Intentional Guy

Michael Chestnut
  • 5.0 (19)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

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. 2d ago

    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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. Sep 24

    Not Yours To Fix

    Somebody you love is hurting, and everything in you wants to fix it. Say the right thing. Find the right counselor. Throw out the pills. Search the house one more time. But what if the person you have been trying to fix was never yours to fix? Wanting to help someone you love is not a sin. But somewhere along the way, love turns into control. I know it, because I have done it. Today we talk about the fixer, what it costs the people around him, and the one prayer that puts it down. The challenge this week: pick the one person you have been trying to fix and pray this. God, I am putting them back in Your hands. Show me my part. Then do your part, only your part. Putting somebody back in God's hands this week? Drop the word RELEASE in the comments so I can pray for you. Mentioned in this episode: my conversation with Steve Rotermund, A SILENT KILLER. Married to someone battling addiction? Steve built a place for you: https://partnersofaddicts.com Find a Celebrate Recovery group near you: https://crlocator.com/It is for hurts, hang-ups, and habits, and codependency is one of them. In Pensacola we meet Tuesdays at 6 PM at Momentum Church. The Intentional Guy: The Whole Story, all three on Amazon. Worn out from trying to fix somebody? Start with More Than a Picture. Still fighting your own battle? Are You Ready? is the plan. More Than a Picture: https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Picture-Restored-Free/dp/B0CCCMZHD3 Are You Ready?: https://a.co/d/02cBh6uY Exposed: https://www.amazon.com/Exposed-Secret-Divorce-Journey-Restoration/dp/B09PHJS848 Search The Intentional Guy Podcast wherever you listen. #TheIntentionalGuy #ChristianMen #CelebrateRecovery #MensMinistry #Codependency #AddictionRecovery Ep. 144

  7. Sep 23

    A Silent Killer

    Steve Rotermund built a life that looked like ministry success. Pastor. Men's ministry leader. Celebrate Recovery director at his own church. Underneath all of it, his first wife's addiction to pain medication had turned him into someone he never saw coming, a man managing chaos instead of loving his family. Fifteen minutes into his first session with a Christian counselor, the counselor stopped him cold. "You're part of the problem, too." Today we talk about codependency, the identity most churches never name from the pulpit, and how Steve found his own identity in Christ only after he stopped trying to fix everyone else's. If this hits you, find a Celebrate Recovery group near you at 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. 0:00 Cold open: "It's a silent killer" 0:51 Meet Steve Rotermund, founder of Walk Right Community 2:46 Where codependency starts: shame since the garden 4:24 Abandoned by his mother, molested at six 6:41 Called into ministry while his marriage fell apart 8:52 The doctor's question that exposed the addiction 13:01 Why you feel shame for an addiction that isn't yours 15:16 "You're part of the problem, too" 17:32 The savior: naming his own codependency 22:13 You can't put down what you can't identify 27:28 Thirteen years of managing an addict 31:38 Finding clarity and starting to disengage 34:31 Breaking up with her addiction 36:49 Why Walk Right Community exists 51:36 His book, God's Imperfect Plan Is Perfect 58:08 Where to find Steve, and a final word partnersofaddicts.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 #Codependency #AddictionRecovery #ChristianMarriage #IdentityInChrist #SpouseOfAnAddict Episode 143

  8. Sep 21 ·  Bonus

    I'm No Longer Being Adopted

    I'm No Longer Being Adopted Jason Lyle spent over a decade behind a pulpit telling other men how to walk with God. The whole time, he was living a second life inside a sex addiction that started when he was ten years old, one that eventually cost him his marriage, his job, and nearly his life. His rock bottom was a night spent planning his own suicide. What pulled him back out wasn't another program to sit through. It was learning to regulate his own nervous system through cold water, breath work, and stillness, and rebuilding a life where who he actually is finally matches what everyone sees on the outside. Today he coaches men through that same process and leads them into the wilderness to learn what he had to learn the hard way: you are not in control, and that is exactly where healing starts. This episode touches sexual addiction, infidelity, and a disclosed history of suicidal thoughts. If any part of this is where you are right now, please reach out. If you are 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 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. 1:13 Cold open: from the pulpit to the wilderness 1:51 Meet Jason Lyle 2:32 Adopted, untethered, and an addiction that started at ten 3:19 Becoming a pastor, the affair, and the night he planned his suicide 6:35 Somatic experiencing and "The Body Keeps the Score" 8:47 Michael's own story: molested as a child, hidden for decades 10:07 Cold water, breath work, and the constructs he believed about himself 14:59 Why he takes men into the wilderness 17:21 "To be still" 18:11 What to tell the man still sitting in secret 19:19 Michael's turning point: a pastor, a Wendy's, and four hours of truth 20:39 How the coaching actually works 21:55 No judgment: the guy from the SA meeting 24:04 "I'm Mike, and I'm a sexaholic" 25:05 His book, Sacred Grit 26:47 The first step is the hardest one 28:44 Closing and a final word thesacredgrit.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 #SexAddiction #PornRecovery #PastorsStruggle #NervousSystemRegulation #SuicidePrevention Bonus

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5
out of 5
19 Ratings

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Chestnut
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    154
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Michael Chestnut
  • Show Website
    Intentional Guy

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