The Lion Within Us - Leadership for Christian Men

Send us Fan Mail What if the most dangerous choice a man makes is the choice to say nothing? We take a hard look at Genesis 3:12 and discover how Adam’s silence and blame set a pattern many of us still follow—at home, in church, and at work. This isn’t finger-pointing; it’s an honest call to trade passivity for Spirit-led leadership that serves, protects, and tells the truth even when it’s costly....

Send us Fan Mail Ever felt like you’re swinging harder with a dull axe? We open with Ecclesiastes 10:10 and sit down with Benjamin Matteson, a veteran law enforcement officer, to explore how wisdom, mentorship, and brotherhood sharpen a man’s life. From a childhood without church rhythms to a VBS invite that led to salvation and baptism, Benjamin’s journey shows how a single mentor and a faithful...

Send us Fan Mail Ever feel like you’re swinging harder but not getting anywhere? We anchor this conversation in Ecclesiastes 10:10—if the axe is dull, more strength won’t save you—and explore how sharpening through mentorship and discipleship turns effort into impact. With Ryan Zook, president of Men of Iron, we dig into why most men quietly crave a mentor, what keeps them from asking, and the sim...

Send us Fan Mail Feeling worn out from swinging harder and seeing little change? We unpack the fierce wisdom of Ecclesiastes 10:10—why a dull axe drains your strength and how sharpening your edge turns the same effort into real results. From leadership to marriage to everyday spiritual battles, we walk through simple, concrete ways to prepare your heart and habits so your next swing actually cuts....

Send us Fan Mail What do you do when work devours your peace, home feels distant, and your best intentions collapse into anger or silence? Mark Mitchell joins us to share a raw, hopeful journey from buried trauma and box-check faith to a daily walk with God that actually changes how he leads his home. From a fractured childhood and a porn addiction to a career that pulled him away from his wife an...

Send us Fan Mail Pressure rises, words sharpen, and suddenly your chest tightens—you’ve left connection and slipped into protection. Dr. Kelly Flanagan joins us to unpack that exact moment and show how a single decision can change the outcome: notice your heart closing and choose to open it. We trace the real mechanics of being triggered—how the nervous system mistakes small threats for mortal dan...

Send us Fan Mail Pressure has a way of telling the truth. When a sharp comment, a hard day, or a tense look flips that internal switch, what comes out isn’t random—it’s the heart speaking. We open Proverbs 4:23 and walk through a clear, practical path for guarding your heart with diligence so what overflows under stress is wisdom and life, not wrath and wreckage. We're headed to the 1613 Men’...

Send us Fan Mail Feeling alone doesn’t mean you’re failing—it means you’re human and paying attention. Today we sit down with Cameron Kauffman, a member whose path will feel familiar: early faith, a season of drift after high school, and then a return to church through marriage and community. What changed the game wasn’t more information; it was the right circle of men who traded vague encourageme...

Send us Fan Mail Loneliness doesn’t always look like an empty room; sometimes it’s a full calendar and a hollow heart. We’re naming that ache out loud and shining Scripture on the lies that make it worse. Starting with Psalm 142 and John 8, we trace those shame-filled thoughts to their real source, then build a simple filter to test every idea about worth and identity: if it contradicts God’s Word...

Send us Fan Mail Feeling invisible is more common than most men admit, and the silence can be brutal when it happens in the very places meant to heal us. We open Psalm 142 and talk plainly about the sting of being overlooked, the pull toward bitterness, and the slow grind of isolation that wears down courage. From hard personal experiences to hard-won hope, we trace a path from raw lament to real...

Send us Fan Mail What if the missing piece in your growth isn’t more content, but the right circle of men? We sit down with Rob Williams—seasoned executive, devoted husband, and father—to unpack how a Christ-centered mastermind turned isolated effort into measurable, life-giving progress. Rob’s story blends practical wisdom with hopeful grit: the courage to open up, the strength found in accountab...

Send us Fan Mail If your house feels more like a battleground than a refuge, you’re not imagining it—and you’re not alone. Pastor and author Craig Thompson joins us to reframe the fight: stop battling your spouse and start warring for your family. We talk candidly about selfishness, spiritual warfare, and the daily choices that turn a tense home into holy ground. We're headed to the 1613 Men’...

Send us Fan Mail What if the praise you want from God requires the process you’re trying to avoid? We sit with Job 1:8 and lean into a hard truth: character is forged before the crisis and revealed in the fire. This conversation is for men who want to lead with conviction, guard their homes, and walk with a steady peace the world can’t counterfeit. We're headed to the 1613 Men’s Conference! I...

Send us Fan Mail Men don’t need more noise; we need brothers who show up. Chris sits down with John Rogers to trace a surprisingly relatable path: a tough year, a big move, a gym next to a church, and the discovery that small, steady community can change everything. John shares how daily Scripture, honest conversation, and a tight mastermind group helped him lead with courage at home and at work—w...

Send us Fan Mail A prayer for clarity. A 3 a.m. wake-up call. A career pivot no one saw coming. Drew Parker sat atop a decade of hard-won Nashville success—Grammy and CMA nods, stadium tours with Luke Combs, a label pushing singles at country radio—yet the joy faded when the lights went down. Wrestling with frustration and purpose, he asked God to speak so clearly that denial would be impossible....

Send us Fan Mail Pressure rises, deadlines tighten, and our hands reach for the wheel. We say we trust God, yet we still try to be God. This conversation breaks that cycle with a clear path from Psalm 37:5—commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, and He will act—and shows how those words transform real decisions for husbands, fathers, and leaders. We're headed to the 1613 Men’s Conference!...

Send us Fan Mail A skeptical young husband sits on a pastor’s office floor, reads a passage, and finds the kind of faith that changes a life. That simple, humble start turns into decades of service: deep mentorship in a small church, ministry training, and a leap across the world to plant house churches in post-Soviet Ukraine. Along the way come cold trains, open-air markets, a tense meeting with...

Send us Fan Mail Some wounds don’t fade with time; they hide in our habits, our anger, and the way we lead at home. Patrick Morley joins us to chart a clear, biblical way to heal childhood pain and become a steady, cycle-breaking man. From passive or permissive parenting to outright absence or anger, we unpack how early stories shape adult reactions—and why behavior tweaks alone won’t fix a heart...

Send us Fan Mail When pain won’t let up and prayers feel like they bounce off the ceiling, Lamentations 3:31–32 speaks a quiet, stubborn hope: grief is seasonal, compassion is relentless. Chris opens up about back-to-back surgeries, infections, and the gut-punch of starting over, then walks us through how Scripture reframes suffering without sugarcoating it. The heart of the message is simple and...

Send us Fan Mail Pressure to provide can feel heavy until you remember who holds the weight. We sit down with Lucas Jordan—a husband, builder, and fearless follower of Jesus—to explore how Scripture, brotherhood, and simple daily rhythms can reshape a man’s life from the inside out. From meeting Christ in 2020 to leading others with quiet conviction, Lucas shares how community turned isolation int...

Send us Fan Mail Money can feel like a test you didn’t study for: high stakes, fast decisions, and a gnawing sense that you should be further along. We open up about the real pressure to provide, how good things like trucks and Christmas can turn into hooks, and why pride keeps men quiet when the numbers go red. Through honest stories and Scripture, we map out a path from anxiety to alignment so y...

Send us Fan Mail Ever feel like “provider” secretly means “be everything to everyone”? We got honest about money, pressure, and what 1 Timothy 5:8 truly calls men to do. Instead of chasing every desire, we draw a clear line between providing for needs and carrying a burden God never placed on our shoulders. The result is countercultural: less anxiety, more clarity, and a home led by stewardship, n...

Send us Fan Mail Ever felt the ground drop out from under you? Adam joins me to share how a sudden layoff shattered his illusion of control and became the turning point that rebuilt his life on surrender, Scripture, and a circle of brothers who tell the truth and don’t let you coast. It’s a raw, practical journey from “I’ve got this” to “God’s got me,” and how that shift changed his marriage, mone...

Send us Fan Mail What if the applause got louder while your voice grew quieter? That’s the paradox we unpack with Dr. Joel Tudman — pastor, former Division I coach, and mental health advocate — who reached the heights of platform and performance, then said the words most men avoid: “I don’t know who I am.” We're headed to the 1613 Men’s Conference! If you’re ready to stop floating through lif...

Send us Fan Mail What if courage sometimes looks like running? We explore Paul’s charge to “flee” and “fight” in 1 Timothy 6:11–12 and show how those two commands form a clear strategy for authentic manhood. We talk about why fleeing temptation is not cowardice but wisdom, and how fighting the good fight of faith demands conviction, consistency, and a reliance on the Holy Spirit. We're headed...