Deep Spirituality

I sat down with a man who almost died proving he was enough — and what he found on the other side changed how I see my heart, my leadership, and honestly, my own life. This is what to do when your life stalls, and how that stall might set you free.

My guest is Dale Sellers, author of Stalled, and his story starts with a quadruple bypass at 53. He had no family history and no warning. He shared with me that he had spent his life running toward a "there" that never arrived. What we uncover together at the root of this story goes beyond burnout. Dale shares about the father wound that quietly shaped his whole relationship with God, the moment a confession to a friend lifted what felt like a thousand pounds off his chest, and why "destination disease" — believing we will finally be whole once we arrive somewhere — keeps so many of us stuck.

We also get honest about comparison and how we can poison churches, careers, and friendships when we measure our lives against everyone else's. If you've ever felt like you should be further along by now, this conversation is for you. You're not behind. You're not a failure. You are already approved — and freedom comes the moment you embrace where you actually are.

WHO IS DALE SELLERS?

Dale Sellers is a veteran pastor and Executive Director of 95Network with 40 years of experience in leadership burnout recovery. Author of Stalled: Hope and Help for Pastors Who Are Weary, Why-less, and Wandering, he helps leaders move from survival to mission-driven vision.

DALE'S LINKS:

• Dale’s book: Stalled: Hope and Help for Pastors Who Thought They’d Be There by Now (https://www.amazon.com/dp/083079302X)
• Dale’s website: The Renewed Pastor (https://therenewedpastor.org)

SCRIPTURES:

• Proverbs 4:23 NLT
• Psalm 27:13 NKJV
• Psalm 61:2 NIV
• Ephesians 4:11-12 NIV
• Matthew 28:19-20 NIV
• Acts 1:8 NIV
• Luke 18:8 NIV
• Matthew 9:36-37 VOICE
• Psalm 90:14 NIV

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Welcome to The Spiritual Frontier: What To Do When Your Heart Stalls

09:34 - The Surgery That Woke Up His Heart

14:39 - The Father Wound Behind The Drive To Prove Himself

20:55 - The Confession That Set Him Free

30:32 - Escaping The Comparison Trap

39:39 - The Five Quiet Habits That Poison Us

51:32 - Why You Can Stop Hoarding And Start Building Lives

58:41 - You Are Already Approved

If you've ever wondered whether Gen Z still wants anything to do with God, this conversation is for you. Dr. Tanita Maddox, Gen Z expert and the National Director for Generational Impact at Young Life, has spent 26 years on the front lines of Gen Z ministry, and what she taught me about talking to Gen Z about God completely reframed how I see this generation — and it's the most hopeful conversation I've had in a long time.

We dig into why relationships — not statistics, not sermons, not slick programs — are still the doorway into faith for young people. Tanita shares the three things Gen Z says makes them actually feel listened to, why so many of them trust a stranger on TikTok more than the adults in their own home, and the surprising reason AI is becoming a competing spiritual authority in their lives. We also talk honestly about why being comfortable with being uncomfortable might be the most important skill we can give our kids — and ourselves.

This one is for parents wondering how to reach their teenager, for pastors wondering why Gen Z church attendance doesn't always translate into real faith, and for anyone who's ever felt rejected while trying to love someone well. There is so much hope found in this conversation, and I think you're going to walk away encouraged, equipped, and ready to show up differently in the lives of the young people God has placed around you.

TANITA'S LINKS:

• ​Website — https://tanitamaddox.com/
• ​Book — https://a.co/d/0btS5MXa

CHAPTERS:

• ​00:00 - Meet Dr. Tanita Maddox & Her Heart for Gen Z 
• ​08:14 - Why Relationships Open Every Door to Faith 
• ​20:06 - Trust Lives in People, Not Institutions 
• ​26:19 - Answering the Questions They're Actually Asking 
• ​30:53 - How to Truly Listen to Your Kids 
• ​37:08 - Is AI Becoming a Spiritual Guide? 
• ​45:30 - Getting Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable 
• ​51:08 - The Power of Just Showing Up

SCRIPTURES:

• ​1 Corinthians 9:22 NASB95
• ​Psalm 22:30 NLT
• ​Psalm 71:18 NIV
• ​Acts 13:36 NIV
• ​Exodus 33:11 TLB
• ​2 Timothy 3:10 NIV

What if I told you there's hard data proving the Bible is changing lives right now — not someday, not in theory, but measurably, scientifically, today? Dr. John Plake from the American Bible Society joins me to unpack the research behind Bible engagement and mental health. Honestly, it left me smiling.

Dr. Plake leads the State of the Bible study—the longest-running research on how Americans engage with Scripture—and what he's found is genuinely hopeful. People who are deeply engaged with the Bible show lower anxiety, lower traumatic stress, and higher hope than those who aren't. Harvard's Human Flourishing Study confirms it. Gen Zers, who statistically struggle the most with anxiety and depression, look completely different when they're Scripture engaged — like they've unlocked something their peers haven't found yet.

We also dig into the real barrier holding people back: it's not desire, it's guidance. Millions of people want to read the Bible but don't know where to start, what translation to pick, or how to make sense of it. Dr. Plake breaks down practical first steps—from finding the right translation to using audio and video to build a consistent habit—so we can turn curiosity into a life-giving relationship with Scripture. If you've ever picked up a Bible and felt lost, this episode is your on-ramp.

JOHN’S LINKS:

• State of the Bible → https://sotb.americanbible.org
• American Bible Society → https://www.americanbible.org 
• YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanBibleSociety 

SCRIPTURES SHARED:

• Isaiah 55:10-11 NIV
• John 10:10 NIV
• Hebrews 4:12 NIV

CHAPTERS:

• 00:00 — Trailer

• 01:03 — The Data Behind a Life-Changing Book

• 05:02 — Why Accessibility Matters More Than "The Right" Translation

• 11:00 — You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone

• 12:28 — Inside America's Curiosity Wave

• 23:24 — What the Fastest-Growing Group Can Teach Us All

• 40:49 — The Well-Being Breakthrough: Hope, Resilience, and Science

• 47:41 — Rebuilding Real Community, One Honest Step at a Time

The best podcasts don’t just inform you. They hold up a mirror.

That’s what happened the first time I listened to Ryan Wexelblatt, founder of ADHD Dude, licensed social worker, and one of the clearest voices on parenting I’ve ever encountered. I was ten minutes in before I started laughing at myself. Not because he was funny. Because he was right.

I knew I had to get him on the Spiritual Frontier.

Here’s the reality: 1 in 9 American children, 7 million kids, are carrying an ADHD diagnosis. Behind that number are millions of parents who love their children fiercely and were never handed a map. That’s not a failure. That’s simply where we begin.

Here’s a number that stopped me cold: 40% of parents want to be the fun parent. Only 7% want to be seen as strict. But Ryan helped me see what I’d been missing. We’ve confused strictness with structure, and they are not the same thing. Strictness controls a child. Structure sets one free. For a child with ADHD, structure isn’t a cage. It’s the scaffolding they climb to become who they’re capable of being.

Ryan doesn’t avoid the difficult. He explains and inspires. That’s his gift. He trades guesswork for what the evidence actually shows: how to read your child’s big emotions instead of fearing them, how to stop rescuing and start equipping, how to raise a child who learns they are capable rather than helpless.

This is one of the most enjoyable, inspiring, and detailed episodes I’ve ever produced. Maybe the best yet. Not because it will make you feel you’ve gotten it wrong, but because you’ll walk away believing you can get it right.

Don’t miss it.

RYAN WEXELBLATT:

Ryan Wexelblatt, LCSW, is a licensed social worker, ADHD specialist, and founder of ADHD Dude. An expert in behavior management and executive functioning, Ryan combines clinical expertise with his personal experience to help families replace daily chaos with structural discipline, resilience, and real-world independence.

RYAN'S LINKS:

• ​YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@ADHDDude
• ​Podcast → https://open.spotify.com/show/7xATyVhNZU3abIejNIggvD?si=f06f32163dc04dcb
• ​Website → https://www.adhddude.com/

SUBSCRIBE TO THE SPIRITUAL FRONTIER:

• ​Deep Spirituality → https://deepspirituality.com/the-spiritual-frontier/
• ​Substack → https://spiritualfrontier.substack.com/

CHAPTERS:

• ​00:00 - Trailer
• 00:51 - ADHD Is Not an Attention Problem
• 04:12 - The #1 Mistake in Every ADHD Household
• 08:38 - "Parental Accommodation" Is Making It Worse
• 13:01 - Why Your ADHD Kid Ignores Lectures
• 15:56 - Why Individual Therapy Alone Doesn't Work
• 25:42 - Stop Making ADHD Their Identity
• 28:56 - How to Build Real Confidence (Not Reassurance)
• 36:04 - Scaffolding: Teaching Kids to Do It Themselves

There are places in life most of us are afraid to go.

The unknown. The unpredictable. The dreams we’ve quietly stopped believing in. The versions of ourselves we’ve glimpsed but never fully become. These are spiritual struggles. And they’re exactly where the most important growth happens.

That’s The Spiritual Frontier.

It’s not a place on a map. It’s the courageous decision to stop letting fear write the story of our lives and to start trusting that God has something extraordinary waiting on the other side of our hesitation. Proverbs 29:18 says it plainly: “Without vision, people perish.” The Spiritual Frontier exists to give us that vision back.

And it’s for everyone. Whether you’re deeply rooted in faith or just beginning to wonder if there’s something more, you belong here.

The Spiritual Frontier includes essays and podcast episodes that will go deep into faith and God—that’s the heartbeat of everything I do. But it won’t stop there. We’ll bring in researchers, psychiatrists, and business leaders. We’ll talk about developing the faith to conquer the things that are real and complex in our lives—like grief, leadership, disabilities, and more. God is the source of all wisdom and understanding, and he wants to fully equip us to be the best we can be in every area of our lives.

I’m learning as I go. I’m overcoming my own fears in real time. And I’m inviting you to come with me.

Watch the video above for my full launch message, where I share exactly what this new chapter is, where it’s headed, and what’s coming in the very first episode. (Spoiler: it might be the best one I’ve ever made.)

The frontier is waiting.

Let’s go.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE SPIRITUAL FRONTIER:

On Deep Spirituality → deepspirituality.com/subscribe

On Substack → spiritualfrontier.org

CHAPTERS:

• 00:00 - The Courage to Cross the Frontier
• 00:37 - Welcome to The Spiritual Frontier
• 01:03 - Why We Made This Easier to Access
• 01:46 - Faith Means Facing the Impossible
• 02:18 - The Vision That Changes Everything
• 02:39 - Experts, Psychology & No Gatekeeping
• 04:34 - The ADHD Episode That Changes Everything

Is your independence actually your biggest weakness? In football, a player left on an "island" is a liability. In life, a man who isolates himself is dangerous—to himself and everyone around him.

In this episode of the Deep Spirituality Podcast, we sit down with Jeremy Ross (Former Cal & NFL Receiver) and BJ Jones (Cal Football Linebacker) to decode the "internal game" of elite athletes. We move beyond the clichés of "grinding" to explore how the high-pressure crucible of sports accelerates character growth and why you cannot win the battles of life without a team.

If you are tired of fighting your battles alone or struggling to maintain focus when things get hard, this conversation provides lessons on resilience and building internal strength that lasts.

About Our Guests:

1. Jeremy Ross: Former Cal and NFL receiver (Packers, Lions, Patriots) who now mentors athletes on faith, resilience, and identity through '7 Mind and Body.'

2. BJ Jones: Bishop O'Dowd alum and Cal Linebacker who champions neurodiversity and empowers athletes through inclusive E-Football programs.

Check out Jeremy's website! → 7mindandbody.com

Scriptures:

• 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NASB
• 1 Timothy 4:8 NIV
• Matthew 7:24-27 TLB

► SUBSCRIBE: https://youtube.com/deepspirituality/?sub_confirmation=1

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

01:55 - Run with purpose

04:00 - How you got started in sports

10:02 - The importance of playing outside

13:47 - How physical training reveals your heart

18:10 - Building culture in family and football

22:57 - How sports can help young people build character

29:04 - Sports builds friendships

44:24 - What churches can learn from sports

53:25 - Managing ADHD

01:00:30 - 7 Mind and Body

In this episode of Deep Spirituality, Russ Ewell chats with Matt McChlery about why picking up a book is actually a "rebellion" for your soul in a world of endless scrolling. After interviewing nearly 100 authors, Matt has seen firsthand how the power of story helps us connect with God far better than a dry lecture ever could.

They get real about authenticity, sharing that we need to drop the "perfect Christian" mask and be honest about our messy journeys. Matt even opens up about his own battle with cancer, explaining that when we share our "storms," it creates "light through the cracks" for everyone else. To wrap things up, they talk about the magic of music—how it gets into the gaps of our hearts to take us straight to God—and why every community should celebrate its own unique "sound".

• Check out Matt! → https://www.mattmcchlery.com/
• Matt's podcast, Christian Book Blurb → https://open.spotify.com/show/32gv1Rl6HFBneRMygfjzM2
• Matt's books → https://www.amazon.com/stores/Matt-McChlery/author/B09L4YQGCL

Scriptures:

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
• 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 NIV
• Philippians 1:30 NLT
• 1 Corinthians 12:13 TLB
• John 13:35 BSB
• John 17:23 NLT
• 1 John 5:2 TPT

► SUBSCRIBE: https://youtube.com/deepspirituality/?sub_confirmation=1

Chapters:

00:00 - Meet Matt McChlery

02:30 - The power of pages

08:11 - The power of story when we read

16:24 - Promo: Why we're talking more about AI than God

17:32 - Insights from 98 Christian author interviews

22:39 - Struggle is normal, ditch the perfect performance

30:46 - Why we should journey together in faith

37:43 - Promo: The Kingdom of Change

38:54 - Why music is part of our spiritual journey

42:33 - What every worship leader should know

50:12 - Find and follow Matt McChlery

In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Zack and Becky Mariscal return to the Deep Spirituality Podcast to discuss the "spiritual mechanics" of resilience. Their story reveals how internal strength is forged through profound suffering, moving from a place of human fragility to firm faith.

This episode will help you shift your perspective on current troubles—not by ignoring them, but by learning how to fix your gaze on the unseen. Whether you are facing a health crisis or navigating the "ups and downs" of life, you will walk away with a meaning-making framework for resilience and the inspiration to turn toward God instead of shutting down.

► SUBSCRIBE: ⁠https://youtube.com/deepspirituality/?sub_confirmation=1⁠

Scriptures:

• 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NIV
• Ecclesiastes 9:11 NIV
• 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 NLT
• 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT
• Romans 15:4 NASB
• Psalm 46:1-3 NASB95
• Psalm 77:19 NLT

Chapters:

00:00 - Optimistic resilience

01:56 - How does your knowledge of God increase your resilience?

08:16 - How breaking up made us stronger.

21:44 - What young men can do.

26:09 - How do you stay joyful in suffering?

32:30 - Ad: Kingdom of Prayer

33:24 - Take initiative in relationships

40:05 - How what we go through can help others

50:51 - Wrap up

What happens when your "perfect" life is upended by a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis at just 17 years old? In our latest episode, Zack and Becky Mariscal join the podcast to share their incredible journey of faith, wrestling with God, and finding a love that endures the unthinkable.

Whether you are walking through your own "wilderness" or supporting someone who is, this story is a powerful testament to the God who heals the brokenhearted and carries us through the storm.

🎧 Listen now to find hope in the struggle.

Scriptures:

• Genesis 32:24,28 NIV
• Luke 7:47 Voice
• Isaiah 6:5 NIV
• Titus 2:12 NIV
• Acts 2:38 NIV
• 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 NIV
• Exodus 3:10-12 NASB95
• Psalm 56:8 NLT
• Psalm 126:5-6 NLT
• Psalm 147:3 NLT

► SUBSCRIBE: https://youtube.com/deepspirituality/?sub_confirmation=1

Chapters:

00:00 - Zack and Becky Mariscal

01:52 - Wrestling with God

04:58 - When they became Christians

08:29 - How do you handle the struggles of being a Christian as a teenager

14:14 - What young men can learn from others

19:03 - Getting sick and starting to date

27:03 - How God moved through the struggle

31:29 - The shock and trials of being diagnosed with cancer

46:01 - The scriptures reveal how the spirit brings us through difficulty

52:04 - Why God wants us to just show up sometimes

56:36 - God brings us through our sufferings to our destiny

****

#DeepSpirituality #FaithJourney #CancerSurvivor #RelationshipGoals #GodIsReal #HopeInTheStruggle #PodcastRecommendation

Desperation is a feeling that no one really likes, but our willingness to admit that we are desperate is the key to experiencing God’s supernatural power. Desperation opens our hearts and makes room for God to move in ways that go far beyond our wildest dreams.

In this scripture playlist, we’ll go from denial to desperation so that God can turn the impossible into the inevitable.

Scriptures referenced:

• Psalm 34:6 MSG
• James 4:2 ERV
• Mark 11:25 ERV
• Psalm 66:18-20 NIV
• Ephesians 6:13-18 MSG
• Psalm 5:1-3 TPT
• Psalm 77:2 AMP
• Psalm 86:1 TPT
• Psalm 107:6 CEB
• Jeremiah 29:11-13 TPT
• Isaiah 55:6 TPT
• Matthew 6:5-6 MSG
• Revelation 3:20 ERV

(00:00) Introduction and Welcome

(01:31) Four reasons we don’t pray desperate prayers

(04:06) After clearing our heart, we can pray

(05:26) Powerful prayers unlock a powerful future

(06:58) Desperate prayers start with simple steps

(08:30) Outro and credits