Lori Melton joins Nate on the Life With God podcast this week to share about the spiritual practice she writes about in her new book, Journey with a Giant. 

Nate talks with author and Renovaré Institute alum Emily Bain Murphy about her new middle grade fiction book and the potency of stories for spiritual formation.

Nate speaks with author and Willard scholar Keas Keasler about the enduring helpfulness of Dallas Willard’s life and work.

Nathan Foster talks with Tiffany Clark about what the 20th century Indian Christian mystic Sundar Singh can teach us about encountering God. 

Pete Greig, author of the book How To Hear God (up next in the Renovaré Book Club), joined Nate for a wonderful conversation on the ways that God speaks and what it looks like to listen well.

Show Notes

*Join us for the second half of this year's Renovaré Book Club at a reduced rate as Pete Greig leads us through his book How to Hear God.

Pete’s book—How to Hear God: A Simple Guide for Normal People

Read an excerpt from How to Hear God.

24-7 Prayer (founded by Pete)

Lectio 365 Daily Devotional (co-hosted by Pete) 

Waverley Abbey

Scripture reference—the Emmaus Road story is found in Luke 24:13-35

Support the Life With God podcast and the work of Renovaré at renovare.org/donate.

Nathan and Vivianne Foster share a meditation for the New Year melding a famous quote by Francis de Sales with the words of Mary from Luke 1 in this bonus episode of Life With God.

On this week’s podcast episode, Nathan and Vivianne Foster discuss how to welcome Christ—looking to Jesus’ parents as a picture of consent, receptivity, and hospitality.

Show Notes

Vivianne's Christmas Pie Recipe

Pie crust: Use whatever savory pastry recipe you usually make, adding some fresh or dried herbs, cut up (eg: thyme, rosemary, sage)

Filling:
You’ll need enough to fill each pie you’re going to make, which I usually eyeball as I mix and add ingredients into a very large mixing bowl, so that the total amount in the bowl is sufficient to fill the shells. Make the ratio as seems fit to you:

In a big bowl, combine:
Cooked turkey, shredded into chunky pieces, or cut
Cubed bread, preferably sourdough, preferably dry so that it doesn’t turn to mush, cubed. (You can toast cubes of fresh bread in the oven if you don’t have any stale bread)
Fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped, but raw (so that each berry is at least halved, but could be in quarters)
Diced apples

In a cast iron frying pan, set to low medium, cook a pound of bacon, slowly; I usually have to do this in two batches, and set on cutting board to cool before chopping into small pieces.
Keep the rendered fat from the bacon in the pan, turning the heat up to medium and adding:
A few diced onions, or a larger amount of leeks
A few diced potatoes (small diced)

Once potatoes seem tender but not soft, remove from heat, pouring onion and potato mixture into main bowl, along with bacon bits.

Stir the mixture to combine, adding a very generous amount of dried sage (I use at least 1/4 to 1/2 a cup for 2-3 pies. Add as you wish: pepper and salt.  Add one egg per pie into the main bowl, mixing thoroughly to moisten the mixture.

You will need a minimum of 6 cups of filing per pie you want to fill. Spoon mixture into pie shell, mounding it up in the middle. Cover with pastry top, and cut a few designs in the top to allow hot air to escape. Cover with foil and bake as per your usual preference for baking pies, or wrap in plastic wrap and freeze if you don’t plan on cooking within a day.

We usually set aside a family afternoon for assembling the pies and freeze them, then bake from frozen the day of Christmas. A fun part of our tradition is using Christmas cookie cutters to make designs appliquéd on top of the pie. Have fun!

Artist, author, and speaker Scott Erickson joined Nate for a conversation about creative expression as a way to speak truth, notice God's work in our lives, and excavate prayer and adoration for Christ.

Show Notes

Scott Erickson is an artist, author, and performance speaker who mixes autobiography, mythology, and aesthetics to create symbols and moments that speak to our deepest experiences.

He is the author of five books, the creator of two touring one man shows, a spiritual director to brave women and men, and a professional dishwasher for his food blogging wife.

He lives in Vancouver, WA and is most loved by his wife, three children, and two out of three cats. 

scottericksonart.com

Instagram - @scottthepainter

Brad East joined Nate on Life With God for a helpful conversation about how our use of technology must be governed by the overarching goals of spiritual formation in Christ.

Show Notes

Brad East is an associate professor of theology at Abilene Christian University. He is the author of four books: The Doctrine of Scripture (2021),The Church’s Book: Theology of Scripture in Ecclesial Context(2022), The Church: A Guide to the People of God (2024), and Letters to a Future Saint: Foundations of Faith for the Spiritually Hungry (2024). He also writes regularly on his personal blog. He lives in west Texas with his wife and their four children.

Brad’s forthcoming book for pastors on navigating digital technology is due out in early 2027 with Baker. 

For other articles related to this episode, please see:

• A Vision for Screen-Free Church
• Just Say No to Online Church
• Finally, a Tech Book That Doesn’t Pull Punches

Grace Hamman talks with Nathan about medieval wisdom for how to cooperate with God’s grace to set aside vices (anti-love impulses) and put on virtues (loving, Christlike impulses).

Grace Hamman, Ph.D. (Duke University) is a writer and independent scholar of late medieval poetry and contemplative writing. She is the author of Ask of Old Paths and Jesus through Medieval Eyes. Her work has been published by academic and popular outlets, including Plough Quarterly and The Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies. Grace hosts a podcast called Old Books with Grace which celebrates the beauty and joy found in reading the literature and theology of the past. Grace holds a doctorate in English, specializing in medieval literature and theology, from Duke University. She lives near Denver, Colorado with her husband and three young children.

https://gracehamman.com/

https://www.instagram.com/oldbookswithgrace/

https://gracehamman.substack.com/