The Home and Hearth Podcast

Latest Episodes:

126: The Pastor's Wife Life with Karen Stiller Jan 20, 2021

Show notes

Karen Stiller is a minister's wife, mom, writer, editor, and author of the new book, "The Minister's Wife: A Memoir of Faith, Doubt, Friendship, Loneliness, Forgiveness, and More". She comes on the show today to give us a glimpse into what it's like to be a pastor's wife and provides us with advice and ideas for how we can be a blessing to our own pastor's wife.

What We Chat about in Today’s Episode:

~Karen's new book, The Minister's Wife: A Memoir of Faith, Doubt, Friendship, Loneliness, Forgiveness, and More, what led her to write it, and what readers can expect

~Karen's book as a love letter to the church

~Karen's passion to really show up for her congregation; choosing to belong to your community, and the impact that that "holy habit" has upon your faith

~The trap of perfectionism and how lonely it makes your life; the adverse impact it has on your Christian walk

~Karen's own struggles with doubt and what that is like as a minister's wife; how bringing our doubt into the light can actually deepen our faith

~The ministry of admitting you don't have it all together

~Some of the hardest aspects of being a minister's wife

~How God calls the whole family to something when He calls one member of the family to it; the challenge that can be; Karen's encouragement for those situations

~How sharing our stories can help each other remember God's faithfulness

~What our pastor's wife needs the most from us as laymen in the congregation

~And more!

For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

125: Cultivating a Spirit-Led Holiday Season with Rebekah Hargraves (Solo Episode 12) Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

On today's solo podcast episode, I am taking to the show to share about the importance of cultivating a truly Spirit-led holiday season and how we can go about doing so. My prayer is that you would walk away from today's talk feeling inspired and equipped to really live out the fruits of the Spirit this Christmas!

What She Chats about in Today's Episode:

~The importance of walking by the Spirit during the holiday season, and listening to the Lord rather than man

~Three steps for walking by the Spirit this Christmas:

*Pray

*Be in the Word

*Pray some more!

~Creative and yet practical tips and ideas for how to prioritize those things which make Christmas special for your own unique family, while at the same time saying "no" to the hurry and stress; really soaking up the beauty of this season

~The crucial importance of showing your friends and family Christ-like love this Christmas - whether you see eye-to-eye with them or not: 7 tips for how to do so:

*1. Assume the Biblical Position (and, no, I don’t mean the republican or pro-life position; I mean James 1:19-20).

*2. Assume the best about the other person.

*3. Speak with love.

*4. Focus on what does unify you.

*5. Understand what the holiday is and is not for.

*6. Understand that it is humility, love, and kindness that changes hearts and inspires repentance – not your beating someone over the head with truth.

*7. Seek to understand where the other person is coming from, and be teachable.

~How to take your eyes of Pinterest (if it's not serving you well!) and plan for a truly lovely holiday season

~And more!

For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

124: Living a Life of Welcome with Karen Ehman Nov 25, 2020

Show notes

Karen Ehman is a wife, mom, best-selling author, and speaker with Proverbs 31 Ministries. Her 15th book, Reach Out, Gather In, just released, so today that is what we are going to be talking about as Karen encourages us to live a life of welcome and hospitality.

What We Chat about in Today’s Episode:

~What led Karen to write this new devotional handbook and what readers can expect

~The difference between cultural entertaining and biblical hospitality

~What it means to live a life of welcome and take hospitality with you wherever you go; how this kind of lifestyle builds the kingdom and was even used to bring Karen into the kingdom

~Providing a place of belonging for others

~Practical first steps for how to get started getting to know your neighbors in order to build a relationship with them and share the gospel

~What a "heart drop" is, and how to listen for one

~Noticing the necessary people - your garbage man, mailman, etc., and blessing them

~The folly of thinking we don't have time to love and serve others; operating out of a sense of right and biblical priorities

~The call to put down our phones and start pouring into our real lives

~Using the holiday season as an excuse to make others' lives better

~Ministering to your "old self" - someone who is in a same hard season that you once were in

~And more!

For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

123: A Christian Response to the Election Results with Rebekah Hargraves (Solo Episode 11) Nov 17, 2020

Show notes

Rebekah Hargraves is the host of the Home and Hearth Podcast, which, up until recently, has always been mostly an interview-style podcast. Now, however, she is branching out into recording the eleventh of her solo podcasts to talk about a Christian response to this year's election results. Don't let the title fool you - listen in to today's show for a most timely chat!

What She Chats about in Today's Episode:

~The 5 things Christians must remember and live out both now, when things are up in the air as to who the winner of the election is, as well as over the next four years, regardless of the outcome of the election:

Stand Up for What is Right and Just Trust God Armor Up Live at Peace Have a Big Picture Perspective

~Two amazing opportunities we as believers have right now: the opportunity to present the watching world with what it means to be unified as the body of Christ in love and grace and the opportunity to show what a firm foundation our faith actually has, a firm foundation that does not falter, even in years like this one

~And more!

For full show notes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

122: Friendship Matters with Amber Durgan and Rebekah Hargraves Nov 11, 2020

Show notes

Amber Durgan and Rebekah Hargraves are joining forces on the show today to talk all about their new book releasing December 1, "Friendship Matters: Cultivating Meaningful Connections in an Isolated World." They also answer in a series of questions sent in by readers and listeners on the topic of friendship.

What We Chat about in Today’s Episode:

~Answering the following questions that were sent in:

*"What do I do if someone wants to be closer friends with me than I want to be with them?"

*"How does personality play into friendship?"

*"I have a friendship that is consistently draining. What should I do?"

*"Should we be closer to our Christian friends than we are to our non-Christian friends?"

*"My friend has recently made a decision I don't agree with. What should I do?"

*"Do you have any suggestions for maintaining long-distance friendships?"

*"What do I do if I have a friend with a different worldview than mine? Is that ok?"

*"How can I share the gospel without being 'preachy' about it?"

~The difference between being friends *with* everyone and being friendly *to* everyone; which we are actually called to

~What to expect from the book, topics we cover, etc.

~The importance of having already developed a certain depth of friendship before "going there" and addressing hard and personal topics

~The Matthew 18 Method blueprint for how to address hard situations with your friends

~The importance of asking ourselves how we are presenting the gospel to the people in our lives.

~And more!

For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

121: Understanding 1 Timothy 2:11-15 with Rebekah Hargraves (Solo Episode 10) Nov 04, 2020

Show notes

Rebekah Hargraves is the host of the Home and Hearth Podcast, which, up until recently, has always been mostly an interview-style podcast. Now, however, she is branching out into recording the tenth of her solo podcasts to piggy-back a bit off the topic of her last few solo shows, which have been on the topic of Biblical womanhood. Today she comes on the show to do a deep dive of 1 Timothy 2:11-15 in the hopes that what she shares today will help equip you to better understand this oftentimes confusing passage.

What She Chats about in Today's Episode:

~The cultural, historical, and biblical context of 1 Timothy 2:11-15

~What the whole canon of Scripture has to say about women teaching men

~Answering the claim that women are more easily deceived

~The problem in Corinth of women being uneducated, and how Paul sought to do away with this problem

~Understanding 1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Timothy 2 in light of 1 Corinthians 11

~What 1 Corinthians 14 has to say that sheds a light on 1 Timothy 2

~The problem of chaos in the churches

~The importance of allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture (and allowing Paul to interpret Paul!)

~The interesting Greek word translated "authority" in this passage, and why it's important to understand

~Shedding light on the "saved in childbirth" claim in verse 15

~Recommended resources for further study

~And more!

For full show notes, head to hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

120: Answering the Question, "Was Jesus Nice?" with Blake Guichet Oct 27, 2020

Show notes

Blake Guichet is a wife, girl mom, writer, and host of The Crappy Christian Podcast. She recently took to Instagram to address the topics of Jesus, niceness, and kindness. As soon as I heard what she had to say on those issues, I knew I had to have her on the show! So, today, we are answering the question, "Was Jesus Nice?" and diving into the implications of the answer to that question on our everyday lives as Christ's ambassadors! We hope you'll walk away from this episode feeling better equipped to interact with others the way Christ would.

What We Chat about in Today’s Episode:

~Answering the questions "Was Jesus Nice?" and "Are we as believers called to be nice?"

~The difference between being kind and being nice

~Jesus' example of speaking hard truths in love, from a heart of kindness, but not always from a place of niceness

~Jesus' interactions with the Pharisees

~The difference between peacemaking and peacekeeping, and what we are called to as believers; the biblical definition of peace versus the culture's definition of peace

~Relational currency and getting to the place of being able to have hard conversations with people

~Calling out vs. calling up

~The importance of truth in love and the problem with missing either one of these important characteristics

~The difference between a biblical definition of kindness and a cultural one

~How speaking truth leads to peace

~Being willing to go to bat for the gospel

~Different personalities and how they are each uniquely equipped to build the kingdom in different ways

~Strong, aggressive terminology used throughout Scripture telling us to contend for the faith, give a defense, be strong in the face of spiritual warfare, and be equipped to stand firm

~Practical first steps for those who don't know where to start when it comes to being truly loving and kind as opposed to merely nice

~The importance of not becoming Jesus jerks or Bible bullies

~And more!

For full shownotes, head to hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

119: Women and Leadership with Rebekah Hargraves (Solo Episode 9) Oct 20, 2020

Show notes

Rebekah Hargraves is the host of the Home and Hearth Podcast, which, up until recently, has always been mostly an interview-style podcast. Now, however, she is branching out into recording the ninth of her solo podcasts to piggy-back a bit off the topic of her last few solo shows, which have been on the topic of Biblical womanhood. Today she comes on the show to do a survey of the Scriptures to see what God's Word has to say about women and leadership.

What She Chats about in Today's Episode:

~The reality that both men and women were given leadership responsibilities (i.e. subdue, have dominion, etc.) by God at the beginning of time

~Specific examples of women throughout Scripture being given leadership roles by God (namely, Deborah, Huldah, Priscilla, the Proverbs 31 woman, Titus 2 women, and so on)

~What the Bible actually has to say about the leadership of Deborah

~Answering those who would take Isaiah 3:12 out of context to defend the idea that female leaders are a curse

~Answering the question "Was Deborah's leadership a blight on Israel's leadership?", as some wrongly believe it was

~The "blessed alliance" and partnership between Deborah and Barak; how this beautifully illustrates how God created men and women to be partners in life

~The importance of allowing Scripture to speak for and interpret itself rather than our trying to force it into our own man-made boxes

~The problematic results which come from our taking gender stereotypes and differences too far

~The power of influence and leadership that women already automatically carry with them and the importance of asking yourself what kind of leader you will be

~Prophetesses in the Word including Joel's daughters, Phillip's daughters, Anna, Deborah, Huldah, and Miriam

~And more!

For full show notes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast

118: Beauty from Ashes with Heather Johnson Oct 14, 2020

Show notes

Heather Johnson is a wife, mama, writer, speaker, and podcaster who is passionate about encouraging women with the truth of how the Lord can bring beauty from ashes. She joins me on the podcast to share her story of going through abuse, broken relationships, divorce, single parenting, and now a sweet new marriage and brand new son. We pray you will walk away encouraged by today's show to believe in the Lord's great redemption power!

What She Chats about in Today’s Episode:

~The hardships Heather has faced over the years

~Going through life as a people-pleaser and what looking to others for love and acceptance led to in Heather's life

~Heather's abusive marriage, divorce, and subsequent 5 years of single parenting

~The waiting period that often has to be gone through before we are able to rise up out of the ashes

~The problem with codependency, and the importance of boundaries

~How Heather was able to finally come to see that the love and fulfillment she had been looking for were only able to be found in Christ

~Coming to see the truths of God's grace as true for us, too, and not just other people

~How the Lord met Heather in the midst of 5 years of single parenting; how the body of Christ showed up for her

~Truth to free you from people-pleasing

~The problem of feeling you have to justify yourself to other people

~The beautiful story of how God brought Heather to where she is today, with a new husband and new baby boy

~Words of encouragement for those who are still in that waiting period for God to finally bring beauty from ashes

~The importance of giving yourself space and time to grieve

~And more!

Head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast for full show notes!

117: The Involvement of Women in the Ministries of Jesus and Paul with Rebekah Hargraves (Solo Episode 8) Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

Rebekah Hargraves is the host of the Home and Hearth Podcast, which, up until recently, has always been mostly an interview-style podcast. Now, however, she is branching out into recording the eighth of her solo podcasts to piggy-back a bit off the topic of her last solo podcast on the topic of God's beautiful "ezer" design for women, to show many examples of women living out this very design as they partnered together with both Jesus and Paul in their earthly ministries.

What She Chats about in Today's Episode:

~A NT survey of how women lived as ezers alongside both Jesus and Paul

~The patriarchal myth that women are to be on the sidelines while the Great Commission is being lived out; the problem with gendering this command

~What the Bible shows us about women providing financially for Jesus' ministry

~The many cases in the Gospels of women being actively involved in Jesus' earthly ministry

~The love, compassion, respect, concern, and care Jesus regularly showed to women

~The women at Calvary and at the tomb

~The woman at the well, the first evangelist

~Mary, a student at Jesus' feet right alongside the men; Jesus' welcoming of her to that sacred place; the anti-patriarchal message behind the story of Mary and Martha

~The involvement of women in the ministry of Paul

~The women (namely Phoebe, Priscilla, Mary, Junia, Tryphena and Tryphosa, and Julia) Paul praises in Romans 16 for their involvement in his ministry, and what we can learn from what he says about each one

~Luke's words about Lydia, the first convert in Europe and the woman in whose home the church at Philippi met

~The women of Luke 8

~Paul and Luke's praising of Priscilla and the work she did

~And more!

For full shownotes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast