Podcast Episodes

Dennis Lacoste, who attends Seacoast Church, was in the World Trade Center at the time of impact; and mentally and physically, he'll never be the same. On this episode, Dennis recounts that dreadful day with painful, personal recollections. No stranger to suffering, Dennis also shares about a childhood injury that almost took his life. Dennis reports to listeners that although there’s been pain, God will bring good out of it all.  At the top of the episode, the host crew talks a bit about 9/11 and compares and contrasts that day with the Pearl Harbor attacks. And, what does it look like for Christians to celebrate the death of such an evil doer like Osama Bin Laden?

Pastor Josh Walters is joined by his wife, Katie Walters, and friends Lynne Stroy and Joey Svendsen to continue the conversation from Josh’s message, “Getting off the Digital Treadmill” (Part 2 of the Digital Detox message series). The heart of the discussion centers on the freedom and life-giving benefits of breaking unhealthy digital habits—especially around smartphone use. Together, the group reflects on their first week of digital detoxing and the eye-opening insights it’s brought.  Along the way, they explore Joey’s “freak out” reaction to his first encounter with ChatGPT, how boredom, when embraced, can actually lead to peace, the wasted energy of engaging with internet trolls, and why families often find themselves glued to their phones at the dinner table. Lastly, Katie shares a personal challenge with technology use that she hasn’t yet solved, sparking a thoughtful conversation as Josh, Lynne, and Joey brainstorm alongside Katie, possible paths forward.

Currently on tour together, John Mark McMillan and Zach Bolen (frontman of the band Citizens) join the podcast to discuss faith, life on the road, songwriting, personal testimonies, and what being real with God looks and feels like to them. Many people interact with their songs as "worship tunes," but they don’t fit the Contemporary Christian Music mold and for various reasons, these guys aren't setting out to write worship songs. Throughout this episode you’ll hear their songs intertwined through the whole thing (get ready to worship). Also, host, Joey Svendsen deems John Mark a saint, Zach and Joey recount their stint as a comedic duo, and John Mark gives a theory on why Generation X may gravitate toward the 80s music sound as they age. 

Tomelex Copeland and Joey Svendsen, both "old dudes" represent Generation X in this first discussion of a 3-part bonus series, "Digital Detox," coinciding with the current teaching series on the weekends at Seacoast Church.  They are joined by Mena Fox and Braden Sutton, both representing Generation Z, bringing their take on society's relationship with smartphones.  Each contributor of this discussion self-assess the health (or lack of) of their personal technology use and reflect on the current technology addiction rampant in society.  As part of the discussion they also discuss whether culture will self-correct, and, as a whole, form better practices.  Even though the research shows that Gen-Z is wrought with anxiety due to smartphones, deeming it "the Anxious Generation," this problem of addiction touches every generation, even grandmas and grandpas with Ipads.

Host, Joey Svendsen lost his dad unexpectedly over the summer. On this episode, he is joined by three friends and fellow Seacoast staff as he shares what it was like to lose his father. He also describes what felt like supernatural activity right before his dad passed away in the hospital. Joey articulates the current state of his heart and counts his sadness as good grief as he tributes, with thanksgiving, the blessing of being raised and loved by his dad, Virgil Svendsen. Along the way, Joey, Abbie, Bri, and Pastor Teddy, ponder the afterlife and whether the dead have any interaction with (or knowledge of) life on earth. They also talk about the power of music and reflect on the dangers of going on a cruise as a new popular Netflix documentary recounts the story of a girl who boarded a cruise ship and was never seen again.   

Tuning in from Houston, Texas, Robbie Madison, a former Seacoast worship leader, catches up with friends and hosts, Jack, Joey, and Lynne. Before moving to work in ministry for the NFL’s Houston Texans, Robbie served in several capacities at Seacoast, including missions, youth, and leading worship at multiple campuses. On this episode, Joey and Robbie recount stories of what it was like to work in ministry together for five years and Robbie shares how the many unique qualities of Seacoast make him miss his church family dearly. The four also explore deeper topics like finding and walking out "God's calling,” patriotism in the context of church, and why some people criticize Seacoast for not taking tough stands on important cultural issues.  

Toby Slough has learned to find peace through the storms. In 1988, Toby was diagnosed with a panic and anxiety disorder, but rather than let it wreck his faith, God birthed a desire in his heart to see more people find peace and wholeness in their mental health. Toby and his wife founded Goby Ministries to provide books and resources that reframe the conversation around mental health and help people find God’s strength in weakness.

On this episode, Toby's shares some of his story with Joey Svendsen and Lynne Stroy and the three unpack the need, especially for leaders, to be more transparent in their flawed humanity. 

A bonus conversation with Toby and the hosts centers around grace, patience, and judgmental dispositions toward those who inconvenience us—like Joey, when he came very close to accidentally standing up Toby for this episode.

Can we fully empathize with someone when we haven’t walked in their shoes? When Joey received a call from a friend who tragically lost her son, he asked himself, “What if it was my son?”—a way of stepping into her shoes to offer support. On this episode, the four hosts, Joey Svendsen, Jack Hoey III, Lynne Stroy, and Tomelex Copeland discuss how helpful this method is to truly empathize with someone. The four also reflect on scientific research regarding human beings' incapacity to deeply care about pain experienced by humans around the world, and that it may even be unhealthy to attempt. Lastly, the four unpack and process a few racial conflicts they’ve experienced in their day to day.

Joey wraps up the Seacoast Podcast series, "In the Summer" by talking safety with a firefighter, a lifeguard, and a dermatologist. Firefighter, Hayne Griffin educates listeners on his profession, potential perils that the summer can bring, gas grills, and dehydration. Dermatologist, Dr. Michael Overcash discusses why people have different skin color and how different shades require different sun protection. Rob Edgerton, a lifeguard, shares about safety at the beach, including sharks, and the dangers of people underestimating the ocean current.

The four men share that while they don’t have the luxury of summers off anymore, they still gladly take advantage of extra time to play video games. They walk through the "memory lane” of games from the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s before sharing that some modern video game stories can move them to tears. We’ll also learn how they personally integrate this hobby into their adult life and whether or not they have to work hard to avoid video game addiction.