How to communicate to others with honesty and clarity, plus tips for adulting well, and addressing a struggle with OCD.

Featured musical artist: Nathan Tasker

Roundtable: Say What You Mean

You’re trying to plan an event, but you can’t get anyone to RSVP. You know you have to turn someone down, but you don’t want to hurt their feelings. You started a text trail with a friend, and now they’ve gone MIA. Sound familiar? Why is it so hard to initiate, commit, respond, be honest — all the things that are hallmarks of mature communication? Our guests discuss the importance of following up, showing up, and speaking up honestly in our relationships. There’s a reason the Bible says, “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil (Matt. 5:37). Together we can learn how to do better, starting with this conversation.

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Culture: How to Be an Adult

At 19, Tez Brooks took a leap of faith and moved 1,000 miles away from home. He soon had a rude awakening that being an adult is no easy task; he couldn’t even do his own laundry. Now the author of “Adult-o-Nomics,” a fun yet practical guide to mastering life skills, Tez addresses our need to take responsibility, master necessary tasks, relate to the opposite sex, and more.

Adult-o-Nomics: How to Nail It On Your Own

Tez’s Website

Inbox: A Christian Approach to OCD

Our listener admittedly wrestles with OCD and is looking for help from a Christian perspective. Counselor Tim Sanford weighs in.

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The perils of ghosting, plus a fitness coach’s God-centered approach to health, and should you get married if you’re poor?

Featured musical artist: Aaron Shust

Roundtable: Alternatives to Ghosting

“I’ve been ghosted!” It’s a common complaint among daters, but it happens in friendships and other contexts as well. Whether you’re guilty of ghosting or have been on the receiving end of this annoyingly passive “dump,” we’d all agree there are better, kinder, and healthier ways to end a relationship, say no, and move on. Our guests disclose their own confessions and frustrations around ghosting, and offer alternative solutions for these awkward junctures in relationships.

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Culture: Putting God in Your Fitness

If your January fitness goals have already been jettisoned, maybe it’s time to take a different approach. Professional fitness coach Kim Dolan Leto thinks one of our biggest diet and exercise mistakes as Christians is not inviting God into the process. But does God care about workouts and weigh-ins? What can Kim possibly be talking about? Far from a shame-based, effort-intensive plan, Kim’s approach to getting healthy is grounded in Scripture and a holistic view of how God designed our bodies to work. If you’re tired of white-knuckling your fitness goals only to fail yet again, this conversation deserves a listen.

Fit God’s Way: Your Bible-Based Guide to Food, Fitness, and Wholeness

Kim’s Website

Fit God’s Way

Inbox: Can I Get Married if I’m Poor?

Culture tells us we need to be financially secure before adding marriage to the mix. Is that true, or can you get married even if you’re poor? Counselor Joannie DeBrito weighs in.

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What confidence looks like, plus a young adult’s journey with chronic pain, and how to honor God in everyday life.

Featured musical artist: Mosaic MSC

Roundtable: Confident Relationships, Work and Identity

What is confidence, and how do you get it? It’s probably more than Julie Andrews dancing around a Salzburg fountain and chirping, “I have confidence!” Yet it seems that some elements of confidence can be learned, if not merely wished into existence. Our guests share tips for being more confident on the job, in relationships, and in understanding who you are.

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Culture: Young Adults and Chronic Pain

Olivia Feller started having weird symptoms in her teens. Doctor after doctor failed to provide a diagnosis, cure, or even relief, and eventually Olivia’s pain became debilitating. College was a blur of medical appointments, skipped classes and missed milestones and events. Olivia, still on her journey, learned to face pain and chronic illness head-on as she turned to the only one with the answers — God himself. She shares what worked, what didn’t work, and how God, friends and others were her strength when she had none.

Hold Hope: Encouragement for Christians with Chronic Pain

Inbox: How Do I Honor God?

What does it mean to “honor God” and others in the life we live and the choices we make? It’s a big question that one of our counselors sheds some light on.

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The difference between rest and procrastination, plus a challenge to go 40 days alcohol-free, and do girlfriends need to submit to their boyfriends?

Featured musical artist: Danen Kane

Roundtable: Are You Resting or Procrastinating?

When you’re working hard to reach new goals, it’s important to pace yourself and not burn yourself out. But can you tell the difference between true rest and straight-up procrastination? Our guests share their best insights on when it’s time to take a break versus when it’s time to get off the couch and get busy.

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Culture: The Case for Sobriety

Christy Osborne had long been a casual drinker, but when her mother died, she became alcohol-dependent. Her downtime, social time and vacation time revolved around booze. Although Scripture isn’t absolute on the issue of drinking in moderation, Christy knew that alcohol had become central to her life. She explored what sobriety might look like: how it would affect her health, relationships and mindset. Now a sobriety coach, Christy joins us to share her journey and suggestions for making an objective assessment of our relationship with alcohol.

Love Life Sober: A 40-Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind

Inbox: Should a Woman Submit to Her Boyfriend?

Scripture tells wives to submit to their husbands. In dating, does that same principle apply between women and their boyfriends? Counselor Brenda Huerta weighs in.

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Embracing changes in a new year, plus what grief looks like, and do you hate responsibility?

Featured musical artist: Ginny Owens

Roundtable: New Year, New Opportunities

A new job. An engagement. Starting a dating relationship. Moving to a new place. One of the beauties of life is the chance to grow, try new things, and step into adventure. But with change comes a whole new set of challenges. To share wisdom on getting through adjustments you’ll make this year, our guests discuss what lessons they’ve learned through life’s transitions.

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Culture: The Process of Grief

Grief comes in many forms. Whether death, injury, disappointment or betrayal, grief often arrives unannounced and without an instruction manual. Rather than progressing in a straight line or on a specific timetable, grief moves in cycles. At least that’s what counselor and educator Dr. Ray Mitsch says. The victim of a serious accident that has him in constant pain, Dr. Mitsch walks us through how to navigate the different components of grief, how to comfort the grieving, and when to know it’s time to get professional help in processing loss.

The Seasons of Our Grief: Embracing the Journey

Inbox: I Don’t Like Responsibility

Being a grownup means taking responsibility for everything from life skills to decisions to how we treat others. That doesn’t mean it’s easy, though. If you’re responsibility-averse, you’ll be encouraged by the words of counselor Jeff Brown.

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Article: Adult Before 30?

Intentional relationships with non-Christians, plus what happened after Jesus’ birth, and when friends deconstruct their faith.

Featured musical artist: James Peden

Roundtable: Out of the Christian Bubble

Many of us have at least one friend, family member or coworker who’s not a Christian. But if we’re honest, we tend to spend most of our time with other believers; between family, church, ministry opportunities and small group, it’s easy to stay in a faith-filled comfort zone. What are intentional ways to mix it up, branch out, and get out of the Christian “bubble”? Our guests discuss ways they’ve learned to step out of their routines, build community, and be a light for Christ.

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Culture: First Christmas, Then Herod

If you were part of our Advent text experience, you heard regularly from John Greco. This week he reflects on lessons he’s learned from his extensive study of Advent, and why it’s good for Christians to think of the Christmas story in the bigger context of history. To that end, he’ll read a short excerpt from his book “Rediscovering Christmas” titled “The Nightmare After Christmas.”

Rediscovering Christmas: A Twelve-Day Journey to the Manger

Inbox: When Friends Leave the Faith

How do you respond when a friend announces, “I’m done being a Christian”? One of our counselors weighs in.

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Article: When a Pastor Like Josh Harris Abandons Christianity

How to be a fun date, plus sharing Jesus with the cynical and deconstructed, and how do you accept your current situation in life?

Featured musical artist: Ellie Holcomb

Roundtable: Fun Date Ideas

Dating doesn’t always have to be serious. In fact, your ability to have fun as a couple is a good litmus test for whether you should marry. Our guests share their best strategies for staying chill in the dating process, as well as some of their most creative date ideas.

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Culture: The Gospel for Young Adults

Aaron Pierce grew up a missionary kid in Amsterdam and saw his parents share the gospel with people in some of the darkest corners of the city. He’s now part of his parents’ ministry, specializing in reaching non-religious young adults with the hope of Jesus Christ. In his experience, what are the most natural, “just be yourself” ways to reach your peers? You’ll probably need to get out of your comfort zone, but chances are you’ll have conversations that are meaningful and eternity-focused. Join the conversation to hear some of Aaron’s best stories and suggestions.

Not Beyond Reach: How to Share Jesus with the Young, the Deconstructed, and the Non-Religious

Steiger International

Inbox: Accepting Where You Are

Your current season of life might be great or it could be a mess. Regardless of your circumstances, how do you come to terms with where you are today? Counselor Tim Sanford weighs in.

Guest: Tim Sanford

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Article: Managing Anxiety

Article: How to Develop a Resilient Mindset

Link to Counseling Services

Sibling time over the holidays, plus trading anxiety for peace, and should you change jobs to advance your career?

Featured musical artist: About a Mile

Roundtable: Sibling Connections at Christmas

What are your sibling dynamics like during the holidays? Some of us have great relationships with our brothers and sisters, but for others, interactions and conversations can be shallow, awkward, or even tense. Our guests share both good and difficult moments they’ve had with their siblings; if you aren’t sure how to connect meaningfully with your family this Christmas, you’ll be encouraged by our discussion.

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Culture: What God Does With Anxiety

Rates of anxiety among young adults are at an all-time high. How do we cope? Do we white-knuckle it and hope things get better? Not according to Whitney Lowe, who argues that God not only can but wants to take our anxiety if we’ll bring it to Him. Join us for practical suggestions for setting our minds on God and bringing peace to our minds and hearts.

Set Your Eyes Higher: A 40-Day Reset to Slow Your Anxiety and Fix Your Focus on God

Whitney’s Instagram

Inbox: Will Changing Jobs Put Me Ahead?

Some suggest that if you change jobs, you’ll advance in your career more quickly. But is that actually true? Career expert Marshonda Dixon weighs in.

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