What if the places you most want to avoid are the very places where God intends to meet you with mercy?

Recorded at the Scottsdale Bible Church Men’s Retreat in Williams, Arizona, this session opens the “Into the Deep” weekend journey through Jonah. After a brief welcome, Aaron leads men into Jonah 1—not as a children’s story, but as a mirror that exposes the heart and reframes what we think we know about God.

We talk about rebellion that moves “down” in subtle steps, the numbness that sin can produce, and how our choices spill over onto the people around us. And we talk about God’s mercy that pursues—calling, hindering, exposing, and refusing to be indifferent when we run.

God’s mercy goes deeper still. If you’ve been resisting, hiding, or just going through the motions, this is an invitation to stop running, open your heart, and let the Lord meet you—through His Word, through prayer, and through the brothers beside you.

What if the places you most want to avoid are the very places where God intends to meet you with mercy?

Recorded at the Scottsdale Bible Church Men’s Retreat in Williams, Arizona, this session opens the “Into the Deep” weekend journey through Jonah. After a brief welcome, Aaron leads men into Jonah 1—not as a children’s story, but as a mirror that exposes the heart and reframes what we think we know about God.

We talk about rebellion that moves “down” in subtle steps, the numbness that sin can produce, and how our choices spill over onto the people around us. And we talk about God’s mercy that pursues—calling, hindering, exposing, and refusing to be indifferent when we run.

God’s mercy goes deeper still. If you’ve been resisting, hiding, or just going through the motions, this is an invitation to stop running, open your heart, and let the Lord meet you—through His Word, through prayer, and through the brothers beside you.

What if the thing that feels like pressure isn’t condemnation—it’s mercy calling you back?

Joe and Mike pick up their conversation by contrasting two paths: a life lived under conviction while still running, and the “aha” freedom some people experience when they meet Jesus after years far from Him. Mike reflects on the wreckage he left behind—especially broken relationships—and Joe challenges him toward apology, repair, and the quiet healing that can come when you make things right.

We talk about how Mike fell in love with Scripture through imagery—seeing how the Old Testament forms patterns that the New Testament fulfills. They explore spiritual realities the Bible describes with startling clarity: angels, demons, and the call to stand armored in Christ. From there, Mike gets deeply practical about what it looks like to “pick up your cross daily”: early mornings, Bible, prayer, presence, discipline, and integrating Christ into work, marriage, and fatherhood.

The adventure isn’t comfort—it’s transformation. If you’re in depravity, half in and half out, or trying to lead other men through it, there’s hope: plant seeds, do the hard work, and keep coming back to Jesus.

What if the thing that feels like pressure isn’t condemnation—it’s mercy calling you back?

Joe and Mike pick up their conversation by contrasting two paths: a life lived under conviction while still running, and the “aha” freedom some people experience when they meet Jesus after years far from Him. Mike reflects on the wreckage he left behind—especially broken relationships—and Joe challenges him toward apology, repair, and the quiet healing that can come when you make things right.

We talk about how Mike fell in love with Scripture through imagery—seeing how the Old Testament forms patterns that the New Testament fulfills. They explore spiritual realities the Bible describes with startling clarity: angels, demons, and the call to stand armored in Christ. From there, Mike gets deeply practical about what it looks like to “pick up your cross daily”: early mornings, Bible, prayer, presence, discipline, and integrating Christ into work, marriage, and fatherhood.

The adventure isn’t comfort—it’s transformation. If you’re in depravity, half in and half out, or trying to lead other men through it, there’s hope: plant seeds, do the hard work, and keep coming back to Jesus.

What does it look like when surrender isn’t a church moment—it’s the moment you finally stop running?

Joe sits down with Mike, a Forge leader at the Cactus campus, to talk about a “radical conversion” that happened fast and hit deep. Mike describes growing up in church, spending years sprinting the opposite direction, and then reaching a breaking point in early 2020 where he fell to his knees and told God he was done.

We talk about what it means to be “all in” without rushing into a ministry title, how the Word gives language for spiritual experiences, and why integrating Christ into ordinary work and family life is often the real calling. Mike also shares how Forge became a lifeline—friendships, discipleship, and a place where broken men learn to walk as new men together.

Surrender is not losing—it’s coming home. If you’ve been half in, half out, there’s still a way back: humility, truth, and a Father who meets prodigals with grace.

What does it look like when surrender isn’t a church moment—it’s the moment you finally stop running?

Joe sits down with Mike, a Forge leader at the Cactus campus, to talk about a “radical conversion” that happened fast and hit deep. Mike describes growing up in church, spending years sprinting the opposite direction, and then reaching a breaking point in early 2020 where he fell to his knees and told God he was done.

We talk about what it means to be “all in” without rushing into a ministry title, how the Word gives language for spiritual experiences, and why integrating Christ into ordinary work and family life is often the real calling. Mike also shares how Forge became a lifeline—friendships, discipleship, and a place where broken men learn to walk as new men together.

Surrender is not losing—it’s coming home. If you’ve been half in, half out, there’s still a way back: humility, truth, and a Father who meets prodigals with grace.

What if one of the most powerful ways to love people well is simply to listen—really listen?

Joe and Trace talk about the “magic” of being genuinely interested in others, and how that posture quietly reflects the heart of Jesus. From parenting moments to everyday conversations, they explore why attentiveness communicates value—and why our self-focused culture makes that harder than it should be.

We talk about what it means to be a “Christ follower” instead of just wearing the label “Christian,” and how deeper faith forms when we stop striving to manufacture fruit and start abiding in the Vine. They also reflect on humility, spiritual attack, and the freeing realization that you can’t carry your marriage, parenting, or ministry on your own strength.

God isn’t asking you to perform—He’s inviting you to be with Him. If you’ve been tired, reactive, or trying to force change through willpower, this is a call back to stillness, dependence, and the kind of faith that becomes real at home.

What if one of the most powerful ways to love people well is simply to listen—really listen?

Joe and Trace talk about the “magic” of being genuinely interested in others, and how that posture quietly reflects the heart of Jesus. From parenting moments to everyday conversations, they explore why attentiveness communicates value—and why our self-focused culture makes that harder than it should be.

We talk about what it means to be a “Christ follower” instead of just wearing the label “Christian,” and how deeper faith forms when we stop striving to manufacture fruit and start abiding in the Vine. They also reflect on humility, spiritual attack, and the freeing realization that you can’t carry your marriage, parenting, or ministry on your own strength.

God isn’t asking you to perform—He’s inviting you to be with Him. If you’ve been tired, reactive, or trying to force change through willpower, this is a call back to stillness, dependence, and the kind of faith that becomes real at home.