Mike Force Podcast — PTC: Mastering the Man Within

Host: Mike Glover
Date: March 15, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode of the Mike Force Podcast's "Preaching the Choir" Sunday edition, Mike Glover explores the profound distinction between "control" and "self-control"—especially as these concepts appear in the context of personal growth, faith, leadership, and family. Drawing from personal military experiences, biblical scripture, and his own spiritual journey, Mike offers practical insights into conquering the self rather than attempting to command circumstances or other people.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Transition and Accountability (00:01–02:00)

Mike introduces his plan to migrate "Preaching the Choir" to a standalone channel, framing the podcast as both a discipline tool and a communal Bible study.
The intention is personal accountability—a recurring theme for the episode.

2. Control vs. Self-Control (02:00–05:30)

Mike addresses a pervasive longing for peace, stability, loyalty, and discipline, acknowledging that, at its core, this is often a hidden desire for control.
- “If we're being honest about ourselves and all those things that we want, it's actually control that we want. Control.” (02:15)
Personal anecdote about early Army days: Mike describes his preference for situations he could directly influence, admitting it stemmed from self-trust and fear.

3. Discipline vs. Domineering (05:30–08:00)

The distinction is emphasized:
- “A disciplined man governs himself. A controlling man often tries to govern everyone around him. One is strength and the other happens to be insecurity.” (06:10)
He cautions against projecting expectations and insecurities onto others, advising instead to turn inward for growth:
- “We criticize in others what we haven't conquered in ourselves. We demand peace while carrying chaos. We demand patience while living reactively. ... Before you start correcting the world around you, check yourself.” (06:35–07:25)

4. Biblical and Spiritual Foundation (07:30–09:30)

Mike references Galatians 5:22–23, pointing out the Christian emphasis on self-control as a fruit of the Spirit—not control over others.
He shares personal revelations from spiritual journeys (including ibogaine/psilocybin therapy post-injury), recognizing control-seeking as ego-driven even after transformative experiences.
- “Despite the spiritual journey that I went through... I still wanted control. ... When I open my mouth, often it was the case that I was manipulating outcomes.” (08:45)

5. Practical Self-Control and Trust in God (09:30–12:00)

Self-control defined by restraint in words, emotion, and response—contrasted with domineering behaviors:
- “A powerful man is not the man who controls the room. A powerful man is the man who can control his own spirit in the room.” (10:35)
Scriptural reference to Proverbs 3:5–6 as guidance:
- “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (11:00)

6. Letting Go of False Control (12:00–14:30)

Links exhaustion and frustration to misplaced attempts at controlling the uncontrollable:
- “Maybe the reason you're exhausted... is because you're trying to control what was never yours to control in the first place. You ever think of that?” (12:20)
Recommends practices like breathing exercises, meditation, and reducing social media to cultivate presence and self-mastery:
- “You need healthy outlets. You need to be more present with your family. ... you don’t need to master everybody around you. You need to let God master what's inside of you.” (13:20–13:45)

7. Weekly Challenge & Final Reflection (14:30–15:45)

Directs listeners to reflect before reacting: “Before you react, ask yourself a question. Am I trying to control this? Or am I being called to control myself?” (14:50)
Closing encouragement to “let God teach you to command the man within you.” (15:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“I know a disciplined man governs himself. A controlling man often tries to govern everyone around him. One is strength and the other happens to be insecurity.” (06:10)
“God never called you to control everyone around you. He never wanted you to rule anybody around you. He wanted you to rule yourself, not your circumstances, not other people, not every outcome, but you.” (07:20)
“A powerful man is not the man who controls the room. A powerful man is the man who can control his own spirit in the room.” (10:35)
“Maybe the reason you're angry at everyone around you is because you're trying to control what was never yours to control in the first place.” (12:25)
“You don’t need to master everybody around you. You need to let God master what's inside of you.” (13:30)

Important Timestamps

00:01–02:00 — Podcast update & motivation for the spiritual discipline
02:00–05:30 — Control vs. self-control; military experience
06:10 — Key quote: disciplined vs. controlling men
07:25 — Self-reflection before correction
08:45 — Spiritual revelations on control
10:35 — Key quote: true power is self-mastery
11:00 — Proverbs 3:5–6 cited
12:20 — Link between exhaustion and futile control
14:50 — Weekly challenge: check motive before reacting
15:15 — Final reflection: let God command the man within

Summary

This episode delivers a powerful, faith-based meditation on the real meaning of leadership and maturity: governing oneself instead of exerting will over others. Through honest anecdotes, biblical grounding, and actionable advice, Mike Glover challenges listeners to trade the illusion of control for the discipline of self-mastery—inviting God to do the inner work required for lasting change.

“Remember, stop trying to control the world around you and instead, let God teach you to command the man within you.” (15:25)

Next Week: Mike will welcome Randy from “Present Fathers,” and future episodes will further explore personal and spiritual growth on the new “Preaching the Choir” channel.

Transcript

A (0:01)

Morning guys. Welcome back to another episode of Preaching the Choir. This week, despite this being the Sunday edition of the Mike Force Podcast, I intend to migrate Preaching the Choir to its own channel because I need discipline in my life. I plan to do Bible study sessions talking about historical context, relevance, going down rabbit holes on scripture of the 66 books of the Bible, the Old and New Testament to hold myself accountable. But hopefully by benefit by proxy, you're going to learn as well. I hope you follow the channels. I wildly disseminate that again across every platform I have. So you know where to go. Make sure you subscribe and I'll continue to have guests on Mike Force Podcast next week. I have Randy from Present Fathers and intend to double down that in 2026. The topic at hand is control versus self control. Because I think a lot of us say we want peace, we want stability, we say we want loyalty, honesty, consistency, discipline. And if we're being honest about ourselves and all those things that we want, it's actually control that we want. Control. I like having control of circumstance. I I remember as a young E5 in primary leadership development course which is PLDC sergeant school, going from a lower enlisted specialist private to becoming a non commissioned officer a sergeant in the army. I was a 20 year old sergeant in the army. I had my Expert Imagery badge, my Airborne wings, my Ranger tap and I had been a guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. So I had my tomb identification badge. I was squared away as a 20 year old E5 but I didn't know much about leadership. I was learning I liked in situations where I had control because I trusted my decision making. I trusted myself. Often we want control over outcomes, people timing how things unfold, whether or not we get hurt or not. And the problem is a lot of what looks like standards in our lives is actually just fear wearing disciplines uniform. There's a massive difference between being a disciplined man and being a controlling man. Have you been a controlling man? I have for sure. I know a disciplined man governs himself. A controlling man often tries to govern everyone around him. One is strength and the other happens to be insecurity. The hard truth is a lot of things we say we want in others. It's a reflection of what we want in ourselves. You know, we say we want someone loyal, we want someone calm, disciplined, emotionally stable and honest. And sometimes that's true who doesn't want that? But sometimes that list is really a mirror because deep down those are the exact same things we want to build in ourselves and haven't we criticize in others what we haven't conquered in ourselves. We demand peace while carrying chaos. We demand patience while living reactively. We demand consistency while we are being unstable. And we demand honesty while we avoid telling ourselves the truth. Before you start correcting the world around you, check yourself. Check your own spirit. God never called you to control everyone around you. He never wanted you to rule anybody around you. He wanted you to rule yourself, not your circumstances, not other people, not every outcome but you. Galatians 5:22 23 says the fruit of the Spirit includes temperis just self control, not control over others, not emotional manipulation, not forcing outcomes, but self control. I've realized in my ibogaine psilocybin spiritual journey along the way dealing with traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress. The things that I've been confronted with in acquired or life where I used to be so distracted I didn't have to pay attention that I would always try to force outcomes because I wanted the control. Despite the spiritual journey that I went through, where I began was supposed to shut out all the ego, I still wanted control. It was something that I had to build day by day that I still struggle with. But I'm more self aware because when I open my mouth often it was the case that I was manipulating outcomes. And whether or not that was my upbringing and or the professional career that I had where I was always in charge, where I was looking for an angle subconsciously because I wanted to reach the end objective, whatever it is. Now I'm realizing that's not the right protocol to live a healthy life. Self control means holding your tongue when you want to snap. It means staying calm when chaos hits. It means refusing to let pain in your heart turn into bitterness and refusing to grip so hard that you forget to trust in God because it's his control that is the ultimate control. A powerful man is not the man who controls the room. A powerful man is the man who can control his own spirit in the room. Now it doesn't mean you stop leading. It doesn't mean you stop planning or preparing. It means you stop trying to play God. So you could be disciplined without being domineering, you could have standards without being controlling and you could lead without forcing. Proverbs 3, 5, 6 says, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding and all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. So if you trust in God with all your heart, he is going to navigate, he's going to breach the obstacles, he's going to clear the path for you. So in a sum up, maybe the reason you're exhausted, maybe the reason you're frustrated, and maybe the reason you're angry at everyone around you is because you're trying to control what was never yours to control in the first place. You ever think of that? You don't need more control. You need more self control. You need more breathing practices. You need meditation. You need healthy outlets. You need to be more present with your family. You need to get off of social media. So remember, you don't need to master everybody around you. You need to let God master what's inside of you. What's inside of you. A man who can't rule himself is always trying to rule everyone else around them. And that's not leadership. That's coming from a place of fear. So the weekly challenge in closing is, before you react, ask yourself a question. Am I trying to control this? Or am I being called to control myself? And remember, stop trying to control the world around you and instead, let God teach you to command the man within you. I appreciate you guys. I'll see you on the other side of this in the next week on the Preaching the Choir Channel. Till next time. Peace, guys.