Conquer Your Mountains

Send us Fan Mail In mid-November, Joël got diagnosed with melanoma. The following weeks were a wild ride. In this episode Joël and Rick talk about some of the confusing circumstances around the experience and what was learned. 

Send us Fan Mail Let's be honest, some churches died a long time ago and are hanging on by life support. Often, attempts at revitalization lead to division, hurt, and chaos. In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about when revitalization works and when it's time to just let a church die. 

Send us Fan Mail Are leadership boards Biblical? Many a church, ministry, or organization have been destroyed by board-led decisions. In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about the value and the downfall of boards. 

Send us Fan Mail The original story of  how Thanksgiving started holds lots of deep truths that can get lost as people "rewrite" history.  In this episode, Joël and Rick revisit the message of the first Thanksgiving. 

Send us Fan Mail If someone is succeeding it's clearly the blessing of God, right? Maybe... or maybe it's something else. In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about the backstory behind success and how to know if you are truly "successful" or just a result of connections and charisma. 

Send us Fan Mail Often times, we fail to invest in relationships around us because we may not see a long-term benefit. But what if we need a perspective shift on this? If you've moved a lot or have lots of people coming in and out of your life this episode is for you. 

Send us Fan Mail The world has gone insane. Much of that insanity is downright evil. We all grieve evil and its effects, but is it OK to mock that evil? Is it Biblical to make fun of or use satire to bring the evil to light? In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about the correct response to the evil we see around us. 

Send us Fan Mail Should you listen to a pastor or leader who isn't exemplifying the kind of life you want to live? In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about qualifications for ministry and how to know whether a spiritual leader should be listened to. 

Send us Fan Mail Timing is everything. And there tends to be a lot of waiting involved in how God works. That waiting can feel miserable. But sometimes waiting looks like working your tail off in the meantime. In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about how to wait on the Lord's timing while still making the most of every moment. 

Send us Fan Mail We're born helpless. Depending on our environment we quickly develop mindsets about what we can and can't control. But sometimes those mindsets are wrong. In the episode, Joël and Rick talk about how to overcome learned helplessness. 

Send us Fan Mail Lots of people get into helping professions because of a traumatic experience in their life. But too often, they end up hurting others because they haven't truly healed. In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about how to identify a dangerous healer and when to know you're healed and ready to help others. 

Send us Fan Mail "There is no problem that won't improve if you ignore it long enough." Rick has given some great advice over the years, but that line is among his worst advice. But, sometimes taking the bull by the horns will just create more trouble than it's worth. In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about how to manage conflict well and when to know it's not worth a fi...

Send us Fan Mail When you choose to make a courageous decision a safer option will nearly always appear -- something that promises more security or assurance. How you respond to that safer option will often determine whether you live a life of fulfillment or regret. In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about the risks of taking the safer option. 

Send us Fan Mail Truth is often offensive. But as Christ-followers we are called to speak the truth in love. So how do you speak truth that will inevitably offend? In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about what it looks like to speak offensive truths in a loving way. 

Send us Fan Mail If God calls us to perfection (Matt. 5:48) then shouldn't perfectionism be a good thing? Too often perfectionism actually keeps us from pursuing what God has for us and can become a source of pride. In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about how to know when your perfectionism is out of control. 

Send us Fan Mail We all want a sense of fulfillment and purpose in our lives. Some people seem to be on a constant quest for it and never seem to find it. But what if fulfillment is to be found in a place we never thought it could be. In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about how to find true fulfillment in life. 

Send us Fan Mail Sometimes the best thing you can do for your spiritual and mental well-being is to get out of your current environment. But sometimes, a change of scenery won’t do anything because we are the problem. In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about when to know it’s time to change your environment and when it’s just time to change you.

Send us Fan Mail Healthy things grow. Which means they often need to be transplanted into environments that allow them to flourish. If you are growing spiritually, there's a good chance you may outgrow those around you at some point -- in your church, your relationships, maybe even your spouse. In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about what to do when you feel you've outgrown your curren...

Send us Fan Mail Why do some people seem to be so chill and calm while others are perpetually discontent and tormented? Is it nature or nurture? Can you unlearn feeling unhappy and tormented? In this episode, Joël (a tormented personality) and Rick (a chill personality) compare notes on why some people seem to have it harder than others when it comes to contentment. 

Send us Fan Mail Nobody likes the thought of growing old, but what what if aging is a path to God's grace in our lives. In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about the blessings and benefits of getting older. 

Send us Fan Mail Serving others is a Christian virtue. But when it gets out of balance, it can become exhausting and lead to burn out. In the episode, Joël and Rick talk about how to know if you may be suffering from a Messiah Complex. 

Send us Fan Mail When God makes a judgement, he's serious. But is it possible to change God's mind once he's made a decision? In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about some passages in the Bible that seem to indicate you can change God's mind. 

Send us Fan Mail A huge number of pastors are leaving their jobs at churches and taking traditional jobs. Is this a bad thing? In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about the challenges pastors face and when to know it's time to leave ministry. 

Send us Fan Mail Everyone has pain. So we all share a similar experience. But everyone's pain is different. It's human nature to believe our pain is unique and believe no one understands it. In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about how to open yourself up to help from others. 

Send us Fan Mail We all come to a point when we feel tired and apathetic -- we all get burned out. In this episode, Joël and Rick talk about how to identify burnout and what to do when you realize you are burnt out.