Breakthrough Is Not Quiet

Honestly I’m sure you can relate to this. So many times we’re doing all the things right. But the outcome is far from the desired result we were hoping for.

It’s easy to Activate Your Faith, but it’s much harder to KEEP it in the hard seasons.

You pray more than ever and don’t get an answer.

You believe so deeply and your world doesn’t get better.

You trust so purely and nothing seems to move forward.

You stay so positive and day after day there’s news that just sucks the life out of you.

HOW DO KEEP YOUR FAITH WHEN IT SEEMS SO MUCH EASIER JUST TO GIVE UP AND LIVE ON YOUR OWN TERMS?

The only way out of the hard seasons is right through the middle of the storms.

Welcome to this week’s Breakthrough Is Not Quiet.

When things get hard, many people shut down. They try to avoid the pain. They chase comfort. They look for an easy way out.

But that is not the path for men who follow God.

God is raising up men who do not quit.

Men who lead through pressure.

Men who rise up with courage, even when it hurts.

Men who know that fire does not mean failure. It means formation.

If you are walking through something hard right now, here is your call to rise.

Think of this as your personal operating system for breakthrough. A process you can walk through any time you feel stuck, discouraged, or unclear.

It’s a repeatable rhythm to help you face hard seasons, fight for clarity, and take ground in your life.

For your family, your friends, and yourself.

This is where Godly men rise…

Breakthrough begins with getting clear again. Before you fix anything, you need to realign with your mission. And if you’re struggling with how to develop that mission, then here’s two resources I recommend:

Ask yourself:

When pressure hits, clarity fades. This is why we write things down. Why we journal and document. Why we articulate to those around us or record it for our own purposes to hear again later as a reminder for what we committed to.

Habakkuk said it like this:

Make it Plain.

We’re so ingrained to make things fancy and over produced. But sometimes in our life we just need to make it simple and make it plain.

Breakthrough requires a clear vision before it requires action.

This is where most men stall.

We avoid the hard conversations. We numb out instead of leaning in. We lose days, then weeks, then years waiting or wondering What if.

Every former athlete is quick to tell you all about the stories of how close they got to the championship or won, but hard pressed to have the same level of enthusiasm and reflection for where they’re headed.

This was me all the way back in 2000 winning the District Tournament for the 4th straight year.

I can still feel the cool in the air, the thrill of winning a championship, and the energy that carried to the Regional Championship.

But… we lost 1-0 to a team that eventually lost 1-0 to the state champions. We had 4 shots on goal that bounced off the goal post, missing by mere inches. And you better believe I still think about the What If from those moments to this day. I wanted nothing more than to be a State Champion, and I’ll forever live with the fact we were so close but that loss was my final soccer game I ever played.

But God hasn’t called us to live life with regrets and over-reflection. He hasn’t called us to play it safe. He’s called us into the era of being built and tested in the FIRE.

Ask yourself:

Call it out. Bring it into the light. Then pray through it, speak truth over it, and stop pretending it’s not there. Embrace the Fire. Or as the military says it, “Embrace the suck.”

If you know anything about fire, you know it’s a method to refine and purify which in the end is exactly what outcomes you need to be producing.

Fire is not your enemy. Fire is your formation.

Once you name the fire, don’t run. Plant. This is where you plant your feet and lead anyway. Through pain. Through chaos. And into the unknown of what lies ahead.

Too many of us have felt the need (thanks to social media) to be emotional roller coasters. Jumping into conversations that weren’t meant for us or giving opinions on matters that only echo chambers will hear.

Everything is a distraction.

We often use distraction in our lives to avoid pain or change. But the Bible is clear that God wants men to be STEADFAST and IMMOVABLE and ABOUNDING.

Merriam-Webster refers to steadfast as being Faithful, Loyal, Constant, Staunch, Fixed, and Resolute. In 1880, Queen Victoria sent President Rutherford B. Hayes a gift made from the oak in an arctic exploration ship that we know today as The Resolute desk made famous by how many presidents have sat behind it while conducting business.

Being steadfast and resolute to me feels like a symbol of power contained.

People don't follow leaders that are highly emotional with everything in their life falling apart. They follow strong, resolute leaders that can’t be easily moved.

Ask yourself:

You don’t need to feel perfect. You just need to be resolute. This is where you build trust, grit, and leadership that lasts.

Resolve is strength under control. Quiet courage. Joy in the grind.

Breakthrough isn’t a finish line. It’s movement. You can’t control every outcome. But you can control one thing:

Your response and obedience to your calling.

In other words your next step. But it has to be bold. We don’t cower in fear, we walk in courage. You probably guessed what’s coming next because it’s one of my favorite books in the Bible and this passage has kept me aligned for so many years:

Strong.

Courageous.

No Need to Fear.

No Need to be Dismayed.

Never Alone.

Ask yourself:

Never feel ashamed for who you are and where you are at. Everyone is at different stages, but nobody’s plight is not worth something. Take that step. Send the message. Launch the idea. Pray with your family. Apply for the opportunity.

It doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be bold.

God honors movement and gives favor to those who walk honorably in their calling.

You will stay stuck if you stay isolated. So don’t.

Often we think of this as just a fight against another. But the verse can also be read as a fight against yourself. The inner voice. The external noise. Everything beating down and shouting at you that your breakthrough won’t come and you aren’t good enough.

But like this verse says, God didn’t design men to win battles alone. You need a few trusted brothers to walk consistently with you in ALL things.

I’ve been thankful to have several brothers in my corner for years and I try and consistently shout them out. Some of them read this newsletter and others are just a phone or text away. Don’t wait until the pressure of the season overcomes, keep in touch regularly and share your hopes, dreams, fears, insecurities, and the areas of your life you need accountability to level up.

Some of the men in my life that I love to have those conversations with:

I wrote a post recently thanking them all and a few more:

Ask yourself:

Every man needs people in his corner. People who remind him who he is and what he’s here to do.

Breakthrough is harder alone. Brotherhood makes it last.

In HONOR of Brotherhood, one of my favorite and best friends that has been shoulder to shoulder with me for quite some time has created a message just for you and about our Soulfire group. I’m super thankful to have men that are passionate and dedicated and loyal to their faith, their families and their businesses.

Hear below for what Tim Jennings has to say:

Thanks for giving your attention this week Gentlemen. It’s an honor to lead and grow alongside you.

Joshua Brown
Chief Firestarter at Soulfire

PS: I’m currently filming content for a 21-day program that’s designed to take all these steps and frameworks further. If you’d like to get a glimpse before it’s fully released then reply “Fire” to this email and I’ll make sure you’re included!