The POP Podcast

Episoder

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  Ep. 8: You Asked, We Answered (Season 1 Finale) 24.07.2026 1t 15min

  "We're building something beautiful, and it's going to take time. Good thing we've got a lot of it."It's the Season 1 finale of the POP Podcast, and this one's different. You sent in the questions, and Mike and Charles popped every balloon to answer them. No topic, no script, just your realest questions and two friends being honest about the answers.In this episode:- Have you ever gone backwards spiritually? (And how to come back)- Shame vs. conviction and why guilt is quicksand- How to tell what's really your identity vs. what you're just performing- What real growth actually looks like (miracle vs. measurement)- Why maybe the goal isn't growth, it's health, because healthy things grow- The red flags they'll never ignore again- What God had to remove that they didn't want to let go of- How to build trust while people watch your process in real time- Why being misunderstood is part of the process- The finale question: is perfection even achievable, or is it all progression?Thank you for rocking with us through Season 1. This started as an obedience step, and you turned it into a community.We believe in Progression Over Perfection. Through theology, therapy, and community, God can turn trauma into triumph.That's a wrap on Season 1, and yes, Season 2 is coming.Follow the show: Instagram: @TheOfficialPOPpodcast TikTok: @TheOfficialPOPpodcast YouTube: youtube.com/@poppodcastFollow the hosts: Mike: @iammiketodd Charles: @charlesmetcalf
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  Ep. 7: Everybody Has Ideas. Geniuses Close The Gap. 17.07.2026 1t 13min

  "Vision is what you see when your eyes are closed."In Episode 7 of the POP Podcast, Mike and Charles talk about the catalyst behind anything impactful, vision, and the unglamorous work it takes to drag it from an idea in your head into something real in front of you.In this episode:- Why everybody is creative (and why believing that changes everything)- The difference between a creative and a genius: closing the gap between vision and execution- Why an idea isn't a vision until you write it down- The Spirit Bank Event Center story: writing down the impossible 5 years early- Why God gives the same vision to multiple people, and rewards whoever executes- The 5 things it takes to bring a vision to life: Skill, Speech, Spark, Stamina, Supply- Why "faith without works is dead" is the most practical verse for dreamers- How to disagree on vision without breaking trust- "For the joy set before Him", why vision is what keeps you on the crossIf you've got something burning in you that you've never said out loud, or you've said it but never moved on it, this one's for you.We believe in Progression Over Perfection. Through theology, therapy, and community, God can turn trauma into triumph.New episodes every Friday.Follow the show: Instagram: @TheOfficialPOPpodcast TikTok: @TheOfficialPOPpodcast YouTube: youtube.com/@poppodcastFollow the hosts: Mike: @iammiketodd Charles: @charlesmetcalf
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  Ep. 6: The Right Pressure Makes You, The Wrong Pressure Cooks You 10.07.2026 1t 12min

  "Pressure either cooks you or it makes you."In Episode 6 of the POP Podcast, Mike and Charles reframe pressure entirely. It's not the enemy, life includes pressure no matter where you are, and the right amount in the right place is exactly what God uses to make you. The goal isn't to escape pressure. It's to sort it, release the wrong kind, and let the right kind do its work.In this episode:- Why pressure is relative, and why you have to stop comparing yours- The difference between avoiding pressure and appropriate pressure (and why you need it)- Internal pressure: the made-up identity crisis nobody can see- External pressure, the holidays, and the conversations nobody wants to have- The pressure to perform vs. the pressure to produce, and why a little is a gift- Manufactured pressure, the deadlines you made up that are frying you- Recognize it, release it: why pressure only hurts when it builds up- "What God has for you will be there if you're healthy enough to hold it"If you're carrying pressure you can't name, running on fumes, or feeling crushed even when things look fine, this one will help you put pressure back in its right place.This conversation builds on Episode 5 (Rest). If you haven't heard it, start there.We believe in Progression Over Perfection. Through theology, therapy, and community, God can turn trauma into triumph.New episodes every Friday.Follow the show: Instagram: @TheOfficialPOPpodcast TikTok: @TheOfficialPOPpodcast YouTube: youtube.com/@poppodcastFollow the hosts: Mike: @iammiketodd Charles: @charlesmetcalf
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  Ep. 5: You're Sleeping But You're Not Resting 03.07.2026 1t 10min

  "Some people are sleeping that still aren't resting."In Episode 5 of the POP Podcast, Mike and Charles get hot, humble, open, and transparent about the most counter-cultural thing they do, rest. In a culture that glorifies the grind, they make the case that rest isn't laziness. It's a gift, a rhythm, and a commandment.In this episode:- Why sleep is part of rest, but not the whole thing- The "engine of insecurity" that drives so many of us, and what it costs- Why you can be wildly successful and have completely the wrong motive- Why the Sabbath is the commandment nobody talks about- How God modeled rest in creation (we were made to work FROM rest, not FOR it)- The sabbatical that started Relationship Goals, and the POP friendship- What rest actually looks like, practically, week to week- "You do all the work for the people, but the people just want you"If you're exhausted, running on coffee and adrenaline, successful but unable to enjoy it, this one's for you.We believe in Progression Over Perfection. Through theology, therapy, and community, God can turn trauma into triumph.New episodes every Friday.Follow the show: Instagram: @TheOfficialPOPpodcast TikTok: @TheOfficialPOPpodcast YouTube: youtube.com/@poppodcastFollow the hosts: Mike: @iammiketodd Charles: @charlesmetcalf
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  Ep. 4: Everybody Wants Friends For The Highlight, Not The Fight 26.06.2026 1t 6min

  "Everybody wants friends for the highlight. It's a different thing to have a friend for the fight."In Episode 4 of the POP Podcast, Mike and Charles continue their conversation on community, this time about the friends who show up when it's inconvenient, when you're losing, and when there's nothing to gain.In this episode:- Why most people go to the valley alone, and why that's dangerous- The caterpillar and the ant (why some friendships can't survive your transformation)- Why your marriage becomes your primary relationship- The difference between friends for the highlight and friends for the fight- The 1 AM story: when Charles was at his lowest and his friends showed up- Why a real friend doesn't try to fix it, they bring presence, truth, and prayer- Leading vulnerably when everyone depends on you- "We are firemen", why you don't run from the fire, you run into itThis episode is Part 2 of our conversation on community. If you haven't heard Episode 3 yet, start there.We believe in Progression Over Perfection. Through theology, therapy, and community, God can turn trauma into triumph.New episodes every Friday.Follow the show: Instagram: @TheOfficialPOPpodcast TikTok: @TheOfficialPOPpodcast YouTube: youtube.com/@poppodcastFollow the hosts: Mike: @iammiketodd Charles: @charlesmetcalf
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  Ep. 3: Most of Your Friends Don't Actually Know You 19.06.2026 1t

  The right voices don't shrink you. They sharpen you.In Episode 3 of the POP Podcast, Mike and Charles unpack the relationships that actually shape who you become, and the social media facades that are stealing your real ones.In this episode:Why most of the people you call "friends" don't actually know youHow social media trained you to be transactional, not relationalHow Mike and Charles really met (and the Golden State Warriors moment)The Tim Ross dining room table momentWhy Natalie is not Mike's soulmate (and the difference between a soulmate and a soul match)Honesty vs. transparency, and why one of them will heal youWhy "submission" isn't a scary wordThe James 5:16 healing that doesn't come from the pulpitWhy every person needs a Paul, a Barnabas, and a TimothyIf you've been carrying everything alone, leading lonely, building lonely, healing lonely, this episode is for you.We believe in Progression Over Perfection. Through theology, therapy, and community, God can turn trauma into triumph.New episodes every Friday.Follow the show: Instagram: @TheOfficialPOPpodcast TikTok: @TheOfficialPOPpodcast YouTube: youtube.com/@poppodcastFollow the hosts: Mike: @iammiketodd Charles: @charlesmetcalf
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  Ep. 2: Comfort Is Killing Your Calling 12.06.2026 1t 9min

  You prayed for clarity, but what you needed was courage.In Episode 2 of the POP Podcast, Mike and Charles sit down to talk about the showdown every leader eventually faces: when comfort and calling collide.In this episode:Why discomfort is the tool God uses to develop youThe "manufactured pressure" you create that isn't actually your callingMike's drum pillow storyThe Stephen Furtick call and the Marked merchandise disasterThe Land Rover confessionWhy Charles walked away from his own church plantCrying in the DSW shoe sectionWhat it actually means to be disciplined, and how it makes you a discipleThe difference between needing clarity and needing courageMentioned in this episode: Mike's sermon "Cuffed to Comfort."We believe in Progression Over Perfection. Through theology, therapy, and community, God can turn trauma into triumph.New episodes every Friday.Follow the show: Instagram: @TheOfficialPOPpodcast TikTok: @TheOfficialPOPpodcast YouTube: youtube.com/@poppodcastFollow the hosts: Mike: @iammiketodd Charles: @charlesmetcalf
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  Ep. 1: Perfection Is Expensive, Progression Is Free 05.06.2026 1t 5min

  The picture of perfect we had is because people never showed us their progress.Welcome to Episode 1 of the POP Podcast, the inaugural conversation between Mike and Charles, 3 years in the making. In this opener, they unpack why perfectionism is the silent killer of your purpose, and why the path forward is progression, not performance.In this episode:Why perfection is expensive but progression is freeThe labels you accept that become your limitsHow comparison silently kills your progressionThe Bella science test storyWhat your spouse would say you need to progress inThe Theology + Therapy + Community framework that anchors this whole seasonWhy your obedience to God matters more than anyone's opinionIf you've been carrying the weight of trying to be perfect, this is your permission to progress. We believe in Progression Over Perfection. Through theology, therapy, and community, God can turn trauma into triumph. New episodes every Friday.Follow the show:Instagram: @TheOfficialPOPpodcastTikTok: @TheOfficialPOPpodcastYouTube: youtube.com/@poppodcastFollow the hosts: Mike: @iammiketodd Charles: @charlesmetcalf