The Lion Within Us - Leadership for Christian Men
Christian men are in a battle for their lives. Satan will do everything possible to destroy them. The Lion Within Us is a community that provides encouragement to become the leaders God intends us to be. Our main focus lies within three categories: Health (Mental/Physical), Wealth (Careers/Finances) and Self (Husbands/Fathers/Brothers in Christ). By sharpening these areas of our lives, we can find the strength needed to stand firm in our faith and unleash the Lion Within.
757. Ask An Elder With Buck Jacobs
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The most dangerous moment in a Christian man’s life might be right after he gets saved, when nobody explains what to do next. Buck Jacobs joins me for a straight-shooting talk about discipleship, spiritual growth, and why “I’m going to heaven” is not the finish line. We zoom out and look at life as an eternal lifeline: physical birth, new birth, and the day we stand before Jesus with our choices and works on the table.
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756. I’m Just A Guy: Without Patience
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Waiting can make a good man feel powerless. When results don’t come, when healing drags on, when your marriage, family, or work life won’t move forward, impatience isn’t just annoying, it can steal your peace and push you straight into anger. I’m putting a spotlight on a hard confession: I’m a guy without patience, and I’ve had to learn that patience isn’t mainly a time issue, it’s a trust issue.
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755. Ecclesiastes 3:11 - Spiritual Kick Off
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God’s timing can feel unbearable when you’re doing the right things and still not seeing results. We start with Ecclesiastes 3:11 and get brutally practical about what it means to trust God when life is stuck in the “not yet” season and patience feels like a fight you’re losing. I share a real-world picture from our farm that taught me more about faith than I expected.
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West Chester Nazarene Church in West Chester, Ohio on No...
754. Member Spotlight: Steven Pennypacker
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Steven Pennypacker joins me for a member spotlight that’s equal parts sobering and hopeful. He walks through years of “almost” moments, including a brother’s liver transplant, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a stroke, bladder cancer, and watching his wife endure serious health challenges. Through it all, God’s patience kept showing up until one night Stephen finally surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and never looked back. If you’re searching for a real Christian testimony about faith after illness, this one will stick with you.
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753. Raising Spiritually Strong Kids With Dr. Charles Fay
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Most dads I know feel a quiet pressure to “get it right” spiritually, like we’re supposed to raise faith-filled kids through sheer effort and flawless leadership. That pressure can turn into anxiety, control, or checking out. I sit down with Dr. Charles Fay, president of the Love and Logic Institute and author of Raising Spiritually Strong Kids, to name what’s actually true: we don’t have what it takes on our own, and Christ never asked us to pretend we do.
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752. 2 Timothy 1:5 - Spiritual Kick Off
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Faith doesn’t magically appear in your kids when they graduate high school or start asking big questions. It is formed slowly, quietly, and powerfully where they live with you. We open with 2 Timothy 1:5 and Paul’s words about Timothy’s “sincere faith,” then we follow the trail back to the people who shaped it first: his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. That’s a wake-up call for Christian dads who want strong families and real spiritual leadership at home.
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751. Member Spotlight: Jim Barnhart
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A hidden struggle can make you feel like two different men: the one everyone sees and the one who fights private battles in silence. We sit down with Lion Within member Jim Barnhart, and his testimony goes straight to the places many Christian men avoid: abandonment, coping, lust, and the slow drift into a faith that shows up on Sunday but disappears the rest of the week.
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West Chester Nazarene Church in West Chester, Ohio...
750. UFO's and God with Derrick Warfel
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UFO talk used to feel like background noise, but it’s getting louder, slicker, and more persuasive and that matters if you’re trying to lead your home with wisdom. We sit down with award-winning filmmaker and author Derrick Warfel to look at the UFO phenomenon through a Christian worldview and ask a harder question than “Is it real?”: what message is being preached through it, and who benefits if the church stays silent?
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West Chester Nazarene Church<...
749. 1 John 4:1 - Spiritual Kick Off
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The internet is packed with loud headlines, viral theories, and “hidden knowledge” that promises clarity but often produces fear. We slow the whole thing down with 1 John 4:1 and a simple, biblical challenge: don’t believe every spirit, test the spirits. As Christian men, we are not called to be naive, and we are not called to be paranoid. We are called to be discerning.
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West Chester Nazarene Church in West Chester, Ohio on November 7th. We...
748. Member Spotlight: Jeremiah Kauffman
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A guy doesn’t usually wake up one morning “different.” Change shows up when the small, faithful choices stack up: opening Scripture again, telling the truth to another man, praying when you would rather distract yourself, and learning how to lead at home without pretending you have it all together. That’s why Jeremiah’s story hit me so hard, because the people closest to him noticed something new and he could trace it back to one shift: consistent discipleship and brotherhood.
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747. The Last Stand With Seth Gruber
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Something is off in the West, and you can feel it: the vulnerable get sacrificed, the powerful get protected, and too many churches respond with silence. We sit down with Seth Gruber, president of White Rose Resistance and creator behind The Last Stand: Christ or Chaos and The 1916 Project, to name what many Christian men sense but struggle to articulate. Seth argues the culture war is not mainly about personalities or parties, but about a deeper spiritual conflict against Christ and the Christian foundation that gave the West its moral vocabulary: sanctity of...
746. Psalm 88:12 - Spiritual Kick Off
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Forgetting God doesn’t usually look like shaking your fist at heaven. It looks like staying busy, staying entertained, and slowly going numb. We open with Psalm 88:12 and that chilling phrase “the land of forgetfulness,” then we get brutally honest about how spiritual drift works in real life for Christian men: it’s subtle, it’s quiet, and it often shows up as convenience over conviction and comfort over obedience.
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West Chester Nazarene Church in West Cheste...
745. Ask An Elder With Buck Jacobs
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Most men don’t need more religious noise, they need a clear path to become the leaders God intends them to be. That’s why we tried something different: a candid “Ask My Mentor” sit-down with Buck Jacobs, a man who’s spent decades spotting what’s healthy and unhealthy inside organizations and who brings that same clarity to the modern church.
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West Chester Nazarene Church in West Chester, Ohio on November 7th. We'll also be at <...
744. I’m Just A Guy: Resisting Temptation
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Temptation rarely kicks the door down. More often, it slides in through a thought we don’t challenge, a scroll we don’t stop, or a private habit we keep feeding until it feels bigger than us. We’re opening the Bible and getting honest about what Christian men actually face, using 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 as our anchor: stay humble, stay alert, and trust God to provide a real way of escape when pressure hits.
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West Chester Nazarene Church...
743. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 - Spiritual Kick Off
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The most dangerous words a man can say are “I’d never do that.” Temptation doesn’t usually kick down the front door, it slips in through small compromises we excuse, hide, or downplay. We open 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 and get honest about why spiritual overconfidence is a trap for Christian men who want strong marriages, clean integrity, and real spiritual leadership.
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West Chester Nazarene Church in West Chester, Ohio on November 7th. We'll also be at
742. Member Spotlight: Scott Spencer
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A secret doesn’t stay small, it grows teeth. Scott Spencer knows that firsthand, and his story is a raw reminder that the darkest part of your past doesn’t get to be the final word. From a childhood shaped by church routines and family love to middle school upheaval after his dad’s deployment, Scott walks us through how bullying, isolation, and shame set the stage for years of hidden pornography addiction and other numbing escapes.
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741. The God Worth Trusting With Ryan Maher
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Some pain doesn’t just hurt, it rewrites what you think God is like. If you’ve ever stared at loss, betrayal, addiction, tragedy, or unanswered prayer and wondered, “Is God really good?”, you’re not alone, and you’re not crazy for asking. We’re joined by Ryan Maher, a digital evangelism leader who’s helped millions engage with Scripture online and who runs a massive daily prayer community on Instagram.
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West Chester Nazarene Church in West Cheste...
740. Mark 9:24 - Spiritual Kick Off
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“I do believe. Help my unbelief.” That one line from Mark 9:24 is short, raw, and almost uncomfortably relatable, especially when you’re carrying stress you can’t fix. We slow down and unpack what’s happening in the story, why a desperate father’s prayer matters so much, and how it gives Christian men language for the moments when faith feels fragile.
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West Chester Nazarene Church in West Chester, Ohio on November 7th. We'll also be at <...
739. Member Spotlight: Tom Monck
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We hand the mic to Lion member Tom Monck for a story that moves from a Catholic upbringing and early church involvement to teenage rebellion, addiction, and consequences that stack up fast. Tom shares what it was like getting sober, realizing sobriety did not automatically mean knowing God, and how becoming a husband and father exposed the gap between “religion” and real relationship with Jesus. His turning point comes through community, a Wednesday night class that challenges his assumptions, and a men’s retreat where Scripture finally lands in his bones, leading to prayer...
738. Finding Virtue With Reagan Miller
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Most men can name a birthday, a driver’s license, or a first job, but still can’t answer the deeper question: when did I become a man? That silence matters, because boys are asking it anyway, and if fathers don’t answer, the world will. I’m joined by Reagan Miller, founder of Finding Virtue Ministries and author of Finding Virtue, to talk about a practical, biblical rite of passage that helps fathers disciple their sons with clarity.
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737. Luke 6:45 - Spiritual Kick Off
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Pressure doesn’t magically change you, it exposes you. We open Luke 6:45 and get painfully practical about why your mouth says what it says, why your reactions run hot when life shakes you, and why “I’ll do better next time” isn’t a plan for spiritual leadership. Jesus’ point is simple and heavy: what fills your heart is what spills out, especially under stress.
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West Chester Nazarene Church in West Chester, Ohio on November 7th. We'l...
736. Member Spotlight: Chris Dupree
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We jump into a Fun Friday member spotlight with Chris Dupree, who shares his story with disarming honesty. We talk about growing up between two very different church experiences, wrestling with anxiety and the “I’ve got this” mindset, and what it looks like to lead inside a blended family. Chris also gives a window into his marriage, including how he supports his wife as a triathlete and why steady encouragement matters when life is busy.
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735. Getting Past Guilt With Joe Beam
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You can believe God forgives you and still wake up feeling dirty, stuck, and disqualified. That gap between “I know” and “I feel” is where shame keeps a lot of Christian men silent, isolated, and replaying their worst moments on repeat. We go straight at that tension with Dr. Joe Beam, who doesn’t teach this from theory. He lived it through adultery, divorce, the fallout of being caught, and the long road back to reconciliation and remarriage.
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734. Psalm 32:3-5 - Spiritual Kick Off
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Silence can feel like strength, but Psalm 32 says it can slowly crush you. We sit with David’s words in Psalm 32:3-5 and talk like men who have actually carried guilt, shame, and secrets. When we keep silent, the pressure does not stay spiritual. It leaks into our bodies, our marriages, our leadership, and our peace until we feel sapped dry like summer heat.
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West Chester Nazarene Church in West Chester, Ohio on November 7th...
733. Member Spotlight: Richard Fletcher
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A prison can harden you, humble you, or both, and Richard Fletcher has lived that tension from the inside. Rick serves as a sergeant with the New Jersey Department of Corrections, and he joins us to share a raw, hopeful testimony of walking away from faith, hitting a moment of absolute powerlessness, and finding God’s grip stronger than his own. If you’ve ever wondered whether God can restore the years you feel you wasted, the promise in Joel 2:25 lands with weight and with real-life proof.
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732. Faith And Forgiveness With Al Robertson
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A marriage can break in a night, but rebuilding it takes years of truth, repentance, and the kind of forgiveness most people only talk about in theory. I’m joined by Al Robertson to pull back the curtain on Faith and Forgiveness, the Lifetime movie inspired by his and Lisa’s real-life story, and why they chose to put their hardest chapter on screen for the sake of other families.
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731. Joel 2:25 - Spiritual Kick Off
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The years can vanish faster than we want to admit. A season of anger. A hidden addiction. A relationship we damaged with pride. A stretch of shame where we stopped believing God could still use us. Joel 2:25 names that kind of devastation with a vivid image, “the years the locusts have eaten,” and it also dares to claim something most of us struggle to believe when we’re in the wreckage: God restores.
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730. Member Spotlight: Keith Read
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Keith Reed joins us for a member spotlight that feels like a movie script. Keith grew up around constant church and Bible teaching, but he also lived through the kind of fear based legalism that can distort the gospel and leave real scars. From there, he ran hard into rebellion and built a decades long career in live sound and touring, working around some of the biggest names in music. He shares what he learned about humility, serving the people in the seats, and staying grounded when your world is built on pressure...
729. I'm Just A Guy: Who's Ashamed
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Shame is sneaky because it doesn’t just point at what we did, it tries to rename who we are. I open with Isaiah 61:7, because God’s promise is clear: He doesn’t leave us stuck in disgrace, He restores, He heals, and He gives joy where shame used to sit. We talk about the difference between guilt and shame, why shame makes men hide, and how that hiding quietly benches us from the leadership God intends for our homes, marriages, and daily choices.
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728. Isaiah 61:7 - Spiritual Kick Off
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Shame doesn’t just make you feel bad. It convinces you to step out of the fight, stay quiet at home, and let someone else carry spiritual leadership. We open Isaiah 61:7 and sit with a promise that feels almost too good to be true: God replaces shame with a double portion, disgrace with joy, and broken identity with restored inheritance. That one verse becomes a mirror and a map for Christian men who are tired of hiding but aren’t sure how to move forward.
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727. Member Spotlight: Craig Harris
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A single sentence can expose the whole direction of your life: “Get right or you’re going to lose your family.” That’s the moment Craig Harris shares with us, and it’s the kind of honest turning point many men recognize, even if they’ve never said it out loud. We start with Acts 20:35 and the challenge to serve and give, then follow Craig’s story from early faith to adulthood, where character is tested by temptation, pressure, and the slow drift that can happen inside a “successful” life.
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726. Daly Good With Joe Daly
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A hobby. A journal. A joke between friends. That is how Joe Daly’s story starts, but it’s not where it ends. Joe went from corporate work to a decade on church staff, then watched a handcrafted leather goods side hustle grow into Daily Goods, a Texas-based company built around quality, meaningful jobs, and what he calls “irresponsible generosity.” Along the way, he learned that the real battle is not just building a business, it’s stewarding a heart.
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725. Acts 20:35 - Spiritual Kick Off
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“It is more blessed to give than to receive” is easy to quote and hard to live. We sit with Acts 20:35 and Paul’s final charge, then get painfully practical about what it looks like for Christian men to lead with open hands instead of closed fists, especially when generosity costs time, comfort, energy, and pride. If you’ve ever felt the pull to protect “what’s yours” first and serve later, this conversation will challenge your default settings.
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724. Member Spotlight: Scott Reel
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Scott Reel joins me for a member spotlight that turns into a masterclass in discipleship and leadership. He shares how a simple invitation to a youth ministry set him on a path toward Scripture, mentoring men, and eventually a real heart-change moment in college where God confronted pride, anger, and self-righteousness. From there we talk about the pull toward preaching and teaching, why an MDiv is a long road of formation, and how God shapes faithful servants before handing them “many things.”
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723. Somethings Brewing - Seven Weeks Coffee With Anton Krecic
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A single Google search kicked off a mission that has already sent nearly $2 million toward pregnancy care centers. Anton Krecic, founder and CEO of Seven Weeks Coffee, joins us to unpack how a brand can deliver genuinely great specialty coffee while unapologetically standing for the sanctity of life, donating 10% of every sale across all 50 states.
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West Chester Nazarene Church in West Chester, Ohio on November 7th. We'll also be at Grace Community Church <...
722. Matthew 25:21 - Spiritual Kick Off
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Your life isn’t graded on “how much” you have. It’s measured by what you do with what God put in your hands. That’s why Matthew 25:21 is so powerful and so misunderstood: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” It’s not a trophy for the most impressive résumé. It’s a celebration of faithfulness.
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West Chester Nazarene Church in West Chester, Ohio on November 7th. We'll also be at Grace Community Church
721. Member Spotlight: Jeff Dunn
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Some jobs don’t just take your time, they take your emotional bandwidth. When you’re a first responder, you can work 100-plus-hour weeks, see the worst day of someone else’s life, and still feel like you’re supposed to come home calm, present, and spiritually steady. That tension is where Jeff’s story hits hard. He’s a veteran public servant who’s learned to function under pressure, but he also had to face what simmering anger, stress, and silence were doing to his marriage, his leadership at home, and his relationship w...
720. Battle Of The Beards...I Lost! With Willie Robertson
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One honest conversation can redirect an entire family line and Willie Robertson has lived proof of that. From Duck Commander to Duck Dynasty to the speaking stages he now steps onto, Willie keeps coming back to the same challenge: Christian men are called to carry the gospel into everyday life, not keep faith confined to an hour on Sunday.
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West Chester Nazarene Church in West Chester, Ohio on November 7th. We'll also be at <...
719. Colossians 4:5–6 - Spiritual Kick Off
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Most of us overthink evangelism. We wait for the perfect moment, the perfect script, or the perfect answer, and meanwhile we miss the opportunities already sitting in our calendar. Colossians 4:5-6 cuts through the noise with a straightforward call: live wisely around outsiders, make the most of every opportunity, and let your conversation be full of grace, seasoned with salt.
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West Chester Nazarene Church in West Chester, Ohio on November 7th. We'll also be a...
718. Member Spotlight: Kurt Hartman
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Darkness thrives on silence, and a lot of men are silently carrying more than anyone knows. We open with John 1:5 and then sit down with Kurt Hartman, who shares a raw, hope-filled testimony that cuts through the “I’m fine” mask many Christian men wear. Kurt talks about making early professions of faith that did not change him, and the humbling night at age 32 when he realized he was lost without hope and finally surrendered to Jesus.
Come see us at The Lion Within Us Conference at the West C...
