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#151: In Defense of a Beautiful Life – A Manifesto for Transforming Family and Faith

LOVE IS FEARLESS

Release Date: 02/26/2025

#164: How Attachment Shapes Your Faith, Family, and Freedom – with Dr. Todd Hall show art #164: How Attachment Shapes Your Faith, Family, and Freedom – with Dr. Todd Hall

LOVE IS FEARLESS

What if the key to spiritual growth isn’t trying harder—but learning how to feel safe, seen, and loved? In this episode, Doug and Janet sit down with psychologist and author Dr. Todd Hall for a powerful conversation about attachment, transformation, and the kind of love that reshapes your life. Together, they explore how our early relational patterns affect not just our parenting and marriage—but our relationship with God. You’ll learn: How to recognize attachment patterns that keep you stuck Why behavior doesn’t change until your nervous system feels safe How to...

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#163: Beyond Punishment: Practical Habits to Shape Identity, Not Just Behavior show art #163: Beyond Punishment: Practical Habits to Shape Identity, Not Just Behavior

LOVE IS FEARLESS

What if discipline isn’t about becoming someone better—but about learning to live from the truth of who you already are? In this episode, we continue our conversation on discipline—not as punishment or control, but as the sacred practice of forming identity through daily habits of love, truth, and presence. We explore how discipline aligns with our new identity in Christ, and how we help our children grow into that truth—not by force, but by faithfulness. You’ll hear stories of real formation—what it looks like in parenting, in marriage, and even in how we relate to ourselves. We...

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#162: Discipline Is Not What You Think: How Real Formation Replaces Control show art #162: Discipline Is Not What You Think: How Real Formation Replaces Control

LOVE IS FEARLESS

Every family is practicing discipline—even if we don’t realize it. But the question isn’t whether discipline is happening… it’s what kind of discipline is happening—and whether it’s forming fear, frustration, or secure, lasting maturity.  Some discipline conforms us to the patterns of this world; kingdom discipline transforms us into the truth of who God created us to be. In this episode, we reframe discipline as the quiet, relational work of forming the soul—not controlling behavior. We explore how real discipline starts with us, flows through meaningful...

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Bonus Episode: Rooted in Kerrville – A Restoration Story from the Inside Out show art Bonus Episode: Rooted in Kerrville – A Restoration Story from the Inside Out

LOVE IS FEARLESS

In today’s special episode, Doug and Janet share the story behind Rooted in Kerrville—a project born from their deep love of the Texas Hill Country, their partnership with Mercy Gate Ministries, and their heartache for a community forever changed by the devastating July 4 flood. This is more than a relief effort. It’s a long-term investment in soul restoration. When the flood hit, the physical damage was immense—but so was the emotional and spiritual toll. Local nonprofits like Mercy Gate are overwhelmed. Families are grieving. And pastors and helpers are exhausted, yet...

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#161 : The Three Instruments of Formation: How Atmosphere, Discipline, and Life Shape Your Family’s Story show art #161 : The Three Instruments of Formation: How Atmosphere, Discipline, and Life Shape Your Family’s Story

LOVE IS FEARLESS

Every family is being shaped by a story, whether we realize it or not. The question isn’t if formation is happening…it’s what kind of formation is happening, and whether it’s rooted in fear or freedom.  In this episode, we introduce The Three Instruments of Formation—Atmosphere, Discipline, and Life—and explore how they help create secure, connected homes where faith and maturity can take root. We also revisit the Three Doors framework and share how real families—maybe even yours—are living in stories of survival, striving, or freedom. Most of us...

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#160: Why Your Home's Atmosphere Shapes Your Child's Soul show art #160: Why Your Home's Atmosphere Shapes Your Child's Soul

LOVE IS FEARLESS

Episode Summary: Before a single word is spoken, we’ve already told a story. The emotional and spiritual tone we carry into a room—our atmosphere—is one of the most powerful instruments of formation in family life. In this episode, we unpack what atmosphere is, why it matters, and how it quietly shapes what our children believe about love, safety, identity, and belonging. You’ll discover how the Three Doors framework (Survival, Striving, and Transformation) shows up in the “air” of our homes and why peace-building—not pressure—creates the soil where souls...

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#159: All the Things We Say to God: A Conversation with Tanner Olson on Prayer, Parenting, and Poetry show art #159: All the Things We Say to God: A Conversation with Tanner Olson on Prayer, Parenting, and Poetry

LOVE IS FEARLESS

What if prayer wasn’t about getting the words right, but about being real? In this tender and honest conversation, Janet and Doug sit down with poet and author Tanner Olson, whose new children’s book All the Things I Say to God is helping families make prayer a natural part of everyday life. They explore Tanner and his wife’s journey through infertility and adoption, the power of surrender, and what it means to live a creative life anchored in faith, family, and honest conversations with God. You’re in the Right Place If… You want to raise kids who feel safe enough...

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#158: Parenting Adult Children: Is It Too Late to Restore Our Family? show art #158: Parenting Adult Children: Is It Too Late to Restore Our Family?

LOVE IS FEARLESS

If your children are grown—or even moving back home—and you’ve just now found language for what it means to live loved instead of afraid… this episode is for you. Today, we’re responding to questions from listeners who’ve read the manifesto, heard the message at Network 220, watched , or started exploring Practicing the Art of Being Family. They’re asking: “Do these truths still apply if my kids are already out of the house?” And, "Is there still great hope if my children are already grown?" The answer is yes. Because you’re still a parent—but...

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#157: An interview with Robby Angle - A Conversation About Trusting Jesus In Everyday Life show art #157: An interview with Robby Angle - A Conversation About Trusting Jesus In Everyday Life

LOVE IS FEARLESS

Today, we have the joy of welcoming Robby Angle, President and CEO of , to the Love is Fearless Podcast! Robby is passionate about helping people move from simply knowing about grace to living out their true identity in Jesus—with trust, freedom, and relational depth. Before leading Trueface, Robby pastored thousands toward authentic community at North Point Community Church. Now, he’s helping steward a powerful new resource called —an experience designed to move believers beyond striving and into a transformational life of trusting God. Also,  is designed...

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#156: How to Raise Emotionally Healthy Kids in a Chronically Overstimulated World | with Sarah Boyd show art #156: How to Raise Emotionally Healthy Kids in a Chronically Overstimulated World | with Sarah Boyd

LOVE IS FEARLESS

In this special episode of LOVE IS FEARLESS, Janet and Doug are joined by Sarah Boyd—author, child and adolescent development expert, and founder of . Sarah’s new book, Turn Down the Noise, offers a much-needed guide to raising emotionally healthy kids in today’s overstimulated world. This warm, insightful conversation explores the realities families face and the hope available when we slow down, simplify, and create a safe emotional atmosphere at home. You’re in the Right Place If… You feel caught between wanting to slow down and fearing what will happen if you do....

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More Episodes
What if family wasn’t meant to be about striving but about abiding?

For generations, we’ve been taught that good parenting means controlling outcomes, managing behavior, and setting our kids up for success. But what if that approach isn’t working?

Today, we unveiled something deeply personal: our manifesto, Restoring the Lost Art of Being Family. This isn’t just a collection of words—it’s a call to reimagine what’s possible for your family. It’s a rallying cry to turn away from fear, shame, and transactional living and step into the freedom of abiding in God’s love.

🔹 You’re in the right place if…
✔️ You’re tired of carrying the invisible weight of parenting shame and wondering if there’s a better way.
✔️ You’ve tried behavior management strategies, but deep down, you know your family needs more than quick fixes.
✔️ You’re ready to believe that the Kingdom of God isn’t just for someday—it’s for your family, right here and now.

🔥 The Problem: We Were Never Meant to Carry This Weight

👉 Our children are not okay—but neither are parents. We live in an upside-down world where stress, anxiety, and shame are the norm. Parents panic over misbehavior, not just because they want what’s best for their children, but because their struggles expose something deeper—the shame we carry, too.
🛑 But what if shame was never ours to carry?
🌿 What if the Kingdom of God really is at hand—and that changes everything about how we love and lead our families?

🌱 A New Path Forward: Abiding, Not Striving
Jesus didn’t come to improve our striving—He came to end it. He came to restore us to the Father, to remind us that we don’t have to prove our worth or fight for love. In the Kingdom, our identity is received, not achieved.

💡 What’s Possible: More Than Just an Above-Average Life
Most families settle for survival—or maybe an “above-average” life. But Jesus promised more:
🕊️ A home where love isn’t earned, but given freely.
🔄 A family culture where transformation is the norm, not the exception.
💖 A life where shame no longer holds us hostage, because Jesus carried it to the cross.

✨ A Kingdom Invitation
Imagine a family where:
🏡 Your home is a place of peace, not performance.
🪨 You rely on God’s presence, not your own capacity.
🌿 You experience the beauty of family as God intended.

This is the lost art of being family. Together, there is great hope.
🚀 Final Takeaways
✔️ The problem isn’t you—it’s the story you’ve been handed.
✔️ Parents were never meant to carry the weight of shame—and our kids weren’t meant to inherit it.
✔️ The Kingdom of God is at hand, and that changes everything.
💙 You were made for a beautiful life. You don’t have to settle for less.
📖 Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
📚 Education by Design, Not Default – Janet Newberry
📚 Atomic Habits – James Clear
📚 Sacred Attachment – Michael Cusick
📚 The Connected Life – Dr. Todd Hall

Visit john15academy.com and sign up for The Curated Life newsletter—your monthly guide to restoring the lost art of being family in your own home. You'll also receive early updates about Janet’s upcoming e-book, church curriculum development, and opportunities to hear Janet speak.

Each edition points to insightful blog posts you might have missed and offers encouragement for your journey. The Curated Life will keep you informed whether you want to attend an event or invite Janet to your church or community.
 
This podcast and our work at John 15 Academy are made possible by generous donors and a supportive community. If you’d like to be part of our financial support team, we’d be honored to have you with us. Together, there is great hope.

🙏 Thank you for listening. We’d love to hear how this episode resonates with you—share your reflections and tag us!
👀 Next Episode Teaser:
We’ll dive deeper into how these ideas change everyday family life. Subscribe to the LOVE IS FEARLESS podcast on your favorite podcast provider and stay tuned!