Friends in Formation
A Renovaré PodcastListener questions set the table for curious conversations around spiritual formation and life with God. Brought to you by Renovaré’s monthly giving community.
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episode
Spiritual Scorekeeping, Finding Real Friends, and Avoiding Content Overwhelm
February 20, 2026
Kicking off the relaunch of Friends In Formation, James, Richella—and new host Tiana Spencer—discuss three listener questions: how to stop measuring your spiritual life by the world's standards, why genuine adult friendship feels so rare (and how to find it), and how to break free from the overwhelm of too many books and courses.
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Stages of life and faith · “Disturb me, Lord” · Knowing when to pause
June 2, 2023
The final episode of this season of Friends in Formation covers listener questions on why spiritual formation "clicks" at certain ages, whether we should pray the prayer "Disturb me, Lord" (Sir Frances Drake), and knowing when to take a break from something.
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Sabbath · Reading Protestant and Catholic Authors · Praying for One Another
January 27, 2023
Listener questions guide our hosts into a fruitful discussion about moving from theory to practice in the discipline of Sabbath, exploring historic Christian writers both inside and outside of your own tradition, and learning to pray for others.
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Trials vs Temptations · What Trips You Up · Measuring Spiritual Progress
December 26, 2022
In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Richella, Nate, and James answer listener questions about Dallas Willard’s version of The Lord’s Prayer, what things get the goat of our hosts, and how to measure progress in one’s spiritual formation.
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Image Bearing · Exploring Church Traditions · Stability in Times of Discontent
November 21, 2022
The Podcast hosts dig into questions about what the term "image bearer" means, how to experience and appreciate other Christian denominations, and what to do when your work or life situation feels less than ideal.
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QE II · Injustice in the Church · Prayer Labyrinths
September 26, 2022
In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, James, Nate, and Richella answer listener questions about the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, unfairness and injustice in the church, and prayer labyrinths.
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View of God · Reading habits · When to pray for healing
August 30, 2022
In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Richella, James, and Nate answer listener questions about wrestling with unhealthy views of God, habits that can help us read deeply, and whether to pray for someone's healing right away, or only after feeling led to do so.
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Streams · Fasting · Spiritual Conversations with Adult Children
July 25, 2022
In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Nate, Richella, and James answer listener questions about which Christian Stream “gives the most bang for the buck,” how to discern when to fast (or practice any spiritual discipline), and how to have spiritual conversations with kids who are grown.
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Saying No to Good Things · Faith of Origin · Bodies and Formation
May 23, 2022
In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Nate, Richella, and James answer listener questions about saying No to good things, understanding the riches of various Christian traditions, and the connection between our bodies and spiritual formation.
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Easy Yoke · True Freedom · Formation in Marriage
March 28, 2022
In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Richella, James, and Nate answer listener questions about the easy yoke Jesus talked about, experiencing true freedom, and spiritual formation in marriage.
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Discipleship vs Formation · Transforming Thoughts · The Role of Rootedness
February 28, 2022
In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Nate, James, and Richella answer listener questions about the difference between spiritual formation and discipleship, transforming negative thoughts, and virtual spiritual interactions and the role of rootedness.
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Streams · Spiritual Formation Groups · Building Friendships
January 24, 2022
In this episode, Richella, Nate, and James answer listener questions about the Streams, moving small groups toward spiritual formation, and building lifelong friendships in this time of loneliness.
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Living in the Tension
December 27, 2021
In this episode, Nate, James, and Richella answer listener questions about reconciling Jesus' “easy yoke” with Paul's “beating his body to make it his slave,” remaining healthy while carrying other’s burdens, and Bishop Desmond Tutu’s “seamless garment” approach to faith and politics.
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Spiritual Practices for Busy People · Why Go Back to Church · Judging Family Members
November 22, 2021
In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Nate, Richella, and James answer listener questions about practices to help keep centered on Christ with a busy schedule, returning to church when you are not feeling loved there, and the struggle of judging family members.
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Losing Faith · Contentment · Spiritual Practices 101
October 25, 2021
In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Richella, Nate, and James answer listener questions about losing faith, contentment, and where to start with spiritual practices.
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Women in Ministry · The Trinity · Spiritual Direction
September 27, 2021
In this episode of Friends in Formation, James, Richella, and Nate answer listener questions about women in ministry and gender roles, the Trinity, and Spiritual Direction.
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Treasures · Struggles With Church · Accountability Without Legalism
August 30, 2021
In this episode, Richella, Nate, and James address honest listener questions about treasures and issues of the heart, issues with the Church, and how to have healthy accountability without it becoming rigid and legalistic.
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Solitude · Sabbath with Small Kids · When Grown Kids Leave the Church
July 19, 2021
In this episode, Richella, Nate, and James take listener questions on why silence and solitude are so hard, how to practice sabbath with small kids, and why young adults are leaving the church.
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Humility · Disappointment with God · Feeling Like a Square Peg at Church
June 28, 2021
James, Richella, and Nate discuss honest listener questions about growing in humility, being disappointed with God, and feeling like a square peg in a round hole at church.
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How to Read the Bible + Its Tricky Parts, and Understanding Spiritual Abuse
May 24, 2021
James, Richella, and Nate discuss different ways to read the Bible (big chunks, small bites, meditating, memorizing, and changing it up), what to do with tricky texts in Scripture, and how to spot spiritual abuse.
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Spiritual Formation, Fasting, and Unwanted Ill-Will
April 26, 2021
James, Richella, and Nate explain spiritual formation in layman's terms, and discuss questions about fasting and struggling with feeling ill-will toward others.
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Twaddle, Social Justice, and Nurturing Gentleness
March 15, 2021
Richella, James, and Nate answer a listener who calls their discussion in the previous episode about being safe in the Kingdom "twaddle." They also talk about the church’s role in addressing social justice concerns, and how to nurture a character of peacefulness and gentleness.
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Are We Safe with God, Realistic Rhythms, and Healthy News Habits
February 15, 2021
In this episode Richella, James, and Nate discuss if we're truly safe in the Kingdom of God, what rhythms of spiritual practice look like in a busy life, and how Jesus would listen to the news.
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What is the Kingdom of God?
January 18, 2021
James, Nate, and Richella discuss the Kingdom of God, pandemic loneliness, and practical ways to remember that even when we are separated we are more together than we can see.