The RYM Podcast

Discover how humor can be a vital expression of faith, the importance of lament, and boundaries for Christian comedy. Join us as we unpack the connection between human emotion, biblical themes, and the role of humor in every person’s life.

Discover how humor is woven into the fabric of God's creation and how it reveals divine attributes like grace and surprise. This episode explores the surprising yet profound connection between laughter, theology, and living joyfully as followers of Christ.

In this episode, we explore how humor has played a vital role in the lives of our guests Matt Howell and Casey Cochran, especially in their faith journeys and ministry. Discover the origins of their comedic expressions, how humor intersects with spirituality, and practical insights into stewarding God's gift of laughter.

In this final episode of the season, the hosts and guests pull back the curtain on the making of The Dopamine Delusion. They discuss the season’s highlights—including wisdom from Anna Lembke, Arcadian Wild’s theme song, the launch of RYM’s Substack, and the creative editing process. Join the conversation about how dopamine shapes our lives, as well as the simple, actionable steps families and leaders can use to model healthier digital habits.

Daniel Darling and Kurt Cooper join host John Perritt to unpack how legalized sports betting and addictive apps exploit dopamine, target young men, and threaten families and communities. They discuss the predatory tactics of the industry, the role of technology, pastoral concerns, and practical steps for parents and churches to warn and help those at risk.

Therapist and author Jay Stringer explains that sexuality is a beautiful, God-given gift and that unwanted sexual behaviors—pornography, affairs, fantasy—can be navigated in a path toward healing rather than a life sentence. Combining original research and the science of dopamine, he shows how childhood wounds, family patterns, and digital dopamine loops shape desire, and offers practical guidance for parents and leaders to form healthy sexual desire through proactive and responsive conversations.

This episode examines how modern marketing taps into our deepest spiritual longings—the "God-shaped vacuum"—and uses dopamine-driven techniques to influence behavior, especially among children and teens. Guest Walt Mueller unpacks persuasion strategies and individualized targeting via social media and AI, showing how ads sell worldviews as much as products. Practical takeaways include nurturing a biblical identity for kids and recognizing marketing's tactics to help families think critically about media and consumerism.

In this episode, Dr. Paul Loosemore explores how dopamine shapes kids' behavior, why it drives habit and craving, and how attachment and relationships matter more than quick fixes. The conversation offers practical, faith-informed guidance for parents: how to notice coping patterns, prioritize connection, set intentional tech boundaries, and invite community support. Listeners will hear theological framing, counseling wisdom, and simple steps—like creating tech-free rhythms, modeling honest conversations, and responding with curiosity and love when kids struggle—so families can move from reactive panic to patient, hopeful care.

Host John Perritt and co-host Linda Oliver interview Dr. Anna Lembke, author of the book Dopamine Nation, about how dopamine shapes desire, addiction, and motivation in today’s tech-saturated world. Dr. Lembke explains how overstimulation from social media, food, and games can blunt dopamine signaling, creating a chronic reward deficit that drives compulsive behavior. They discuss why teenagers are especially vulnerable, imparting the value of dopamine breaks and boredom for resetting reward pathways, as well as practical steps for individuals and society to reduce digital harms.

In this episode, we speak with youth minister Thomas Fitch about how dopamine shapes desire, why accomplishments and pleasures can still leave us empty, and how Scripture (particularly Ecclesiastes) intersects with neuroscience. The episode acts as an introduction to the topic of dopamine, giving practical steps for students, parents, and leaders—boundaries with technology, intentional fasting and rhythms, and relational practices to reorient desires toward God and others.