When someone is dealing with loss, or pain, or church hurt, we often want to give an answer, or a reason.  More often than not, though, it isn't helpful, and the person feels unseen, or unheard.  We talk to our friend Mysti about a stretch of ongoing church hurt she experienced, and navigate the messy process of navigating it.  Our authentic and raw conversation isn't about a tidy conclusion or answer, but the process of being there for someone through hard seasons.

Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakesfield, CA.  Please rate & subscribe. Find all the ways to listen and connect here! 

The title sounds more negative than it is.  We dig in with unpopular opinions (no politics or any crazy stuff) but offer solutions to things that might surprise you! This episode is a lot of fun, and goes to some very unexpected places!  Hopefully we don't lose too many listeners over it. :) 

Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM from Bakersfield, CA.  Find all the ways to listen and connect here!

One factor that seems to keep people is divided is that nobody is willing to be wrong.  And even when it comes to important issues of faith, things we are confident in, we feel an urge to convince others we are right, rather than just listening to them.  Why do people feel the need to prove they are right?  What does the Bible say or show us about this?

We are once again joined by our co-worker, pastor, and psychologist Jon Engen to talk about the need to be right.

Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  You can find all the ways to listen and connect here!

Ever wonder how your favorite artist got a record deal?  If you have talent, and can get your music into the right hands, that's it, right?  Not so much.  We talked to someone who has signed some of the biggest names in Christian music, and has been a talent scout and coach (officially called A & R) for decades.  Not only do you get an inside look, John Mays also shares some of the most bizzare songs that have ever been submitted to him.  

Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  Find all the ways to listen and connect here!

Pastors have a built in platform—but more and more platforms are shaping pastors. From faithful shepherding to curated content, we sit down with Pastor Alberto Bello to talk about influence, authenticity, and whether the line between pastor and personality is one we should protect.

Find out more about Pastor Alberto and Collective Church here.

Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  Find all the ways to listen and connect here!

Every once in a while, we like to take a step back from the heavy or deep issues, and just have some fun.  In this episode, we go over our Top 5 lists for THE MOST IMPORTANT things!  Including:

Top 5 Animal Sidekicks

Top 5 Robots in Pop Culture

Top 5 Cereal Mascots

Top 5 TV Heroes

Top 5 Things You Find in a Church Basement

Listen along, and then let us know what your lists would be!  Find all the ways to listen and connect here!

We're in a culture that likes quick sound bytes, and punchy 'gotcha' phrases, and sometimes Bible verses are used for those.  The problem is, many times the verses you hear are being used out of context.  On this episode, we spotlight a handful of Bible verses that are often used incorrectly, and offer some tools to help us better read and understand the Bible.  This was helpful to us, and we hope it will be helpful for you!

Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM. You can find all the ways to listen and connect here. 

The voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Fred Flintstone, and about 100 other characters, James Arnold Taylor, always wanted to use his gifts to share his faith.  Sometimes we draw lines between what qualifies just as 'work' and what qualifies just as 'ministry.'  JAT talks about his career and how those things blend, while dishing out the most fun character voices and impersonations you'll ever hear!  

You can listen to James Arnold Taylor's podcast here!

Consider it Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM out of Bakersfield, CA. Find all the ways to listen and connect here!

In order to love people well, we have to communicate well.  And to communicate well, we have to consider the people we are talking to.  Communication almost feels like a lost art these days.  It feels like nobody is listening, but rather just preparing to respond.  People want to be right more than they want to understand someone else.

We talk about ways to be better communicators, and take a deep dive into how we communicate, and the ways we get it wrong, and what the Bible actually says as to how communication is directly linked to how we treat each other.

We have LOTS of other topics and guests, so be sure to check out our other episodes as well!  Find all the ways to listen and connect here!

You ever watch a show like American Idol or The Voice and wonder "how much of this is real?"  Did the artists really choose the songs?  Did producers map out who is going to win?  What is it that the show ISN'T showing us?  We recently met Thunderstorm Artis (3rd place on The Voice in 2020, and top 5 on American Idol 2025) and asked him all these questions!  Get a real, behind the scenes explanation of how these shows work, from one of our favorite artists!

Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  Please subscribe! You can find all the ways to connect and listen here!