If you walked into my cell four years ago and told me a 2,000-year-old tax collector held the key to my psychology, I would have told you to keep walking. But in the "Laboratory of Shame," the ledger of our lives eventually has to be balanced.

In this episode, we dive into the gritty, historical reality of Zacchaeus. Forget the Sunday School songs. We are looking at the "Balsam King" of Jericho, a high-stakes financial player who traded his belonging for a Roman contract. We explore the archaeology of 1st-century Jericho, the "Vegas of the Judean Desert," and why Zacchaeus’s decision to climb a tree was actually an act of radical "social suicide" to reclaim his soul.

What we cover today:

• The Customs House vs. The Sanctuary: How we build "offices" to protect ourselves but end up in isolation.
• The Science of Sunk Cost: Why we wrap our potential in "napkins" of fear and how to break the shroud.
• Neuro-Theology of Belonging: How Jesus’s invitation to "stay at your house" neurochemically heals the pain of social rejection.
• The 4 Life Truths: A manifesto for the man or woman ready to stop hiding in the branches and start living in the Arena.

Whether you are behind razor wire or a corporate desk, it is time to hike up the robe of your reputation and come down. The King is at the door.

What if the armor you built to survive is the very thing keeping you from being healed?

In this episode of Legacy Unchained, we step into the "social club" of a loud prison library where a brother named Nic handed me a life-changing book: Daring Greatly by Brené Brown. We track the journey from that library to a Grinnell College classroom, realizing that the "tough guy" front isn't strength—it’s armor. And in Luke 18, Jesus holds a masterclass on how to take that armor off.

In this deep-dive, we explore:

• The Pharisee vs. The Tax Collector: Why perfectionism is a 20-ton shield that prevents us from being seen by God.
• The Neuroscience of Judgment: How the "superiority hit" in our brain keeps us addicted to comparison and isolated in our ego.
• The Sunk Cost Fallacy of the Rich Ruler: Why we stay in toxic relationships and destructive habits just because we’ve "invested" so much time in them.
• The Blind Beggar’s "Cringe": Why the "Man in the Arena" has to scream louder than the critics on the sidewalk to get to the Healer.
• Hyper-Independence as Trauma: How to dismantle the "I don't need anyone" defense mechanism and return to "childlike" trust.

If you’ve ever felt like you had to polish your image to be worthy, or if you’re terrified that losing your "reputation" means losing your life, this episode is your roadmap out of the stands and into the arena.

"You either own your story, or it owns you. It’s time to take off the mask."

Luke 17 is about the lonely middle ground of faith.

The celebrations of finding God have faded. The hard work of staying faithful has begun. And suddenly being right with God feels more complicated, not easier.

In Day 17 of The Luke Challenge, Grant dives into the uncomfortable spaces Jesus addresses in Luke 17. What it really means to cause someone to stumble. Why forgiveness can feel impossible. How entitlement quietly sabotages obedience. And the hidden homesickness that comes after healing, especially for those leaving addiction, incarceration, or crisis.

This episode blends deep historical and cultural context with raw personal reflection. From ancient Roman execution practices to modern reentry loneliness, from prison community to building new tables when the world shuts doors, Luke 17 becomes a chapter for anyone who feels untethered after the valley.

If you have ever wondered why healing feels lonely, why obedience goes unnoticed, or why you miss a season you know you cannot return to, this episode is for you.

This is not a teaching from above. It is a walk alongside.

Luke 16 is Jesus at His most unsettling. Forget the soft sermons; this episode breaks down two challenging parables that confront our values, our urgency, and our blindness.

• The Shrewd Manager: The Holy Hustle. We define shrewdness (phronimos) and show how this white-collar crook can teach us to re-deploy our survival instincts. Grant shares the intensely personal story of how he, as a hotel GM, leveraged his final days before incarceration to strategically invest in his future through his employees, demonstrating the "Holy Hustle" in action.
• The Rich Man and Lazarus: The True Cost of Blindness. This is not just a lesson about heaven and hell; it's a social critique. We dig deep into the cultural context, revealing what it truly meant to be Lazarus—unclean, silenced, and judged by dogs. We ask the questions rarely touched:
  • What was the actual cost of the Rich Man's luxury, including the process and value of purple dye?
  • How does God judge the hidden, invisible suffering of miscarriage, abuse, and addiction?
  • Why does the Rich Man suddenly learn the beggar's name in Hades, demanding to use him as a servant even in eternal consequence?

This is a vital call to pivot your resources today, respect the urgency of your life, and use your street smarts for the Kingdom. If you feel unseen, unheard, or convicted to change, this episode is for you.

Luke 15 is the heart of the Gospel, but it is often cleaned up. In this episode, Grant strips away the sentimental view to reveal the costly, aggressive nature of the God who hunts the lost.

• The Shepherd's Terror: We dive into the harsh reality of first-century shepherds, who were low-class, "unclean" workers, and examine the economic panic that drove the search: losing one sheep meant financial ruin and personal debt.
• The Burning Resource: We break down the Parable of the Lost Coin by highlighting what it really cost the poor woman. Lighting the lamp in a dark, windowless house meant burning precious oil and making a total mess of the dirt floor—she was spending resources to find resources.
• The Prodigal vs. The Digital Leash: A hilarious but pointed reflection on modern "lostness," contrasting the true severance of the Prodigal Son with the constant surveillance of Life360 (and Grant's well-meaning parents).
• The View from the Yard: The most unique application: Grant shares the raw, powerful experience of seeing Luke 15 enacted in real-time. He describes watching "lost men"—those judged "unrepairable" by the world—break down, repent, and show durable, lasting change on the prison yard.

This episode will redefine what it means to be "found" and challenge you to step out of the older brother's resentment and into the Father's joy.

Luke 14 is one of the most uncomfortable chapters Jesus ever taught, and that is exactly why it matters so much for those of us in the valley.

In this episode, I unpack the historical and cultural weight behind Jesus healing on the Sabbath, choosing the lowest seat, and inviting the people who could never repay the favor. In an honor shame society obsessed with image, control, and hierarchy, Jesus flips every value system upside down.

We talk about:

• Why real healing threatens control based systems
• The difference between humiliation and chosen humility
• Why grace always invites the people who make others uncomfortable
• The real cost of transformation and why it is worth it

This episode is for anyone who has been told they are too much, not ready, or not safe enough for the table. If your growth has made people uneasy, you are probably doing it right.

The lowest seat is not punishment. It is freedom.

Luke 13 asks the question everyone in a valley whispers: Why me? Join us as we dismantle the cruel theology of blame and confront the lie that tragedy is a scoreboard of moral failure.

This episode is a lifeline for anyone carrying invisible pain. We dive deep into the valleys of addiction, divorce, and personal collapse, and offer specific, compassionate focus on the silent grief of miscarriage and abortion, affirming that your worthiness is not measured by your loss.

We explore:

• The Neuroscience of Blame: Why the Just World Bias makes us desperately need suffering to be deserved, and how Jesus detonates that rigid framework.
• The Gardener's Intervention: The spiritual and neurological meaning of the Fig Tree parable—why real change requires time and conditions, not just condemnation.
• The Sin of Rigidity: How legalism creates a rigid nervous system and why the healing of the bent woman (Luke 13) exposes the same fundamental lack of mercy seen in the Good Samaritan parable.
• The Power of Process: The quiet dignity of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast—how slow, incremental growth is God's design for lasting transformation.

Your loss is not a reflection of your sin; it is a profound opportunity for metanoia (change of mind). Your valley is not a grave. It is the challenging terrain where Christ meets you with grief, grace, and an invitation to strive toward life.

Day 1: Where Legacy Unbroken Begins (The Luke Challenge)

In this crucial episode, we kick off a 24-day journey leading up to Christmas: The Luke Challenge.

Your host shares the raw, personal story of how his brother Nic, first introduced him to this exact challenge, an experience that completely rebuilt his foundation.

Today, we open Luke 1 to see the beginning of a broken legacy becoming unbroken. This chapter reveals God stepping into the most unexpected places: in the life of Mary, a girl no one noticed from a town everyone mocked (Nazareth), and in the life of Elizabeth, the righteous woman whose prayers seemed forgotten.

Legacy has never been about where you come from. It's about what God can turn it into. Learn:

• How to strengthen your faith foundation like Luke built his Gospel.
• Why God chooses the 'unqualified' and the 'overlooked.'
• The biblical link between obedience, regaining your voice, and transforming your scars.

Read Luke 1 with us and begin rewiring your mind with the truth that God sees you and uses you.

Day 2: Born in the Stable (Why God Loves Your Lowest Place)

Welcome to Day 2 of the Luke Challenge! We dive into Luke Chapter 2, the familiar story of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, and reveal the profound truth hidden in the manger and the fields.

Bethlehem was insignificant. The stable was undignified. The shepherds were the bottom of society. Yet, God chose these "low places" to launch the greatest legacy in human history.

Your host shares how this chapter personally reframes his own painful history; from prison to recovery, and shows why your valley seasons are not a disqualifier, but the very setting God chooses for your greatest work.

"Your legacy started in a place the world doesn’t celebrate. But now people look at the fruit. Not knowing the smell of the stable it came from."

In this episode, you will discover:

• The Power of the Stable: Why God orchestrates breakthroughs when you feel overlooked, resources are low, and support isn't there.
• The Shepherds' Invitation: Why God reveals Himself first to the unseen, the ignored, and the judged.
• A Personal Revelation: How to view your scars, shame, and past mistakes not as burdens, but as the "manger He chose to work through."
• The Day 2 Challenge: Read Luke 2 and ask God, "What are You trying to birth in me here?"

Nothing in your story is wasted. Let heaven invade your low places.

Legacy Unchained: Day 3: The Wilderness is Preparation (Luke 3 & The Baptism of Identity)

Welcome to Day 3 of the Luke Challenge! Today we dive into Luke Chapter 3, an explosive chapter about preparation, identity, and radical life-change.

Luke starts by setting the scene: a world of political corruption (Tiberius, Pilate) and religious hypocrisy (Annas, Caiaphas). Then, after 400 years of silence, John the Baptist thunders from the wilderness, calling for repentance.

Your host connects this powerful moment to his own life: prison was his wilderness. He shares how God doesn't wait for us to be "fixed" but uses those isolated, rock-bottom places for preparation.

This episode reveals how John’s baptism was revolutionary (a declaration of spiritual bankruptcy) and why God affirmed Jesus' identity before He performed a single miracle.

"The wilderness is not punishment; it's preparation. Preparation always comes before elevation."

In this episode, you will learn:

• Prepare the Way: How your shame (valleys), pride (mountains), and secret habits (crooked paths) must be dealt with before revival.
• Repentance is Mercy: Why real change isn't tears, but transformation (sharing, not stealing, not abusing power).
• Identity Before Assignment: How to stop trying to earn approval and receive the truth that God is pleased with you before you fix everything.

Day 3 Challenge: Read Luke 3. Ask God to reveal what needs to be leveled, filled, or straightened in your life.