Dr. Joel Muddamalle is back for round three, and this time he's taking Levi and Jennie into the deep end — demons, the Nephilim, and what the Bible actually says about spiritual warfare. They talk why he's stepping back from viral reaction content in favor of long-form Substack essays, swap travel stories from Ephesus and Crete, and dig into his new book The Unseen Battle: can demons read minds, were the Nephilim real, and is Judas in heaven? Plus: Snickers bars, Nicolas Cage, and a very memorable joke about Indiana Jones.

Connect with us on social!

Joel: @muddamalle

Levi: @levilusko

Jennie: @jennielusko

Fresh Life Church: @freshlife

[Links]

Order The Unseen Battle: https://bit.ly/4bTkNQt

Subscribe to Joel's Substack: https://bit.ly/4vGjPhI

Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY

Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY

Subscribe for more exclusive content: https://levilusko.com/hitl-subscribe

A wounded sense of worth doesn't stay in childhood. It follows you into your work, your relationships, and the story you tell about who you are. In Part 2, we trace the value wound into adulthood -- the achievement treadmill that never stops, the relationships where love never quite feels safe, the inner critic that renders verdicts instead of feedback. Then we look at how a value wound shapes identity, why identity crises are often doorways rather than disasters, and what genuine healing actually looks like.

IN THIS EPISODE

If the borrowed identity fell away -- the role, the title, the thing you're known for -- what would be left? Is that terrifying? Or is there something in you that's curious about finding out?

The Lusko kids join Levi and Jennie for a cozy, hilarious, end-of-2025 family episode—full of memories, real talk, and the kind of side comments only siblings can pull off. Together they look back on the year’s big moments: college life, tennis wins, learner’s permits, a meaningful baptism, and the wild joy of serving together.

You’ll hear the behind-the-scenes of the Bolivia mission trip (including travel chaos and a few very memorable mishaps), plus a rapid-fire stroll through favorite podcast episodes, sermon series that hit home, and the books/music that shaped the year. They wrap it all by looking ahead to 2026 with practical goals and spiritual rhythms.

Connect with us on social!

Levi: @levilusko

Jennie: @jennielusko

Fresh Life Church: @freshlife

[Links]

Gospels in a year (Print Ed.): https://bit.ly/4pQG2HN

Gospels in a year (Digital Ed.): https://bit.ly/3L4HSWm

Movement 2026: https://www.mvmnt26.com

Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY

Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY

Subscribe for more exclusive content: https://levilusko.com/hitl-subscribe

Time Stamps

0:01:07 – New Year’s as a “holy day” and old-school traditions

0:03:38 – 2025 family updates: college, baptism, tennis, and big milestones

0:08:34 – Bolivia mission trip stories: Compassion kids + travel mayhem

0:13:07 – Favorite podcast moments from the year (and the unforgettable ones)

0:15:07 – Blessed Are the Spiraling launch: 7 cities, 7 days, 7 runs

0:26:35 – What God taught them in 2025 + 2026 goals and a Gospels plan

Worth is not something you earn. But most of us grew up in environments that treated it like you could and should. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, we look at the core issue of value: what inherent worth actually means, what children need to internalize it, and what happens when those needs aren't met. We also unpack the two directions a value wound tends to go one-up and one-down and the role shame plays in keeping the wound alive.

Is there a belief about yourself you've never said out loud -- something you suspect might be true that you hope no one finds out? That's often where the shame lives.

COMING UP IN PART 2

How the value wound shows up in your work, your relationships, and your sense of identity -- and what healing actually looks like.

In Part 1 we named the patterns of codependence. In Part 2 we go deeper – tracing codependence back to its developmental roots, looking honestly at what it costs us, and walking through what healing actually looks like using all six principles of the HOCI model. Not a new self. A more honest one.

In this episode we will look at:

You were designed for real connection – not managed connection, not performed connection, not connection that costs you yourself. That kind of connection starts with knowing who you are. And that work is always available. Right here. Right now.

Jon Erwin — the filmmaker behind Young Washington, House of David, and Jesus Revolution — joins Levi and Jennie to talk about why he spent a decade obsessed with George Washington before ever picking up a camera. They get into how Washington's worst failures actually forged his leadership, the real bullet holes that shaped his faith, and why Jon cast Andy Serkis (yes, Gollum himself) for the film. Plus: the wild, lifeguard-overwhelming baptism story behind Jesus Revolution and what's coming next from Wonder Project.

Connect with us on social!

Jon: @jonerwinofficial

Levi: @levilusko

Jennie: @jennielusko

Fresh Life Church: @freshlife

[Links]

Get tickets to see Young Washington: https://bit.ly/4vIbH0M

Stream House of David on Amazon Prime Video: https://bit.ly/4oO1PA5

Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY

Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY

Subscribe for more exclusive content: https://levilusko.com/hitl-subscribe

Time Stamps

00:00 - Welcome Jon Erwin

02:33 – America's 250th and why this is "an experiment worth believing in" 

05:37 – The leadership lesson hiding in young Washington's biggest mistakes 

16:02 – Making war feel real without losing the family audience 

22:56 – The "divine hand of providence" — Washington's faith, bullet holes, and Cincinnatus 

31:13 – Inside Wonder Project's new short-form Bible series, starting with Moses 

46:44 – The three unexplainable moments and the mass baptisms behind House of David

He's the son of pastor Stephen Furtick, but Graham built something all his own — a Sunday-night Bible study with four friends that grew into "the living room," a movement so big the cops got called on it. Fresh off graduation, Graham joins Levi and Jennie to talk about walking away from a wrestling scholarship, the "pocket praiser" principle that changed how he worships, and bombing his very first sermon.

Connect with us on social!

Graham: @graham.furtick

Levi: @levilusko

Jennie: @jennielusko

Fresh Life Church: @freshlife

[Links]

Apply to Fresh Life Leadership College Today: https://Freshlife.church/leadership-college

Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY

Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY

Subscribe for more exclusive content: https://levilusko.com/hitl-subscribe

Time Stamps:

00:00 - Welcome Graham Furtick

00:48 – Why the Glacier hike nearly broke him (and what kept him climbing) 

05:19 – How a fizzling middle school Bible study became "the living room" 

11:06 – The night 110 teenagers nearly broke through Graham's ceiling 

17:35 – Walking away from a wrestling scholarship for an answered prayer 

32:05 – The "pocket praiser" lesson that changed how he leads worship 

41:28 – His first sermon was a disaster — here's how he found his voice

Have you ever looked at someone else’s life and thought, “Why does everything seem easier for them?” It’s so easy for us to feel, but the truth is-- sometimes it’s not that their life is easier, it’s just that they are using tools to deal with their hardships more effectively. 

In today’s episode, I’m talking about the things that resilient people do that anyone can implement to become more resilient. In it, I discuss: 

1. The identify shift that allows you to look at growth in hardship differently 

2. How emotional regulation builds mental toughness 

3.  What flexible thinking is and how it protects your mental health 

Mind Renewal Tip: 

When you catch yourself thinking, “They’re stronger than me,” try asking: “What are they doing that I could learn from?” 

Scripture Renewal Tip: 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.  2 Timothy 1:7