Podcast
Intentional Guy
Hosted by Michael Chestnut · EN
What does it take for a man to truly change? Intentional Guy Podcast explores that question through powerful conversations with men who've lived it. From addiction to freedom. From prison to purpose. From broken to rebuilt. These men surrendered their old lives and intentionally became better versions of themselves. Their stories aren't just inspiring—they're proof that no matter where you are right now, a turnaround is possible. Join us for raw, honest conversations that will challenge and encourage you.
28episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Weak Men
2w ago00:06:14Tap to summarizeThe Power of Standing Firm: Lessons on Strength and ConvictionIn this episode, we explore what true strength looks like for men today—how to stand firm in your convictions while leading with humility. We examine how society often mislabels resilience and what it really means to be courageous in the face of opposition.Key topics:The societal fear of strong men and how control is the real motive behind suppressionThe story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo as an example of unwavering faith and courageThe difference between passive complacency and active backbone in leadershipWhy true strength isn’t about dominance, but about refusal to compromise on what mattersPractical steps to stand in your convictions even when it’s uncomfortableThe importance of aligning actions with personal faith and family leadershipHow societal messages promote weakness through labels like “toxic masculinity”The call to embrace vulnerability and honesty without sacrificing integrityTimestamps:00:00 - Why society fears strong men, not confusion about masculinity 00:40 - The impact of societal labels: rigid, controlling, toxic1:09 - The trap: balancing strength and approachability1:37 - The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo:2:06 - Faithfulness vs. safety: what’s the real purpose of strength2:36 - The nature of godly strength: refusing to be moved from truth3:04 - The misperception: strength is about dominance, not backbone 3:32 - Leadership for your family: being immovable yet gentle4:02 - Personal failure: when folding under pressure becomes a habit 4:32 - The challenge: stand in one area you've been shrinking back5:01 - A prayer for backbone, humility, and true strength5:34 - Moving forward: finding community and walking in intentionalityResources & Links:Daniel 3 - The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo
Transcribe →The Hidden Battle In Your Teens Phone,
3w ago00:07:59Tap to summarizeYour Son's Phone Is Not His Friend — It's Not About Trust, It's About Protection When I was a kid, seeing pornography took real effort — you had to go looking for it. Today, your son doesn't have to look for anything. It's already in his pocket.In this episode, I talk directly to parents about the generation being raised on smartphones — and why "I trust my kid" is the wrong starting point. This isn't about whether your son is trustworthy. It's about knowing what he's up against.In this episode:✅ Why "trust" is the wrong lens for parenting in the smartphone era✅ Warning signs something may be going on✅ Tools like Covenant Eyes and the unannounced phone check✅ What to do — and what not to do — if you catch your son✅ Why parents have to be just as informed as we're asking our kids to be honestThis is a call to every parent listening: protection isn't paranoia. It's love with its eyes open.If this episode challenged you, share it with another parent who needs to hear it.🎙️ The Intentional Guy Podcast📩 Want to talk? Let's get coffee. Let me be your friend. Let me walk beside you.#TheIntentionalGuyPodcast #ChristianParenting #MensMinistry #DigitalSafety #FaithBasedParenting #Pornography #ProtectYourKids
Transcribe →Where's the Line?
3w ago00:13:29Tap to summarizeWhere's the Line? — The Test No One Ever Handed YouThis episode is for the man who's tried to stop and didn't know who to call.We're talking honestly about pornography — how it grows, why willpower alone usually isn't enough, and a real, research-based way to know if it's become more than a habit for you. I also share something I've never said this directly before: why I went to a 12-step room instead of a Christian counselor, and what I've found in Celebrate Recovery on the other side of it.⚠️ This episode deals with sensitive subject matter. Handled with care, not graphic — but direct, because this conversation matters.Take the assessment (free, confidential, ~10 minutes):Sexual Addiction Screening Test (SAST) — Pure Desire Ministrieshttps://puredesire.org/courses/sexual-addiction-screening-test/Find a Celebrate Recovery group near you:https://celebraterecovery.com/find-help-2/Our group meets Tuesdays at 6 PM — but CR has thousands of locations worldwide, so if ours isn't a fit, use the link above to find one near you. This was never about getting you into our church. It's about you finding peace.If something in this episode hit close to home — you're not alone, and you don't have to figure it out by yourself.Let's get coffee. Let me be your friend. Let me walk beside you.#TheIntentionalGuy #PornographyRecovery #CelebrateRecovery #ChristianMen #MensMinistry
Transcribe →WHAT SHE'S NOT TELLING YOU
4w ago00:16:08Tap to summarizeIn this deeply personal episode of The Intentional Guy Podcast, Mike Chestnut shares a conversation that changed his understanding of recovery forever.Many men believe recovery ends when the pornography stops. But what if your wife is still carrying wounds you've never taken the time to understand?This episode explores the hidden impact pornography has on marriage, why wives often experience it as rejection instead of "just a mistake," and how true healing begins when we stop defending ourselves and start listening.Whether you're fighting pornography, rebuilding trust after betrayal, or simply want a stronger Christ-centered marriage, this conversation is one every husband needs to hear.📖 Scripture Focus: Proverbs 5:15-19 & Proverbs 28:13☕ Need someone to talk to?If you're ready to stop hiding but don't know where to start, reach out. I'd love to grab coffee if you're local—or connect with you online if you're not. You don't have to walk this road alone.👇 Timestamps00:00 – Introduction00:13 – The moment that changed everything02:04 – Why recovery is more than stopping the behavior02:53 – Pornography as a comparison problem, not just a content problem05:24 – What wives often carry in silence06:29 – Why silence feels safer, but hurts more08:28 – The questions wives are often really asking10:03 – Biblical perspective from Proverbs 512:42 – What a wife actually needs in healing14:41 – Why delaying confession makes things worse16:27 – Confession, mercy, and the cost of concealment17:27 – One question to ask this week17:56 – Real recovery starts with facing her, not just the habit👍 If this episode encouraged you:• Subscribe for weekly biblical encouragement for men• Like this video• Share it with someone who needs hope• Leave a comment: "I'm choosing honesty."#IntentionalGuy #PornRecovery #MarriageHealing #ChristianMen #MarriageRestoration #OvercomingPornography #PornAddictionRecovery #BiblicalMarriage #ChristianMarriage #MensMinistry #CelebrateRecovery #FreedomFromPorn #FaithBasedRecovery #MarriageAdvice #RecoveryJourney #ChristianPodcast #MikeChestnut #HealingAfterBetrayal #TrustAfterPorn #RelationshipHealing
Transcribe →Are You Ready
Jun 2500:16:55Tap to summarizeDo you actually want to be free?Not the church answer. Not the answer you'd give your pastor. The real answer.In this powerful episode of The Intentional Guy Podcast, Michael Chestnut challenges men to confront one of the most important questions they'll ever answer: Do you want freedom more than comfort?Freedom from pornography. Freedom from lust. Freedom from secrecy. Freedom from shame.Drawing from his own story of addiction, recovery, and restoration, Michael shares practical strategies, biblical truth, and hard-earned wisdom for men who are tired of living a double life and are ready to become intentional about their recovery journey.In this episode you'll discover:✅ Why willpower alone is not enough✅ The prayer that helped Michael find freedom✅ How to make a covenant with your eyes✅ Practical tools to fight temptation before it starts✅ Why accountability is essential for lasting freedom✅ The hidden pain that pornography is often masking✅ How the Holy Spirit meets us in our weakest momentsKey Scripture:📖 Job 31:1"I made a covenant with my eyes..."📖 Romans 8:26"The Spirit helps us in our weakness..."If this episode encouraged you, challenged you, or helped you take a step toward freedom, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE it with another man who needs to hear this message.00:00 Do You Really Want Freedom?01:35 Why Willpower Isn’t Enough04:14 “Holy Spirit, Please”05:28 Make a Covenant With Your Eyes07:09 The Practical Battle Plan13:54 What Lust Is Really About15:30 Final Challenge: Be Intentional💬 COMMENT BELOW:Type the word READY if you're ready to take the next step toward freedom.📚 Get Michael's book Exposed and learn more about the journey from addiction to restoration.☕ Need someone to talk to? Reach out. You don't have to fight this battle alone.Remember: You don't have to be perfect. You just have to be willing to start.Holy Spirit, please.#IntentionalGuy #AreYouReady #FreedomFromPornography #PornAddictionRecovery #ChristianMen #BiblicalManhood #MensMinistry #LustRecovery #Purity #Accountability #FaithOverAddiction #ChristianPodcast #RecoveryJourney #ExposedBook #HolySpiritPlease #CelebrateRecovery #MensDiscipleship #SpiritualGrowth #FreedomInChrist #MikeChestnut
Transcribe →The Numbers Don't Lie
Jun 1600:15:15Tap to summarize75% of Christian men report viewing pornography. 82% say no one is helping them.This isn't just a pornography problem—it's a silence problem.In this episode of The Intentional Guy Podcast, Michael Chestnut tackles one of the most difficult and important conversations facing the church today. Drawing from research by Barna and Pure Desire Ministries, Michael explores the reality of pornography's impact on Christian men, women, pastors, and the next generation.But this episode goes beyond statistics.Together, we examine what Scripture teaches about lust, sexual sin, and purity through the words of Jesus, Paul, Job, and one of the most overlooked chapters in the Bible—Proverbs 7.Over 3,000 years ago, Solomon described a young man slowly walking toward destruction, making small compromises that eventually led to devastating consequences. His warning is just as relevant today as it was then.If you're struggling in silence, carrying shame, or wondering if freedom is possible, this message is for you.You are not alone.Freedom begins when secrecy ends.If this episode encouraged you, share it with another man, leave a comment, and subscribe to The Intentional Guy Podcast.0:00 Three Out of Four Men in Your Church1:10 Welcome to The Intentional Guy Podcast2:16 The Numbers the Church Needs to Hear3:58 You Are Not Alone4:31 What God's Word Says6:51 Proverbs 7: Solomon's Warning9:32 Your Phone Is the Street Near Her Corner10:34 The 82% Had No One Speaking Up12:19 Michael's Personal Story13:23 One Step You Can Take Today14:27 Closing#IntentionalGuy #ChristianMen #PornographyRecovery #FreedomFromPorn #MensMinistry #ChristianPodcast #Proverbs7 #BiblicalManhood #Purity #FaithAndFreedom #Discipleship #ChristianLeadership #PornAddictionRecovery #shorts #spiritualgrowth #spirituality #Obedience #forgiveness #godlyhusband #mensministry #christianmen #transformation #faithjourney #christianmarriage #healingfromtrauma #overcomingtrauma #forgiveness #marriageadvice
Transcribe →The Version of Headship That's Destroying Your Marriage
Jun 1100:12:09Tap to summarizeThe word headship has been misunderstood, misused, and in many cases weaponized. Some men have treated it like a position of authority, while others have become so afraid of getting it wrong that they've completely stepped back from leading altogether.In this episode of The Intentional Guy Podcast, Michael Chestnut takes a fresh look at Ephesians 5 and challenges husbands to rethink biblical leadership through the lens of sacrifice, vulnerability, and presence.We'll explore why Christ's model of headship was never about control—it was about laying Himself down for others. If you're a husband seeking to lead your marriage God's way, this conversation is for you.📖 Key Scriptures:• Ephesians 5:22-26• Genesis 3:6⏱️ CHAPTERS0:00 – Opening2:31 – Key #1: Headship Is Not Rank, It Is Sacrifice4:35 – Key #2: The Most Dangerous Version of Headship Is Silence6:47 – Key #3: You Cannot Lead Where You Have Not Gone10:08 – The Challenge📚 Get Michael's book Expose for more of his personal story and lessons learned through recovery, faith, and intentional living. https://a.co/d/02oiIrMJ🎙️ Subscribe for weekly conversations on:• Biblical masculinity• Marriage and relationships• Faith and leadership• Recovery and healing• Living with purposeConnect with The Intentional Guy Podcast and share this episode with a husband, father, or friend who needs this message today.#IntentionalGuyPodcast #BiblicalMarriage #ChristianHusband #MarriageLeadership #Ephesians5 #BiblicalHeadship #ChristianMen #FaithAndFamily #MarriageAdvice #ChristianMarriage #MensMinistry #Leadership #HusbandAndWife #ChristianPodcast #MichaelChestnut #shorts #spiritualgrowth #spirituality #Obedience #forgiveness #godlyhusband #mensministry #christianmen #transformation #faithjourney #christianmarriage #healingfromtrauma #overcomingtrauma #forgiveness #marriageadvice
Transcribe →From Darkness to Purpose
Jun 1001:20:12Tap to summarize🎙️ Replay Wednesday: One of the Most Powerful Stories We've Ever SharedSome episodes deserve a second listen. This is one of them.For this special Replay Wednesday, we're bringing back Joe's incredible story—but with additional content and deeper conversation that wasn't included in the original release.Joe's journey is one that sounds almost unbelievable: a young Army officer whose loyalty to family led him into prison, a man who lost everything, encountered Christ in the darkest place imaginable, and discovered a purpose far greater than he could have ever planned. From military service, prison cells, spiritual warfare, redemption, second chances, and ultimately becoming a successful executive and faithful follower of Christ, Joe's testimony is a powerful reminder that God can redeem any story.This isn't just a prison story.It's not just a redemption story.It's a story about faith when the cost is high, trusting God when everything falls apart, and discovering that your greatest setback may be the very thing God uses to shape your greatest purpose.If you're a man struggling with your past, carrying regret, fighting battles nobody knows about, or wondering if God can still use your life, this episode is for you.Every man should listen to this conversation.🔥 Loyalty.🔥 Faith.🔥 Family.🔥 Prison.🔥 Redemption.🔥 Purpose.Join us for this special Replay Wednesday and experience one of the most impactful stories ever shared on The Intentional Guy Podcast.#ReplayWednesday #TheIntentionalGuyPodcast #RedemptionStory #FaithOverFear #MensMinistry #ChristianPodcast #SecondChances #PurposeDrivenLife #Testimony #JesusChangesEverything
Transcribe →Forgiving the Nightmare
Jun 500:42:48Tap to summarizeHe was abused, trafficked, and told no one would believe him — then God rewrote his story.In this powerful episode, Mike Chestnut sits down with Pastor Mark Sowersby, author of Forgiving the Nightmare, to discuss a topic most men stay silent about: childhood abuse and the long road to forgiveness. Mark was abused from age 7 to 14 — physically, emotionally, sexually, and trafficked by his own stepfather. The lie that haunted him most: "It was your fault. And no one would believe you."Mark shares how he found Jesus at 15, how the Holy Spirit led him to face his abuser decades later, and why forgiveness doesn't mean approval — it means freedom.What you'll hear in this episode:Why the enemy traps us in our story — and how it becomes God's storyThe moment Mark told his dying abuser "I forgive you because Christ forgave me"The Bob Ross analogy that changed Mark's entire perspective on healingWhy men cover up abuse, self-medicate, and suffer in silencePractical first steps if you're stuck in shame and don't know where to beginKey Quotes:"Forgiveness is not approval." — Pastor Mark Sowersby "Once I could acknowledge it, the enemy no longer had my ear." — Mike Chestnut "We go through a mess and God gives us a message. We go through a test and God gives us a testimony." — Pastor Mark Sowersby📖 Get Mark's Book: Forgiving the Nightmare — available now📖 Also by Mark & his wife: Letters to the Weary🎙️ Connect with Forgiving the Nightmare Ministry: https://forgivingthenightmare.com⏱ Timestamps: 0:00 – Intro & meeting Mark Sowersby1:50 – Mark's story: abuse that started at age 75:01 – Mike shares his own experience with abuse10:21 – How Mark began the journey toward healing13:55 – "Forgiveness is not approval"15:33 – Why the church stays silent on abuse18:17 – What Mark would say to someone still struggling22:00 – The Bob Ross painting analogy (powerful)23:35 – Getting started when forgiveness feels impossible 29:33 – Suicidal ideation and the "shake it off" lie34:50 – The peace that comes from sharing your story42:04 – About the Forgiving the Nightmare ministry💬 Let us know in the comments: What part of Mark's story hit you hardest?🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on faith, marriage, and becoming the man God called you to be.#Forgiveness #ChristianTestimony #OvercomingAbuse #ForgivingTheNightmare #Healing #Faith #IntentionalGuy #MensMinistry
Transcribe →Boundaries, Betrayal & Redemption | Ebon Sharp's Powerful Testimony
Jun 300:59:12Tap to summarizeTwo years ago, Michael Chestnut sat down with Ebon Sharp for one of the most honest and impactful conversations on the Intentional Guy Podcast. In this powerful throwback episode, Ebon shares his journey from growing up in the streets, becoming a young father, facing the consequences of poor boundaries, and experiencing God's grace, redemption, and restoration in his marriage. This timeless conversation is a reminder that no one is beyond God's reach and that healing begins when we bring what's hidden into the light.TakeawaysImportance of setting boundariesThe impact of betrayal on a relationship VulnerabilityIntentionalityChapters00:00 The Betrayal and Its Impact on the Relationship30:01 Navigating Challenges in Marriage35:22 Reading and Applying Relationship Advice41:18 The Power of Reading and Learning46:19 Seeking Help and Confession51:46 Empowering Others Through Experience#IntentionalGuy #ThrowbackEpisode #MensMinistry #FaithOverFailure #MarriageRestoration #RedemptionStory #ChristianMen #GodsGrace #IronSharpensIron #RealMenRealPurpose #PodcastReplay
Transcribe →