I Know a Guy Podcast

What if David’s greatest weapon against Goliath wasn’t the sling in his hand—but the identity in his heart?
In “Whose Son Are You?”—Part 1 of the six-part I Know a Guy series, What Israel Taught Me About Being a Son—Steve visits Israel’s Valley of Elah and uncovers a detail many men miss.
Discover how father wounds, performance and other people’s labels can distort a Christian man’s identity—and why knowing you are God the Father’s beloved son changes how you face fear. If you’re seeking biblical identity, spiritual growth and freedom from proving yourself, this episode is for you.
If your earthly father’s voice—or his absence—still influences the way you see yourself, my book The Father Eclipse can help you understand why.
It explores how your relationship with your earthly father shaped your identity, your relationships and even the way you experience God as Father.
This journey isn’t about blaming your dad. It’s about recognizing the lens you’ve been looking through so the Father can show you what is true.
The Father Eclipse is available in paperback, Kindle and audiobook. You can find it on Amazon or Audible today.
 
I am Your Beloved"  Written by Jonathan David Helser and Brandon Lake.  Performed by Jonathan and Melissa Helser.  ℗ & © 2022 Bethel Music. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

Jesus said: “Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness.”
First.
Not after success.
Not after comfort.
Not after retirement.
Not after you’ve built your own kingdom.
On today’s I Know a Guy, we finish our series The Kingdom of God: Free for What? Loyal to Whom?
Episode 7 is: “Seek First.”
We’re talking about what it looks like to build your entire life around the rule and reign of God—and why freedom was never meant to end with us simply feeling better about ourselves.
You were freed for something.
To know the Father.
Follow the King.
Love people well.
And to bring Kingdom wherever your feet touch the ground.
And if your relationship with your earthly father has made it difficult to see God clearly as Father, that’s exactly why I wrote The Father Eclipse: How Your Earthly Father Shaped Your Identity—and How to See God Clearly Again.
You can learn more about the book at BringingKingdom.org.
Because the more clearly we see the Father - the more freely we can live as beloved sons under the reign of the King.
Seek first.

What does it actually mean to bring Kingdom?
Maybe it doesn’t require a microphone.
A ministry.
A title.
Or a platform.
Jesus said: “You are the light of the world.”
And Paul called us: “Christ’s ambassadors.”
Maybe bringing Kingdom happens whenever a beloved son walks into a room carrying the heart of the King.
When a man chooses presence instead of performance.
Truth instead of hiding.
Grace instead of shame.
Love instead of an agenda.
On today’s I Know a Guy, we continue our series The Kingdom of God: Free for What? Loyal to Whom?
Episode 6 is: “This Is What Bringing Kingdom Means.”
And if this mission resonates with you, Bringing Kingdom is a donor-supported nonprofit helping men discover who they are as beloved sons and then carry that freedom into their homes, churches, workplaces, and communities.
If you’d like to help make more of that possible, you can give at BringingKingdom.org.
Because ultimately, this is what we’re after:
Know the Father.Remember who you are.Follow the King.Love whoever He puts in front of you.
That’s bringing Kingdom.
 
I am Your Beloved"  Written by Jonathan David Helser and Brandon Lake.  Performed by Jonathan and Melissa Helser.  ℗ & © 2022 Bethel Music. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
 
 

Every tribe wants loyalty.
Your political tribe.
Your church tribe.
Your theological tribe.
Your social tribe.
Sometimes even your family.
But Joshua once asked: “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
And the answer was: “Neither.”
Maybe we’ve been asking the wrong question.  Instead of asking whether Jesus is on our side - maybe the better question is:
Are we on His?
On today’s I Know a Guy, we continue our series The Kingdom of God: Free for What? Loyal to Whom? with episode 5: “When Your Tribe Wants Your Allegiance.”
We’re talking about what happens when the people we love, the groups we belong to, and the opinions we’ve carried for years collide with the way of Jesus.
And if you want to keep these conversations going during the week, find me on LinkedIn. I’m there regularly talking about identity, sonship, leadership, emotional health, and what it looks like to follow Jesus in real life.
Just search Steve Cummings and connect with me - or follow us at Bringing Kingdom 
And sit with this question today: Can Jesus disagree with my tribe… and still get my allegiance?

The world says greatness means moving up.  Jesus said:
“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”
The world says protect your position.
Jesus picks up a towel.
The world says make sure people know your name.
Jesus says:  Serve.
On today’s I Know a Guy, we continue our series "The Kingdom of God: Free for What? Loyal to Whom?"  Episode 4 is: “The Upside-Down Kingdom.”
We’re talking about what strength actually looks like in the Kingdom of God—and why secure men don’t have to dominate, impress, or protect their status.
Secure men can stoop.
And if your church or men’s ministry is planning an event, retreat, or conference and you’re looking for someone to speak about identity, sonship, leadership, and what it means to live as a beloved son, I’d love to start a conversation.
You can find me at BringingKingdom.org.
Because maybe strength was never given to us so we could stand over people.
Maybe Kingdom strength is strong enough to get low.
 
I am Your Beloved"  Written by Jonathan David Helser and Brandon Lake.  Performed by Jonathan and Melissa Helser.  ℗ & © 2022 Bethel Music. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
 

You’ve probably prayed these words hundreds of times:  “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done.”
But have you ever stopped to think about what you’re actually saying?
Because if I’m praying for His Kingdom to come…
I’m also surrendering mine.
My plans.
My timetable.
My expectations.
Even the outcome I desperately want.
And sometimes what I call surrender is really just me handing God my plan and asking Him to approve it.
On today’s I Know a Guy, we continue our series The Kingdom of God: Free for What? Loyal to Whom?
Episode 3 is: “Your Kingdom Come—Do You Mean It?”
And if these kinds of conversations help you slow down and pay attention to what the Father may be doing in your life, I’d love to have you join me each Friday for From the Porch—a short, personal reflection from me about identity, sonship, and learning to walk with the Father in everyday life.
You can sign up at BringingKingdom.org/email.
And for today, maybe just sit with this question:
Am I seeking God’s direction… or simply asking for His endorsement?

What get the final word in your life?  Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters."
And while He was talking specifically about God and money, money isn’t the only thing competing for the throne.
Success. 
Approval.
Comfort.
Control.
Reputation.
Even being right.
Sometimes the easiest way to discover what we’re really serving is to ask:  What am I most afraid of losing?
Because whatever I absolutely cannot lose may be carrying weight it was never meant to carry.
On today’s I Know a Guy, we continue our series The Kingdom of God: Free for What? Loyal to Whom?
Episode 2 is: “You Can’t Serve Two Kings.”
And if you’re realizing that fear, performance, approval or control has been shaping more of your identity than you thought, that’s exactly the kind of work I do through 1:1 Identity Coaching at Bringing Kingdom—helping men move out of fear-based living and into the freedom of knowing who they are as beloved sons.
You can learn more at BringingKingdom.org.
But start here:  Who actually gets the final word in your life?
 
I am Your Beloved"  Written by Jonathan David Helser and Brandon Lake.  Performed by Jonathan and Melissa Helser.  ℗ & © 2022 Bethel Music. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
 

What if Christianity is bigger than “believe in Jesus now so you can go to heaven later”?
When Jesus began His ministry, He announced something much bigger:  “The Kingdom of God has come near.”
A Kingdom means there's a King.
And following a King means eventually we have to answer a difficult question: Who actually gets the final word in my life?
We're starting a brand-new series on I Know a Guy called The Kingdom of God.  Today, episode 1 is “The Gospel Jesus Actually Preached.”

Caleb waited forty-five years.
And at eighty-five years old, he stood in front of Joshua and said:
“Give me this hill country.”
The giants were still there.
But they no longer got to decide who Caleb was.
On today’s episode of I Know a Guy, we’re bringing home the What Are You Waiting For? series.
You’ve survived.
You’ve learned.
You’ve healed.
You know who you are.
Now the question is:
Are you going to live like it?
Because freedom isn’t just understanding why you stayed in Egypt.
Freedom is walking into the land.
Episode 7:
What Are You Waiting For?
Listen today to I Know a Guy.
And if this episode stirred something in you — if you know you’re still stuck in survival, fear, performance, or trying to prove who you are — I do 1:1 Identity Coaching through Bringing Kingdom.
It’s a place to get underneath what’s driving you and begin living from who the Father says you are.
You can learn more at BringingKingdom.org.
 
I am Your Beloved"  Written by Jonathan David Helser and Brandon Lake.  Performed by Jonathan and Melissa Helser.  ℗ & © 2022 Bethel Music. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

God said Caleb had: “A different spirit.”  Not because he saw different circumstances.
He saw the same giants everyone else saw.  The difference was what he believed about God.
On today’s episode of I Know a Guy, we’re continuing our series, What Are You Waiting For? with Episode 6: A Different Spirit.
Because biblical confidence isn’t: “I’ve got this.”
It’s: “My Father has me.”
And when you actually believe that, fear may still show up.  It just doesn’t get to lead anymore.
Steve Cummings has a Masters of Divinity from Denver Seminary, is a Board Certified Pastoral Counselor in the state of Georgia, and is a trained Identity Exchange Catalyst, equipped to help men recognize the lies they have believed about God, themselves, and others, and exchange them for truth.
The Identity Exchange process, developed by Jamie and Donna Winship, helps people move from fear-based living into the freedom of their God-given identity. For Steve, this work fits directly with the heart of Bringing Kingdom: helping men live as Beloved Sons.