Three Percent

What does it mean to live with a faith that feels real in the middle of life’s messiness? This week we sit down with pastor, father of five, and director of discipleship at Pillar Media, Chad Mondragon. Chad shares about his family story, his journey through church ministry into media, and the launch of The Jesus Table—a platform designed to meet people where they are with honest discipleship.Together we talk about:Why the bravest thing men can do is take the risk of vulnerabilityHow the epidemic of loneliness is shaping faith and masculinity todayWhat real connection looks like at home, at church, and with friendsThe role of questions, doubts, and honesty in a faith that feels realWhy family dinners, small groups, and even workouts can be places of healingChad reminds us that courage in manhood isn’t just scaling mountains—it’s opening up to safe people, risking vulnerability, and discovering that we’re more deeply loved than we fear.Links & Resources Mentioned:Chad’s work: thejesustable.comFollow The Jesus Table on InstagramFathered by God by John EldredgeChapters (00:00) – Introducing Chad Mondragon (04:00) – Family, youth ministry, and the value of dinner table conversations (13:00) – From planting churches to discipleship in media (20:00) – The loneliness epidemic & men’s need for connection(27:00) – Faith that feels real: questions, doubts, and vulnerability (39:00) – Risking love through honesty (54:00) – The Jesus Table projectKeywords:Chad Mondragon, The Jesus Table, loneliness epidemic, faith that feels real, vulnerability, holistic masculinity, discipleship, family, John Eldredge, Fathered by God, men’s ministry, F3, connection, Pillar Media

In this episode, Blake and Jamie share a simple but powerful framework for engaging your emotions: Pause, Pray, Process, Express. Building on last week’s conversation about suicide prevention and the dangers of bottling up emotions, they offer a practical, grace-filled tool to help you slow down, connect with what you’re really feeling, and bring those needs into safe relationships. Through honest stories about marriage, parenting, and friendship, they show how emotional awareness isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress.Learn more about Three Percent:🌐 https://www.threepercentco.com📸 Instagram – @threepercentcoDownload the free Pause, Pray, Process, Express guide on our website.TakeawaysMost men bottle up, blow up, or numb out instead of engaging emotions.Neural pathways (the “slip and slides”) can be retrained with new practices.Pause: Slow your nervous system and notice what you’re feeling in your body.Pray: Invite God into your emotions without bypassing them.Process: Journal, talk it out, or seek safe co-regulation.Express: Share your inner world in ways that build connection and, when needed, set boundaries.Progress, not perfection, is the goal.Chapters(00:00) Why Engaging Emotions Matters(03:00) Bottling, Blowing Up, and Numbing Out(06:00) Stories from Parenting and Marriage(10:00) Why We Need to Create New Neural Pathways(14:00) Step 1: Pause – Slowing Your Nervous System(20:00) Step 2: Pray – Inviting God Without Bypassing(24:00) Step 3: Process – Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation(32:00) Step 4: Express – Sharing Your Inner World Safely(37:00) Movement, Boundaries, and Nonlinear Growth(40:00) Small Steps: Progress Over Perfection(43:00) How to Download the Free GuideKeywordsThree Percent, emotions, emotional health, men’s mental health, suicide prevention, emotional awareness, pause pray process, nervous system regulation, prayer, journaling, co-regulation, vulnerability, marriage, parenting, friendship, boundaries, holistic masculinity, therapy tools, emotional literacy, emotional connection, resilience, spiritual formation, healing practices

If you or someone you love is struggling, call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You are not alone.In honor of Suicide Prevention Month, Blake and Jamie open a tender and courageous conversation about suicide, loneliness, and hope. Blake shares the story of his own suicide attempt as a 17-year-old—the pain, shame, and family struggles that led him there, and the long journey of healing that followed. Together, they discuss the epidemic of loneliness among men, the need for emotional language and safe connection, and the importance of creating spaces where honesty can be met with care instead of shame. This episode is a raw invitation to remember that every life has value and that healing begins with being known.Learn more about Three Percent: 🌐 www.threepercentco.com 📸 Instagram – @threepercentcoTakeawaysSuicide prevention starts long before a crisis—it begins with connection, empathy, and emotional language.Men die by suicide 3.5 times more often than women, often linked to isolation and loneliness.Behind anger, addiction, or performance often lies pain and fear that need to be named.Sharing your “3%” with safe people creates connection that can hold chaos.Compassion for your younger self is a vital part of healing.You are worth the effort it takes to reach out for help.Chapters(00:00) Why This Episode Matters – Suicide Prevention Month(03:00) Blake’s Story: A 17-Year-Old Carrying Too Much(08:00) Shame, Family Pressure, and Coping Through Numbing(12:00) The Night of the Attempt(18:00) What Loneliness Does to the Soul(23:00) Hiding, Shame, and the Story Everyone Believed(28:00) Why Suicide Prevention Starts at Birth(32:00) The Epidemic of Loneliness in Men(36:00) Connection Doesn’t Erase Pain—but Holds It(40:00) A Letter to My 17-Year-Old Self(46:00) Practical Next Steps & Resources for ListenersKeywordsThree Percent, suicide prevention, suicide awareness month, Blake Roberts, depression, shame, loneliness, healing, mental health, men’s mental health, holistic masculinity, trauma, addiction, recovery, vulnerability, faith and mental health, emotional literacy, crisis resources, therapy, compassion, identity, being known, resilience, self-compassion, healing journey

Blake and Jamie celebrate six months of their journey, reflecting on themes of masculinity, emotional vulnerability, and faith. They share insights about the importance of community and friendship in healing. The duo expresses gratitude for their global audience and highlights memorable moments that shaped their dialogue. With excitement for upcoming guests tackling mental health and fatherhood, they encourage honest connections. As they look forward to the future, they invite listeners to engage and share their stories.

In this soulful and deeply human conversation, author, speaker, and coach Justin McRoberts joins us to explore the sacred tension between calling and rest, ambition and surrender. With humor, honesty, and theological insight, Justin shares the spiritual and emotional journey behind his book In the Low. We discuss fatherhood, friendship, control, and what it means to hold both grief and joy with open hands. If you’ve ever wrestled with doing enough or being enough, this episode is an invitation back to groundedness, belovedness, and the long road of faithful presence.Check out more of Justin McRoberts: 🌐 Website – www.justinmcroberts.com 📸 Instagram – @justinmcroberts 📚 Book – In The LowLearn more about Three Percent: 🌐 www.threepercentco.comTakeawaysYour “calling” doesn’t have to be heavy—it can be playful and sacred.Ambition without rest leads to burnout and bitterness.Slowing down often feels like failure in a productivity-obsessed world.God’s invitation is not just to work for Him, but to be with Him.Real rest means learning to release control.Friendships that hold both celebration and grief are vital to resilience.There is no sacred calling without sacred rest.Chapters00:00 Welcome & Meet Justin McRoberts03:30 What Is In The Low All About?06:00 Ambition, Surrender, and the Space Between10:20 Calling as a Form of Relationship13:40 Relearning the Pace of Love and Grace16:00 Burnout, Shame, and Being "Too Much"19:30 Parenting, Grief, and the Myth of Control24:00 What He Learned From Deep Friendships28:00 Masculinity and the Pressure to Perform31:00 God’s Invitation to Rest and Trust35:00 Questions That Help You Stay Human39:00 Where to Find Justin OnlineKeywordsJustin McRoberts, Three Percent, Sacred Strides, calling, rest, surrender, ambition, masculinity, Christian leadership, burnout, spiritual formation, work-life balance, grief, friendship, control, parenting, vulnerability, emotional health, faith and productivity, theological reflection, presence, fatherhood, resilience, healing, belovedness, performance pressure, letting go

Rachel Clinton Chen, a therapist and trauma practitioner, dives deep into the realities of trauma and healing. She discusses how trauma isn’t just about the events we endure but also the weight we carry alone. Rachel unpacks the high cost of integrity in spiritually abusive environments and emphasizes that grief can be the starting point for hope. She urges listeners to acknowledge their truth and understand the body as both a vessel of pain and a site for redemption. Her insights blend honesty and compassion, making the conversation a powerful call to embrace vulnerability.

In a heartfelt conversation, the hosts dive into the transformative power of personal change. They share their own battles with addiction and emotional numbness, emphasizing that true healing comes from within. The importance of self-compassion, empathy, and understanding motivations for change take center stage. They challenge the notion that we are defined by our struggles and highlight the value of community support. This candid exploration serves as a reminder that the journey toward healing is ongoing, yet wholly worthwhile.

In this episode, we welcome therapist, writer, and podcast host Blake Blankenbecler into a powerful conversation about emotional language, body awareness, and the harm of emotional outsourcing. Blake unpacks why many men struggle to name their inner world and what it takes to reclaim curiosity, tenderness, and truth. Together, we talk about the nervous system, faith deconstruction, co-regulation, and why presence is the most healing thing we offer one another. This episode will meet you where you are and gently invite you further in.Takeaways“If I can’t be with it, I can’t heal it.” Naming precedes healing.Outsourcing your emotions to others is common—but it can become harmful.Co-regulation is foundational to emotional safety in relationships.Curiosity helps us approach our pain instead of controlling it.The nervous system needs safety to tell the truth.You can’t think your way into healing—your body has to believe it too.Presence is the most healing gift we can offer in a hurting world.Emotionally safe men are formed, not found.Check out more of Blake Blankenbecler: 🌐 Website – ⁠blakeblankenbecler.com ⁠📸 Instagram –⁠ @blakeblankenbecler⁠ The Friendship Deck: ⁠thefriendshipdeck.com⁠Learn more about Three Percent: 🌐⁠ www.threepercentco.comChapters(00:00) Meet Blake Blankenbecler – Therapist(03:00) Language for the Inner Life(06:00) What is Emotional Outsourcing?(10:00) The Power of Co-Regulation(14:00) Why Men Struggle to Name Emotions(18:00) Body-Based Healing and the Nervous System(22:00) From Christian Duty to Emotional Honesty(26:00) How Curiosity Changes the Healing Process(30:00) Practicing Emotional Responsibility(33:00) The Lie of Being Too Much(36:00) Faith, Attachment, and Embodied Safety(41:00) Relationships as the Place of Repair(45:00) Where to Find Blake OnlineKeywordsBlake Blankenbecler, Three Percent, emotional health, holistic masculinity, co-regulation, emotional outsourcing, nervous system healing, trauma recovery, therapy, men’s emotions, inner work, Christian deconstruction, embodiment, faith and healing, presence, emotional literacy, emotional responsibility, relationships, healing through connection, curiosity, somatic healing, mental health, attachment, tenderness, emotional safety

In this episode, hosts Blake and Jamie dive into the emotional lives of men—what we feel, what we’ve been taught to suppress, and what it might look like to live more honestly. They explore how fear, shame, and sadness often hide beneath anger, and why many men are disconnected from their bodies, relationships, and even themselves. From childhood messages to faith, parenting, and emotional repair, this conversation is vulnerable, practical, and full of grace. Whether you’re just beginning to name your emotions or walking others through healing, this episode offers language, insight, and permission to feel.TakeawaysAnger is often the visible emotion masking fear, shame, or sadness.Most men are taught to intellectualize or avoid emotions entirely.Emotional fluency begins with naming what’s actually happening inside.We often fear our emotions will make us weak—but vulnerability leads to strength.The body holds emotional wisdom many of us were never taught to trust.Emotional repair is possible in relationships when we lead with honesty.Faith, theology, and masculinity all shape how we relate to our emotions.Safety and curiosity are the prerequisites for emotional healing.ResourcesChip Dodd Emotions Chart: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/62e2d6c397d6ff1fd356ed8f/t/632cbee0b6a9703239cd018f/1725475063690/8+Feelings.pdf Learn more about Three Percent: 🌐⁠ www.threepercentco.com⁠ 📸 Instagram –⁠ @threepercentcoChapters(00:00) Welcome to the Emotions Episode(03:00) Why Talk About Emotions?(06:00) Men and the Fear of Feeling(09:00) What We Learned Growing Up About Emotions(12:00) Anger, Sadness, Shame—What’s Really Underneath?(16:00) Why Men Disconnect From the Body(20:00) Faith and Emotional Formation(25:00) Emotional Literacy in Parenting(28:00) When You Feel Unsafe in Relationship(32:00) The Power of Curiosity and Naming Emotions(36:00) Repair, Vulnerability, and Starting Again(40:00) Final Thoughts on Living Fully AliveKeywordsThree Percent, masculinity, emotions, emotional health, anger, fear, shame, sadness, vulnerability, holistic masculinity, emotional literacy, fatherhood, parenting, emotional intelligence, Christian men, faith and emotions, childhood wounds, trauma, inner work, embodiment, safety, repair, naming emotions, identity, integrity, spiritual formation, relationship dynamics

In this honest and redemptive episode, we talk with Young Woong Yi—pastor, church planter, and spiritual formation leader—about anger, masculinity, and becoming a safe man. Young shares how growing up in an immigrant household shaped his relationship with emotions, and how repressed sadness and generational patterns of power led to a breaking point in his marriage. He opens up about the life-saving intervention of his church, the deep healing that followed, and what it means to cultivate emotional safety in leadership, relationships, and spiritual formation. This episode is a masterclass in transformation, humility, and the long road to becoming whole.Takeaways“An emotionally volatile man is not a safe man.”Repressed anger often masks deeper emotions like sadness, fear, or shame.Emotional safety is a core component of holistic masculinity.The church can be a place of healing when leaders respond with grace.We often say to our spouse what we never got to say to our parents.Healing begins with language, awareness, and the courage to ask for help.Anger’s gift is advocacy—but only when processed with honesty and care.Spiritual formation must address emotional and mental health, not just theology.Check out more of Young Yi: 📸 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/brotheryoung/Substack: https://substack.com/@brotheryoung 🌐 Church Plant – https://www.instagram.com/kindredchurchmi/Learn more about Three Percent: 🌐 https://threepercentco.com/Chapters(00:00) Meet Young Yi – Pastor, Photographer, Church Planter(02:00) Blake’s Story: Anger Repression and Performance(04:30) A Relationship with Anger?(07:00) Emotional Abuse, Immigrant Parenting, and Powering Up(10:00) Learning How to Win Through Anger(13:00) From Veterinary School to Ministry(16:00) Marriage as a Mirror: Anger Exposed(18:00) “You’re Bullying Me”: The Catalyst for Change(20:00) Church Leadership Responds with Grace(23:00) Six Months of Paid Leave and Intense Therapy(26:00) What Changed Young’s View of Masculinity(29:00) Anger Isn’t Always Justified Action(32:00) The Anger Iceberg & Sadness Beneath the Surface(35:00) Generational Messaging: “Men Don’t Cry”(38:00) Learning to Say: “That Made Me Really Sad”(41:00) Advocating for the Child Within(45:00) How Anger Impacts Spiritual Formation(49:00) Church Culture, Jesus, and Emotional Health(52:00) Final Encouragement to Men: Ask for Help(54:00) Where to Find Young & Kindred ChurchKeywordsYoung Yi, Three Percent, holistic masculinity, anger, emotional safety, immigrant family, Korean American, spiritual formation, church hurt, inner child, marriage counseling, masculinity and emotions, mental health in ministry, vulnerability, leadership, discipleship, shame, sadness, advocacy, safe men, healing, therapy, pastoral care, emotional intelligence, Kindred Church, genogram, Pete Scazzero, Voice of the Heart, Rich Villodas, Chip Dodd, Christian men, identity formation, marriage restoration