Men in the Arena - Christian Men's Podcast

How God Works Before You Even Know Him - Average Joe Conversation w/ Wade Sims EP 951

9 snips

Jan 6, 2026

In a heartfelt conversation, Wade Sims, a high school woodshop teacher and football coach, shares his journey of faith, illustrating how he believes God guided his life before he even recognized it. He discusses the tension between God's sovereignty and human free will, using personal stories like choosing his college and navigating life's challenges. Wade emphasizes the importance of recognizing God's hand in our lives, encouraging listeners to actively engage with their gifts and calling while living out their faith with clarity.

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ADVICE

Make Service Your Family’s Tradition

Lead your family into gratitude through service traditions, not entitlement.
Wade recommends volunteering and shared activities like food donations and family runs.

INSIGHT

Choices That Lead To Crossroads

Wade sees many pivotal life choices in hindsight as guided toward meeting his wife and later faith.
He questions whether those choices were free or providentially arranged by God.

INSIGHT

Theology Isn’t The Final Answer

Jim frames the debate between Calvinist determinism and Wesleyan-Arminian foreknowledge without settling it.
He emphasizes love must allow choice, leaning toward Wesleyan-Arminianism.

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Has God been working in your life longer than you realize? Have you ever looked back and seen moments that felt guided—even before you knew Christ?

In this 'Average Joe' conversation, Pastor Jim Ramos sits down with high school teacher and coach, and friend, Wade Sims. Wade shares how his life seemed led from the very beginning—through opportunities, challenges, and circumstances that only made sense in hindsight.

Together, Jim and Wade unpack the tension between God's sovereignty and human responsibility, exploring how God equips men, lays the groundwork for calling, and draws us forward. Many times God's call is already placed on you, and it's your responsibility to live it out with clarity and courage.

You'll walk away with a better understanding of why theology matters, but it always leads back to Jesus.

Jim's newest book, Guardrails: Ten Boundaries for an Unbreakable Marriage will be releasing in April 2026. Sign up to be notified when it's available at https://meninthearena.org/guardrails.

This episode is sponsored by Compassion International. Our goal is for the Men in the Arena tribe to sponsor 1,000 boys over the coming year! Help us reach that goal and make a difference in a child's life today. When you sponsor a child using our link, you'll receive a free copy of Jim's book, Dialed In: Reaching Your Full Capacity as a Man of God!

We are also sponsored by MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab, a Christian-owned fitness app. This app, combined with diet, has helped Jim get in the best shape of his life! Get 6 weeks free with the code ARENA30 at MTNTOUGH.com.

Every man needs a locker room. Apply to join an exclusive brotherhood of like-minded men in The Locker Room, our monthly live Zoom Q&A call! We meet in the Locker Room once a month for community, fellowship, laughter, and to help each other find biblical answers to life's difficult questions. Locker Room members also get access to monthly exclusive leadership trainings, historically only available to the staff team at Men in the Arena. Membership is by application only. Go here to apply: https://patreon.com/themeninthearena

Get Jim Ramos' USA TODAY Bestselling book, Dialed In: Reaching Your Full Capacity as a Man of God (https://tinyurl.com/dialedinbook)