Brave Men Podcast with Paul Louis Cole

Pierre du Plessis speaks with the wondrous expectations of an explorer as he talks about the adventurous life of following Jesus. This captivating conversation with our good friend Pierre will fill your heart with hope and courage and wisdom. It truly is about ‘the better life’! Pierre and his brilliant wife Marlize moved from Johannesburg, South Africa to Rochester, New York in 1999 to plant a remarkable church - The Father’s House. A multi-cultural, multi-generational, multi-site church ... it is also multi-creative. His talented children Chloe and Caleb are involved at The Father’s House as ministry entrepreneurs. Pierre is passionate about mentoring & equipping leaders, engaging all generations and encouraging people to experience God. He is a vivid story-teller and energizes people with an infectious spirit of hope and joy. Funny, creative, passionate about Jesus, Pierre is the leading edge of what the Church is doing around the world to redeem culture.

Former Navy rescue swimmer and veteran climber Brian Dickinson was roughly 1,000 feet from the summit of Mount Everest – also known as the ‘death zone’ – when his guide became ill and had to turn back. Brian kept going and summitted solo, a rare feat – but, then went snow blind. He’s about to die. Alone and blind on the top of Everest is one of the most compelling stories in history … and one of the most amazing testimonies to ever be on Brave Men. What happened next was a miracle. Brian says it was the hand of God that sustained him. Low on oxygen, blind, fatigued - relying on his Navy survival training, gut instinct and the presence of the Lord Brian began the deadly descent off Everest – with no one there to help. The book recounting his extraordinary adventure is a global best seller, “Blind Descent”. Considered one of the most dangerous feats ever accomplished in the annals of mountaineering this is a conversation you must share with others. You will be inspired, invigorated and filled with the courage to go after the ‘Everest’ in your life. This powerful conversation between Paul Cole, the President of Christian Men’s Network, and Brian Dickinson demonstrates that no matter how imposing our circumstances or obstacles – there is no challenge too big for God.

Javon Ruff is the Campus Pastor of Free Chapel Spartanburg and has been a pastor to men for almost 20 years. He has served at Free Chapel for the past 18 years collectively at the Georgia campus, the Orange County campus (10 years), and currently the Spartanburg campus under the leadership of Senior Pastor Jentezen Franklin. Javon hits us with a great concept today on Brave Men. That Jesus shows up in unexpected places and uses unexpected men. He is a great friend of CMN and speaks into the core of this ministry to men. His powerful word and dynamic presentation has inspired thousands of men around the world. Javon has a deep passion to help others discover their purpose, develop their leadership qualities, and a desire to see lives changed and generations impacted by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Javon is married to the brilliant Shana Ruff. Shana is a Licensed Counselor and has her Masters Degree in Counseling. Together, they work hard to see people healthy and whole spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically. They have been married for 18 years and have two children, Sydni and Jacob.

Paul and Judi Cole open up and get real in a special Mother's Day edition of Brave Men. From humor to tears and everything in between Paul interviews Judi on motherhood and marriage and staying married. This is experience, faith, joy, grit and fifty years of marriage out in the open. Paul is President of the Christian Men's Network and the Global Fatherhood Initiative. Judi is an artist, designer and vocalist. Paul is one of the world’s leading experts on men’s issues, character maturity and personal life expansion, the restoration of families and rescuing children trapped in abuse and neglect. His work as an award winning journalist, media producer/writer has taken him from the inside of firefights in Middle Eastern wars to perilous revolutions deep in the jungles of Central America. His current work with CMN and GFI is active in over 130 nations. Paul and Judi are parents of three remarkable children who all work in strategic areas of local church ministry. Lindsay is married to Niles Holsinger and they have four children, Reese, Cameron, Dylan and Audrey. Niles is a Campus Pastor for Gateway Church, Southlake. Brandon and Meredith Cole have two children, Cason and Greyson. They pastor C3 Church Fort Worth. Bryce Cole was married to Sarah Elizabeth Cole who went to be with the Lord in October, 2018. He had three step-children William, Jude and Eliot. Bryce is music minister for Cross Timbers Church, Argyle.

This will change your thinking. About poverty, about success, about generational legacy and most important will cause us to become our 'brother's keeper'. Ruby Payne gets real about the forces that are tearing apart the fabric of the family - and gives you real world solutions. Dr. Ruby K. Payne is the author of Emotional Poverty and A Framework for Understanding Poverty, which has sold more than 1.8 million copies.  She is one of the world's leading authorities on sustainable communities, social services, personal wholeness and solutions that make the world a better place. She has spoken to more than a million educators and has given more than 4,000 speeches and presentations around the world.  Ruby resides in Texas and is the founder of the highly regarded global organization aha! Process. Grab something to take notes, open your heart and mind - and become better. This will do it.

Brandon Cole leads us into a look at Jesus as perhaps we've never experienced before. An exhilarating journey with a pastor in love with Jesus. Brandon is a pastor, author, graphic designer and producer. With his wife Meredith they pastor C3 Church in Fort Worth, Texas. Brandon is considered a brilliant navigator of the gospel and master story-teller of the truths of God's kingdom.  In this Brave Men podcast you'll meet the future of the global church - a young pastor carrying a legacy for truth and a passion for Jesus. The grandson of noted author Ed Cole and the grandson of CMN President Paul Cole, Brandon is not only carrying a legacy but carving a new path of what the church looks like for the next generation. Brandon's heartbeat is to take the gospel to his city - Jesus on every street and in every heart. He says, "Jesus doesn't point us to a teaching or an idea, he points us to himself. He tells us that He is the "resurrection and the life" and Paul tells us that "there is no other name by which men will be saved".

Dr. Robert Barriger and his wife Karyn pastor one of the most significant churches in Latin America, Camino de Vida in Lima, Peru. His global ministry to pastors and churches have taken him across Peru and across the nations establishing Pastor Barriger as a pastor to pastors. His writings and training have helped hundreds of churches grow, impact their community and build healthy families. He is considered one of the foremost teachers on John's book, the last book in the bible - Revelation. Here is an eye-opening myth shattering conversation on the hope God brings to us from the book of Revelation - the full title giving away the secret of it - The Revelation of Jesus Christ. What do all the signs mean? Is this a book of judgement? Is the world on the edge of destruction? Real answers give us real hope and it's one of the most intriguing, enlarging and encouraging conversations you will ever hear. One of the most powerful marks of the church Robert and Karyn pastor in Lima is the community and national outreaches they undertake. During the most recent Covid-19 lockdowns Camino de Vida fed over 300,000 people and helped hundreds recover their health. Thousands of physically challenged poor have been given wheel chairs. Hundreds of churches across South America are directly impacted every month by the pastoral and volunteer training that comes from Camino de Vida. This is a high impact, high touch church and mission outreach. Dr. Barriger serves on the Board of Christian Men's Network and heads up the large men's movement in Latin America called Red de Hombres.

Today on Brave Men one of America’s eminent storytellers, best-selling author Charles Martin, jumps into the middle of the story of Jesus and his disciples. From his acclaimed book, They Turned The World Upside Down: A Storyteller’s Journey With Those Who Dared To Follow Jesus, host Paul Cole and Charles walk through the dusty roads of the early church bringing to life the struggles, triumphs and challenges of carrying the message of Jesus to the world. In the first century, a believer didn’t just mean someone who heard and agreed with Jesus; it meant someone who acted on that belief. And when the outside world saw the faith of these new believers, they declared “they turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). This is a picture of brave men. Charles Martin is a New York Times best-selling author of fifteen novels: They Turned The World Upside Down: A Storyteller’s Journey With Those Who Dared To Follow Jesus, The Water Keeper, What If It's True?: A Storyteller’s Journey with Jesus, and The Mountain Between Us, to name a few. The Mountain Between Us was made into a major motion picture by 20th Century Fox starring Kate Winslet and Idris Elba. Charles currently lives in Jacksonville, Florida with his wife and three boys. He spends his free time bow hunting, working out and doing Tae Kwon Do.

Meeting up with our friend Dr. Mark Chironna is one of life’s great treasures. His love of life, joy filled heart and keen insight into the Word of God will enlarge your life, empower your heart and equip your hands for battle. Mark has been in the people-helping business for more than four decades. With a media presence spanning almost 175 nations, his message of wholeness through the integration of the spiritual and psychological is heard across the globe. He has a father’s heart for emerging generations and serves as the Presiding Bishop of Legacy Edge Alliance, a worldwide fellowship of senior apostolic leaders and churches. On Brave Men today we talk about Jesus, Easter, “it is finished”, restoration and the power of God resident in his son Jesus the Christ. This is one of those conversations you will want to share, take notes and listen to a second time. It’s packed with life, faith, power, grit and the pathway to a resilient life. Mark is a frequent speaker for the Christian Men’s Network and a staunch ally. Dr. Chironna has multiple advanced degrees in theology, semiotics and psychology and is regarded by many as one of the world’s leading statesman for the Gospel. He is the founder and senior pastor of Church on the Living Edge in Orlando, Florida. He and his remarkable wife Ruth have two adult sons and three grandchildren.

Darryl Strawberry is a man who has lived the highs and lows of immense talent and intense despair. He is described by many experts as a baseball legend and by others as a man who lost it all. Today you’ll meet a humble man who honestly and candidly shares his remarkable journey from the gates of hell to the hope of Jesus Christ. From the accolades of the world to the healing love of a wife … who wouldn’t give up. His many accomplishments in major league baseball include four World Series titles, eight All-Star Game appearances, and a nomination to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004. He has earned the legendary nicknames and phrases of one of the most feared homerun hitters in the game of baseball: Straw’s Sweet Swing, Strawberry’s Field Forever, and The Legendary Straw Man! Though Darryl was extremely successful in his career, his personal life was plagued with addictions, abuse, divorces, cancer, jail time, and other issues. Darryl finally found true redemption and restoration in Jesus Christ. Today on BraveMen you’ll hear Darryl’s full amazing story. And his purpose and passion of serving the Lord Jesus Christ by serving others. In 2011 Darryl and his wife Tracy founded Strawberry Ministries, a platform and global reach they use to help restore the lives of thousands of people every year.