The Long Obedience

On Father’s Day 2021, Michael preached, then drove to the airport to do something he knew was wrong. For nine hours in the Tampa airport, one sentence wouldn’t leave him alone: Go home. He didn’t. Three weeks later, his marriage ended.In this bonus episode, Michael shares the story behind his new book, Nevertheless: Living Faithfully with What Forgiveness Doesn’t Fix. Drawing on Nathan’s words to David in 2 Samuel 12, he explores the difference between guilt and regret, the long middle after a collapse, the danger of sentencing yourself, and the hope of the chapter after. For every man who has been forgiven and still lives with consequences, and for the man still sitting in his own airport.Nevertheless is available from Start2Finish Books at start2finish.org. —> https://start2finish.org/shop/p/nevertheless-living-faithfully-with-what-forgiveness-doesnt-fix This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit start2finish.substack.com

Pre-order "Nevertheless: Living Faithfully with What Forgiveness Doesn’t Fix" —> https://start2finish.org/shop/p/nevertheless-living-faithfully-with-what-forgiveness-doesnt-fixMichael distinguishes doubt from unbelief — doubt is an open door, not a closed one — and walks through the biblical heroes who wrestled with questions: Abraham laughed at God's promise, David cried out in the Psalms, John the Baptist asked from prison if Jesus was really the one, and Thomas demanded proof. He explores why doubt shows up: suffering, intellectual questions, disappointment with the church, spiritual dryness. The practical section covers what not to do (pretend, isolate, demand certainty, confuse feelings with reality) and what to actually do: bring it to God, tell someone, go back to what you know, keep showing up, and pursue the questions honestly. The episode closes with hope — doubt may be a sign your faith is growing up, not falling apart. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit start2finish.substack.com

Michael pushes back against the chest-thumping version of Christian masculinity, reclaiming gentleness as a Christlike virtue the church has abandoned. The Greek word for gentle describes a wild horse that's been tamed — all the power still there, but under control. Jesus cleared the temple with a whip and stood silent before Pilate; he had all the power in the universe and chose restraint. Gentleness at home means making your wife feel safe, being a place your kids can fail without being crushed, and extending grace to yourself in the mirror. The episode closes with practical steps: spend time with Jesus, pay attention to your body, ask the people closest to you for honest feedback, and practice in low-stakes moments. The church doesn't need more loud men; it needs men strong enough to be soft. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit start2finish.substack.com

Michael opens with two men from the same church—one wealthy and terrified, one modest and free—to show that money is not neutral. Jesus talked about money more than almost any other topic because it reveals what we actually trust and worship. He names the lies money tells: more will be enough, money equals safety, your earnings are your worth, and providing means earning. The antidote is generosity—not the scraps left over, but first-fruits giving that breaks money's grip on your soul. The practical section covers giving first, talking about money with your wife, defining "enough," holding it loosely, and modeling generosity for your kids. The homework asks men to look at three months of giving and ask whether it reflects what they say they believe. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit start2finish.substack.com

SAVE 25% at Start2Finish.org now thru the Fourth of July. Use AMERICA250 at checkout.Michael argues that the phone in your pocket is not neutral. It’s a machine designed by the smartest engineers on the planet to capture your attention, and it’s winning. Your wife sees a man who’s not fully there. Your kids see a man who’d rather look at a screen than at them. And you see a man who can’t sit still with his own thoughts. Theologically, he frames attention as the currency of love: you cannot love God, your wife, or your kids with a fragmented mind. The practical section gives concrete handles like checking your screen time, creating phone-free zones, turning off notifications, deleting the apps that own you, and replacing the habit with something better. The goal isn’t productivity. It’s presence. The episode closes with the homework of creating one phone-free zone in the home this week. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit start2finish.substack.com