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What if the fastest way to purpose is through chosen discomfort? That question runs through our conversation with James Ward—executive director of Beyond, endurance athlete, and mentor who believes resilience is trained, not inherited. From a five-and-a-half-month Appalachian Trail thru-hike to rigorous adventure-based cohorts, James shows how getting outside your comfort zone rewires your default settings for faith, work, and relationships.

We dig into the mechanics behind Beyond’s model: immersive three-to-five-day outdoor challenges followed by months of hands-on mentoring, all while students stay embedded in real life. No padded environments, no false confidence—just clear standards, tight-knit cohorts, and consistent coaching that translates hard-won lessons into daily habits. Along the way, we talk Tactical Games, community done right, and why accountability from peers can raise a young adult’s ceiling faster than any lecture.

The heart of our talk is resilience. James is candid about not being naturally tough and how mentors taught him to embrace “elective suffering”—small, intentional hardships that build capacity for the big storms. That idea turns visceral in the Just One Mile documentary, where a last-man-standing race collides with the sudden death of his father. Caught on film, his decision at the bell reveals the kind of training that shows up when life breaks your script: you don’t rise to the occasion, you fall to your systems.

We close with practical steps for becoming an uncommon man in a culture pulling toward comfort: settle the audience of your life (Galatians 1:10), choose the five people who shape you, set higher expectations, and start microdosing adversity today. Whether you’re a young man hungry for direction or a mentor ready to lead, this conversation offers a road map to courage, clarity, and purpose.

If this resonated, follow and share the show, leave a quick review, and send this episode to someone who needs a push toward their next chosen mile.

One Mile Out Documentary: https://youtu.be/Y8rf0JlzKdE?si=nCe4bzboWXcUFeid

Follow James on IG @jamesward_79

Beyond: www.beyondexperience.co

Lighthouse Family Retreat: www.lighthousefamilyretreat.org

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Think you’re doing everything right—clean diet, daily training, long fasts—and still dragging through the day with stubborn belly fat? You’re not alone. We unpack the uncomfortable reality that more than 90% of American adults show signs of metabolic dysfunction, and even the “healthy” crowd isn’t immune. Our story kicks off with a surprise pre-diabetes diagnosis despite elite habits, and a hard look at how fasted cardio, extended fasting, high stress, and under-fueling can quietly push insulin resistance.

Joined by diabetes educator and integrative health therapist Jodi Ghelli, we connect the dots between cortisol, liver glycogen, and insulin demand. Jody breaks down why “pre-diabetic” can be a dangerous comfort label, how the liver rescues you when you skip breakfast, and why that rescue comes with a cost. You’ll learn a practical macro framework—pair protein and carbs in roughly equal amounts with a little healthy fat—to stabilize blood sugar, lower insulin spikes, and unlock steady energy. We also clarify hypoglycemia vs hyperglycemia, when fasting helps versus harms, and how overtraining with under-eating keeps belly fat hanging on.

We get specific on what to test and why: fasting glucose, A1C, fasting insulin, lipid panel, CRP, ALT/AST, and the triglyceride-to-HDL ratio. You’ll leave with actionable steps to fuel workouts properly, plan small but mighty meals every 2 to 3 hours, respect sleep as a metabolic lever, and stop asking your liver to do a job your breakfast should handle. If you’ve been white-knuckling your plan and feeling worse, this conversation offers a smarter, kinder path that still delivers results.

If this helped, follow the show, share it with a friend who trains hard but feels tired, and leave a review so more people can find it. Your future self—and your metabolism—will thank you.

Connect with Jodi:

Facebook: Jodi Deppert Ghelli

IG: @jodi.deppertghelli

Listener Actions Steps (before the end of 2025!)

1️⃣ Get your fasting labs done.

• Fasting glucose
• A1C
• Fasting insulin
• Lipid panel
• hs-CRP
• ALT/AST
• Triglyceride-to-HDL ratio
  These numbers tell the real story.

2️⃣ Audit your habits.
Don’t just ask, “Am I healthy?”
Ask, “Are my habits supporting metabolic flexibility, or stressing it?”

3️⃣ Prioritize sleep + recovery.
Under-recovery can mimic insulin resistance.

4️⃣ Fuel your workouts properly.
Especially if you’ve been training fasted by default.

5️⃣ Share your results with someone qualified.
A coach, a nutritionist, or your naturopath — don’t navigate this alone.

6️⃣ Share this episode with someone who trains hard but feels tired.
They might be right where you were.

Subscribe and tell a friend!

Get my book "The Seven Disciplines of Uncommon Freedom" on Amazon!

Visit bekandkev.com today to sign up for our email newsletter.

Access our Ideal Health Map HERE

Send a text

What if the most “successful” church strategies are quietly starving discipleship? I sit down with Alex Kocman of ABWE to unpack why missions and church life must be governed by Scripture, not trends, and how to recognize fruit that lasts. Alex’s own story—from predictable routines to telling the stories of nearly 1,000 missionaries—becomes a lens for rethinking the way we measure impact, send people well, and stay faithful when the numbers don’t sparkle.

We take a hard look at the church growth movement and how a simple missiological observation morphed into a marketing playbook. Alex explains why targeting a demographic may fill seats but can shrink souls, and why the Great Commission demands more than decisions—it demands disciple‑making and covenantal churches built around the whole counsel of God. Along the way, we tackle cultural flashpoints with open Bibles: the role of law and gospel in addressing sin, where gender debates truly surface around the world, and how mercy ministries create space for honest conversations about Christ.

A standout section addresses the crisis of male leadership in missions. Alex names the reasons single women are overrepresented on the field and offers practical, non‑gimmicky ways to call men into courageous service: heralding preaching, singable congregational worship, and a gathered posture that feels like a commissioning, not a performance. We also map out a healthy church‑agency partnership: churches identify, test, and send; agencies train, team, and sustain. To close, Alex previews his forthcoming book, Ordered to Love, which ties love of home to love of the nations, restoring an order of affections that fuels local faithfulness and global mission.

If you’re ready to trade quick wins for deep roots, this conversation will give you language, frameworks, and next steps. Subscribe, share with a friend who cares about missions, and leave a review with one change you’ll make in your church or small group.

Connect with Alex:

•X: @ajkocman
•ABWE X: @ABWEInt
•Missions Podcast X: @missionspodcast
•Facebook: facebook.com/abweministries
•Instagram: instagram.com/abwe_intl

Subscribe and tell a friend!

Get my book "The Seven Disciplines of Uncommon Freedom" on Amazon!

Visit bekandkev.com today to sign up for our email newsletter.

Access our Ideal Health Map HERE