Ruth: Spiritual Friendship as a Display of God's Hesed
What does Ruth have to do with everyday family discipleship?
In this week’s episode of The Wholehearted Households Podcast, host Alex Blount introduces us to the book of Ruth, reflecting on the value of above-and-beyond friendships and how being a part of God’s beloved community can transform our families.
Our Bible spotlight focuses on Naomi’s words of blessing to her daughters-in-law Ruth and Orpah. Naomi’s deep love for Ruth and Orpah illustrate the concept of God’s hesed, pointing us back to the unwavering, faithful, and extravagant love of God.
Then, our discipleship nugget equips you to begin cultivating spiritual friendships, sharing ideas of how both you and your family can become more aware of current friendships and identify ways to invite God into those relationships.
Finally, our spiritual practice invites you think about the ways God’s love and character are reflected in our friends, and how we can more deeply embody the importance of God’s family in our day-to-day lives.
Wherever you listen, may you and your family be blessed by this episode as you seek to follow Jesus with your whole heart.
The Wholehearted Households Podcast is a production of InterVarsity Press (IVP) and made possible by the generous support of the Lilly Endowment. Discover more great listens from IVP on our website (ivpress.com/ivp-podcasts) or on YouTube (www.youtube.com/@InterVarsityPress/podcasts) .
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Resources from the episode
This week’s Bible spotlight is adapted from Redeemer: God’s Lovingkindness in the Book of Ruth (www.ivpress.com/redeemer) by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young.
This week’s spiritual practice is adapted from Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us (www.ivpress.com/spiritual-disciplines-handbook) by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun.
Credits
✅ Special offer: Visit ivpress.com (www.ivpress.com/) and use the code IVPWHP for 40% off and free US shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode.
✅ Producers: Kaitlin Borek, Abby Lee, Karen Savella Stallard, and Travis Albritton
✅ Assistant Producer: Christine Pelliccio Melo
✅ Hosts: Alex Blount and Helen Lee
✅ Narrators: Kaitlin Borek, Jack Reece, and Karen Savella Stallard
✅ Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts (honestpodcasts.com/)
✅ Social Media Manager: Makayla Payne
✅ Podcast Art: Amy Cerra
✅ Theme Song: “Elegant Flight” by Sounds Like Sanders and “Birdhouse” by EVOE
Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the hosts/authors featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
