We think this episode might be worth listening to more than once.

It’s that good and that important…especially this month (Pride Month).

Author and teacher, Rebecca McLaughlin, takes some of the real-life theological conversations many of us are having right now and helps us to respond with grace and truth.

She explores these questions and more:

-How can we respond kindly and truthfully when people say to us, “Love is love! Why can’t you just love people!”?

-What can we say when people tell us that holding to a historical biblical view of marriage is intrinsically harmful (ie. It encourages suicidal behavior)?

-What if people point at slavery being acceptable in the Bible, “And it was wrong about that, so it must be wrong about ‘homosexuality’”?

-What if friends also say, “How can you prevent people from loving who they want to love?”

We’re going to go there, friends. We need to—with grace, love, and truth.

| Do the Next Thing: |

Find all of Rebecca’s books here: https://www.rebeccamclaughlin.org

Follow us and what we are up to here: https://www.instagram.com/laurie_krieg/

Episode 177: How Can We Engage “Love is Love” and Other Arguments?

You guysssss!!!!! After over a year off of the air, the Hole in My Heart Podcast is back!!!

We are back and we got a shiny new studio and some awesome new friends who are producing this thing. Through a new partnership with West Michigan’s 91.3 WCSG, the Hole in My Heart Podcast has the opportunity to reach more people with the truth that the gospel is good news for *everyone* every day. (!!)

Today, Laurie, Matt, and Steve get behind the microphones (and cameras!) to re-acclimate long time listeners and welcome new ones. We do this by:

--Playing Two Truths and a Lie with each other (Can you guess the right answer?)

--Talk about how the gospel has *still* been good news for us in the last year 

--Offer how the podcast began, how we connected to WCSG, and why we named it “Hole in My Heart” anyway…?

--Engage a conversation about sin, neediness, and why we run to things we don’t truly want or need

--Share what we are looking forward to in the new season of HIMH!! (Eek!)

//Highlights//

“Whether or not I get healed (I don’t know), I do know eternal [victory] is guaranteed.” —Laurie Krieg

“Often times, we can look at our needs and think they are character flaws or deficiencies when in actuality they are created order.”—Matt Krieg

“I am excited about integrating. I think God has been working on me a lot on integrating—on becoming a real, whole person.”—Steve O’Dell

//Do the Next Thing//

Want to watch this episode? Visit www.wcsg.org/all-podcasts

We mention these episodes: 
--Episode 24: Is There Hope for Us?: https://lauriekrieg.com/podcast/you-and-me-forever-%E2%80%8Bchapter-5-is-there-hope-for-us/
--The Marriage Series: https://lauriekrieg.com/podcast/you-and-me-forever-chapter-1-marriage-is-not-that-great/

Want to answer the Question of the Week for Next Week? How would you answer this... "Nothing gets geriatric [insert your generation name] going like... [Coldplay, Polly Pockets, Atari, the weather forecast...etc."]

Email us at podcast@lauriekrieg.com or find a community with other listeners on the HIMH Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/himhpodcast

Episode 192: Why "Hole in My Heart"? with Laurie, Matt & Steve

“One thing I have learned about Jesus is that He wants to sit in uncomfortable emotions with me [Heb. 4:15]. If I am not willing to sit in these emotions, then how is He supposed to sit in them--with me?” --Matt Krieg

Oh, dear, wise Matt. 

Today on HIMH Shorts (where we toss around the host table, “How has the gospel been good news for you lately?), Matt brings up his topic of emotional resilience…

What is it?

How can we know when it’s time to move on from a negative emotion?

How can we know if we need to stay in the suffering longer?

We’d love for you to join the conversation.

And after? Feel free to tell us what you think on the FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/himhpodcast

On IG: instagram.com/laurie_krieg

Or email us! podcast@lauriekrieg.com

HIMH Shorts: Emotional Resilience with Matt

How can we lovingly engage a world that opposes what we believe? 

What is Laurie's ongoing practice to engage pushback?

One word: Lament. Laurie Krieg will walk you through the why's and how to's of what should be every Christian's ongoing practice of "venting to the only One who can do something about your pain."

Bonus: Facing the Unthinkable Talk with Laurie Krieg (Or: "How to Lament")

Therapist Matt leads us through a way we can pray that helps us envision the God who Sees Us and prepares us to lament.

BONUS: Safe Place Prayer with Matt

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.

I Highlights: I
“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 trajedy 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

I Do the Next Thing: I

Check out John Mark Comer’s books, especially the latest *The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry*! https://johnmarkcomer.com

Watch this Conversation! https://vimeo.com/481881818

Help us out! Review the podcast for us wherever you listen :)

Episode 148: Defining Stress & Success with John Mark Comer

Purity culture—yep, we’re going there.

Ladies and gents—if you’ve ever felt that your worth, dignity, or purity were wrapped up in your sexuality, this is for you.

On this episode, Rachel Joy Welcher, author of new book *Talking Back to Purity Culture*, helps us debunk the myths of sexuality that have come from purity culture.

Join us as we celebrate the gospel and all the gifts Christ gives—even in our sexuality.

I Highlights I

“You can’t stop your spouse from sinning if they want to sin—but you can sure love them!” -Rachel Joy Welcher

“You don’t fight sexual sin with sex. You fight sexual sin with self-control and love for the Lord and love for your neighbor.” -Rachel Joy Welcher

“Our dignity cannot be changed and our purity cannot be changed, if we are in Christ.” -Rachel Joy Welcher

I Do the Next Thing I

Pre-order Rachel Joy Welcher’s book, *Talking Back to Purity Culture.* https://www.racheljwelcher.com

Watch this Conversation! https://vimeo.com/492536473

Join our Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/himhpodcast

Episode 152: Are Woman Responsible For Male Lust? with Rachel Joy Welcher

The world feels like it’s on fire, and if we are honest? Many of us have started or increased unhealthy habits to cope.
 
Some have turned to porn, the use of which increased globally by 11% (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32663384/) at the start of the pandemic.
 
But wait! If this is you or a friend? Before you turn away in shame or self-hatred, we pray and believe that this conversation with John Michael Cusick, licensed professional counselor, teacher, and author of Surfing for God will truly encourage you.
 
Discover the heart behind porn addiction and how you can overcome it—yes, even now while the world is on fire—on today’s episode.

I Highlights I

“I don’t see that the story of God presumes that we are more sinful than we believe. I would say that we’re more loved than we know and believe, but that we’re more *broken* than we understand. And that our sinful behaviors flow and overflow out of our brokenness.” -Michael John Cusick

“We all experience ongoing conversions of our heart where the love of God and the Holy Spirit gets down into the nooks and crannies of who we are. Or, more accurately, Christ already dwells in us, and the Spirit is there, and the Spirit comes up and out of those nooks and crannies as the layers of shame and the layers of lies and the rubble of trauma begin to fall away.” -Michael John Cusick

“Whenever there’s any kind of suffering, it becomes an opportunity and it’s a bridge to becoming who we are and living in our union with Christ, as opposed to a barrier.” -Michael John Cusick

“[O]ur biggest sin becomes that we settle for good enough as opposed to for the abundant life.” -Michael John Cusick

I Do the Next Thing I

Check out Michael John Cusick’s website for more updates on what he’s doing! https://michaeljohncusick.com

Watch this Conversation! https://vimeo.com/498439957

Join our Facebook group for updates! https://www.facebook.com/groups/himhpodcast

Episode 155: Getting to the Root of Porn in a Time of Turmoil with Michael John Cusick

Buckle your seatbelts, friends. This episode gets a bit bumpy.

Maybe your family—like ours—has people with different political beliefs in it. When I (Laurie) chose to co-host this episode with my dad, I didn’t realize a major theme would be loving each other through differing political beliefs. 

The major gift of this surprise theme was that by the end, we were all nodding in agreement with each other—unified in the gospel.

And oh yeah… the matchless Os Guinness may have been our guest, but he acted like a brilliant mediator guiding my dad and I (and our divided world?) toward grace for each other and a reliance on “true truth.”

Maybe you can relate to this conversation?

P.S. This was recorded before the mob at the capital, but the heart of it is still very much applicable.

I Highlights I

“People don’t realize the wonder of the gospel! So I give you the little phrase, 'Contrast is the mother of clarity.’ Every time you see what the alternatives [to the gospel] lead to, you come back with wonder, love, and praise at the difference the good news of Jesus makes.” -Os Guinness

“Remember how Elijah made people convinced that Jehovah was the real God was the miracle of the fire coming down. We can show miracles today, too….For…followers of Christ to love each other, despite their differences, is a powerful message to our very split world.” -Randy Heckman

“Hopelessness and despair are always pagan. The gospel always ends in a sense of hope.” -Os Guinness

“Have faith in God. Have no fear.” -Os Guinness

I Do the Next Thing I

Check out more of Dr. Guinness on his website! http://www.osguinness.com

Watch this Conversation! https://vimeo.com/501090464

Join our Facebook group to find the Question of the Week and more! https://www.facebook.com/groups/himhpodcast

How Did We Get Here? with Os Guinness

Author and speaker Hannah Brencher talks real life:

She's wrestled with life-threatening depression, has been a viral TED speaker, and is here today to help us to get some soul stability if our mental health has taken a hit.

Together, we explore:

How can we put practices in place without feeling like legalists?
How can we face the inner critic if he/she doesn't stop berating us?
If we show up and fail, how can we recover?

2021 requires real life conversations, and Hannah's the right one for the job.

I Highlights I

“I knew in my soul, ‘You’re not gonna hide. You’re gonna show up anyway. You’re gonna do exactly what you would have done if you were the most confident person in the world.’ And with each decision to just move forward anyway, that …inner critic loses some of its power.” -Hannah Brencher

“No one wins if you don’t show up in the world how you need to show up.... You’ll live this half-hearted life if you let fear have that amount of power over you.” -Hannah Brencher

I Do the Next Thing I

Check out Hannah’s website to find her book, Fighting Forward, as well as so much more! https://www.hannahbrenchercreative.com

Watch this conversation! https://vimeo.com/506349211

Follow Laurie on Instgram for updates! https://www.instagram.com/laurie_krieg/?hl=en

Episode 158: Soul Stability in 2021 with Hannah Brencher

On the Hole in My Heart Podcast, Laurie Krieg, her licensed-therapist husband, Matt, and their friend "and most professional radio voice," Producer Steve talk about how the gospel is good news for everyone every day. They most frequently talk about sexuality, addiction, trauma, discipleship, parenting, and mental health through a historically biblical sexual ethic lens, and with a bit of humor.