A lot of the current conversation around men leaving the church completely misses the point. It’s not about a lack of interest or commitment—it’s that men are tired of being asked to just sit still and be passive observers.

In this episode, we want to talk about the growing disconnect between what the modern church model expects and what men actually need. We look at why the standard, spectator-style Sunday routine feels so hollow, the shift in how men are engaged (or not engaged) in these spaces, and what it actually looks like to build an environment that challenges men rather than just pacifying them.

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In this episode, Ryan Reeves and Jake Corn sit down to diagnose why so much modern preaching leaves men entirely unfed. We break down the crucial difference between "Topical" sermons (cherry-picking verses to fit a pre-determined theme) and "Exegetical" sermons (letting the ancient text dictate the message, even when it's uncomfortable).

Beyond the pulpit, Ryan and Jake catch up on the current "terrain" of real life—navigating the heavy transitions of the spring season and how to build actual, grounded habits for Easter that go beyond wearing a pastel shirt on Sunday morning.

What does it look like to "stress test" your character before saying "I do"? In this deeply personal episode, Ryan and Brett explore the reality of marriage in your 40s, where "potential" is replaced by honesty, and compatibility is proven in the aisles of a tile store. Ryan opens up about his recent wedding and the "relieved" feeling of finding a partner who levels his life, but the celebration is met with a sudden, somber turn: the passing of his father just weeks later. From the complexities of dating as a "thrift store find" to a moving tribute to the "stay-putness" of the Boomer generation, this conversation is a raw look at the structures of love, the weight of grief, and the quiet virtues of the men who came before us.