Afleveringen
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Before we release the final episode of the Made for People Podcast, weâre pressing pause for something a little different.
Over the past few weeks, so many of you have reached out with thoughtful reflections, personal stories, and honest questions. So instead of rushing to the finish, weâre giving you the chance to shape how this series ends.
Weâre collecting listener questionsâabout anything weâve talked about: friendship in marriage, parenting, loneliness, making friends as an adult, or something we havenât covered yetâand in a few weeks, Matt, Steve, and I will release a final episode where we respond to your questions directly.
In the meantime, we didnât want to leave you empty-handedâso weâre sharing this short bonus episode on a topic that has come up again and again: geography and how much your physical location shapes your relational life.
In just ten minutes, we talk about:
âď¸ Why moving toward friendship could be one of the most important decisions you ever make
âď¸ How proximity isnât everythingâbut it changes everything
âď¸ How to think about jobs, neighborhoods, and churches through the lens of community
đ Want more? Grab a copy of Made for People wherever books are sold.
đŹ Letâs Connect! Follow me on Instagram @justinwhitmelearley and join the conversation.
âSend me your question! DM me your questions or email me at [email protected] and we might answer your question in the final episode!
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What if the story of your marriage is also the story of your friendships?
In this episode of the Made for People podcast, I sit down with my absolute favorite guest yet (obviously)âmy wife, Lauren Earleyâto talk about how friendship has shaped our marriage through the years. From our early days with no kids, to the chaos of raising four little boys, and now to a season where rhythms are more established, we reflect on how friendship has changedâand sustainedâus through it all.
We discuss:
âď¸ The different stages of friendship in our marriageâbefore kids, with newborns, and now
âď¸ How geography, the local church, and intentional rhythms have shaped our friendships
âď¸ The art of making friends into family and family into friends
âď¸ Why close friendships outside of marriage are not optionalâtheyâre necessary
âď¸ How to encourage (and challenge) your spouse to pursue deep relationships
âď¸ Our hopes for our boys and the friendships theyâll carry into adulthood
Whether youâre newly married, in the middle of parenting chaos, or further down the road, this episode will help you reflect on the friendships that hold your life togetherâand how to keep making space for them.
đ Want more? Grab a copy of Made for People wherever books are sold.
đŹ Letâs Connect! Follow me on Instagram @justinwhitmelearley and join the conversation.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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What if the most important thing your kids need from you isnât a perfect homeâbut a model of deep, committed friendship?
In this episode of the Made for People podcast, I sit down with Joey Odom, co-founder of Aro (now rebranded as ReclaimWell), to talk about the powerful connection between technology, friendship, and parenting. We explore how our devices can either help or hinder our relationshipsâand how the way we use them is shaping the next generation more than we realize.
We discuss:
âď¸ Healthier and less healthy ways technology shows up in our friendships
âď¸ How to model friendship in everyday life for your children
âď¸ Why the #1 predictor of your childâs future life is your current one
âď¸ How to shepherd your children toward a life of deep relationships
âď¸ Why friendship isnât just a good ideaâit might actually change the world
Join us for this honest and hope-filled conversation about how to build homes where friendship is normal, screens serve people (not the other way around), and kids develop the habits of deep and lasting friendship.
đ Want more? Grab a copy of Made for People and check out ReclaimWell online.
đŹ Letâs Connect! Follow me on Instagram @justinwhitmelearley and join the conversation.
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What if we canât truly understand ourselves until we tell our stories?
In this episode of the Made for People podcast, I sit down with Christian psychologist and author Curt Thompson to explore how friendship, vulnerability, and storytelling shape our mental and spiritual well-being. We discuss what a mentally healthy mind looks like, why we have a deep desire to be known, and how placing our lives in vulnerable relationships can bring clarity and healing.
We discuss:
âď¸ Why we canât understand ourselves until we tell our stories
âď¸ How keeping secrets wastes neuropsychiatric energy
âď¸ Why friendship liberates creativity in work and life
âď¸ How being seen can literally heal your brain
âď¸ Why youâre never writing or telling your story alone
ďťż
Join us for this fascinating conversation on how deep relationships transform the way we see ourselves, tell our stories, and experience healing.
đ Want more? Grab a copy of Made for People and Curt Thompsonâs books, The Soul of Shame and The Deepest Place, wherever books are sold.
đŹ Letâs Connect! Follow me on Instagram @justinwhitmelearley and join the conversation.
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What if friendship plays a bigger role in our livesâand in our faithâthan weâve ever realized?
In this episode of the Made for People Podcast, I sit down with Rebecca McLaughlin, author of Confronting Christianity and No Greater Love, to explore how friendship is at the heart of evangelism. Drawing from her latest book, Rebecca unpacks how Jesus redefined love, why friendship is more than just a social luxury, and how deep relationships can be a powerful witness in a skeptical world.
We discuss:
âď¸ The unsung role of friendship in all of our storiesâand why it matters more than we realize
âď¸ How friends can shape our children in ways we may not have considered
âď¸ Some surprising nuances in C.S. Lewisâ thoughts on friendship and what they mean for us today
âď¸ How friendship is a way of evangelism and a means of welcoming the outsider
Join us for this conversation on why friendship matters more than everâand how it can transform our approach to inviting people into Christianity.
đ Want more? Grab a copy of Made for People and No Greater Love wherever books are sold.
đŹ Letâs Connect! Follow me on Instagram @justinwhitmelearley and join the conversation.
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What if salvation isnât just about a personal relationship with Godâbut about friendship with others? What if the New Testament invites us to see friendship as something deeper, even covenantal?
In this second episode of the Made for People Podcast, we sit down with New Testament scholar Wes Hill to explore why Jesus framed salvation in terms of friendship and how Scripture challenges our modern understanding of relationships.
We discuss:
âď¸ How the New Testament blurs the lines between friends and family
âď¸ Why covenant friendship is essentialânot optionalâfor the Christian life
âď¸ How marriage and friendship should complement, not compete with, each other
âď¸ Why geography matters when it comes to building deep relationships
âď¸ The practical ways to spend more time with friends in daily life
âď¸ How forgiveness is the essential ingredient to real friendships that last
Join us for this conversation on why weâre all made for friendshipâand why seeing it as part of salvation might change everything.
đ Want more? Grab a copy of Made for People wherever books are sold.
đŹ Letâs Connect! Follow me on Instagram @justinwhitmelearley and join the conversation.
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What if the biggest problems in your life arenât actually the biggest problems? What if the real issue beneath all the others is that weâre doing life alone?
In this first episode of the Made for People Podcast, I sit down with two close friends to talk about the themes of my book, Made for People. We explore why deep, committed friendshipâwhat I call covenant friendshipâis not just a nice idea but a necessity for walking with Jesus.
We discuss:
âď¸ Why drifting from friends is often the hidden cause behind struggles in faith, marriage, parenting, and career.
âď¸ The idea of covenant friendshipâwhat it means, why itâs different from casual friendships, and how it changes everything.
âď¸ How friendship may be the most effective form of evangelism in a cultural moment of skepticism and isolation.
âď¸ Our personal stories of finding covenant friends and why that journey matters for you too.
Join us for this conversation on why weâre all made for peopleâand why finding the right people might be the most important thing you ever do.
đ Want more? Grab a copy of Made for People wherever books are sold.
đŹ Letâs Connect! Follow me on Instagram @justinwhitmelearley and join the conversation.
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Modern life makes it far too easy to drift into loneliness, but deep friendships are essential for a thriving life. The Made for People Podcast explores the spiritual discipline of friendship and why itâs the one habit that changes everything. Hosted by bestselling author Justin Whitmel Earley with his friends Matt and Steve, this limited-series podcast features conversations with experts and real-life stories on building meaningful, lasting relationships. Subscribe now and rediscover the friendships you were made for.
Join us for the first episode on Tuesday, February 25th.
![[Bonus] Geography & Moving for Friendship](https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts221/v4/1f/87/58/1f8758cc-6755-f83d-d1b9-74e7b6a09913/mza_5127071749600979793.jpg/80x80bb.jpg)