Hole in My Heart Podcast

Do you remember even two or four years ago when you could remind stirred-up Christians, "Hey, guys? We got to love our enemies!" and they would often say, "Oh, yeah!" Nowadays, when you say the same thing, it would not be unusual to hear something like, "Nah. I'm good." Pastor and author Scott Sauls is here to wake us up with how to address our enemies in this sometimes-hostile 2020 world. This is another conversation we will not soon forget. //: Highlights “Righteous anger attacks problems; raging anger attacks people….We’re supposed to love our enemies, not put them in their place.” -Scott Sauls “Jesus didn’t flip tables on the woman caught in adultery.” -Matt Krieg “I am so bad that I needed what Christ [did]—I needed the bloodbath on the cross in order to justly take care of what a trainwreck I am. And yet I was and am so loved by Him that He was not only willing but eager to go through the bloodbath in order to have me as His own. And if that’s what I’m operating out of, I just don’t know how you’re gonna offend me after that.” -Scott Sauls //: Do the Next Thing Check out Scott’s book, A Gentle Answer!  

It’s Thanksgiving in the States! Today, from our respective shelter-in-place spots (again!), we are sharing what we are grateful for and hearing from you. Not only that, however, but we are sharing what we have learned in this very hard year, and how we can take that good, suffering-produced fruit into 2021. We are thankful for YOU guys, today! //: Highlights "I’m thankful for how much it’s had to scrape away false identities that I didn’t even know that I was holding onto. Because I am so ambitious and I have so much drive, that it could kill me—and us [Matt and Laurie]. I’m not saying I’m on the brink of breaking apart but I just was like, 'Jesus, I need your help.' Because I can make that my identity. And I’m so thankful for His surgeon-like precision of being like, 'Laurie, I’m your identity. It’s only me. Whether you "succeed" or fail—whatever. None of that matters. Just be in Me and you’ll produce much fruit—whatever that fruit is.' I am learning deeper intimacy as He strips away more of my false identities." -Laurie Krieg

We have been on pins and needles waiting to release this episode to you all! It is one of those episodes we can't stop thinking about... Author and pastor, John Mark Comer, brings it. He helps us to think deeply about questions like, "What is success?" "What defines failure?" "What do we do when we are overwhelmed with the calling God has on our lives?" "How do we understand our identity in the midst of the culture we live in?" Pop in those earbuds and go on that walk, do those dishes, make that Thanksgiving meal, but you may find you need to pause and take notes because this brother has some encouraging and exhortative things to say. //: Highlights: “For Paul, Christ did not die so that we do not have to. Christ died to show us how to die.” -John Mark Comer “The great tragedy of Western life is [that] it’s a lie. Nobody—even the most successful—nobody just keeps climbing the mountain. At some point, you face suffering, pain, failure, rejection, mistakes, regret, and often we don’t see it in the people we lionize, but that’s branding. It’s not because it’s not there.” -John Mark Comer “So in the old metrics, you knew if you were a good person if you were faithful to your spouse and you raised your children well and you worked hard that day. In the new metrics, you know if you’re a good person, so to speak, based on how many Instagram followers you have, how cool you are, how beautiful you are, how successful you are—these are brutal, punishing metrics that produce massive anxiety, fear, and existential angst in people. Which is why I think much of the gospel for Millennials and Gen Z going forward will be a better way to do identity.” -John Mark Comer //: Do the Next Thing: Check out John Mark Comer’s books, especially the latest The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry!  Help us out! Review the podcast for us wherever you listen :)

Walking alongside people who wrestle with their gender identity is such a unique journey. Because it is so unique and often very complex, it's wise to hear from the experts, don't you think? Dr. Mark Yarhouse is one of the preeminent gender + psychology + Christianity experts, and we brought him on to share about his new book, Emerging Gender Identities, and help us to learn how to walk better alongside our friends who experience some level of gender + body dissonance. //: Highlights: “If you’re just a natural object, like a chemical compound…chemical compounds don’t interact with their classification. But if you classify people, a human kind, human beings respond and react to the language and categories you give them, and they begin to think of themselves differently.” -Dr. Mark Yarhouse “I don’t know that the ministry approach we’re taking to shepherding people is meeting people where they’re at. Because when you have to announce kind of a final decision of, ‘I was facing this fork in the road that was like a crisis for me”—maybe existentially, spiritually, psychologically—“and I was facing this and I didn’t bring anybody in from the church, or at least from the elders and shepherding pastors”…Rather than look at them and say, ‘Can we make sure that you do the right thing?’ I’m gonna look at myself and say, ‘Where are we not connecting in ministry?’” -Dr. Mark Yarhouse //: Do the Next Thing: Get Dr. Yarhouse's book! And listen to the podcast the last time we had Dr. Yarhouse! 

Have you ever struggled to find quiet? In the world, in your life, in yourself? We’re here with singer/songwriter and now AUTHOR Jamie Grace to talk about what it looks like to find peace and center ourselves on the Lord in this crazy world we’re living in! Join us as we hear from her about artistry, anxiety, mental health, comparison, social media, and so much more! //: Highlights: “We have this misconstrued concept of what success is, and…we become so anxious as a culture and as a society and as a generation that we can’t find peace until we get the most, or the biggest, or the highest. And practically, we’ll never get the most or the biggest or the highest!” -Jamie Grace “If I am constantly trying to pursue the best or the most or the biggest or to be loved by all, to be known by all, to have my story shared with all, I will be completely depleted.” -Jamie Grace “It’s simply not worth it to pursue noise and volume.” -Jamie Grace “I believe that my God is a healer….I’ve seen God heal, I know what He can do….But who am I to say that God using my testimony is not my healing?” -Jamie Grace //: Do the Next Thing: Follow Jamie Grace (and also Laurie) on Instagram!  Order Finding Quiet, Jamie’s new book, here! Check out the Pause App by John Eldredge and go find some quiet! 

It’s the Hole in My Heart Podcast LIVE! True story: This was about Plan D of our celebratory-book-launch-party-worship fest (thanks, Rona!), but God was in it all the same. Today, Matt, Laurie, Steve, and some special guests celebrate the work of the gospel through Matt and Laurie’s story and through you all. There are testimonies, prizes, jokes, and GOOFBALL ISLAND is back for one night only. Thanks for being a part of this adventure, fam! //: Highlights: “You’ve wanted to write a book—*A* book—for a long time. But the fact that it’s this book reminds me that it’s the gospel that’s impossible. And as we live that out and reflect that through marriage or whatever we’re called to, we are living out an impossible thing because God’s the author of it. He calls us to impossible stuff, because He went first.” -Steve O’Dell “Are you willing to give your whole life into HIs hands and say, ’Not my will but yours, God. Will you make this impossible possible? Will you shape me into what you want it to be?’ ….And watch what He does! ….It’s gonna be better than you could write." //: Do the Next Thing: ORDER THE BOOK!!!  Join the Hole In My Heart Facebook Page! 

What does “fasting from your desire from sex” mean, and why was it so significant to Matt? Why do so many male Christian leaders fall sexually? Is “maintenance sex” good for marriages? How can guys access their hearts more (and how can women help)? Today we are concluding our deep-dive of themes in our Impossible Marriage book with a co-author, Matt Krieg. //: Highlights: “Oftentimes, because we are taught that sex is the thing that we're supposed chase—and we’re not supposed to be these emotional people, we’re supposed to pick ourselves up by the bootstraps and get the job done…we just run to what feels good….It’s all very powerful, but it’s not just this physiological thing. It’s emotional.” -Matt Krieg //: Do the Next Thing:  Order the book! Last day to register for the Impossible Marriage Workshop!  Bonus: Check out Producer Steve on the radio! http://wcsg.org

We often encourage people to: "Live the Metaphor." It means, "show us heaven in how you live and love." Sure, in our Impossible Marriage book we mainly use the phrase to exhort married people, but SINGLE PEOPLE LIVE THE METAPHOR, TOO. How? One of our favorites, Greg Coles, brings the heat, the love, and the real-time conviction about how single people equally give us a glimpse of heaven, too. Bring it, Greg. Let's wake up, people. //: Highlights: “The Body of Christ is actually purposeful in having people are called to one vocation and another vocation, instead of turning us all into carbon copies of each other. So I think the healthy question that we can ask—any of us, single or married—as we’re thinking about fostering unity within the Body of Christ between us is, ‘How does my vocation equip me to serve the Body of Christ and to be the Body of Christ to the world in a way that a different vocation would not?’” -Dr. Greg Coles “I think the more we see each other as purposefully different characters in this joint story, the more ready we are to live as one without thinking of ourselves as identical to each other.” -Dr. Greg Coles //: Do the Next Thing: Check out our “Live the Metaphor” merch! Check out Greg’s website (and his amazing book!) here.  Listen to our other podcast with Greg.

When past trauma affects today's living, it can be challenging to function in any way. In this first episode of our Impossible Marriage Moments' mini-series of three, we dive deep into that theme: Laurie experienced trauma's effects in her marriage, it magnetized to her attractions toward women, and together, they almost walked her to a divorce. What can we do if past trauma is affecting us now? What if it's gripping someone we love? Author and therapist, Dr. Dave Beach, guides us brilliantly toward some next right steps. //: Highlights: “Loving attachment is the crucible for a lot of raw stuff but a lot of healing. We’re harmed in relationship and we’re healed in relationship.” -Dr. David Beach “One of the facets of Jesus that I think brings us more compassion for others is ‘Jesus, Man of Sorrows.’” -Dr. David Beach “[T]he beauty of a traumatized story with growth and reconstruction is it’s the imprint—the thumbprint, if you will—of God, [of] the gospel. Because that’s what happens in the life of Jesus.” -Dr. David Beach //: Do the Next Thing: Check out books by Dr. David Beach and his wife, Cynthia, here!  Pre-order the IMPOSSIBLE MARRIAGE book! Sign up for our Webinar!

We often talk about sexuality or racial equity--but what about when both hit home? Our new friend, Henry Abuto, helps us understand what it is like to live life as a Black man who is also a sexual minority (and an immigrant!), and how we can all engage each other like Jesus. //: Highlights: “When I’m not easily swayed by my emotions and I inform my feelings rather than just follow them blindly, that’s when I know I’m speaking from a centered place….If you [Laurie or Matt] leave conversations with each other after resolving conflict, do you feel encouraged and loved by that person, even through admonishment, or do you just feel beat down? If the person feels beat down and discouraged by the things you said to them, then even if you were correct, you were still wrong because of the posture of your heart.” -Henry Abuto Do the Next Thing! Check out Henry Abuto’s articles here! That Barna research we referenced? Here: Pre-Order our book! :)