Captivated

What does it mean that Jesus is The Bridegroom of the Ages? In this episode, Stasi and Blaine Eldredge trace a love story woven throughout Scripture, revealing Jesus as the Warrior King who moved heaven and earth to be close to us. From creation to the cross, his heart has been set on bringing us into lasting union with Him. Come discover the profound purpose of Jesus detailed throughout the scriptures and the beauty of being deeply loved.

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SHOW NOTES:
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Order your copy of The Ladder Of Love: A pathway to emotional healing and spiritual intimacy with Jesus by Stasi Eldredge is now available!  Visit this link to order:  https://wildatheart.org/the-ladder-of-love

VERSES: 
Genesis 1:1 (NIV) – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

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.”

Genesis 3:6 (NIV) – When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

John 2:3 (NIV) – When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

John 2:7 (NIV) – Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

John 2:10 (NIV) – and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

Luke 7:44–46 (NIV) – Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.” 

John 4:18 (NIV) – The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true. 

Genesis 2:17 (NIV) – but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.

John 8:7 (NIV) – When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

John 8:10 (NIV) – Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

John 8:11 (NIV) – “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” 

John 19:30 (NIV) – When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) – fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Meeting Jesus as Our Bridegroom
01:45 Discovering a Love Story Hidden in Scripture
03:47 Created for God to Dwell Within Us
09:06 His Promise: Together Forever
12:09 The Love That Protects His Bride
24:04 A Covenant Shaped Like a Wedding
29:07 The Bridegroom Comes to Restore Our Joy
34:07 Welcoming the Bride Who Has Wandered
37:51 When Our Failure Meets His Mercy
41:55 The Cross Reveals His Heart
47:33 Deeply Loved and Invited Into Partnership
52:00 He Won’t Leave the Battle Without Us
53:33 A Prayer for Intimacy and Shared Purpose

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RESOURCES

Captivated podcast episode referenced: June 10, 2026 | E123 | Beauty, Vulnerability, and the Heart of God – with Blaine and Stasi discussing the Samaritan woman at the well
https://wildatheart.org/podcasts/captivated/e123-beauty-vulnerability-and-the-heart-of-god/

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What if growing closer to Jesus doesn't require striving but resting? For today’s podcast, Stasi returns to The Ladder of Love, exploring its seven rungs—from clay in our Potter’s hands to the intimacy of being his bride. She shares how each one reveals more of God’s heart and our identity as his beloved, inviting us to receive the love already offered. Friends, come settle into His embrace and discover the joy of knowing the One who delights in us completely and loves us endlessly, right now.

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SHOW NOTES:
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Order your copy of The Ladder Of Love: A pathway to emotional healing and spiritual intimacy with Jesus by Stasi Eldredge is now available!  Visit this link to order:  https://wildatheart.org/the-ladder-of-love

VERSES: 
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) – Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. 

Isaiah 61:1 (NIV) – The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.

Psalm 19:1 (NIV) – The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Isaiah 64:8 (NIV) – Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

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.

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) – For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV) – For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Psalm 23:1 (NIV) – The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

Philippians 4:19 (NIV) – And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

John 10:11 (NIV) – I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Psalm 23:6 (NIV) – Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

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

Ephesians 1:4 (NIV) – For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

Hebrews 2:11 (NIV) – Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.

John 15:15 (NIV) – I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

John 15:14 (NIV) – You are my friends if you do what I command.

Revelation 19:7 (NIV) – Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.

Song of Songs 8:5 (NIV) – Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved? 

Matthew 11:28 (NIV) – Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest

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What if our thirst for more is an invitation to come closer to Jesus? In this special episode, Stasi shares chapter 1 of her new book The Ladder of Love; A Pathway to Emotional Healing and Spiritual Intimacy with Jesus.  The chapter “Why a Ladder?”, explores the joy of knowing Jesus and being known by him, even in the places we may hesitate to bring near. Stasi ends with a guided Selah prayer, allowing room for us to pause in his presence and respond to his gentle invitation: come close.

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SHOW NOTES:
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Order your copy of TheLadder Of Love: A pathway to emotional healing and spiritual intimacy with Jesus by Stasi Eldredge — now available!  Visit this link to order:  ⁠https://wildatheart.org/the-ladder-of-love⁠

VERSES: 
Matthew 7:7 (NIV) – Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

James 4:8 (NIV) – Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

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,

Ephesians 1:17 (NIV) – I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Hosea 2:19–20 (NIV) – I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD.

John 17:3 (NIV) – Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

John 4:6–18 (NIV) – The woman at the well: … Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

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Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:
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What if we could know God more deeply, beyond what we know about him? In this episode, Stacey Burton turns the tables and interviews Stasi about what she is so passionate about - the message of her new book, The Ladder of Love: A Pathway to Emotional Healing and Spiritual Intimacy with Jesus, releasing October 6th! Together they explore how God draws us closer, rung by rung, from being clay in our Potter's hands to enjoying friendship with Jesus to, well, endlessly upward! Wherever you are on the journey, God is always inviting you closer to his heart.

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SHOW NOTES:
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Ladder Of Love: A pathway to emotional healing and spiritual intimacy with Jesus by Stasi Eldredge (Oct 6, 2026) 
Visit this link to preorder by October 5, and also claim your free Journaling Guide after ordering.  ⁠https://wildatheart.org/the-ladder-of-love⁠

VERSES: 
Matthew 11:28 (NIV) – Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

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.

Isaiah 64:8 (NIV) – Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) – For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

John 10:11 (NIV) – I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Luke 15:4 (NIV) – Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

John 10:27 (NIV) – My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) – Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Romans 8:17 (NIV) – Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Psalm 25:14 (NIV) – The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.

John 15:15 (NIV) – I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

Song of Songs 8:5 (NIV) – Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved? Under the apple tree I roused you; there your mother conceived you, there she who was in labor gave you birth.

Isaiah 61:1 (NIV) – The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,

Matthew 16:15 (NIV) – "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

John 17:3 (NIV) – Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

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

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What if the places where trust feels hardest are the very places Jesus longs to meet us? Stasi welcomes Susie Larson to talk about her new book, “More Than You Can Imagine”, and how God meets us in disappointment, suffering, and fear. With compassion and hard-won wisdom, Susie invites us to know God more deeply, trust his goodness, and open our hearts to the healing and freedom he offers.

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SHOW NOTES:
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SUSIE LARSON
Book: More Than You Can Imagine: What God Does When You Trust Him (August 11, 2026); order here: ⁠https://wahe.art/3SO1r9f⁠

Website:⁠https://www.susielarson.com/⁠

Radio – Susie Larson Live:⁠https://www.myfaithradio.com/programs/susie-larson-live/⁠

Instagram:⁠https://www.instagram.com/susielarsonauthor/⁠

Facebook:⁠https://www.facebook.com/susielarsonauthor⁠

SUSIE’S BIO
Susie Larson is a talk radio host and podcaster with over 17 million downloads; a national speaker, and bestselling author known for her passion for helping people live in the fullness of God’s promises. Through her writing and broadcast ministry, she encourages audiences to walk in freedom, faith, courage, and spiritual authority. Larson’s work is marked by biblical depth, personal honesty, and a strong belief in God’s power to heal, restore, and redeem. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, Kevin.

Susie’s photo credit: Tammy Brice Creative

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VERSES: 
Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) – Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God

Ephesians 3:19 (NIV) – And to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God

Psalm 34:18 (NIV) – The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit

Ephesians 3:20 (NIV) – Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us

Acts 26:28 (NIV) – Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

1 Kings 18:21 (NIV) – Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing

Matthew 11:3 (NIV) – To ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Matthew 11:4–6 (NIV) – Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

Matthew 11:11 (NIV) – Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he

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.”

Psalm 18:19 (NIV) – He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me

Romans 9:13 (NIV) – Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

Ephesians 2:6 (NIV) – And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus

2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV) – But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us

Psalm 40:3 (NIV) – He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him

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