Consider It Joy

What Does a Missionary Actually Do? (with Cecil Ramos)

Do they walk through jungles with machetes? Do they just hand out tracts? Are they pushing western culture into the third world countries?  What does a missionary actually do? This episode we talk to our close friend Cecil Ramos who has been on the mission field for a decade. He helps us understand the difference between some of the past perceptions of what a Global Worker does, ways it has been done right as well as wrong, how it works, and what an average day in the life looks like.
Cecil gives thoughtful answers, insights, and takes on some hard questions.  
Some quick reference episode topics:
00:03:02: Defining 'missionary'
00:07:45: Decision to serve as a missionary with a family
00:10:54: Introduction to the 3D Gospel concept
00:11:53: Presenting Gospel in different ways
00:12:28: Understanding shame honour cultures
00:13:29: Understanding fear power cultures
00:14:09: Culture adjustments as a missionary
00:16:22: Experience and criticism of short term mission trips
00:19:09: Expectations vs reality for a global worker
00:30:29: Impacting Marriages and Parenting
00:31:17: Building Relationships Overseas
00:34:49: Importance of Love in Communication
00:35:38: The Evolving Role of Global Workers
00:37:05: Shift in Approach to Missions
00:38:00: The concept of 'Washing Feet'
00:38:30: Balancing Core Beliefs and Culture Adaptation
00:40:11: Impact and Interpretation of the Great Commission
 
Consider it Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM.  If you enjoyed it, please consider liking & subscribing.  You can find all the ways to listen and interact here.

Should we label music Christian & Secular? (with Chris Cleveland of Stars Go Dim)

What defines a Christian song?  What if a Christian artist does a love song for their spouse, or a secular artist does a song about their faith?  Why do we say someone is a 'Christian artist' but not say, for example, 'Christian Optometrist' if they are a believer? 
Chris Cleveland is the perfect person to have a conversation with about this! Stars Go Dim didn't start as a "Christian" band although he always was, but now they do operate under that label.   
This was a fascinating discussion you don't want to miss!
If you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing, and leaving that 5 star review on Spotify or Apple Podcast!
Quick reference guide showing some of the things we cover:
00:01:23: Definition of Christian vs Secular music
00:03:21: Discussion on defining terms in music
00:04:01: Discussion around labels and preconceived notions
00:04:28: Chris talks about his songwriting process
00:06:07: Discussion about Christian artists and their music
00:07:12: Analysis of recent trends in Christian music and the "worship song"
00:10:32: Worship music and songwriting
00:13:09: Perceptions and standards in Christian music
00:16:55: Living up to the expectations as a Christian artist
00:21:18: The profound influence of secular artists on Christian music.
00:26:20: Debate on 'Secular' Songs and Artists with Christian Messages
00:26:54: The Spirituality in Songwriting
00:30:15: Analysis of Christian Songs in Mainstream Media
00:31:49: The Importance of Music Selection for Children
00:35:58: Parenting and Music Exposure
00:36:40: The Evolution of Christian Music
00:41:12: Dealing with Public Perceptions and Judgements
00:41:36: Discussion on music tastes and extending grace
00:42:55: Defining thoughts and disagreements within the Christian church
00:45:44: Importance of community in gospel
Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  You can find out more, connect, and all the ways to listen by clicking here!
 

Are We Living in the End Times? - Questions and Answers (with Jon Engen)

Are we living in the end times?
If you talk about the 'end times' in the church, you will likely get one of these responses. "Oh yeah, I read all the Left Behind books"  "have you seen what's happening in (fill in the blank with a middle eastern country)"  or "Revelation is weird and confusing"
There are a lot of hot takes about the book of Revelation and living in the end times, but not a lot of thoughtful discussion.  For some it causes worry, for others, confusion.  We sit down with pastor Jon Engen to straighten some things out, and how to have a healthy, sensible approach to considering what the Bible ways about 'the last days.'
Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA. Our goal is to have helpful and casual conversations about every day faith. 
Find all the ways to connect with us here!
If you enjoy these types of approachable conversations about faith, please consider subscribing, we are a non-profit 501(c)3 and rely on listeners to help spread the word, and share 5 star ratings to help us reach more people.
Key points in the episode:
00:06:26: The Divisiveness and Confusion in End Times Interpretations
00:10:16: Discussion on end times and its influence
00:10:24: The Book of Revelation's role and purpose
00:11:16: Analysing the interpretation of end times in religious texts
00:12:32: Issue with the interpretation of end times
00:13:21: Comparison between politics and the Bible
00:13:56: Difficulties in comprehending the end times
00:14:33: Specific prophecies in relation with the end times
00:14:55: Discussion on signs of end times
00:15:28: Reference to historical events as signs of end times
00:16:37: Variety of opinions on the truth of the end times
00:20:13: Impact of Reading the Left Behind Series on Personal Faith
00:25:13: Encouragement to Christians About End Times
00:27:02: Interpretation of Bible's Closed-Handed and Open-Handed Concepts.
00:36:34: Relationship with Revelation and Israel
00:37:26: Taking a Faith-Driven Approach
00:38:24: Avoiding Timeline Predictions
00:39:17: Understanding the Letters to the Churches
00:40:54: Fear-Driven Conversations
00:44:07: The Need for Realignment with the Presence of God
 

Bonus Episode! Stunts, Action, and Ministry (with professional stunt woman Brenda Lorena Garcia)

What's it like getting thrown off of a car and caught by Vin Diesel?  Brenda Garcia knows. Brenda is a professional stunt performer & actor who has been in some of the biggest movies!  Ant Man & The Wasp, Fast X, Transformers, and many more!  She talks about her life in the stunt world, the scariest stunts she's had to do, and how she has been able to keep her faith strong in Hollywood.
 
You can connect with Brenda on Facebook     and see her incredible list of accomplishments here.
You can also follow on IG at @BrendaLGarcia or Twitter @BrendaLGarciaX
 
Consider it Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  If you enjoy the podcast, subscribing and rating really does go a long way in helping us get the word out.  You can find all the ways to connect with us, our station, and our daily show at consideritjoypodcast.com 
 

Hollywood, Youtube, and Jesus (with Sean Chandler)

We love movies. We also love Jesus.  Sometimes the church community has a hard time navigating those things, or developing a standard for them.  On this episode we are joined by one of the top movie reviewers on Youtube, Sean Chandler.  Sean is a former pastor who switched to full time work as a Youtuber after a powerful testimony unfolded in his life. What is the right perspective to have on Hollywood, Youtube, and Jesus?  Is Hollywood evil? What's the deal with faith-based movies? Was Sean REALLY in a ska band? Join us for a fun and lively conversation of a shared love of film and faith.
 
If you love movies, make sure to like & subscribe Sean Chandler at Sean Chandler Talks, and Sean Chandler Plus.
You can also find out more about his speaking engagements and live presentations here.
 
Speaking of liking and subscribing, if you enjoy this podcast, we are a non-profit organization and it would help us tremendously if you would be willing to rate & subscribe to this show.  You can find out more about us and the radio station we are based out of at Consideritjoypodcast.com 

History of CCM - How Did We Get Here? (with industry legend Chris Hauser)

Whether you love Christian music, don't like it, or just share memes about it, the winding road of how it became what it is today is fascinating.  The name Chris Hauser probably isn't familiar to you, but is known to everyone within the industry.  Not only has he seen the growth of CCM first hand, he has been a massive part of shaping it.  He is also one of the kindest humans on earth. Join us as we walk through the decades starting with the Jesus Movement, and track the major artists and events (good and bad) that shaped the entire Christian Music Industry.
 
Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  We take an honest and candid look at music, faith, and where they intersect.  We would greatly appreciate anyone willing to subscribe, and to share a 5 star rating (that helps us grow the show). You can find more ways to listen and connect by clicking here.

If God is so good, why is life so messed up?

Honestly, we've all asked this before.  We welcome our friend, pastor & psychologist Jon Engen for a candid conversation on the problem of pain. For anyone who has gone through the really hard stuff, maybe even questioned God and struggled with this idea, this episode is for you. 
Consider It Joy is a podcast with open and honest conversations about faith and music. Please consider subscribing wherever you get podcasts!  If you're willing, sharing a 5 star rating also really helps us get the word out.
For more information on the show, or hosts, or to check out 88.3 Life FM where this podcast comes from, you can connect to all of the above here!
 

The Secrets behind Making Songs - With Scott Cash of We The Kingdom

Much more goes into the creation of your favorite songs and albums than you realize.  Artist and long time music producer Scott Cash (We The Kingdom) drops some pretty stunning secrets of the process! Songwriting is often not what you think, and just wait until you hear about 'live' albums...
(please consider rating and subscribing!)
 
Consider It Joy is the official podcast of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA, but available worldwide through the 883 Life FM app. We like to talk about music and faith.  Click here to get to know us more!

Our 6 Most underrated (and personally impacting) Christian albums

Welcome to the first episode of Consider It Joy, the official podcast of 88.3 Life FM. It only made sense that our first episode explore our favorite subject - Christian music.  Matt & Aaron spotlight 6 albums that were both underrated, and personally impactful.  Discover some music you may not have even known existed!
 
Be sure to subscribe wherever you get podcasts.  You can also find all our social links and connections at Consider It Joy