Joy Hour

In Episode 63 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman talks about finding joy when life does not look anything like what you expected.

Romans 8:28 reminds us that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. That does not mean everything that happens is good. Pain is real. Disappointment is real. Regret is real. But God is still able to work in the middle of what we do not understand.

Tom shares from his own recovery journey and the consequences of choices he wishes he could change. He talks about rehab, relapse, outpatient treatment, counseling, Celebrate Recovery, accountability, and the process of rebuilding a life one faithful step at a time.

This episode is also about refusing to stay trapped in shame. The past cannot be changed, but it can be surrendered. What once brought embarrassment can become an honest conversation that helps somebody else take a step toward freedom.

Sometimes the goal is not to understand the entire road ahead. Sometimes the next step is simply to tell the truth, ask for help, keep a commitment, stay connected, and obey what you already know to do.

Where has life taken an unexpected turn for you, and what is one faithful step you can take today?

In Episode 62 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman talks about the little things that often bring the biggest joy.

James 1:17 reminds us that every good and perfect gift comes from God. But sometimes those gifts become so familiar that we stop noticing them.

A quiet morning. A cup of coffee. A conversation with someone you love. Laughter with your kids. A few minutes to pray before the day begins.

Tom talks about how easy it is to get focused on the next job, the next bill, the next responsibility, or the next big moment and completely miss what is already good in front of us.

He also shares about a recent Sunday morning spent in the backyard with a cup of coffee, thinking about Jesus and the men in BUILT MEN. There was no big event happening. It was simply a moment to recognize the people God had placed in his life and to be grateful for the relationships that had already become meaningful.

Joy often requires attention. You can be physically present and still miss the moment if your mind is always somewhere else.

The challenge in this episode is simple: put the phone away for one ordinary moment today. Enjoy the meal. Listen to the story. Notice the person sitting across from you. Thank God for what is already there.

What blessing have you been walking past because it looked too ordinary?

In Episode 61 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman talks about what it means to choose joy even when life does not feel joyful.

Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” Paul wrote those words while imprisoned. His circumstances were not easy, but his joy was rooted somewhere deeper than what was happening around him.

Tom explains the difference between happiness that responds to circumstances and joy that is rooted in Jesus. Choosing joy does not mean pretending everything is fine, ignoring pain, or forcing a smile. It can simply mean being honest about a difficult day and still choosing to turn toward God.

Tom also shares from his own life about a season when he avoided early morning prayer because he knew surrender might require sacrifices he was not ready to make. Today, prayer, time with God, and physical discipline have become part of his morning rhythm. The responsibilities are still there, but he is learning to bring them to Jesus before allowing everything else to consume his attention.

The challenge in this episode is simple: before tomorrow becomes busy, take five minutes to pray and thank God for something specific.

Your circumstances may take time to change, but where will you choose to turn today?

In Episode 60 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman sits down with his wife, Lana Lyman, and her parents, Kathy and Glen Williams, for a conversation about faithfulness, calling, service, purpose, and what a successful life really looks like.

Glen and Kathy have spent decades serving others through ministry, teaching, pastoring, Christian education, recovery work, and countless ordinary acts of service that were never about recognition. They share how calling often does not begin with a detailed plan from God. Sometimes it begins by simply being available, doing what is in front of you, and continuing to say yes.

The conversation also challenges the idea that ministry success is measured by platforms, numbers, titles, or influence. Glen shares why he never wanted to chase the stage and how learning to serve the people God placed in front of him became more important than trying to imitate someone else's ministry. Kathy reflects on more than four decades of teaching and the sacrifices their family made because they believed Christian education and ministry were worth investing in.

Lana also explains how understanding temperament can help people stop comparing themselves to others and start recognizing who God actually created them to be. When a person understands their strengths, weaknesses, needs, calling, and purpose, they can stop exhausting themselves trying to become somebody else.

Through stories of ministry, parenting, financial sacrifice, serving when nobody noticed, and staying faithful when the results did not always look impressive, this episode comes back to one central idea: God never said, “Well done, good and successful servant.” He said, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

What would change if you stopped measuring your life by success and started measuring it by faithfulness?

In Episode 59 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman sits down with his wife, Dr. Lana Lyman, for a conversation about what it means to be fully alive instead of simply going through the motions.

Inspired by Lana’s writing, Alive or Only Breathing, this episode explores how easy it is to become good at functioning while losing the ability to experience joy. A person can go to work, raise a family, pay bills, attend church, and fulfill every responsibility while quietly feeling like they are only surviving.

Tom and Lana also open up about their own marriage and the years of addiction, betrayal, and uncertainty they experienced. Lana shares what it was like to lose her joy during those seasons, the difficulty of feeling safe enough to enjoy life again, and how she learned that joy and pain can exist at the same time. Joy does not require pretending that everything is okay.

The conversation also looks at the difference between genuine joy and the temporary relief of entertainment, shopping, scrolling, or other distractions. Lana explains how gratitude helps people recognize what is still good in the middle of difficult circumstances, rather than postponing joy until everything gets better.

Along the way, Tom and Lana share some lighter moments about their family, favorite things, and what brings them joy today. Their challenge is simple: identify one thing that genuinely brings joy and make room for it this week.

Are you fully alive, or have you been so busy surviving that you have forgotten what brings you joy?

In Episode 58 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman sits down with Michele McDonald for a powerful conversation about addiction, recovery, healing, surrender, and the God who restores broken pieces.

Michele shares how her life began with faith, church, and a Bible-believing family, but how pain, divorce, anger, and a lack of real relationship with God led her into a dark season she never expected. What started as searching for relief quickly became a life of addiction, isolation, abuse, shame, and brokenness.

This episode is honest about how fast darkness can take over when someone begins entertaining what they know is destructive. Michele talks about meth addiction, denial, losing relationships, feeling hopeless, and reaching a moment where she believed there was no way out.

But her story did not end there. Michele shares the moment God reached for her in the middle of despair, the decision to leave that life behind, and the long process of recovery, restoration, and healing that followed. Nearly 11 years clean and sober, she now teaches recovery, leads others toward freedom, and helps people understand that healing often happens in steps.

Tom and Michele also talk about forgiveness, inventory, counseling, accountability, recovery groups, and why relationship with God matters more than religious attendance. This episode is a reminder that no story is too broken for God, no person is too far gone, and no testimony is wasted when it is surrendered to Him.

What would change if you stopped believing you were too far gone and started trusting God with the broken pieces?

In Episode 57 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman sits down with Ben Barichivich for a focused conversation about joy, happiness, service, purpose, and how to stay grounded in what really lasts.

Tom and Ben talk through the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is often tied to what happens around us: a new purchase, a good meal, a hobby, a fun moment, or something going right. Joy goes deeper. Joy can remain even when the day is hard, the bills are real, the schedule is full, and life is still requiring faith, discipline, and endurance.

This conversation looks at the ways people often chase happiness through material things, entertainment, hobbies, accomplishments, and comfort, only to find that those things cannot fill the deeper place in the soul. Golf, a boat, a new car, a good meal, or a fun experience can be enjoyed, but they were never meant to become the source.

Tom and Ben also talk about how joy is often unlocked through serving others. Whether it is fixing something, cooking a meal, cleaning, listening to someone who needs to talk, helping a neighbor, volunteering, or simply being present, service has a way of pulling attention away from self and back toward purpose.

This episode is also a reminder that joy is connected to relationship: relationship with Jesus, relationship with family, relationship with brothers, and relationship with people who need encouragement. Sometimes the moment that fills the joy tank is not a dramatic spiritual experience, but a simple act of obedience, kindness, hospitality, or listening.

What would change if you stopped chasing happiness and started locking into joy?

In Episode 56 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman sits down with Kara to hear a powerful testimony of prayer, rebellion, mercy, restoration, and coming back to God.

Kara shares what it was like growing up around Endtime Ministries, prophecy, prayer, church life, and a family deeply committed to the work of God. From an early age, she learned how to pray by listening to her father, and she remembers moments where the presence of God became real to her as a child.

But her story also includes years of pain, manipulation, addiction, destructive relationships, and running from the truth she still knew was real. Kara opens up about being pulled away from God as a teenager, the choices that followed, and the guilt, spiritual conflict, and brokenness that kept trying to hold her life captive.

This conversation also highlights the power of a praying parent. Kara shares how her father went on a 40-day fast, praying for God to save his daughter, and how God began dealing with her in ways she could not ignore. Even when she was far from God, God had not left her.

Tom and Kara talk about the importance of sharing your story, praying “create in me a clean heart,” and doing whatever it takes to get right with God. This episode is a reminder that no one is too far gone, no testimony is wasted, and the same God who restores can use the broken places to help reach somebody else.

What would change if you finally prayed, “God, whatever it takes, bring me back to You”?

In Episode 55 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman closes out Part 8 of the 8-part Built Men series with a session on consistency beats intensity.

Built Men is a growing brotherhood of faith-based men who meet virtually every Tuesday night, stay connected throughout the week, and challenge one another to grow spiritually, mentally, physically, financially, and relationally with God at the center.

This series has given listeners a look inside the conversations happening in that brotherhood, where men are learning to stop drifting, take ownership, and live with discipline, purpose, accountability, and faith.

This episode is built around Galatians 6:9 and the reminder not to grow weary in doing well, because in due season we will reap if we do not faint. Big moments may be exciting, but they do not build strong men by themselves. Daily consistency does.

Tom talks about why intensity feels powerful but often fades quickly. A man can get excited, make big plans, buy the journal, set the goals, and still fall back into the same cycle if he does not build consistency. Small wins repeated over time create identity, trust, momentum, and long-term strength.This session challenges men to stop living in all-or-nothing thinking and start showing up daily. Time with God, exercise, obedience, one important task, one commitment followed through. Simple, daily, steady.

The homework is direct: pick three daily non-negotiables, track them for seven days, and share those commitments with another brother for accountability.

What would change if you stopped chasing intensity and started showing up daily?

In Episode 54 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman continues Part 7 of the 8-part Built Men series with a session on stewarding time and energy.

Built Men is a growing brotherhood of faith-based men who meet virtually every Tuesday night, stay connected throughout the week, and challenge one another to grow spiritually, mentally, physically, financially, and relationally with God at the center. This series gives listeners a look inside the conversations happening in that brotherhood, where men are learning to stop drifting, take ownership, and live with purpose.

This episode is built around Ephesians 5:15–16 and the call to walk wisely, redeeming the time. Time is one of the most valuable resources a man has, and energy determines how well he uses it. A lot of men say they do not have time, but their schedule, screen time, spending, and habits often tell a different story.

Tom talks about the difference between wasting time and stewarding it, why busyness can become a distraction from purpose, and how the enemy often works through sin, overcommitment, and distraction. If a man does not control his time, something else will.

This session challenges men to audit where their time actually goes, eliminate one major time waster, and tell another man where they are making a change. Stewardship is obedience, and a man who knows his purpose cannot afford to waste his days.

What is getting your time and energy that no longer deserves it?

n Episode 53 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman continues Part 6 of the 8-part Built Men series with a session on winning the body.

Built Men is a growing brotherhood of faith-based men who meet virtually every Tuesday night, stay connected throughout the week, and challenge one another to grow spiritually, mentally, physically, financially, and relationally with God at the center. This series gives listeners a look inside the conversations happening in that brotherhood, where men are learning to stop drifting, take ownership, and build lives with discipline, purpose, accountability, and faith.

This episode is built around 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 and the reminder that the body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. Tom talks about why the body is not separate from purpose, and why physical discipline affects spiritual clarity, leadership, energy, confidence, and consistency.

This session is not about perfection or comparison. It is about stewardship. A man does not have to overhaul his entire life in one day. He can start with one walk, one push-up, one healthier choice, one better drink, one simple discipline repeated consistently. Simple beats extreme, and daily beats occasional.

Tom also shares from his own story of recovery, sobriety, aging, energy, and learning to care for the body with a clearer why: to serve God, lead family, reach others, and have the strength to keep showing up. The body matters because there is still work to do.

This episode challenges men to move intentionally each day, choose one improvement in eating or hydration, and tell another man how they are taking ownership of their health.

What would change if you treated your body like it was connected to your calling?

In Episode 52 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman continues Part 5 of the 8-part Built Men series with a session on winning the mind.

Built Men is a growing brotherhood of faith-based men who meet virtually every Tuesday night, stay connected throughout the week, and challenge one another to grow spiritually, mentally, physically, financially, and relationally with God at the center. This series gives listeners a look inside the conversations happening in that brotherhood, where men are learning to stop drifting, take ownership, and build lives with discipline, purpose, accountability, and faith.

This episode is built around Romans 12:2 and the command to be transformed by the renewing of the mind. Every battle starts in the mind. Thoughts shape decisions, decisions shape habits, and habits shape the direction of a man’s life. If a man does not lead his mind, eventually his mind will lead him.

Tom talks about the importance of reading, guarding what enters through the eyes and ears, rejecting lies, and replacing negative thoughts with truth. The mind is a gate. What enters gets planted, what gets planted grows, and what grows eventually produces fruit.

This session also challenges men to stop trusting every thought that passes through their mind. Mental discipline requires repetition, just like physical discipline. Scripture, silence, prayer, journaling, and accountability all help create clarity and keep the mind anchored in truth.

This episode challenges men to identify one recurring negative or limiting thought, pair it with Scripture or a clear truth, speak that truth daily, and share it with another brother for prayer and accountability.

What thought have you been allowing to lead you instead of the truth?

Built Men is a growing brotherhood of faith-based men who meet virtually every Tuesday night, stay connected throughout the week, and challenge one another to grow spiritually, mentally, physically, financially, and relationally with God at the center. This series gives listeners a look inside the conversations happening in that brotherhood, where men are learning to stop drifting, take ownership, and build lives with discipline, purpose, and faith.

This episode focuses on the first moments of the day. The way a man starts his morning often sets the tone for how he handles pressure, leads his family, responds to interruptions, and walks with God. A rushed morning can create stress, short patience, foggy focus, and reactive decisions. A protected morning creates margin, clarity, confidence, and spiritual direction.

Tom shares how watching his dad pray in the mornings left a lasting example, and he challenges men to take an honest look at their own morning routine. Winning the morning does not have to look the same for every man, but it should include intention, time with God, movement, and a refusal to let the day begin in chaos.

This session also connects winning the morning to winning the night. A stronger morning usually starts the evening before with better decisions about sleep, screens, routines, and what gets attention before bed.

This episode challenges men to choose a consistent wake-up time, spend at least 10 minutes each morning in Scripture, prayer, or quiet time with God, and message another man after completing the routine for accountability.

What would change if the first 30 minutes of your day belonged to God instead of chaos?

In Episode 50 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman continues Part 3 of the 8-part Built Men series with a session on building daily structure.

Built Men is a growing brotherhood of faith-based men who meet virtually every Tuesday night, stay connected throughout the week, and challenge one another to grow spiritually, physically, financially, and relationally with God at the center. This series gives listeners a look inside the kinds of conversations happening in that group, where men are learning to stop drifting, take ownership, and build lives with purpose.

This episode focuses on the importance of structure. Freedom may sound like doing whatever feels good in the moment, but a life without structure usually leads to chaos, frustration, missed priorities, and inconsistent growth. Structure is not restriction. Structure protects what matters.

Tom walks through why so many men live reactively instead of intentionally, confuse busyness with progress, and give their best energy to work while leaving their family, faith, and personal growth with the leftovers. Daily structure helps create margin, reduce decision fatigue, build confidence, and make room for the things that actually matter.

This session challenges men to choose one daily non-negotiable, write down the three most important actions for each day, and share that plan with another man for accountability. Simple done daily beats complex done rarely.

What would change if your days were built by design instead of default?

In Episode 49 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman continues Part 2 of the 8-part Built Men series with a focused session on killing drift.

Built Men is a growing brotherhood of faith-based men who meet virtually every Tuesday night, stay connected throughout the week, and challenge one another to grow with discipline, purpose, accountability, and God at the center. This series gives listeners a look into the conversations happening inside that group, where men are learning to stop drifting, take ownership, and build lives that hold steady.

This episode is built around Hebrews 2:1 and the warning to give careful attention to what we have heard, so we do not let it slip. Drift rarely happens all at once. No man plans to drift away from God, his marriage, his purpose, his health, or his convictions. It usually starts quietly: skipping what once mattered, lowering standards little by little, getting too comfortable, becoming too busy, and tolerating what once would have been rejected.

Tom talks about the cost of drift, including lost clarity, lost momentum, weakened leadership, and damaged relationships. He also explains why discipline is the anchor that keeps a man grounded. You do not fix drift with emotion. You fix it with awareness, intentionality, and action.

This episode challenges men to identify one area where they have drifted, recommit to one discipline they stopped or softened, and tell another man where they are resetting.

Where have you drifted, and what discipline do you need to return to?

In Episode 48 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman begins Part 1 of an 8-part Built Men series with one of the most important foundations of growth: discipline over motivation.

Built Men is a growing brotherhood of faith-based men who meet virtually every Tuesday night, stay connected throughout the week, and challenge one another to grow spiritually, mentally, physically, financially, and relationally with God at the center. This 8-part series gives listeners a glimpse into the kind of conversations happening inside that group, where men are learning to stop drifting, take ownership, and build lives marked by consistency, purpose, obedience, and accountability.

This first part focuses on why motivation cannot be trusted. Feelings change. Energy comes and goes. Excuses show up easily. But discipline responds to commitment, not emotion. A man does not become strong because he feels ready every day. He becomes strong because he decides what matters, puts it on the calendar, and follows through when no one is watching.

Tom also connects discipline to humility, leadership, and personal integrity. It is not enough to teach, lead, or encourage others from theory. Real influence comes from lived experience, consistency, and the willingness to do the work before asking others to do the same.

This episode challenges men to choose one daily discipline, follow through no matter how they feel, and invite another man to hold them accountable. Discipline is not punishment. It is preparation.

What would change in your life if you stopped waiting to feel motivated?

In Episode 47 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman sits down with Ben Barichivich for a conversation about broken homes, rebuilding after divorce, spiritual discipline, testimony, and the power of brotherhood.

Ben shares how the divorce of his parents shaped his early life, how his own marriage later fell apart, and how those painful chapters forced him to stop trying to figure life out alone. What began as a surface-level walk with God became a deeper pursuit of prayer, fasting, accountability, and real surrender.

This episode also explores what it means to break generational cycles. Sometimes the damage from the past does not disappear overnight, but children can still see the difference when a father chooses healing, discipline, honesty, and a new direction. The goal is not pretending the brokenness never happened. The goal is letting God restore what was broken and building something different from that point forward.

Tom and Ben talk about the importance of sharing testimony without shame, creating trust through honesty, and why men need other men who are willing to challenge, encourage, and call them out when they begin to drift. The conversation also gives a deeper look into Built Men and the kind of brotherhood it is becoming: faith-driven men growing stronger spiritually, mentally, physically, financially, and relationally with God at the center.

This is a conversation for any man who has been trying to carry everything by himself, wondering why the same patterns keep repeating, or searching for a clearer sense of purpose.

What could change in your life if you stopped trying to fix it alone?

In Episode 46 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman sits down with Lee Adams, founder of Men with Hearts, for an honest conversation about fatherhood, mentorship, redemption, and why boys need strong men in their lives.

Lee shares his own story of growing up with love in his home, but without the consistent presence and direction he needed. He opens up about the pain, destructive choices, addiction, self-hatred, and searching that followed, along with the men God used to interrupt that cycle and show him what grace, accountability, and real mentorship looked like.

That journey became part of the burden behind Men with Hearts: men of integrity raising the next generation of leaders. This is more than a group built around camping trips, Pinewood Derby races, archery, service projects, or events. Those activities create space for something deeper: relationships, trust, brotherhood, and boys watching men live out faith, responsibility, and service in real life.

Tom and Lee also discuss the fatherlessness crisis, why men need more than careers and financial success to feel fulfilled, and how purpose often becomes clear when a man starts serving someone besides himself. The episode is a call for men to take off the mask, ask for help, answer the call of God, and become the kind of presence they may have needed when they were younger.

Who is watching your life, and what are they learning from it?

In Episode 45 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman sits down with his father-in-law, Pastor Glen Williams, for an honest conversation about anger, pride, forgiveness, marriage, and the work required to become a healthier man.

Pastor Glen brings more than a decade of experience teaching anger management, substance abuse, domestic violence, and behavioral change through the NCTI curriculum and the On Track Life Enrichment Program. Together, he and Tom explore why anger is often misunderstood, why so many men refuse to admit they have a problem, and how pride can keep someone trapped in the same destructive patterns.

The conversation looks closely at the connection between values, attitude, and behavior. A man may claim honesty, integrity, and faithfulness as core values, but when his behavior no longer reflects those values, frustration and anger often begin to build. Anger is not always the real problem. Sometimes it is the visible result of disappointment, hidden failure, unresolved pain, unmet expectations, or a life being lived out of alignment.

Tom and Pastor Glen also discuss the difference between righteous anger and destructive anger, why anger itself is not automatically sinful, and how the response to anger determines where it leads. They examine the danger of unrealistic expectations, taking everything personally, refusing to ask for help, and allowing resentment to quietly grow.

A major part of the episode focuses on forgiveness. Unresolved wounds from parents, spouses, childhood experiences, rejection, abuse, and personal failure can follow a person for years. Pastor Glen explains why forgiveness is necessary for healing, why men sometimes need to ask their own children for forgiveness, and how letting go of the past can change the way someone responds in the present.

The conversation also addresses the damage uncontrolled anger can do to a marriage. Broken communication, lost trust, emotional distance, and unresolved conflict rarely appear overnight. They build when couples stop listening, stop forgiving, and stop allowing God to shape the way they respond to one another.

This episode is a challenge to stop normalizing anger that is damaging a marriage, frightening children, destroying peace, or holding back purpose. Healing requires honesty, brotherhood, wise counsel, spiritual growth, and a willingness to change.

What is your anger trying to reveal about what is really happening inside you?

In Episode 44 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman sits down with his friend Pastor John Little for a conversation about faithfulness, service, family, truth, and the quiet choices that shape a meaningful life.

John shares how his earliest memories of church began as a child in Japan, where he experienced the presence of God before he could fully understand the language or everything happening around him. He reflects on the influence of a faithful mother, the pastors and mentors who left lasting fingerprints on his life, and the transition from playing drums to answering the call of God into ministry.

Together, Tom and John talk about walking with Jesus through grief, remaining steady when life becomes difficult, and learning to see joy in ordinary moments. They discuss why the people making the greatest difference are often serving behind the scenes, below the waterline, without recognition or applause.

The conversation also explores the need for truth in a culture that often confuses what is popular with what is right, why men need brotherhood instead of isolation, and how children and grandchildren are shaped by the footsteps they watch adults take every day.

John also shares encouragement for anyone who feels spiritually stuck or drained. Sometimes the way forward is not found by focusing inward, but by serving someone else, opening the hand, and allowing God to work through simple acts of obedience.

This episode is a reminder that legacy is not built in one dramatic moment. It is built through prayer, consistency, service, and faithfulness in the little things.

What could change if the small things were treated like they truly matter?