Pursue the Old Paths is a podcast about returning to what works—ancient wisdom, disciplined living, and the virtues that shaped strong men, strong families, and enduring communities. Through practical teaching and honest conversation, we challenge modern confusion and call people back to responsibility, craftsmanship, honor, and integrity. From this foundation arise The Watchmen Men's Group—men who refuse passivity and choose to stand the line, rebuild themselves, and lead from the front.
What if talking about your goals is actually making them harder to accomplish? We live in a culture that encourages us to announce everything we’re going to do—lose the weight, start the business, get out of debt, write the book, change our lives. But sometimes talking about the goal gives us a taste of the reward before we’ve done any of the work. In this episode of Pursue the Old Paths, JD explores the difference between goals that benefit from accountability and goals that may need to be p...
30 Aug 2026
Strengthen the Marriage, Strengthen the Family
Strengthen the Marriage, Strengthen the Family Our culture increasingly tells us that strength means independence—that we shouldn't need anyone, that relationships should never interfere with our happiness, and that when things become difficult, sometimes the easiest answer is simply to walk away. Biblical wisdom gives us a very different picture. In this episode of Pursue the Old Paths, JD discusses the nuclear family and then gets practical with 10 things husbands and wives can begin doing ...
23 Aug 2026
Big Shiny Ball Syndrome
Big Shiny Ball Syndrome What happens when charisma, emotion, and a supposed “word from God” become more authoritative than the actual words of Scripture? In this episode of Pursue the Old Paths, JD examines the danger of Big Shiny Ball Syndrome—when the need to appear spiritually insightful becomes more important than getting the theology right. Beginning with a questionable interpretation of the biblical dietary laws, we look at the difference between illustration and interpretation, exegesi...
16 Aug 2026
Before You Throw Away Your Bible. . .
Before You Throw Away the Bible You Don't Have to Believe It to Read It Seriously Maybe you don't believe the Bible is the Word of God. Maybe you don't believe in God at all. Maybe you walked away because of hypocrisy, abuse, unanswered questions, apparent contradictions, or simply because what you were taught never made sense. I'm not asking you to become a believer. I'm asking a much smaller question: Before you throw away the Bible, have you ever actually taken a good, hard look at what's ...
22 Mar 2026
The Watchmen System: Five Areas that Change Everything
Most men don’t have a knowledge problem. They have an execution problem. We say we want more—but we don’t follow through. We talk about discipline—but we don’t live it. We make commitments—and don’t keep our word. In this episode, JD breaks down the real issue—and the system designed to fix it. Introducing the Five Watchpoints: a simple, structured framework that covers every major area of a man’s life—Covenant, Brotherhood, Discipline, Stewardship, and Leadership. Built on ...
8 Mar 2026
A Peaceful Man Must be Capable of Violence
Modern culture tells men that strength is dangerous and that self-defense is unnecessary. But history and reality say otherwise. In this episode of Pursue the Old Paths, JD tackles the responsibility men have to protect their families and communities. Physical fitness, fighting skills, discipline, and responsible firearms training are not about aggression, they are about capability, readiness, and restraint. A peaceful man is not someone who is incapable of violence. A peaceful man is someone...
2 Mar 2026
Addiction and Control - The Hard Truth About Progress
What if quitting your addiction isn’t progress… but simply a return to baseline? In this direct and unfiltered episode of Pursue the Old Paths, JD tackles one of the hardest subjects we face as men: addiction, self-sabotage, and the cultural confusion surrounding “recovery.” We live in a time where basic responsibility is often celebrated as extraordinary achievement. Being sober. Holding a steady job. Paying your bills. Exercising self-control. These are not heroic accomplishments, they are ...
22 Feb 2026
Rites of Passage
When did you become a man? Not when you turned eighteen. Not when you got your driver’s license. Not when you moved out. For most men, there is no clear answer—and that absence is not accidental. In this episode of Pursue the Old Paths, JD explores the lost art of rites of passage—why nearly every ancient culture took initiation into manhood seriously, and why modern society largely abandoned it. From tribal initiations and medieval apprenticeships to religious ceremonies and mili...
15 Feb 2026
Wilderness, Not Nature
Modern men are surrounded by comfort, convenience, and managed environments—but something essential is being lost in the process. In this episode of Pursue the Old Paths, JD makes a clear distinction between nature and wilderness, and why they are not the same thing. Parks, trails, scenic overlooks, and climate-controlled spaces are pleasant and useful—but they do not test, sharpen, or recalibrate a man. Wilderness does. Wilderness is where comfort stops negotiating. Where decisions mat...
8 Feb 2026
Building Something Real - Log Cabin
In this episode of Pursue the Old Paths, I talk about the decision to finally start building—starting with a long-planned log cabin, alongside a deck rebuild and a timber-frame awning project at home. For years, I studied traditional building methods, hand tools, and old-world craftsmanship. Eventually, I realized that learning alone doesn’t move dirt or raise walls. Progress begins when work becomes physical and decisions carry weight. This episode walks through the early steps of the build:...
1 Feb 2026
The Lost Skill of Finishing What you Start
We live in a culture that celebrates beginnings, new ideas, new goals, and new routines. Starting something feels powerful. Hopeful. Full of momentum. But finishing? Finishing is quiet. Often lonely. Sometimes anticlimactic. And because of that, many people never learn how to do it. In this episode of Pursue the Old Paths, JD takes a grounded, honest look at why so many men struggle to finish what they start and why that struggle quietly erodes confidence, self-trust, and in...
25 Jan 2026
Order Before Comfort: The Forgotten Foundation of Stable Families
Order Before Comfort: The Forgotten Foundation of Stable Families Why do so many modern households feel busy, anxious, and perpetually behind? In this episode of Pursue the Old Paths, JD explores a principle most families once understood instinctively: peace is produced by order, not ease. Drawing from Scripture and real-world observation, this conversation examines how comfort-first living erodes discipline, destabilizes families, and increases stress—and how reclaiming simple rhythms restor...
18 Jan 2026
Stewardship Before Freedom: Why Getting Your Finances is Order Still Matters
For most of human history, financial order was considered a basic life skill—not a luxury, not a personality trait, and not something reserved for the wealthy. It was simply understood that stewardship came before freedom. In this episode of Pursue the Old Paths, JD takes a grounded, practical look at money—not through the lens of hustle culture, get-rich-quick schemes, or financial shame—but as an “old path” worth reclaiming. We explore why so many people feel stressed, overwhelmed, or quiet...
11 Jan 2026
The Watchmen: Who We Are, Why We Exist, and What We're Building
Over the last several decades, men have experienced growing confusion about their role, their responsibility, and their place in the world. Cultural narratives have shifted, expectations have blurred, and many men quietly sense that something foundational has been lost, but struggle to articulate what it is or how to recover it. In this episode of Pursue the Old Paths, JD takes time to clearly and carefully explain The Watchmen: who they are, why they exist, and what they are intentionally bu...
4 Jan 2026
Planning Your Backyard Garden
In this episode of Pursue the Old Paths, JD walks through why planning now for a small backyard garden matters far more than most people realize and why success begins long before the first seed ever goes into the ground. This is not an episode about becoming a farmer, chasing trends, or reacting in fear. It’s about stewardship, competence, and reclaiming a practical skill that generations before us understood instinctively: how food is planned, grown, and provided. You’ll learn why most back...
30 Dec 2025
The Old Paths Still Walked: A Living Example of Craft, Community, and Discipline
Episode 4 – The Old Paths Still Walked: A Living Example of Craft, Community, and Discipline Most people assume that a life built around discipline, craftsmanship, and intentional community no longer exists, that it belongs to another century, another culture, or only to books and nostalgia. In this episode of Pursue the Old Paths, JD challenges that assumption by highlighting a living, working example of people who are not merely talking about tradition, but actively walking it. JD shares fi...
25 Dec 2025
On Mastery of Craftsmanship
In a culture obsessed with speed, novelty, and surface-level competence, true mastery is quietly disappearing. In this episode of Pursue the Old Paths, we explore the lost discipline of committing to a craft — not just as a skill, but as a way of shaping character. From carpentry and martial arts to music, medicine, homemaking, and more, we discuss why mastery takes time, why most people avoid it, and why Scripture consistently affirms focus, discipline, and long obedience. This episode is a ...
25 Dec 2025
People Who Know How!
When systems falter and shelves grow bare, every community quietly remembers who to call — the people who stay calm, capable, and steady. In this episode of Pursue the Old Paths, we take a thoughtful look at preppers, homesteaders, small farmers, craftsmen, and families who still know how to provide, repair, preserve, and steward what’s been entrusted to them. Moving past stereotypes and fear-based labels, this conversation explores the biblical wisdom behind preparation, responsibility, and ...
25 Dec 2025
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