This episode offers another glimpse into the heart of our training community. You’ll hear from Susan Hulet, founder of Mercy House, as she shares a deeply significant moment with Jesus while MELTing through the tragic loss of her father more than 50 years ago. She also recalls her first MELT session—an experience that may encourage many who are just beginning their own journey.

You’ll also hear from Terris Tamashiro Harris—author, publisher, Mercy House partner, and long-time CrossCounsel supporter—who reflects on how she has walked out her transformational journey with us. She describes how, more than 15 years ago, she received truth from Jesus that brought an end to her migraines and continues to shape her life.

Throughout the conversation, Chuck Schroeter guides the discussion with thoughtful questions and helpful insights, highlighting how deep transformation can bring healing across many areas of our lives.

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Steve and Mary conclude their discussion on the history of CrossCounsel. If you haven’t listened to Episode 181, we encourage you to start there—it sets the stage for everything they cover here. They highlight how easily we make excuses when life doesn’t go our way and how quickly that can distort our understanding of God’s character. They share how, even as CrossCounsel has remained anchored to its core principles, modern advances in neuroscience and psychology have continued to validate the importance of addressing core memories and trauma.

They reiterate that this work is ultimately about our maturity in Christ—cooperating with His Kingdom purposes and living out the Great Commission. The MELT Process remains a powerful tool to help believers move toward deeper transformation, greater freedom, and a more fully formed walk with Jesus.

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Mary Carlton returns to the podcast as we revisit Our Ongoing Origin Story—the foundations of what makes CrossCounsel different. We share how our separate journeys led us into this ministry approach and how it transformed everything for us—and for those we serve. Together, we explore the authority of Scripture, the true meaning of transformation, and how The MELT Process helps uncover the protective layers that keep us from freedom. This conversation dives into wisdom, healing, and the gentle but powerful work of God in restoring our hearts.

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You’ve heard of Plato and Aristotle—two philosophers who shaped how we think about truth, reality, and the soul. But Scripture offers something richer: sōma—the whole person, body and spirit, mind and heart, all woven together in transformation.

In this episode, we take a short but meaningful detour into Steve's college days—yes, including that dreaded philosophy class—and connect the dots between ancient thought, modern faith, and what it really means to be continually transformed. From the highchair to the table, from theory to truth lived out—this is where information becomes formation.

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While visiting Seacoast Grace Church in Cypress, California, Steve sat in on a message from Lead Pastor Cody Surratt that caught him off guard—in the best way.

What began as a simple object lesson with a kitchen table, a high chair, a bench, and a few family seats became a vivid picture of spiritual growth. Cody’s illustration echoed the very heartbeat of CrossCounsel: that following Jesus isn’t about managing behavior or staying inspired—it’s about maturing, being transformed, and learning to take responsibility for our faith.

In this episode, Steve shares key parts of Cody’s message and reflects on how it aligns with the MELT process and the journey from emotional infancy to spiritual maturity. It’s an invitation to pause and ask: In which chair are you sitting?

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A late-night call, one of Hannah's brothers in crisis, and a heart heavy with guilt—Hannah’s story could have stayed there. But later, God used the quiet image of a monarch chrysalis as a crucial part of seeing both transformation and dying—something He was also working within her. Through the MELT Process, Hannah came to see how long she’d been trying to carry and control what was never hers to hold.

That journey brought her back to an early memory of her own baptism—once marked by loss and disappointment—and transformed it into joy and freedom. Now, watching baptisms fills her with gratitude instead of grief. This episode captures that movement from heaviness to lightness, from guilt to grace, and from trying to save others to trusting the One who truly can.

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In this moving conversation, Hannah shares how her life shifted from striving—not only as a high-level student-athlete, but in nearly every area of her life. When she first walked through the doors at CrossCounsel, she was battling suicidal thoughts. Since then, her journey has been nothing short of remarkable—moving from despair to living hopeful and helping others find freedom. Her story is honest, raw, and full of grace—a reminder that God meets us in our brokenness and begins rewriting the story from there.

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In a world where disagreement is often labeled as hatred and offense is treated as evidence of harm, Steve Freitag and Shane Buol explore how the MELT Process offers a radically different path. When emotions flare in response to truth—whether from Scripture, a friend, or a news headline—those reactions reveal more about our hearts than about reality itself. Through transformation, God refines not only what we believe in our heads but what we know in our hearts. The goal isn’t to silence emotion—it’s to let it guide us toward the root of our pain and into alignment with truth that stands independent of reactions.

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In this episode, you’ll hear firsthand stories of how the Lord has been at work—taken directly from a weekly Zoom gathering. You’ll also hear Mary’s heart and her unwavering commitment to ensuring that when people receive truth, it is genuine and authentic.

We believe you’ll be encouraged and stirred to press in more deeply to what God wants to do in your own life.

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In this episode of the CrossCounsel Podcast, we sit down with Byron Guerra, youth pastor at Thirst Church (https://www.thirstchurch.org) in Oconomowoc, WI, and his longtime friend, mentor, and CrossCounsel facilitator, Chuck Schroeter.

Byron didn’t begin in ministry — his early years were spent as a land surveyor and doing tree work. The conversation kicks off with a funny, forgotten story from Chuck, and a powerful moment where he shares how Byron’s grandfather led him to Christ.

A few months ago, Chuck encouraged Byron to step into The MELT Process, which became a turning point in facing deep pain — including the tragic loss his family endured in 2008. As the conversation unfolds, you’ll hear how God cleared the clutter and began reshaping Byron’s heart.

One quote from Byron says it all: “God is writing a new narrative for my heart.”

Chuck wraps the episode with a strong challenge about what real freedom looks like, and Byron shares how he’s helping his family, church, and youth group pursue a deeper life with Jesus.

A conversation full of honest moments, deep insights, and real hope.

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