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Episode 20 - What happens when you ask God to change your life—and He actually does?

In this episode of The Conviction Exchange, Chandler and Shawn welcome special guest Travis Ball, a colleague and friend from Blades Audio Video Security, who shares his powerful testimony of addiction, radical transformation, and the life-changing power of surrender.

On Mother's Day in 2022, Travis found himself sitting in the back of a church, hungover from the night before, when a message about conviction challenged him to pray a bold prayer: "God, if You're really there, give me this heart of conviction. Rock my world." Little did he know that just hours later, he would find himself pulled over on the side of a road, overwhelmed by an encounter with God that would forever change the direction of his life.

Together, they explore what it means to be radically transformed by Jesus, the struggle between flesh and spirit, and the importance of pursuing a relationship with Christ rather than placing our faith in people or institutions. Travis also opens up about navigating church hurt, finding the strength to forgive, and witnessing God's faithfulness through some of life's most difficult moments.

From breaking free of addiction to discovering healing through forgiveness, this conversation is a powerful reminder that our past does not have to define our future, and that even our deepest hurts can lead us back to the foot of the cross.

What if the prayer you've been afraid to pray is the very one that could change everything?

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Episode 19 - What happens when you’ve followed Matthew 18 to the letter, talked to your pastor one-on-one, brought in two or three witnesses, and nothing changes? In part two of our conversation on denominations, Pastor Dan Cole, a Church of the Nazarene pastor and former district superintendent, joins us to talk about church accountability, when it’s time to “shake the dust off your feet,” and why a church with no real leadership structure can leave people with nowhere to turn.

From there, the conversation moves to one of the biggest questions in the modern church: why do we let the name over the door divide us? Pastor Dan shares how he went from “bleeding Nazarene” as a 21-year-old pastor to living by his mentor’s words: I’m a Nazarene, but I’m a Christian first. We talk about church competition, cute church names that hide their denominations, and the “restaurant with no food” problem, where churches gather every week but no one is getting saved, baptized, or discipled. We also get into why discipleship falls to the back burner as churches grow, and why good leaders have to set down their ego and delegate.

And yes, there’s plenty of laughter along the way, including “the OG still has it,” the dancing DS, and a grazing table that almost became a trough.

With roughly 45,000 to 49,000 Christian denominations worldwide, our conclusion is simple: Jesus comes first. Love God, love your neighbor.

Resources & References Mentioned

• Matthew 18:15–17 — Jesus’ steps for confronting sin and bringing it to the church
• Matthew 25:31–46 — Caring for “the least of these,” the heart behind our mercy mandate
• Matthew 28:19–20 — The Great Commission: go and make disciples
• Matthew 22:37–39 — The Great Commandment: love God, love your neighbor
• John 17:20–23 — Jesus’ prayer for unity among believers
• John 21:15–17 — “Feed my sheep”
• James 1:27 — Caring for orphans and widows
• Center for the Study of Global Christianity (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) — source of the 45,000–49,000 global denominations estimate

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Does church structure really matter? And who holds church leadership accountable?

In Episode 18, Part 1 of The Conviction Exchange, Chandler Guion and Shawn Blades welcome special guest Pastor Dan Cole, who brings nearly five decades of ministry experience to a candid conversation about denominations, church leadership, and spiritual authority.

Drawing from his years as a pastor and district superintendent, Pastor Dan shares firsthand experiences that reveal both the importance of accountability and the challenges of leading within the church. Together, they explore the differences between denominational and non-denominational churches, the dangers of unchecked authority, and what happens when leadership loses sight of the people it's called to serve.

From difficult conversations behind closed doors to the biblical principles of conflict resolution, this episode challenges both pastors and congregations to consider what healthy, Christ-centered leadership should actually look like.

Because spiritual authority should never come without accountability.

Join us for Part 1 of this thought-provoking conversation on The Conviction Exchange.

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