Episodes

  • Every man is avoiding something, here’s the cost | Ft. Sebastian Y.

    Every man is avoiding something, here’s the cost | Ft. Sebastian Y.
    May 15 2026
    We ask one question to every man who sits across from us: What is the most challenging thing men are facing in society today?For Sebastian — life coach, entrepreneur, husband, and new father — the answer was sharp and immediate: Men are afraid of conflict. Not conflict in the explosive sense. Conflict in the daily sense. The conversation they won't have. The boundary they won't set. The truth they won't say out loud. And in avoiding it, men create a slow-burning disaster in their marriages, their work, their identity, and their homes.What follows is one of the most wide-ranging and practically honest conversations We Take the Stairs has ever had. Sebastian has lived every side of this — the six-figure income, the burnout, the infidelity, the spiritual emptiness, the performance-based life that looked perfect from the outside and was hollow at the core. He doesn't preach. He diagnoses. And then he offers a way through.Guest Sebastian — Life coach, entrepreneur, and new father based in South Florida. Born in Colombia and raised in a high-achieving immigrant household, Sebastian spent his twenties chasing success through self-will, manifesting, and performance — until it all collapsed and Jesus showed up. He now works daily with families navigating broken relationships, helping them see what avoiding hard conversations costs them — and how to start having them.Chapters00:00 — Welcome & The One Question: Men Are Afraid of Conflict01:30 — Why Men Can't Emotionally Regulate — and What It Costs Them05:00 — The Most Successful Men Are Often the Most Masked08:00 — Social Media, Young Men & the False Definition of Manhood14:00 — The Golden Handcuffs: Sebastian's Story Begins22:00 — When You're Your Own God: Manifesting, Burnout & Infidelity29:00 — Front Load Discomfort or Pay Later — But You Will Pay38:00 — Communication Breakdown: How Avoiding Conflict Kills Marriages46:00 — What the World Is Selling Men — and Why It Always Comes Up Empty57:00 — When Jesus Walked In: From Performance to RelationshipKey Topics CoveredMen Are Afraid of Conflict — Sebastian's core answer: men have never been properly taught to emotionally regulate, so they avoid any friction that might create discomfort. But avoiding conflict doesn't make it go away — it builds pressure until it explodes in all the wrong places.The Most Successful Men Are the Most Masked — A sharp observation from Sebastian: the men most prone to emotional armor are the highest achievers. They're hiding something beneath the drive, and their relentless pursuit of more is often a way to never look inward.Front Load Discomfort or Pay Later — One of the most practical frameworks in the episode. You will experience discomfort either way. Choose it now — the hard conversation, the honest moment, the difficult work on your heart — and it's manageable. Delay it, and it compounds into something far heavier.Sebastian's Story: The Life That Had Everything — VP title at 25. Six-figure income. Beautiful car. South Florida lifestyle. And completely burnt out, unfulfilled, and hiding behind performance. Sebastian traces how chasing the life he thought he wanted left a vacuum that nothing could fill — and what eventually filled it.When You're Your Own God — Sebastian spent years in the manifesting world — visualizing, aligning vibrations, trying to control outcomes. It worked, to a point. But it also meant he had to control everything, including the people around him. The conflict avoidance wasn't just a communication problem. It was a theology problem.Communication Is the Solution Most Men Won't Try — The dishes analogy lands hard: a man silently tallying every dish he washed, never saying a word, and then exploding after weeks of resentment. Sebastian breaks down why men don't communicate, why avoiding conflict creates the exact conflict they fear, and what actually starts to change things.The False Picture of Manhood — From Andrew Tate to Instagram fitness influencers to rented Ferraris on Miami Beach, the world is selling boys a definition of manhood that is entirely performance-based and entirely hollow. Sebastian names it plainly — and redirects to what manhood actually requires.Key Quotes"There is no space for a man to experience conflict. And because of that, it only creates more in the long run." — Sebastian"The man that's most prone to the mask is typically the most successful — because in their desire to achieve, they're hiding something." — Sebastian"Front load discomfort by choice, and you'll experience comfort sooner than you think. Front load comfort, and the discomfort comes later — at a level outside your control." — Sebastian"It's not the thing. It's the man you have to become to get the thing. That's what lasts." — Sebastian"I was chasing success and I created a vacuum in my relationship. Something came in to fill the space I had left." — Sebastian"Until men are okay, women will not ...
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    1 hr and 23 mins
  • You Are Not What You Do | Ft. Joe

    You Are Not What You Do | Ft. Joe
    May 8 2026
    We ask one question to every man who sits across from us: What is the main problem men are facing in society based on your experience and perspective?For Joe — fitness trainer, founder of the Dead Ego Club, and a man who once had his entire identity built on a music career and other people's applause — the answer was immediate: Identity. Men have become human doers instead of human beings. They hide behind their job title, their income, their performance — and in doing so, they slowly lose themselves entirely.What unfolds in this episode is one of the most raw, honest, and deeply personal conversations We Take the Stairs has ever had. Joe doesn't just name the problem. He lived it. From a homeless musician chasing stages and validation, to a man who stood in front of his mirror one morning and felt something physically break off his body — Joe's story is proof that the stripping process, as painful as it is, is exactly how God reveals who you actually are.Guest Joe — Fitness trainer, founder of the Dead Ego Club, and recently married man of faith based in South Florida. Joe built a brand around one simple but radical idea: less of me. His mission is helping men strip away false identities and discover who they actually are beneath the performance.Chapters00:00 — Welcome & The One Question: Joe's Answer Is Identity01:30 — Human Doers vs. Human Beings: Why Men Hide Behind Their Work05:00 — The Billionaire Problem: Why We Label People by Net Worth08:00 — Dead Ego Club: The Music Career That Inspired the Brand14:00 — Other People's Applause Was My Drug18:00 — What Actually Helps: The Stripping Process & Jesus24:00 — Performance-Based Love: What Society Has Always Told Men29:00 — Ecclesiastes & Rest: Chasing the Wind vs. Joy in Your Labor37:00 — Rest Is Faith — And Not Resting Is Operating in Fear45:00 — Abandonment: The Root Beneath the Identity Crisis53:00 — The Mirror Moment: Speaking Identity Over Himself01:05:00 — Rapid Fire & We TakesKey Topics CoveredHuman Doers vs. Human Beings — Joe names the core of the male identity crisis: men have traded being for doing. They define themselves by their job title, income, and output — and the world reinforces this at every turn. The first question anyone asks is what do you do, not who are you.The Dead Ego Club — Born from the wreckage of a music career built entirely on performance and external validation, Joe's brand carries one message: less of me. He explains how chasing stages, applause, and celebrity left him surrounded by people but completely alone — and how that collapse became the beginning of something real.The Stripping Process — You don't find yourself by becoming more. You find yourself by stripping away what you're not. Joe references Michelangelo's famous quote about David — I just took away everything that wasn't David — and applies it directly to identity.Performance-Based Love & What Society Tells Men — Rachael makes a sharp observation: from the beginning of time, men have been conditioned to earn love through performance. Win the war, make the money, get the promotion. If you don't perform, who are you? Joe and Jackson unpack why this cycle is so hard to break — and what it costs men in relationships.Ecclesiastes & Rest — Joe opens his Bible to Ecclesiastes before the episode and finds something that speaks directly to the issue: King Solomon had everything — wealth, wisdom, pleasure — and called it all chasing the wind. The takeaway isn't stop working. It's have joy in your labor. And rest is faith. If you can't rest, you're not trusting God. You're operating in fear.Abandonment as the Root — One of the most vulnerable moments of the episode. Joe's mother left when he was in kindergarten due to drug addiction. That early wound — the fear of abandonment — followed him into every relationship for years, showing up as anxiety, people-pleasing, and performing for love. The root wasn't the relationships. It was the little boy still crying at the door.The Mirror Moment — After hitting rock bottom in a toxic relationship cycle, Joe woke up one morning, closed his Bible, looked in the mirror, and started speaking his identity out loud. Something physically broke off. He describes it as deliverance — and it was the first moment he truly began to know who he was.Affirmations and Identity — Joe has read the same set of affirmations every single day for two years. At first it feels like lying to yourself. Eventually your mind starts to believe it as truth. Repetition creates revelation.Scriptures ReferencedEcclesiastes — All is vanity; chasing the wind; have joy in your laborPsalm 46:10 — Be still and know that I am GodProverbs 3:6 — He will make your path straightEphesians 3:20 — More than we can ask or imagineBooks Referenced 📖 How to Win Friends and Influence People — Dale Carnegie Referenced by Joe: take genuine interest in other people before talking about ...
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • Apathy Is Killing Men's Purpose

    Apathy Is Killing Men's Purpose
    May 1 2026
    Episode SummaryWe ask one question to every man who sits across from us: What is the main problem men are facing in society based on your experience and perspective?For Parker — inventor, pirate, author, and man who once stood at the edge of ending his life — the answer was immediate:Apathy. And the antidote isn't motivation, discipline, or a better morning routine. It's curiosity. A fire in a man's heart that refuses to stop asking, seeking, and pushing toward something worth finding.What unfolds is one of the most imaginative, honest, and unexpectedly moving conversations We Take the Stairs has ever had. Parker doesn't preach. He tells stories. From an Amazon jungle treasure hunt that lights up every man in the room, to a boy who couldn't read being asked by God to write a book, to a pirate ship built on the back of a truck driving across America — Parker's life is proof that when a man stops trying to captain his own ship and lets the Good Captain take over, the adventure that follows is beyond anything he could have planned.GuestParker — Inventor, dyslexic author of Pirate Parables, and creator of a nationwide treasure hunt spreading across all 50 states. Based in Nashville, Parker is on a mission to build pirate crews of people seeking spiritual wealth — one coin, one parable, and one wild adventure at a time. Follow along at Pirate Parables on YouTube.Chapters00:00 — Welcome & Parker Introduces Himself02:00 — The Amazon Treasure Hunt That Says Everything07:45 — Parker's Story: Dyslexia, Depression & the Deal He Made With God16:00 — Men Were Never Meant to Carry It All Alone26:00 — The Slash and Burn Field: When God Clears the Way37:00 — The Moonlight Parable: How to Find Someone With Light44:00 — The Spearfishing Parable: What Fasting Actually Does53:30 — God Strips Everything — Then Builds a Movement01:00:30 — Pirate Parables: The Book, the Coins & the Nationwide Treasure Hunt01:12:00 — We Takes: Don't Soften. Don't Hide. We Need Your Warrior Spirit.Key Topics CoveredApathy Is the Crisis — Parker names apathy as the root problem men face — not addiction, not fatherlessness, not performance pressure. Those are symptoms. Apathy is the disease. And its opposite isn't effort. It's curiosity.Curiosity as the Cure — Curiosity isn't just wondering. It's refusing to complain and instead asking: What do you want me to know about this, God? It leads to empathy, wisdom, and eventually the treasure that was always waiting.Parker's Story — Growing up with undiagnosed dyslexia, labeled lazy and stupid, Parker found himself suicidal at the end of college. He made a deal with God: If you're real, show up. If not, I'm done. God showed up. The adventure of a lifetime began.The Moonlight Parable — We are like the moon — made to light up the dark, but only by reflecting the sun. A person in pain is a moon with no light, surrounded by other dark moons. The answer: find someone who has light and get curious about how they got it.The Spearfishing Parable — Island people put wooden spears through fire not to destroy them, but to make the tips stronger than rock. Parker connects this to fasting and prayer — the purifying fire that sharpens a man's spirit for the mission ahead.God Strips Everything — And Builds Something Better — Parker moves to West Palm Beach with no job, no car, no girlfriend, no design career. God takes it all. Then starts filling his life with hundreds of people, worship nights, Frisbee tournaments, and baptisms in the ocean. The stripping was the point.Books & Resources Referenced📖 Pirate Parables — Parker's 100 illustrated parables wrapped in a pirate narrative and Parker's personal testimony. Find coins hidden across the country — follow clues at Pirate Parables on YouTube.Key Quotes"Apathy breeds failure in every area of life — spiritually, work-wise, relationally." — Parker"Curiosity breeds a heart of empathy. And empathy, for everything I know, is wisdom." — Parker"The coin isn't the treasure. The book isn't even the treasure. Knowing the father — that's the wealth." — Parker"The biggest lie to husbands is that they are the sole provider. That's a lie from Satan." — Parker"Don't become soft. We need your warrior spirit. Temper it. Let it be chiseled. But don't hide it." — RachaelPractical TakeawaysWhen you're stuck, stop complaining and get curious — ask God what he wants you to knowFind someone who has light and be bold enough to ask them how they got itFast and pray when you need clarity — create a distraction-free space for God to speakPrimary KeywordsChristian podcast for menmen's purpose and apathybiblical masculinity podcastChristian men finding purposemen's identity crisis faith
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • The Broken Scale Every Man Is Being Measured On | Ft. Gio Gomez

    The Broken Scale Every Man Is Being Measured On | Ft. Gio Gomez
    Apr 24 2026

    Episode Summary

    We ask one question to every man who sits across from us: What is the main problem men are facing in society based on your experience and perspective?

    For Gio — A man of faith and someone who has walked through the fire of identity confusion, addiction, broken homes, and performance-based living — the answer came immediately: Men don't understand their value and their identity.

    What follows is one of the most honest, emotionally rich conversations We Take the Stairs has ever had. Gio doesn't lecture. He testifies. From a 13-year-old boy with drugs in his pocket to a man who has learned — slowly, painfully, and by grace — what it means to walk in identity and purpose, his story is one every man needs to hear. And behind every story he tells, there's a truth the culture is actively trying to bury.

    Guest Gio — Gio has spent years serving in ministry, studying identity and value through the lens of scripture, and helping men understand that the world's scale is broken — and there's only one measure that actually matters.

    Chapters

    • 00:00 — Welcome & The One Question
    • 01:30 — Gio's Answer: Men Don't Know Their Value or Identity
    • 05:00 — Performance-Based Love — What the World Taught Men
    • 07:00 — The Strong Truck Analogy: Provider, Protector, and Redlining
    • 10:35 — You Act Like Who You Think You Are
    • 13:20 — Gio's Story: Broken Home, Christian School & the First Battle
    • 20:05 — The Worship Album That Changed Everything
    • 29:30 — Safe Places, Grace & Why Men in Ministry Fall
    • 40:30 — Financial Success Is Not the Same as Leaving a Legacy
    • 50:30 — It's Not Guys vs. Girls. It's Broken vs. Healed.

    Key Topics Covered

    • Men Don't Know Their Value or Identity — Gio's immediate answer to the one question cuts to the heart of everything: men are measuring themselves on a broken scale, and it's why they keep running hard and going nowhere.
    • Performance-Based Love — From boyhood to the battlefield, the world has told men that their worth is determined by their output. Provide. Protect. Man up. Don't cry. Gio dismantles this lie directly — and shows where it leads.
    • You Act Like Who You Think You Are — One of the most powerful moments of the episode. If you think you're worthless, you'll do worthless things. But flip the scale — show a man his value — and everything changes.
    • Gio's Personal Story — From a broken home to a Christian school, from a bag of drugs in his pocket at 13 to a Hillsong worship album playing on repeat while his parents fought, Gio's journey is raw, real, and full of God's fingerprints.
    • Safe Places and Grace — Why do men in ministry fall into affairs and addictions? Because they don't have a safe place to go when they miss the mark. Gio calls for communities built on grace, not performance.
    • Separation Before Elevation — God removes what's hurting you before he elevates you. The narrow road feels small at first — because he's clearing the path.
    • Financial Success vs. Legacy — You can be a billionaire no one has ever heard of, or a poor person who changed millions of lives. Legacy isn't about money. It's about love.
    • It's Not Guys vs. Girls — It's Broken vs. Healed — Gio reframes the entire culture war between men and women: stop pointing fingers and start asking whether you're healed or still broken.

    Scriptures Referenced

    • Ephesians 3:20 — More than you can ask or imagine
    • Matthew 7:13-14 — Enter through the narrow gate
    • John 8 — The woman caught in adultery; kindness leads to repentance
    • Romans 2:4 — His kindness leads to repentance

    Key Quotes

    "Men are trying to find their identity on a scale that is broken." — Gio

    "You act like who you think you are." — Gio

    "Separation comes before elevation." — Gio

    "The devil doesn't want you to know how powerful you are." — Gio

    "It's not guys against girls. It's broken versus healed." — Gio

    "Men are not machines." — Rachael

    Practical Takeaways

    • Talk to God like a friend — ask him to show you your value in your own words, no performance required
    • Build community where men can miss the mark and still be loved
    • Stop settling in relationships until God has shown you your own worth

    About This Series:

    Each episode, one man. One question. The answers are already revealing a pattern. If you're a man with something to say — we want to hear it.
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • What's Actually Breaking Men in Our Society? Passivity | Season 3

    What's Actually Breaking Men in Our Society? Passivity | Season 3
    Apr 17 2026
    Episode Summary We're asking one question to as many men as we can: What is the main problem men are facing in society based on your experience? Season three opens with a conversation that's been building since the very first episode. Rachael, mom of two teenage boys and host of We Take the Stairs, sits down with Jackson and guest Kenny — a man of faith, combat sports enthusiast, and someone who has made it his mission to do life with other men — to ask the question she's been circling for years: Why are men walking away? And what do we do about it? What unfolds is one of the most honest, wide-ranging conversations this show has ever had. Fatherlessness. Passivity. Identity confusion. The school system failing boys. The church failing men. Gangs as counterfeit brotherhood. And what it actually looks like to channel masculine energy toward something good. This isn't theory. These are men who've lived it. Guest Kenny — Man of faith, jiu-jitsu practitioner, and community builder based in South Florida. Kenny leads beach workouts that bring men together to do hard things, pursue Christ, and find the brotherhood that culture has failed to provide them. Key Topics Covered Why Men Keep Quitting — Kenny traces the roots of male passivity back to boyhood: participation trophies, lack of grit, absent fathers, and a generation of boys who were never told they have what it takes to finish what they started.Fatherlessness and the Question Every Boy Asks — When a father leaves, the wound isn't just practical. It's identity. Was I not enough? Was it my fault? Kenny speaks to how only one relationship can truly heal that — and it's not with an earthly father.Identity Crisis in Modern Men — From social media to Hollywood's lone wolf myth, men are being told their value comes from what they do, how much they earn, or how many women they attract. Kenny dismantles that lie: your identity comes from who God says you are, not your performance.The Bullying Conversation Nobody Wants to Have — A raw and honest discussion about what boys actually need when they're being bullied — and why a mother's instinct, however loving, can't give a son what a father's voice can. You don't want the bully to be afraid of the teacher. You want the bully to be afraid of the boy.Gangs, Military, and the Counterfeit Brotherhood — Every man craves belonging, mission, and brotherhood. Kenny explains why gangs and harmful groups fill that void when nothing better is offered — and what a genuine alternative looks like.The Church Isn't Built for Men — Kenny and Jackson name something most people won't say out loud: most American churches are set up for women. Comfortable chairs, cappuccinos, and feelings check-ins aren't going to get men through the door — or keep them there.Meekness Is Not Weakness — One of the most powerful moments of the episode. Kenny breaks down the Greek military origin of the word meek — a wild horse trained to be a war horse, power under authority — and reframes what the Sermon on the Mount is actually calling men to be.What a Men's Group Actually Looks Like — Beach workouts. Weighted vest carries. Hikes. Prayer. A word from scripture. And then — after men have done something hard together — the real conversations happen. Kenny and Jackson describe what community built for men actually requires.Boys in the Education System — Rachael brings her experience as a school parent: boys are being told to sit down, shut up, and conform. Testosterone surges, physical energy, and competitive instincts are being diagnosed and medicated instead of channeled. The system isn't built for them. Scriptures Referenced Jeremiah 1 — Called by name, set apart before birth, given identity and purposeMatthew 5:5 — "Blessed are the meek" — meekness as power under authority, not weaknessGenesis 2:18 — It is not good for man to be aloneIsaiah 60/61 — Called to set the captives freePhilippians — Paul's correction with love, received with grace Books Referenced Wild at Heart — John Eldredge Kenny's go-to on masculine identity, the heart of a boy, and what men are truly made for. The bullying scene with Eldredge and his son is referenced directly. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe — C.S. Lewis "Safe? Who said anything about safe? But he is good." The beaver's response to Susan becomes a lens for understanding God's call on men's lives. Key Quotes "Masculinity bestows masculinity. You can't get it from a woman. You can't get it from your mom." — Kenny "The enemy always offers a counterfeit to God's design. Gangs are a counterfeit of what the family of God should look like." — Kenny "A fire out of control destroys. A fire too weak leaves people cold and starving. But a fire under control provides warmth, light, and food." — Kenny "Women connect face to face. Men connect side by side — doing something together." — Jackson "Don't tell me everything. Just — let's go." — Jackson ...
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • The 3 Things Killing Your Potential as A Man: Pride, Procrastination, and Lust | Season 3

    The 3 Things Killing Your Potential as A Man: Pride, Procrastination, and Lust | Season 3
    Apr 10 2026
    Episode Summary We're asking one question to as many men as we can: What is the main problem men are facing in society based on your experience? In our first episode, hosts Jackson and Rachael sit down with Jeremy — South Florida filmmaker, entrepreneur, and man of faith — and his answer cuts straight to the bone: pride, procrastination, and lust. What follows is one of the most honest conversations you'll hear a man have on camera. This isn't a shame spiral. It's a roadmap. Guest Jeremy — Filmmaker and owner of a production company serving luxury resorts and hotels, documentary storyteller, and founder of the nonprofit Rock Jar, inspired by the Israelites' practice of building stone altars to remember God's faithfulness. Currently engaged and living in South Florida. (@Seasidemedia on instagram ) Key Topics Covered Lust & Pornography Addiction — Jeremy opens up about how pride fed his struggle with lust and objectifying women, and how God transformed his perspective — learning to see women as the Father's daughters rather than objects for his own gratification.The Damage Porn Does in Relationships — Rachael shares her firsthand experience being in a relationship with someone deep in pornography addiction, describing the invisible but devastating toll it takes on a woman's sense of worth, attractiveness, and visibility. "You know when they look right through you. You're wallpaper."Women's Accountability in Modesty — A candid, balanced discussion about cultural norms around clothing, the tension between freedom and conviction, and the encouragement for women to seek the Holy Spirit's guidance rather than respond to external pressure.Why Discipline Alone Fails — Drawing from Colossians 2:20–23, Jackson challenges the idea that accountability systems and self-imposed rules can defeat deep-rooted sin. Willpower has an expiration date. The real answer is surrender, not strain.Passivity & Procrastination in Men — Jeremy reframes procrastination as passivity — a failure to show up, follow through, and lead. The parable of the talents and Proverbs' image of the ant are both referenced. Men were made to move.The Power of Male Community — All three speakers agree: isolation is a tool of the enemy. Men need other men — a pack, a mentor, a group with shared purpose. Not to confess failure in discouraging cycles, but to pursue Christ together with eyes forward.Morning Prayer as a Starting Point — A practical, low-barrier encouragement: five minutes in the morning, phone down, no music. Just "Hey God, I'm here. What do you want?" That's enough to begin.Biblical Submission Reframed — Jeremy closes with a clarification on the husband-as-head-of-household passage: both spouses submit toward each other and toward Christ — mutual, inward, love-driven. Not one person lording over another. Scriptures Referenced 1 Corinthians 6 — Sexual sin as sin against your own bodyColossians 2:20–23 — Disciplines have no power against the indulgence of fleshMatthew 6:33 — "Seek first the kingdom of God…"Proverbs 18:1 — He who isolates himself seeks his own desireSong of Solomon — The bridegroom and bride as a picture of Christ and the churchThe Parable of the Talents — Risk, passivity, and multiplying what you're givenPsalm 46:10 — "Be still and know" Book Recommended Abiding in Christ — Andrew Murray A 31-day devotional on living in moment-by-moment communion with Christ. Jeremy credits it as transformational for both his walk and his freedom from addiction. Take as many days per entry as you need. That's the point. Key Quotes "What you set your eyes on — that is where you're going to go." — Jeremy "Your disciplines can get you by, but you're still wrestling with the original sin." — Jackson "I love this more than you, Lord. He's not going to be upset when you say that." — Jeremy "Men need men. No one person can be everything." — Rachael Practical Takeaways Remove yourself from situations where you've fallen before — change the environmentBe honest with God about loving the sin, not just performing repentanceFind a group pursuing Christ together, not just managing failureStart with five minutes of quiet in the morning before the phone comes outGet a mentor — someone older who has walked it About This Series Each episode, one man. One question. The answers are already revealing a pattern. If you're a man with something to say — we want to hear it.
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Shot and Paralyzed at 22 — Then He Found God | Pablo's Story | Season 3

    Shot and Paralyzed at 22 — Then He Found God | Pablo's Story | Season 3
    Apr 3 2026

    Episode Description

    What do you feel in the moment someone shoots you? For Pablo, it wasn't fear or rage — it was love and understanding. In this raw, unfiltered episode of Let's Break Bread, Rachel and Jackson sit down with Pablo, a young man whose life was shattered — and rebuilt — in ways he never could have planned.
    Paralyzed from the chest down at 22 after being shot by someone he was trying to help, Pablo shares a journey that spans rebellion, estrangement, the cannabis industry, Colombia, psychosis, and an unexpected encounter with the Holy Spirit that changed everything.
    Told through the lens of the Prodigal Son, this is a story about identity, purpose, forgiveness, grace — and why God sometimes doesn't meet you halfway. He comes all the way to you.


    Timestamps

    00:00 — Welcome & the Prodigal Son framework
    02:04 — Pablo's story: Colombia, rebellion, and coming home
    03:48 — Meeting a friend in need and the cannabis industry
    05:30 — When helping someone becomes dangerous
    07:00 — Shot nine times. Paralyzed from the chest down.
    07:55 — What Pablo felt in that moment (you won't expect this)
    09:46 — The phone call to his mom and what it meant
    12:16 — Sleep deprivation, psychosis, and understanding the shooter
    13:27 — Pablo's spiritual awakening four months ago
    15:30 — Grace: from Windows 98 to AI
    17:07 — Tony Robbins, a hospital bed, and the word "grace"
    18:48 — Jackson explains the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
    20:51 — The hospital, the fire department, and "Mom, this is big"
    23:02 — Ephesians 3:16–19: the scripture that came at 3:30am
    24:13 — Your gift of discernment: how to steward it
    26:20 — Advice for mothers of prodigal sons
    29:30 — What Pablo would say to young men today
    31:42 — Fear vs. love: which is the better motivator for obedience?
    34:11 — The small pebbles are harder than the boulders
    37:09 — Identities Pablo had to release: money, status, body
    41:21 — Jim Carrey, Solomon, and the void only God can fill
    50:34 — What would you tell someone heading away from God?
    51:42 — What's next for Pablo?
    56:10 — Jeremiah 1 & a prophetic declaration over Pablo's life
    59:05 — The Chosen, Little James, and Pablo's wheelchair as a superpower
    01:03:30 — Mat carriers: who's lowering you through the roof?
    01:05:09 — We Takes & closing words


    Key Quotes

    "The only thing I felt when he shot me was love and understanding. I knew it wasn't him." — Pablo

    "Fear of God is not hell-avoidance. It's understanding that the worst possible thing is to be separated from Him." — Jackson

    "Most of the prisons we live in exist in our own minds." — Rachel

    "Fear nothing else but God. As long as that's at the center, you'll be okay." — Pablo

    "Your hands, your work, your voice, your story — that is your worship." — Jackson

    "Through suffering, we come to terms with the truth of who we truly are." — Rachel


    SEO Tags

    faith testimony, prodigal son story, paralyzed man finds God, Christian podcast, spinal cord injury faith, Holy Spirit baptism, grace meaning Christianity, forgiveness after trauma, young men and God, spiritual awakening story, let's break bread podcast, real talk faith, men's Christian podcast, finding purpose after tragedy, Pablo testimony, Jackson and Rachel podcast, mat carriers Bible, Jeremiah 1:5, Ephesians 3 16, fear of God vs love of God, The Chosen paraplegic scene, identity in Christ, sleep deprivation psychosis, prodigal son modern story

    Connect & Share

    If this episode moved you, share it with someone who's walking away from God, someone rebuilding their identity, or a mom who hasn't stopped praying for her son.
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Why Men Go Quiet and Women Get Louder | Season 2

    Why Men Go Quiet and Women Get Louder | Season 2
    Mar 27 2026

    In this episode of We Take the Stairs, the conversation gets real about something almost everyone has experienced — but few know how to fix:

    The breakdown of communication between men and women.

    Why is it that when things get hard…
    men tend to go quiet —
    and women feel like they have to get louder just to be heard?

    This episode unpacks the emotional and psychological patterns behind that disconnect, revealing how both men and women are often reacting to the same core need:

    to feel understood, respected, and safe.


    Together, the group explores:

    Why men shut down instead of opening up
    Why women escalate when they don’t feel heard
    The difference between feeling respected vs feeling loved
    How small communication habits create major relationship gaps
    Why men often try to “fix” problems instead of listening
    How women can feel unseen even when men are trying
    The role of tone, timing, and emotional awareness in conversations


    Through real stories and honest reflection, this episode highlights a powerful truth:

    Most relationship conflict isn’t about the issue — it’s about how we communicate through it.
    And if we don’t learn to understand each other’s language…
    we slowly start to lose each other.

    Episode Chapters

    00:00 – Welcome & Episode Setup
    02:00 – The Core Problem: Communication Breakdown
    05:00 – Why Men Go Quiet
    09:00 – Why Women Get Louder
    13:00 – Feeling Heard vs Feeling Respected
    17:00 – The “Fix It” vs “Feel It” Dynamic
    22:00 – How Miscommunication Builds Resentment
    27:00 – Emotional Triggers in Relationships
    32:00 – Real-Life Examples of Communication Fails
    38:00 – Tone, Timing & Delivery Matter
    43:00 – Learning Each Other’s Communication Style
    49:00 – Creating Emotional Safety
    54:00 – Final We Takes: How to Do It Better


    Key Takeaways

    Men often shut down when they feel disrespected or overwhelmed
    Women often escalate when they feel unheard or unsupported
    Most arguments aren’t about the topic — they’re about delivery and emotion
    Understanding your partner’s communication style is essential
    Healthy communication requires intentional effort from both sides


    SEO Keywords

    relationship communication problems, why men shut down, why women get emotional, communication in relationships, men vs women communication styles, emotional safety in relationships, relationship advice podcast, We Take the Stairs
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    1 hr and 1 min