The CrossCounsel Podcast

Bob Jackson is relatively new to CrossCounsel, but the change in his life has been, in his words, a "night and day difference." In this unscripted conversation, Bob shares how moving from self-protection to surrender has brought a new sense of peace, freedom, and dependence on Christ. Along the way, Steve introduces the "cannonball with skin on" illustration to explore how Jesu...

In this episode of the CrossCounsel Podcast, Steve reflects on emotionally healthy spirituality, hidden pain, and the tension many Christians feel between outward faith and inward struggle. Drawing from a recent class discussion and the CrossCounsel MELT process, the conversation explores how buried anger, grief, fear, and shame often remain underneath spiritual performance and Christian language....

Steve concludes his conversation with Dwight Clough where they discuss how true transformation begins not with information, but with intentionally meeting with God in the places we most want to avoid. They emphasize that God has a meaningful mission for each person and desires to walk closely with us, bringing both joy and purpose. Rather than running from pain, growth comes when we willingly step...

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Dwight Clough around two foundational questions: Who are we, and why are we here? Dwight points to the Great Commission as central to our purpose—not as a narrow call to make statements, but to make disciples. He draws a clear distinction between making declarations and actually loving people well, as Jesus did. True disciple-making begins within,...

In this conversation, Steve Freitag sits down with Dwight Clough , author and longtime friend of CrossCounsel. Dwight and his wife Kim first connected with the ministry nearly 25 years ago, shortly after the events of 9/11, when they encountered the teaching of Dr. Ed Smith and the foundations of what would later become known as the MELT process and Transformational Prayer Ministry . Dwight is the...

This title reflects an important reality: while this episode concludes our focused MELT series, the work of truth and transformation in our lives never truly concludes. In this conversation, Steve and Mary finish their discussion on the T in MELT — Truth and Transformation , bringing this series to a close for the time being . They reflect on why identifying memories, emotions, and lies is only pa...

Last week we reached the final letter of MELT — the T. This episode is Part 2 of 3 focused specifically on Truth and Transformation. If you haven’t yet listened to Episodes 184–190, we encourage you to start there. Those conversations lay the practical foundation for understanding what MELT is and how it works. There are biblical insights woven throughout, but this isn’t abstract theology — it’s g...

Steve and Mary begin their discussion on the final letter of MELT — Truth and Transformation. In this episode, they clarify the difference between information and transformation, and why managing behavior or repairing patterns is not the same as removing the lie underneath them. What sets CrossCounsel apart is its emphasis on T & T — allowing the Spirit of Jesus to persuade the heart into His...

This episode flows directly from Episode 188 and is meant to be heard in that context, where the foundational CrossCounsel teaching on lies—heart-level beliefs that drive emotional pain—was clearly defined. Building on that foundation, Mary and I explore how these beliefs form through life experiences and continue to shape emotion, behavior, and relationships long after the events themselves. At t...

In this episode, Steve and Mary return to the basics of CrossCounsel and the MELT process. Steve begins the podcast by clarifying what we mean by core lies , how they form through life experiences, and why these heart-level beliefs—rather than memories or circumstances themselves—are what drive emotional pain. If you’ve missed our recent episodes on memory and emotion, this introduction will be es...

We take a brief detour from our series on defining the MELT Process to sit down with Lindsay Bonnar . Lindsay shares with ease how the MELT Process has impacted not only her own life, but the lives of her family as well. Steve also offers a few reflections on how addressing lie-based thinking doesn’t simply resolve wounds from the past, but can also serve as a form of prevention—interrupting patte...

This episode begins with Steve laying some groundwork around emotion—why it matters, what it reveals, and how it fits within the MELT process, illustrated through an everyday moment at Costco. Later in the episode, Mary joins Steve to expand on these ideas and reflect together on how emotional awareness can open the door to deeper transformation. CrossCounsel Website CrossCounsel on Facebook

We wanted to come back to the topic of memory—not because we missed something last time, but because memory matters more than most people realize. It’s not just about what happened; it’s about what continues to shape us, often outside of our awareness. In this conversation, Steve and Mary build on the previous episode and add real-life examples from ministry and experience. We talk about how unres...

Steve and Mary reflect on the importance of submitting to the Spirit’s work in your own life so you can more faithfully love and help others. The oxygen mask illustration still applies. Today’s episode focuses primarily on Memory—the M in MELT. We emphasize memory because biblical transformation doesn’t happen by correcting ideas, but by returning to the moments where core beliefs were formed. In...

This episode offers another glimpse into the heart of our training community. You’ll hear from Susan Hulet, founder of Mercy House, as she shares a deeply significant moment with Jesus while MELTing through the tragic loss of her father more than 50 years ago. She also recalls her first MELT session—an experience that may encourage many who are just beginning their own journey. You’ll also hear fr...

Steve and Mary conclude their discussion on the history of CrossCounsel. If you haven’t listened to Episode 181, we encourage you to start there—it sets the stage for everything they cover here. They highlight how easily we make excuses when life doesn’t go our way and how quickly that can distort our understanding of God’s character. They share how, even as CrossCounsel has remained anchored to i...

Mary Carlton returns to the podcast as we revisit Our Ongoing Origin Story —the foundations of what makes CrossCounsel different. We share how our separate journeys led us into this ministry approach and how it transformed everything for us—and for those we serve. Together, we explore the authority of Scripture, the true meaning of transformation, and how The MELT Process helps uncover the protect...

You’ve heard of Plato and Aristotle—two philosophers who shaped how we think about truth, reality, and the soul. But Scripture offers something richer: sōma —the whole person, body and spirit, mind and heart, all woven together in transformation. In this episode, we take a short but meaningful detour into Steve's college days—yes, including that dreaded philosophy class—and connect the dots b...

While visiting Seacoast Grace Church in Cypress, California, Steve sat in on a message from Lead Pastor Cody Surratt that caught him off guard—in the best way. What began as a simple object lesson with a kitchen table, a high chair, a bench, and a few family seats became a vivid picture of spiritual growth. Cody’s illustration echoed the very heartbeat of CrossCounsel: that following Jesus isn’t a...

A late-night call, one of Hannah's brothers in crisis, and a heart heavy with guilt—Hannah’s story could have stayed there. But later, God used the quiet image of a monarch chrysalis as a crucial part of seeing both transformation and dying—something He was also working within her. Through the MELT Process, Hannah came to see how long she’d been trying to carry and control what was never hers...

In this moving conversation, Hannah shares how her life shifted from striving—not only as a high-level student-athlete, but in nearly every area of her life. When she first walked through the doors at CrossCounsel, she was battling suicidal thoughts. Since then, her journey has been nothing short of remarkable—moving from despair to living hopeful and helping others find freedom. Her story is hone...

In a world where disagreement is often labeled as hatred and offense is treated as evidence of harm, Steve Freitag and Shane Buol explore how the MELT Process offers a radically different path. When emotions flare in response to truth—whether from Scripture, a friend, or a news headline—those reactions reveal more about our hearts than about reality itself. Through transformation, God refines not...

In this episode, you’ll hear firsthand stories of how the Lord has been at work—taken directly from a weekly Zoom gathering. You’ll also hear Mary’s heart and her unwavering commitment to ensuring that when people receive truth, it is genuine and authentic. We believe you’ll be encouraged and stirred to press in more deeply to what God wants to do in your own life. CrossCounsel Website CrossCounse...

In this episode of the CrossCounsel Podcast, we sit down with Byron Guerra, youth pastor at Thirst Church (https://www.thirstchurch.org) in Oconomowoc, WI, and his longtime friend, mentor, and CrossCounsel facilitator, Chuck Schroeter. Byron didn’t begin in ministry — his early years were spent as a land surveyor and doing tree work. The conversation kicks off with a funny, forgotten story from Ch...

In this episode, we dive into what AJ & Hillary have been learning, especially an eye-opening anger exercise that led to real freedom. We don’t just tell people to “let go of anger.” Instead, we explore why we hold onto it in the first place. Many believe anger protects them or gives them control, but true transformation happens when we replace false beliefs with God’s truth. Anger may drive a...