Joy Hour

About Joy Hour

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.

Publisher

Tom Lyman

Category

business · education · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 Feb 2026

Latest episode

19 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

61 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Oct 2026

   Ep. 61 - Joy Is a Choice, Not Just a Feeling

   In Episode 61 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman talks about what it means to choose joy even when life does not feel joyful. Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” Paul wrote those words while imprisoned. His circumstances were not easy, but his joy was rooted somewhere deeper than what was happening around him. Tom explains the difference between happiness that responds to circumstances and joy that is rooted in Jesus. Choosing joy does not mean pretending everything is fine, ignoring pain, or forcing a smile. It can simply mean being honest about a difficult day and still choosing to turn toward God. Tom also shares from his own life about a season when he avoided early morning prayer because he knew surrender might require sacrifices he was not ready to make. Today, prayer, time with God, and physical discipline have become part of his morning rhythm. The responsibilities are still there, but he is learning to bring them to Jesus before allowing everything else to consume his attention. The challenge in this episode is simple: before tomorrow becomes busy, take five minutes to pray and thank God for something specific. Your circumstances may take time to change, but where will you choose to turn today?

2. 

   12 Oct 2026

   Ep. 60 - Faithful Over a Few Things with Lana Lyman, Kathy & Glen Williams

   In Episode 60 of Joy Hour, Tom Lyman sits down with his wife, Lana Lyman, and her parents, Kathy and Glen Williams, for a conversation about faithfulness, calling, service, purpose, and what a successful life really looks like. Glen and Kathy have spent decades serving others through ministry, teaching, pastoring, Christian education, recovery work, and countless ordinary acts of service that were never about recognition. They share how calling often does not begin with a detailed plan from God. Sometimes it begins by simply being available, doing what is in front of you, and continuing to say yes. The conversation also challenges the idea that ministry success is measured by platforms, numbers, titles, or influence. Glen shares why he never wanted to chase the stage and how learning to serve the people God placed in front of him became more important than trying to imitate someone else's ministry. Kathy reflects on more than four decades of teaching and the sacrifices their family made because they believed Christian education and ministry were worth investing in. Lana also explains how understanding temperament can help people stop comparing themselves to others and start recognizing who God actually created them to be. When a person understands their strengths, weaknesses, needs, calling, and purpose, they can stop exhausting themselves trying to become somebody else. Through stories of ministry, parenting, financial sacrifice, serving when nobody noticed, and staying faithful when the results did not always look impressive, this episode comes back to one central idea: God never said, “Well done, good and successful servant.” He said, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” What would change if you stopped measuring your life by success and started measuring it by faithfulness?

3. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Ep. 59 - 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?

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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.