Vertical Pursuit

The assignation of Charlie Kirk has rocked the world, and in particular, the Christian world. He was an evangelist, who had a mission of leading young people to Jesus, and believed in open debate and discussion. As he often said, when dialogue ceases to exist, that’s when trouble comes. His murder has millions looking for comfort, answers, and seeking the Lord. What is the spirit of murder in our...

We all struggle with negative thoughts, voices in our head and even poor self-talk. How do we sort it all out and recognize Gods voice in the noise. The guilt/shame crazy cycle can be so damaging. Remember this- no one talks to you more than you do, so start understanding how your thoughts toward yourself are a reflection of how you regard God. 

This episode starts lightly, with a continued conversation about how men handle emotion, and then breaks into a discussion about yet another shooting targeting Christians, and the surprising response from some national leaders. What’s truly driving that? Is there a spiritual conspiracy behind evil violience?

What did the recently-deceased Hulk Hogan have in common with Solomon in the Bible? They both had it all, and tested all of life’s offerings. Both figured out they were merely chasing the wind, and realized building a relationship with Jesus is how you become a true champion.

Identity, inheritance, relationship, and understanding that you are a child of God, adopted into His family through faith in Christ, should be the lens by which we view our lives. We are co-heirs with Christ, even if that can be difficult to digest at times. How do we get that through our heads?

Whether we want to admit it or not, the Holy Spirit is mysterious to a lot of us. He is not a vague force, power, or energy, but is a distinct person, with attributes. Do you know that we have access to Him? And, yes, He is a valid recipient of prayer. We take a deep dive into the Holy Spirit in this episode.

When talking about challenging verses, especially in our culture, Psalm 46:10 takes the gold medal. “Be still, and know that I am God,” can even sound like an unachievable goal for many of us, especially in our culture. What does it truly mean to be still?

Ben is a leader, speaker, pastor to pastors, and hosts the podcast Rise and Lead, which is in the top 1% of podcasts in the world. To call him simply a “life coach” is an understatement. He has spoken to large corporations, and trained faith leaders, business heads, communities, groups, and couples, in over 20 countries.

In this episode we share the story of our brother Isaac, who has been illuminated in a way he couldn’t have predicted. It’s been painful, and miraculous at the same time. An accident has him feeling anointed and promoted, and we can all profit from his example and story.

What is the secret to navigating life’s trials, decisions and unmet expectations? How do we get clarity in the midst of lifes chaos and complexities? If you got everything exactly the way you wanted it, would you be happy? Or, would you immediately want more? Your suffering is not caused by things not going your way. Are we holding on to expectations of how we think things should always go? How do...

From profanity to pornography, we all know the dangers of giving in to habitual sin, and these days pornography is at the top of the list. Porn can be a bear trap for men, and turns into a neurochemical addiction. You start needing a quick fix to give you that escape. We call can agree that it is destructive. So, how do we get free?

Pastor Mike recaps a recent trip on NBA All-Star Weekend to the oldest prison in the United States, where some incarcerated men are actually discovering a freedom that is available to us all. 

Many of us have witnessed miraculous events, and even more of us are open to the idea of them happening. What should our reaction be to true “Jesus moments?" We dive into scripture to explore this subject and more.

When God wants you to grow, he makes you uncomfortable. No pain, no gain, right? This is a fundamental teaching, but it’s easier said than done. How do we really reach the point where we are lacking nothing? It sure isn’t by being satisfied with always being comfortable.

The Bible tells us to spend time, and our lives, with people who share our same vision. But, where is the line? Aren’t we supposed to go make disciples, even among non-Christians? What about close friends, and even prospective spouses?

Could we actually be on the verge of coming out of a very cloudy time where the truth was suppressed, shaped, and controlled by a select few, and into a time where there is power in consensus, and that’s easier to access? 

What do Biblical numbers mean, and what do we do with this topic? Also in this episode we wrestle with the idea of a wrath of God, and what that could look like in today’s world. Are natural disasters God's judgment today?

This episode is weird, hopefully in a good way. At times we make “going off on tangents” an art form, and this episode certainly falls under that heading. We start with the drone drama, and that took on to an off ramp of strangeness, viewed through a lens of faith, of course.

Not everything we read in the Bible is warm and fuzzy, and some is downright scary. And, that’s okay to admit. Are we doing enough? Will I make the cut? And, if I’m living in sin, does God even hear my prayers? Ugh.

If over 90% of men believe in God, why do only roughly 35% of men in the U.S. regularly attend church? Many of our female listeners have not only noticed this, but have asked for advice on how to get their men on the road to an abundant Christian life.

Actually, the question shouldn’t be "who are you,” but rather "WHOSE are you?” Paul sets this example for us in Ephesians by identifying that he is not bound to his past, and instead identifies himself by whose he is now, through Christ. That can help remove the pressure of our past mistakes, which leads to freedom.

It says in scripture that the one who is in control of the deception will literally blind the eyes of mankind. How can we not relate that directly to what we see (or not see) in today’s world? What do we do with that? And, what role does the government, and the vote, play in a Christian’s life? Buckle up, cowboy.

We often choose to hold on tightly to anxiety and worry, thinking that we’ll be able to at least have some measure of control over our circumstances. We do not gain control through fear, but our fear ends up controlling us. The gap between our illusion of control and our reality then gets filled with anxiety. What do we do with this?

There can be some confusion about what both of these words mean, and certainly negativity, these days, about anything referring to anything masculine. But, in this episode we discuss a new book that sets the record straight on both, and gives practical advice, and a Biblical perspective to the true meaning of masculinity, and what we should aspire to be.

We live in a world of distraction and deception. As a result, we’re seeing a hunger for foundational truth, especially in young people. Foundational truth is Biblical truth. Some of the lost are actually calling for the Bible to be labeled ‘misinformation’ these days. Is that a cause for concern? Yes. Should we worry? No.