God’s Reputation vs. Yours

Dec 29, 2025

Life's pressures can reveal our true character, often leading us to hide from God. A father's race exposes moments of crisis and illustrates how men instinctively withdraw during hard times. Yet, through Biblical stories, it’s clear that God consistently draws near to us, offering comfort instead of distance. Embracing God's reputation can help break the cycle of isolation. Listeners are encouraged to practice openness, trusting in divine presence rather than succumbing to fear or shame.

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ANECDOTE

Finish Line Emergency

Jerrad recounts running a 10K with his son when a racer collapsed at the finish line. His wife, a nurse, calmly administered CPR while he realized his own chaotic response.

INSIGHT

Pressure Reveals Your True Self

Pressure exposes your true reputation and tendencies more than quiet times do. Jerrad says the 'hot water' moments reveal who you really are.

INSIGHT

First Response To Sin Is Hiding

Adam and Eve's first instinct after sin was to hide, showing human reputation is to withdraw in shame. God, conversely, immediately walks in the garden asking 'Where are you?', signaling nearness.

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If you’ve ever noticed that when life gets hard you tend to pull away from God ; numb out, isolate, distract, or try to fix everything on your own, this episode is for you.

As we head into a new year, Jerrad shares a personal story from a father-son race that turned into a moment of crisis… and how it revealed something deeply true about all of us: pressure exposes our reputation.

In this episode, we contrast our instinct to hide with God’s consistent reputation throughout Scripture; a God who keeps drawing near to broken, messy people again and again. From the garden of Eden to the life of Jesus to the promise of God’s Spirit within us, the story is clear:

When chaos hits, God doesn’t withdraw. He comes closer.

This is an invitation to stop hiding, and start trusting God’s reputation more than your instincts.

What You’ll Learn

Why crisis and hardship reveal who we really are
How shame, fear, and even success cause men to hide from God
What Scripture shows us about God’s reputation from Genesis to Revelation
Why men often turn away from God when they need Him most
A simple, embodied practice to help you turn toward God instead of numbing out
What it looks like to come out of hiding as a husband, father, and disciple

Key Takeaways

• Pressure reveals reputation.
You don’t really know what’s inside until life turns up the heat.

• Our instinct is to hide.
From fig leaves to distraction to self-reliance, men tend to pull away when things get hard.

• God’s reputation is nearness.
Again and again in Scripture, God draws closer — even in rebellion, failure, and fear.

• Healing begins with turning toward God.
Not after you fix yourself. Not after you “do better.” Right where you are.

• Strong families begin with healed men.
Men who stop hiding and learn to trust God’s presence change everything downstream.

Resources Mentioned

Sponsor: Dwell Bible App
Listen to Scripture anywhere and stay connected to God’s Word in real life
dwellbible.com/dadtired

Make a donation to support the ministry and help more men find healing.