The Home and Hearth Podcast

On today’s re-release of a previous solo show, we are tackling the topic of how to raise your littles in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. My prayer is that you'll come away from this episode feeling equipped and encouraged, knowing that raising your littles in this way does not have to be complicated. What I Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~Ephesians 6:4 and what is interesting about the word "nurture" coming before the word "admonition" ~The crucial foundation of nurture and why our training of our children in theology and right living must first come from a place of humility, tenderness, care, patience, gentleness, slowness, and nurture ~What we can learn from bamboo about the importance of having a strong foundation and why it is ok when our training takes a while ~The negative impact that raising children up legalistically, overly strictly, or in a domineering way can have on children ~How raising our children up in the tender nurture of the Lord gives them a more accurate picture of who their Heavenly Father is ~How failing to raise your children first in the nurture of the Lord can lead to your provoking them to wrath ~What raising our children up in the admonition of the Lord can look like practically on an everyday basis (as we're shown in Deuteronomy 6:6-7) ~Why the theological training of our children need not be complicated and instead can and should be simple - thereby showing them how applicable, relevant, and practical God's Word is to every aspect of our everyday lives ~The importance of refusing to overly shelter our children but to instead prepare them well for real life in age appropriate ways ~Why we want to raise our children not to be mere yes-men, but to instead be able to think for themselves, be critical thinkers, and interpret God's Word for themselves, applying it to every situation in life ~Equipping our children to have a faith of their own rather than piggy backing off ours, so that when we are one day not here, they will still be able to stand firm ~Practical books, media, practices, and other resources to aid you in your parenting and raising your children in the admonition of the Lord ~The power and importance of having lots of gospel conversations with your kids (and examples of some of the types of conversations we regularly have in our home) ~And more! For full show notes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

Terry Crist is a husband, father, pastor, and the author of the new book, “Loving Samaritans: Radical Kindness in an Us vs. Them World“. He has a heart for inspiring people to follow Jesus and love others well, and that comes through really well in our conversation today. What We Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~Terry’s new book, what led him to write it, and what readers can expect ~How a love for the church does not negate our passion to call the church up to be her best - that that is actually an important part of loving the church well ~Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman in John 4 and what we can glean from it ~How Jesus’ whimsical, loving, gracious interaction with the woman at the well enabled Him to touch on the tricky topics of sexuality, religion, politics, power, cultural identity, and more in a way that caused her to open up to Him in conversation; how this is a model for us for cultural engagement ~The folly of making assumptions about people as opposed to asking them questions and getting to know them and why they do what they do; getting to know them as individual persons as opposed to groups; the wrong decisions we make when we fail to do this ~Jesus’ model for us that all people are worthy of love and respect, time and attention, of being heard, and of hearing truth without insult ~Asking the question of who the samaritans are in our world and what we may have gotten wrong about them ~Divisiveness now being viewed as a virtue in our day; what our call is instead - to love people on both ends of the ideological spectrum ~Fear and the Pharisaical problem of a “fragile righteousness” and how it can lead to the dangerous desire of eradicating the “other”; understanding that our righteousness is not our own but rather the gift of Jesus’ own righteousness and will not be tarnished when we go into the world as He has called us to ~Asking “Where does the Spirit want me to go today?” as a way to model the way and ministry of Jesus; walking through your day with your heart and eyes wide open to where Jesus is already at work and joining Him there instead of thinking it’s all on us ~Going from religious, dogmatic strangers to compassionate, understanding neighbors and why this change is so important ~Being in it for the long game and understanding that people are worthy of love and affection even if they never come to Christ ~The importance of having both biblical orthodoxy (truth) and biblical orthopraxy (how we’re living out that truth) ~What Pastor Terry would say to those who are afraid that their children will become corrupted by the culture ~The power of the ministry of “withness” ~The problem with being a culture warrior and how it keeps us from from being kingdom ambassadors sent on a mission with a message of peace ~Daniel as a model for cultural engagement ~And more! For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

As we find ourselves in the middle of yet another election year, I felt it to be the right time to re-visit a podcast episode I first recorded and released 4 years ago during our last presidential election year. Today we will be addressing again the topic of the most important thing for Christians to remember this election year. I pray this episode will prove to be helpful and encouraging to you. What I Chat about in Today's Episode: ~A post ("The Most Important Thing for Christians to Remember This Election Year") I wrote back in 2016 during the last presidential election ~What our name-calling, personal attacks, hand-wringing, and political anxiety reveal about our hearts and the true condition of our faith ~The emphasis we as believers are too often placing on debate over love; how this is very different from the call we are given in the Word ~A survey of Scripture to see what our ultimate call is and what the most important thing is for us to remember and live out this election year ~How our love for America is crowding out the most important thing - love for God and love for others ~The reality that our ultimate goal is not first and foremost to 'save America', but to fulfill the Great Commission; that our ultimate goal is not to make patriotic Americans, but to make disciples of Christ ~The way our lambasting our fellow believers in Christ over political differences is hindering our witness and our ability to live out the Great Commission ~It being love - and not being our political viewpoints- that proves we are Christ's disciples ~How Paul tells us that truth without love is worthless ~The sobering, convicting words spoken by Christ to the church at Ephesus in the book of Revelation and what His message to them says to us today ~How grace and truth, mercy and truth, love and truth, are always paired together in the Scriptures when describing the character of God - it is never one without the other - and neither should it be with us ~The importance of being slow to speak and quick to listen, seeking to understand where the other person is coming from ~The impossibility of our wrath, anger, and hatred ever producing the righteousness of Christ in the lives of others ~The politicide going around today emulated by a Twitter thread hoping for destruction to come to Trump voters; the importance of asking ourselves as conservative Christians if we are guilty of the same thing towards Biden voters ~And more! Head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast for full shownotes.

Kristen Lavalley is a wife, mom of 5, writer, and author of the brand new book, Even if He Doesn't: What We Believe about God When Life Doesn't Make Sense. She is passionate about helping people who have been harmed by the church or walked through pain that has left them reeling and with theological questions. Our prayer is that you will come away from this episode feeling seen, understood, loved, and helped in whatever you may be walking through. What We Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~Kristen’s new book, what led her to write it, and what readers can expect ~The importance of engaging honestly with your pain and your beliefs and how doing so can actually save your faith - as it did Kristen’s ~Understanding that questions and doubts can actually be invitations to know God better, not automatically a scary thing that will result in you losing your faith ~The concept of the slippery slope and why it should be our aim to help those who find themselves there ~Kristen’s own experience in being able to see the goodness of God in some of life’s hardest moments ~The importance of being teachable and allowing God to re-define your beliefs and viewpoints according to what actually is true about Him ~The importance of practicing the presence of God and how impactful this is in the hardest of times ~Defining God’s goodness as He defines it, and not according to how we think goodness looks or is defined ~Coming to the place of being able to learn what God is really like, not just how we want Him to be ~Understanding that it is a mercy when God allows our hard circumstances to refine how we view Him and enable us to get to know Him better ~The problem with having a transactional view of God ~Faith over formula ~Realizing that it is a theological red flag when you are constantly being surprised by the goodness of God to you ~Understanding God’s Word emphasizes His love - not His wrath!- for His kids; the importance of knowing that it is His *kindness* that leads to our repentance ~The truth that there is comfort at the feet of Jesus, even if there aren’t always answers ~How to love and serve well those who are suffering ~Knowing that you are safe in the love of God ~And more! For full show notes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

During this Valentines week of love, we are journeying back to the podcast archives and addressing the topic of love, the importance Scripture places on it, and how God's Word defines it. I hope you will walk away from this chat feeling well equipped to better understand and live out love in a culture and time that is very confused. What I Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~The topic of love, and why it is such an important topic for believers, especially, to grasp ~The importance of understanding the Bible's definition of love ~The extremes that are on both sides of the spectrum and seen in the church and culture at large: 1) the idea that as long as you speak truth, you are ok and it doesn't matter how you present it because that is the most loving thing you can do and 2) the idea that love means you approve of and accept everything anyone does; why these are both wrong and unbiblical ~The primary call of a Christian - to love; why it is important to understand this and how we are falling down on our job ~Love as the supreme thing ~Paul's definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13 ~How Paul's clear definition of love makes it clear that your presentation DOES matter, your motive DOES matter, and just "speaking truth" is not enough ~How Paul's clear definition of love makes it clear that loving someone does not mean you approve of and accept everything they do ~Paul's emphasis in Ephesians 4 on speaking the truth in *love* ~The importance of others being able to tangibly feel our love for them - even if and when we disagree ~A deep dive into Ephesians 4, 1 John 3, 1 John 4, John 13, and 1 Corinthians 13 ~Love and boundaries ~The sobering reality that if we do not love others, the love of God is not in us, either ~Our call to love everyone, with no exceptions ~And more!

Elizabeth Urbanowicz is the founder of Foundation Worldview, where her passion is on display for creating resources to equip parents to be able to help their kids carefully evaluate all the ideas that are regularly coming at them so that they can understand and enjoy the goodness and beauty of biblical truth. Our prayer is that you would come away from this episode inspired and equipped to raise your kids in a biblical worldview and with love for others. What We Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~How Elizabeth first put this passion to work with the children she was teaching at her school ~The importance of equipping our kids to be critical thinkers and to be able to evaluate, on their own, what they are hearing on a daily basis ~The importance of not underestimating just how much our children truly can understand, even at young ages; what to do and how to start equipping your children on these worldview topics ~How Foundation Worldview came about ~How the resources are set up and how parents can implement them at home either as a part of their homeschool or in a supplemental way to their child’s education elsewhere ~Equipping our kids to know whether someone is sharing something that is objectively true vs. something that is just their own personal preferences or feelings ~Equipping and inspiring our kids to have time in the Word on their own (and to want to, as opposed to it just being a box to check!); the importance of teaching our kids the importance of context in Scripture ~How to raise your kids with a strong, biblical worldview in a crazy time like this without losing hope or feeling overwhelmed ~Understanding what full discipleship actually is ~The importance of prioritizing your relationship with your children; the impact that this has on their worldview ~The importance of knowing how your children give and receive love and how knowing that impacts our ability to grow in relationship with our kids ~Addressing our kids’ presentation of truth and raising them with the importance of speaking the truth in *love* ~Training our kids in the importance of listening well and asking good questions ~Clarifying our purpose, priorities, and goals in each season of parenting ~And more! Head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

Rebekah Hargraves is the host of the Home and Hearth Podcast and on today's solo show she is covering the topic of "Bible Study 101". Though this is a re-release of an episode originally recorded three years ago, it seems timely again as we are feeling fearful in these times and needing to grow in our knowledge of the Bible and our ability to study it. May you come away from this episode feeling encouraged and equipped in your ability to study, understand, and interpret the Bible for yourself. What She Chats about in Today's Episode: ~*How* to study the Bible, and then moving on into *when* to study the Bible (help for the busy woman who finds it hard to make time for the Word) ~5 Bible Study tips for beginners: *Pick a user-friendly Bible translation *Choose a Reading Plan for where to begin (see my Bible Reading Plan article below, however, for some necessary caveats to this!) *Find a good Bible study or Bible study method *Learn to reflect on what you are reading *Take advantage of the many free study resources at your disposal ~Different Bible translations, and what the differences are between word-for-word translations and thought-for-thought (or dynamic equivalent) translations ~The Bible translation I personally would recommend that is an "optimal equivalence" translation ~What the Holy Spirit has clearly called me, personally, to do in my personal Bible study time ~Free online resources and websites for Bible study ~Great books of the Bible to begin with if you are a new believer ~Bible study methods: *SOAP method Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer *Inductive Bible Study Method ~Great guided Bible study book recommendations ~Practical tips for how to be in the Word as a busy woman ~Meeting with God all throughout the day in relationship with Him, as opposed to relegating time with Him to a business meeting in the morning ~And more! For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

Karrie Garcia is a wife, mom of 3, runs the organization Freedom Movement and is author of “Free and Fully Alive: Reclaiming the Story of Who You Were Created to Be". Her passion is to equip people to heal in their story and begin to step into their God-given calling by helping them be trauma-informed, Biblically-sound, and Spirit-filled. What We Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~Karrie’s new book, "Free and Fully Alive: Reclaiming the Story of Who You Were Created to Be", what led her to write it, and what readers can expect ~The difference between what we humanly think of as freedom and what Biblical freedom actually is ~The power of God’s presence in the midst of our pain ~The importance of going beyond just knowing right doctrine into actually knowing the heart of Jesus ~The importance and power of vulnerability ~The difference between “doing for” God and “being with” God ~Remembering that when we hide, God comes looking ~The importance of knowing and understanding who God created you to be ~The importance of rest and reflection ~Understanding that thriving comes from first acknowledging our pain before the Lord and inviting Him into it and believing that He can bring good from it ~Understanding that we cannot by-pass our pain, because our calling and purpose are able to be formed out of that pain ~Worldly grief vs. godly, biblical grief ~Realizing that repentance is actually our best friend ~The power of getting curious ~And more! Head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast for full shownotes!

On this week’s solo podcast episode, I am re-releasing an episode where I took to the show to talk all about New Year’s resolutions, goals, walking by the Spirit, and holding fast to the gospel in the midst of it all. What I Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~Why so many of our resolutions “fail” and why wrong theology is shooting us in the foot here ~The impact of the gospel on our guilt surrounding “failing” in our resolutions and goals ~The important first steps to take when drafting up your resolutions and goals for the year ~The importance of walking by the Spirit in the everyday moments of our lives, not even just in the big-picture times of planning for a whole year ~Our identity and why it does not come from what we accomplish ~Willingly changing course when God calls us to ~The importance of redeeming the time well – regardless of whether or not we have already “failed” in our resolutions ~Understanding that looking to yourself for the strength required to fulfill your resolutions is not enough ~And more! For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

Hannah Anderson is a wife, mom, and author of several books, most recently a children’s book entitled “The World God Made”, based on Psalm 104. We hope you come away from this episode more in awe of God than before and feeling more equipped to share the wonders of God's creation and majesty with your children. What We Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~Hannah’s new children’s book, The World God Made, what led her to write it, and what readers can expect ~The impact that the beauty of the natural world can have on us ~Inviting children out into the world to celebrate the world God made; acknowledging that that can sometimes be a scary thing to do with how wild nature is ~Hannah’s vision and hope for this book and how it can inspire wonder and curiosity about creation in children ~Advice for parents for how to cultivate in our kids a sense of wonder and curiosity about creation and God’s world ~The inherent wonder and enchantment of simple things; how being out in creation grows our imagination and sense of the wonder and majesty and bigness of our God ~Trusting the process rather than making the idea of cultivating in our children a love of nature and sense of wonder more complicated and overwhelming than it has to be ~Trusting our own wonder and how this can shape our children ~Stirring our imaginations to attune to what is around us and to be aware; the importance of slowing down and creating space to hear from God ~Attention as an important spiritual discipline ~Understanding that we can delight in and learn from nature in even the most urban of spaces; trusting God’s sovereignty of Him placing us in the space we live in ~The importance of sharing spaces and taking advantage of community spaces in nature ~Advice for parents who feel intimidated and don’t know how to take advantage of time in nature with their kids by engaging them in conversations about God ~Specific revelation vs. general revelation and why both are important ~How Hannah struck the balance in writing this book between creating a book that is engaging to young children while also keeping it faithful to the text of Psalm 104 ~Psalm 104 as an invitation to wonder and celebration ~Specific passages from Psalm 104 that became especially meaningful to Hannah as she wrote this book ~The comforting truth that God has not left creation itself but is still actively working in it and healing it ~And more! For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

On today’s solo show, we are tackling the topic of Advent and, through a study of both Isaiah 9:6-7 as well as Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1, coming to understand the political nature of Advent. May this episode be enlightening and inspiring to you as we approach an election year and begin to prayerfully consider the way of the Kingdom in the political sphere. What I Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~Isaiah 9:6-7 and Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1 and how they reveal the very political nature of Advent ~The political implications of Advent and the upside down Kingdom of God it ushered in ~Understanding that the ways of the kingdom are antithetical to the ways of this world; the implications of this for our involvement in the political sphere ~The importance of understanding that if our goal is to just uphold a particular political party, we are doing politics wrong as Christians ~Walking by the Spirit in the political sphere ~Advent's emphasis on peace, justice, caring for the poor, and bringing down those in power; how this emphasis should frame and inform our political stances ~The fact that the same Hebrew word is translated in the OT as both justice and righteousness; why this is important ~And more! For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

Caroline Saunders is a pastor’s wife, mom of 3, and author, most recently of the new children’s books, The Story of Home and The Story of Water. She has a passion to equip and encourage parents to know how to raise their children with the truths of God's Word even in hard seasons. We pray you come away from this episode deeply encouraged and inspired. What We Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~Caroline’s two new children’s books, The Story of Water and The Story of Home, what led her to write them, and what readers can expect ~Caroline’s experience of now transitioning into writing children’s books ~How stories in Scripture surrounding the topic of water point to the truth of Jesus being Living Water ~How Scripture points to Jesus being our Home ~The power of understanding the metanarrative nature of Scripture ~Understanding that even kids can do Biblical theology and think deeply about Scriptural truth ~How Caroline’s books differ from other children’s books currently on the market; how she went about helping kids to grasp complex concepts in these two books ~The importance of not just stopping at Jesus with kids, but moving on to discussing the Holy Spirit and the early church ~How the water stories in the Bible point to God’s sovereignty ~Advice for parents who want to help their kids work through very challenging seasons but don’t know how or where to start ~The problem of denial hard times and how the Word acknowledges the existence of hard and bad things in life ~The lie that tells us as moms that we always have to be perfectly ok and have it all together all the time for our kids ~How we can help our kids understand more complex Bible topics; the importance of loving God’s Word ourselves as parents ~How to share with our kids about the love of God, especially in light of hard seasons in life ~The power of naming our sin to our children and helping our kids to understand how God deals with sin ~What Caroline hopes families take away from these books ~The power of being honest with the Lord about where we are ~What to do when you don’t want to spend time in the Word ~And more! For full podcast shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

On today’s solo show, we are tackling the topic of giving thanks in all things - what it means, what it doesn't mean, and why it is actually what is best for you - no matter what you are going through. I hope you will come away from this episode feeling encouraged and inspired this Thanksgiving week. What I Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~1 Thessalonians 5:18 and what it does and does not mean ~The common misconception we make of thinking we are being called to give thanks *for* all things, and why it is important to understand we are actually called to give thanks *in* all things - how this is different and why that difference matters ~Understanding that our ability to give thanks in all things comes down to our knowing and believing the character of God ~Inspiring quotes on the topic of giving thanks from people in church history ~My own experience of being able to give thanks in all things - even during my husband's deployment ~And more! For full show notes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

Herbie Newell is the President and Executive Director of LifeLine Children’s Services, an organization that is an adoption, orphan care, and foster care ministry. His passion with this organization is to see the Church be equipped to manifest the gospel to orphans, vulnerable children, and vulnerable women. This ministry exists to see the Church carry out their God-given mission in the gospel of justice and caring for the widow and the orphan, the stranger, the alien, the ones in need. This mission has been given to the Church, and it is the Church that is to do this work. With November being National Adoption Month, our prayer is that you would come away from this episode with your heart stirred on this topic of adoption. What We Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~Info about LifeLine Christian Services, the largest evangelical adoption agency in the country ~The gospel-motivation for the work going on at LifeLine ~How Herbie came to be the President of LifeLine, what led him to first become involved in this work, and what his daily work looks like; why he is passionate about this topic ~The importance of seeking the Spirit on what we personally are called to do in this area ~What being truly pro-life actually is - and how just demanding that there be a birth is not what all we are called to as the Church; the importance of us stepping up and helping these mamas and babies in need ~The importance of advocating for life inside as well as outside the womb ~The problem with being busy and becoming nearsighted, losing sight of what God is actually calling us to do with our days ~The purpose of our lives as believers as not being one of comfort and ease, but of mission ~The call to deny ourselves and pick up our cross so that we can serve others well ~What the state of adoption is in this country and around the world; the number of orphans currently in this world who need a home ~The increase in abortion that we are actually seeing post Roe v. Wade and the reality that conservative states were not even prepared for the overturning; the work the church still has to do ~Laws, practices, etc. that are leading to this orphan crisis here and around the world; what we as believers can do about this crisis whether or not we adopt ourselves ~The infinite wisdom of God’s design for the family and the world at large ~Herbie’s insider analysis of where the defense of life movement is, what is coming down the pike, and what part adoption plays in all of this; adoption as a pro-life option ~Talking about abundant life and having a pro-woman stance as a pro-life advocate ~Ways in which the church is dropping the ball in these areas; what we can do to be the hands and feet of Christ; how to make a difference in these areas ~Understanding that having a pro-life stance does not begin at the political or federal level; it starts in your home, with your family, and in your community ~How people can become involved with LifeLine Children’s Services ~Being faithful with what is in front of us and the importance of just doing the next right thing ~And more! Head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast for full shownotes.

On today’s solo show, we are answering the question, "Why did Jesus come?" At face value, this seems like a very open and shut, easy question to answer - after all, He came to save sinners! And that's true! But Scripture actually outlines 22 other reasons why He came, as well - in addition to 2 things that were NOT reasons why He came. In other words, the full-orbed answer presented in this episode just might surprise you! What I Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~Answering the question, "Why did Jesus come?" ~The 23 reasons that are outlined in Scripture as to why Jesus came to earth - what His full-orbed purpose actually was ~Two topics that were NOT things He came to do ~Why understanding all of this is so important ~The impact these truths have on our walk with the Lord ~And more! For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com

Kayla Craig is a pastor's wife, mom of 4, writer, podcaster, and author, most recently of the new book, “Every Season Sacred: Reflections, Prayers, and Invitations to Nourish Your Soul and Nurture Your Family throughout the Year". Today she returns to the show to share about her new book and to encourage parents in the beauty of liturgical parenting. What We Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~Kayla’s new book, “Every Season Sacred: Reflections, Prayers, and Invitations to Nourish Your Soul and Nurture Your Family throughout the Year"; what led her to write it, and what readers can expect ~The meaningful aspect of the four seasons, and why they are important in our lives; the impact they have on us ~The importance of cultivating a slower, more contemplative lifestyle ~How the writing experience was the same and how it was different between Kayla’s two books ~The practicality of this book regardless of what season of life you are in or what you are going through ~Kayla’s heart to nourish parents’ souls in a contemplative way in and through this book; why this was important for Kayla to do ~How a contemplative lifesyle is so helpful for parents and childcare givers ~Bringing our kids into a more contemplative style of life ~Living loved; the importance of a parent’s soul being nourished so that they can then nurture their child well ~Making space to explore the world with care and compassion and why this is so important ~Exemplifying Christ’s love and compassion for people to our children and allowing that to impact how we show up in the world ~The power of “caught, not taught” ~The power of liturgical rhythms in our parenting ~Making your faith your own and the journey of unlearning false things you were taught ~Untangling Christ from Christianese and reconstructing your walk with the Lord and understanding of truth; how and why this has been important for Kayla; the importance of this kind of journey ~The importance of reading Scripture for yourself ~The importance of raising our kids to be critical thinkers and having the freedom to ask questions and express doubts ~And more! Full shownotes at www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

Kathryn Maack is a wife, mom, co-founder of the ministry Dwellings, and co-author of the fantastic book, Whole: The Life-Changing Power of Relating to God with All of Yourself . On this episode she edifies and encourages us with the truth that we are to approach God wholly and with every aspect of ourselves, as opposed to living segmented lives. This is an important episode that you will not want to miss! What We Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~Kathryn's new book, Whole: The Life-Changing Power of Relating to God with All of Yourself, what readers can expect from it, and what led Kathryn and her co-author Aaron Williams to write it ~The importance of coming to God with all of ourselves and not holding back any aspect of ourselves ~Why we actually are not striving for balance in our walk with God, but actually should purpose to come to God with all aspects of ourselves - fully spirit and fully truth, fully mind and fully heart, etc., not 50/50 in these areas ~Why it’s important to come to the Lord in spirit and in truth and with our minds and also our hearts, what happens when we lean too heavily in one direction or the other ~Where true spiritual growth actually comes from ~How coming to God with all of who we are deepens our relationship with Him ~Advice for how heart people or mind people and spirit or truth people can learn to also come to God with the other part of themselves, as well ~The importance of learning from people who are different from us; the virtue of being teachable ~Understanding that with spirit and truth, you cannot have one without the other ~The importance of identifying which way you lean so that you know where you need to grow ~How fear plays into these extremes ~The importance of both being and doing and why we need both ~Jesus’ example of not neglecting to care for people but also not neglecting to go off alone to spend time with the Father ~Experiencing God in His fullness and all He has to offer us as we’re in relationship with Him ~Sinners, saints, and understanding what your actual identity in Christ is now ~The importance of agreeing with God about who we are ~And more! For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

On today’s solo show, we are addressing the topic of love, the importance Scripture places on it, and how God's Word defines it. I hope you will walk away from this chat feeling well equipped to better understand and live out love in a culture and time that is very confused. What I Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~The topic of love, and why it is such an important topic for believers, especially, to grasp ~The importance of understanding the Bible's definition of love ~The extremes that are on both sides of the spectrum and seen in the church and culture at large: 1) the idea that as long as you speak truth, you are ok and it doesn't matter how you present it because that is the most loving thing you can do and 2) the idea that love means you approve of and accept everything anyone does; why these are both wrong and unbiblical ~The primary call of a Christian - to love; why it is important to understand this and how we are falling down on our job ~Love as the supreme thing ~Paul's definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13 ~How Paul's clear definition of love makes it clear that your presentation DOES matter, your motive DOES matter, and just "speaking truth" is not enough ~How Paul's clear definition of love makes it clear that loving someone does not mean you approve of and accept everything they do ~Paul's emphasis in Ephesians 4 on speaking the truth in *love* ~The importance of others being able to tangibly feel our love for them - even if and when we disagree ~A deep dive into Ephesians 4, 1 John 3, 1 John 4, John 13, and 1 Corinthians 13 ~Love and boundaries ~The sobering reality that if we do not love others, the love of God is not in us, either ~Our call to love everyone, with no exceptions ~And more! Head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast for full shownotes

Ashley Morgan Jackson is a wife, mom, social media coordinator for Proverbs 31 Ministries, and author of the brand new book, "Tired of Trying: How to Hold On to God When You’re Frustrated, Fed Up, and Feeling Forgotten". She comes on the show today to share with us on the concept of wrestling with God in the hard times and all that He can bring from the wrestle. What We Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~Ashley’s new book, "Tired of Trying: How to Hold On to God When You’re Frustrated, Fed Up, and Feeling Forgotten"., what led her to write it, and what readers can expect ~When you get to the point of having tried everything that you can think of with nothing working; the concept of then wrestling with God and holding on to Him throughout that entire process ~Learning so much more about the Lord and growing in our relationship with Him through the hard times ~How our wrestle and struggle becomes our ministry to others ~God as the One sure foundation when we have nothing else to hold on to ~Understanding that there are some lessons we can only learn in and through the wrestle with God - and why it is so harmful to believe that it is wrong to wrestle with God ~How the wrestle shows how God is the One holding on to us every step of the way ~Grace and love as what you need to save you as well as what you need to change you; the motivator that grace and love are ~Trusting God and waiting on Him in the hard seasons; what Ashley has learned about this and how she has been able to come to the point of believing that God only does things well and with great love - even when it doesn’t look or feel like it ~How shame pushes us away from God rather than being something that can change us positively ~How well Jesus understands the pain of a “no” ~Letting God love you in the midst of pain, rather than pushing Him away ~God’s tender, caring heart towards the brokenhearted ~Understanding that true intimacy and performance cannot co-exist and what this means for our walk with the Lord and our relationship with Him ~The important difference between relationship and religion ~Understanding that what we think leads to our actions and what we do leads to patterns of behavior; the importance of taking thoughts captive; how to do that ~How my and Ashley’s lives have been changed through our taking thoughts captive ~The importance of being faithful in even just the smallest of ways, bit by bit ~And more! For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

On today’s solo show, we are addressing the topic of 7 different false gospels that are alive and well in our day that we need to refute with the actual gospel as found in Scripture. I hope you will walk away from this conversation feeling well equipped to know, discern, live out, and proclaim truth. What I Chat about in Today’s Episode: ~The book of Galatians and what it reveals to us concerning the issue of teaching or believing a false gospel ~7 common false gospels we need to refute and how they differ from the true gospel of the Bible: *the prosperity gospel (in all its forms, including the version taught in purity culture) *progressive "Christianity" *legalism *believing that the gospel is just good news for your eternity and not also concerned with your here and now everyday life *believing that the gospel and Christian nationalism are compatible *believing that the gospel does not have implications for the social sphere and your call to be the hands and feet of Christ *believing that the gospel just has vertical implications (for your relationship with God) and not horizontal implications as well (for your relationships with your fellow image bearers) ~the false gospel nature of racism and sexism ~the "social gospel" aspect of the biblical gospel ~legalism as *the* false gospel the book of Galatians is concerned with - and why this fact shows that it is problematic for us to think, as many do today, that refuting a "false gospel" is just about refuting the false gospel of progressive Christianity alone (as if this were the only false gospel out there) ~the issue with the saying "just preach the gospel" - and how that reveals there are hints of a false gospel present ~the problem with defending slavery by saying that at least slaves were taught about Christianity (and how, if you were an enslaver, you were actually proclaiming a false gospel) ~And more! For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast