Jesus promises a white stone, hidden manna, and a new name known only to the one who receives it.

In this episode, Steve & Colleen Adams explore identity, healing, and what it means to “conquer” when competing voices are loud. Colleen shares her story of hearing God call her “Delightful” through trauma and reintegration; Steve shares how God restored his identity as a Warrior in a season of loss.

A deeply practical invitation to ask God what He calls you—and to live from it.

Chapters

00:00 – Why identity matters in marriage & community synergy

01:10 – Podcast intro + Episode context (Episode 27 throwback)

02:30 – Anchor Scripture: Revelation 2:17 (new name on a white stone)

03:10 – “The one who conquers” = resisting false identities

05:03 – Colleen’s checklist (and why the “new name” mattered)

07:45 – Colleen’s “Delightful” story begins

11:49 – Trauma, the false self, and burying the “little girl”

14:03 – Redeeming “Delightful” + how God uses our wounds in service

15:35 – Steve’s crisis season + Wild at Heart Boot Camp context

17:45 – The moment Steve asked God: “What is my name?”

19:05 – Ephesians 1 & Psalm 139: identity before performance

20:55 – Father wounds, distortion, and why brokenness comes first

22:12 – Dark night of the soul: surrender vs self-reliance

24:20 – Biblical name changes (Abraham, Jacob, Peter, Paul)

26:42 – Peter’s journey: living into a name over time

28:20 – Exposure, blind spots, and sanctification (especially in marriage)

29:29 – Chesterton + Spurgeon: we’ve forgotten who we are

31:30 – Living from your new name: purpose between “now” and eternity

33:30 – Identity creates synergy in marriage & the Body of Christ

34:44 – Performance, people-pleasing, and resisting the world’s box

37:09 – Identity as spiritual warfare + Gladiator illustration

40:05 – Pain can become the doorway to calling

41:35 – Practical invitation: surrender, ask God, silence other voices

43:12 – Blessing & closing

In this annual conversation, Steve Adams, Colleen Adams, and Michael Kurtz invite listeners to begin the year through consecration, not pressure or performance. Rather than goal-setting, the focus is surrender—offering the year back to God as an act of union with Christ.

They explore listening for a word or phrase for the year as an invitation into formation, why God’s work is often cumulative over time, and how an eternal perspective reshapes how we live and suffer today. Eternity is reframed not as escape, but as restoration—returning to God’s “very good” design.

This episode serves as a formation anchor for the year ahead, calling listeners to resist striving, stop self-saving, and trust the God who holds both now and forever.

Resources mentioned:

• The Royal in You — Jordan Raynor Video Intro

• Heaven — Randy Alcorn

• All Things New — John Eldredge

Scripture references:Matthew 6:34 • Genesis 1–3 • Matthew 24:36 • Genesis 1:26–28 • Matthew 25:14–30 • John 15

Chapters:

00:00 Cold open — “Don’t add pressure… I have a month.”
01:01 Welcome + episode setup
01:54 Introducing Colleen & Michael + annual rhythm
06:19 What consecrating the year is (and isn’t)
08:49 Colleen: consecration as union, not performance
10:59 Michael: fasting + surrendering plans without demands
14:28 Steve: offering the calendar back to God
15:35 Colleen: “walking in the greater story”
19:06 Words build over time (stepping stones)
20:27 Word ≠ slogan (and a quick Eagles detour)
21:30 Colleen: “presence” (inward → outward) + carrying Jesus into chaos
26:54 Michael: Jacob’s purification + returning to “God’s house”
36:14 Eternity: The Royal In You + reclaiming a hopeful view of heaven
40:44 Colleen: recovering the supernatural worldview + “very good” restoration
44:22 Matthew 24:36 + living ready without obsessing over dates
46:53 Michael: dominion, stewardship, and being formed to rule & reign
49:19 Colleen: “Stop being self-saviors” (union restores surrender)
52:18 Suffering well: faithfulness, love, forgiveness in the fire
53:02 Colleen: NIH story — blessing others in pain + “table with Jesus”
57:38 Michael: Psalms—bring the unfiltered to God
01:02:17 Wrap + final encouragements
01:03:10 Colleen: don’t be discouraged; give the Spirit permission beyond awareness
01:06:49 Michael: don’t rush; a month-long posture of receiving
01:08:28 Steve: final send-off

Spiritual formation doesn’t happen in isolation—but it also doesn’t happen in unsafe spaces.

In this episode, Steve and Colleen explore what makes a community truly safe and why safety is foundational to healing, trust, and transformation. This honest conversation parallels themes from their upcoming book Embracing the Way, inviting listeners into a slower, relational vision of walking with Jesus and one another.

If you’ve longed for community but felt guarded, this episode offers language, clarity, and hope.