Hope Through Life’s Deepest Heartaches: Dr. Jim Burns and Dr. Joshua W. Brown

July 23, 2026
00:00 30:18
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Dr. Jim Burns, founder of HomeWord, returns to the Jesus Calling Podcast to discuss how parents can navigate the heartbreak of estrangement with their adult children. He offers advice on avoiding self-blame, communicating without unsolicited criticism, and prioritizing healthy boundaries.

Later, neuroscientist Dr. Joshua W. Brown shares how a terminal brain tumor diagnosis at age thirty sparked his interest in investigating how faith practices and prayer contribute to healing. Using his scientific training, he describes seeing cases that medical professionals cannot explain, exploring how healing may happen beyond the scope of traditional treatment.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:

Jesus Calling Podcast

Jesus Calling

Jesus Always

Jesus Listens

Past interview: Brooke Envick

Upcoming interview: Butch Hartman

Dr. Jim Burns

Doing Life with Your Adult Children: Keep Your Mouth Shut and the Welcome Mat Out - Book by Dr. Jim Burns

When Your Adult Child Strays: Trading Heartache For Hope - Book by Dr. Jim Burns

Reconnecting with Your Estranged Adult Child: Practical Tips and Tools to Heal Your Relationship - Book by Tina Gilbetson

Dr. Joshua W. Brown

Global Medical Research Institute

Proving a Miracle: Unlocking the Power of Prayer to Heal - Book by Dr. Joshua W. Brown

Interview Quotes:

“I say to people whose kids are just moving into adulthood: ‘Number one, you’re fired as a day-to-day parent. You have to give the kid the passport to adulthood.’” - Dr. Jim Burns

“Mentors don’t necessarily give advice, they give advice when they’re asked.” - Dr. Jim Burns

“I say to parents all the time, take the lead, but take the lead with love. Take the lead with kindness.” - Dr. Jim Burns

“There are very few estrangements where we don’t need the help of counsel. We need somebody coming alongside us to give us insight, especially with estrangement, because we don’t know what to do.” - Dr. Jim Burns

“So the tightrope that you walk is you show love, you practice kindness, you expand the relationship to not just be a one-topic parent. And in doing that, you can embrace your child and love your child.” - Dr. Jim Burns

“I think the bottom line with a lot of people, a lot of adult children, is they’re asking one question, ‘Do you still love me?’” - Dr. Jim Burns

“If you hope for nothing, you are protected from being disappointed. And so hope has a cost to it. I was starting to see people, right in front of me, experience healing through this kind of prayer ministry. And so that gave me some degree of hope that there was at least something going on there that was worth pursuing.” - Dr. Joshua W. Brown

“If you spend your time praying, thinking about God, thinking about His goodness, thinking about how He loves you and cares for you, your brain cells will become more responsive to those thoughts over time.” - Dr. Joshua W. Brown

“Can what we believe, or our prayers for example, lead to mind-body effects that can have effects on actually reducing pain?” - Dr. Joshua W. Brown

“As with food, you are what you eat. And I think the same principle applies spiritually and even psychologically [as to] the things that you spend time thinking about.” - Dr. Joshua W. Brown

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Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!

Audio Episodes: https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7

Bonus Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw

Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer: https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C

Peace for Everyday Life: https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj

Peace in Uncertain Times: https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u

What’s Good? https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj

Enneagram: https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY

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