Episodes

Send us Fan Mail What happens when the path you're pursuing isn't the path God intended for you? In this episode of The Valiant Forge, Mark sits down with author, photographer, entrepreneur, and speaker Jason Ward to discuss purpose, calling, God's providence, and the surprising ways He guides our lives—even when we're fighting against His direction. Raised in the Appalachian mountains of eastern Kentucky, Jason grew up in a family with generations of coal miners behind him. But God had a dif...

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to become a man? In this episode of The Valiant Forge Podcast, I welcome back Dr. Stephen Phinney to discuss his book, Why So Many Men Still Act Like Boys. Together we explore masculinity, responsibility, leadership, discipleship, and what it looks like to step into the role God has called men to fulfill. We discuss the idea of men "hiding behind the skirt," why so many struggle with passivity, and how servant leadership differs from both weakness and domina...

Send us Fan Mail Most self-help advice tells us to trust ourselves, follow our hearts, believe in our instincts, and create our own truth. The Bible teaches something very different. In this Valiant Monday episode, Mark explores what Scripture says about the mind, our thoughts, and the danger of leaning too heavily on our own understanding. Using Proverbs 3:5-6 as a foundation, we discuss: • Why our thoughts aren't always trustworthy • The danger of self-reliance • What it means to take every...

Send us Fan Mail Mark Wood spent decades running from God. Raised in church and surrounded by faith, he eventually built a successful career, pursued his own path, and left much of his spiritual life behind. But when his world began to unravel, he found himself facing experiences he couldn't explain and questions he could no longer ignore. In this conversation, Mark shares his journey from spiritual darkness to redemption through Jesus Christ. We discuss his return to faith, the role Scriptur...

Send us Fan Mail I wanted a testimony without scars. I wish I could tell you I made it through forty plus years of following God without betrayal, without hiding, without major failures… but that's not my story. After sharing my testimony on a recent podcast interview, I found myself reflecting on my failures, my battle scars, and wishing my story looked different. Then I felt the Holy Spirit remind me: You almost never make it through battles without scars. In this episode, we talk honestly ...

Send us Fan Mail What does real freedom actually look like? Reginald Hicks spent 30 years behind prison walls after a life-altering decision changed the course of his life. But this is not just a prison story. It’s a story about shame, identity, surrender, hope, and discovering that true freedom begins long before prison doors open. In this episode of The Valiant Forge, Reggie shares his journey from promising baseball player… to incarceration… to finding Jesus in solitary confinement… to hel...

Send us Fan Mail We say things like: "I'm my father's son." "That's how I was raised." "I'm just not that kind of guy." But what if some of the things we call generational curses aren't genetic at all? In this episode of The Valiant Forge, Mark explores generational curses, identity, limiting beliefs, and the learned behaviors that often shape the men we become. Sharing his father's powerful story of addiction, surrender, and transformation, Mark reflects on how one decision to follow Jesus c...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when your faith is tested by the kind of loss most people hope they'll never face? Mark sits down with James Moffitt, host of Father's Refuge, to talk about grief, suffering, masculinity, fatherhood, and what it means to keep holding onto God after losing two children. James shares the devastating story of losing his daughter after a long cancer battle, losing his son years later, wrestling with anger toward God, and learning how grief reshaped his understanding ...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a man loses self-control? In this Valiant Monday episode, Mark Osborne breaks down Proverbs 25:28 and explores why self-control is more than discipline. It’s protection. Too many men are spiritually exposed: distracted, exhausted, isolated, angry, addicted, and disconnected from God. This episode is about rebuilding the walls. Through Scripture, personal reflection, and practical encouragement, we talk about: • Why self-control is a fruit of the ...

Send us Fan Mail Father wounds, rejection, identity, and the moment Jesus breaks through — this powerful conversation with Eric Stephens shows how God rebuilds a man from the inside out. Eric grew up carrying the weight of rejection, especially from his biological father. That wound shaped years of partying, addiction, depression, and even a suicide attempt. But in his darkest moment, God made Himself undeniably real — and everything changed. In this episode, Eric shares: • How father wounds ...

Send us Fan Mail Christian men are starving for purpose, brotherhood, and the presence of God. In this episode of The Valiant Forge, Mark Osborne explores what truly makes a man set apart and why God still chooses ordinary men to do extraordinary things. What makes certain men feel different? Why do some men carry a spiritual weight that cannot be manufactured? And what does it actually take to become one of the men God can trust? Through the stories of Gideon’s 300, David’s might...

Send us Fan Mail When God lifts the weight off a man’s shoulders, He often hands him a mission. In this episode, Steven “Wade” Cunningham shares the moment everything changed for him — a physical, undeniable sense of belonging — and how that encounter led him into decades of studying the relationship between Christians and Jews. This conversation goes far deeper than a testimony. Wade and I explore the Jewish roots of our faith, the history that fractured our spiritual family, and the misconc...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Mark shares the story he avoided recording for over a year — the story of how Christ called him out of hiding, confronted his ego, and named him into a new identity. Through the lens of Gideon’s story, Mark reveals the fear, hesitation, and obedience that shaped the birth of The Valiant Forge. This episode is not about elevating a man — it’s about revealing the Man who changes everything. If you’ve been hiding, shrinking, or resisting God’s call on your life, t...

Send us Fan Mail Most Christian men don’t realize how deeply their physical life is shaping their spiritual life — or how much their lack of self‑worth is draining everything else. In this conversation, Men’s Strength Coach Sean McManus breaks down the connection between fitness, faith, identity, and personal growth that most men completely overlook. We talk about why so many husbands and fathers feel empty, why men struggle to love themselves, and how discipline, brotherhood, and spiritual f...

Send us Fan Mail Most men never draw the line in the sand. Joshua did — at the end of his life, scarred and weathered, standing before men who still had idols hidden in their tents. His words weren’t a slogan. They were a challenge: “Choose you this day whom you will serve.” In this episode, we talk about the one decision every man must make — and why so many of us avoid it. Joshua’s challenge echoes straight into Romans 12:2, where Paul shows us the process of becoming the man God des...

Send us Fan Mail A powerful conversation about the choices that shape a man’s life, spiritual transformation, Bible prophecy, and the moment that split Joshua “Branch” Isole’s life in two. Joshua “Branch” Isole is an author of 22 books, a theologian, and a man whose life took a radical turn after a decade‑long search for truth. His story is raw, honest, and deeply relatable — especially for men who know what it feels like to stand between who they’ve been and who God is calling them to become...

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Send us Fan Mail Marine veteran Mark Delfini shares raw recovery from rock bottom, marriage crisis, and faith‑driven leadership. Christian podcast on men’s mental health, marriage restoration, and entrepreneurship. Raw, conversation with Marine veteran and strategist Mark Dolfini. Mark tells the story of hitting rock bottom — sleeping at his office, a marriage on the brink, and the small, faithful steps that rebuilt his family and business. He breaks down practical spiritual disciplines, vision...

Send us Fan Mail In this Valiant Monday episode, Mark breaks down what Paul actually meant when he wrote “renew your mind” in Romans 12:2 — and why most men misunderstand it. Renewal isn’t a quick refresh. It’s a renovation. A tearing down of old identities, old patterns, old environments, and old neurological wiring. Mark shares the process that saved him from blowing up his life — and how God rebuilt him from the inside out. You’ll learn: • What “renewing your mind” means in Greek (anakainō...

Send us Fan Mail In this conversation with Pastor Phil Tague, we dig into what it means to move from airbrushed Christianity to covenant faith. We talk about why so many men struggle with intimacy with God, how surrender unlocks spiritual strength, and why leading your family spiritually starts with simply going first. Phil shares his story of burnout, sabbatical, healing from church hurt, and how God rebuilt his identity from the inside out. We also explore David’s cave of Adullam and what i...

Send us Fan Mail This week I’m talking about something that’s been sitting heavy on my heart: the decisions we make as men, and how Romans 12:2 is the starting point for all of it. I’m not giving you a full masterclass on “the code” today — this episode is really the beginning of a journey I’m taking right alongside you. As I said in the episode, “Where you are in your life… are a result of the decisions and the choices you’ve made.” That hit me hard, and I think it’ll hit you too. I’m also s...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Matt Kutz brings a powerful and practical look at biblical masculinity, contextual intelligence, and what it means for Christian men to lead with clarity, wisdom, and strength. From the unforgettable “Vulcan Death Grip” story to the R4 Model (Recognize, Reorder, Respond, Reflect), Matt shows how understanding the context of a moment can transform the way we respond to our wives, children, coworkers, and the world around us. If you’ve ever felt confused, discouraged, or un...

Send us Fan Mail A man without direction drifts — and I’ve lived that. In this Holy Week solo episode, we look at the clarity Jesus carried into His final days and how that same clarity can anchor you today. We walk through four powerful truths from Holy Week: • Purpose over pressure (John 12:27) • Community before the battle (Luke 22:14–20) • Honesty over hype (Hebrews 5:7–8) • Finishing the assignment (John 17:4) Direction isn’t about knowing the whole plan — it’s about knowing the next ste...

Send us Fan Mail in this powerful conversation, Alex Sanfilippo, founder of PodMatch, shares the raw and honest story of how God met him at rock bottom and rebuilt his identity from the ground up. From selling golf balls at age 10, to losing everything in the 2008 crash, to sitting in a church parking lot battling shame and fear — Alex opens up about the moment God’s presence changed everything. “I walked in and felt like Jesus was hugging me… saying no matter what you’ve done, I love you the...