What happens when the pain you’ve buried becomes too heavy to carry alone?

Ashton Springer—an intensive in-home counselor working with young people facing trauma, violence, and instability—shares his own deeply personal journey through loneliness, childhood wounds, and thoughts of ending his life.

In this honest conversation with Dean Sikes, Ashton explains how faith, healthy community, counseling, and the courage to speak openly helped him begin healing. Together, they explore childhood trauma, absent fathers, emotional abuse, mentorship, listening without judgment, and why being truly present can change—or even save—a life.

“You are loved more than you could ever imagine. You are seen, you are heard, and you are valued.”

In this episode:

• Ashton’s experience working with vulnerable and at-risk youth
• The lasting effects of childhood trauma
• Why unprocessed emotions eventually take control
• Creating a safe space for someone to open up
• Listening to understand instead of trying to fix
• Finding freedom through faith, counseling, and community
• Becoming the present husband, father, and mentor he needed growing up

If this conversation encouraged you, share it with someone who needs to hear that their life matters.

📖 Get your free copy of You Matter: Finding Hope and Meaning in Everyday Life

🔔 Subscribe for more honest conversations about hope, healing, faith, and purpose.

If you or someone you know may be in immediate danger, contact local emergency services or a crisis-support service in your country now. You do not have to face this alone.

#YouMatter #MentalHealth #TraumaHealing #Faith #SuicidePrevention #ChristianPodcast #AshtonSpringer

Have you ever struggled with feelings of insignificance, wonder if your voice counts, or battle with the thought that you just don't matter? In this episode of the YouMatter Podcast, Dean Sikes dives deep into the root causes behind these feelings and shares practical, faith-filled truth to help you overcome the lies holding you back.

No matter what you’ve been through or what you’re facing today, your life has purpose, value, and meaning.

Learn More & Get Involved: Visit our website to discover more resources, sign the "I Matter" pledge, or learn how to bring this message of hope to your community or school: 👉 www.youmatter.us

Connect With Us on Socials! Don't journey alone! Follow us on social media for daily encouragement, updates, and community:

🔹 Instagram: @dean.sikes 🔹 TikTok: @dean_sikes 🔹 Facebook: Dean Sikes Ministries

If this video spoke to you, please Like, Comment, and Subscribe to support the channel and help spread this life-saving message to others! 🔔

#DeanSikes #YouMatter #YouMatterPodcast #Hope #Faith #MentalHealthMatters #IdentityInChrist #Encouragement #Purpose

YouTube

Do Today’s Teens Feel Seen? | Dean Sikes

Steve Maxwell was clinically dead for 25 minutes after suffering a widowmaker heart attack—but that wasn’t the end of his story.In this extraordinary conversation, Steve recounts leaving his body, experiencing complete peace, and encountering Jesus, who called him by name. He also shares the medical miracles that followed, the doctor who acted after hearing God’s direction, and the powerful role prayer played in his survival.This is more than a near-death story. It’s a testimony of faith, purpose, and the God who still speaks.If you’re struggling to believe that God sees you, hears your prayers, or still performs miracles, this conversation is for you.Subscribe to the You Matter Podcast for more honest conversations about faith, hope, and finding meaning in everyday life.#YouMatterPodcast #NearDeathExperience #ChristianTestimony #Miracle #Faith #Prayer #Jesus

Description

Is God speaking to you? If so, how can you know it’s really Him?Many people long to hear God’s voice but struggle to discern His leading amid the noise of everyday life. In this powerful message, Dean Sikes shares biblical truth and practical wisdom on how God speaks, how to recognize His voice, and how to respond with faith and obedience when He does.Whether you’re facing a major decision, seeking direction for your future, or simply desiring a deeper relationship with Jesus, this message will encourage you to draw near to God and trust His guidance. God is not silent. He is still speaking to His people today.In this message, you’ll discover:• How God speaks through His Word• The role of the Holy Spirit in guiding believers• How to distinguish God’s voice from fear, anxiety, and distraction• Biblical principles for discernment• Why intimacy with God is the foundation for hearing His voice📖 Key Scripture:“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” — John 10:27If this message encouraged you, be sure to like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs hope and direction today.For more resources and encouragement, visit:🌐 YouMatter.us#DeanSikes #HearingGod #VoiceOfGod #Discernment #Faith #JesusChrist #ChristianLiving #HolySpirit #ChristianEncouragement #YouMatter #BibleTeaching #GodsVoice #ChristianMessage #Hope #Truth

You have followers. You have likes. You have content.So why do so many people still feel empty?In this powerful conversation, Dean Sikes sits down with Jaden Reyes to discuss the growing loneliness epidemic facing Generation Z, the hidden dangers of social media, anxiety, identity, and what happens when we build our worth on the approval of other people.Today's generation is more connected than ever before, yet many feel more isolated, anxious, and unseen than any generation before them. Why? Because followers cannot replace friendship. Attention cannot replace belonging. And likes cannot replace identity.Throughout this episode, Dean and Jaden explore why so many young people are searching for significance in all the wrong places, how social media can become a source of comparison and insecurity, and why true fulfillment can only be found when we discover who we are and whose we are.They also discuss:• Why Gen Z is starving for connection• The emotional cost of chasing validation online• How social media influences identity and self-worth• The connection between anxiety, overthinking, and control• What Scripture teaches about purpose and value• Why God's presence changes everything• How to hear God's voice in a noisy world• The difference between performance and relationship• Finding freedom from the pressure to be enough• Why your life has purpose and meaningOne of the most powerful moments in this conversation centers around the truth of Proverbs 13:12: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick." When we place our expectations in followers, attention, popularity, relationships, achievements, or success, we often discover that none of those things can satisfy the deepest needs of the human heart.This episode is a reminder that your value is not determined by a number on a screen.You are not your likes.You are not your followers.You are not your mistakes.You are not your anxiety.You are loved by God.Whether you're a student, parent, teacher, pastor, leader, or someone simply searching for hope, this conversation will encourage you, challenge you, and remind you that your story matters.If this episode encouraged you, be sure to subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a comment letting us know what part of the conversation impacted you the most.📖 Download your free copy of "You Matter: Finding Hope and Meaning in Everyday Life."🌎 Learn more about Dean Sikes and the You Matter movement.Remember:If you're breathing, God has something scheduled for you to do today.You matter.#YouMatter #DeanSykes #GenZ #ChristianPodcast #MentalHealth #Anxiety #IdentityInChrist #Purpose #Faith #Hope #SocialMedia #Loneliness #Jesus #Christianity #YouthMinistry #Encouragement

At 15, Joseph was ready to end his life.He felt completely lost, worthless, and alone.That night, He cried out to God—not even sure if He was real.And what happened next changed everything.If you’re struggling, you’re not alone. Call or text 988 if you are considering suicide. It may save your life. Please download our free book at https://www.youmatter.us/you-matter-book

In today’s conversation, Dean Sikes sits down with high school counselor Tyson Capehart to talk about what teens are really facing today.From bullying and social media pressure to self-harm and identity struggles, this episode pulls back the curtain on a reality many parents, leaders, and churches are missing.In this episode, you’ll hear:What teens are dealing with behind the scenesWhy so many feel alone (even in a full house)How parents and adults can respond the right wayThe power of simply showing up and listeningWhy one trusted adult can literally save a lifeFor more, visit our website at www.youmatter.us

So many people today quietly carry this thought: “I feel worthless.”

In this episode of The You Matter Podcast, Dean Sikes and Pastor Nathan Brown unpack where that feeling comes from—and why it’s not the truth. We live in a world that measures worth by performance, success, and comparison. What you do, how you look, how many people notice you. And when those things fall apart… it can feel like you fall apart too.

But what if your worth was never meant to be earned? Nathan shares his personal story of losing everything he built his identity on—and how that collapse became the turning point in rebuilding his life the right way. Together, we talk about identity, comparison, social pressure, and the dangerous belief that you have to prove your value.If you’ve ever questioned your worth, struggled with comparison, or felt like you’re not enough—this conversation is for you.

You are not what you produce. You don’t have to earn love. And your life matters more than you think. If this episode helped you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.