BeTempered

dschmidt5
  • 4.9 (28)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Real Stories. Raw Truth. Resilient Faith. BeTempered is about real people having honest conversations about the moments that have shaped their lives. Each week, we sit down with guests willing to share the good, the hard, and everything in between.  We talk openly about addiction, recovery, loss, trauma, mental health, relationships, leadership, faith, purpose, and what it takes to keep moving forward when life doesn't go according to plan. At the heart of BeTempered is the belief that our struggles don't have to be wasted.  Through honest conversations and resilient faith, we explore how God can meet us in the hardest seasons of our lives and use what we've been through to strengthen us, shape our purpose, and help someone else. You don't have to have it all figured out. You don't have to have a perfect story.  Sometimes hearing what someone else has walked through is exactly what you need to realize you're not alone. New episodes every Friday. BeTempered — Real Stories. Raw Truth. Resilient Faith.

  1. 2d ago

    BeTempered Episode 125 - Addiction, Prison, and the Road Back with Mike Horning

    “Why don’t they just stop?” It’s an easy question to ask when you don’t know someone’s story. Mike Horning joins hosts Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt for an honest conversation about childhood trauma, addiction, prison, and the faith that helped him begin rebuilding his life. Growing up in Connersville, Indiana, Mike experienced abuse, tried to protect his younger siblings, and encountered drugs far too early. He shares how anger, shame, and a chaotic home shaped his decisions, eventually leading to arrests and incarceration. He also explains how prison reinforced some of the behaviors that brought him there, while jail ministry and Bible studies introduced him to the possibility of a different life. That change didn’t happen all at once. Mike opens up about relapse, concealed opioid use, years on methadone, and the work of rebuilding trust with his wife and being present for his children. His testimony makes room for the setbacks that can get left out when people tell a recovery story. Through his work with Pathway to Damascus, Mike now helps other men pursue recovery through faith, discipleship, accountability, and practical support. He discusses the importance of addressing mental health and basic health needs, along with his experiences and perspective on medication-assisted treatment, including methadone and Suboxone. This conversation challenges how we look at people living with addiction and asks what changes when we take time to hear their stories. Mike shares what it has meant to receive another chance and help someone else find theirs. Learn more about Pathway to Damascus: https://pwtd.org Learn more about BeTempered: https://betempered.com Support the podcast: https://patreon.com/betempered Subscribe, leave a review, and share this conversation with someone who needs hope or a new perspective on addiction and recovery. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  2. Sep 25

    BeTempered Episode 124 - Losing Three Children and Wrestling With God with Holly Jordan Trevillion

    Three children. One rare disease. A mother left asking how she could keep living, and what she could still believe. Author Holly Jordan Trevillion joins hosts Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt to share the story behind her memoir, This High Mountain. Her son Jamie and daughters Hillary and Hannah were all diagnosed with metachromatic leukodystrophy, known as MLD. Holly takes us from the first signs that something was wrong to the devastating realization that the same disease threatened all three of her children. She shares the realities of transplant decisions, long hospital stays, complications, and years of care at home. She also talks about the moments no parent can prepare for, including leaving the hospital without your child and trying to imagine a future after losing all three. Holly is honest about what grief did to her faith, her marriage, and her ability to keep going. She opens up about divorce, using alcohol to numb the pain, thoughts of suicide, and a later abusive relationship. Along the way, she wrestled with anger toward God and the fear that asking hard questions meant she had failed Him. Through that struggle, Holly describes a changing understanding of faith, moving from legalism and fear toward grace. We talk about lament, unanswered prayers, and what it means to bring God the feelings you think you’re supposed to hide. Today, Holly is telling her story so others facing grief and despair can feel less alone. Her testimony makes room for the questions, the setbacks, and the slow work of learning to live again. Find Holly’s memoir, This High Mountain, on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0eofJWLA Learn more about BeTempered: https://betempered.com Support the show: https://patreon.com/betempered Subscribe, share this conversation with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help others find BeTempered. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  3. Sep 18

    BeTempered Episode 123 - Pregnant at 16, Finding Healing Decades Later with Angie Turner

    What happens when you finally talk about something you’ve carried in silence for decades? Hosts Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt welcome Angie Turner for an honest conversation about teenage pregnancy, abortion, faith, and healing. Angie shares what it was like to become pregnant at 16, feel pressure from those around her, and carry the emotional and spiritual weight of that experience into adulthood. As a nurse, Angie brings her perspective to informed consent and the importance of having information and support when you’re young and scared. She opens up about her own grief, depression, and shame, and how faith helped her begin working through what she had kept inside for years. The conversation also explores parenting, talking openly about sex and values, and responding with compassion when your child is afraid. When Angie’s own son became a teenage father, she had an opportunity to offer the understanding and support she knew mattered. Angie’s story makes room for difficult questions, honest reflection, and the hope of redemption. Ben, Dan, and Angie also discuss pregnancy support resources and how families can find practical help when they don’t know where to turn. Subscribe to BeTempered, share this with someone who needs encouragement, and leave a review to help others find these conversations. Learn more: https://betempered.com Support the podcast: https://patreon.com/betempered Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  4. Sep 11

    BeTempered Episode 122 - Learning to Trust Without Answers with Cody Munn

    Who are you when the uniform comes off and the life you planned falls apart? Cody Munn spent nearly six years in the United States Air Force. But coming home meant facing questions his military training couldn’t answer. Without the structure, responsibility, and identity he had known, what came next? Cody joins BeTempered hosts Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt for an honest conversation about military service, depression, grief, and the pressure of high-stakes security work. He opens up about the reality of suicide in the military community and the struggle to find purpose after leaving the service. Back home in Ohio, rejected job applications and the isolation of COVID made starting over even harder. Cody shares how the GI Bill opened a door to welding, how a new career helped him find direction, and how meeting his wife, Kirsten, gave him someone to build a future with. His journey toward faith began with questions. Curiosity led him to examine the evidence for Christianity, and simple prayers during car rides became part of a growing relationship with God. Cody walks through what brought him to surrender his life to Christ and take the next step through baptism. Then came challenges he and Kirsten couldn’t work their way out of. Infertility. Painful conversations in doctors’ offices. A pregnancy they had struggled to imagine. An emergency C-section and a frightening moment in the NICU that brought the uncertainty of parenthood into sharp focus. Through it all, Cody shares what trusting God looked like when he couldn’t control the outcome. His story makes room for the questions, the setbacks, and the hope that can grow while life is still uncertain. If you’re starting over, wrestling with your faith, or struggling to see what comes next, this conversation is for you. Subscribe to BeTempered, leave a review, and share this conversation with someone who needs encouragement. Learn more at https://betempered.com and support the podcast at https://patreon.com/betempered. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  5. Sep 4

    BeTempered Episode 121 - More Than a Motivational Assembly

    A principal told us something we couldn’t unhear: “These kids don’t have any grit.” Not as an insult, but as a reality check. In this episode, Ben Spahr, Dan Schmidt, and Shawn Ruebush break down the BeTempered Standard, a new character-based development program designed to help students build resilience, self-awareness, confidence, discipline, empathy, and real connection. The program is built around a 10-week series tied to the 10 letters in Be Tempered. Each letter represents a real choice students face, from Broken vs. Belief and Ethics vs. Entitlement to Empathy vs. Exclusion, Purpose vs. Pointless, and Discipline vs. Distraction. This isn’t a one-time motivational assembly. The workshops are interactive, small-group based, and designed around reflection, real conversation, and challenges students carry with them between sessions. For the 2026-2027 school year, the pilot program launches at Tri-County North High School in Lewisburg, Ohio, and Preble Shawnee Middle School in Camden, Ohio. The groups intentionally bring together high-performing students and students who may be struggling, creating an environment where different experiences and perspectives can challenge and strengthen one another. At the high school level, students will ultimately take what they’ve learned and build a leadership-style day featuring breakout sessions and student stories, moving from personal growth into leadership and school culture. Ben, Dan, and Shawn also explain the creation of the BeTempered Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit built to support scholarships, the program, and future expansion as they learn from the pilot year. If you’re an educator, parent, coach, mentor, or simply someone who believes stronger communities start with stronger young people, this episode is for you. betempered.com patreon.com/betempered Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  6. Aug 28

    BeTempered Episode 120 – Steve Hayes Jr. Four Generations of Legacy at Hayes Arboretum

    What does it look like to inherit a four-generation legacy and realize your job isn’t just to preserve it, but to make sure it survives for the next generation? Steve Hayes Jr., executive director of Hayes Arboretum in Richmond, Indiana, joins Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt for a conversation about family legacy, conservation, nonprofit leadership, and the responsibility that comes with caring for something much bigger than yourself. Steve takes us back to the beginning with his great-grandfather, Stanley W. Hayes, a Cornell-trained engineer and prolific railroad industry inventor who began restoring native trees to land that would eventually become Hayes Arboretum. What started as a family estate grew into 466 acres of forest, prairie, wetlands, historic property, and environmental education that generations of people have experienced. We talk about what makes Hayes Arboretum different, why native plants and ecosystems matter, and why spending time in nature can provide a kind of peace that’s difficult to find anywhere else. Steve explains the quiet work happening in a forest every day and how closely it mirrors the work of building a healthy community. But preserving a legacy isn't always easy. Steve opens up about the financial realities of running a nonprofit, the original endowment model, what happened as those resources were depleted, difficult decisions involving land sales, and the work required to change the organization’s trajectory. He shares how disciplined operations, volunteers, mission focus, and long-term planning have helped position Hayes Arboretum for the future. We also get into the Playscape, future classroom plans, the Arboretum’s master plan, and Steve’s personal approach to leadership. From gratitude to running and physical discipline, he shares some of the practices that help him stay grounded when the responsibility gets heavy. This is a conversation about trees, but it’s also about stewardship. It’s about taking care of what previous generations built, making difficult decisions when necessary, and leaving something worthwhile for the people who come after us. Learn more and support the show at betempered.com. Join the BeTempered community at patreon.com/betempered. Subscribe to BeTempered and leave a review to help more people discover the show. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  7. Aug 21

    BeTempered Episode 119 – Rondale Broome: Breaking Cycles, Finding Faith and Answering the Call

    He walked into church to impress a girl. He left with a decision that would change the direction of his life. On BeTempered Episode 119, Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt are joined by Rondale Broome, Student Pastor at Salem Church of God in Clayton, Ohio. Rondale grew up in Muncie, Indiana in a single-parent home with eight kids, surrounded by an environment where drugs, violence and jail could easily begin to feel normal. Expectations for his future weren't high, but along the way, a handful of people refused to let his circumstances determine where his story ended. Rondale shares how show choir, sports and a few relentless adults gave him places to belong, and how a sudden school transfer stripped away much of that support. Then came a simple invitation to come play basketball at a church. That invitation opened the door to youth ministry, new relationships and a completely different community. A pastor repeatedly greeting him with, "How you doing, Pastor?" initially felt like a joke. Eventually, Rondale began wondering if it might be something more. He talks about the mission trip, a conversation with a man living the future Rondale feared for himself, and a foot-washing moment that turned what felt like God's whisper into a yell. He also opens up about the struggle of trying to grow while people and influences from his old life continued pulling him back. Today, Rondale serves the next generation, and his own story has shaped how he approaches ministry. For him, reaching young people isn't about having the perfect program. It's about consistency, relationships and the power of simply inviting someone in. This conversation is about faith, resilience, fatherlessness, breaking generational cycles and what can happen when someone refuses to give up on you. Learn more at betempered.com Support BeTempered at patreon.com/betempered Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  8. Aug 14

    BeTempered Episode 118 – Ben, Dan & Shawn: Rapid-Fire Questions and a Few Hard Truths

    What starts as a lighter day in the studio quickly turns into a conversation about the things that shape who we are when nobody’s keeping score. This episode of BeTempered is a little different. No guest. No single story driving the conversation. Ben, Dan, and Shawn work through rapid-fire questions that start with some friendly roasting and eventually lead into grace, imposter syndrome, parenting, faith, perspective, and legacy. What do people see in us that we have a hard time seeing in ourselves? How have we changed over the last few years? And how much grace are we willing to give ourselves while we’re still becoming the people we want to be? Parenting becomes a big part of that conversation. Our kids can teach us patience and unconditional love, but they also hold up a mirror. They’re paying attention to what we model far more than what we tell them. That raises a bigger question: when the careers, accomplishments, and work are eventually stripped away, what do we actually want our families to remember about us? Even simple questions like beach or mountains open the door to something deeper. The guys talk about the places and moments that remind them how small they are and how big God is, from a sunrise run and a quiet walk through an arboretum to spending time with people rebuilding their lives through recovery. Those experiences reinforce something we all need reminded of: you never know someone’s entire story by looking at them. Instead of judging from a distance, we can choose curiosity, stay humble, extend grace, and remember that every person we meet is carrying something we may know nothing about. That perspective is a big part of what BeTempered continues to be about. Resilient faith, stronger character, honest conversations, and becoming better through the things that test us. If this episode makes you think differently about your own life, share it with someone who needs the conversation. betempered.com patreon.com/betempered Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
28 Ratings

About

Real Stories. Raw Truth. Resilient Faith. BeTempered is about real people having honest conversations about the moments that have shaped their lives. Each week, we sit down with guests willing to share the good, the hard, and everything in between.  We talk openly about addiction, recovery, loss, trauma, mental health, relationships, leadership, faith, purpose, and what it takes to keep moving forward when life doesn't go according to plan. At the heart of BeTempered is the belief that our struggles don't have to be wasted.  Through honest conversations and resilient faith, we explore how God can meet us in the hardest seasons of our lives and use what we've been through to strengthen us, shape our purpose, and help someone else. You don't have to have it all figured out. You don't have to have a perfect story.  Sometimes hearing what someone else has walked through is exactly what you need to realize you're not alone. New episodes every Friday. BeTempered — Real Stories. Raw Truth. Resilient Faith.

Information

  • Creator
    dschmidt5
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    126
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 BeTempered
  • Show Website
    BeTempered

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