Intentional Guy

Michael Chestnut

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.

  1. 4d ago

    Why You Fall Into the Same Sin When You're Doing Good

    Why do you fall into the same sin right when you're doing good? 30 days, 90 days, back in church, and then the same fall all over again. Michael Chestnut shares 2 true stories about temptation, relapse, and the one moment that sets a man up to fall. CHAPTERS 0:00 "It's mouthwash" 1:08 Same sin, right when you're doing better 1:57 The false positive 2:46 1 Corinthians 10:12 to 13 3:41 Back to the halfway house 4:30 2 hours later, in his driveway 5:08 I wasn't always holding the breathalyzer 5:31 The call where I couldn't say a word 6:20 3 things to take with you 7:13 The challenge I used to work at a federal halfway house, and I carried a breathalyzer. One man got a second chance most men never get. 2 weeks from going home, I pulled into his driveway. A year later, I found out I wasn't any different. This one is for the man who has been doing better and just fell again. Your progress was real. But the danger isn't only in your worst week. It's in your best one. Take the challenge at the end, then comment GUARD so I know you set yours up. SCRIPTURE 1 Corinthians 10:12 to 13 (NIV) NEED HELP RIGHT NOW? If you're fighting this by yourself, you don't have to. Find a Celebrate Recovery group near you: https://crlocator.com/ In Pensacola, we meet Tuesdays 6 to 8 PM at Momentum Church. MY BOOKS You don't write a battle plan in the middle of the battle. Are You Ready? A Practical Battle Plan for Christian Men: https://a.co/d/02cBh6uY Exposed: https://www.amazon.com/Exposed-Secret-Divorce-Journey-Restoration/dp/B09PHJS848 Try Covenant Eyes free for 30 days with promo code intentionalguy: https://victory.covenanteyes.com/register/welcome?refer_a_friend=u2868918 (website signups only). I am a Covenant Eyes affiliate, so the show may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Monthly Intentional Guy newsletter: https://intentionalguy.riverside.com/newsletter New episodes every Wednesday and Thursday. Search The Intentional Guy Podcast. #samesin #temptation #christianmen #addictionrecovery #celebraterecovery Ep. 152

  2. 5d ago

    She Hit Me at 75 MPH. I Don’t Even Know Her Name | David Booth

    Is there someone you still haven't forgiven? Not for something small. For something that took real pieces of your life. If you're trying to figure out how to forgive someone who hurt you, this one is for you. David Booth was a police officer for eighteen years, a good part of it on a motorcycle. A woman who was texting hit him from behind at 75 miles an hour. He spent three weeks in a coma, lost his career, and lost most of the use of his right hand. He'll tell you straight that he cursed her and he cursed God. Then he tells you how he forgave her, and why he never learned her name. Comment FORGIVE so I know you're here. CHAPTERS 0:00 "I don't even know the lady's name" 0:28 Is there someone you still haven't forgiven? 1:48 Eighteen years a cop, and the best job he ever had 2:53 Hit from behind at 75 5:07 Shattered pelvis, 13 fractures, a torn bladder 6:55 "Say your goodbyes" 9:02 Why she never stopped 10:51 The wreck in slow motion 11:49 "God, either make it stop or let me die" 19:24 Bedridden, and hard to be around 23:47 Two years fighting back, then the career ends 27:09 Told he may never walk. He walked in eight weeks. 28:58 Learning to breathe again 30:54 "I cursed her. I cursed God." 31:45 "We didn't save you. God did." 35:38 He never went to court 36:55 "I forgave her not for her. I forgave her for me." 43:03 A recovering Lutheran, and decades out of church 44:15 The church with motorcycle only parking 48:58 Not forgiving her only hurts him 53:06 Every excuse to climb into a bottle 56:31 Where to find The Road Taught Me CONNECT WITH DAVID His YouTube channel, The Road Taught Me: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRoadTaughtMe His site: https://www.theroadtaughtme.com/ NEED HELP RIGHT NOW? If you're in a dark place, you don't have to carry it alone. Call or text 988 any time, day or night: https://988lifeline.org Find a Celebrate Recovery group near you: https://crlocator.com/ In Pensacola, we meet Tuesdays 6 to 8 PM at Momentum Church. MY BOOKS Forgiveness is a fight. So is most of what God asks of us. That's why I wrote Are You Ready? A Practical Battle Plan for Christian Men: https://a.co/d/07RxCWAc Exposed: https://a.co/d/0bh9DFHb New episodes every Wednesday and Thursday. Search The Intentional Guy Podcast. #forgiveness #christiantestimony #christianmen Ep. 151

  3. Oct 21

    I Was Wasting My Prime. God, What Are You Calling Me To?

    Feel like you're wasting your best years at a job that doesn't matter? Trying to figure out God's calling on your life without blowing up the life you already have? David Graham was in his 20s, helping law firms get more leads, when the job wore him down so far he had to take medical leave. In that low place he asked God one question. What are you calling me to? Today David runs Five Loaves Marketing, a digital marketing agency for churches and faith-based nonprofits, and he still works full time. We talk about going down to 20 hours a week on faith, giving up the truck that had become an idol, two years of closed doors followed by the right job in three weeks, and why marketing your church is not manipulation. Comment YES so I know you're here. CHAPTERS 0:00 "What are you calling me to?" 0:32 A pull you can't explain to anybody 2:03 A free website for his home church 7:04 Medical leave and a really dark place 9:05 Saying yes at 20 hours a week 12:53 The Bronco that had to go 15:02 Becoming a slave to your finances 20:20 Two years of closed doors, then three weeks 23:10 Stop waiting on a sign 25:54 Your website is your front door 32:44 Is marketing the church manipulation? 34:25 If it's free, you are the product 41:51 What to expect from Five Loaves Marketing 46:35 Five loaves and two fish 52:58 A word for small churches SCRIPTURE Matthew 14:17 (NIV): "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. CONNECT WITH DAVID Five Loaves Marketing: https://www.fiveloavesmarketing.com/ Not sure where to start? Take his Help Me Decide quiz: https://www.fiveloavesmarketing.com/help-me-decide NEED HELP RIGHT NOW? If you're in a dark place, you don't have to carry it alone. Call or text 988 any time, day or night: https://988lifeline.org Find a Celebrate Recovery group near you: https://crlocator.com/ In Pensacola, we meet Tuesdays 6 to 8 PM at Momentum Church. MY BOOKS Saying yes to God takes more than good intentions. It takes a plan. That's what I wrote in Are You Ready? A Practical Battle Plan for Christian Men: https://a.co/d/07RxCWAc Exposed: https://a.co/d/0bh9DFHb New episodes every Wednesday and Thursday. Search The Intentional Guy Podcast. #godscalling #christianmen #christiantestimony Ep. 150

  4. Oct 14

    I Lost Two Sons. Never Once Did I Get Mad at God | Deston Rogers | Testimony #149

    In 1990, a CHP officer told Deston Rogers his 2 and a half year old son Cody and Cody's mom were gone. Days later, a paternity test said Cody's baby brother Dakota wasn't his either. Two sons, lost in one accident. 18 years later, Dakota reached out, started calling him dad, and gave Deston a son back. Then in March 2024, doing news at the same radio station, Deston heard an EMS call come over the scanner. It sounded like where Dakota worked. Today Deston, a 40 year radio veteran and host of Eagle Freedom Presents, talks about what's left standing when grief hits the same way twice. Why he got mad at the situation but never at God. What to say, and not say, to a grieving friend. And why asking for help is strength, not weakness. If you're carrying grief alone, you don't have to. Call or text 988 any time, day or night. If you've lost a child, The Compassionate Friends has local chapters and online groups. And you can find a Celebrate Recovery group near you at crlocator.com. In Pensacola, we meet Tuesdays 6 to 8 PM at Momentum Church. Search The Intentional Guy Podcast to find us wherever you listen. 0:00 Cold open: "There's been an accident" 1:00 Meet Deston Rogers, 40 years on the radio 2:48 Losing Cody and his mom in one crash 5:11 The phone call every father fears 7:27 A paternity test takes a second son 9:47 Reconnecting with Dakota after 18 years 12:09 "I have to go through this all over again" 12:35 Faith, family, and friends 13:58 Grief puts a timestamp in your brain 14:29 Dakota's battle with alcohol 17:36 Why no two men grieve the same way 19:42 Mad at the situation, never at God 22:04 When the enemy gets you alone 24:14 The ministry of presence 25:47 What a grieving man actually needs from you 27:30 The turning point: finding his purpose 32:15 Michael's own road to restoration 37:18 Finding a circle of men who won't judge you 39:50 Advice for the man in the thick of it 43:25 Asking for help is strength, not weakness 45:30 Where to find Deston https://eaglefreedompresents.com Email Deston: eaglefreedompresents@gmail.com 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org The Compassionate Friends: https://www.compassionatefriends.org Find a Celebrate Recovery group: https://crlocator.com Get my book Exposed: https://a.co/d/0bh9DFHb Get my book Are You Ready? A Practical Battle Plan for Christian Men: https://a.co/d/07RxCWAc Search "The Intentional Guy Podcast" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, or iHeartRadio Come be a guest on The Intentional Guy Podcast: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/intentionalguy #TheIntentionalGuy #ChristianMen #FaithBasedPodcast #CelebrateRecovery #MensMinistry #Grief #LossOfAChild #GriefAndFaith #ChristianGrief #BereavedParents Ep. 149

  5. Oct 8

    Am I Beyond Repair? God Is Not Done With You

    Do you feel beyond repair? If somebody told you God is done with you, or you believe your worst moment is who you are, this one is for you. God is not done with you. This is also where I tell you what this podcast is and who I make it for. If you've been listening quietly and never told a soul what you're carrying, I had you in mind the whole time. Say it out loud today: "I am not my worst moment." Then comment LIGHT so I know you're here. You don't have to tell me your story. CHAPTERS 0:00 The name I gave myself 0:29 Who this podcast is for 1:04 The man who lives in silence 1:56 When a minister says God is done with you 2:32 The church that prayed over me instead 3:07 Treasure in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7) 3:41 The blessing is in the brokenness 4:14 What believing the label cost me 4:34 The inmate who showed me Jesus 5:36 We see labels where God sees warriors 6:00 Why this show exists 6:26 3 things to take with you 6:59 The challenge: I am not my worst moment 7:31 If you need help right now SCRIPTURE 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV): "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." HEAR BRIAN'S STORY Yesterday's conversation with Brian Gray is called "Your Blessing Is Your Brokenness." Search The Intentional Guy Podcast. NEED HELP RIGHT NOW? If you are thinking about ending your life, call or text 988. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/ Find a Celebrate Recovery group near you: https://crlocator.com/ MY BOOKS Are You Ready? A Practical Battle Plan for Christian Men: https://a.co/d/02cBh6uY Exposed: A Memoir: https://www.amazon.com/Exposed-Secret-Divorce-Journey-Restoration/dp/B09PHJS848 New episodes every Wednesday and Thursday. Search The Intentional Guy Podcast. #christianmen #identityinchrist #mensministry Ep. 148

  6. Oct 7

    Your Blessing Is Your Brokenness

    Your Blessing Is Your Brokenness Brian Gray was an addict, homeless, and had a rap sheet before he ever set foot on a mission field. He grew up believing he had to fight his own battles alone, and spent decades proving himself right: alcoholism by fifteen, a marriage to a woman battling addiction, finding her bound and gagged in their apartment, five years in state custody in Hawaii, and a night he charged a man holding a shotgun and screamed for him to pull the trigger. None of it killed him. Today he's spent two decades on the mission field across three countries, runs a Christian children's home, and wrote a book built on the line at the center of this conversation: your blessing is in your brokenness. This episode is about what happens when the worst chapter of a man's life becomes the very thing God uses to build everything after it. This episode touches addiction, incarceration, domestic violence, and a moment of Brian confronting an armed man in what sounds like an attempt to be killed. If any part of this is where you are right now, please reach out. If you're in crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If this hits you in a different way, find a Celebrate Recovery group near you at http://crlocator.com. In Pensacola, we meet Tuesdays 6 to 8 PM at Momentum Church. This one ties straight into "Are You Ready? A Practical Battle Plan for Christian Men," available on Amazon. Drop your comment word below so I know you were here. Search The Intentional Guy Podcast to find us wherever you listen. 0:39 Cold open: "That's just who you are now" 1:13 Meet Brian Gray 1:56 His book: "Your blessing is in your brokenness" 2:52 Age four, a toy gun, and "go fight your own battles" 4:18 Rejected twice: his parents' divorce and his father's cult 7:10 Discovering alcohol, a full-blown alcoholic by fifteen 8:14 The drunk crash, getting kicked out, and the woman who took him in 11:57 Graduating by the skin of his teeth and joining the Marines 13:42 A Marine named Richard Stant, and reading the Gospels for the first time 17:22 Gangbusters drinking, and homeless in Rochester 18:11 Meeting Jamie, and the voice that said "go straight" 18:51 Ten years of chaos, and finding her bound and gagged 19:50 Homeless in Hawaii, and the vice squad incident 22:54 Jail as "the mercy of God" 24:20 Relapse, the shotgun, and "this is the last time" 27:14 Full circle: "this is the last time you fight your own battles" 28:41 From inmate to peer counselor 31:32 The people God planted along the way 36:05 Prison ministry, and the woman who prayed the hormones away 39:33 Marriage, Honduras, and landing in Greeneville 45:33 Writing "Rap Sheet to Resume" 47:07 What he'd tell the next Brian Gray listening 52:24 Closing and a final word http://grayhope.com Get my book Exposed: https://a.co/d/0bh9DFHb Get my book Are You Ready? A Practical Battle Plan for Christian Men: https://a.co/d/07RxCWAc Search "The Intentional Guy Podcast" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, or iHeartRadio Come be a guest on The Intentional Guy Podcast: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/intentionalguy #TheIntentionalGuy #ChristianMen #FaithBasedPodcast #CelebrateRecovery #MensMinistry #Addiction #PrisonMinistry #Missions #SecondChances #Redemption Episode 145

  7. Oct 1

    I CANCELED IT / COVENANT EYES

    When money got tight, I canceled Covenant Eyes. I told myself I was doing good and didn't need it anymore. And I'm the guy who tells every man at coffee to put it on every device he owns. In this solo episode I get honest about why I dropped it, why God convicted me, and why I signed back up. If you've ever said "I'm fine, I don't need that," this one is for you. About 3 out of 4 Christian men look at porn at least once in a while. We'll pay for Netflix and Amazon Prime without thinking twice. But we won't protect the heart we gave to our wives. Tonight, write down every device you own. Then ask yourself which ones are protected. CHAPTERS 0:00 I canceled it 0:36 Why "I'm doing good" is dangerous 2:01 Job 31:1, a covenant with my eyes 2:27 How do I tell men to have what I don't? 3:21 Write down every device 4:16 The Netflix question Get Covenant Eyes with 30 days free: https://victory.covenanteyes.com/register/welcome?refer_a_friend=u2868918 This is an affiliate link. Using it gets you 30 days free and supports The Intentional Guy. Listen to my conversation with Sam Black from Covenant Eyes: https://youtu.be/buh_C2dXVFY Grab my book, Are You Ready? A Practical Battle Plan for Christian Men: https://a.co/d/07RxCWAc Comment COVENANT below if you're making your list tonight. If this hits close to home, you don't have to do this alone. Find a Celebrate Recovery group near you at crlocator.com. In Pensacola, we meet Tuesdays 6 to 8 PM at Momentum Church. Search The Intentional Guy Podcast. #CovenantEyes #PornAddiction #ChristianMen #Accountability #TheIntentionalGuy Ep. 146

  8. Sep 30

    Why Christian Men Stay Stuck in Porn | Sam Black, Covenant Eyes.

    A man sits in church every Sunday carrying a secret. He sings the songs, shakes the pastor's hand, and believes if anyone knew, he'd be done. So he stays quiet. And the church stays quiet too. Sam Black, Director of Recovery Education at Covenant Eyes, has spent almost 20 years breaking that silence. For his book The Healing Church, he interviewed more than 70 pastors, counselors, and men who found freedom from pornography to learn what churches getting it right are actually doing. Sam and Michael Chestnut get honest about porn addiction, shame, and why so many Christian men stay stuck even when they want out. Sam shares his first exposure at 10 years old and why almost every man remembers his. They break down the addiction cycle, why willpower never lasts, how to start a recovery group at church, how porn affects your wife, the rise of AI pornography, and how Victory by Covenant Eyes protects every device. Michael also shares the day a pastor told him God was done using him, and the stranger who walked with him instead. Jesus isn't done with you. CHAPTERS 00:00 You still remember your first exposure 01:11 Why the church stays silent about porn 06:10 Why Christian men get stuck in porn addiction 19:09 How to break the porn addiction cycle 21:25 Starting a porn recovery group at church 33:07 What Barna research says about Christians and porn 36:26 The pastor who said God was done with me 41:18 How Victory by Covenant Eyes works 53:11 How porn affects your wife 55:37 AI pornography and what to do about it 1:00:41 2026 Samson Summit, October 23 to 25 RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE Victory by Covenant Eyes: https://www.covenanteyes.com/victory/ Free Covenant Eyes resources: https://www.covenanteyes.com/resources/ Strive21: https://strive21.com Samson Society: https://www.samsonsociety.com 2026 Samson Summit: https://samsonswag.squarespace.com/events/p/2026-samson-summit Want a real plan for the fight? Are You Ready? A Practical Battle Plan for Christian Men by Michael Chestnut is on Amazon. If this hits close to home, you don't have to carry it alone. Find a Celebrate Recovery group near you at crlocator.com. If you're in crisis, call or text 988. Comment KEY below if you're done keeping the key to your own cage. Follow Covenant Eyes @covenanteyes Search The Intentional Guy Podcast #CovenantEyes #PornAddiction #ChristianMen #TheHealingChurch #PornRecovery EPISODE 145

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About

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.

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