How God Forms Men

About How God Forms Men

This is a show for men who’ve built a lot and still feel stuck. You’ve done the work. You are building something significant. And the grind is still paying you. Only less each time. Same hours, same hustle, smaller payoff. You find yourself pushing harder and wondering if you're the problem. It’s not. You were trained in one skill set: perform, secure, and win. It built your success. It also has a ceiling. How God Forms Men is about the second skill set you were never taught. The harder one. Intimacy with Jesus and a real part in His kingdom as His Son. Not a softer or easier way. It's Harder, and higher. Each week, Ben Weaver, formation advisor and founder of Bigger Story Advisory (https://www.biggerstory.com), helps driven men see what’s really under the stall and how God uses it to form them. Find out which ceiling is capping you. Take the free OS Assessment right here (https://biggerstory.com/os-assessment/).

Publisher

Ben Weaver

Category

business · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

10 Oct 2026

Latest episode

11 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

8 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   11 Nov 2026

   006: Identity: Your Key to the Life You Want

   Who are you? Most men answer with what they do. Founder. CEO. Sales guy. Pastor. Dad of three. But that answers a different question. And if your identity is built on what you do, you’ll spend your life defending it. This is the core episode on identity. Ben starts with a quote from Dallas Willard: “God’s intention for all of his sons and daughters is that they grow to the point where he can empower them to do what they want to do.” God isn’t trying to kill your desire. He’s trying to grow a man who can carry it. That only works when you know who you are. You’ll hear why a performance identity has to be earned and defended every day, while a son’s identity is received and rested in. You can’t achieve what can only be received. Ben walks from Genesis 1, where you were made in God’s image before you did anything, to the first lie in the garden, which was an attack on identity. Then he shows how Jesus picks it all back up. At His baptism, before one miracle or sermon, the Father said, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Right away the enemy tested those exact words in the wilderness. And at the end of His ministry, with all of heaven in His hands, Jesus picked up a towel. A secure son doesn’t grab. He serves. Ben also shares his own story. His twenties were achievement after achievement, all the way to an Ironman at 29, while he was really looking for sonship. He talks about what changed when he finally received what the Father says about him. Your practice this week is simple. Each morning before you check your phone, sit in a quiet place and let the Father speak Mark 1:11 over you. “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” If you hear a “yeah, but,” write it down. Then ask God, “What do You call me?” and write down what you hear. If you’ve hit a ceiling and don’t know why, take the free OS Assessment. It names where you’re stuck and gives you a path forward. www.biggerstory.com/os-assessment Scripture in this episode: Genesis 1:26-27, Psalm 8:4-6, Genesis 3:4-5 and 3:9-11, Matthew 3:16-17, Mark 1:11, Matthew 4:1-11, John 13:3-5, Galatians 4:4-7, Romans 8:15-16, 1 John 3:1, and Psalm 37:4. The Dallas Willard quote is from his book Hearing God. Next week on Episode 7, we go after the false identities. These are the names you’ve carried that God never gave you, and they can’t take you where you need to go. Chapters 00:00 Who are you, really? 00:32 God wants to empower you 02:18 The prayer from Episode 1 04:11 Outside in vs. inside out 06:46 You can’t achieve what can only be received 08:42 Made in His image 11:24 Your assignment flows from your identity 12:17 The first lie 13:42 “Who told you that you were naked?” 14:55 “You are my Son, whom I love” 16:16 Tested in the wilderness 18:20 All of heaven in His hands, and a towel 19:56 This is yours too 21:35 Back to Willard: desire and trust 23:12 Ben’s story 27:35 Your practice this week 29:25 The OS Assessment 30:32 Closing prayer

2. 

   4 Nov 2026

   005: How God Speeds Up a Man's Growth

   There are no shortcuts with God. But there are acceleration points. Men like us love leverage. Find the lever. Skip the line. 10x it. That works in business. It doesn’t work in formation. In this episode, Ben starts with the $1,000 course he bought and barely opened, and what he was really chasing back then. Then he ties a bow on the first four episodes and turns the corner. We’ve named the problem. From here on, we talk about how God actually forms a man. You’ll hear why shortcuts give you the look of growth without the weight of it, and why the weight is the point. You’ll hear why steady growth still matters, and why most men aren’t stuck because they skipped quiet time. They’re stuck because there are a few things they keep walking around. Ben walks through four acceleration points: the cracks in your foundation, your false identities, your pain, and your story. Acceleration doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from facing what you’ve been avoiding. Jacob’s life runs through the whole episode. He was the shortcut guy of the Bible, until he wrestled with God at the river and walked away with a limp and a new name. Ben also shares his own story from January 2024, when cracks he knew about blew up, and what God did when he finally said yes. Your practice this week is simple. Pick the acceleration point you most want to skip. Ask Jesus, “What do You want to show me here?” Write down what you hear. Then tell one man you trust. If you don’t know where your cracks are, take the free OS Assessment. It shows you which ceiling you’re hitting, and that ceiling usually points straight at one of these four. [OS Assessment link] Scripture in this episode: Genesis 32:22-31, Galatians 6:9, Matthew 7:24-27, Psalm 34:18, and Genesis 50:20. Ben also mentions Eugene Peterson’s book A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. Next week on Episode 6, we go deeper into identity and why it may be the biggest acceleration point you’ll face. Chapters 00:00 The Journey of Entrepreneurship and Learning 02:52 Understanding Formation and Growth 05:51 The Importance of Surrender and Identity 08:58 The Role of Shortcuts in Personal Development 11:51 Facing the Weight of Growth 15:12 Acceleration Points in Personal Growth 18:11 Cracks in Your Foundation 21:01 Identifying False Identities 24:10 Engaging with Pain and Suffering 26:45 Understanding Your Life Story 29:44 The Power of Courage and Engagement 33:11 Practical Steps for Growth

3. 

   28 Oct 2026

   004: The 3 Ceilings Every Driven Man Hits

   Every driven man hits a ceiling. Usually it’s one of three. In this episode, I name the three ceilings I see in almost every high-capacity man I walk with: the Entitlement Loop, the Isolation Loop, and the Capacity Gap. I share what each one looks like, what’s really underneath it, and how God moves you through it. I also tell three stories from my own life that turned out to have the same root. The ceiling is always an identity problem dressed up as a strategy problem. Your strategy won’t fix it. Only a new identity can. Take the free OS Assessment and find out which ceiling is capping you: https://biggerstory.com/os-assessment (https://biggerstory.com/os-assessment)

4. 

   22 Oct 2026

   003: The Adventure Your Heart Was Made For

   When they tell the story at your funeral, what will they say? Nobody stands up to talk about your quota or how many businesses you built. They’re looking for a richer, more human story. A bigger one. In this episode, Ben Weaver lays out a map for the kind of life your heart was made for. Building on John Eldredge’s work in Wild at Heart, Ben walks through three kinds of adventure every man is offered. Casual adventure fills your cup and keeps the lights on. Crucial adventure is the risk-taking our culture applauds, like starting the business, buying the house, chasing the exit. It’s good, but it has a ceiling built in. Critical adventure is the one your heart actually longs for. It’s the kind where, if God doesn’t show up, you’re cooked. Ben ties those three adventures to three stories. The small story is control, where you run everything yourself. The big story is surrender, where you hand it over to God. The bigger story is union, where God hands it back and you build it together. Ben shares a moment from a men’s gathering in St. Louis when his heart was pounding before he stepped up to speak, and how he realized later that God was inviting him into something critical. You’ll also hear why a little fear isn’t a sign you’re on the wrong path. It may be the sign you’ve found the right one. This week’s practice: take out a journal and write one sentence that names the critical adventure God is inviting you into. It might be one you’re on right now, or one He’s been in your ear about for a long time. Next week: the three ceilings that keep most men stuck in a smaller story. Find out what’s capping you with the free OS Assessment. (https://biggerstory.com/os-assessment/)

5. 

   16 Oct 2026

   002: The Harder Skill Set You Were Never Taught

   The conversation explores the contrasting skill sets of performance and sonship in the context of spiritual growth for men, emphasizing the importance of internal transformation over external achievements. It highlights the journey of yielding to God's guidance and the challenges of embracing a deeper relationship with Him. Takeaways Performance vs. Sonship The importance of internal transformation Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Spiritual Growth 05:05 The Performance Mindset 09:59 Embracing Sonship 15:11 The Cost of Transformation 19:50 Invitation to Surrender

6. 

   14 Oct 2026

   001: Why What Built You Is Now Holding You Back

   This first episode sets up the central idea of the series: many men are living by a performance-based operating system that can get them to "base camp one," but not to the deeper formation God intends. Ben Weaver shares the story of his 30th birthday breakdown, the loneliness behind outward success, and the shift that began when he admitted, "I need help." In this episode, Ben explains why external wins can feel hollow, why grinding harder often produces less, and why spiritual maturity requires a different internal framework. He lays the foundation for future conversations about formation, character, and becoming a man who can be entrusted with more. Key topics Ben Weaver opens with a personal story from July 22, 2013, his 30th birthday, when outward success collided with deep loneliness. He contrasts being "known everywhere" with feeling unseen and isolated, even while speaking on stages and carrying a public identity. The episode defines the show’s purpose: not how men form men, but how God forms men. Ben argues that most men are running on a performance-based operating system built around proving themselves, looking fine, and climbing socially or professionally. He describes the feeling of "grinding harder for less" as responsibilities stack up across work, marriage, kids, church, and community. He uses the Mount Everest analogy to show that the tools that get you to base camp one are not the tools that get you to the summit. Ben says coaching, Bible studies, and male community can help, but they are not enough without internal transformation. He identifies the turning point in his own life as saying three words: "I need help." He shares that real change began when he started walking with other men in similar seasons instead of staying isolated. The core shift was moving from a life organized around what he does to a life shaped by who he becomes. Timestamps 00:00 - The birthday that exposed hidden loneliness 00:46 - Crying on the couch despite public success 01:28 - Realizing life was built the way men form men 01:51 - Introducing the series: how God forms men 02:27 - The culture of performance, proving, and looking fine 03:22 - Why this show is about your internal formation 04:05 - Success, houses, companies, and the pressure to keep building 05:14 - Grinding harder for less across every area of life 06:20 - When big wins still feel flat 07:15 - Questioning whether you are the problem 08:14 - Why the real issue is the operating system 09:26 - The Mount Everest analogy: base camp versus summit 10:55 - Settling for less because the old system breaks down 11:51 - Why coaching and Bible studies alone are not enough 12:20 - Ben’s dashboard lights: Iron Man, businesses, and family pressure 13:44 - The moment he said, "I need help" 14:13 - Finding community with other men in similar seasons 15:15 - A new operating system based on formation, not performance 16:17 - From chasing dreams to becoming the man God is forming 17:12 - You are not broken, but your current skill set has a limit 18:33 - A closing prayer for entrusting desires to God 19:25 - The promise of a life marked by love, adventure, and peace Notable quotes"I need help.""The same thing that got you to base camp one cannot get you to the summit of Mount Everest.""You’re not broken. The skill set that you have been handed has a limit."Action items Ask where you are still relying on performance instead of formation. Identify one area where you are "grinding harder for less." Reach out to one trusted man and say, honestly, "I need help." Pray: "Jesus, help me to become the man who can be entrusted with this desire you have given me."

7. 

   12 Oct 2026

   000: A Prayer For This Podcast

   Nothing of great significance is done without prayer. We consecrate this to you, Jesus. It's all yours. Do with it what you will.

8. 

   10 Oct 2026

   TRAILER: How God Forms Men

   Welcome to How God Forms Men. A show for men who've built a lot and still feel stuck.

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