In this powerful conversation, Zach sits down with his friend Derek Sire from Restore OKC to talk honestly about race, culture, and mentoring across differences. They unpack how easy it is for mentors (especially white mentors) to step into a kid’s world with good intentions but harmful assumptions—about their neighborhood, their family, their faith, or their “potential.”

Derek explains what it means to be an asset-based organization—seeing the gifts, skills, and strengths already present in a community rather than arriving as rescuers with outside solutions. Together, he and Zach name the subtle “savior” mindset that can creep into mentoring, and they model what it looks like to repent, grow, and move toward curiosity, compassion, and honor.

Along the way, Zach shares vulnerable stories about his own biases in the classroom, assumptions about dads based on race, and a humbling encounter with a Muslim mom who became one of his biggest supporters. Derek shows how curiosity—about a kid, their family, their neighborhood, and the systems around them—transforms pity into true, Christlike compassion.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

What asset-based ministry looks like in real life at Restore OKC
How our brains “put kids in boxes” and why mentors must slow down
Common assumptions about Black fathers and why the narrative is often wrong
Why language matters (“fatherless,” “the hood,” “that’s ghetto”) and how it shapes identity
Practical ways mentors can champion single moms, dads, schools, and neighborhoods as assets, not problems
How to lead with confession, repentance, and Spirit-led curiosity instead of rescue

This is a great episode to share with your team or mentoring community and then ask: “What assumptions do we need to confess? How can we grow in curiosity and compassion?”

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www.restoreokc.org

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