What do Ezra & Nehemiah have to do with everyday family discipleship?

In this week’s episode of The Wholehearted Households Podcast, host Alex Blount introduces us to the partner books of Ezra & Nehemiah. He recalls his daughter’s experience of a favorite toy breaking, reflecting on how experiences of brokenness and loss are universal and start at a young age. Yet, Ezra & Nehemiah remind us that God is the One who mends and rebuilds, who can take the broken pieces of our lives and gives us hope.

Our Bible spotlight focuses on Nehemiah’s leadership to the exiled Israelites. His prayer in Nehemiah 1 models a posture of reverence, repentance, and courage, which is required as he seeks to lead the Israelites back to close relationship with God.

Then, our discipleship nugget equips you and your family to implement an act of rebuilding in your home or neighborhood. Rebuilding is as crucial for us as it was to the ancient Israelites, and it reminds us that in the midst of our brokenness, God is still at work in our stories.

Finally, our spiritual practice invites you to experience God’s restoration through moments of delight. Discipling and rebuilding can be grueling work, and God’s blessings of joy and delight can help sustain us, filling our cup and reminding us of God’s love and companionship.

Wherever you listen, may you and your family be blessed by this episode as you seek to follow Jesus with your whole heart.

The Wholehearted Households Podcast is a production of InterVarsity Press (IVP) and made possible by the generous support of the Lilly Endowment. Discover more great listens from IVP on our website or on YouTube.

To reach the IVP podcast team, please use this form.

Resources from the episode

This week’s Bible spotlight is adapted from the LifeGuide Bible Study Nehemiah: The Courage to Face Opposition by Don A. Fields.

This week’s spiritual practice is adapted from Beauty and Resistance: Spiritual Rhythms for Formation and Repair by Jonathan P. Walton.

Credits

✅ Special offer: Visit ivpress.com and use the code IVPWHP for 40% off and free US shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode.

✅ Producers: Kaitlin Borek, Abby Lee, Karen Savella Stallard, and Travis Albritton

✅ Assistant Producer: Christine Pelliccio Melo

✅ Hosts: Alex Blount and Helen Lee

✅ Narrators: Kaitlin Borek, Jack Reece, and Karen Savella Stallard

✅ Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts

✅ Social Media Manager: Makayla Payne

✅ Podcast Art: Amy Cerra

✅ Theme Song: “Elegant Flight” by Sounds Like Sanders and “Birdhouse” by EVOE

Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the hosts/authors featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

What do 1 & 2 Chronicles have to do with everyday family discipleship?

In this week’s episode of The Wholehearted Households Podcast, host Helen Lee introduces us to the books of 1 & 2 Chronicles, reflecting on the phrase “You should never meet your heroes.” We are often wary of discovering our heroes’ flaws, but as we see with the biblical hero David, God is faithful even in the midst of our failures. Heroes’ failures included.

Our Bible spotlight focuses on the main themes of 1 & 2 Chronicles: David and God’s temple. In an otherwise positive account of David, 1 Chronicles 21 focuses on a moment where David fails to trust God and must endure the consequences. Yet, God works in the midst of these consequences, ultimately redeeming the situation to display his presence and blessing and to establish the location of the temple.

Then, our discipleship nugget equips you to create and pray through a prayer labyrinth with your family. The ancient Israelites focused on a physical location to experience the presence of God, but through Jesus’ work, we can experience God’s presence everywhere and anywhere. Prayer labyrinths give us one way to practice inviting God into our midst and preparing our minds and hearts to experience his presence.

Finally, our spiritual practice invites you to take some small pauses throughout your day, becoming aware of God’s continual presence in each of our lives. His Holy Spirit dwells within us, and our bodies have become God’s temples. Through dedicating small moments of remembrance and recognition to God’s presence with and within us, we express our desire to live in union with Christ.

Wherever you listen, may you and your family be blessed by this episode as you seek to follow Jesus with your whole heart.

The Wholehearted Households Podcast is a production of InterVarsity Press (IVP) and made possible by the generous support of the Lilly Endowment. Discover more great listens from IVP on our website or on YouTube.

To reach the IVP podcast team, please use this form.

Resources from the episode

This week’s Bible spotlight is adapted from Becoming God’s Family: Why the Church Still Matters by Carmen Joy Imes

This week’s discipleship nugget is adapted from Spiritual Practices in Community: Drawing Groups into the Heart of God by Diana Shiflett

This week’s spiritual practice is adapted from Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun.

Credits

✅ Special offer: Visit ivpress.com and use the code IVPWHP for 40% off and free US shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode.

✅ Producers: Kaitlin Borek, Abby Lee, Karen Savella Stallard, and Travis Albritton

✅ Assistant Producer: Christine Pelliccio Melo

✅ Hosts: Alex Blount and Helen Lee

✅ Narrators: Kaitlin Borek, Jack Reece, and Karen Savella Stallard

✅ Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts

✅ Social Media Manager: Makayla Payne

✅ Podcast Art: Amy Cerra

✅ Theme Song: “Elegant Flight” by Sounds Like Sanders and “Birdhouse” by EVOE

Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the hosts/authors featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

What do 1 & 2 Kings have to do with everyday family discipleship?

In this week’s episode of The Wholehearted Households Podcast, host Alex Blount introduces us to the books of 1 & 2 Kings, reflecting on his daughter’s love of reading books and how humans are naturally drawn to stories. In 1 & 2 Kings, there are plenty of stories to tell about the Hebrew kings, and each of these stories ultimately point us to God’s sovereignty and love for his people.

Our Bible spotlight focuses on the prophet Elijah and his posture of prayerful and faithful waiting. Even in a moment of exhaustion and desperation, Elijah is determined to keep his eyes fixed on our promise-keeping God, and in turn, he witnesses God’s great power.

Then, our discipleship nugget equips you to incorporate Scripture into your family’s daily routines. In 2 Kings, we learn of King Josiah’s high view of Scripture, and he models how Scripture helps us turn to God with all our heart, soul, and strength.

Finally, our spiritual practice invites you into a time of journaling, in which we can reflect on our own stories, bringing our feelings, hurts, ideas, and struggles before God and making room for the Holy Spirit to speak into our lives.

Wherever you listen, may you and your family be blessed by this episode as you seek to follow Jesus with your whole heart.

The Wholehearted Households Podcast is a production of InterVarsity Press (IVP) and made possible by the generous support of the Lilly Endowment. Discover more great listens from IVP on our website or on YouTube.

To reach the IVP podcast team, please use this form.

Resources from the episode

This week’s Bible spotlight is adapted from Hear My Prayer: Learning from the Faith of Elijah by Liz Ditty.

This week’s discipleship nugget is adapted from The Spiritually Vibrant Home: The Power of Messy Prayers, Loud Tables, and Open Doors by Don Everts.

This week’s spiritual practice is adapted from Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

Credits

✅ Special offer: Visit ivpress.com and use the code IVPWHP for 40% off and free US shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode.

✅ Producers: Kaitlin Borek, Abby Lee, Karen Savella Stallard, and Travis Albritton

✅ Assistant Producer: Christine Pelliccio Melo

✅ Hosts: Alex Blount and Helen Lee

✅ Narrators: Kaitlin Borek, Jack Reece, and Karen Savella Stallard

✅ Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts

✅ Social Media Manager: Makayla Payne

✅ Podcast Art: Amy Cerra

✅ Theme Song: “Elegant Flight” by Sounds Like Sanders and “Birdhouse” by EVOE

Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the hosts/authors featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.