Episode Summary Brian Miller reflects on a growing ache he feels in both the church and the wider culture: we do not seem to know who to trust anymore. Trust in politicians, pastors, institutions, even the police has eroded. In that setting, Brian turns to Jesus — not as an abstract doctrine, but as a real person whose life reveals why he can be trusted. Drawing especially from Matthew 4, Brian frames Jesus' temptations in the wilderness as a test of trustworthiness. Jesus is tempted through need, fear, and power — the very pressures that often cause leaders and ordinary people alike to betray their mission, their values, or the people who depend on them. But Jesus does not yield. He refuses to put his hunger above his calling, his fear above his trust in God, or his desire for kingship above the path of the cross. Brian connects this directly to coaching. Trust is the real currency of coaching relationships. Clients do not open up unless they believe they are safe. And coaches cannot become trustworthy people unless they themselves are grounded in something secure. Brian's central claim is simple but weighty: because Jesus can be trusted, my life is secure — and only then can I become someone who is trusted. Big Ideas & Takeaways 1) Brian wants to talk more directly about Jesus Brian opens with a personal longing: he hears people talk about God, the Bible, and Paul, but not enough about Jesus himself. He compares it to his wife's grandmother after her husband Hugh died — people avoided mentioning Hugh because it made her cry, but Brian sensed that what she really wanted was for someone to remember him. His point: there is something powerful about speaking of Jesus as if he is real, present, and worth remembering. 2) We are living through a crisis of trust Brian names trust as one of the defining problems of the present moment. In his view, trust in public life is at a lifetime low: people do not trust politicians people do not trust churches or pastors people do not know whether to trust the justice system even formerly stable sources of authority now feel suspect This loss of trust is not just political or institutional. It is personal and spiritual. People feel alone, uncertain, and abandoned. 3) Matthew wants us to know early: Jesus can be trusted Brian argues that Matthew's Gospel is intentionally anchored in trust. Before Jesus begins his public ministry in full, Matthew shows us who Jesus is and whether he can be trusted with our lives, our hearts, and our eternity. The wilderness temptation is not random. It is a revelation of Jesus' character. 4) Jesus was tempted by need — and did not abandon his mission The first temptation is hunger. After forty days of fasting, Jesus is in real physical vulnerability. Brian emphasizes that this is not symbolic discomfort; Jesus is nearing the limit of human survival. The temptation: meet your own need first. But Jesus refuses to place his hunger above his calling. Brian connects this to conflict and relationships: many people make decisions based on unmet needs, short-term relief, or self-protection. Jesus does not. He can be trusted because he will not put his need above his mission to reconcile people to God and to one another. 5) Jesus was tempted by fear — and did not let fear direct him The second temptation places Jesus in a position of danger. Brian imagines Jesus' human nervous system reacting like any other person's would: fear, survival instinct, the urge to escape. This matters because if Jesus did not really feel fear, the temptation loses its force. Brian's insight here is especially strong: Jesus can be trusted not because he never faced fear, but because fear did not move him away from his mission. He did not test God, take the shortcut to safety, or let panic govern his choices. 6) Jesus was tempted by power — and refused the shortcut Brian calls the final temptation "the one that ends all men." The devil offers Jesus power over the world, but without the cross. That is the real temptation: the crown without the cost. Brian suggests that many religious traditions major on fleshly temptations while underestimating the temptation of power. But power is the deeper danger. It is what undoes leaders, distorts motives, and creates illusions of security and control. Jesus refuses it. He will not grasp power in a way that violates God's will. That refusal reveals a kind of trustworthiness no human leader fully possesses. 7) Trust is the real currency — especially in coaching Brian brings the reflection back to coaching. No meaningful coaching happens without trust. Clients must believe: they are safe they will not be judged they will not be exposed the coach will not use their vulnerability against them And for the coach, trustworthiness begins with security. Brian's line here is central: I have to have trust in order to offer trust. Because Jesus can be trusted, Brian says, his life can become secure enough that he does not need to manipulate, protect, or elevate himself in the coaching relationship. 8) Because Jesus can be trusted, I can become someone who is trusted This is where the whole episode lands. Brian is not saying coaches become perfect or immune to temptation. He says the opposite: he knows he will often succumb to need, fear, and power. But Jesus does not. So the coach, leader, or Christian can rely on Jesus: to meet needs to steady fear to expose the illusion of power And only from that secure place can trustworthiness begin to grow. The Three Temptations Brian Names 1. Need Will Jesus put his own hunger above his mission? 2. Fear Will Jesus abandon trust when safety is threatened? 3. Power Will Jesus take the kingdom without the cross? Brian's answer to all three: No — and that is why Jesus can be trusted. Memorable Lines / Ideas "I just want to hear stories about Jesus." "Trust is at a lifetime low for me." "Jesus can be trusted not to put his needs above his mission." "Fear was not going to move his trust away from his mission." "The temptation was to rule without the cross, to take the crown without the cost." "Trust is the only real currency." "Because Jesus can be trusted, my life is secure." "I have to have trust in order to offer trust." Timestamped Highlights (based on your transcript) 0:00–1:18 Intro + Brian's desire to talk more directly about Jesus 1:18–4:56 Story of Imogene and Hugh → why remembering and naming someone matters 4:56–6:36 Trust as the core issue in coaching and counseling 6:36–9:39 Brian names the broader crisis of trust in politics, church, and public life 9:39–12:20 Matthew's Gospel and why the wilderness story matters for trust 12:20–16:24 Temptation 1: need / hunger / mission 16:24–20:58 Temptation 2: fear / danger / survival instinct 20:58–24:44 Temptation 3: power / shortcut / crown without the cross 24:44–27:18 Why trust is the real currency in faith and coaching 27:18–end Wrap-up + Brian's hope to keep telling stories about Jesus Core Theme Jesus can be trusted in the places where every other leader eventually fails: need, fear, and power. And that matters not only for faith, but for coaching, leadership, and becoming the kind of person others can trust. Links Mentioned Coach Approach Ministries: coachapproachministries.org
