The Wholehearted Households Podcast

Lamentations: Crying Out to Our Compassionate God

What does Lamentations 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 Lamentations, reflecting on deep moments of grief her own family has experienced in these past few years, and how God’s people have processed their own grief for millennia. Our Bible spotlight focuses on how Lamentations contrasts Jerusalem’s past glory with its present anguish, and how the Israelites express their suffering to God through poetic reflection and corporate lament. Then, our discipleship nugget equips you to lead your family through an exercise that expresses both suffering and hope, reminding us that, because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed with despair even in our suffering. Finally, our spiritual practice invites you into a time of lament where we can lay our grief and pain before God through a breath prayer. 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 [https://ivpress.com/ivp-podcasts] or on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@InterVarsityPress/podcasts]. To reach the IVP podcast team, please use this form [https://forms.office.com/r/wULCgRQJf3]. Resources from the episode This week’s Bible spotlight is adapted from Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times [https://www.ivpress.com/prophetic-lament?utm_medium=ivp_whp&utm_source=IVPWHP] by Soong-Chan Rah. This week’s discipleship nugget includes quotes from Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep [https://www.ivpress.com/prayer-in-the-night] by Tish Harrison Warren. This week’s spiritual practice is adapted from Hopeful Lament: Tending Our Grief Through Spiritual Practices [https://www.ivpress.com/hopeful-lament?utm_medium=ivp_whp&utm_source=IVPWHP] by Terra McDaniel and Moms at the Well: Meeting God Through the Mothers of Scripture [https://www.ivpress.com/moms-at-the-well?utm_medium=ivp_whp&utm_source=IVPWHP] by Tara Edelschick and Kathy Tuan-MacLean. Credits ✅ Special offer: Visit ivpress.com [https://www.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 [https://honestpodcasts.com/] ✅ 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.

Jeremiah: Embracing God's Everlasting Truths

Note from the Producers: Thank you for listening to The Wholehearted Households Podcast! After this week, we’ll be taking a break from our regular release schedule, but please stay tuned for future episodes! In the meantime, we invite you to check out InterVarsity Press’s newest podcast, Hear Women [https://www.ivpress.com/hear-women-podcast]! What does Jeremiah 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 Jeremiah, reflecting on the risks involved when telling the truth, and how the prophet Jeremiah risked everything in pursuit of sharing God’s truth. Our Bible spotlight focuses on God’s great plans for Jeremiah and what this means about our own identity and calling, especially when we’re faced with seasons of exile. Then, our discipleship nugget equips you to incorporate Scripture into your family’s daily routine so God’s Word may be written in your minds and hearts. Finally, our spiritual practice invites you to reflect on the difficulties of truth-telling and to embrace the truths of who God says you are. 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 [https://ivpress.com/ivp-podcasts] or on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@InterVarsityPress/podcasts]. To reach the IVP podcast team, please use this form [https://forms.office.com/r/wULCgRQJf3]. Resources from the episode This week’s Bible spotlight is adapted from Run with the Horses: The Quest for Life at Its Best [https://www.ivpress.com/run-with-the-horses?utm_medium=ivp_whp&utm_source=IVPWHP] by Eugene H. Peterson. This week’s discipleship nugget is adapted from The Spiritually Vibrant Home: The Power of Messy Prayers, Loud Tables, and Open Doors [https://www.ivpress.com/the-spiritually-vibrant-home?utm_medium=ivp_whp&utm_source=IVPWHP] by Don Everts. This week’s spiritual practice is adapted from Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us [https://www.ivpress.com/spiritual-disciplines-handbook?utm_medium=ivp_whp&utm_source=IVPWHP] by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun. Quotations from Psalm 139 taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com [http://www.zondervan.com/] Credits ✅ Special offer: Visit ivpress.com [https://www.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 [https://honestpodcasts.com/] ✅ 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.

Isaiah: Comfort and Confidence from Our Righteous God

What does Isaiah 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 Isaiah, reflecting on the different connotations of the word prophet, and how the prophet Isaiah spoke deep and enduring truth about God and God’s people. Our Bible spotlight focuses on Isaiah 40 through 48, which reveals God’s divine comfort and care for His people, and invites us to confidently trust and intimately know our incomparable God. Then, our discipleship nugget equips you to plant a garden with your family as an illustration of God’s generosity and His faithfulness to His promises of a new heaven and new earth. Finally, our spiritual practice invites you to engage in a breath prayer, reflecting on God’s heart for justice and how you can align yourself to His calling. 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 [https://ivpress.com/ivp-podcasts] or on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@InterVarsityPress/podcasts]. To reach the IVP podcast team, please use this form [https://forms.office.com/r/wULCgRQJf3]. Resources from the episode This week’s Bible spotlight is adapted from Upheld: Meeting Our Trustworthy God Through Isaiah [https://www.ivpress.com/upheld?utm_medium=ivp_whp&utm_source=IVPWHP] by Kori de Leon. The prayers from this week’s discipleship nugget and spiritual practice are taken from Prayers for the Pilgrimage: A Book of Collects for All of Life [https://www.ivpress.com/prayers-for-the-pilgrimage?utm_medium=ivp_whp&utm_source=IVPWHP] by W. David O. Taylor. Credits ✅ Special offer: Visit ivpress.com [https://www.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 [https://honestpodcasts.com/] ✅ 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.

Song of Songs: Delighting as God's Beloved

What does Song of Songs 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 Song of Songs. Although Song of Songs might not be the first book you think of when talking to kids, it still has plenty to teach us and our families about being God’s beloved. Our Bible spotlight focuses on the extravagant love the Shulamite woman experiences from her beloved, representing the love Jesus has for us. The Shulamite woman’s passion for her beloved catches the curiosity of her friends, and she is able to share about this great love with them too. Then, our discipleship nugget equips you to reinforce the goodness of our bodies with your family, emphasizing how God delights in the beauty of every human and how we are made in His image. Finally, our spiritual practice invites you into a time of delight and reflection. Through the practice of lectio divina, we enter into a space of divine delight, offering praise and gratitude to God, and remembering the delight we feel is only a fraction of the love God holds for us. 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 [https://ivpress.com/ivp-podcasts] or on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@InterVarsityPress/podcasts]. To reach the IVP podcast team, please use this form [https://forms.office.com/r/wULCgRQJf3]. Resources from the episode This week’s Bible spotlight is adapted from Hermanas: Deepening Our Identity and Growing Our Influence [https://www.ivpress.com/hermanas?utm_medium=ivp_whp&utm_source=IVPWHP] by Natalia Kohn Rivera, Noemi Vega Quiñones, and Kristy Garza Robinson. This week’s discipleship nugget is adapted from Talking Back to Purity Culture: Rediscovering Faithful Christian Sexuality [https://www.ivpress.com/talking-back-to-purity-culture?utm_medium=ivp_whp&utm_source=IVPWHP] by Rachel Joy Welcher, and Little Prayers for Ordinary Days [https://www.ivpress.com/little-prayers-for-ordinary-days?utm_medium=ivp_whp&utm_source=IVPWHP] by Tish Harrison Warren, Katy Bowser Hutson, and Flo Paris Oakes. This week’s spiritual practice is adapted from Making Room in Advent: 25 Devotions for a Season of Wonder [https://www.ivpress.com/making-room-in-advent?utm_medium=ivp_whp&utm_source=IVPWHP] by Bette Dickinson, and Prayers for the Pilgrimage: A Book of Collects for All of Life [https://www.ivpress.com/prayers-for-the-pilgrimage?utm_medium=ivp_whp&utm_source=IVPWHP] by W. David O. Taylor. Credits ✅ Special offer: Visit ivpress.com [https://www.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 [https://honestpodcasts.com/] ✅ 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.

Ecclesiastes: Finding Contentment in Our Great God

What does Ecclesiastes 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 Ecclesiastes, reflecting on the unpredictability of life and how God is so much bigger than we think. Our Bible spotlight focuses on our tendency to look at things from “under the sun,” focusing on our restlessness and disappointments. Instead, we are encouraged to turn toward the things above and practice contentment by recognizing the good gifts God has given us. Then, our discipleship nugget equips you and your family to discuss where you feel small or out of control, and how our loving and generous God is a steadfast presence, meeting us in each of these places. Finally, our spiritual practice invites you into a time of detachment, where we let go of the things of this world that are meaningless and fleeting, allowing ourselves 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 [https://ivpress.com/ivp-podcasts] or on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@InterVarsityPress/podcasts]. To reach the IVP podcast team, please use this form [https://forms.office.com/r/wULCgRQJf3]. Resources from the episode This week’s Bible spotlight is adapted from 40/40 Vision: Clarifying Your Mission in Midlife [https://www.ivpress.com/40-40-vision?utm_medium=ivp_whp&utm_source=IVPWHP] by Peter Greer and Greg Lafferty. This week’s spiritual practice is adapted from Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us [https://www.ivpress.com/spiritual-disciplines-handbook?utm_medium=ivp_whp&utm_source=IVPWHP] by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun. Credits ✅ Special offer: Visit ivpress.com [https://www.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 [https://honestpodcasts.com/] ✅ 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.