Joey Caldwell has been part of the Ben Lippen community since 2014 and brings a deep love for Jesus and for teaching to our school family. He and his wife, Bethany, have been married for 13 years and are the proud parents of two children—Lumia (6) and Joseph (4).

A Kansas City native, Joey holds an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction as well as an M.A. in Theological Studies. He considers knowing Jesus the greatest joy of his life and counts it a true privilege to share God’s Word with high school students each day.

We’re excited to feature Joey on the upcoming episode of the Ben Lippen Podcast!

🎧 In This Episode

Joy that survives sorrow is not a mood; it’s the steady life of Christ in us. We open our Advent series episode on Joy by tracing where joy comes from, why it holds when happiness fails, and how ordinary people can practice rejoicing without faking smiles or denying pain. Our guest, Joey Caldwell, a high school Bible teacher at Ben Lippen, shares a vulnerable story of years-long infertility, heartbreaking loss, adoption, and a slow return from depression and panic. Through it all, a surprising truth emerges: joy never moved, because Jesus never moved.

We unpack the core difference between happiness and Christian joy, using Scripture to ground the idea that joy is a gift of the Spirit, deeply tied to peace, love, and abiding. From Luke’s “good news of great joy” to Revelation 21’s promise of God dwelling with his people, we explore why joy can coexist with grief and how rejoicing becomes a spiritual discipline. You’ll hear practical ways to “rehearse the gospel” in daily life; gratitude that names grace, prayer that keeps the heart soft, obedience that aligns our loves, and worship that trains our desires. We also talk about Advent rhythms that keep the season focused: fasting from distractions, telling the story clearly to our kids, singing, serving, and slowing down to rest.