Deep Spirituality

I sat down with a man who almost died proving he was enough — and what he found on the other side changed how I see my heart, my leadership, and honestly, my own life. This is what to do when your life stalls, and how that stall might set you free.My guest is Dale Sellers, author of Stalled, and his story starts with a quadruple bypass at 53. He had no family history and no warning. He shared with me that he had spent his life running toward a "there" that never arrived. What we uncover together at the root of this story goes beyond burnout. Dale shares about the father wound that quietly shaped his whole relationship with God, the moment a confession to a friend lifted what felt like a thousand pounds off his chest, and why "destination disease" — believing we will finally be whole once we arrive somewhere — keeps so many of us stuck.We also get honest about comparison and how we can poison churches, careers, and friendships when we measure our lives against everyone else's. If you've ever felt like you should be further along by now, this conversation is for you. You're not behind. You're not a failure. You are already approved — and freedom comes the moment you embrace where you actually are.WHO IS DALE SELLERS?Dale Sellers is a veteran pastor and Executive Director of 95Network with 40 years of experience in leadership burnout recovery. Author of Stalled: Hope and Help for Pastors Who Are Weary, Why-less, and Wandering, he helps leaders move from survival to mission-driven vision.DALE'S LINKS:Dale’s book: Stalled: Hope and Help for Pastors Who Thought They’d Be There by Now (https://www.amazon.com/dp/083079302X)Dale’s website: The Renewed Pastor (https://therenewedpastor.org)SCRIPTURES:Proverbs 4:23 NLTPsalm 27:13 NKJVPsalm 61:2 NIVEphesians 4:11-12 NIVMatthew 28:19-20 NIVActs 1:8 NIVLuke 18:8 NIVMatthew 9:36-37 VOICEPsalm 90:14 NIVCHAPTERS:00:00 - Welcome to The Spiritual Frontier: What To Do When Your Heart Stalls09:34 - The Surgery That Woke Up His Heart14:39 - The Father Wound Behind The Drive To Prove Himself20:55 - The Confession That Set Him Free30:32 - Escaping The Comparison Trap39:39 - The Five Quiet Habits That Poison Us51:32 - Why You Can Stop Hoarding And Start Building Lives58:41 - You Are Already Approved

If you've ever wondered whether Gen Z still wants anything to do with God, this conversation is for you. Dr. Tanita Maddox, Gen Z expert and the National Director for Generational Impact at Young Life, has spent 26 years on the front lines of Gen Z ministry, and what she taught me about talking to Gen Z about God completely reframed how I see this generation — and it's the most hopeful conversation I've had in a long time.We dig into why relationships — not statistics, not sermons, not slick programs — are still the doorway into faith for young people. Tanita shares the three things Gen Z says makes them actually feel listened to, why so many of them trust a stranger on TikTok more than the adults in their own home, and the surprising reason AI is becoming a competing spiritual authority in their lives. We also talk honestly about why being comfortable with being uncomfortable might be the most important skill we can give our kids — and ourselves.This one is for parents wondering how to reach their teenager, for pastors wondering why Gen Z church attendance doesn't always translate into real faith, and for anyone who's ever felt rejected while trying to love someone well. There is so much hope found in this conversation, and I think you're going to walk away encouraged, equipped, and ready to show up differently in the lives of the young people God has placed around you.TANITA'S LINKS:​Website — https://tanitamaddox.com/​Book — https://a.co/d/0btS5MXaCHAPTERS:​00:00 - Meet Dr. Tanita Maddox & Her Heart for Gen Z ​08:14 - Why Relationships Open Every Door to Faith ​20:06 - Trust Lives in People, Not Institutions ​26:19 - Answering the Questions They're Actually Asking ​30:53 - How to Truly Listen to Your Kids ​37:08 - Is AI Becoming a Spiritual Guide? ​45:30 - Getting Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable ​51:08 - The Power of Just Showing UpSCRIPTURES: ​1 Corinthians 9:22 NASB95​Psalm 22:30 NLT​Psalm 71:18 NIV​Acts 13:36 NIV​Exodus 33:11 TLB​2 Timothy 3:10 NIV

What if I told you there's hard data proving the Bible is changing lives right now — not someday, not in theory, but measurably, scientifically, today? Dr. John Plake from the American Bible Society joins me to unpack the research behind Bible engagement and mental health. Honestly, it left me smiling.Dr. Plake leads the State of the Bible study—the longest-running research on how Americans engage with Scripture—and what he's found is genuinely hopeful. People who are deeply engaged with the Bible show lower anxiety, lower traumatic stress, and higher hope than those who aren't. Harvard's Human Flourishing Study confirms it. Gen Zers, who statistically struggle the most with anxiety and depression, look completely different when they're Scripture engaged — like they've unlocked something their peers haven't found yet.We also dig into the real barrier holding people back: it's not desire, it's guidance. Millions of people want to read the Bible but don't know where to start, what translation to pick, or how to make sense of it. Dr. Plake breaks down practical first steps—from finding the right translation to using audio and video to build a consistent habit—so we can turn curiosity into a life-giving relationship with Scripture. If you've ever picked up a Bible and felt lost, this episode is your on-ramp.JOHN’S LINKS:State of the Bible → https://sotb.americanbible.orgAmerican Bible Society → https://www.americanbible.org YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanBibleSociety SCRIPTURES SHARED:Isaiah 55:10-11 NIVJohn 10:10 NIVHebrews 4:12 NIVCHAPTERS:00:00 — Trailer01:03 — The Data Behind a Life-Changing Book05:02 — Why Accessibility Matters More Than "The Right" Translation11:00 — You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone12:28 — Inside America's Curiosity Wave23:24 — What the Fastest-Growing Group Can Teach Us All40:49 — The Well-Being Breakthrough: Hope, Resilience, and Science47:41 — Rebuilding Real Community, One Honest Step at a Time

The best podcasts don’t just inform you. They hold up a mirror.That’s what happened the first time I listened to Ryan Wexelblatt, founder of ADHD Dude, licensed social worker, and one of the clearest voices on parenting I’ve ever encountered. I was ten minutes in before I started laughing at myself. Not because he was funny. Because he was right.I knew I had to get him on the Spiritual Frontier.Here’s the reality: 1 in 9 American children, 7 million kids, are carrying an ADHD diagnosis. Behind that number are millions of parents who love their children fiercely and were never handed a map. That’s not a failure. That’s simply where we begin.Here’s a number that stopped me cold: 40% of parents want to be the fun parent. Only 7% want to be seen as strict. But Ryan helped me see what I’d been missing. We’ve confused strictness with structure, and they are not the same thing. Strictness controls a child. Structure sets one free. For a child with ADHD, structure isn’t a cage. It’s the scaffolding they climb to become who they’re capable of being.Ryan doesn’t avoid the difficult. He explains and inspires. That’s his gift. He trades guesswork for what the evidence actually shows: how to read your child’s big emotions instead of fearing them, how to stop rescuing and start equipping, how to raise a child who learns they are capable rather than helpless.This is one of the most enjoyable, inspiring, and detailed episodes I’ve ever produced. Maybe the best yet. Not because it will make you feel you’ve gotten it wrong, but because you’ll walk away believing you can get it right.Don’t miss it.RYAN WEXELBLATT:Ryan Wexelblatt, LCSW, is a licensed social worker, ADHD specialist, and founder of ADHD Dude. An expert in behavior management and executive functioning, Ryan combines clinical expertise with his personal experience to help families replace daily chaos with structural discipline, resilience, and real-world independence.RYAN'S LINKS:​YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@ADHDDude​Podcast → https://open.spotify.com/show/7xATyVhNZU3abIejNIggvD?si=f06f32163dc04dcb​Website → https://www.adhddude.com/SUBSCRIBE TO THE SPIRITUAL FRONTIER:​Deep Spirituality → https://deepspirituality.com/the-spiritual-frontier/​Substack → https://spiritualfrontier.substack.com/CHAPTERS:​00:00 - Trailer00:51 - ADHD Is Not an Attention Problem04:12 - The #1 Mistake in Every ADHD Household08:38 - "Parental Accommodation" Is Making It Worse13:01 - Why Your ADHD Kid Ignores Lectures15:56 - Why Individual Therapy Alone Doesn't Work25:42 - Stop Making ADHD Their Identity28:56 - How to Build Real Confidence (Not Reassurance)36:04 - Scaffolding: Teaching Kids to Do It Themselves

There are places in life most of us are afraid to go.The unknown. The unpredictable. The dreams we’ve quietly stopped believing in. The versions of ourselves we’ve glimpsed but never fully become. These are spiritual struggles. And they’re exactly where the most important growth happens.That’s The Spiritual Frontier.It’s not a place on a map. It’s the courageous decision to stop letting fear write the story of our lives and to start trusting that God has something extraordinary waiting on the other side of our hesitation. Proverbs 29:18 says it plainly: “Without vision, people perish.” The Spiritual Frontier exists to give us that vision back.And it’s for everyone. Whether you’re deeply rooted in faith or just beginning to wonder if there’s something more, you belong here.The Spiritual Frontier includes essays and podcast episodes that will go deep into faith and God—that’s the heartbeat of everything I do. But it won’t stop there. We’ll bring in researchers, psychiatrists, and business leaders. We’ll talk about developing the faith to conquer the things that are real and complex in our lives—like grief, leadership, disabilities, and more. God is the source of all wisdom and understanding, and he wants to fully equip us to be the best we can be in every area of our lives.I’m learning as I go. I’m overcoming my own fears in real time. And I’m inviting you to come with me.Watch the video above for my full launch message, where I share exactly what this new chapter is, where it’s headed, and what’s coming in the very first episode. (Spoiler: it might be the best one I’ve ever made.)The frontier is waiting.Let’s go.SUBSCRIBE TO THE SPIRITUAL FRONTIER:On Deep Spirituality → deepspirituality.com/subscribeOn Substack → spiritualfrontier.org CHAPTERS:00:00 - The Courage to Cross the Frontier00:37 - Welcome to The Spiritual Frontier01:03 - Why We Made This Easier to Access01:46 - Faith Means Facing the Impossible02:18 - The Vision That Changes Everything02:39 - Experts, Psychology & No Gatekeeping04:34 - The ADHD Episode That Changes Everything