Win Today With Christopher Cook: Your Roadmap To Wholeness

Suffering exposes what we believe about God faster than success ever could. When affliction lingers, disappointment goes unresolved, and growth feels slower than we want, the question isn't whether God is present—it's whether our theology can carry the weight of real life. Too many believers inherit a framework that collapses under pressure, leaving them confused, bitter, or quietly disillusioned. This week on Win Today, Dr. Craig Keener joins me to rebuild a theology of suffering that can endure. We talk about why God is not in a hurry to mature us, how pressure actually forms spiritual resilience, and what it looks like to develop a mindset about affliction that produces endurance rather than erosion. This conversation doesn't minimize pain—it gives it meaning. If you're suffering, stalled, or carrying disappointment you haven't known how to name, this episode will help you reframe affliction as formation and discover the kind of maturity that only pressure can produce. Guest Bio Dr. Craig Keener is a leadi

Spiritual drift rarely announces itself. It doesn't show up as rebellion or collapse. It shows up as subtle disorder, numbed discernment, and a slow loss of fire in the ordinary rhythms of life. Most people don't abandon discipleship; they simply stop training for it. This week on Win Today, Ian Simkins, lead pastor of The Bridge Church in Tennessee, joins me as part of our Formed discipleship series to expose the quiet ways formation breaks down and to recover the daily practices that restore spiritual clarity, hunger, and endurance. We talk about why the wilderness of everyday life—not the mountaintop—is where God does His deepest work, and how discernment must be trained intentionally if we're going to mature in godliness. If your faith feels cluttered, distracted, or quietly cooling, this conversation will help you recognize the fingerprints of disorder and reclaim the fire of discipleship to Jesus, right where you are. Guest Bio Ian Simkins is the lead pastor of The Bridge Church in Tennessee and a longt

Comfort feels kind, but it keeps you immature. The wilderness is where God trains you for weight, yet most of us cheat the process by numbing pain, curating outcomes, and calling it wisdom, while our souls atrophy. This week on Win Today, Dr. Joel Tudman joins me to expose why "finding yourself inside yourself" is a dead end, how the Lord sometimes pulls us apart to make us whole, and how to stay spiritually agile when life is disruptive. If your faith has been built around feelings, not formation. And if you're tired of circling the same mountain with better language, this conversation will call you back to training for godliness, where it actually happens: in the desert. Guest Bio Dr. Joel A. Tudman is a pastor, communicator, and leadership coach who equips people to trade comfort for formation and preference for obedience. Known for clear, high-energy preaching and practical frameworks for spiritual growth, he serves churches and leaders across the country, training teams in character, resilience, and Spir

There's a reason your hunger fades when life gets busy and your soul gets loud: boredom becomes a shortcut to numbing, entitlement masquerades as discernment, and self-pity convinces you that endurance is optional. This week on Win Today, Bethel Music's Kristene DiMarco joins me to confront the quiet habits that starve spiritual hunger and to show us how to train the soul when worship feels flat, prayer drags, and offense stands in the doorway of growth. We talk about the discipline of boredom, the anatomy of hunger, why entitlement and self-pity atrophy endurance, and how to lay down your "right" to be offended by everything in life so true formation can continue. If you feel dulled by distraction, easily offended, or tired of mistaking relief for transformation, this conversation will call you back to the long road of love. Guest Bio Kristene DiMarco is a songwriter and worship leader with Bethel Music, known for penning and recording modern hymns and congregational anthems and for leading worship at church

You can admire spiritual maturity from a distance, or you can take your formation journey seriously. Many of us prefer the former. We outsource growth to personalities, call delayed obedience "wisdom," and bargain with God when surrender would cost too much. This week on Win Today, Dr. Eric Mason joins me to confront the quiet drift that hollows discipleship: the consumer posture that fuels bad teaching, the spiritual immaturity that bargains with God, and the confusion that happens when we make our assignment our purpose. If your faith has been built around sermons more than Scripture, preferences more than practices, or outcomes more than obedience, this conversation is your invitation to grow up on purpose, with the Spirit, for the long road of holiness. Guest Bio Dr. Eric Mason is the founder and lead pastor of Epiphany Fellowship in Philadelphia and the founder/president of Thriving, an urban ministry training leaders for city contexts. A pastor-theologian for nearly three decades, he has preached and tr

We're told to trust God when life falls apart and to cling to hope when we feel abandoned. To pray louder when heaven feels silent. But what if the silence isn't a punishment…but a pathway straight to His presence? What if the wall you've hit isn't the end, but the beginning of a deeper formation? This week on Win Today, I'm re-airing a raw and timely conversation with Dr. Lee Warren—one that took an unexpected turn moments before we hit record. What followed was one of the most personal and Spirit-led conversations I've ever had about wilderness seasons, grief, intrusive thoughts, and what to do when you feel like God has gone quiet. I opened up about the last two years of my life. And yet, what I've discovered in the silence is this: God's silence is not His absence. And when everything else shakes, His Word still stands. If you've ever felt stuck between the pain of what happened and the fear that nothing will change…if you've ever cried out for clarity and heard nothing in return…this episode is for you.

This week on Win Today, Jordan Rubin reveals how the body doesn't lie—and why the ancient wisdom of Scripture contains the keys to healing not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. After nearly dying from severe Crohn's disease, Jordan discovered that health isn't compartmentalized. Everything is connected—gut to brain, body to soul. And that the Bible had already mapped out the blueprint for healing. If you've tried to fix your body but stayed anxious… if you've addressed trauma but still feel inflamed… or if you're wondering why prayer isn't reversing depression, this episode will rewire your entire framework for healing and longevity. Guest Bio Jordan Rubin is one of America's most respected natural health experts and bestselling authors. After nearly dying from severe Crohn's disease at 19, Jordan discovered a life-saving health plan rooted in ancient biblical nutrition and supported by modern science. He's the founder of Ancient Nutrition and the New York Times bestselling author of The

You love Jesus, and you want to love the Bible, but most days, life crowds it out. And when you do open the text, it can feel confusing, disjointed, even offensive; so you reach for personalities who make it feel easier. The problem is that celebrity clarity often replaces biblical clarity. This week on Win Today, Zach Windahl—creator of The Bible Study and founder of The Brand Sunday—joins me to recover the unified story of Scripture and to challenge a popular church slogan: "belong before you believe." Belonging matters, but the New Testament's pattern is belief that forms a people, not a people that replaces belief. We'll name the most common study mistakes, walk a simple observation–interpretation–application path, and give you a way to read when you're bored, confused, or offended—so you meet the Lord in the words he actually inspired. Guest Bio Zach Windahl is the author of The Bible Study. His work has introduced hundreds of thousands to practical, repeatable study rhythms that move from information to

There's a difference between loving the Bible and learning how to read it. For many, study has felt complicated, clinical, or—worst of all—boring. Some of us were discipled by personalities instead of passages; others learned to chase quick application while skipping context. This week on Win Today, Faith Womack, author of No More Boring Bible Study, joins me to rediscover a way of reading Scripture that is honest, thoughtful, and engaging. We wrestle with tension instead of flattening it; we name the mistakes that teachers and pastors often make, and we rebuild a faithful hermeneutic that carries you from observation to interpretation to application without distorting the text. If you've wanted easy methods, renewed energy for the grand story, and a path to encounter the Lord in the Word—not just opinions about the Word—this conversation is your on-ramp. Guest Bio Faith Womack is the author of No More Boring Bible Study: Why Taking Scripture Seriously Is Easier—and More Exciting—Than You Think and the creato

There's a way to live that squanders pain while your heart hardens and your trust thins. Things like numbing, retelling the wound, and calling it wisdom. This week on Win Today, Shawn Johnson, lead pastor of Red Rocks Church and author of Attacking Anxiety, joins me to explore how people waste pain and how to steward the middle seasons when nothing seems to be moving, but everything inside you is being formed. We draw the line between rest and peace, why bitterness and distrust grow in the same soil, and how to turn waiting into worship without pretending the ache away. If you're stuck in the middle, angry at the delay, or exhausted from managing outcomes, this conversation will help you regain your presence and cultivate a hard-won hope that lasts. Guest Bio Shawn Johnson is the lead pastor and co-founder of Red Rocks Church (Denver, multi-site), and the author of Attacking Anxiety, where he chronicles his own fight with anxiety and depression and the practices that helped him rebuild. His ministry blends ca

There's a way to discuss spiritual growth that ignores the body, and a way to treat the body like a god. Both break you. This week on Win Today, Justin Whitmel Earley joins me to recover a practical theology of the body: why your habits, hormones, posture, screens, meals, and sleep are discipling your soul every day. We confront the twin errors of ignoring the body and idolizing it, and we name what happens when we undo created order—when we chronically outrun limits, trade rest for hurry, and expect spiritual vitality while violating how God made us to live. This isn't theory. It's a path back to integrated life with God, where your body becomes a teacher, not a tyrant. Guest Bio Justin Whitmel Earley is a lawyer, author, and speaker known for The Common Rule and Habits of the Household, where he helps people build life-giving habits that form them in the love of God and neighbor. His work sits at the intersection of everyday rhythms and spiritual formation, translating theology into practices that families

There's a moment when "endure it" becomes "end it," not because you stopped believing in God's power to heal, but because refusing to betray your God-given boundaries is how you stop betraying yourself. This week on Win Today, Lysa TerKeurst joins me to confront the realities so many live in silence: when it's biblically wise to end a marriage, how we talk ourselves out of our own boundaries, why loneliness is sometimes God's operating room, and what you must know about narcissistic abuse—gaslighting, trauma bonds, and DARVO—so you can name what's happening and get safe. If you've been praying for clarity while living in chaos, this conversation is a lifeline. Guest Bio Lysa TerKeurst is President and Chief Visionary Officer of Proverbs 31 Ministries and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. Having walked through public heartbreak and private rebuilding, she helps people leave destructive patterns with biblical clarity and practical courage. Today isn't about her résumé; it's about your safety, your sanity,

There's a way to move through your forties that looks busy but stays small, a way to talk about calling while postponing obedience, and a way to live half-present in the present while telling yourself you're being "wise." This week on Win Today, Mark Batterson joins me to reclaim the middle decades as the beginning, not the end, and to confront why delayed obedience is still disobedience and why the slow, daily road of incremental growth produces what hurry never can. We'll name the subtle drift that fragments attention, why "later" sounds prudent but hollows character, and how gradual progress—received as a gift and practiced as a rhythm—forms a durable life. Guest Bio Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C., and the New York Times–bestselling author of The Circle Maker and more than twenty books. He writes and teaches about courageous obedience, holy imagination, and the long game of spiritual formation. Today's conversation isn't about his résumé—it's about your n

  This week on Win Today, esteemed restaurateur Kevin Boehm joins me to name the subtle drift from hope to heaviness: how fear hides under the guise of practicality, how the self‑help blueprint promises control but delivers unease, and why your plate of food may be less incidental than you think—it could be a peacemaker for your soul. We dismantle the lie that you must always surge forward; sometimes the bravest step is backward. We expose what happens when you stop lying to yourself and start living honestly. If you've ever felt stuck in performance, disguised your fear as "logic," or missed the meaning beneath the menu, this conversation will unsettle and re‑anchor you. Guest Bio Kevin Boehm is a restaurateur, author, and speaker whose work encompasses hospitality, culture, and the gospel of presence. As co‑founder of BOKA Restaurant Group and author of The Bottomless Cup, he has navigated the collision of excellence, exhaustion, fear, and hope, discovering that what feeds the body often reveals what starve

There's a kind of faith that performs instead of worships, and eventually, that kind of faith breaks down. This week on Win Today, Paul and Hannah McClure from Bethel Music join me to talk about the slow drift from softness to cynicism in the life of a believer. We talk about the orphan spirit, fake faith that looks right but can't hold weight, and how disappointment left untreated eventually hardens into disconnection. We also confront the myth that faith equals certainty, and why true worship isn't just a song; it's surrender in the absence of clarity. For anyone who's battled disillusionment in church, questioned the language of worship, or wondered whether they're singing words they don't believe anymore, this conversation offers both confrontation and comfort. Paul and Hannah don't sugarcoat the road. But they do point to healing. This isn't about emotional hype. It's about reclaiming your heart before it turns cold. You'll learn: Why disappointment often precedes cynicism What the orphan spirit really

There’s a way to sound spiritually mature while staying completely unformed, and therapy culture is helping people do just that. This week on Win Today, Matt Chandler joins us to confront the drift we’re experiencing: where therapy culture replaces repentance, where identity confusion isn’t grieved, and where safe Christian jargon sounds right but does nothing to transform the soul. We talk about why discipleship doesn’t always feel safe. Why comfort doesn’t heal—it sedates. And how complaining isn’t just venting; it’s forming your view of God. Matt names the thin theology that’s left people chasing emotional relief instead of spiritual formation. This conversation doesn’t throw stones at therapy. But it does confront what happens when comfort becomes your gospel and language becomes your liturgy. If you’ve traded formation for slogans, been discipled more by feelings than by truth, or confused Christian language with actual obedience, this conversation isn’t just timely—it’s necessary. Episode Links Show No

We want God to come through, but on our terms. We demand ease, favor, instant breakthrough, and validation, and when those expectations aren’t met, we call it a trial. But what if the real trial is our refusal to lay down our entitlement? This week on Win Today, bestselling author Gary Thomas pulls no punches. He exposes the modern lie that faith means personal fulfillment, that comfort means favor, and that hardship means failure. And he shows how distraction is more than a bad habit—it’s a spiritual breakdown. Because when the soul loses its focus, bitterness, offense, and relational dysfunction are not far behind. If you’ve ever felt spiritually entitled, subtly bitter, or confused about why you’re still offended by things you “moved past,” this conversation is for you. Episode Links Show Notes Buy my NEW BOOK "Healing What You Can't Erase" here! Invite me to speak at your church or event. Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

You think you’re burned out, but what if you’re actually just emotionally disconnected? What if your body is paying the price for unprocessed emotions you never gave yourself permission to feel? In today’s episode of Win Today, married theologians and counselors Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw debunk the myths surrounding burnout, spiritual bypassing, and superficial healing. We’re talking about what’s really going on beneath the surface of emotional shutdown, how insecure attachment shows up in adult faith, and why your “soul senses” need to be reawakened if you want to actually experience wholeness. This isn’t about self-help. This is about becoming whole—from the inside out. If you’ve ever been told to “just push through” or have spiritualized your pain away, this conversation is going to hit you like a defibrillator. Episode Links Show Notes Buy my NEW BOOK "Healing What You Can't Erase" here! Invite me to speak at your church or event. Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

What if the deepest work God does in us happens when no one sees? When we feel forgotten, disillusioned, or unsure if our faith is still intact? Most of us would rather skip the wilderness. But what if the desert isn’t punishment—it’s preparation? This week on Win Today, international recording artist Evan Craft joins us for a raw and honest conversation about faith in the silence, finding God in the dark night of the soul, and what it means to serve when no one applauds. Together, we confront the cynicism that creeps in when life feels unfair, the pressure to perform for spiritual approval, and the questions we rarely admit we're asking, especially when God doesn't move how we expected. If you’ve ever felt forgotten by God or frustrated with the silence, this episode is for you. Episode Links Show Notes Buy my NEW BOOK "Healing What You Can't Erase" here! Invite me to speak at your church or event. Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

We say we want transformation, but often we create environments that protect people from pain instead of preparing them for growth. In the process, we enable spiritual stagnation, emotional fragility, and shallow discipleship. This week on Win Today, Katie Davis Majors exposes the hidden dangers of well-meaning empathy, the false security of “safe spaces,” and the clichés that erode authentic faith. In this conversation, we’ll also tackle how to live faithfully in the tension between what God has promised and what we see right now. If you’ve ever found yourself numbing pain instead of processing it, or if you’ve settled for comfort instead of maturity, this conversation will challenge you to grow, even when it costs you. Episode Links Show Notes Buy my NEW BOOK "Healing What You Can't Erase" here! Invite me to speak at your church or event. Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.