Made for People Podcast with Justin Whitmel Earley

• Parenting for Deep Relationships in a Digital World with Joey Odom

  What if the most important thing your kids need from you isn’t a perfect home—but 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 relationships—and how the way we use them is shaping the next generation more than we realize.We discuss: ✔️ Healthier and less healthy ways technology shows up in our friendships ✔️ How to model friendship in everyday life for your children ✔️ Why the #1 predictor of your child’s future life is your current one ✔️ How to shepherd your children toward a life of deep relationships ✔️ Why friendship isn’t just a good idea—it might actually change the worldJoin 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. 📖 Want more? Grab a copy of Made for People and check out ReclaimWell online. 💬 Let’s Connect! Follow me on Instagram @justinwhitmelearley and join the conversation.

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• Why Friendship Heals Our Brains with Curt Thompson MD

  What if we can’t 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:✔️ Why we can’t understand ourselves until we tell our stories✔️ How keeping secrets wastes neuropsychiatric energy✔️ Why friendship liberates creativity in work and life✔️ How being seen can literally heal your brain✔️ Why you’re never writing or telling your story aloneJoin us for this fascinating conversation on how deep relationships transform the way we see ourselves, tell our stories, and experience healing.📖 Want more? Grab a copy of Made for People and Curt Thompson’s books, The Soul of Shame and The Deepest Place, wherever books are sold.💬 Let’s Connect! Follow me on Instagram @justinwhitmelearley and join the conversation.

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• Friendship as Evangelism with Rebecca McLaughlin

  What if friendship plays a bigger role in our lives—and in our faith—than we’ve 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:✔️ The unsung role of friendship in all of our stories—and why it matters more than we realize✔️ How friends can shape our children in ways we may not have considered✔️ Some surprising nuances in C.S. Lewis’ thoughts on friendship and what they mean for us today✔️ How friendship is a way of evangelism and a means of welcoming the outsiderJoin us for this conversation on why friendship matters more than ever—and how it can transform our approach to inviting people into Christianity.📖 Want more? Grab a copy of Made for People and No Greater Love wherever books are sold.💬 Let’s Connect! Follow me on Instagram @justinwhitmelearley and join the conversation.

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• When Friends Become Family with Wes Hill

  What if salvation isn’t just about a personal relationship with God—but 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:✔️ How the New Testament blurs the lines between friends and family✔️ Why covenant friendship is essential—not optional—for the Christian life✔️ How marriage and friendship should complement, not compete with, each other✔️ Why geography matters when it comes to building deep relationships✔️ The practical ways to spend more time with friends in daily life✔️ How forgiveness is the essential ingredient to real friendships that lastJoin us for this conversation on why we’re all made for friendship—and why seeing it as part of salvation might change everything.📖 Want more? Grab a copy of Made for People wherever books are sold.💬 Let’s Connect! Follow me on Instagram @justinwhitmelearley and join the conversation.

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• Covenant Friendship: The Missing Piece

  What if the biggest problems in your life aren’t actually the biggest problems? What if the real issue beneath all the others is that we’re 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 friendship—what I call covenant friendship—is not just a nice idea but a necessity for walking with Jesus.We discuss:✔️ Why drifting from friends is often the hidden cause behind struggles in faith, marriage, parenting, and career.✔️ The idea of covenant friendship—what it means, why it’s different from casual friendships, and how it changes everything.✔️ How friendship may be the most effective form of evangelism in a cultural moment of skepticism and isolation.✔️ Our personal stories of finding covenant friends and why that journey matters for you too.Join us for this conversation on why we’re all made for people—and why finding the right people might be the most important thing you ever do.📖 Want more? Grab a copy of Made for People wherever books are sold.💬 Let’s Connect! Follow me on Instagram @justinwhitmelearley and join the conversation.

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