I got to sit down with Olga Reed, a longtime member of The Village Church and someone I deeply admire. Olga walks us through her story—from battling depression and loneliness as a first-generation college student, to coming to faith in Christ, and then surviving one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history at Virginia Tech.

Her testimony is a resounding declaration that the darkness did not win and Christ was at work even in the darkest places. Through pain, trauma, and even survivor's guilt, Olga clung to the Word of God, discovered healing in community, and found that Jesus is better than life. 

In This Episode

• Meet Olga Reed: First-Gen Faith and Virginia Tech
• Depression, Isolation, and Searching for Belonging
• Surrender to Jesus: "Fine"
• Finding Cru and Her First Bible Study
• April 15: The Suicide Attempt
• April 16, 2007: Waking to Sirens
• After the Shooting: Fear, Grief, and Loneliness
• Hope in Romans 8 and the Power of Scripture
• Triggers, Therapy, and Talking About It
• Evil Exists, But So Does Resurrection

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Thank you to our Sponsors

QAVA is a Christian streaming platform that helps you understand the Bible and live out your faith with confidence. Think of it as digital discipleship in your pocket. Visit qava.tv/theovercomers and use code OVERCOME50 for 50% off your first 6 months. That’s only $4.99 a month!

This book offers biblical wisdom and the stories of faithful saints to help you see God’s faithfulness in the darkest seasons. Grab Overcoming the Darkness today at MoodyPublishers.com or wherever good books are sold.

Through Scripture and her own journey of suffering, Colleen Chao reminds us that all our longings point to the joy of our true Home with Christ. Get your copy of On Our Way Home at MoodyPublishers.com or wherever good books are sold.

–

Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. 

For sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected]

In this episode, I sit down with my lovely wife Lauren to explore her story. She shares about growing up as a “good girl,” always chasing approval, achievement, and the A+. But beneath that pursuit was a deeper struggle: the fear of being weak, broken, or not enough. We talk about how that mindset shaped our marriage, her ministry, and her identity—and the powerful moment when she finally laid it all down at Recovery. This conversation is filled with the kind of grace that sets people free. If you’ve ever struggled with perfectionism, people-pleasing, or performance-driven faith, I believe this episode will offer truth and healing to where you are.

• Childhood roots of perfectionism and people-pleasing
• How "being good" can become a way to avoid needing God
• Marriage as the first wake-up call to grace
• Hitting the idol of achievement in music ministry
• The surrender chip moment: Letting go of control
• Embracing powerlessness and understanding grace
• How fixed mindset stifled creativity and risk-taking
• Moving toward a growth mindset in songwriting
• Learning to say “no” and disappoint people with peace
• Parenting and people-pleasing under the spotlight
• Shame, criticism, and trusting God with your reputation
• Remaining vigilant: How perfectionism tries to sneak back in
• Final encouragement for those stuck in performance

• Beth Moore's Bible Study: Believing God
• TVC Recovery Ministry
• Follow Lauren

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If you’ve enjoyed this episode, one of the best ways to support the show and make sure others find it, is to subscribe and leave a review. Thank You!

Thank you to our Sponsors

QAVA is a Christian streaming platform that helps you understand the Bible and live out your faith with confidence. Think of it as digital discipleship in your pocket. Visit qava.tv/theovercomers and use code OVERCOME50 for 50% off your first 6 months. That’s only $4.99 a month!

This book offers biblical wisdom and the stories of faithful saints to help you see God’s faithfulness in the darkest seasons. Grab Overcoming the Darkness today at MoodyPublishers.com or wherever good books are sold.

Through Scripture and her own journey of suffering, Colleen Chao reminds us that all our longings point to the joy of our true Home with Christ. Get your copy of On Our Way Home at MoodyPublishers.com or wherever good books are sold.

–

Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. 

For sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected]

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Josh Turner—pastor, leader, and now author of Into the Storm. Josh’s story is one of unexpected suffering and surprising strength. We talk about his daughter Riley, born with a rare condition, undiagnosed for 12 years, and now living life with courage and clarity most adults don’t have. Josh shares what it was like walking through that pain while pastoring, wrestling with God’s sovereignty, and being forced to reexamine what he actually believed about suffering.

That experience, by the grace of God, moved Josh from being just a servant of God to living like a son. We also dive into the ministry he now leads, 10Ten Project, which helps pastors get healthy before they burn out or blow up. This episode isn’t just for church leaders—it’s for anyone walking through pain, anyone looking for hope, and anyone needing to be reminded: God is doing more than you think He is.

In This Episode

• Suffering as a young pastor and preparing the church for it
• Josh’s early ministry influences and meeting Matt
• The story of Riley’s birth and undiagnosed condition
• Wrestling theologically with suffering and God’s sovereignty
• Transition from servant to son – a pastor’s identity crisis
• Why 10Ten exists: helping pastors finish well
• How many pastors are emotionally unaware
• Real stories from intensives and ministry breakdowns
• A theology of suffering is essential for everyone
• Encouragement to those in suffering or leadership burnout

Guest Resources 

• Into the Storm by Josh Turner
• 10Ten Project
• Follow Joshua
• Follow 10Ten Project

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If you’ve enjoyed this episode, one of the best ways to support the show and make sure others find it, is to subscribe and leave a review. Thank You!

Thank you to our Sponsors

This book offers biblical wisdom and the stories of faithful saints to help you see God’s faithfulness in the darkest seasons. Grab Overcoming the Darkness today at MoodyPublishers.com or wherever good books are sold.

Through Scripture and her own journey of suffering, Colleen Chao reminds us that all our longings point to the joy of our true Home with Christ. Get your copy of On Our Way Home at MoodyPublishers.com or wherever good books are sold.

–

Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. 

For sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected]

I sat down with artist, writer and friend Josh Nadeau to explore his path from theological precocity to personal crisis and ultimately, redemptive beauty. Josh shares how growing up steeped in Reformed theology didn’t insulate him from a slow descent into apathy, addiction, spiritual numbness, and walking through life “as a ghost”. It was beauty—raw, embodied, soul-stirring beauty—that woke him up. We talk about deconstruction, embodiment, addiction, the love of God, and why aesthetics — embodied faith — might be what Saints are made from. If you’re barely hanging on or wondering what a holy life could look like beyond checklists, I commend his book Room For Good Things to Run Wild to you.

• Growing up “super Christian” and deeply catechized
• University: the intellectual wrestling match of faith
• Burnout, apathy, and alcohol: five years of slow unraveling
• Rock bottom: bourbon at 5am and the call of hidden music
• Churchy clichés and the need for something that can bear the weight
• The boxing gym: embodied weakness and discipleship
• Gnosticism, disembodied faith, and hunger for incarnation
• Theology of the Body & rediscovering the sacred in flesh
• Becoming a saint: not instant, not easy, but beautiful
• God’s love beyond usefulness, the danger of returning to slavery
• Why Josh wrote Room for Good Things to Run Wild
• Beauty as the apologetic for a disenchanted age
• Speaking to the silent middle: the “4 out of 10” Christian life

• Room for Good Things to Run Wild by Josh Nadeau 
• Josh’s Instagram
• Josh’s Substack

Instagram | Youtube | Website | Newsletter

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, one of the best ways to support the show and make sure others find it, is to subscribe and leave a review. Thank You!

Overcoming the Darkness by Nate Pickowicz

This book offers biblical wisdom and the stories of faithful saints to help you see God’s faithfulness in the darkest seasons. Grab Overcoming the Darkness today at MoodyPublishers.com or wherever good books are sold.

On Our Way Home by Colleen Chao

Through Scripture and her own journey of suffering, Colleen Chao reminds us that all our longings point to the joy of our true Home with Christ. Get your copy of On Our Way Home at MoodyPublishers.com or wherever good books are sold.

–

Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. 

For sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected]

In this episode, I sit down with JP and Ashley Graves—longtime friends and members of our church—with a story that’s both difficult and deeply hopeful. We talk about alcohol—not just as a drink, but as an idol that slowly took the throne in JP’s life and nearly destroyed their marriage. What started as casual drinking turned into dependence, deceit, and despair. Ashley shares what it was like to live with a man she barely recognized, and JP walks us through the moment of surrender that led to healing. This isn’t just about sobriety—it’s about learning to recognize the lies you may be believing and the power of Jesus to meet us in our mess, pull us out, and redeem what feels too far gone. If you’re feeling stuck, ashamed, or maybe you aren’t sure if your drinking is a problem—this episode is for you.

In This Episode

• A Fun Marriage with a Hidden Struggle: JP and Ashley share their early faith journeys, how they met, and the beginnings of alcohol use in their marriage.
• Numbing with Alcohol Becomes Normal: COVID, cultural norms, and unprocessed pain escalate drinking into full dependency—especially for JP.
• Deception, Distance, and Despair: JP begins hiding alcohol, Ashley senses the loss of connection, and both begin living separate lives under one roof.
• A Daughter’s Baptism and a Drunken Confession: JP breaks down the night before he’s supposed to baptize their daughter, leading to a confession that changes everything.
• Recovery, Rebuilding, and Radical Forgiveness: JP enters counseling and AA. Ashley processes her pain and begins to hope again as God starts to restore.
• For the One Who Feels Hopeless: JP and Ashley speak directly to listeners—those stuck in addiction and those silently suffering beside them.

Resources 

If you are struggling with alcohol, I want to encourage you to find help. Find a Recovery program at a local church or if you are local to Dallas, Check out Recovery at The Village Church.

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Thank you to our Sponsors

Covenant Eyes

Victory by Covenant Eyes is a powerful tool that helps Christians who are serious and want to quit porn for good or never start. Victory combines industry-leading technology with decades of experience and leadership in recovery content, accountability, and behavior change.

The Victory app, with powerful accountability features built in and the optional blocking technology, makes it an unparalleled tool in the fight to live a porn-free life.

Anyone can get started on their path to recovery for free by visiting: Covenanteyes.com/overcomers for 30 days free.

Acts 29

This episode of The Overcomers is sponsored by Acts 29, with an invitation to the Acts 29 Conference this coming October in Dallas. To learn more and register, visit acts29.com/conference. Overcomers listeners will receive a special discount of $20 off registration prices using the code OVERCOMERS in all caps anytime before October 1.

–

Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. 

For sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected]

I sat down with Luke Lezon and Will Chung to explore how Gen Z and Millennials are wrestling with identity, dignity, and discipleship in a rapidly shifting culture. These young pastors are preaching into cities like Orlando and LA—transient places that offer gospel-sending opportunities—and we unpacked the dangers of comfort culture and over-therapeutic narratives. We talked about how the call to follow Christ includes self-denial, repentance, and mission. Each of us shared stories of wilderness seasons, pastoral burnout, and the deep healing required to lead from wholeness. This is a deep dive into the joys and costs of courageous ministry today. I pray it encourages you — whatever context you’re in.

In This Episode

• [02:00] Identity vs. Dignity: Will’s Pastoral Lens
• [05:30] Cultural Pressures and Fragile Worth
• [06:30] Luke on the “Identity Fair” and a Better Story
• [07:45] Gospel Ministry in a Collapsing Secularism
• [08:45] Ministering in Transient Cities: Orlando & LA
• [10:00] Mission Field Mindsets and “Sending Capacity”
• [12:00] Five-Year Discipleship Windows
• [14:00] Lies This Generation Believes About God
• [17:30] The Overcorrection of Self-Care & Gospel Rest
• [21:00] Rest vs. Replenishment: Jefferson Bethke’s Shift
• [23:00] Gen Z’s Pain Tolerance & Hunger for Mission
• [24:00] Will’s 2020 Breakdown: Performing to Be Enough
• [29:00] Depression and Identity
• [31:00] Luke’s Story: Betrayal, Leadership, and God’s Timing
• [35:00] “Cut Robes, Don’t Kill Kings”: Leading Through Hurt
• [38:00] Repentance + Healing = Transformation
• [41:00] Therapy, Trauma, and the Gospel of Repentance
• [45:00] What Christian Therapy Is—and What It’s Not
• [47:00] Courage in the Pulpit: What It Looks Like Now
• [50:00] Don’t Be Lazy with the Word: Clarity Over Comfort
• [52:00] Hermeneutical Bubbles and Pastoral Cowardice
• [54:00] What the Church Needs to Repent Of (Apathy)
• [56:00] The Radical Disciple and the Lost Mission
• [58:00] Stop Selling Out for Ministry Success
• [01:01:00] Hearing from God, Not Social Media
• [01:04:00] Final Words + A Call to Spiritual Fathers

Guest Resources

• Follow Luke
• Luke’s Church
• Follow Will
• Will’s Church

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If you’ve enjoyed this episode, one of the best ways to support the show and make sure others find it, is to subscribe and leave a review. Thank You!

Thank you to our Sponsors

Covenant Eyes

Victory by Covenant Eyes is a powerful tool that helps Christians who are serious and want to quit porn for good or never start. Victory combines industry-leading technology with decades of experience and leadership in recovery content, accountability, and behavior change.

The Victory app, with powerful accountability features built in and the optional blocking technology, makes it an unparalleled tool in the fight to live a porn-free life.

Anyone can get started on their path to recovery for free by visiting: Covenanteyes.com/overcomers for 30 days free.

Acts 29

This episode of The Overcomers is sponsored by Acts 29, with an invitation to the Acts 29 Conference this coming October in Dallas. To learn more and register, visit acts29.com/conference. Overcomers listeners will receive a special discount of $20 off registration prices using the code OVERCOMERS in all caps anytime before October 1.

–

Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. 

For sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected]

In this episode, I sit down with entrepreneur and restaurateur Marty Bryan—founder of Marty B’s Restaurant—and Eric Loper, a former tech executive turned faith-driven consultant. Together, we dive into what it really looks like to integrate your faith into your business—whether you’re the CEO or just starting out.

Marty shares the story behind Marty B’s, a now nine-restaurant enterprise built on Christian values and radical hospitality. Eric opens up about leaving a high-powered tech role to launch companies that give 100% of their profits to ministry. We talk ambition, humility, leadership, and why bold faith in the workplace might cost you—but is worth it every time.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, a manager in a Fortune 500 company, or just trying to live out your faith at work, this conversation is for you.

In This Episode

• Why Faith and Business Don’t Need to Be Separate
• Marty’s Journey: From Learning the Industry to Owning 9 Restaurants
• Eric’s Story: Leaving Big Tech to Build Kingdom-Focused Ventures
• Integrating Faith in a Hospitality Business
• Men’s and Women’s Bible Breakfasts at Marty B’s
• Starting Worship Nights and Staying Bold
• Ambition, Ego, and Kingdom Impact
• Building Team and Culture Through Hospitality
• Handling Pushback, Staying Faithful
• Being Salt and Light in Secular Workplaces
• Prayer as a Witness in the Workplace
• Culture Building: Alignment and Drift
• Systems, Structure, and Knowing Your Strengths
• Truth Telling as a Cultural Foundation

Resources Mentioned

• First Liberty Institute – Legal help for religious freedom cases
• Marty B’s Restaurants

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If you’ve enjoyed this episode, one of the best ways to support the show and make sure others find it, is to subscribe and leave a review. Thank You!

Thank you to our Sponsors

Covenant Eyes

Victory by Covenant Eyes is a powerful tool that helps Christians who are serious and want to quit porn for good or never start. Victory combines industry-leading technology with decades of experience and leadership in recovery content, accountability, and behavior change.

The Victory app, with powerful accountability features built in and the optional blocking technology, makes it an unparalleled tool in the fight to live a porn-free life.

Anyone can get started on their path to recovery for free by visiting: Covenanteyes.com/overcomers for 30 days free.

Moody Publishers

Find Grace Beyond Salvation and I Choose Joy wherever you get your books or at Moodypublishers.com

Acts 29

This episode of The Overcomers is sponsored by Acts 29, with an invitation to the Acts 29 Conference this coming October in Dallas. To learn more and register, visit acts29.com/conference. Overcomers listeners will receive a special discount of $20 off registration prices using the code OVERCOMERS in all caps anytime before October 1.

–

Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. 

For sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected]

This is a sobering yet hope-filled episode. I sit down with Summer Vinson Berger and Adam Paa to discuss the pain, complexity, and redemptive potential of shepherding care in the local church. From owning massive failures in 2015 to building a robust, gospel-centered care framework at The Village Church, we discuss stories, strategies, and heartfelt convictions about what real, redemptive care looks like when the church chooses humility over image.

Whether you’re walking through trauma, burnout, addiction, or just longing for your church to care better—you’ll find wisdom and honesty here. This episode is a call to take the mess seriously, to listen better, and to believe that Jesus still heals through His body.

In This Episode

• The Weight of Shepherding
• 2015: Owning the Failures of Care
• Introducing Summer Berger and Adam Paa
• Building a Comprehensive Care Ministry
• What Is Redemptive Care?
• Why Recovery Must Stay Messy
• The Three Buckets of Recovery
• Ministry through Recovery: A Front Door to the Church
• Integrating Gospel and Therapy
• Psychology Catching Up to Scripture
• Gratitude, Paul, and Neuroscience
• Common Grace and Counseling
• When Churches Resist Therapeutic Tools
• Why Shepherding Is So Complex
• Trust, Time, and Trauma Recovery
• The Risk of Mislabeling Problems
• The Weight and Cost of Church Hurt
• Training Churches to Respond Better
• A Call to Action for Pastors and the Broken

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If you’ve enjoyed this episode, one of the best ways to support the show and make sure others find it, is to subscribe and leave a review. Thank You!

Thank you to our Sponsors

Covenant Eyes

Victory by Covenant Eyes is a powerful tool that helps Christians who are serious and want to quit porn for good or never start. Victory combines industry-leading technology with decades of experience and leadership in recovery content, accountability, and behavior change.

The Victory app, with powerful accountability features built in and the optional blocking technology, makes it an unparalleled tool in the fight to live a porn-free life.

Anyone can get started on their path to recovery for free by visiting: Covenanteyes.com/overcomers for 30 days free.

Moody Publishers

Find Grace Beyond Salvation and I Choose Joy wherever you get your books or at Moodypublishers.com

Acts 29

This episode of The Overcomers is sponsored by Acts 29, with an invitation to the Acts 29 Conference this coming October in Dallas. To learn more and register, visit acts29.com/conference. Overcomers listeners will receive a special discount of $20 off registration prices using the code OVERCOMERS in all caps anytime before October 1.

–

Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. 

For sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected]

Today I unpack the gritty, grace-filled realities of planting churches with three faithful men—Ronnie, Travis, and Spencer—who are living it right now. We talk about the surprising slowness of fruit, the wounds of unmet expectations, and the refining power of suffering. We also celebrate the deep friendships, family sacrifices, and the sacred calling of building from scratch. Whether you’re dreaming of planting, deep in the trenches, or a church member wondering how to help—this one will stir your heart and steady your hands.

In This Episode

• Why Church Planting Still Matters
• First-Year Surprises: Slow Growth, Big Work
• Vision Matters More Than You Think
• Heart Maintenance in the Hustle
• Questioning the Call: When Doubt Creeps In
• Family and Friendship on the Frontlines
• When Kids Feel the Cost
• Paper Cuts and Perseverance
• God's Provision in Scarcity
• The Power of Sending Churches
• Preaching and Leading from the Trenches
• A Word for the Weary Planter
• A Call to the Comfortable: Join the Work

Resources Mentioned

Book: Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzer - https://a.co/d/dij4kT2 

Organizations & Networks:

• NAMB (North American Mission Board) – namb.net
• Send Network – sendnetwork.com
• Acts 29 Church Planting Network – acts29.com

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Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. 

For sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected]

This episode is special to me. I sit down with two of my heroes in the faith—Ray Ortlund and Crawford Loritts. These men have been anchors for me in moments of doubt and discouragement, and I wanted to ask them the questions that most pastors eventually ask themselves: How do you stay faithful for the long haul? How do you finish well when so many don't? We talk about the rhythms that sustained them over decades, the call of ministry that’s far more than a career, and what it looks like to fight pride and pursue humility every single day. We also dive deep into marriage, legacy, and the sacredness of being a pastor. If you're in the trenches—especially in your 20s to 40s—this one's for you. I want to finish well, and I know you do too.

In This Episode

• [02:00] Rhythms That Sustain the Soul
• [05:00] The Call of God vs. a Career in Ministry
• [08:00] Shepherding, Not Hiring: A Vision for Pastoral Ministry
• [13:00] The Crisis of Calling in a Careerist Culture
• [16:00] The Tragedy of Falling Away
• [20:00] Discerning the Dangers in Different Seasons
• [25:00] Kill the Lion: Confronting Sin Early
• [30:00] The Deception of Success
• [33:00] The Call to Vulnerability and Brotherhood
• [36:00] Marriage, Legacy, and Intimacy
• [40:00] Cultivating Lifelong Love with Your Spouse
• [45:00] Final Encouragement: Stay Low, Stay Faithful

Resources

• Finishing Strong by Steve Farrar
• Dangerous Calling by Paul David Tripp

FOLLOW and SUBSCRIBE:

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If you’ve enjoyed this episode, one of the best ways to support the show and make sure others find it, is to subscribe and leave a review. Thank You!

Thank you to our Sponsors

Covenant Eyes

Victory by Covenant Eyes is a powerful tool that helps Christians who are serious and want to quit porn for good or never start. Victory combines industry-leading technology with decades of experience and leadership in recovery content, accountability, and behavior change.

The Victory app, with powerful accountability features built in and the optional blocking technology, makes it an unparalleled tool in the fight to live a porn-free life.

Anyone can get started on their path to recovery for free by visiting: Covenanteyes.com/overcomers for 30 days free.

–

Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. 

For sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected]