Joy Hour

Tom Lyman
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Welcome to Joy Hour with Tom Lyman. This is a faith-forward podcast for anyone who’s tired of surface-level answers and ready for honest conversations. We talk through the hidden struggles, the hard moments, and the quiet battles, with one goal: to find God’s joy and redemption right in the middle of real life.

  1. 1d ago

    Are You Alive or Only Breathing? with Dr. Lana Lyman

    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?

  2. Sep 28

    Set Free: Michele McDonald’s Story of Recovery and Restoration

    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?

  3. Sep 21

    Locking Into Joy with Ben Barichivich

    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?

  4. Sep 14

    Whatever It Takes: Kara’s Story of Coming Back to God

    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”?

  5. Sep 7

    Built Men: Consistency Beats Intensity (Part 8 of 8)

    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?

  6. Aug 31

    Built Men: Stewarding Time and Energy (Part 7 of 8)

    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?

  7. Aug 24

    Built Men: Winning the Body (Part 6 of 8)

    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?

  8. Aug 17

    Built Men: Winning the Mind (Part 5 of 8)

    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?

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About

Welcome to Joy Hour with Tom Lyman. This is a faith-forward podcast for anyone who’s tired of surface-level answers and ready for honest conversations. We talk through the hidden struggles, the hard moments, and the quiet battles, with one goal: to find God’s joy and redemption right in the middle of real life.

Information

  • Creator
    Tom Lyman
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    59
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Joy Hour Podcast / Only Source. All rights reserved. No reproduction, distribution, or re-upload of episodes, clips, transcripts, or artwork without written permission, except brief quotes for review/commentary.