A lot of men carry a quiet ache they can’t quite name, then spend decades trying to outrun it with work, wins, and willpower. On this Father’s Day, we sit with that ache head-on: the father wound, the craving for approval, and the lifelong impact of a dad who is physically present but emotionally absent. We don’t treat it like a psychology trend or a sentimental story. We treat it like spiritual warfare in the heart, because what happens with dad often shows up everywhere else.

My guest, Buddy Griffin, is known around the world for his music and his leadership, but he tells a deeply personal story about growing up with a hard father who never hugged him, never affirmed him, and never said the words he needed. A moment from Robert Lewis’ Better Man teaching forces Buddy to face one brutal question: will he someday stand at a casket with everything still unresolved? That question leads to action and to an awkward first visit in a retirement center where Buddy asks directly for love and a hug and keeps coming back until the dam finally breaks.

We also talk about what to do when your father is already gone, how forgiveness can start with honesty, and why reconciliation changes not only a man’s peace but his parenting, marriage, and drive. If you’ve ever felt fueled by pressure but starved for approval, this conversation offers a clear path forward.

Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review. What’s one conversation you know you’ve been putting off?

Chapter Markers

• 0:00
• Welcome To The Inner Fight
• 0:35
• Father’s Day And Why Dads Matter
• 3:00
• Growing Up Without Warmth At Home
• 4:43
• The Photo That Forced The Question
• 8:45
• Asking For Love And A Hug
• 12:58
• Final Words In The ICU
• 16:12
• Taking Other Men To The Grave
• 20:55
• Forgiveness, Action, And Closing Poem

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

A single email during COVID turned into a paternity test, a flight to an empty LAX, and a face-to-face meeting with a 46-year-old son Rick Wertz never knew existed. That’s the kind of story that sounds impossible until you hear the details, and it opens a bigger question many men carry quietly: what do you do with the father-wound, the love deficit, and the years you can’t get back?

We sit down with Rick, the founder of Faithful Fathering, to trace the path from a childhood marked by violence, alcoholism, and untreated wartime trauma to a life rebuilt through faith, Scripture, and intentional fatherhood. He shares the moment he realized his work and travel had made him a stranger in his own home, and how that wake-up call pushed him toward accountability, spiritual discipline, and a mission to equip churches to encourage dads rather than only critique them.

Then the “COVID curveballs” hit: first, discovering and blessing an adult son who had been searching for decades, and second, learning through DNA results that he also had a half-brother and that long-held family secrets were revealed. We talk adoption reunion, genetic mirroring, forgiveness, boundaries for kids and parents in a world of social media and pornography, and why knowing the Heavenly Father changes how we handle every part of the story.

If this conversation helps you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so more men can find it.

Here is a link to Rick's website to learn more:

https://faithfulfathering.org/

Chapter Markers

• 0:00
• Welcome To Wrestling The Inner Man
• 0:34
• Valentine’s Day And The Love Deficit
• 1:33
• A Childhood Shaped By Violence
• 4:31
• Chasing Approval Through Work
• 6:52
• Faithful Fathering And A Biblical Worldview
• 9:48
• The DNA Email That Introduced A Son
• 14:43
• A Second Curveball And A Half-Brother
• 20:11
• Boundaries, Redemption, And Real Fathering
• 22:46
• Final Counsel And Closing Prayer

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

A lot of men can describe the exact second they heard the words “I’m pregnant” and what happened next, their mind racing through fear, responsibility, and what kind of man they’re going to be. But almost nobody asks the next question out loud: what happens to the father when an abortion happens, and he’s told to stay quiet? That silence can turn into years of shame, drifting, and numbness, even for men who look fine on the outside.

We sit down with Greg Mayo, award-winning author of Almost Daddy: The Forgotten Story, to talk about men’s abortion grief, post-abortion trauma, and why the cultural conversation leaves fathers without language or support. Greg shares his own story of abortion loss, how unresolved pain can show up as addiction and escapism, and the moment he finally broke isolation by telling the truth in a church small group. We also dig into the surprising statistics, including the “one in five men” reality, and why so few men seek help from clergy or church leaders.

Greg explains why he chose to write a novel instead of a memoir, and how story can disarm politics long enough for real empathy and spiritual healing to begin. We close with practical next steps, a challenge to raise the sails toward healing, and a call for men to lead, serve, and step into the fight with courage and compassion. If this conversation resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs words for what he’s carried, and leave a review so more men can find a path forward.

You can visit his website to learn more at:

https://gregmayoauthor.com/

Chapter Markers

• 0:00
• Welcome To The Inner Fight
• 0:36
• The Shock Of An Unexpected Pregnancy
• 2:06
• Greg Mayo And Almost Daddy
• 4:59
• Why Men’s Abortion Stories Stay Hidden
• 8:48
• Greg’s Story Of Loss And Hardening
• 14:15
• Why Fiction Can Tell The Truth
• 19:12
• The Numbers And The Church Silence
• 24:37
• Helping Men Name The Wound
• 27:39
• How To Reach Greg And Start Healing
• 30:03
• Get In The Fight As Men
• 32:03
• Closing Prayer And Sendoff

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

Debt is not just math, it’s pressure, identity, fear, and the quiet belief that you’re failing the people you love. We start with a hard look at how easy credit, emotional spending, and constant comparison normalize borrowing, then we bring it back to a biblical lens where debt can become bondage and limit the freedom God intends for us. If Proverbs 22:7 has ever felt uncomfortably real, you’re not alone.

My guest, Scott Mater of the Inspired Stewardship Podcast, gets brutally honest about what financial bondage did to his mind, his marriage, and his faith. He shares the moment he realized he felt “worth more dead than alive,” and how a simple shift from hiding to communicating helped him and his wife fight their way out.

Over 2 years and 11 months, they paid off $78,852.52 while living on a tight income, then turned that painful journey into a mission to coach other Christian men and couples toward freedom.

We also dig into practical tools for long-term change: the difference between career and vocation, why calling is something you uncover over time, and how the DISC personality framework can improve communication and leadership at home and at work. Scott lays out a clear framework for growth and an iterative process that makes goals and budgets actually work: plan, execute, then review, reflect, revise, and repeat.

The key takeaway is simple and tough: you don’t change by willpower alone, you change when you find the why behind the what.

Subscribe for more conversations that train up better men, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s the “why” you want to fight for next?

Learn more about Scott at www.inspiredstewardship.com/innerman

Chapter Markers

• 0:00
• Welcome To The Ring
• 0:35
• Taxes And A Nation In Debt
• 2:47
• Biblical Caution About Borrowing
• 4:55
• When Debt Turns Into Despair
• 8:46
• The Conversation That Changed Everything
• 12:39
• Calling Is Bigger Than A Job
• 19:11
• DISC For Clearer Communication
• 30:08
• A Framework For Living Your Calling
• 36:54
• Plan Execute Then Review And Revise
• 39:57
• Find The Why That Fuels Change
• 42:43
• Resources Coaching And Closing Prayer

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

This show is about spiritual warfare in its many forms. We all are in its midst whether we are aware of it or not. It is the human condition since the fall in the Garden of Eden. Ephesians 6:12 says:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Since these forces and this warfare is invisible to us, we are lied to and easily fooled about how they work against us to rob us of joy and distract us from our true purpose. Consequently, we wrestle with discernment on many levels.

My guest today is Greg Pai, author of “Voice of the Heart: The Battle For Your Purpose, Peace, and Passion.” In his book he discusses how this invisible war is being waged against humanity through twelve interconnected systems. At the center of the framework is the Tree of Light — a powerful metaphor for human design where roots represent identity, the trunk represents resilience, branches represent relationships, and fruit represents legacy and purpose. Greg's work reveals how each of the 12 systems systematically attacks a different part of the tree. Our purpose today isn’t to go through these 12 systems but to help you, our audience, reclaim your critical thinking skills and rediscover your passion for what God’s purpose for you is in this world.

You can learn more about Greg's book at:

https://voiceoftheheartbooks.com/

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

Romans 12:2 says "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.."

A related verse in 2 Corinthians 10:5 says "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sees itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ"

This is the most challenging wrestling match we face daily in the modern era! Are we conforming to the patterns of this world? Or are we taking every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ?

We are constantly barraged from every angle from screens, to billboards, to even podcasts seeking a share of our mind space!

My guest today is Rory Paquette, host of "The Power of Man" daily podcast which focuses on helping men, fathers and husbands in particular, to reignite the inner flame that once burned bright.

In this episode we discuss how to win these moment by moment battles for our mind space by:

Getting in touch with your faith to get yourself rooted

Discover your true purpose so that you have a North Star to follow rather just "be entertained"

Taking out the "trash" in our minds to make room for noble manhood

Rory also is a life coach so I ask him to help me with an anger issue that is taking up too much real estate in my own mind today.

Lots of gems and nuggets to be mined in this one!

Rory has six podcasts and you can learn more about them all on his Facebook page : @RoryPaquette

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

Today we are talking about a second pandemic which has swept through our country and the world at large, it’s called immaturity and it manifests today in no larger way than refusing to accept personal responsibility, especially in the roles God gave men to fulfill.

1 Corinthians 13:11 says, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”

My guest to discuss this topic is Nicky Billou, a Christian immigrant from Iran who is tremendously grateful to be living in a free country. Nicky has made the most of his freedom as a bestselling author of 11 published books and the host of two podcasts, The Thought Leader Revolution Podcast and the Sovereign Man Podcast.

In this episode Nicky shares about fleeing Iran as an eleven-year-old boy with his family as the Shah fell and Christians like him were being persecuted, struggling as refugees in Athens Greece for two years before moving to Canada to begin life over.

We discuss men's roles as protectors, providers, and presiders.

We also cover the distinction between fault and responsibility and how power lies in responsibility because we can choose to accept it.

And we close with the importance of male only accountability groups.

You can learn more about Nicky by visiting his website at www.sovereignman.ca

Send us Fan Mail

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

My show is aimed primarily but not exclusively at men. It is a nonprofit categorized as Christian Education with a focus on the numerous aspects of spiritual warfare that men face daily. My tagline in the show's intro is:

"Because the first fight we face each and every day is the fight between our selfish sinful nature and our Holy Spirit inspired divine nature."

The show's goal is to inspire and help other men win in spiritual warfare.

We believe the winners in this ring courageously follow God's word, love and protect God's women, excel at God's work, and betters God's world with his children.

It is an interview format show where each guest discusses some specific wrestling match they are dealing with or have successfully dealt with through surrender to Christ.

Over 125 shows are up in the library on a very wide array of topics including isolation, feeling worthless, the seven deadly sins, and courtship leading to marriage.

Please visit my website to learn more about the show and my book and sign up if you'd like to be on my once a month newsletter at www.thesavagepath.com

Send us Fan Mail

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