Captivated

In Part 2 of this conversation, Stasi welcomes back Blaine Eldredge, Director of Spiritual Formation at Wild at Heart, to continue unpacking the mystery of beauty—the beauty that flows from our intimacy with Jesus. Together they explore the vulnerability and courage it takes to let our true selves be seen in a world that wounds beauty so deeply, and the healing ways Jesus continues to draw near with tenderness, restoration, and a love that calls out the beauty within us. Come and rediscover the beauty of God alive in us.

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SHOW NOTES:
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VERSES: 
John 15:9 (NIV) – As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

1 John 4:19 (NIV) – We love because he first loved us.

John 8:3–11 (NIV) – The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ... Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Hosea 2:19 (NIV) – I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion.

Romans 8:22 (NIV) – We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

Revelation 21:5 (NIV) – He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Returning to the Mystery of Beauty
01:42 Beauty That Builds Relationship
07:10 What True Beauty Really Is
13:48 The Vulnerability of Being Seen
18:50 Beauty That Risks Love
24:03 Why the Enemy Attacks Beauty
30:20 The Beauty of a Forgiving Heart
33:22 Jesus and the Woman Accused
38:47 What Jesus Does to Win Our Love
43:08 Becoming Beautiful to Jesus
46:07 Carrying Beauty Into Our Relationships
47:24 Closing Prayer and Blessing

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RESOURCES
If you haven’t listened to Part 1 — E123 | Beauty, Vulnerability, and the Heart of God — you can do so here: 
YouTube:  ⁠https://youtu.be/crrX6S-P5NI⁠
Wild at Heart App:  ⁠https://wahe.art/3SfAXge⁠

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul by John and Stasi Eldredge   ⁠https://wahe.art/3L9tLMc⁠

Becoming Myself: Embracing God's Dream of You by Stasi Eldredge  ⁠https://amzn.to/4hzdQUL⁠

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown ⁠https://amzn.to/4vk2NpW⁠

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Don’t Miss Out on the Next Episode—Subscribe for Free
Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:
YouTube – ⁠https://wahe.art/4h8DelL⁠
Spotify Podcasts – ⁠https://wahe.art/496zdfn⁠
Apple Podcasts – ⁠https://apple.co/42E0oZ1⁠ 
Amazon Music & Audible – ⁠https://amzn.to/3M9u6hJ⁠

Stasi invites Blaine Eldredge, our Director of Spiritual Formation at Wild at Heart, for a conversation about recapturing beauty—not the exhausting beauty our culture demands, but the deeply personal beauty that originates in the heart of God. Together they explore how Jesus reveals a beauty that is vulnerable, relational, and inviting; a beauty that isn’t based on performance, but draws us into His love. Come and rediscover the beauty that moves our hearts toward Him. This is Part 1 of a 2-part conversation.

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SHOW NOTES:
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VERSES: 
Genesis 2:18 (NIV) – The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Exodus 33:11 (NIV) – The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.

Deuteronomy 34:10 (NIV) – Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.

Song of Songs 2:14 (NIV) – My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.

Hebrews 12:18–24 (NIV) – You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them… But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem… to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) – And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

John 4:16–18 (NIV) – He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.”

2 Kings 17:24–41 (NIV) – Clearly referenced in the discussion of the Samaritan people being brought from five nations associated with false gods and attempting to worship Yahweh alongside them.

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RESOURCES
The Green Ember by S.D. Smith  ⁠https://amzn.to/4dyvZCh⁠

The Prophets by Abraham Joshua Heschel  ⁠https://amzn.to/4wUgygG⁠
 
The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel  ⁠https://amzn.to/4nEW8np⁠

God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism by Abraham Joshua Heschel   ⁠https://amzn.to/49cEn99⁠

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle  ⁠https://amzn.to/495TaCE⁠

Creation and Fall: A Theological Exposition of Genesis 1-3 by Dietrich Bonhoeffer ⁠https://amzn.to/4tPgr3h⁠

Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration by Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)   ⁠https://amzn.to/3RvX3dV⁠

The Glory of the Lord by Hans Urs von Balthasar  ⁠https://amzn.to/4wEjTA5⁠

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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00  The Beauty That Captures Our Hearts
01:52  Jesus Pursuing the Hearts of Our Children
06:11  Why Beauty Begins in God
07:41  The Danger of “Instagram Face”
11:12  How Empire Erases Personhood
14:19  The False Beauty of Invulnerability
17:19  Beauty, Limits, and Being Human
19:42  Why the World Loves Artificial Beauty
22:25  The Enemy’s War Against True Beauty
24:14  When Beauty Becomes Power
26:14  The Beauty That Invites Relationship
28:15  The Trinity and Relational Love
30:23  God’s Desire to See Our Faces
33:09  Jesus’ Beauty Is Deeply Personal
34:45  Vulnerability at the Heart of Beauty
36:11  Choosing Intimacy Over Universal Approval
39:08  Why Every Woman Bears Beauty
40:10  The Beauty of the Crucified Christ
41:50  Jesus’ Beauty Pursues Our Hearts
42:58  The Samaritan Woman and Divine Love
45:59  The Lordliness and Goodness of Jesus
47:12  Becoming Like the One We Behold
48:15  Closing Prayer

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Don’t Miss Out on the Next Episode—Subscribe for Free
Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:
YouTube – ⁠https://wahe.art/4h8DelL⁠
Spotify Podcasts – ⁠https://wahe.art/496zdfn⁠
Apple Podcasts – ⁠https://apple.co/42E0oZ1⁠ 
Amazon Music & Audible – ⁠https://amzn.to/3M9u6hJ⁠

Today’s episode is a special guided encounter, where Stasi gently leads us beyond learning about Jesus and into experiencing His presence within us. Through prayer, breath, Scripture, and sacred imagination, we are invited to settle our souls, release our burdens, and meet with the living Christ in the deep places of our hearts. We encourage you to set aside a quiet moment for this encounter, come expectant, and let Jesus draw you into His love.

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SHOW NOTES:
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VERSES: 

Ephesians 3:17 (NIV) – so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love
Psalm 42:7 (NIV) – Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me
Revelation 3:20 (NIV) – Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me
Psalm 23:1–3 (NIV) – The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul
Psalm 18:6 (NIV) – In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears
Psalm 18:35 (NIV) – You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great
Psalm 91:11–12 (NIV) – For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV) – Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own
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RESOURCES

The Pause App — Includes the One Minute Pause, 30 Days to Resilience, the Experience Jesus 20-day program, and the Prayer of Descent.  https://www.pauseapp.com/

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Don’t Miss Out on the Next Episode—Subscribe for Free
Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:
YouTube – https://wahe.art/4h8DelL
Spotify Podcasts – https://wahe.art/496zdfn
Apple Podcasts – https://apple.co/42E0oZ1 
Amazon Music & Audible – https://amzn.to/3M9u6hJ

Intimacy with Jesus isn’t reserved for the spiritually polished—it’s an open invitation, already within reach, and woven into our ordinary moments. In today’s podcast, Stasi and Amber Sales—of the Wild at Heart team—reflect on what it means to cultivate intimacy with Jesus over time: trusting Him with our loneliness, our shame, and our longing to be truly known. He is already nearer than our breath, already delighting over us, and as we draw near to him, he draws near to us.

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SHOW NOTES:
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VERSES: 
Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV) – Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

James 4:8 (NIV) – Come near to God and he will come near to you.

Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV) – The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.

Romans 2:4 (NIV) – Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? 

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RESOURCES

The Ladder of Love Retreat — October 1–4, 2026 in Fraser, Colorado. The lottery for this event will be held May 13-19, 2026: https://wildatheart.org/events/ladder-of-love-2026

The Ladder of Love: A pathway to emotional healing and spiritual intimacy with Jesus by Stasi Eldredge: Available October 6, 2026  https://wildatheart.org/books/the-ladder-of-love

Stasi’s Soaking Worship Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/60NJpEJ8knwoN9seX0kqky

The Pause App — Includes the One Minute Pause, 30 Days to Resilience, and the Experience Jesus 20-day program.  https://www.pauseapp.com/

The Daily Prayer from Wild at Heart — Now available within the Pause App or on the Wild at Heart App.  https://wahe.art/4e1NSIg

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Don’t Miss Out on the Next Episode—Subscribe for Free
Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:
YouTube – https://wahe.art/4h8DelL
Spotify Podcasts – https://wahe.art/496zdfn
Apple Podcasts – https://apple.co/42E0oZ1 
Amazon Music & Audible – https://amzn.to/3M9u6hJ

What might God do if we gave him our attention and our yes, for a single day? In the midst of our full lives, it is often easier to come away for one day than the full 4-day Captivating Retreat. In this episode, Stasi and Stacey Burton are excited to share about a new offering from Wild at Heart: the Captivating 1-Day Retreat. It's amazing how deeply Jesus can move when we give him a day to come away and be with him. Listen and discover what can unfold when we make space for deeper connection with Jesus.

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SHOW NOTES:
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VERSES: 

Genesis 2:7 (NIV) – Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Acts 17:28 (NIV) – For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, We are his offspring.
John 15:5 (NIV) – I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Ephesians 2:5 (NIV) – made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
1 Corinthians 15:45 (NIV) – So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
John 10:10 (NIV) – The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Colossians 3:4 (NIV) – When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Romans 5:10 (NIV) – For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
Romans 8:2 (NIV) – because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:11 (NIV) – And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Colossians 1:27 (NIV) – To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
1 Corinthians 6:17 (NIV) – But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
John 10:18 (NIV) – No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.
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RESOURCES

The Life Prayer – https://wildatheart.org/prayer/life-prayer/
Also available on the Pause App – https://www.pauseapp.com/

Captivating 1-Day and 4-Day Retreat – https://wildatheart.org/events/captivating-retreat
Ladder of Love Retreat – October 2026 – Retreat and registration details available soon through Wild at Heart  https://wildatheart.org/events

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Don’t Miss Out on the Next Episode—Subscribe for Free
Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:
YouTube – https://wahe.art/4h8DelL
Spotify Podcasts – https://wahe.art/496zdfn
Apple Podcasts – https://apple.co/42E0oZ1 
Amazon Music & Audible – https://amzn.to/3M9u6hJ