thanks for listening and being a friend to us as we figure out this heavenly metaphor as you figure out yours. (See episode 213 for more on this.)) // Highlights: “In the last couple of years we have seen couples move into a devolution of trust. People have stepped away from a posture of generosity toward their spouses into a posture of protection.” —Chris Bruno “What I have found with the couples that we are working with is . . . they are profoundly disconnected and incredibly lonely. The surgeon general’s report that came out in May that the greatest mental health crisis we are facing as a country is actually tied to loneliness, and we are seeing the manifestation of that in the couples that are coming to us. They say, ‘I’m so lonely. How can I be so lonely in this marriage?’ . . . but without the tools to bridge that disconnection.” —Tracy Johnson “We live in a broken world where we assume, ‘If I risk, I will be missed.’ But what if we begin to build some trust so that we think, ‘If I risk, what if I am seen’?” —Chris Bruno // QOTW: What is *in* for you for 2024, and what is *out*? // Do the Next Thing: Find Tracy and Chris’ work here That year of good dates?? Here Chris and Tracy's ReStory Counseling here Thrive YouTube? Here Matt and Laurie’s fave marriage book? Here Laurie and Matt’s marriage book? Here Join the HIMH Pod FB page here! Watch it here

Ep 213Episode 213: The Value of Singleness with Dani Treweek
We are going to talk about singleness until we as the Church get this right, friends. People talk about how marriage gives us a vision of eternity in how two different people seeking union shows the world a picture of how God (who is so different from us) will be one with His church. But, how does singleness show us a picture of what we will experience in the new heavens and new earth? Author and ministry leader, Dani Treweek, is here to tell us how. // Highlights: “I have become absolutely convinced that singleness is not just the absence of something good, but it is the presence of something good.” —Dani Treweek “The industrial revolution…took the household and made it the privatized refuge from the dirty dark world of work outside. That meant that the relationships in the household became much more based on emotion and intimate ties, and the household became much more insular…. That had an impact on singleness because suddenly, singleness became the absence of those things. Singleness didn’t have a place in the household, but adjacent to it.” —Dani Treweek “We see in Scripture like 1 Corinthians 7 Paul saying, ‘Singleness is good. Marriage is good. Get on and live for Jesus, guys.’ Throughout all of church history we have struggled to hold that equilibrium.” —Dani Treweek “Marriage and singleness are not in competition with each other. They complement each other. They need each other to make sense of each other in the church, and to make sense of who we are as the church.” —Dani Treweek “We are going to be our most perfectly human selves in the next age—perfectly known and knowing perfectly, perfectly loved and loving perfectly—and we are going to do that as men and women with bodies but who are not married to each other and who are not having sex with each other. That actually says that we don’t need to be married and sexually active in our lives here and now in this creation in order to be fully human.” —Dani Treweek // Do the Next Thing: Find Dani’s work (and book!) here You can follower her Substack here You can find her ministry is here Join our HIMH Podcast FB Page here Watch the episode here