Dying to Live Podcast

There comes a moment in every boy's life when childhood begins to give way to manhood. It doesn't happen overnight, and it rarely follows a straight line. One day they're playing with toys; the next they're wrestling with questions about purpose, strength, leadership, relationships, responsibility, and who they are becoming.For Christian parents, these years can be both rewarding and daunting. Teenage boys are full of energy, potential, and ambition, but they are also navigating powerful influences, temptations, and pressures that can shape the course of their lives.How do we help our sons grow into men who love God wholeheartedly? How do we cultivate strength without aggression, confidence without arrogance, and independence without rebellion?What role does a father play in modelling godly masculinity and preparing a son for adulthood? How can a mother continue to influence, encourage, and speak into her son's life during a season when he may seem increasingly distant or independent?How do we teach our sons to handle failure, temptation, friendships, technology, sexuality, and the responsibilities that come with increasing freedom? How do we help them develop conviction, resilience, humility, and courage in a culture that often offers conflicting definitions of manhood?And as parents, how do we know when to hold tightly and when to loosen our grip? How do we create healthy boundaries while giving our sons the opportunity to grow, make decisions, and learn responsibility for themselves?In this episode, we're joined by Tony & Jo Stroebel, Ivan & Karin van Vuuren, elders in the life of JoshGen, as we discuss the joys, challenges, and biblical principles of raising teenage boys. Together we'll explore how parents can intentionally equip their sons to become godly men who lead with integrity, serve with humility, and stand firm in their faith in an increasingly complex world.

Today’s episode is a powerful and deeply moving story of transformation.Our guest today is Zaib, a young woman who grew up in a very strict Muslim family. From an early age, her life was shaped by fear, rules, and the weight of religious expectations. But God had a different story written for her life.In this episode, Zaib courageously shares her journey — a journey from fear to freedom. She tells the story of growing up in a tightly controlled environment, the questions that began to stir in her heart, and the remarkable way that Jesus revealed Himself to her.Coming to Christ was not an easy decision. It came with real cost, deep struggle, and significant risk. Yet through it all, Zaib discovered something she had never known before: the grace, love, and freedom that are found in Jesus Christ. Her testimony is both challenging and encouraging. It reminds us that the gospel is powerful, that Christ is still drawing people to Himself from every background, and that no one is beyond the reach of God’s saving grace. So wherever you are listening from, I encourage you to listen carefully to this remarkable story.Here is Zaib’s testimony — from fear to freedom.

In this episode, we’re looking at biblical authority — what it is, how it’s meant to function, and how leaders can exercise it without slipping into control.Scripture reminds us in Romans 13 that all authority ultimately comes from God. That means leadership authority is not something we own — it’s something we steward. It is delegated, and it is accountable. From the beginning, authority was tied to responsibility. In Genesis, humanity is given dominion not to dominate, but to cultivate and care. Biblical authority exists to protect, to guide, to correct, and to build up.The clearest model is Jesus Christ. He possessed all authority, yet led through service and sacrifice. He corrected without crushing. He commanded without manipulating. His authority created freedom, not fear.A leader’s authority extends as far as their responsibility — no further. You are accountable for vision, values, and direction. You are not called to control every decision or outcome. When authority shifts from stewardship to self-protection, it becomes control. Control manages people. Authority develops them.Control demands compliance. Authority cultivates conviction.The balance is stewardship — leading with clarity and courage, while remembering the authority you carry is entrusted, not owned.Morne van der Walt, Dylan Jones and Mike D'Offay, elders in the life of JoshGen, explore what it means to lead with real authority — without control.

A new year brings fresh plans and new possibilities. But what if the year behind you was painful? What if disappointment or loss has made trusting God for the future feel incredibly hard? How do we exercise faith when our confidence has been shaken?How do we plan wisely for a new year while still living surrendered to God? Is there a way to hold vision in one hand and trust in the other? And what about unbelief? Can faith and doubt live in the same heart?In Gospel of Mark chapter 9, a desperate father cries out to Jesus, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” That honest prayer reminds us that faith isn’t the absence of doubt—it’s bringing our doubt to God. So what is God’s role in growing our faith? What is ours? And what do we do when our faith feels smaller than a mustard seed?As we step into 2026, we won’t ignore the tension between planning and surrender—we’ll lean into it. Because maybe faith isn’t certainty for the whole year. Maybe it’s trusting God daily for the next step. If you’re stepping into this year hopeful, hesitant, or barely holding on—this conversation is for you.Luke Hulley and Dan Barnard, elders who lead congregations in the life of JoshGen, encourage us to find faith for 2026… together.

Every Janu-WORRY (as some people refer to it) we’re told it’s time for a reset. New year, new goals, new habits, new us. But spiritually, many of us step into the new year carrying the same questions, the same struggles, the same disappointments—and the same old selves. We pray, we hope, we try again, yet sometimes nothing feels new at all. So what does God actually expect of us? Is the new year a spiritual performance review (KPA) —do better, try harder, fix yourself? Or is God at work in ways we don’t immediately feel or see? What if newness doesn’t always look like change on the outside, but faithfulness on the inside? What if God isn’t holding a big stick over our failures, but gently leading us forward, even when we feel stuck? In this podcast, New Year, Old Me, we explore the tension between our desire for transformation and the reality of living with unresolved struggles. We’ll talk honestly about faith when nothing feels fresh, hope when progress feels slow, and the grace of a God who meets us not as a “new us,” but as we really are—right here, right now.Dan Barnard and Brett Bevan, both elders leading congregations in JoshGen, share some humour around expectations made of us AND the challenges of finding God in a new year with old challenges and the old me.

Deliverance is a word that often brings confusion, curiosity, or even fear. For some, it’s associated with dramatic encounters and intense moments. For others, it raises honest questions they’ve never felt free to ask.Today, we want to slow down and bring clarity. In this episode, we’re de-mystifying deliverance. What is deliverance? What are demons? Can a believer have a demon? And what’s the difference between demon possession and demonic oppression?At its core, deliverance is about freedom—freedom from Satan and his demons, and freedom to walk fully in what Jesus has already accomplished. It’s not about hype or fear; it’s about truth, authority, and wholeness in Christ. And while some deliverance experiences are dramatic, many are gentle moments of freedom—where peace replaces torment and truth replaces lies.Our goal today is simple: to explain, to equip, and to point back to Jesus, the One who sets captives free. Dave and Keena James, an eldership couple from JoshGen City Bowl, share their experiences with deliverance.

What does it really mean to live by faith? So often, especially in ministry circles, living by faith is reduced to finances—raising support, trusting God for provision, or serving without a salary. And while money can certainly be part of the story, it’s far from the whole picture.Living by faith is bigger than a bank account. It’s about trusting God with every area of our lives—our decisions, our relationships, our calling, our future, and even our very existence. It’s waking up each day believing that God is who He says He is, and that He can be trusted with what we cannot see.Living by faith doesn’t always feel safe. Sometimes it’s risky. Sometimes it requires us to step forward without clarity, to move before we feel ready, and to obey without guarantees. It’s not reckless—but it is careful courage, grounded in full reliance on God.In this episode, we’ll explore what it truly means to live by faith—not just when it’s convenient, but when it costs us something. When trust replaces control. When obedience matters more than outcomes. And when our confidence rests not in ourselves, but in the faithfulness of God. This is a journey of learning to trust Him—fully, daily, and wholeheartedly.