Consider It Joy

It seems to be a constant for us all.  There is stress at work, stress at home, stress when you turn on the news.  We know it's bad for us, but how can we avoid that feeling?  What can we do to minimize stress in every day life?  We brought back our friend and psychologist Jon Engen to talk about practical ideas to manage and avoid that every day stress that seems to be around every corner.  This...

Every industry has its fads, phases, and even disruptions.  We talked with the owner of CCM magazine, Logan Sekulow, about some of the trends and times that really stuck out in CCM history.  For those who have been around Christian music a long time, this will be a trip down memory lane, and for those who are newer, it's a fun look at what made the industry what it is today!  And this episode is F...

As humans, we are wired for stories.  We resonate emotionally and even spiritually through stories. Why do we resonate so deeply with them, and how can we ourselves be better story tellers in every day life?  Matt talks with movie producer Josh Walsh (I Can Only Imagine 1&2, Jesus Revolution, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever) about why stories matter, and why every one of us is a story teller....

On one hand, we know the Bible says to not only love our neighbor (and the poor, and the outcast, and marginalized) but also to love our enemy.  On the other hand, at SOME point, you can only give so much.  Where and how do we find the balance between loving those around us, and creating healthy boundaries?  We welcome back our friend, pastor, and psychologist Jon Engen to help walk through this i...

We have decades of experience interviewing others and getting their stories: artists, pastors, local leaders, actors... but what if we pointed the mics at each other? This episode, we attempt to ask each other questions we haven't been asked before, and use those years of experience to ask each other some tough and unexpected questions.   Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfi...

You have probably seen it happen, a Christian artist announces they've walked away from the faith, or something happened in their life that is considered 'unacceptable' for a faith-based artist.  Maybe it's even just someone in the spotlight who is wrestling with doubts and questions. The church can be quick to judge, but what if we looked closer at those situations.  On this episode we sat with D...

Car salesmen have a bad rap.  The stereotype is sleazy, manipulative, and untruthful.  What does ministry look like on a car dealership lot?  We sat down with one of the best car salesmen in the country, Anthony Cisneros, to 1. confront the stereotype (is it true?) 2. Find out what ministry looks like as a car salesman  3. Uncover the strategies salesmen use when you show up to buy a car. This is...

When we decided we wanted to discuss what ministry looks like in the military, we didn't expect to be able to talk to the guy who was in charge of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force.  It was an absolute honor to have General John 'Dragon' Teichert join us for our series on ministry in unexpected places.  Not only is Dragon incredibly cool with some great stories to tell, he also is a prime example...

We typically think of pastors or missionaries when we hear the word 'ministry,' but that isn't the definition. Ministry can be found anywhere, with anyone.  This is our first in a series of episodes about what ministry looks like in unexpected places!   Jasmine Knox has spent years in entertainment news, like Iheart radio and Entertainment Tonight.  We walk through what it was like to maintain a m...

After an angry and divided election year, what if we chose not to hang on to anger or offense.  Is it even possible?  What does the Bible say about it?  What about "righteous anger?" This is a powerful and freeing conversation with one of our very favorite people and friends, Brant Hansen.  Brant is not only a well known radio host, but an author, husband, father, and pretty big nerd. We believe t...

An annual tradition returns in the LAST episode for 2024!  Matt & Aaron look back at the best music, movies, and moments of the year.  It's not just a list of favorites, but it's jam packed with stories and behind the scenes glimpses of two radio guys!   We would LOVE to hear what YOUR top music, movies, and moments of 2024 were!  Chime in on the Afternoon Joy Ride IG or FB! Thank you for all...

This month marks the 29th anniversary of the album that changed everything, Jesus Freak.  Four years ago  (for the 25th anniversary) we sat down with the two key players behind producing and promoting the industry-changing album by DC Talk, Eddie DeGarmo and Mark Adkison.   PLEASE NOTE: This discussion was originally from our Youtube video , and unfortunately, our sound quality was not good at the...

It's BACK! The Afternoon Joy Ride Ask Me Anything!  We took the latest round of questions from listeners of our radio show and podcast, and give you the honest, embarrassing, and sometimes hilarious answers!  Take a break from all the heaviness and stress of life, and have some fun in getting to know us better.   Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  You can listen t...

Christian music has always had criticisms.  Everything from rock itself being evil, to boycotting music if an artist got divorced.  Todays criticisms are a bit more grounded, focused on things like theological inaccuracy, shallowness, and commercialization.  How much of that is true?  We've spent the last 20 years talking with artists, record labels, producers, and promoters in the industry, and b...

Christian or not, navigating the world of politics is like walking through a minefield.  People are volatile, defensive, and reactionary. Often times, so are we.  We are not talking about candidates or policies, but about what a Biblical approach to navigating politics looks like.  We cover things like -what does it mean to have intellectual honesty about difficult issues? -are we ever willing to...

Ever had a dream to start or join a ministry you feel called to, and it starts out great, but then it doesn't play out like you thought it was supposed to?  What is our response when that ministry doesn't continue?   Our guest this week is Steve Wiggins, lead singer of Big Tent Revival, and has been down this road several times where the season for a ministry came to an end, and what that meant fo...

The idea of venues full of fans, touring the country, and making a name for yourself sounds exciting... but it's only a small part of the story for recording artists.  We are joined by a guy who knows a lot about this world, Steven Malcolm.  We talk about the misconceptions we often have as to what it is to be a full time artist with a record deal.   Steven has been both welcomed and rejected by c...

Just like we may have some misconceptions about people who believe very differently from us, we all likely have some wrong ideas about pastors as well.  We talk with Aaron Perlman's twin brother Joshua about his experience as a pastor, and look behind the scenes of that career as every day life, and why we might sometimes be too quick to judge something that happens or doesn't happen within a chur...

We're back! And we are kicking off a series that aims to make us think outside of the box, and not rush to make judgements about others, allowing us to better love our neighbor. This episode, we are joined by former atheist Al Gascon to find out some of the misconceptions we (especially within the church) have about those who consider themselves atheists. Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Li...

When it comes to what we watch or listen to, standards are all over the map.  Do we set limits based on rating?  On if there are bad words? How much violence is too much violence? Should we only consume 'Christian' media? We could not think of a better guest on this issue than our good friend Nate Watson.  Nate is not only an ordained pastor with his masters degree, but also has spent years as an...

We all connect with lyrics that resonate, but is it possible to find the best lyrics ever written in modern Christian music?  We think we may have done it. In this episode, we pour over some of the best lyrics ever put into a song.  You might agree, you might disagree with it all, but the process is a lot of fun!   Be sure to chime in with what you think the best lyrics ever written are! Consider...

With skyrocketing numbers of people dealing with a number of mental health issues, it's more important than ever that the church community have compassion and deeper understanding.  Not all struggles are visible, and telling people to just 'have more faith' isn't helpful.  We are joined by Lydia Laird who is an amazing artist, and an incredible advocate for mental health.  This episode is very per...

There are a lot of hot takes on worship at church. "It shouldn't be a show"  "we need more hymns"  "songs are too repetitive" etc.  Where is the line between our own preferences, and what the Bible actually says about worship?  We invited two of the most prolific worship song writers and worship leaders today to help us get a better understanding. Pat Barrett and Benjamin William Hastings are not...

People are opinionated, many are volatile, so how do we share our faith in a meaningful and compassionate way?  Facebook posts,  yelling at people outside a 'secular' concert, or mixing it with politics just don't work.  How can we be effective and loving?  In other words, how do we share our faith without being weird about it?   Our friend, pastor, and psychologist Jon Engen joins us again to tal...

We ask a lot of questions in our podcast, questions about music, faith, theology, movies... And we ask our guests a lot of questions.  This time, it's your turn!  You submitted questions, and we answer them!  Some questions are personal, some are fun, but they all pull out some great stories!  This is a relaxed, fun episode, where your questions lead us on a winding path!   If you havn't yet, plea...