🎙️ Crumb Confessional — Episode 17

Title: Barefoot in Suburbia, Broken in Spirit

Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Location: Delhi, Ohio — 4:55am walk near Zach’s childhood home

Description:

This one’s a triple-layered soul excavation.

Three confessions. One aching heart. No filter. No polish. Just Zach and God in the suburbs where it all began.

💥 Confession 1: I don’t know how to slow down. I say I trust God’s timing, but I keep sprinting like it’s all on me.

💥 Confession 2: I’m judging the neighborhood I grew up in—and resenting the life I chose because it doesn’t look “stable.”

💥 Confession 3: I’m scared to succeed. Scared that if CRUMB actually works, it’ll mean God really hasn’t forgotten me... and I don’t know if I can handle that kind of blessing.

Key Scriptures:

• Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
• God’s timing isn’t slow. It’s sovereign.
• Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things…”
• Even the heart of a missionary can secretly judge, envy, and resent. Zach brings it to the light.
• Romans 2:11 – “For God shows no partiality.”
• Whether in a hut or a cul-de-sac, grace is grace. No suburb is outside the reach of God’s mercy.
• 2 Corinthians 4:7 – “But we have this treasure in jars of clay…”
• Zach confesses he’s terrified God might actually pour out too much treasure into a fragile jar.
• But this is the gospel: God chooses the weak to display His strength.

Takeaway Question:

What if your greatest fear isn’t failure… but favor?

Closing Line:

“If CRUMB actually works, and I get to provide for my family doing what I love, I’m scared my head will explode from gratitude. And part of me still thinks… You’re not that good, God. But what if You are?”

🎙️ Crumb Confessional — Episode 16

Title: Barefoot in Delhi: We Made It Home

Date: Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Location: Delhi Township, Ohio

Description:

Fresh off the plane, barefoot on gravel, voice note rolling.

This is what post-obedience feels like.

You’ll hear:

• My 5:30am barefoot prayer walk across from my childhood home
• Reflections on the 36-hour journey from Sierra Leone to Cincinnati
• Why authenticity will outlast AI (and why voice notes win)
• Family rituals, sibling unity, and Frank Clan faith formation
• The tear-filled reunion at CVG—right where I proposed to Krystal
• A declaration that CRUMB will rise—but only on God’s timing

Themes:

→ Legacy and generational healing

→ Daily movement as worship

→ Tech, testimony, and the irreplaceable value of voice

→ Building slow, strong, Spirit-led

Closing Line:

Crumb Confessional 16. The gravel hurts, but we’re home.

Toodles McNoodles.

🎙️ Crumb Confessional — Episode 15

Title: 36 Hours of Obedience: From Sierra Leone to Cincinnati

Date: May 23–25, 2025

Location: Freetown → Ghana → Washington, D.C. → Cincinnati

Description:

This isn’t a podcast. It’s a war journal.

No script. No polish. Just real-time obedience on three hours of sleep and three kids under five.

You’ll hear:

• Our 2:30am wake-up call
• Boat rides, bus rides, and airport chaos
• Kids puking, playing, worshipping, and rock-paper-scissoring
• Raw reflections mid-Atlantic, with Olive asleep on my lap
• 36 hours of travel with zero meltdown (until we hit the gummy worms)
• The exact moment our kids ran into their grandparents’ arms—right where Krystal and I got engaged

Themes:

→ Why following Jesus doesn’t always look spiritual

→ The beauty of slow obedience under pressure

→ Legacy, family, and the long road home

→ And why sometimes the loudest testimony… is showing up tired but faithful

Closing Line:

We made it. Not because we were strong—but because He carried us. This is what Kingdom obedience looks like in real life. Welcome to the Confessional.

🎙️ Crumb Confessional — Episode 14 (Bonus Drop)

Title: Risking It for the Hug: A Live Shipboard Devotional

Date: May 22, 2025

Location: Starboard Lounge, Global Mercy, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Description:

Today’s episode is a live devotional I gave to the Hospitality and Housekeeping teams on Mercy Ships—right before we pack up and fly back to the U.S.

This wasn’t recorded in my usual 5AM prayer booth. It was done in real time, with real crew, real laughter, and real praise.

The message?

Don’t miss Heaven’s timing. Risk love—especially when it might not be returned.

It’s all about my 3-year-old son, Noah, giving a crew member (John) a hug on our last day aboard—after 9 months of silence.

🔥 Core Message:
“Some of the most beautiful Kingdom breakthroughs are just one small, obedient risk away.”
📖 Scriptures Shared:

• Romans 5:6 – At just the right time…
• Ecclesiastes 3:11 – He has made everything beautiful in its time.
• 1 Corinthians 13:7 – Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

✨ Key Moments:

• 00:30 – Intro from the staff team & a few jokes about my kids’ volume levels
• 03:00 – The story of John, Noah, and the hug that took 9 months to bloom
• 06:30 – A devotional reflection: what does it mean to risk love with no guarantee?
• 08:15 – Scripture trifecta + spiritual application
• 09:20 – My challenge: Are you living like John? Willing to love anyway?
• 11:00 – A prayer over the team & our journey
• 14:00 – Housekeeping tradition finale: PRAISE GOD!

🧠 Listener Challenge:
What if your next God-ordained moment is hidden behind the risk you're avoiding?

Don’t wait for the perfect script. Don’t protect your pride.

Risk the hug. Risk the high five. Risk being Jesus to someone today.

Bonus:

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience and ends with a beautiful Mercy Ships prayer and housekeeping celebration moment. You’ll feel like you were there.

🎙️ Crumb Confessional — Episode 13

Title: Risking It for the Beauty of God's Will

Date: May 22, 2025

Location: Deck 8, Global Mercy Ship, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Description:

Today’s confessional hits different. It’s not about strategy, theology, or cultural critique. It’s about a hug. A small, sacred moment between my 3-year-old son and a Mercy Ships crew member named John—9 months in the making.

This episode explores:

• What it means to risk love anyway
• How God's perfect timing often looks like delay… until it's not
• Why obedience in small moments can unlock eternal beauty
• And a father’s blessing to his son—preserved in real time

I also preview a devotional I’m giving today called “Risking It for the Beauty of God’s Will.” Spoiler: it started with orange juice and ended with tears.

🔥 Highlights & Timestamps:

• 00:30 – John’s 9-month pursuit of my kids’ affection
• 02:10 – The final breakfast moment that unlocked it all
• 03:45 – The slow-motion hug that melted months of persistence into joy
• 05:00 – Why love always carries risk—but the reward is divine timing
• 06:20 – A reflection for anyone afraid of rejection or disappointment
• 08:00 – A father’s audio letter to his son, Noah, about shared breakfast moments, legacy, and love
• 10:00 – Wrap up and blessing

🧠 Core Takeaway:
“Some of the most beautiful moments in your life will only happen if you’re willing to risk rejection.”

John risked it daily. Noah responded at the exact time God appointed. One faithful act of love. One obedient whisper. One hug that mattered more than words can explain.

📖 Supporting Scripture:

• Romans 5:6 – “At just the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.”
• 1 Corinthians 13:7 – “Love bears all things… hopes all things, endures all things.”
• Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

✨ Devotional Preview:

Topic: Risking It for the Beauty of God’s Will

Key Question: Are you willing to risk it—moment by moment—to love anyway, even when it might not be received?

🎧 Listener Challenge:

Today, risk something gentle. Risk asking. Risk hugging. Risk initiating the thing you’ve been scared to do. God’s timing is worth it.

Closing Blessing:

“Noah, one day you’ll hear this. That hug you gave John wasn’t just a hug—it was Heaven touching Earth. You’re loved, son. Keep giving what you’ve been given.”

🎙️ Crumb Confessional — Episode 12

Title: When the Lion Hurts the Lamb: Confessing What I Said to My Wife

Description:

This isn’t theory. This is confession.

I got in a fight with my wife last night. It was my fault. And this voice note is a raw unpacking of what happened, why I blew up, what I’ve learned—and where I saw Jesus show up in the wreckage.

I talk about:

• The old anger that still haunts me
• The moment I flipped to Luke 11 and read about spirits returning
• The toxic trap of putting spiritual expectations on your spouse
• Why “leading” without gentleness isn’t leadership—it’s control
• The war between the lion and the lamb inside every husband
• And the painful, holy grace of making real promises and praying for help keeping them

This is one of the most personal episodes to date. No mask. Just repentance, restoration, and a prayer for transformation.

🔥 Highlights & Timestamps:

• 00:30 – Fight recap: same pattern, same pride, but a new layer of humility
• 02:10 – Luke 11:24-26 and the fear of relapse into old spiritual ruts
• 03:00 – Quick apologies vs. slow decay: choosing confession over couch pride
• 04:20 – Why we hurt those we love most—and what Jesus would do instead
• 06:00 – The danger of projecting your walk with God onto your wife
• 07:20 – Misusing the Bible as a hammer instead of a covering
• 08:15 – Confessing the difference between Christlike love and cultural conditioning
• 10:00 – The lion vs. the lamb: which version of Christ are you imitating at home?
• 11:45 – Final prayer for healing, peace, and traveling home as a unified family

🧠 Core Takeaway:
“You can weaponize the Bible and call it love. But if it’s crushing her instead of covering her—it’s not Christ.”
📖 Scriptures Directly/Indirectly Referenced:

• Luke 11:24–26 – The return of the unclean spirit
• Ephesians 5:25 – “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church…”
• 1 Peter 3:7 – “Husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way…”
• 2 Corinthians 12:9 – “My power is made perfect in weakness.”
• Lamentations 3:23 – “His mercies are new every morning.”

💔 Confessed Lies (Spoken or Unspoken):

• “She should be spiritually where I am.”
• “Harshness can still be holy.”
• “I’m leading when I’m really controlling.”
• “I’m helping, even if I’m hurting.”

Closing Line:

Crumb Confessional #12 — sometimes leadership looks like kneeling. This one’s for the husbands still being sanctified. You’re not alone. But you are accountable.

🎙️ Crumb Confessional — Episode 11

Title: From Baby Girls to AI Doomscrolls (and Everything In Between)

Description:

It’s 4:30 AM. I’m supposed to be taking a 4-hour security course so I can legally exit the ship in two days. But before that, I needed to dump my brain, heart, and spirit into this confessional.

Today’s voice note covers:

• The birth of my niece (surprise-spoiled by my mom 😅)
• A house visit with no electricity, but full of ginger beer and family
• A surreal community college classroom clash where the professor refused to leave
• A student breaking into tears over abandonment—and finding healing in mustard seed hope
• 6+ hours of AI research that left me with equal parts dread and awe
• And the bizarre emotional whiplash of living between Sierra Leone’s poverty and Silicon Valley’s predictions

This episode is what it looks like to be a man stuck between two timelines, two kingdoms, and two worlds—trying to stay faithful in both.

🔥 Highlights & Timestamps:

• 00:30 – Surprise baby girl! Welcome, Hallie
• 01:45 – The ginger beer hilltop visit: James' mountain-side home and joyful chaos
• 04:20 – Classroom mutiny: lecturer won’t leave, we get kicked out of our paid room
• 06:00 – Social work students + mustard seed tears = unexpected Kingdom moment
• 08:45 – WhatsApp as the most powerful tool in West Africa (and maybe CRUMB's future)
• 10:10 – Deep dive into AI predictions, danger, and the next 2–5 years of global disruption
• 13:30 – What happens when you're between a mountain village and Mars-level tech?
• 15:00 – Wrapping up with memory card hunts, birthday saxophones, and a surreal sense of peace

🧠 Core Takeaway:
“I spent the morning in a village with no electricity… and the night absorbing predictions of AI ending civilization as we know it. Somewhere in between, Jesus is still King.”
📖 Underlying Scriptures + Themes:

• Matthew 6:34 — “Do not worry about tomorrow…”
• Ecclesiastes 3 — A time for everything…
• Psalm 24:1 — “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.”
• James 1:5 — Wisdom for the walking tension

Closing Line:

Crumb Confessional #11 — from baby girl joy to end-of-world tech dread… the Kingdom still advances, one surrendered day at a time.

🎙️ Crumb Confessional — Episode 10

Title: Hidden Sin, AI Confession, and a Baby on the Way

Description:

This one’s a swirl—half soul spill, half update, and fully real.

In this voice note, recorded at 5:08 AM while staring at the trash-speckled Atlantic behind the Global Mercy, I share what’s been weighing heavy on my heart:

• The rush of our final prep before heading back to Cincinnati
• The emotional weight of my sister about to give birth (as I recorded)
• My brother’s bold step toward fighting human trafficking
• And the 9 unspoken sins I asked AI to help me name—yes, really.

You’ll hear what it’s like to walk through confession, call out hidden lies, and name what’s still controlling me in the dark—while trusting God to break chains and fill what’s exposed.

This episode isn’t flashy. It’s spiritual surgery.

🔥 Highlights & Timestamps:

• 00:30 – Getting ready to leave Sierra Leone: travel chaos, ministry transition, packing
• 01:15 – My sister is having a baby right now 😳
• 02:15 – Proud of my brother David: his letter to the Tim Tebow Foundation
• 04:10 – What’s the Cruthood? The micro brotherhood behind CRUMB
• 05:20 – The AI-generated list of my 9 hidden sins (and why it rocked me)
• 06:50 – Why using AI for spiritual reflection isn’t weird to me
• 08:10 – The healing power of confession—not just to God, but to others
• 09:35 – Final prayers and an ask: lift up my family, CRUMB, and this movement

💥 9 Hidden Sins (Named in the Episode):

1. Performance addiction
2. Controlled by strategy
3. Resentment toward God’s silence
4. Secret comparison
5. Judgment of the church
6. Cynical protection of pain
7. Bitterness toward my old self
8. The lie that scars make me holy
9. The lie that God will use me only if I fix myself first

🧠 Core Takeaway:
“When you name sin, you break its grip. When you confess it out loud, the healing begins. Even if it started with a prompt and a keyboard.”
📖 Scriptures Implied or Referenced:

• James 5:16 — Confess your sins to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
• John 8:32 — The truth will set you free.
• Romans 12:2 — Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
• Matthew 6:33 — Seek first the Kingdom…

Closing Line:

Crumb Confessional #10 — from baby prayers to sin slayers, this one’s messy and sacred. That’s the walk.

🎙️ Crumb Confessional — Episode 9

Title: A Mustard Seed in Waterloo: What Actually Happened at the First Event

Description:

This is a front-line report. No filter. No polish. Just the truth of what happened when I walked into a Kush-ravaged community in Sierra Leone with no plan but faith.

In this voice note, I reflect on:

• My 45-minute car ride with Osman (and the conversation that deserves its own episode)
• The reality of arriving in a village with no electricity, no stage, and barely 20 plastic chairs
• The unexpected crowd, the raw honesty, and the emergence of something bigger than us
• And the moment multiple villagers drew visions of a future mentorship center—before we even asked

This isn’t just about addiction. It’s about identity, dignity, and walking into brokenness with Christ instead of control.

🔥 Highlights & Timestamps:

• 00:40 – Car ride wisdom: Osman's take on Kush, culture, and human purpose
• 02:20 – The bumpy dirt road to a no-electricity village and meeting Saheed’s mom
• 03:30 – Confusion, miscommunication, and then momentum as the chairs fill
• 04:45 – From thank-yous to testimony: sharing my heart through translation
• 06:10 – The turning point: open mic from the community
• 07:00 – Cheers, grievances, and the cry for mentorship
• 08:20 – Why we must pick one village, not many
• 09:30 – The unexpected: 25+ drawings from villagers, many showing the same dream
• 11:00 – A picture of a shop wall with these words: “With God, all things are possible.”
• 12:10 – Eating spicy fish soup out of shared bowls, and the spiritual weight of it
• 13:45 – Christian and Muslim prayers, unity without compromise, and my attempt to speak the gospel
• 15:00 – Why I took the picture: if God ever builds a center here, we’ll know He started it

💥 Core Themes:

• Obedience without outcome guarantees
• Cross-cultural unity through shared suffering
• Villager-led solutions, not Western saviorism
• Mentorship > quick fixes
• Jesus at the center of chaos and connection

📖 Scriptures Lived Out:

• Matthew 17:20 – Faith like a mustard seed can move mountains
• Matthew 19:26 – With God, all things are possible
• Galatians 3:28 – There is neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus

Closing Line:

Crumb Confessional #9 — I walked in with sweaty palms and no plan. What I left with? Unity, clarity, and proof that a mustard seed still grows in soil this broken.

🎙️ Crumb Confessional — Episode 8

Title: $7,500 vs. a Synthetic Plague: Today We Go to Waterloo

Description:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/SaveFreetown

It’s 6:37 AM. In less than 90 minutes, I’ll step into one of the hardest-hit communities in Sierra Leone—armed with a translator, a wad of Leone cash, a borrowed mic, and the Holy Spirit.

This episode is not polished. It’s not planned.

It’s a field note from the middle of a war against Kush—a synthetic drug ravaging Freetown with fentanyl-level devastation for just 25 cents a hit.

And today is our first public strike.

You’ll hear:

• My jumbled, sweaty, half-breathless prep for the event
• What faith actually looks like when you don’t have a plan, just a promise
• A quick prayer, some background on our Safe Freetown Initiative, and the story of Saheed—the former Muslim who just gave his life to Christ on Easter
• And what it’s like to walk into a broken system with nothing but open hands

🔥 Highlights & Timestamps:

• 00:45 – Today’s mission: the first public outreach event for Safe Freetown
• 01:40 – Preparing anonymous feedback cards… with no idea how this will go
• 03:10 – The culture of silence around drug use in Sierra Leone
• 04:15 – What Kush is and why it’s worse than you think
• 05:30 – “We have $7,500 and a mustard seed of faith”
• 06:40 – Saheed’s story: from Muslim culture to Christ on Easter
• 08:10 – Patagonia sling. Wad of cash. No plan but God.
• 09:30 – A closing prayer for surrender, not success

🧠 Core Takeaway:
“Today isn’t about strategy. It’s about surrender. If anything powerful happens in Waterloo—it’ll be because God showed up, not because we nailed the plan.”
💥 Context for New Listeners:

• Kush: a dangerous synthetic drug flooding West Africa, often more addictive than fentanyl, costing less than $0.25 USD per hit
• Waterloo, Sierra Leone: the community where today's outreach is taking place
• Mustard Seed Ministries: Zach and Saheed’s Kingdom initiative to fight drug addiction, poverty, and spiritual darkness
• Safe Freetown Initiative: the public-facing campaign that raised ~$7,500 to kickstart action

Crumb Confessional #8 — no polish, no certainty, just a prayer and a walk into the unknown. Let’s see what God does.