The Whole Family

EP18: Finding Meaning In Your Wilderness

Show notes    The Montage    Have you ever thought about the montage in your favorite movie? That cinematic stretch of time that compresses weeks or months of wrestling, waiting, and becoming into a few powerful moments?   Here’s the thing — we all have montage seasons. And unlike the movies, ours don’t pass in seven minutes.   In this episode I’m talking to anyone whose dream feels buried, whose calling seems like it quietly died, or who’s been in a wilderness season that just keeps going. The lonely, confusing, embarrassing in-between that nobody talks about.   But what if that wilderness isn’t working against you — what if it’s actually for you?   We cover:   •Why death and burial are often required for resurrection and multiplication (John 12:24-25) •The 4 characteristics of a true wilderness and what they reveal about our souls •How Jesus himself was led into wilderness before his ministry began (Luke 4:1) •How to hold fast to God’s word when the enemy gets loud in the dry season •And — for those who can feel the wilderness wrapping up — what it looks like to take courage and bloom again   Scripture referenced: John 12:24-25  Luke 4:1-2, 14-19  Luke 5:16  Mark 1:35  Romans 12:2  John 15:1-5  2 Chronicles 15:7   Book mentioned: Anonymous by Alicia Britt Chole   Some things have to die and be buried so they can come to life and flourish. The growth that happens in the dark is the actual sustenance the plant needs to bloom above ground.   Take courage. Your work will be rewarded.   We want to hear from you!   Contact us at  wholefamilypodcast@icloud.com

EP17: All The Parts of The Body

Show notes    What happens when we spend our lives searching for the “right” stream of Christianity, only to discover that every stream carries both beauty and blind spots?   In this message, Megan explores:   * the tension between supernatural experience and spiritual formation * why different churches carry different strengths * how offense and disappointment can harden our hearts * the beauty of the interconnected Body of Christ * why maturity means staying rooted in truth while remaining open to growth   This message is an invitation to resist cynicism, embrace mystery, pursue both Spirit and Scripture, and stay unoffended toward Jesus even in tension.   Main Scriptures   * Jeremiah 29:13 * 1 Corinthians 13:12 * Matthew 11:6 * Romans 5:3-5 * James 1:4 * John 6:66-69 * 1 Corinthians 12:13-27   Reflection & Practice This Week   * Ask God where your heart has become rigid, offended, or closed off to other Christian’s who have different beliefs.  * Explore a part of the Body of Christ that carries a strength your stream may lack. * Pursue both depth of character and openness to the supernatural.   We want to hear from you!   Contact us at  wholefamilypodcast@icloud.com

EP16: The Rupture and Repair of Community

Show notes    Today we explored how sin, shame, hiddenness, confession, and community all connect.    Megan and Dalen unpack how scripture presents sin not only as personal failure, but as relational fracture that impacts our connection with God and one another.    We also discuss walking in the light, Spirit-led transformation, rupture and repair, and why honest community matters deeply in a digital age.   Scripture References   * Genesis 3 * Romans 6 * Romans 8:9–11 * Romans 10:9–14 * Romans 13:8–10 * 1 John 1:5–10 * James 5:16 * 2 Corinthians 5:21   3 Reflections / Practices   1. Ask the Holy Spirit where you may be hiding or self-protecting in relationships. 2. Practice bringing something honest into the light with a trusted person this week. 3. Notice when “enemy mode” begins rising in you, and invite Jesus to help you stay connected instead of defensive.   Conflict is not the end of community. Hiddenness is. Walking in the light together is how resilient, Spirit-filled community is formed.   Do you have a story from this weeks message?    We want to hear from you!   Contact us at  wholefamilypodcast@icloud.com

EP15: Community Mode

We want to hear from you!   Do you have a story from this weeks message?    Contact us at  wholefamilypodcast@icloud.com   Community Mode   Main Scripture: 1 John 1:1–4   ⸻   Main Idea   We were created for community with God and with one another.   Through Jesus, relationship is restored:   fellowship with God fellowship with people shared joy shared life   Community mode is choosing to see people as image bearers instead of enemies.   ⸻   Key Points   Isolation was never the design The gospel restores connection Community is spiritual, emotional, and embodied Shared joy is part of God’s design Unity across differences is supernatural   ⸻   Practical Application   Choose connection over isolation Let people into your life Fight for shared joy and meaningful relationships   Create a Vision for Community   Write down:   why community matters to you how you want to navigate conflict the kind of person you want to be in relationships   Return to it when relationships become difficult.   ⸻   Closing Thought   You were never designed to walk alone.

EP14: Trading Enemy Mode for Peace

We want to hear from you!   Do you have a story from this weeks message?    Contact us at  wholefamilypodcast@icloud.com   Enemy Mode in Everyday Relationships   Main Scripture   * Hebrews 12:14–17   ⸻   Key Idea   We are called to pursue peace from a pure heart. Enemy mode distorts how we see people, replaces grace with suspicion, and causes us to trade long-term relational fruit for short-term emotional reactions.   Peace is something we partner in—internally and relationally.   ⸻   Practices to Implement This Week   1. Pause + Perception Reset   Interrupt enemy mode early.   * Pause when you feel the internal shift * Ask: “What story am I believing right now?” * Ask: “Holy Spirit, how do You see this person?”   Create space for truth before reacting.   ⸻   2. Return to Identity Before Engagement   Anchor before stepping into conflict.   * Remind yourself: * “I am a person of peace.” * “I am secure.” * “They are not my enemy.” * Let your body settle (slow breath, release tension)   Engage from a grounded, regulated place—not reaction.   ⸻   3. Cut Off Bitterness, Replant Grace   Don’t let the root grow.   * Name the offense honestly * Choose: * “I release them from what I feel they owe me.” * “I choose goodwill toward them.” * Ask: “Holy Spirit, what is one true thing about them I can hold onto?”   Replace suspicion with intentional grace.   ⸻   4. Renounce Agreement with the Wrong Spirit   Break alignment with what is fueling enemy mode.   * Identify what is present (anger, accusation, division, bitterness) * Say out loud: * “I renounce agreement with the spirit of accusation, division, and bitterness.” * “I break every assignment of these spirits in my life.” * Invite the Holy Spirit: * “Fill these spaces with Your peace, Your truth, and Your perspective.”   Shift out of spiritual alignment with enemy mode and back into peace.   ⸻   Closing Thought   Transformation happens through partnership— not just hearing truth, but practicing it.   As we notice, realign, and respond differently, we become people of peace in real relationships.   Resources: “Escaping Enemy Mode” Book https://a.co/d/0eOhGgKY [https://a.co/d/0eOhGgKY]   More resources: https://lifemodelworks.org/resources/read/escaping-enemy-mode [https://lifemodelworks.org/resources/read/escaping-enemy-mode]