FeralFaith Podcast

In this Season 1 finale, we go back to the moment that started it all. Before the conversations, before the frameworks, before anything had a name, Amber and I found ourselves in an unexpected place—locked in separate bathrooms, stepping away from everything else to sit with God and with each other. What happened in that space was simple, but it was real. And it changed us. We begin this episode b...

In this “Sit With Me” practice episode, we slow down and create space to experience safety in the body and connection with God. These episodes are part of a practical track within Rhythms of Resilience , designed to help you build resilience through simple, embodied practices you can return to again and again. We walk through progressive muscle relaxation to help your body settle, then revisit joy...

Many of us have been taught that suffering must mean something went wrong. If our faith were stronger, our prayers more confident, or our declarations more persistent, maybe the pain would disappear. Over time, that kind of thinking can leave us exhausted, quietly wondering if our suffering is somehow our fault. In this episode, we explore a different way of understanding pain. Together we unpack...

Grief is not tidy. It does not move in straight lines, and it rarely follows our timelines. In this episode, we explore the misunderstood journey of grief, from denial and anger to bargaining, sorrow, and acceptance. These phases are not boxes to check. They are movements of the heart that require honesty and space. We also talk about what happens when we try to build a false bridge around grief,...

The world feels heavy right now. Constant news cycles, cultural tension, and emotional overload can quietly erode our sense of safety. Our heart behind this practice track is simple: to offer tools that help people build real resilience in their bodies and relationships, especially in seasons that feel overwhelming. This episode begins the “Sit With Me” mini series within Rhythms of Resilience . T...

Most of us would say we know how to listen. But when someone shares pain, uncertainty, or confusion, something often shifts inside us. We feel the urge to fix, explain, spiritualize, or move the conversation along. In this episode, Maureen Jones returns to continue the conversation about healing and resilience by focusing on one of the most overlooked skills in community—listening. Together, we ex...

We know what to do when the body is injured. We clean the wound, protect it, and give it time to heal. But what happens when the injury is to the heart, and no one ever teaches us how to tend to it? In this episode, we explore the difference between visible wounds and the unseen injuries we carry in our souls. Joined by Maureen Jones, wife of our previous guest ,Joe Jones, former megachurch pastor...

The holidays have a way of bringing everything to the surface. Expectations rise, schedules fill, old family dynamics reappear, and somehow we’re still expected to enjoy ourselves. When it’s over, many of us are left tired, disconnected, or quietly grieving—and not entirely sure why. Rhythms of Resilience is our new podcast series that explores the wounds of the heart, including grief, loss, life...

In this episode, we sit down with the brilliant and deeply grounded Jessie Cruickshank —an ordained minister, Harvard-trained neuroeducator, and globally respected leader in discipleship, missiology, and spiritual formation. Jessie brings her unique blend of neuroscience and Kingdom insight to a conversation that pulls back the curtain on how the Western brain—and the Western church—may be uninten...

In this episode, we kick things off with some laughter as we swap stories about our kids, their latest bumps and bruises, and the unexpected trips to the chiropractor that followed. But those funny moments open the door to a deeper conversation about spiritual alignment—and how much it mirrors the physical kind. We talk honestly about the first step toward healing: admitting something hurts. Why i...

In Part 2, Joe unpacks the concept of the wool ball and how it relates to the story about friendship, weaving, and what it means to be so spun together that you can’t tell where one life ends and another begins. From African villages to living rooms in the UK, he’s seen what happens when people trade programs and attendance for patience and proximity. We talk about slowing down enough to form real...

Meet Joe Jones—retired megachurch pastor turned house church leader, missionary, and storyteller with decades of dust on his boots from the UK, Africa, and the Middle East. Joe sits down with us to talk about relational apprenticeship —what has to shift inside us before we can step into the kind of relationships that actually change us. We talk about the old rabbinic blessing, “May you be covered...

Amber opens with a story from her Air Force training where she may have slapped a fake patient in a simulation as her fake airplane was sinking into water (yes, really). It becomes the perfect metaphor: we often want to slap people into growth or maturity—but real friendship doesn’t work like that. This episode dives into what happens when friendship becomes transactional, one-dimensional, or just...

This episode begins with inside jokes and ridiculous parenting stories—the kind of shared memories that make your whole body laugh. But what starts as a trip down nostalgia lane turns into a deeper question: What have friendships like these done to our brains, our sense of belonging, and our ability to thrive as humans—and what happens when we stop gathering like this? We unpack the 2025 Oxford Wo...

Ever tried chasing a goose? It’s a bit wild, a bit unpredictable, and definitely not something you can control. That’s the image the ancient Celtic church used for the Holy Spirit—and it’s where our conversation with Dr. Peggy Rayman lands. From there, Peggy invites us into a slower, deeper way of living out faith—one that opens our homes, our tables, and our hearts. Because true discipleship does...

This is our spiciest episode yet. We circle back to our very first conversation and measure it against the hard lessons we’ve lived since. From church health to leadership failures, from scandals that rock the Body to the deeper call of discipleship, the shofar sounds again. But this time, the fire is close. The latest scandal doesn’t just make headlines—it shapes how our kids see faith and leader...

Did you know the strongest force in your brain isn’t willpower or knowledge, but attachment? In Part 2 of this conversation, we unpack with Steve, a ministry leader and friend, about how our brains learn safety and love from infancy, why generational disconnection is making us sick, and how joy-filled bonds are the true engine of transformation. Jesus didn’t call people into belonging because they...

Ever gone on vacation hoping for rest… and come back more tired (and maybe a little sick)? That was our cruise. Instead of poolside peace, we got buffets, chaos, and a front-row seat to how unhealthy and restless our culture really is. In this episode, we laugh at our not-so-relaxing getaway and dig into the bigger questions it raised: Why do quick fixes and willpower hacks never bring real change...

In this episode, we unpack the mystery of “It” —that deep, often unspoken desire to be known, connected, and woven into something bigger than ourselves. But “It” isn’t a program. It’s not transactional, performance-based, or religious obligation. It’s something better—and we believe it’s at the heart of Kingdom living. We talk about how “It” becomes a way of life: a joyful, countercultural rhythm...

In this thought-provoking episode, we welcome our first guest, Dr. Heidi Albete, a naturopathic doctor with a passion for whole-person healing. Together, we explore how our biology is hardwired for connection—and what happens to our nervous system when fight-or-flight takes over. Dr. Heidi breaks down the science behind stress responses, trauma, and nervous system dysregulation, and explains why r...

In this episode, Amber returns from a mission trip to Pakistan with stories that challenge the American mindset around comfort, safety, and faith. We unpack what it means to live in a communal culture where relationships run deep—and how that contrasts with the often-isolated world we navigate here in the U.S. Amber shares her experience of "getting out of the boat," reflecting on Peter’...

Forgotten Vitamins: Friendship, Honesty, and the Courage to Be Known We’re in the middle of a relational health crisis. American culture—shaped by rugged individualism and surface-level connection—has left many of us relationally vitamin-deficient. We’re lonely, burned out, and unsure how to build the kinds of friendships that sustain us. And it’s not just out there in the culture—it’s in the Chur...

What does it look like to actually choose each other in real life—not just in theory or theology, but in the mess, beauty, and vulnerability of everyday relationships? In this episode, we unpack our recent visit together in Colorado and reflect on the kind of connection that lingers long after the plane ride home. We explore the ancient concept of hesed —a steadfast, loyal, covenantal kind of love...

In Part 2 of this conversation, we continue our exploration of what it means to return to our truest identity in Christ—this time through the lens of how we’re formed, both spiritually and neurologically. We dive into how the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for processing fear and emotion, is largely formed by age seven—and how many of our core responses to life, God, and even freedom...

What does it mean to go feral in your faith? In this episode, we unpack the wild side of walking with Jesus—before the polish, before the performance. From hilarious animal encounters to cultural trends that have us all going a little rogue, we explore how embracing the "feral" can actually bring us back to who we were created to be. We also take a fresh look at the wilderness—not as a p...