Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you genuinely wrestled with being thankful?  Maybe even at this time of year?

Perhaps after being laid off at work like many people are experiencing today due to AI?

 Or maybe it’s just the tyranny of inflation and falling behind on rising expenses?

Or possibly you're a federal employee impacted by the recent government shutdown?

 Or it could be something much worse like a life-threatening cancer diagnosis?

 I’m happy to welcome back the Chaplain of the Capitol Commission of Louisiana, Dr Michael Sprague who also wrote a book titled “Disaster: Betting the Farm on God in Life’s Storms.” In it he relates his personal experience in living through Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005.  Earlier this year, he experienced another challenging storm, an aggressive form of prostate cancer diagnosis.

In this episode Dr Sprague walks us through his diagnosis, treatment, and initial recovery process and how he found ways to be grateful for the many fresh blessings he encountered along his journey.  He also gives us a peek into House Speaker Mike Johnson's background in the state of Louisiana and why we should be thankful to have such a man of integrity leading our nation in the House of Representatives.

Send us a text

Visit www.thesavagepath.com for more on David, his book The Savage Path: A Memoir of Modern Masculinity, and the Savage Path Ministries Corp.

Proverbs 1:5 says “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.”

In God’s economy, wisdom is never static; it is always expanding. Even the wise must “increase in learning.” Which means that maturity is not marked by arrival but by continual openness to correction and instruction.  The mark of a true disciple is not how much he knows but how much he is willing to keep learning!  Jonathan Edwards once said, “The man who thinks he has sufficient knowledge shows his ignorance.”  Pride is a ceiling that blocks growth, while humility is the soil where wisdom takes root.  As long as we draw breath, we remain students in God’s classroom. Death, not pride, is graduation.

Willingness to learn…….now there is a wrestling match that many of us are having near daily, but we seldom seem to discuss much!  That is until today!

Bryan Hurlbutt was a keynote speaker at a conference I attended last month and delivered a terrific message on untaught men and teachability.  

He was born and raised in upstate New York, received his bachelor’s degree in religious education from Davis College in Johnson City, New York, and his master’s degree in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. His doctorate of ministry from Talbot School of Theology focused on how worldview, philosophy, and culture relate to the local church, which culminated in the release of his first book, Tasty Jesus: Liberating Christ from the Power of our Predilections

You can learn more about him and his church Lifeline Community at 

www.lifelinecommunity.com

Send us a text

Visit www.thesavagepath.com for more on David, his book The Savage Path: A Memoir of Modern Masculinity, and the Savage Path Ministries Corp.

After four years as a state representative, eight years as a state senator, and ten years as the Comptroller of Public Accounts for the State of Texas, my friend and guest Glenn Hegar, began his new position as Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System on July 1st 2025.  On July 4th, Kerville Texas experienced one of the most devastating floods and loss of life in Texas history!  And with eight state agencies in addition to the twelve universities under his purview, Chancellor Hegar had to mobilize the Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Texas Forest Service (for the significant debris removal needs) before he had even warmed the chair in his new position.

Then, just two months later, on September 19th Mark Welsh resigned as President of the flagship campus of Texas A&M University in College Station amid controversy over the firing of a professor teaching transgender ideology in a children's literature course.

Perhaps more than any other vocation, a career in politics is a constant wrestling match.  Today, it seems to be just as vigorous within one's own party as with the opposition due to our dysfunctional primary system giving the extremists in both political parties outsized weight in the prioritization of platforms.

Chancellor Hegar is one of the good guys who has spent his life in service to the people of Texas. In this episode we discuss his decision to leave elective office for this opportunity to positively influence the next generation of Texans. As Glenn put it, "to give them the tools, the education, and the values they need to lead."

Tune in and learn about the Chancellor's role, a very big job with an annual budget of $8.1 billion and Glenn's vision to help address the tremendous growth of both business and population in our state.  We also discuss wrestling with the politics of the recent federal government shutdown, the nationwide search for the next President of the College Station campus, and the impact that NIL, the transfer portal, and TV contracts have had on the football program and the "brand" of Texas A&M which we both hold so dear.

Send us a text

Visit www.thesavagepath.com for more on David, his book The Savage Path: A Memoir of Modern Masculinity, and the Savage Path Ministries Corp.

Many of the most intellectually gifted people in this world struggle with true belief in something as simple as genuine faith.

The analytical training always asks another question seeking proof.  And I can't think of many things worse that what a good old Garth Brooks country song says, "standing outside the fire."

Some folks stand at the threshold of belief like at a doorway to freedom.  It's wide open and they only have to walk through it but something stops them.... doubt and whispering suggestions.  I have been there myself.  It's called a stumbling block, placed exactly there by an adversary that does not want you to go in.

And Doug's stumbling block was the big "why" question.  

"If there is a God and He is good, why does He allow so much suffering in this world?"

If anyone reading this is uncertain about faith in Jesus Christ as our risen Lord and Savior, please, please, please listen to this long storytelling episode.  Just give it a chance.  One beggar telling another where to find bread. That is Doug Sharp's story.

Doug's vivid details and campfire hypnotic storytelling string together a series of unvarnished confessions and incredulous events that your long drive somewhere will feel like sitting on the porch with a war veteran, only in this case the war story is spiritual .

Fast food sound bite lovers need not tune in.  This is a delightfully chewy one.

But in this world of so much uncertainty with deep fakes and AI making us more suspicious of everything, don't our souls starve for a moment like Doug had where he was provided CERTAIN knowledge directly from our Lord?

One small correction needs to be made in reference to his favorite bible verse, it is  Revelation 3:20 and not Romans 3:20 as misstated in the recording

Send us a text

Visit www.thesavagepath.com for more on David, his book The Savage Path: A Memoir of Modern Masculinity, and the Savage Path Ministries Corp.

Are you the kind of guy who retreats to the cave of isolation like a bear when you get wounded?

So many of us do exactly that and then choose to self-medicate to numb our pain with all manner of vices which, in the end, only compound our problems and our wounds.

Or we simply stuff them so far down that we never properly process them.

One of my mentors, Robert Lewis, says that a real man looks back on his past.  It’s the first step to becoming an authentic man. But many of us have never done this. The deep things of our past are often buried away. But the reality is that unaddressed wounds become unfinished business. We hedge, dodge, and compensate until our whole way of living is shaped by the wounds we’ve ignored.

Sure, we all like recounting our triumphs and thrills.  But few of us take the time to analyze our past in a way that helps us truly understand ourselves. Do you really know what past experiences and realities make you the person you are today? Do you know what drives you? What shapes your image of manhood and self?  Until a man unpacks his past and deals with the themes and pain that reside there, he can never be an authentic man.  As the saying goes, the unexamined life is not worth living.

Well, there is nothing like 83 days ALONE in the frigid, predator-filled environment of the Mackenzie River Delta near Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada, north of the Arctic Circle to do a little self-examination.  And that is exactly what my guest today, Timber Cleghorn,  did as the runner up to the winner on season 11 of the ALONE show on the History Channel.  The season tested the participants' physical, mental, and emotional resilience against extreme temperatures, dangerous wildlife like wolves and bears, and intense isolation.

Timber's website is: www.timbercleghorn.com

Send us a text

Visit www.thesavagepath.com for more on David, his book The Savage Path: A Memoir of Modern Masculinity, and the Savage Path Ministries Corp.

We are entering a new school year and football season here in September where everyone begins anew with an undefeated season!

But just as fall follows summer, not all seasonal changes are a fresh start.  Most are mileposts for transitions dictated by God’s timetable like rings on a tree stump.

Take me for instance, I reach a milestone this September myself by becoming Medicare eligible.

And like those other markers, it creates some feelings which are good while others give us pause for reflection or even concern.

 In my illustration, I like the fact that my health insurance is more secure but my age reminds me that I am much more likely to be needing it soon as well.

 In this episode Tom Douthit, Executive Director of Toolbox Ministries talks about his wrestling match with a new season in his life and career.

Toolbox Ministries mission is to help men in the marketplace know and follow Jesus and to help them move beyond success into significance.

You can learn more about Toolbox by visiting their website at 

www.toolboxministries.com 

They meet in the following seven cities: Houston (5 locations), Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Lubbock, College Station, Frisco, Atlanta GA, Guadalajara Mexico

Send us a text

Visit www.thesavagepath.com for more on David, his book The Savage Path: A Memoir of Modern Masculinity, and the Savage Path Ministries Corp.

Besides your father, did you have a scoutmaster, teacher, coach, or pastor play a vital role in your upbringing and manhood development?

Perhaps it was a grandfather or uncle?

In our diaspora society today, we are often moving around and away from extended family to go off to college, pursue careers, or enter military service.

But for most of human history it wasn't like this!

In fact, up until the early 1900's and the advent of the industrial revolution, we were primarily an agrarian culture globally.  We grew up farming with our fathers or acting as apprentices daily to whatever his trade was such as blacksmithing or carpentry.

BetterMan CEO Dr Chris Harper shares his passion in this episode about wrestling with intergenerational relationships, especially for the multitudes of young men today who grew up in single parent or absent father homes. 

Think of the 2003 movie Secondhand Lions with Robert Duvall and Michael Caine.

How do they fill the holes once they are adults?

How do they unpack their baggage and find healing for their wounds?

How do they define healthy positive manhood?

It takes an older man!

Tune in and hear our discussion about this extremely important topic and discover ways to overcome the awkwardness in seeking and finding a mentor

Learn more about Harp and BetterMan at www.betterman.com or visit his blog on Substack titled "the good trouble blog"

Send us a text

Visit www.thesavagepath.com for more on David, his book The Savage Path: A Memoir of Modern Masculinity, and the Savage Path Ministries Corp.

Summer is a season where temperatures and tempers can run hot!  And August is typically the hottest month of all, often called the “dog days of summer.”  This also means that our law enforcement officials across the country must work a bit harder keeping the peace.  

We see more and more film clips on the news of people attacking and ambushing uniformed officers. In fact, last year over 100 officers were killed in the line of duty, 104 to be exact.

My guest today, Dave Wareham, has a BS in Administration of Justice from Penn State University and an MBA from California Coast University and had a long career in the State of California in law enforcement in both a County Sheriff’s office and as a Chief of Police for the City of Filmore.   During his career Dave was awarded a medal of valor twice and was involved in an active shooter situation back on August 3rd, 2003 in Thousand Oaks California at the police station headquarters. 

In this episode Dave shares his first-person story about having to take the life of the shooter in that situation and how he felt supernatural protection and comfort amidst the chaos of the moment to do what he had to do. He also discusses the psychiatric protocols required for officers and their families following an event like this to give us a fuller picture of what they go through.

Wrestling with lethal force is something that most of us never have to think about hopefully, but we should pause to appreciate and consider what it might be like for the people who put their lives on the line every day as uniformed officers sworn to serve and protect, even to the point of lethal force.

Send us a text

Visit www.thesavagepath.com for more on David, his book The Savage Path: A Memoir of Modern Masculinity, and the Savage Path Ministries Corp.

It seems that almost daily we read stories in the headlines about celebrities, politicians, and even preachers who are destroyed by rapid or overwhelming success.  P. Diddy Combs is the most notable recent one. It may not be covered in the news or on television, but success has ruined many people for a very long time, dating all the way back to biblical times.

In fact, one of the most familiar scripture verses to even secular people is Proverbs 16:18

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

No one is immune to the belief that our success is all of our own doing or that somehow we are above other people to a point where the rules no longer apply to us.

It can be a hard lesson and success is something that many people actually have a very hard time wrestling with.

My guest today is David Nolde, someone who indeed wrestled with success and found himself in a situation like Job, richly blessed, then suddenly lost almost everything, and only through the love of a strong Christian woman has been slowly restored with a much humbler spirit and personal relationship with Christ.

Today, I’m experimenting with a two guest format because Opal Handy’s role in David’s restoration has been so significant that we need to hear from both of them to get the full story of success followed by a tremendous fall but then led to restoration through spiritual means. It's an amazing story!

Send us a text

Visit www.thesavagepath.com for more on David, his book The Savage Path: A Memoir of Modern Masculinity, and the Savage Path Ministries Corp.

Summer is a season when many young people have the opportunity to experience a mission trip to see the need of a hurting world up close and perhaps for the first time in person. It can be life altering in some cases and certainly a lasting reminder to count the blessings we all take for granted most of the time.

Both within the U.S. and around the world there are plenty of people that need to not only experience the body of Christ serving and ministering to their urgent needs but also to hear the good news of the gospel for the very first time.

In this episode my guest is Omar Garcia, Missions Pastor at Kingsland Baptist Church where Kim and I are members.  Kingsland is rather unusual in its generosity toward missions and its mission focus with 17% of the total budget dedicated to Missions.  Omar has been a passionate servant leader for our programs and has seen the total giving grow to over $40 million in his 20 years on staff in this capacity.  A remarkable figure!

However, Omar continues to have an extreme passion to reach people all over the world who haven’t ever heard the Gospel.  His sense of urgency makes his wrestling match much more noble than most of us with more selfish motives.  He wrestles with the weight of the world spelled both W-E-I-G-H-T and W-A-I-T.

Here are a few resources you may want to check out after listening to Omar in this episode:  

GoBeyond.blog

 ExploreTexas.blog 

BibleTeaching Notes.blog

Send us a text

Visit www.thesavagepath.com for more on David, his book The Savage Path: A Memoir of Modern Masculinity, and the Savage Path Ministries Corp.