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.

What do 1 & 2 Samuel 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 Samuel. She reflects on the many stages of raising her sons, and how each of those stages represent a part of who they are today. Similarly, in 1 & 2 Samuel, we follow the many stories and stages of David’s life and how they inform his ultimate identity in God.

Our Bible spotlight focuses on David as king of Israel and his desire to honor, love, and serve God. Although David is far from perfect, God sees David’s heart and establishes a covenant with him: He promises to build David a house and a dynasty, and one day a king from David’s line will rule from his throne forever.

Then, our discipleship nugget equips you to practice blessing, sending, and anointing with your family. Just as the prophet Samuel blesses and anoints the young David as the next king of Israel, we can also bless and anoint our family members as they live out their callings, step into a big transition, or have an important event coming up.

Finally, our spiritual practice invites you to engage in the practice of ora et labora or “pray and work,” reflecting on how we can intertwine worship and work in our everyday lives. Before he is called to be king, David spends his days tending sheep, yet he still sees this work as a part of God’s greater work in the world. David’s humble beginnings remind us that we too can meet God in any task, no matter how great or small.

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 Savoring Scripture: A Six-Step Guide to Studying the Bible by Andrew Abernethy.

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 Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren, and The 1662 Book of Common Prayer, edited by Samuel L. Bray and Drew Nathaniel Keane.

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 does Ruth have to do with everyday family discipleship?

In this week’s episode of The Wholehearted Households Podcast, host Alex Blount introduces us to the book of Ruth, reflecting on the value of above-and-beyond friendships and how being a part of God’s beloved community can transform our families.

Our Bible spotlight focuses on Naomi’s words of blessing to her daughters-in-law Ruth and Orpah. Naomi’s deep love for Ruth and Orpah illustrate the concept of God’s hesed, pointing us back to the unwavering, faithful, and extravagant love of God.

Then, our discipleship nugget equips you to begin cultivating spiritual friendships, sharing ideas of how both you and your family can become more aware of current friendships and identify ways to invite God into those relationships.

Finally, our spiritual practice invites you think about the ways God’s love and character are reflected in our friends, and how we can more deeply embody the importance of God’s family in our day-to-day 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 Redeemer: God’s Lovingkindness in the Book of Ruth by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young.

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 does Judges have to do with everyday family discipleship?

In this week’s episode of The Wholehearted Households Podcast, host Helen Lee introduces us to the book of Judges, sharing her own experience of “revenge bedtime procrastination” and relating to how we, like the Israelites, can get ourselves stuck in self-sabotaging cycles.

Our Bible spotlight focuses on how God, in his compassion, sends judges to deliver his people from their destructive behavior. Yet, after a period of peace and rest, the Israelites eventually settle back into their sinful ways, and the cycle repeats itself—ultimately illustrating their need for a new and better King.

Then, our discipleship nugget equips you to guide your family through a time of confession: first by explaining the need to confess our sins, then by modeling how to do so, and finally by asking God for to receive his merciful pardon and peace.

Finally, our spiritual practice invites you into the practice of self-examination, in which, in the presence of God's love, we reflect on where we have sinned and how we can offer these places up to God for forgiveness, healing, and transformation.

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 Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church by Nijay Gupta.

This prayers from this week’s discipleship nugget are adapted from The 1662 Book of Common Prayer: International Edition, edited by Samuel L. Bray and Drew Nathaniel Keane.

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Grant to your faithful people, merciful Lord, pardon and peace; that we may be cleansed from all our sins, and serve you with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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 does Joshua have to do with everyday family discipleship?

In this week’s episode of The Wholehearted Households Podcast, host Alex Blount introduces us to the book of Joshua by reflecting on his experiences with promises, including both the imperfect way we make promises and the perfect way God keeps his.

Our Bible spotlight focuses on Joshua 23, in which Joshua remembers God’s faithfulness to the Israelites as they enter the Promised Land. In recognition of this faithfulness, Joshua then implores the Israelites to respond with their own love and faithfulness to God.

Then, our discipleship nugget equips you to extend hospitality to those in your community, modeling Rahab’s hospitality to God’s people. Through intentional acts of hospitality, our families can be a place others experience God’s radical spirit of welcome.

Finally, our spiritual practice invites you to engage in a time of breath prayer, allowing the words of Joshua 23:14 to sink deeply into our hearts: “Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.”

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 Message of Joshua by David G. Firth.

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.

The breath prayer in this week’s spiritual practice is from Joshua 23:14, New International Version.

Inhale: Every promise has been fulfilled.

Exhale: Not one has failed.

The closing prayer in this week’s spiritual practice is taken from Prayers for the Pilgrimage: A Book of Collects for All of Life by W. David O. Taylor.

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 does Deuteronomy have to do with everyday family discipleship?

In this week’s episode of The Wholehearted Households Podcast, host Helen Lee introduces us to the book of Deuteronomy, reminiscing about her own son’s early childhood years and how they mimic Israel’s process of self-discovery.

Our Bible spotlight focuses on Moses’ lasting instructions to the Israelites on what it means to commit oneself wholeheartedly to God.

Then, our discipleship nugget equips you to talk to your family about what it means to pursue justice, offering practical ideas of how to identify “the stranger in your midst” and extend God’s love and care for them.

Finally, our spiritual practice invites you into the discipline of detachment, where we practice relinquishing our desire for power, personal glory, and control, ultimately making room for us to become more securely attached to God.

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.

Resources from the episode

This week’s Bible spotlight is adapted from The Message of Deuteronomy by Raymond Brown.

This week’s discipleship nugget is adapted from Refuge Reimagined: Biblical Kinship in Global Politics by Mark R. Glanville and Luke Glanville.

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.