Life Exchange

Greetings from Dr. Melodye Hilton, Joel Hilton, and Katie Stansfield--your Life Exchange co-hosts. As the holiday season draws near, we are bringing season 2 of Life Exchange to a close as we hone in on some local planning here at our Central Pennsylvania home base. Our plan is to return in 2024 with a new season and fresh content for you. Be sure to follow the show so you'll be notified when...

The book of James tells us that if we, as followers of Jesus, lack wisdom that we should ask Him for it and that He will give it generously and He won’t be disappointed that we asked. In this episode, we talk about what wisdom is and what it isn’t. We also talk about the effects of utilizing wisdom as well as the reality of not using wisdom. ____ If you have thoughts or questions about this or any...

Today we’re talking about the topic of freedom. Is there a difference between God’s idea of freedom and our own? What is the responsibility of freedom? What does freedom mean for followers of Jesus? We take some interesting twists and turns along the way and as always, we hope you enjoy the conversation. ____ If you have thoughts or questions about this or any episode, or if you have a topic sugge...

Today’s topic is no small undertaking. We’re talking about God Himself–the Holy Spirit. There can sometimes be some elusive or mysterious ideas surrounding this Divine member of the Holy Trinity and while we are no experts or Theologians, we do know Him personally. We’ll share some of the Holy Spirit’s characteristics and His role in our lives according to Scripture as well as debunk some thoughts...

It’s our 100th episode!!! To mark this special occasion, today we’re talking about our namesake topic: LIFE EXCHANGE. We share what this concept means to us, what it looks like for us and what it can look like for others, and the ingredients to build this kind of culture as well as ones that tear it down. Thanks for celebrating this milestone episode with us! ____ If you have thoughts or questions...

Anger is one of the basic emotions that we all have. It is a natural feeling and we know that even God gets angry so does anger sometimes get a bad wrap as being wrong or inherently destructive? In today’s episode, we ask the questions, “Is anger bad?” “Why do we get angry?” and “What is the difference between God’s anger and human anger?” We also talk through where the Bible tells us to “Be angry...

Today, we’re talking about maturity: what it is, what it isn’t, why it’s important, when the process is complete. The Bible consistently reminds us that we are to grow up and mature into strong, solid Believers, but it also says that we should remain childlike in our faith. What does this tell us about what maturity looks like in the Kingdom of God? We hope you enjoy our conversation as we cover t...

This week, we talk about the good that comes from being a resilient person and how to gain that grit that helps the tough get going when the going gets tough. On the other hand, we also talk about when resiliency can actually be to our detriment and cause us undue harm on our path towards success. We hope you enjoy today’s episode! ____ If you have thoughts or questions about this or any episode,...

Choice is a powerful thing and a gift that we’ve been given by our Creator. We know that along with the agency to choose for ourselves comes a series of effects or consequences that can lead our lives in any number of directions–good, bad, and anywhere in between. In this episode, we talk about what having the power of choice means for us, how it affects others, and the responsibility that it carr...

Every person has an internal personal codebook of standards, ethics, preference, and perspective. Each codebook is uniquely shaped by our individual life experience and makeup and most often, we don’t even realize we have one. When it comes to relationships, we usually naturally assume that other people have the same codebook as we do…but they never do. This can easily create relational conflict a...

Jesus talks to His followers a ton about the topic of forgiveness. His final words on earth included forgiveness and He even includes it as part of His model prayer. Clearly, this topic is of big importance to Him and therefore, it’s probably one we should take some time to consider in our own lives. In this episode, we talk about what forgiveness is and what it isn’t, some roadmap from Scripture...

The Bible tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God, but this is language that we aren’t really familiar with in our modern day lives. How do you seek a kingdom? What is the kingdom of God? How does this work? In this episode, we’re talking about what it can look like for us to seek Him first and how this can present practically in our everyday lives. ____ If you have thoughts or questions about t...

Honor seems to be a dying concept in the modern world and can sometimes be a distorted one even in the church. In this episode, we talk about what honor is, whether or not it is still relevant, where it comes from, and what it looks like. We hope you enjoy the conversation and as always, if you have any questions or comments, please let us know at the email address below. ____ If you have thoughts...

“Calling” can be a popular word in the American church as we individually work to discover our important role in the body of Christ and in the world. In this episode, we talk to demystify and depressurize the topic of personal purpose and calling. A listener asks if there is ever a time when you can miss your calling in terms of timing and we speak to our thoughts on this as well as what to do if...

Doubt can be a scary concept for a lot of people. What do you do when you start to question what you used to believe or doubt the things you were taught were true? In this episode, we talk about it: doubt, uncertainty, questioning and how to approach these things with open hands and to use them as healthy tools to learn and grow instead of swinging the pendulum to the extreme in either direction....

As a church member or member of any group of people, how can we take part in empowering the whole? In this episode, we talk about being a team player and what we can do to work with the leadership and with one another to advance the corporate mission and not just be a lone ranger in it only for ourselves. ____ If you have thoughts or questions about this or any episode, or if you have a topic sugg...

We all came from a family of some kind and that origin story may be happy, sad, good, bad, or anything in between. In today’s episode, we touch on how our early years shape us and the choices we have as we grow and move away from those experiences and create lives and families of our own. ____ If you have thoughts or questions about this or any episode, or if you have a topic suggestion for a futu...

When three pastors talk about not wanting to go to church…you get some really interesting conversation. Today, we talk about some reasons why we can sometimes feel disconnected from the local church. We discuss some of the original purpose of the local church, the value that it holds, and how our modern mindsets can be challenged around the topic. ____ If you have thoughts or questions about this...

The Lord often asks things of us far before we know what the outcome of our obedience will be. Today, we talk about times when God asks something of us and what it looks like to walk it out. We talk about the value, the cost, and the journey of our obedience to the Lord. ____ If you have thoughts or questions about this or any episode, or if you have a topic suggestion for a future episode, email...

Leadership has always been an emphasis for us as a team and in our collective mission. In today’s episode, we talk about what makes a good leader and recognizing those attributes in those around us.  ____ Get 20% off our Double Honor: Uprooting Shame in Your Life eCourse with Dr. Melodye Hilton by using code LIFEEXCHANGE at https://classes.givinglight.org/p/doublehonor .  Explore all of our online...

Today we talk about how to grow to love where you are. When God has called us to a particular location or community, sometimes it takes time, intention, and effort to really develop a heart for that place. In this episode, we’ll talk about these dynamics and how to cultivate connection with the community that you’re in. ____ Get 20% off our Double Honor: Uprooting Shame in Your Life eCourse with D...

People are going through it. We all are to some extent–going through some form of hardship or struggle or pain somewhere in our lives or relationships. It can be a real challenge to know how to navigate empathy and compassion and how to best care for others while still caring for ourselves. In this episode, we talk about walking with others who are going through hard things and some of our thought...

We believe that knowing our identity in Christ opens our eyes to the abundant life that Jesus offers us. Today, we’ll talk about what this means to us, how it affects our worldview, and how to live as new creations through Him. We also share some thoughts on what we would say to the person who feels like their world is falling apart. Maybe you’ve been there–we know we have. Thanks for listening an...

There can be a lot of talk in the church about denying oneself, which seems totally at odds with a world that loves all things self-centered. Where is the balance? As Believers, is it always “right” to deny ourselves? Is self-flagellation "holy"? Did God create us to be full or to be empty? We’ll discuss the subject in this week’s episode as well as speaking to a listener asking for help...

Do you have things in your life that you believed in years past but your belief in that area has since changed? We know we do. In this episode, we talk about our own changing and evolving belief structures while serving a God Who does not change. We also talk about how to identify a victim mentality and how to break free from victim thinking and believing. ____ If you have thoughts or questions ab...