Consider It Joy

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 your support this year!  We don't make any money off of this, it's just something we want to provide so that you can have more great and positive content!  Really appreciate you for being a part of it! Find out all the ways to listen and connect here! Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA

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 time.  However, these never-before-heard stories make it worth your time! Enjoy the story behind the album that changed an industry, and impacted an entire generation! Please check out all the other topics and guests on our show!  You can find all the ways to listen and connect here!   Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  Find out more on the 88.3 Life FM app!

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 to our radio show M-F from 2-7pm, anywhere in the world!  Find all the ways to listen and connect here!

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 bring some insights to what is or isn't true in these accusations.  Whether you love Christian music, or wish we could go back to 'what music used to be' this episode sheds a lot of light on the issue.     Please feel free to share your feedback!  You can find all the ways to listen and connect here! Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, California.  Listen to us anywhere, anytime on the 88.3 Life FM app!

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 be wrong? -is 'choosing the lesser evil' Biblical? -Kingdom VS country It's an open and honest discussion that we honestly believe everyone should hear.  Please share this episode, and lets all work together on being better at loving God and loving people! Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  You can find all the ways to listen and connect here!

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 for him.   This is an episode of hope for anyone who feels like things didn't play out they way they thought they would. If you haven't already, please hit subscribe, and check out our other episodes.  We have lots of guests and tons of engaging topics! You can find all the ways to listen and connect here! Check out Steve Wiggins Groundworks Ministries here!

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 churches, seen incredible ministry happen, struggled along the way, and tells us how in the world Snoop got featured in one of his songs. Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  Please consider subscribing!  You can find all the ways to listen and connect here! Be sure to follow Steven Malcolm @stevenmalcolmmusic on IG

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 church.   Be sure to also check out the episode before this, with What We Get Wrong about Athiests.     Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  Find more ways to listen and connect here!

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 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  Please support us by leaving a rating and hitting subscribe!  You can find all the ways to listen or connect here!

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 artist in various aspects of the entertainment industry, and worked with some of the biggest franchises. We have a thoughtful conversation about creating personal standards when it comes to the media you consume, and our take on it might surprise you. Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM, out of Bakersfield CA.  Please take a moment to subscribe and leave a rating!  You can find all the ways to listen and connect here!

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 It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  Find all the ways to connect and listen here!

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 personal, relatable, and helpful.  Whether you or someone you know is dealing with mental health issues/struggles, you definitely need to hear this one. Please be sure to check out more about Lydia and the resources available at her website here! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, that helps us out A LOT! Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  You can find all the ways to listen and connect here!

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 just performers, but writers behind some of the biggest worship songs (Barrett: Good Good Father, Build My Life; Hastings: Gratitude, So Will I).   If you've ever wrestled with those questions about worship, or not been sure how to answer people who have those ideas, this episode is for you!   Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM from Bakersfield, CA.  You can find ways to listen and connect here! Please consider subscribing, rating, and sharing with a friend!  That would really help us out a lot!

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 talk through this, with a lot of laughs and valuable insights.   Consider It  Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  You can listen to us every day 2-7pm PST during the week!  Find all the ways to listen and connect here!

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, please consider subscribing (and rating if you're using Apple or Spotify).  We don't make any money, we just volunteer our time to do this.  Those follows & ratings help us out a TON to get the word out!     Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM out of Bakersfield, CA.  You can listen to us every M-F from 2-7pm on the 88.3 Life FM app!  Find all the ways to connect here!

Deconstruction has been a big topic around the church, and a lot of people, like with everything else, have taken sides on it.  This episode asks what is deconstruction? What does it look like when it happens?  Is it bad? Can it be a good thing? We invited Preston Ulmer, a pastor and author of the books 'The Doubters Club' and 'Deconstruct Faith, Discover Jesus' to help us define the word, and share some hope with those who are facing it.  Whether you know someone who is going through a deconstruction, or you yourself have been struggling with your faith or some questions and doubts, this episode is for you.   As always, we take a thoughtful look at the issue, from a perspective of faith and loving others.   If you are interested in reading more on the subject, we HIGHLY recommend both books by Preston, which you can find here. Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, California.  You can listen to us each day on the 88.3 Life FM app from 2-7pm PST.  For more ways to connect or listen, just click here!   If you enjoyed the episode, check out our other topics, and please consider subscribing and rating this podcast, that would help us out tremendously!

There have been SO MANY amazing theme songs over the years.  From the animated shows of the 80s, to the sitcoms of the 90s, even the public television educational shows had some real jams! Join us as we walk through some of the best of all time, and attempt to declare the best TV theme song ever created. Will you agree?  Will the people revolt against us? Either way, you'll love this nostalgic trip down memory lane and the theme songs that will stick in your head forever.  Our show is topical, so be sure to check all the different, thought-provoking episodes of Consider It Joy!  Please subscribe and rate, as that helps us out a TON.   Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  You can find all the ways to listen and connect here.

Some people get excited about them, others cringe.  We thought it was time to have a thoughtful conversation about Christian movies.  We invited back our friend Sean Chandler, one of the top movie critics on YouTube, to talk about things like: Where are they getting it right, and where can they improve?Should we label movies as 'Christian' and 'non-Christian?'How Christians are portrayed in Christian movies, but also in mainstream movies Join Consider It Joy for a thoughtful and honest look at this genre, and a thought-provoking discussion about the intersection of faith and cinema. If you love movies, make sure to subscribe to Sean Chandler Talks About by clicking here. Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM from Bakersfield, CA.  You can find out all the ways to connect and listen by clicking here!

Ever wonder what the process is to write a song?  Anyone can write a song, but when you get a recording contract, is there a specific process?  Are there requirements?  Do record labels get to control the songs that are written?  We talk to our favorite recording artist Steven Stanley about it all. BUT, the BEST PART, we attempt to write a song in real time, have Stephen perform it, and share the live recording.  Listen in to a hilarious song writing project from idea to produced recording! Get ready to journey deep into the valuable insights of the songwriting process and enticing behind-the-scenes secrets from the music industry.   Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM in Bakersfield, CA.  You can listen to hosts Matt & Aaron Monday - Friday every week!  Find all the ways to listen and connect here!  And please consider subscribing and leaving us a positive review to help us reach more people!

In the world of Christian apologetics, it is easy to move from backing up something you believe, to aggressively being defensive about it. In a time where everyone seems to be defensive, what is a better way to approach this?  Do we really need to engage every argument that comes our way?  What if it's ok to simply say "I don't know."  Join us for a refreshing and eye opening approach to apologetics.  We are joined this week by returning guests pastor and psychologist Jon Engen, and Cecil Ramos.  If you are enjoying this podcast, please consider subscribing and sharing a 5 star rating.  We feel these are important conversations to have, and your rating can really help us reach more people! Consider It Joy is a production of 88.3 Life FM out of Bakersfield, CA.  You can listen to us through our app, or find all the ways to connect here!