You have already tried the conversations. You have tried slowing down, choosing better words, waiting for the right moment. And still something derails it — the same wall, the same disconnect, the same feeling that you are speaking into air. What you have probably not tried is understanding why you communicate the way you do, and more importantly, where that pattern came from.

Jason VanRuler is a licensed psychotherapist, author, and nationally recognized speaker whose new book, Discovering Your Communication Type, names a truth that changes everything: your communication style was not chosen — it was formed, shaped by the environment you needed to survive as a child. In this conversation, Jason introduces the PATHS model (Peacemaker, Advocate, Thinker, Harbor, Spark), but the framework is only the surface. Beneath it is something more confronting: most heated arguments are not about words. They are about wounds. And the same survival instincts that protected you then are likely the ones sabotaging your closest relationships now.

What does it cost a relationship when secrets corrode it slowly, the way carbon monoxide fills a room — undetectable until real damage is done? What happens when you lead with your explanation instead of your apology, and why does that single inversion invalidate everything that follows? If you have been in survival mode so long that dysregulation feels like Tuesday morning, this conversation names the path out — and the grief that comes with it. The question Jason puts to you, whether he says it directly or not, is this: do you actually want connection, or do you want validation for remaining exactly as you are? Only one of those is available here.

Guest Bio

Jason VanRuler is a licensed psychotherapist, author, and nationally recognized speaker based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, specializing in communication, attachment, and relationships. He is the author of Discovering Your Communication Type: The 5 Paths to Deeper Connections and Stronger Relationships and founder of a thriving private practice. Jason leads retreats, workshops, and intensives for couples and organizations, and hosts his own podcast, Ok, What's Next? He lives with his wife and three children.

Show Partner

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Episode Links

• Show Notes
• Buy my book "Healing What You Can't Erase" here!
• Invite me to speak at your church or event.
• Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

You have configured Jesus to fit your life. Not consciously, not maliciously, but you have done it nonetheless. The algorithm of your preferences, your comfort thresholds, your political loyalties, your financial anxieties — they all quietly shape the version of Jesus you bring to church, to prayer, and to your decisions. The result is a Jesus who agrees with you more than he challenges you, who blesses your plans more than he disrupts them, and who functions, if you are honest, more like a life coach than a Lord.

Kyle Idleman, Senior Pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville and author of the new book The Missing Messiah, joins me for a conversation that will do exactly what you are afraid this kind of conversation will do: poke the box. Kyle draws a precise and unflinching distinction between Christian culture and kingdom culture, between a transactional faith built around what Jesus can do for you and a transformational discipleship built around following him wherever he goes. We cover the algorithm Jesus keeps breaking, the compartmentalized faith that lets him rummage in your "religion drawer" but not your finances, your politics, or your relationships, and the specific consequence no one wants to name: that a domesticated, comfortable, cushy Jesus is not going to hold you when the hardest seasons of your life arrive.

If your faith has never asked you to count the cost, that is not evidence of grace. It is evidence of a missing Messiah. This conversation will not make you feel better about where you are; it will make you want to go further. That is the invitation, and it requires something of you.

Episode Links

• Show Notes
• Buy my book "Healing What You Can't Erase" here!
• Invite me to speak at your church or event.
• Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

You have a vague, unsettled sense that something is off—in the culture, in the church, maybe even in your own spiritual life—but you cannot quite name it, and so you keep moving, hoping it will clarify on its own. It will not clarify on its own. What you are sensing is real, and there is a name for it: you are living in the middle of a war you have not been trained to see. Dr. Joel Muddamalle, theologian and Director of Theology and Research at Proverbs 31 Ministries, joins me for a conversation that is as theologically rigorous as it is pastorally urgent.

Joel makes the case that the church in the West has been slowly desensitized to the spiritual climate it is swimming in—not through a dramatic assault, but through the gradual repositioning of our dependence, our loves, and our identity. We cover the three rebellions embedded in Genesis and what they reveal about the enemy's enduring strategy, why the surge of spirituality in our culture is not an opportunity but a crisis of discernment, and why the doctrine of Christ consciousness—is not an enlightened reading of Scripture but a doctrine of demons that hijacks the name of Jesus while quietly displacing him from his own story. We also walk through what deliverance actually looks like for believers, practically and biblically, without sensationalism and without the misplaced authority of any human administrator.

The most important line in this conversation is not about cosmic powers or exorcisms. It is this: the enemy does not gain ground by overpowering you—he gains ground because you are withdrawing. Every time you step back, he steps forward. That truth will require something of you. Come ready to receive it.

Episode Links

• Show Notes
• Buy my book "Healing What You Can't Erase" here!
• Invite me to speak at your church or event.
• Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

You know what you're supposed to do. You've known for a while. And yet here you are, on the other side of another day that didn't deliver what you intended, wondering why you keep choosing the version of yourself that never has to be tested. The uncomfortable truth is that you're not failing because you're lazy. You're failing because procrastination is solving a problem for you—the problem of having to find out who you actually are when the pressure is on.

Jon Acuff joins me for a conversation that is equal parts diagnostic and liberating. Jon is one of the sharpest thinkers working in this space—a New York Times bestselling author whose new book, Procrastination Proof, makes the case that your delay is not a discipline problem. It's a fear problem. And until you understand what procrastination is actually protecting you from, no system, no strategy, and no surge of motivation will hold. We cover the lie that one breakthrough will change everything, why you keep giving advice to your past self while ignoring your future one, the pre-decision framework that removes the daily negotiation with yourself, and what it actually means to build a motivation portfolio instead of chasing a feeling.

What Jon names in this conversation is something most productivity content never gets close to: the invisible cost. Every day you delay is not a neutral act. It is a vote for the version of you that never has to be exposed, refined, or tested. And that version of you has been winning long enough.

This conversation will not let you stay comfortable. It will invite you to take an honest look at what you are actually protecting, who you are actually becoming, and what it would cost you to finally give yourself permission to start.

Guest Bio

Jon Acuff is a New York Times bestselling author of twelve books, including Soundtracks, Finish, and Procrastination Proof, which together have sold more than one million copies. Named one of Inc.'s Top 100 Leadership Speakers, he delivers keynotes to companies including Microsoft, Walmart, Comedy Central, and Chick-fil-A. He hosts the podcast All It Takes Is a Goal and lives outside Nashville with his wife and two daughters. In this conversation, Jon brings his signature combination of humor, forensic self-awareness, and hard-won practical frameworks to the question most productivity culture refuses to ask honestly: what is your procrastination actually protecting?

Show Partner

SafeSleeve designs a phone case that blocks up to 99% of harmful EMF radiation—so I'm not carrying that kind of exposure next to my body all day. It's sleek, durable, and most importantly, lab-tested by third parties. The results aren't hidden—they're published right on their site. And that matters because many so-called EMF blockers on the market either don't work or can't prove they do. We protect our hearts and minds—why wouldn't we protect our bodies too? Head to safesleevecases.com and use the code WINTODAY10 for 10% off your order.

Episode Links

• Show Notes
• Buy my book "Healing What You Can't Erase" here!
• Invite me to speak at your church or event.
• Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Many people say they want freedom. They pray for it, talk about it, and surround themselves with language that sounds like transformation. But beneath the surface, there is often resistance. Patterns persist. Mindsets remain unchallenged. And responsibility is quietly avoided. This week on Win Today, Alex Seeley joins me for a direct and necessary conversation about the work of sanctification and what it actually requires. We examine why so many believers remain stuck in cycles they claim to want to leave, how unchallenged thinking reinforces spiritual stagnation, and why true freedom demands more than awareness. It requires participation.

Guest Bio

Alex Seeley is the co-lead pastor of The Belonging Co. in Nashville, Tennessee, a global church community known for its emphasis on worship, discipleship, and the presence of God. Originally from Australia, Alex has spent years leading, teaching, and equipping believers to grow in spiritual maturity and live lives marked by freedom and purpose. Through her leadership, speaking, and writing, she challenges individuals to confront limiting mindsets, embrace the process of sanctification, and walk in the fullness of what God has for them.

Show Partner

SafeSleeve designs a phone case that blocks up to 99% of harmful EMF radiation—so I'm not carrying that kind of exposure next to my body all day. It's sleek, durable, and most importantly, lab-tested by third parties. The results aren't hidden—they're published right on their site. And that matters because many so-called EMF blockers on the market either don't work or can't prove they do. We protect our hearts and minds—why wouldn't we protect our bodies too? Head to safesleevecases.com and use the code WINTODAY10 for 10% off your order.

Episode Links

• Show Notes
• Buy my book "Healing What You Can't Erase" here!
• Invite me to speak at your church or event.
• Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

You may be walking through disappointment. You may feel tempted to withdraw. You may not know how to trust God again. This conversation with Bart Millard from MercyMe will help you understand what it means to stay present, stay honest, and allow God to form something deeper in you through what you are facing.

You'll learn:

• Why suffering can deepen rather than destroy your faith
• How isolation quietly hinders the healing process
• Why vocalizing your struggles reduces their power
• The difference between giving up and true surrender
• How to trust God beyond specific outcomes

Guest Bio

Bart Millard is the lead singer of the multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated band MercyMe and a songwriter whose work has shaped modern worship music for decades. Known for the hit song "I Can Only Imagine," Bart has shared his story of pain, redemption, and faith through music, film, and writing. His journey—from a difficult childhood marked by abuse to becoming a voice of hope for millions—continues to inform his message about healing, resilience, and trusting God through adversity. Through his music, books, and storytelling, Bart invites people into an honest and grounded faith that holds both grief and gratitude.

Show Partner

SafeSleeve designs a phone case that blocks up to 99% of harmful EMF radiation—so I'm not carrying that kind of exposure next to my body all day. It's sleek, durable, and most importantly, lab-tested by third parties. The results aren't hidden—they're published right on their site. And that matters because many so-called EMF blockers on the market either don't work or can't prove they do. We protect our hearts and minds—why wouldn't we protect our bodies too? Head to safesleevecases.com and use the code WINTODAY10 for 10% off your order.

Episode Links

• Show Notes
• Buy my book "Healing What You Can't Erase" here!
• Invite me to speak at your church or event.
• Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Many people today feel scattered. Attention is fractured, emotions are unsteady, and spiritual life feels more like survival than formation. We move from one demand to the next, one distraction to another, and somewhere along the way, the soul begins to splinter. This week on Win Today, Heath Hardesty joins me for a deeply clarifying conversation about what it means to live with an integrated soul in a fragmented world. We examine why so many believers struggle to actually receive the love of God, how discipleship has often been reduced to a subtle form of self-improvement, and why attempts to short-circuit suffering often delay the very formation God is trying to produce. Heath offers a compelling vision of apprenticeship to Jesus—not as a program to become your best self, but as a way of life where union with Him becomes the starting point, abiding and obeying Him becomes the essence, and reflecting Him becomes the aim. If you feel spiritually scattered, if your faith feels more performative than relational, or if you've realized you don't actually know how to receive the love of God, this conversation will help reorient what true discipleship is meant to form.

Guest Bio

Heath Hardesty serves as the lead pastor of Valley Community Church and is a founder of Inklings Coffee & Tea in downtown Pleasanton, California. Raised in a blue-collar home, Heath began his vocational journey as a plumber's apprentice in Colorado before transitioning into pastoral ministry on the edge of Silicon Valley, where he now lives with his family. He holds degrees in literature, leadership, biblical studies, and theology from the University of Colorado Boulder and Western Seminary in Portland. Through his teaching and writing, Heath invites people into a reimagined vision of apprenticeship to Jesus—one that cultivates wholeness, resilience, and a deeper experience of God's love.

Show Partner

SafeSleeve designs a phone case that blocks up to 99% of harmful EMF radiation—so I'm not carrying that kind of exposure next to my body all day. It's sleek, durable, and most importantly, lab-tested by third parties. The results aren't hidden—they're published right on their site. And that matters because many so-called EMF blockers on the market either don't work or can't prove they do. We protect our hearts and minds—why wouldn't we protect our bodies too? Head to safesleevecases.com and use the code WINTODAY10 for 10% off your order. Episode Links

• Show Notes
• Buy my book "Healing What You Can't Erase" here!
• Invite me to speak at your church or event.
• Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

We are living in a moment where the language of self-care is everywhere. Protect your peace. Take a break. Treat yourself. But beneath the bubble baths and wellness rituals, something deeper is breaking down. People are absorbing quiet but powerful lies that they are useless, replaceable, or fundamentally unimportant. This week on Win Today, journalist and bestselling author Jennifer Breheny Wallace joins us to examine what she calls the modern crisis of "mattering." Drawing from extensive research and deeply human stories, Jennifer explains why the need to feel valued and to know that we add value is not optional—it is a core human need. When that need goes unmet, the consequences show up everywhere: fragile self-esteem, burnout, toxic achievement culture, and a constant search for validation that never quite satisfies.

We explore why self-esteem alone cannot sustain a healthy identity, how success-driven cultures quietly erode a sense of worth, and why the hyper-visible world of social media often produces the opposite of real connection. Jennifer also introduces the concept of a "mattering core"—the conditions that help people know they are valued and capable of contributing value to others. When those elements are present, resilience grows. When they disappear, people begin to doubt their place in the world.

If you've ever felt the pressure to prove your worth, if success has started to feel strangely empty, or if you've wondered why validation never seems to last, this conversation will help reframe what human flourishing actually requires.

Guest Bio

Jennifer Breheny Wallace is an acclaimed journalist and bestselling author whose work focuses on the intersection of mental health, achievement culture, and human flourishing. She is the author of Mattering: How to Create a Life of Meaning, Empathy, and Impact, a groundbreaking exploration of why the human need to feel valued and to add value is essential to well-being. Jennifer's writing has appeared in outlets including The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, where she examines how modern pressures around success and validation shape the mental health of both adults and young people. Through her reporting and research, she helps readers understand how restoring a sense of mattering can strengthen resilience, deepen relationships, and restore purpose in an achievement-driven world.

Show Partners

SafeSleeve designs a phone case that blocks up to 99% of harmful EMF radiation—so I'm not carrying that kind of exposure next to my body all day. It's sleek, durable, and most importantly, lab-tested by third parties. The results aren't hidden—they're published right on their site. And that matters because many so-called EMF blockers on the market either don't work or can't prove they do. We protect our hearts and minds—why wouldn't we protect our bodies too? Head to safesleevecases.com and use the code WINTODAY10 for 10% off your order.

Episode Links

• Show Notes
• Buy my book "Healing What You Can't Erase" here!
• Invite me to speak at your church or event.
• Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Every generation eventually faces moments when stability disappears, and the ground beneath our assumptions begins to shake. Cultural chaos, personal uncertainty, and unexpected upheaval have a way of revealing what our faith is actually built upon. In those moments, the question is no longer theoretical—it becomes deeply personal. This week on Win Today, my good friend Paige Collins joins me for a thoughtful conversation about preparing our lives for seasons of shaking and why surrendering to God is often far more costly than we expect. We explore the posture required to remain steady when circumstances become unpredictable, the spiritual maturity that grows through relinquishing control, and how God often forms resilience in environments that feel uncomfortable or uncertain. We also touch on the intriguing and often misunderstood topic of dreams and whether God can still speak through them today. Scripture includes moments where the Lord communicated through dreams—from Solomon's encounter in 1 Kings to Joel's prophetic declaration that in the last days people would dream dreams. At the same time, we make an important distinction: dreams are never equivalent to Scripture, never authoritative revelation, and never a replacement for the Word of God. Instead, if they occur at all, they must be tested, weighed, and submitted to the authority of Scripture and the wisdom of the Church.

If the cultural moment feels unstable, if you sense the Lord inviting you into deeper surrender, or if you're wondering how to remain grounded when life becomes unpredictable, this conversation will help clarify the posture that prepares a believer to endure seasons of shaking.

Guest Bio

Paige Collins is a lifelong dreamer and visionary, and the founding partner of Icon Media Group, a premier PR firm specializing in faith and family entertainment. She has led high-impact publicity campaigns for major faith-based films and Kingdom-driven brands, helping shape the public conversation around faith in media and culture. Paige also serves as a producer, screenwriter, and founder of Honeybee Entertainment, a company dedicated to elevating stories of women of faith across film, television, and other creative platforms.

Show Partner

SafeSleeve designs a phone case that blocks up to 99% of harmful EMF radiation—so I'm not carrying that kind of exposure next to my body all day. It's sleek, durable, and most importantly, lab-tested by third parties. The results aren't hidden—they're published right on their site. And that matters because many so-called EMF blockers on the market either don't work or can't prove they do. We protect our hearts and minds—why wouldn't we protect our bodies too? Head to safesleevecases.com and use the code WINTODAY10 for 10% off your order.

Episode Links

• Show Notes
• Buy my book "Healing What You Can't Erase" here!
• Invite me to speak at your church or event.
• Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

It is possible to practice the rhythms of faith and still miss the Person those rhythms were meant to lead us to. We can read Scripture, attend church, adopt the language of discipleship, and build entire spiritual lives around the habits of Jesus—while quietly drifting from intimacy with Jesus Himself. This week on Win Today, Hosanna Wong joins me for a clarifying and deeply confronting conversation about the difference between performing Christianity and actually knowing God. We examine how selective obedience slowly erodes intimacy with Him, why legalism has learned to rebrand itself as passion for holiness, and how seasons of hiddenness and crushing are often the environments where authentic discipleship is formed. Hosanna also unpacks six roadblocks that frequently prevent believers from experiencing genuine connection with God, revealing how easy it is to substitute religious activity for relational transformation. The invitation of Jesus has never been behavior management or spiritual performance—it is repentance, surrender, and relationship.

If you've been doing the practices of faith but still feel distant from God… if you've sensed the quiet conviction that something deeper is being asked of you, or if you're realizing that obedience in some areas has been selective rather than surrendered, this episode will bring needed clarity.

Guest Bio

Hosanna Wong is an international speaker, best-selling author, and spoken word artist known for helping everyday people know Jesus in a real and personal way. Widely recognized for her viral spoken word piece "I Have A New Name," Hosanna shares her message in churches, conferences, prisons, and ministries around the world, reaching across denominations, cultures, and backgrounds. Raised in an urban ministry on the streets of San Francisco, she later spent years traveling throughout the United States speaking and sharing the gospel through spoken word poetry while living out of suitcases. Through her speaking, writing, and creative work, Hosanna equips believers to deepen their relationship with God and pursue authentic discipleship.

Show Partner

SafeSleeve designs a phone case that blocks up to 99% of harmful EMF radiation—so I'm not carrying that kind of exposure next to my body all day. It's sleek, durable, and most importantly, lab-tested by third parties. The results aren't hidden—they're published right on their site. And that matters because many so-called EMF blockers on the market either don't work or can't prove they do. We protect our hearts and minds—why wouldn't we protect our bodies too? Head to safesleevecases.com and use the code WINTODAY10 for 10% off your order.

Episode Links

• Show Notes
• Buy my book "Healing What You Can't Erase" here!
• Invite me to speak at your church or event.
• Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.