The CrossCounsel Podcast
Welcome to the CrossCounsel Podcast! Since 1997, we've been finding a better way to experience healing, growth, and maturity in Christ.
Join our co-founder, Rev. Steve Freitag, and special guests as they explore how the Spirit of Jesus transforms us into people who are strong, steady, sturdy, secure, and appropriately compassionate.
Diving into our MELT Process isn't easy, but it's well worth it. Those who are willing to engage with both their present and historical pain—and confront their "demons"—can discover unimaginable freedom and peace.
Much of this may feel surprisingly simple, yet deeply transformative—strangely normal.
Together, let's do all we can in the work God calls us to do.
Episodes
183 episodes
183 | Grief Gratitude Migraines
This episode offers another glimpse into the heart of our training community. You’ll hear from Susan Hulet, founder of Mercy House, as she shares a deeply significant moment with Jesus while MELTing through the tragic loss of her father more th...
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Episode 183
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22:42
182 | Continue to be Transformed
Steve and Mary conclude their discussion on the history of CrossCounsel. If you haven’t listened to Episode 181, we encourage you to start there—it sets the stage for everything they cover here. They highlight how easily we make excuses when li...
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Episode 182
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22:17
181 | Our Ongoing Origin Story
Mary Carlton returns to the podcast as we revisit Our Ongoing Origin Story—the foundations of what makes CrossCounsel different. We share how our separate journeys led us into this ministry approach and how it transformed everything fo...
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Episode 181
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30:40
180 | Have You Heard of Plato, Aristotle… Sōma?
You’ve heard of Plato and Aristotle—two philosophers who shaped how we think about truth, reality, and the soul. But Scripture offers something richer: sōma—the whole person, body and spirit, mind and heart, all woven together in trans...
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Episode 180
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15:05
179 | In Which Chair Are You Sitting?
While visiting Seacoast Grace Church in Cypress, California, Steve sat in on a message from Lead Pastor Cody Surratt that caught him off guard—in the best way.What began as a simple object lesson with a kitchen table, a high chair, a ben...
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Episode 179
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13:23
178 | Conclusion: From Striving & Suicidal to Hopeful & Helping
A late-night call, one of Hannah's brothers in crisis, and a heart heavy with guilt—Hannah’s story could have stayed there. But later, God used the quiet image of a monarch chrysalis as a crucial part of seeing both transformation and dying—som...
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Episode 178
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28:28
177 | From Striving & Suicidal to Hopeful & Helping
In this moving conversation, Hannah shares how her life shifted from striving—not only as a high-level student-athlete, but in nearly every area of her life. When she first walked through the doors at CrossCounsel, she was battling suicidal tho...
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Episode 177
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30:00
176 | Truth Independent of Reactions w/ Shane Buol > Why Offense Doesn’t Define Reality
In a world where disagreement is often labeled as hatred and offense is treated as evidence of harm, Steve Freitag and Shane Buol explore how the MELT Process offers a radically different path. When emotions flare in response to t...
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Episode 176
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44:41
175 | Unscripted Testimonies: Behind the Scenes of a Monday Night
In this episode, you’ll hear firsthand stories of how the Lord has been at work—taken directly from a weekly Zoom gathering. You’ll also hear Mary’s heart and her unwavering commitment to ensuring that when people receive truth, it is genuine a...
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Episode 175
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25:16
174 | O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?
In this episode of the CrossCounsel Podcast, we sit down with Byron Guerra, youth pastor at Thirst Church (https://www.thirstchurch.org) in Oconomowoc, WI, and his longtime friend, mentor, and CrossCounsel facilitator, Chuck Schroeter.B...
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Episode 174
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50:06
173 | Hillary's Anger Breakthrough
In this episode, we dive into what AJ & Hillary have been learning, especially an eye-opening anger exercise that led to real freedom. We don’t just tell people to “let go of anger.” Instead, we explore why we hold onto it in the first plac...
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Episode 173
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34:43
172 | What Am I Hiding Behind?
Episode 172 begs the question, are we truly being transformed, or just wearing the costume of faith? In this episode, we explore the danger of spiritual performance—appearing strong while hiding deep brokenness. AJ and Hillary share their journ...
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27:17
171 | Can We See MELT in the Scriptures?
On this podcast, Steve and Hillary finish up their long discussion exploring biblical stories that indirectly reflect the principles of the MELT Process. We’ll look at the bleeding woman in Mark 5, who was told she was unclean and how ...
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Episode 171
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29:25
170 | Knowing Jesus Has You in Mind
Hi everyone, and welcome! In this podcast, we’re joined by Justine Roberts.This recording follows a recent session she had with Steve, where they ran out of time before fully resolving a particular memory. In the days that followed, Jus...
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21:24
169 | Two Special Women with Jesus
Hi Everyone! On this episode, Steve and Hillary explore how Jesus broke societal norms in His transformative encounters with two women: the Samaritan woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery.They discuss how Jesus, ...
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Episode 169
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22:30
168 | Scripture and F-35s
Hi Everyone,This episode kicks off with some light banter between Steve and Hillary, including his morning at Truax Field in Madison, home of the F-35. It's a cutting-edge, stealthy multirole fighter with advanced avionics and supersoni...
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25:54
167 | Our Soul's Soundtracks
Hello Everyone!Music has touched all of our lives in ways we may not even realize. In this episode, Steve is joined by guests Jenni Freitag, Shane Buol, and Jason Hoffman—three talented musicians with a deep commitment to the truth and b...
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Episode 167
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48:16
166 | WITH Jesus Everyday
Hi Everybody. This episode features the return of Mary Carlton for a special appearance. The topic was inspired by Mary's words soon after the school shooting in Madison. As simplistic as it may sound, we truly believe that the inner turmoil th...
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Episode 166
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37:15
165 | School Shooting / Declaration of Hope
We’re coming to you today with heavy hearts in light of the recent tragedies in Madison, Wisconsin, and the heartbreaking school shooting that occurred on Monday, December 16. These events have shaken our community and reminded us, once again, ...
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Episode 165
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19:02
164 | Love Bonds and Fear Bonds
Our discussion on this episode gets into an unexpected and very brief overview of Love Bonds and Fear Bonds from the book Living from the Heart Jesus Gave You.In summary, love bonds are secure connections bu...
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Episode 164
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29:39
163 | Don't Let a Diagnosis Identify You
Hello Everyone,In this episode, we dive into a powerful conversation. Hillary shares her inspiring journey through the MELT Process, highlighting how she's overcome symptoms of ADHD and the profound impact it has had on her life. ...
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Episode 163
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34:45
162 | Loving God Wholeheartedly
Hello Everyone!We were originally going to call this episode, "Ope! Throw another shrimp on the barbie!" That was to be a tongue-in-cheek tip of the cap to us Midwesterners and to Australians who may be listening. However, ...
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Episode 162
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52:18
161 | Half Measures
Hello Everyone,We jump right into a discussion on how we hope that after some time with us, they can start MELTing without us. We discuss recognizing that many things we do to find peace are often only half measures, bringi...
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Episode 161
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22:26