BraveCo Podcast

This week's Brave Co podcast is a moment I've been waiting to share with you guys — John Eldredge live from our BraveCo conference last year, and I'm telling you, this one carries weight. John takes us all the way back to Adam in the garden and shows us how the original failure of masculinity — passivity, the failure to engage — is still being passed down through every generation of men. He unpacks the fig leaf every man wears, why what you meet when you meet a man is rarely his true heart, and how the poser inside of us is quietly keeping us from the life God designed us for.

John gets vulnerable about his own story — growing up as the only son of an alcoholic father, the trips to the river that ended, the police station ride home in absolute silence, and the vow he made as a teenager that he would never trust anyone. He talks about the wound every boy carries, the two questions every man is secretly asking — am I loved, and do I have what it takes — and how the way those questions were answered in our childhood is still shaping who we are today. If you've ever wondered why you medicate with work, alcohol, sex, or constant achievement, John explains it with a clarity I haven't heard anywhere else.

The back half of the episode moves into one of the most powerful guided prayer experiences I've ever sat in. John walks every man through inviting Jesus into the wounded places, forgiving the people who hurt us, breaking the agreements we've made about ourselves, and letting the older us finally bless the younger boy we've been ashamed of for years. This is sacred ground. Sit with it. Don't rush it. If this episode meets you in a deep place, share it with a man in your life and start marking your calendar for next year's BraveCo conference, June 21–23 in Redding, California. Subscribe, rate, and review — and stay brave.

Chapters:
00:00 — Jesus, I Want My Whole Heart Back
07:29 — Adam's Failure and the Birth of the Fig Leaf
14:58 — Masculinity Is Strength on Behalf of Others
22:27 — Love, Validation, and the Father's Voice
29:56 — The Police Station and the Vow That Shaped a Life
37:25 — Raising Boys and the Bestowal of Manhood
44:54 — Naming Your Wound and What You Believe
52:23 — A River Runs Through It and the Lost Father
59:52 — Jesus Asks, "Where Do You Need Me?"
1:07:21 — Blessing the Younger Boy Inside You
CONNECT WITH BRAVECO
Join Our Free Community for Men (ladies, sign up your man): https://www.braveco.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/braveco.men
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braveco.men/
Shop: https://shop.braveco.org/
ABOUT BRAVECO: We live in a time where men are hunting for the truth and looking for the codebook to manhood. At BraveCo, we are on a mission to heal the narrative of masculinity across a generation; fighting the good fight together because every man should feel confident and capable of facing his pain, loving deeply, and leading a life that impacts the world around him.

This week on the Brave Co Podcast, I'm getting personal about something that's been stirring in my heart for the last eight months — the role of a man as a watchman, a priest, and a contender in prayer. I'll be honest with you, I've never thought of myself as a prayer warrior in the same league as men like Lou Engle or Watchman Nee, but God has been pulling me into a deeper place. After a lunch with a friend who is genuinely a man of prayer, I started making small shifts — five minutes here, ten minutes there — and watching what God was doing in real time. This episode is me inviting you into that same stirring.

I walk through the four roles every man is called to step into — priest, prophet, king, and warrior — and zoom in on what it means to be a priest who goes to God on behalf of his family. We look at Isaiah 62, Ezekiel 22, Psalm 106, and the story of Moses literally changing God's mind on behalf of a rebellious nation. The truth is, God isn't lacking power. He's looking for men who will take ownership, men who will stand in the breach, men who refuse to let their families, their churches, and their cities go unprotected. That's you. That's me. That's our actual role.

I share a story from my childhood about falling asleep under the chairs at my dad's Friday night prayer meetings while men like Bill Johnson and Danny Silk contended in the room, and how that model is still shaping me today. I talk about the Businessmen's Revival in America and why I believe God is waking men up right now to do the same thing in this generation. If you've been passive, distracted, or unsure where to even start, this episode gives you a simple challenge — just five minutes. Start there, build the habit, and watch what shifts. Subscribe so you don't miss the next drop, and head to braveco.org for hats, gear, and more.

Chapters:
00:00 — A Time When Masculinity Is Shamed
02:15 — A Lunch That Stirred Me to Pray
04:29 — Priest, Prophet, King, and Warrior
06:44 — What a Real Watchman Actually Does
08:59 — God Found No One to Stand in the Gap
11:13 — How Moses Changed God's Mind
13:28 — You Are a Royal Priesthood
15:42 — Falling Asleep Under the Prayer Chairs
17:57 — The Businessmen's Revival and Your Five Minutes
20:11 — A Prayer Over Every Man Listening
CONNECT WITH BRAVECO
Join Our Free Community for Men (ladies, sign up your man): https://www.braveco.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/braveco.men
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braveco.men/
Shop: https://shop.braveco.org/
ABOUT BRAVECO: We live in a time where men are hunting for the truth and looking for the codebook to manhood. At BraveCo, we are on a mission to heal the narrative of masculinity across a generation; fighting the good fight together because every man should feel confident and capable of facing his pain, loving deeply, and leading a life that impacts the world around him.

This week on the Brave Co Podcast, I'm doing my absolute favorite thing — going live with you guys and tackling the questions you don't want to ask out loud anywhere else. We covered some heavy ground, from a husband who feels triggered by his wife's silent attitude, to a stay-at-home dad of five wondering if he's hit his ceiling, to a man wrestling with whether he's truly hearing God's voice about a big move. I tried to give each guy real, practical tools — not Christianese platitudes — because that's what we men actually need to grow.

A few themes kept rising to the surface as we worked through these conversations. Conflict resolution is a learned skill, not a personality trait, and most of us never had it modeled for us. The culture of your home is something you build on purpose, not something that just happens to you. And when it comes to hearing God, I'm convinced more men are paralyzed by the fear of getting it wrong than are actually missing His will — because we serve a Father who's kind, not a trickster waiting for us to mess up. I shared the exact framework I use when I'm trying to make big decisions, and how I keep moving forward without spiritualizing my own passivity.

We closed with a powerful conversation with my friend Alejandro who's about to plant a church in Washington while caring for a wife who's hurting. I unpacked the three needs every woman has — to feel safe, seen, and known — and gave practical, doable steps any husband can start using this week to hit that target. If you want to lead your home well, this episode is loaded with tools. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss next week's drop, and head over to braveco.org if you want to check out our gear and resources.

Chapters:
00:00 — Welcome to the Live Q&A
05:24 — Conflict Is a Learned Skill, Not a Personality
10:47 — Invest in Your Marriage Like You Mean It
16:11 — A Stay-at-Home Dad Hits the Wall
21:34 — Optimize Before You Escape
26:57 — How Do I Actually Hear God's Voice?
32:21 — Green Lights Until God Says Stop
37:44 — Called to Plant a Church, Wife in Pain
43:08 — Stop Solving, Start Validating
48:31 — Build the Culture, Hit the Target
CONNECT WITH BRAVECO
Join Our Free Community for Men (ladies, sign up your man): https://www.braveco.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/braveco.men
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braveco.men/
Shop: https://shop.braveco.org/
ABOUT BRAVECO: We live in a time where men are hunting for the truth and looking for the codebook to manhood. At BraveCo, we are on a mission to heal the narrative of masculinity across a generation; fighting the good fight together because every man should feel confident and capable of facing his pain, loving deeply, and leading a life that impacts the world around him.

This week on the BraveCo Podcast, I sat down with one of my closest friends, Richard Gordon, for a conversation I've been wanting to have for a long time. Richard is on our executive team at Bethel Church, and over the years I've had the privilege of watching him grow from a son in our house into one of the strongest fathers I know. We dug into the journey of moving from "what can I get?" to "what can I give?" — that quiet, often invisible shift that turns boys into men and sons into fathers.

We got real about marriage, parenting, and the things nobody warns you about — bedtime battles, sensory struggles with our kids, co-sleeping, and the seasons where you feel like you're failing even when you're showing up. I shared what it was like walking my daughter Edy through years of dysregulation after my mother-in-law passed, and Richard opened up about how God keeps inviting him deeper into leadership through his family first. We also talked about what I call "the noble drug" — the way work and ministry can quietly become an escape, even when it looks valiant from the outside.

If you're a husband, a dad, or a leader feeling pulled in a thousand directions, this conversation is for you. My prayer is that it gives you permission to make your family your number one team, to be led by vision instead of need, and to remember that the seasons that feel the hardest are often the ones you'll look back on as the most sacred. Hit subscribe so you don't miss next week, and check out our new gear at braveco.org. Love you guys.
Connect with Richard: https://richardgordon.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardgordon_/

Chapters:
00:00 — Welcome Back & Meet Richard Gordon
03:24 — From Son to Father: The Mindset That Changes Everything
06:48 — How God "Tricked" Richard Into Leadership
10:14 — Jesus as Lord AND Friend: Leading Your Kids Without Losing Connection
13:38 — Bedtime, Routines & Why Connection Regulates Everything
17:04 — Walking Through Edy's Sensory Journey & Our Hardest Season
20:28 — Co-Sleeping, Emotional Safety & Building a Bubble at Home
23:54 — Your Family Is Your #1 Team (And Why That Matters)
27:18 — Led by Vision, Not by Need: The Noble Drug of Overworking
30:44 — Your Greatest Assignment & Final Encouragement
CONNECT WITH BRAVECO
Join Our Free Community for Men (ladies, sign up your man): https://www.braveco.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/braveco.men
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braveco.men/
Shop: https://shop.braveco.org/
ABOUT BRAVECO: We live in a time where men are hunting for the truth and looking for the codebook to manhood. At BraveCo, we are on a mission to heal the narrative of masculinity across a generation; fighting the good fight together because every man should feel confident and capable of facing his pain, loving deeply, and leading a life that impacts the world around him.

Website: https://www.dadawesome.org/

In this episode, I sit down with Jeff Zaugg, host of the Dad Awesome podcast and author of Dad Awesome, to talk about what it really takes to become an intentional, healthy, and present father. Jeff shares the story behind his new book, the lessons he has learned from years of conversations on fatherhood, and why every dad needs more than good intentions to lead his family well.

We talk honestly about the moments we have missed it as dads, the anger, pain, passivity, and unprocessed wounds that can come out on our kids if we do not bring them into the light. Jeff shares a powerful story about a snowball that broke trust with his daughter, and we discuss how repentance, self-awareness, brotherhood, and humility can bring healing instead of shame.

This conversation is for every dad who wants to grow, lead, and love his family with greater purpose. If fatherhood matters to you, it is worth investing in. Grab Jeff’s book at dadawesome.org and start building a plan for the kind of father you want to become.

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome Back to Brave Co
03:21 The Weight of Becoming a Dad
06:42 The Snowball That Broke Trust
10:03 When Dads Lose Control
13:24 The Grenades Fathers Carry
16:45 Healing Pain From the Past
20:06 Self-Awareness and Brotherhood
23:27 Growing as Sons Before Fathers
26:48 Loved, Learner, Leader
30:09 Why Dads Need a Plan
CONNECT WITH BRAVECO
Join Our Free Community for Men (ladies, sign up your man): https://www.braveco.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/braveco.men
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braveco.men/
Shop: https://shop.braveco.org/
ABOUT BRAVECO: We live in a time where men are hunting for the truth and looking for the codebook to manhood. At BraveCo, we are on a mission to heal the narrative of masculinity across a generation; fighting the good fight together because every man should feel confident and capable of facing his pain, loving deeply, and leading a life that impacts the world around him.