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We've all experienced the seasons where we just don't "feel it." Dry seasons happen in every real relationship. But we don’t have to roll over to how it’s feeling. Like David, we can talk to our own soul: “Bless the Lord, O my soul… and forget not all His benefits.” In this episode, Josh and Katie get really practical about how to wake yourself back up:Set a time and a place, and pray the Bible back to God in four ways: thanking Him, asking for your own heart, praying for the people in your life who don’t know Him yet, and praying for the people who doLearn to whisper to God and sing to Him, even if you’re not a singerGrab your crew and meet weekly to get in the Word togetherMake room by fasting or giving something up (yes, Josh is looking at fantasy football and ESPN)And for the thinkers who hear “affection” and figure this is just for the feelers: Josh and Katie have something for you too.Looking to JesusWe don’t open the Word as a self-help tool. We open it so we can know Him. Many waters can’t quench love, and what we know about God won’t keep us when life gets hard. Our love for Him will, and our history with His nearness, kindness, and faithfulness. Jesus isn’t waiting for you to feel it first. Come close and let Him stoke the flame again.Chapters00:00 Intro02:04 Is it normal to have highs and lows with God?04:45 The current toward cold-heartedness06:09 “Bless the Lord, O my soul”: commanding your own soul08:11 “But it doesn’t feel authentic”09:51 Busyness, distraction, and Mary and Martha11:20 Step 1: Set a time and a place13:49 Praying the Bible: Up, In, and Out17:46 Not a self-help tool: going to the Word to know Him20:24 Whispering to God22:15 Love is what keeps us23:34 Step 2: Grab your crew26:08 Step 3: Fast or abstain28:02 Bonus: Sing together29:39 For the thinkers, not the feelers32:16 Praying for you

God knows we need to remember, and He knows we’re horrible at it. So He gave His people feasts, stories, songs, and places to help them never forget who He is, what He’s done, and who they are because of it.In this episode, Josh and Katie talk about memorializing moments with the Lord. They cover why remembering was God’s idea from the beginning, how to mark the turning points when He sets us free, and the difference between a memorial and plain sentiment. Along the way you’ll hear about a mauve carpet that holds years of tears and worship, lilies bought on the same day every year, and why putting it on the calendar matters more than you’d think. And yes, there’s a detour into whether Christians should keep the Jewish feasts.Whether you’re single, married, raising kids, or an empty nester, it’s not too late to start. Even if you don’t know the date, pick one. And it doesn’t have to be extravagant. Sometimes it’s just ice cream after dinner and telling the story again.Looking to JesusEvery memorial points back to Him. Jesus is the deliverer who set us free, and we stand before God by His blood, not by getting our rituals right. When we remember what He’s done, gratitude softens our hearts, our souls get anchored, and our kids grow up asking, “Why do we do this?” Then we get to tell them about a God who showed up.Chapters0:00 Intro0:29 Memorializing moments with the Lord1:38 Why Scripture keeps saying “don’t forget”3:56 Feasts: living in tents, the Passover table5:36 Should Christians keep the Jewish feasts?8:04 Memorializing repentance: the bridge and the fire11:17 Going back to the place God met you12:38 Put it on the calendar15:05 The table where we retell the story17:28 Names as memorials: Bethel and Nazareth19:30 The mauve carpet and the engine room22:01 Memorial vs. sentimental23:21 Lilies, tattoos, and bottles in the ocean26:06 It’s not too late to start26:52 Songs that take you right back27:38 Memorials that make your kids ask “why?”29:04 Keep it simple: ice cream after dinner30:04 PrayerScripture in this episodeExodus 12:24–27 — Passover and “when your children ask you”Joshua 4:1–7 — The Memorial stonesGenesis 28:10–19 — Jacob at BethelLeviticus 23:33–43 — the Feast of TabernaclesLuke 24:13–35 — The Road to Emmaus

Do you keep God in one box and the rest of your life in another? What if that line was never there to begin with?Part two with our good friend Paul Anleitner! Last time we talked deconstruction. This time we're talking about the stories that shape us: why the split between "sacred" and "secular" is a modern myth, what our bedtime stories are teaching our kids, and why the next generation is so hungry for something sincere, wholesome, and true. Whether you're making up bedtime stories with your little ones, raising teens who can see through everything, or leading in your everyday sphere, this one's for you.In this episode:- Why the sacred-secular split isn't biblical, and why nobody is truly "non-religious"- How to tell bedtime stories that shape your kids toward the virtues of Christ- Why Gen Z is trading cynicism for sincerity and craving wholesome stories- Setting down the sledgehammer and picking up a metal detector: finding the gold in our past- The Nehemiah window: why now is the time to build, not just critiqueTry this week:1. Ask yourself: what has my attention right now? That's what I'm worshiping.2. Notice one place you've kept God out of: your work, your weekend, your phone. Invite Him in.3. Make up a bedtime story with a hero who lays down his life for others, and then talk about Jesus.4. Try the Examen prayer before bed: look back on your day and ask where God was at work.Know someone who's tired of tearing things down and ready to build? Send them this one. Missed part one? Go back and start with our deconstruction conversation with Paul.Chapters00:00 Intro to Episode00:22 Part two with Paul Anleitner01:36 The Three Little Pigs test02:49 We're storied creatures05:25 What the heck is water?07:36 The anti-story of the kingdom08:16 The sacred-secular split10:32 Worship is where your attention goes11:20 Which God is most worthy?12:11 Followers of the Way13:56 Bedtime stories that shape kids15:59 Marvel movies and the true myth16:47 The virtues of Christ18:04 God was already at work in Nineveh19:29 The meta-modern story21:35 Why Gen Z loves wholesome stories23:49 From Homelander to a virtuous Superman24:42 Rebellion isn't inherently good25:33 Tell stories about the final setting27:09 The Western church's guiding story28:10 A hostile relationship with the past29:18 Young people want more tradition31:16 Try the Examen prayer31:47 The pull of nostalgia32:45 From sledgehammer to metal detector33:31 Nostalgia and despair34:09 What Christmas morning was really about34:53 Why everything is a reboot35:27 Is wholeness the new rebellion?36:38 Story orphans38:05 Always hedging, always ironic39:02 Sincerity costs vulnerability40:20 Jeremiah vs. Nehemiah41:41 It's time to build43:09 The ache for innocence44:39 The vibe shift in Gen Z45:26 A five-year window for leaders46:55 Being sincere when you're wrong48:21 You can just do the stuff48:53 Cynicism is not intelligence49:27 When 20 people bought my record50:11 A prayer for hope Scripture: Jonah 3, Jeremiah 1:10, Nehemiah 2:17–18, Nehemiah 8, Matthew 7:13–14, Matthew 25:40, Acts 9:2, Philippians 2:5–8, Hebrews 12:1, 1 Corinthians 15:54, Revelation 21:5Resources from PaulBased on a True Story: Vibe Shifts, the End of Deconstruction, and the Reboot of MeaningGet the book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/based-on-a-true-story-vibe-shifts-the-end-of-deconstruction-and-the-reboot-of-meaning-paul-anleitner/860a5b6940d4756d?ean=9781400256587Also on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Based-True-Story-Deconstruction-Meaning-ebook/dp/B0G1JZZJ7HDis-Ordered: A Christian Journey Through the Problem of Evil & Suffering https://www.amazon.com/Dis-Ordered-Christian-Journey-Through-Suffering/dp/B0BBYBWWXRGoodmakers Podcast with Paul Anleitner: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Lgkn9W8V2YHnPkEsluysmPaul's website: https://paulanleitner.org

You've torn it all down. So what now? Do you just stay deconstructing forever?Josh sits down with our good friend, Paul Anleitner, a longtime Twin Cities worship pastor, author of Based on a True Story, and host of the Goodmakers Podcast. They get into where deconstruction came from, why it's hit our generation so hard, and how you move through the valley instead of living in it.If you're the one wrestling, or you love someone who's been wrestling for years, this conversation is a good place to start.Looking to Jesus:The hard questions aren't new and they aren't off-limits. They're all over Job and Ecclesiastes. But Jesus doesn't leave us in the valley. He's the Good Shepherd who walks us through it. Acts 17 says God "is not far from any one of us." If you feel like you've gone too far to find your way back, you're closer than you think.In this episode:- Why questioning your faith isn't the problem, but staying there forever is- Why didn't our grandparents' generation deconstruct?- What happens when deconstruction has no end point- Thomas's story: a home group built on "we all hate church," and a prayer to a God he didn't believe in- Why you can't just self-author your own story because "civilization is a group project"Try this week:1. Ask yourself: What story is shaping how I see God, church, and myself right now?2. Notice which conversations leave you more cynical and which leave you more whole.3. Pray one honest prayer, even a half-hearted one.4. Take one small step: read Acts 17, call a friend, or show up on Sunday.5. If someone you love is in the wrestle, don't rush them out of the valley. Walk through it with them.Know someone who's been in the wrestle for a while? Send them this one. Part two with Paul is coming next episode.Chapters00:00 Episode Intro00:34 Meet Paul Anleitner02:49 Why deconstruction, and why now04:28 Where the word "deconstruction" came from07:36 Why grandpa didn't deconstruct09:10 Questions aren't the enemy10:09 When deconstruction has no end11:20 Ecclesiastes and the hard questions13:21 The anti-story underneath it all16:04 Seeing through vs. seeing to16:48 When the cynic becomes the hero17:46 If your friend is deconstructing18:26 Thomas's story20:48 "We all hate church"22:14 Praying to a God you don't believe in23:21 Put down the sledgehammer25:02 He kept taking steps forward25:37 Closer than you think26:23 There's no neutral space28:54 Can I just self-author my story?29:20 The return of deism33:13 Civilization is a group project35:20 A prayer for those in the wrestleScripture: Ecclesiastes, Job, Proverbs, Acts 17:27-28, Luke 15, John 20:24-29, Matthew 5:13-16, Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 1:3Resources from Paul:Based on a True Story: Vibe Shifts, the End of Deconstruction, and the Reboot of MeaningGet the book: Click HereAlso on Amazon: Click HereDis-Ordered: A Christian Journey Through the Problem of Evil & Sufferinghttps://www.amazon.com/Dis-Ordered-Christian-Journey-Through-Suffering/dp/B0BBYBWWXRGoodmakers Podcast with Paul Anleitner: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Lgkn9W8V2YHnPkEsluysmPaul's website: https://paulanleitner.org

What do you do when someone you love gets that diagnosis, the one nobody should ever have to hear?Josh and Katie get real about how grief and faith are not at odds. Every situation is unique, and many of us have stories of well-meaning Christians saying insensitive or poorly timed things in painful seasons. They’re passionate about equipping the church to honor and support each other through the hardest times, which is why they sat down to share simple tools to help us rally with compassion and empathy, love well, and believe for miracles together.Whether it’s your spouse, parents, friend, or someone in your small group, this one’s for anyone who wants to love like Jesus in the hardest seasons.How Jesus Leads the Way: When Lazarus dies, Jesus doesn’t just shed a tear. He weeps, overcome with grief over what has already happened and over a death that should never have been. But He isn’t grieving the future, because He has faith for that. After Lazarus has been dead four days, Jesus calls him out of the tomb. He grieves what should never have been while holding faith for what’s coming, and He shows us that the fullest picture of love carries both at the same time.In this episode:What to actually say (and what to skip) when you first hear the newsYou do not need someone else’s faith in order to have faith yourselfAsk the spectrum question, then honor whatever room they give youWe grieve what has happened, but we don’t grieve the futureWhatever path they choose (traditional medicine, alternative, or nothing at all) , add your faith to it and triple team this thingHow to follow a family’s lead with their kids, whether you’re the parent, the grandparent, or the friend driving them to soccer practiceScared yourself? Offload to the Lord, not to the family you’re carryingContending for someone’s healing or breakthrough? Send this episode to your crew and start a prayer group. Here’s how:Ask first. Find out where they are on the spectrum and what kind of prayer they’re comfortable with.Gather your people, whether that’s your small group, your friends, your roommates, or your family, and commit to believing together.Make a sign-up sheet so someone is praying with them every day or every week.Pray over them and take communion together, thanking Jesus that by His stripes they are healed.Carry the practical stuff too: meals, rides, babysitting, a mowed lawn.Keep showing up. Mustard seed faith keeps bouncing back and doesn’t quit.Let's mustard seed this thing.Chapters00:00 Grief and faith aren’t at odds00:23 Walking with someone through a hard diagnosis02:49 When someone isn’t believing for healing06:33 Asking the “spectrum” question09:04 When the news catches everyone off guard10:27 Holding grief and faith together11:21 Jesus wept: the story of Lazarus14:52 The boundary line for grief18:58 Sitting with someone after a loss20:51 Medicine, natural treatment, or faith: honoring their choice24:49 When we don’t see the breakthrough25:32 Talking to kids about a diagnosis28:38 Where to take your own fear30:21 Rhythms of prayer and communion31:30 Mustard seed faith33:24 In the doctor’s office34:06 Closing prayerScripture: John 11, Romans 12:15, Matthew 6:34, Psalm 118:17, Matthew 17:20

What happens when your most "inspiring" family moment turns into a full-blown family meeting twenty minutes later?To close out Season 2, Josh and Katie are answering the questions you've sent in from topics across the season — and they're kicking it off with a story that did not go the way they pictured it. After hearing Eric and Becky Watt talk about family on mission, they decided to surprise their kids with a spontaneous, 10:30 p.m. neighborhood trash cleanup. It was going to be the perfect teaching moment…until it wasn’t.  They get honest about where it fell apart, the accusation that stung more than they expected, and why the repair mattered more than the moment itself.From there, they work through the questions from the rest of the season: how to actually find a qualified EMDR therapist (and the certification to look for), what "shared time" schooling is and why they're trying it this year, why buses are a hard no in their house, how to help kids who don't want to be in big church anymore, why some of their richest friendships have been with single friends, and where the line is when you're navigating boundaries and confiding in others about marriage struggles.In this episode:What to do when your family-on-mission moment falls apart instead of coming togetherHow to know if you actually need EMDR, and what to look for in a therapist if you doA hybrid schooling option you may not know exists, and how to know if it's right for your kidsHow to protect your kids in unsupervised spaces like the bus, when driving them isn't an optionHow to help a kid who's lost their love for church find their way back in, without shameWhy friendships across seasons of life might be exactly what your marriage and family needWhere to draw the line on sharing your marriage struggles, and who's actually safe to confide inQuestions we should be asking as those that are mentoring others, investing in others, and disciplining them:How can you become more like Jesus in this moment? Who do you think God is revealing Himself as for you?How do you think you could love them the way Jesus would love them in this season?What do you think forgiveness looks like?How are you going to forgive them? What are some lies that you’ve been believing that you feel like God is replacing with things Truth? What is the truth from the Word that God is revealing to you? How do you think you could’ve responded in a different way? What are three other ways you could’ve responded in that conversation?

What if the thing that qualifies you to serve isn't having it all figured out first?In part two of this conversation, Josh continues talking with Eric and Becky Watt about what it actually looks like to build a life — and a family — around service instead of self-improvement. They talk about learning to yield instead of strong-arming in their own marriage, and why they've never felt competition between their callings, only privilege that they get to serve together without serving identically. Eric and Becky get honest about the Turkey story — the time they thought they were helping a family and found out their "help" wasn't actually help at all — and how their very first family mission trip started with something as ordinary as raking a neighbor's leaves down the street. They also name the temptation most parents don't talk about: building your kids' lives instead of building alongside them, and the daily pull to let busyness crowd out the things that actually last. Along the way, Eric doesn't hold back on one conviction — that being a grouchy Christian is a disservice to the God we say we serve.This one is for anyone who's been waiting to feel "ready" before they start serving — and anyone quietly wondering if they're building their kids' lives instead of their own.In this episode:Learning to yield instead of strong-arming What happens when your "help" isn't actually helpfulWhy you don't have to be healthy or have it all together before you serve someone elseLetting your kids watch you serve instead of waiting for the next generation to change the worldDiscerning what's yours to carry, what to rally around, and what to releaseWhy it's a disservice to God to be a grouchy ChristianThe daily temptation to live your life through your kids instead of alongside them

Sometimes being right isn't actually the point, and somewhere along the way, most of us started leading with our position instead of our love.In part one of this conversation, Josh sits down with Eric and Becky Watt to talk about what happened when Becky realized someone had seen her as a person before they saw her politics, and how that one experience messed with everything she thought she believed. They get into what it looks like to love people across a dividing line instead of fighting them across it, why becoming a constant learner from another generation might be the thing that keeps you from getting stuck, and what actually gets lost when we stop listening long enough to understand each other.This one is for anyone tired of picking a side and ready to pick people instead.In this episode:Why being seen as a person, not a position, is what actually softens someoneLoving someone across the line instead of fighting them across itBecoming a constant learner from another generation instead of assuming your way is the only wayWhat gets lost when we stop listening long enough to understand instead of convinceWhy honoring someone might matter more than being rightNot avoiding hard conversations, but listening through them instead of around them

Most parents try to hide conflict from their kids. But kids don't need a perfect marriage modeled, they need a resilient one.In this conversation, Josh and Katie get into what it actually looks like to let your kids see your relationship — the affection, the disagreements, the apologies, and the repair. They talk about why kids need to watch conflict get resolved (not just avoided), how to regulate your own emotions in a way that teaches your kids something instead of scaring them, and why speaking well of your spouse behind their back might be one of the most powerful things you can do for your children.Your home doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to feel warm.In this episode:Why kids should see you disagree, and what they should see immediately afterWhat direct conflict looks like when it isn't yelling, and why that distinction mattersHow to tell your kids you're dysregulated without making it their problemWhy building gratitude for a spouse is a parenting strategyLetting kids see your faith, your finances, and the real cost of life

We don’t always feel like going to church, but some of the most formative moments happen on the Sundays you almost didn't show up.In this conversation, Josh and Katie talk about what it actually looks like to build a family culture around worship and prayer as a rhythm, not a rule. They get practical about Sunday sports, when the kids say they don’t want to go, how to narrate worship to a two-year-old, and what to do when you're face-down in the Prayer Room and your kid climbs on your back. They also go after something most parents quietly avoid: the question of what it costs long-term to let the world set the schedule.This one is for the parents who want their kids to love God's presence, not just know about it.In this episode:Why consistency in the room matters more than how you feel when you walk in"Tithe your time" and what it looks like to orient your family schedule around church firstThe Sunday sports conversation, and the preemptive work that makes it less of a fightWhat to do when your kid says they don't want to goHow to narrate worship to small kids by describing what you seeWhy inviting kids to serve changes how they experience church