It's painful and overwhelming when stress, hurt, or trauma triggers us emotionally and affects our well-being. Often this leads us to pull away — judging our emotions, hiding our needs, and distancing ourselves from others. Sadly this keeps us from the empathy we desperately need to heal and recover.

Join us for this episode of Soul Talks for part two of a message Bill and Kristi shared at the American Association of Christian Counselors. You'll see how empathy — both from Jesus and his ambassadors — leads to healing and fosters healthy qualities such as forgiveness, satisfaction, and resilience. The lost parts of you can be found by the Good Shepherd as you become restored in his acceptance, love, and care.

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Many of us grew up in an empathy desert and missed out on being seen, known, and loved. Sadly, a lack of being understood and accepted often unintentionally creates emotional distance in our churches, friendships, and even our relationship with God. We might fail to realize that we can’t become more loving and healthy like Jesus without the grace of empathy.

Tune in for this episode of Soul Talks to listen to part one of a talk that Bill and Kristi shared at the American Association of Christian Counselors Conference. You’ll see that empathy is more than just a listening skill — it’s an expression of love that helps us cultivate the secure attachment necessary to persevere through trials and grow in Christlikeness.

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If you’d like Bill and Kristi to speak at your conference, event, or church, you can email [email protected].

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The demands of life and ministry have taught most of us to prioritize doing over being. Yet eventually we realize that “trying harder” doesn’t satisfy our deepest longing for a flourishing relationship with Jesus. Thankfully the Good Shepherd meets us at “the end of ourselves” and invites us into spacious places of renewal.

​Join us for this episode of Soul Talks as Kristi talks to Ron Thompson, a pastor with 30+ years of experience who also serves as a Sr. Spiritual Director on our staff. Ron shares how coming on a Soul Shepherding retreat helped him become enthralled with Jesus, find freedom from depression, and transform how he cares for others in partnership with Christ. Friend, we pray that you can also go deeper in Jesus’ grace on a retreat. 

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Let’s be honest —  we’re not always naturally drawn toward the suffering of Jesus and his death on the cross. Yet all of us know the experience of struggling through hardship, loss, and distress. Where can we turn to find comfort and strength when we feel crushed underneath the weight of spiritual wrestling, emotional turmoil, or physical pain?

Join us for this episode of Soul Talks as Bill and Kristi ​help reorient you to the surprising joy found at the cross. You’ll learn how Jesus’ empathy for suffering can become your secret source of strength — finding consolation in sharing the same closeness and comfort that he does with the Father.

(This episode highlights the Take Heart devotionals we read and discuss each morning over breakfast during Soul Shepherding retreats. You can receive a copy of the devotional read today by sending a donation of any amount to Soul Shepherding! The link is below ⬇️)

Resources for this Episode:

• Attend a Soul Shepherding Retreat
• Unforsaken: Journey with Jesus on the Stations of the Cross
• Donate to Support Soul Shepherding and Soul Talks

All of us long to know with confidence the love and forgiveness that Jesus poured out at the cross. Yet we remain distant from this deeper experience of grace when we lose touch with our bottomless need for Christ or become paralyzed by shame. Thankfully Jesus doesn’t beat us over the head with the cross — he gently woos us back with his unfailing mercy.

Tune in for this episode of Soul Talks as Bill and Kristi ​reflect on a poetic portrayal of the cross from Johann Gerhard, an author of classic Christian devotion. This discussion will help you personalize the cross as you experience Jesus bending down to kiss you, opening his arms to embrace you, and offering you his heart of passion and delight.

(This special episode highlights the Take Heart devotionals we read and discuss each morning over breakfast during Soul Shepherding retreats. You can receive a new devotional sent to your inbox each month by setting up a recurring donation with Soul Shepherding!)

Resources for this Episode:

• Attend a Soul Shepherding Retreat
• Earn a Certificate in Spiritual Direction
• Donate to Support Soul Shepherding and Soul Talks

Dallas Willard taught us that Jesus offers us a life without lack in the Kingdom of God. But what do we do when experiencing the real pain of unmet needs, unhealed wounds, and unanswered prayers? You can learn to pause and pray — bringing your distresses and desires to Jesus to cultivate a peace and rest that’s rooted in his gentle love, wise leadership, and fierce faithfulness.

Join us for this episode of Soul Talks as Bill and Kristi talk about following Jesus through the many terrains of the spiritual journey. Praying and meditating on this Dallas-inspired paraphrase of Psalm 23 from will help you trust the Good Shepherd as he leads you into deeper union with God.

(If you want to go deeper into Psalm 23 and the insights we gained from Dallas Willard, we invite you to join us on a retreat or train to become a spiritual director with Soul Shepherding. You can learn more by following the links below.)

Resources for this Episode:

• Your Best Life in Jesus’ Easy Yoke: Rhythms of Grace to De-Stress and Live Empowered
• Join Our Free Devotional Email List
• Attend a Soul Shepherding Retreat
• Earn a Certificate in Spiritual Direction
• Donate to Support Soul Shepherding and Soul Talks

It’s true that our best efforts are good and effective — we are beautifully and wonderfully created by God, after all. Yet it’s easy to slip into self-reliance and try to “make things happen” in our own strength. Instead, we can learn to keep watch with Jesus as we work, joining God’s presence and activity all around us.

Tune in for this episode of Soul Talks as Bill and Kristi share how learning to trust God, instead of relying solely on their own best efforts, transformed their apprenticeship to Jesus and helped them grow in emotional and relational health. This subtle shift in thinking will change how you approach life and ministry — especially during stress, trials, and conflict. You’ll be equipped with a lifelong practice to help you release control to God and find joy in creative partnership with the Good Shepherd.

(If you want to go deeper into the insights we gained from Dallas Willard, we invite you to join us on a retreat or train to become a spiritual director with Soul Shepherding. You can learn more by following the links below.)

Resources for this Episode:

• Your Best Life in Jesus’ Easy Yoke: Rhythms of Grace to De-Stress and Live Empowered
• Attend a Soul Shepherding Retreat
• Earn a Certificate in Spiritual Direction
• Donate to Support Soul Shepherding and Soul Talks

How do we heal, grow, and change as apprentices of Jesus? Many of us have subscribed to the traditional Christian approach of “trying harder” to “believe and do what’s right,” only to find ourselves stuck and discouraged. Thankfully the vision Jesus casts for transformation shows us a different path forward.

Join us for this episode of Soul Talks as Bill and Kristi share how Dallas Willard’s mantra, “Don’t try — train,” revolutionized their approach to spiritual formation. You’ll burn with a desire to become more loving and healthy and get equipped with a practical tool to help you grow in Christlikeness one area at a time.

If you want to go deeper into the insights we gained from Dallas Willard, we invite you to join us on a retreat or train to become a spiritual director with Soul Shepherding. You can learn more by following the links below.

Resources for this Episode:

• Attend a Soul Shepherding Retreat
• Earn a Certificate in Spiritual Direction
• Your Best Life in Jesus’ Easy Yoke: Rhythms of Grace to De-Stress and Live Empowered
• Donate to Support Soul Shepherding and Soul Talks

Grace is central to our faith yet its meaning is often confused. Mixed messages can leave us in a tug-of-war between “doing nothing” and “trying harder” to earn God's favor. What is grace actually and how does it affect our daily apprenticeship to Jesus?

Tune in for this episode of Soul Talks as Bill and Kristi unpack what they’ve learned about grace from Dallas Willard. Discover how grace can go beyond “undeserved merit” and become fuel for your life, relationships, and ministry. You can set aside pretending, presuming, and pushing to respond to grace and join God’s activity in everything you do! 

(If you want to go deeper into the insights we gained from Dallas Willard, we invite you to join us on a retreat or train to become a spiritual director with Soul Shepherding. You can learn more by following the links below.)

Resources for this Episode:

• Your Best Life in Jesus’ Easy Yoke: Rhythms of Grace to De-Stress and Live Empowered
• Attend a Soul Shepherding Retreat
• Earn a Certificate in Spiritual Direction
• Donate to Support Soul Shepherding and Soul Talks

God is with us always — not only in “big” or “spiritual” moments but also during the ordinary challenges of day-to-day life. Yet it’s tempting to think we’re alone when experiencing stress at work, emotional hurt, or relational challenges. How can we become more aware of Jesus’ presence and live a God-saturated life?

Join us for this episode of Soul Talks as Bill and Kristi discuss a transformational vision they caught from Dallas Willard — the Kingdom of the Heavens is open, now! Their conversation will stir you to rethink the kind of life that’s possible with Jesus as you learn practical ways to integrate him into your life, ministry, work, challenges, and relationships. 

Resources for this Episode:

• Your Best Life in Jesus’ Easy Yoke: Rhythms of Grace to De-Stress and Live Empowered
• Attend a Soul Shepherding Retreat
• Earn a Certificate in Spiritual Direction
• Deeply Loved: Receiving and Reflecting God’s Great Empathy for You
• Journey of the Soul: A Practical Guide to Emotional and Spiritual Growth
• Healthy Feelings, Thriving Faith: Growing Emotionally and Spiritually Through the Enneagram
• Donate to Support Soul Shepherding and Soul Talks