Whit's End: Real People, Hard Questions

So how do we now live ALIVE TOGETHER? In the second half of Ephesians 4, Whitney revisits the importance of being postured in humility.

In order to live this communal life, Paul continues to call believers to grow up into Christ. He contrasts the old, darkened way of thinking with a Spirit-renewed mind, then lays out very practical "put off / put on" steps so the body can grow up together into Christ.

This teaching explores the futile mindset we must leave behind and the replacement theory Paul challenges us with. Paul's vision is a church that walks set apart - hearts soft, minds renewed, relationships honest, speech life-giving. Such a community shows the world what Jesus is like.

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:1-32

Ephesians 2

1 Peter 5:6-8

Romans 12:2

Ephesians 6:12

Matthew 5:8

John 15:26

John 16:8-11

John 16:13

Through this teaching, Whitney reflects on the past 3 chapters of Ephesians and how Paul lays out the beauty and magnitude of what God has accomplished for us in Christ. As we start in Ephesians 4, we notice a distinct shift, as the focus of the letter turns to, "If we believe this to be true, how then should we live?"

Paul urges the church to walk in a manner worthy of the calling by practicing humility, gentleness, patience, and longsuffering love that protects the unity Jesus died to create. God equips each believer with distinct gifts so the whole body can grow into mature Christ-likeness instead of being tossed around by every idea that comes along.

Today we ask some hard questions - Is my own lack of humility, gentleness, patience, or longsuffering love working against the unity Christ has died to establish? Where might God be calling me to grow up in Him?

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:1-16

Ephesians 1-3

Galatians 2:20

Luke 9:23

Psalm 68

John 17:11, 20-23

Luke 8:24

Tim Keller often quoted Jack Miller when speaking about the good news of Jesus Christ : "The gospel is this, we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope."

In this live recording from the Tuesday evening Bible study, Whitney teaches on Ephesians 2:1-10. Paul starts with the bad news, forcing us to accept some painful realities of our spiritual condition before Christ. He then moves toward the very best news, shifting our focus to the tremendous and undeserved gift of salvation.

Scripture references:

Ephesians 2:1-10

Epheisans 1:20

Romans 6:23

Romans 8:5-8

John 5:24

Join us as we study through Paul's letter to the Ephesians. This recording is Whitney's live teaching from our Wednesday morning study on 9.9.2026.

Paul’s opening doxology (Ephesians 1:1-14 ) invites us to drop our transactional approach to Scripture and simply marvel at what God has already accomplished. Whitney starts with a challenge to read the whole letter in one sitting, letting God “pump us full of concentrated goodness” that replaces the mental junk we absorb elsewhere.

Three big ideas frame the passage: the sheer wonder of God’s work, the sweeping purpose that drives history toward His praise, and the rock-solid identity believers now possess in Christ.

Scripture references:

Ephesians 1:1-14

Philippians 4:8

Well, friends, we saved one of the best for last today in this humorous and endearing conversation with Ian and Katie Simkins.

Together, they’re devoted to the community of the Bridge Church in the Nashville area, where Ian serves as lead pastor. In this episode, they recount the hilarious and charming story of how they fell in love and what it looks like to raise their three boys in what can sometimes feel like a fishbowl environment. Katie is the kind of mom and leader I wish I could do life with! 

Ian shares the heart behind his upcoming book, Every Table an Altar, and what has compelled his thought-provoking writing you may have seen on Instagram. And even though we didn’t record this episode in person, it truly felt like we were all sitting around the same table.

Social media handle: IG @iansimkins, @katiesimkins

Memorable Quotes:

“We find that so much even in our marriage and in our relationships it’s like - ‘Wow, it really matters that we are actually rooted and abiding in Christ, doing the deep formative work.’”

“Guest preaching is fun, but it doesn’t hold a candle to walking week in and week out with these people.”

“Ive been called a heretic more in the past 2 years than maybe my entire adult life.”

“I think people seem more upset by what he doesn’t say than by what he does say.” 

“I think a high value for both of us is authenticity of who we are. And I heard it said early on in our parenting and ministry that the thing that drives kids away from their faith and from God is hypocrisy in the home.” 

“You may be completely faithful to what God has called you to do, and yet people are gonna get angry.”

Show Notes:

Every Table an Altar by Ian Simkins

The Bridge Church 

Before wrapping up Season 6, we’re launching something new!

As Woven's local ministry kicks off its Bible study on Ephesians, Whitney sets the stage for Paul’s letter—connecting Jesus’ post-resurrection words to the "blessed" life He calls us to today. 

Join us this fall for an incredible journey through Ephesians. Check the show notes to register for in-person groups or grab the study guide to follow along from anywhere!

Show Notes: 

John 20:29-31

Interested in participating in person with Woven’s Bible study? Sign up here. Registration will close September 17th, 2026. 

If you’d like to follow along from a distance, you can purchase Lydia Brownback’s Ephesian’s resource here. 

Today’s conversation is raw, moving, and deeply powerful.

About a year ago, my co-worker Melinda came across a book by Davey Blackburn. In 2015, Davey’s world was completely shattered when his wife, Amanda, was tragically murdered during a home invasion. As you can imagine, this event was not only devastating, but it shifted his life in a completely different direction.

Today, Davey is remarried to Kristi, and together they have dedicated their lives to living out the truth that when you follow Jesus, Nothing is Wasted. They lead a multi-faceted ministry that helps people navigate trauma, grief, and major life transitions and helps them find purpose in their deepest pain.

Melinda and Davey both sit down with me today. If your life has ever been affected by the type of grief that causes you to wonder if God can bring good from your story, this is worth the listen. We jump into the conversation with Davey giving us as glimpse of his life and the incredible journey that led to starting Nothing Is Wasted Ministries. 

Memorable Quotes:

“You’re not blended until you’re first broken.” 

“We want to be guides to help accelerate people’s healing journey, because pain is the common denominator of life.”

“I saw people’s suffering as an obstacle to our mission.”

“When the enemy sets something in motion in our life, God already has a redemptive plan in mind.”

“I realized early on that I was never going to get a full explanation for why this happened. I will one day, I’ll see Jesus face-to-face and I’ll look at him, and all of my questions will be resolved…once I step into the unadulterated presence of God, I don’t think I’ll even have to ask, I’ll just go, ‘It makes sense.’”

“Until then, when I don’t have explanation for something as senseless as this that has happened in my life, what I have to look for is I have to look for mean, I have to look for purpose, to go, ok God, I’m choosing to partner with you and you’re going to have to help me to undo the work of the enemy in my life.”

“There is abundant and and a blessed life in store for you in God’s healing and redemptive plan, but that is also held in the same open hand as continued suffering. There is a both and.”

“If you’re going to have a message that is going to be true and genuine, that is refined, you’re going to go through fire.”

“I was able to be the rawest, realest version of myself at the feet of Jesus, and as excruciating as it was, what it did was it began to then allow me to see where God was in the middle of my story.”

“We’ve got to confront these things head on and go, ‘Ok God, I’m going to trust you, as I deal with this, as I face this, that you’re going to meet me here and you’re going to heal me in this.”

“God is always in the work of being for our good and His glory and the world’s gain.”

Show Notes:

Psalm 116:15

John 10:10

Romans 8:28

Romans 12:1-2

Acts 7:54-60

Acts 9:16

1 Peter 5:8

Nothing is Wasted by Davey Blackburn

Through the Eyes of a Lion by Levi Lusko

Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller

Tim joins me for this conversation with our good friend Josh Bradshaw. Josh first came into our lives when he started dating our long time friend, Maggie Amini. Josh and Maggie are now married and recently welcomed baby Ruby into their lives.

And when I first heard Josh’s story, I was enthralled. Sometimes God reminds us through testimony just how creative He is, and today we get to hear all about his childhood years in London, what eventually brought him to fall in love with Jesus, and the wild story of how he landed in Texas where he’s lived and served in different ministry capacities for nearly 20 years. 

This conversation is full of hearty laughs and poignant moments as we talk about everything from culture shock, to pressures high schoolers face today, the 401k that is relationships, and what we pray for our children. Ahh, this is such a good one - I’ve been so eager to share it!

Memorable Quotes:

“My parents were genuinely living by faith.”

“I believed in Jesus from a young age but didn’t really want anything to do with him if he looked like that.”

“I lied my way through the interview. I could just make stuff up because I grew up in church and I wanted to get out of the house, I wanted to do something different, I had no future with this failed high school transcript.”

“I didn’t hear the gospel part, just the soccer part.”

“I think it’s Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller where he talks about how he hated jazz music, and then he talks about how he went somewhere, probably New Orleans, and sees a guy playing jazz music, blood, sweat, and tears and goes - ‘wait that’s jazz music? I like that.’ It was the same for me and Jesus.”

“All of a sudden, my 9-year old brother blurts out - ‘There’s something different about Josh.’ And no one really gave that any thought…but I went upstairs that night and said, ‘Jesus I don’t know what you’re doing, but I’m in.’”

“One of my friends says that his 401k is relationships. And that’s exactly what my life felt like.”

Show Notes:

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

John 10:10

Psalm 42

Subscribe to Josh's Substack where he writes on faith, marriage, work, and the everyday ways God shows up.

The phrase “Good Samaritan” is familiar to both the church and the broader culture. It usually evokes the image of someone stopping to help a stranger in need. But it wasn’t until I was asked to teach on this passage that I realized how much more there was beneath the surface.

In Luke 10, Jesus is confronted by an expert in the Jewish law who isn't seeking truth but trying to trap Him. Rather than playing the man's game, Jesus responds with a parable that cuts straight to the heart. In just a few sentences, He dismantles assumptions about righteousness, exposes pride, and challenges deeply held prejudices—likely leaving both the lawyer and His own disciples unsettled.

As we explore this passage, we'll discover that Jesus isn't simply teaching us to be kind. He radically redefines who our neighbors are, confronts the way we view our enemies, and calls His followers to a costly, compassion-filled discipleship that is as challenging today as it was then.

Memorable Quotes:

“Jesus was much more than a rabbi, but he was certainly no less than an excellent teacher.”

“Are there places in our lives where we are asking questions, deceiving ourselves, trying to escape obedience to God, when He’s already made it clear?”

“Where am I asking a question in an attempt to get myself off the hook?”

“Jesus’ implied definition of our neighbor is not based on similarity or affinity, but on need and proximity. In other words, Jesus implies that our neighbor is anyone we cross paths with who has a need.”

“Friends, Jesus conquered our most real enemies so that you and I don’t have to make that our life work. Jesus defeats our true enemies, which frees us up to be a neighbor.”

“Faith and obedience go hand in hand. Being a Christlike neighbor to those in need proves you are in fact a disciple of Christ.”

Show Notes:

Luke 10:25-37

Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Leviticus 19:18

Genesis 3:1

Luke 9:51-56

Acts 9:10-19

Video: Alistair Begg on the Good Samaritan 

Book: Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Cost of Discipleship

I first met Heather about 25 years ago when we were navigating friendships and crushes while beginning to walk with Jesus. Today, we take a little walk down the halls of Lassiter High School and reflect on the people and decisions that formed us into who we are today.

Heather Nelsen is now married to her high school sweetheart, Matt.  Together they live with their 4 precious kids down the road from where we grew up, just outside of Atlanta, Georgia.

She shares the story behind her travel account Making Home Here, and how that project grew out of a simple, intentional hope: to raise kids who see the world, serve others, and recognize they can use their gifts and resources to make a difference, even from a young age.

We talk about practical choices they’ve made as a family to cultivate curiosity, service, and perspective in their children. We touch on how even the most challenging aspects of travel have paved the way for faith-building conversations.

Heather also gives some practical tips for making memorable experiences accessible, why travel is so important for building a family culture, and how she’s wrestling through managing a public account as she seeks to honor her kids.

Memorable Quotes:

Whit: “Be steady in faithfully serving the Lord where you are because you really just don’t know, you don’t know the impact that your life might have at any stage.”

“As far as everyday life, I’m trying to be more conscious of what I record and what I share and make sure they’re a part of giving their permission for that.” 

“Matt and I just had an honest conversation, several honest conversations, about how we want our kids to grow up feeling thankful for what they have but also to have an understanding of how other people live, and we wanted and still want for them to know that they can make an impact no matter their age, no matter their finances… so for us, what we said, is we want our kids to learn how to serve at a young age and we want them to understand what they’ve been given, and what they can do with what they’ve been given, either in their time, or talents, or even in their finances at an early age.” (around 8-9 minutes)

“When you get back from the trip, every day of life has its low moments, but we always found when we got back from a trip what stuck with us was all the highs…you learn, you grow so much as a family, you rely on each other so differently…”

“Being able to say, this is how Jesus loved people, what you guys are doing when you’re tired and when you’re hot, this is what Jesus did and this is what you’re doing.”

“I think my stand on it is that I never want to live in fear, I do feel like God has called me to this, and it’s just a matter of always re-evaluating what this is, ya know? How does He want to use this, what is the purpose of this, is the purpose still supposed to be the same, and then just honoring our kids as they get older.”

“I think now, for now, is just I am only going to post when I feel like I have something to share, and I’m going to make sure it’s ok with our kids if it’s something they’re a part of.”

“Some of our favorite trips have been the most simple ones.” 

Show Notes:

One World Health  

Healing Waters

410 Bridge

IG: @makinghomehere