Christian music has always had criticisms.  Everything from rock itself being evil, to boycotting music if an artist got divorced.  Todays criticisms are a bit more grounded, focused on things like theological inaccuracy, shallowness, and commercialization.  How much of that is true?  We've spent the last 20 years talking with artists, record labels, producers, and promoters in the industry, and bring some insights to what is or isn't true in these accusations.  Whether you love Christian music, or wish we could go back to 'what music used to be' this episode sheds a lot of light on the issue.  

Please feel free to share your feedback!  You can find all the ways to listen and connect here!

Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, California.  Listen to us anywhere, anytime on the 88.3 Life FM app!

Christian or not, navigating the world of politics is like walking through a minefield.  People are volatile, defensive, and reactionary. Often times, so are we.  We are not talking about candidates or policies, but about what a Biblical approach to navigating politics looks like.  We cover things like

-what does it mean to have intellectual honesty about difficult issues?

-are we ever willing to be wrong?

-is 'choosing the lesser evil' Biblical?

-Kingdom VS country

It's an open and honest discussion that we honestly believe everyone should hear.  Please share this episode, and lets all work together on being better at loving God and loving people!

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 had a dream to start or join a ministry you feel called to, and it starts out great, but then it doesn't play out like you thought it was supposed to?  What is our response when that ministry doesn't continue?  

Our guest this week is Steve Wiggins, lead singer of Big Tent Revival, and has been down this road several times where the season for a ministry came to an end, and what that meant for him.  

This is an episode of hope for anyone who feels like things didn't play out they way they thought they would.

If you haven't already, please hit subscribe, and check out our other episodes.  We have lots of guests and tons of engaging topics!

You can find all the ways to listen and connect here!

Check out Steve Wiggins Groundworks Ministries here!

The idea of venues full of fans, touring the country, and making a name for yourself sounds exciting... but it's only a small part of the story for recording artists.  We are joined by a guy who knows a lot about this world, Steven Malcolm.  We talk about the misconceptions we often have as to what it is to be a full time artist with a record deal.  

Steven has been both welcomed and rejected by churches, seen incredible ministry happen, struggled along the way, and tells us how in the world Snoop got featured in one of his songs.

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

Be sure to follow Steven Malcolm @stevenmalcolmmusic on IG 

Just like we may have some misconceptions about people who believe very differently from us, we all likely have some wrong ideas about pastors as well.  We talk with Aaron Perlman's twin brother Joshua about his experience as a pastor, and look behind the scenes of that career as every day life, and why we might sometimes be too quick to judge something that happens or doesn't happen within a church.

Be sure to also check out the episode before this, with What We Get Wrong about Athiests.  

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

We're back! And we are kicking off a series that aims to make us think outside of the box, and not rush to make judgements about others, allowing us to better love our neighbor.

This episode, we are joined by former atheist Al Gascon to find out some of the misconceptions we (especially within the church) have about those who consider themselves atheists.

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

When it comes to what we watch or listen to, standards are all over the map.  Do we set limits based on rating?  On if there are bad words? How much violence is too much violence? Should we only consume 'Christian' media?

We could not think of a better guest on this issue than our good friend Nate Watson.  Nate is not only an ordained pastor with his masters degree, but also has spent years as an artist in various aspects of the entertainment industry, and worked with some of the biggest franchises.

We have a thoughtful conversation about creating personal standards when it comes to the media you consume, and our take on it might surprise you.

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

We all connect with lyrics that resonate, but is it possible to find the best lyrics ever written in modern Christian music?  We think we may have done it.

In this episode, we pour over some of the best lyrics ever put into a song.  You might agree, you might disagree with it all, but the process is a lot of fun!  

Be sure to chime in with what you think the best lyrics ever written are!

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

With skyrocketing numbers of people dealing with a number of mental health issues, it's more important than ever that the church community have compassion and deeper understanding.  Not all struggles are visible, and telling people to just 'have more faith' isn't helpful.  We are joined by Lydia Laird who is an amazing artist, and an incredible advocate for mental health.  This episode is very personal, relatable, and helpful.  Whether you or someone you know is dealing with mental health issues/struggles, you definitely need to hear this one.

Please be sure to check out more about Lydia and the resources available at her website here!

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, that helps us out A LOT!

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!

There are a lot of hot takes on worship at church. "It shouldn't be a show"  "we need more hymns"  "songs are too repetitive" etc.  Where is the line between our own preferences, and what the Bible actually says about worship?  We invited two of the most prolific worship song writers and worship leaders today to help us get a better understanding. Pat Barrett and Benjamin William Hastings are not just performers, but writers behind some of the biggest worship songs (Barrett: Good Good Father, Build My Life; Hastings: Gratitude, So Will I).  

If you've ever wrestled with those questions about worship, or not been sure how to answer people who have those ideas, this episode is for you!  

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

Please consider subscribing, rating, and sharing with a friend!  That would really help us out a lot!