IN THIS EPISODE

• A love and passion for sports began early on with golf and baseball | 1:57
• How do you teach the duality of competition vs. “we’re here for something greater”?  | 4:30
• The importance of a strong faith as you pour yourself into what you’re passionate about  | 7:38
• When you’re pursuing new opportunities, make sure you’re not sacrificing what is important to you  | 9:37
• What are the priorities in your life? Your actions will dictate those | 11:21
• What intentional steps are you taking, to get outside of your comfort zone, to share your faith?  | 17:11
• What advice would you give on leading your family, mentoring those younger than you, and modelling Christ?  | 25:21

INSTANT TAKEAWAYS

1 | ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALITY

Mike talks about growing up with two older brothers, and as the youngest brother, you want to be just like your older siblings. How many of us can relate to that? How often are we pushed into areas of our lives because our parents did it, or our brothers/sisters we involved in it? It’s important to instill confidence, creativity, and passion in your kids and those around you. God created each one of us individually, with a set of gifts and talents that are uniquely our own. When we push into those and own them, we’re becoming who God wants us to be and we’re honoring him through those talents that he gave us. So don’t be like anyone else, when God created you to be just that; you!

2 | WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR?

There’s an old saying:

If you don’t stand for anything, you’ll fall for everything.

And we, as Christians, know the true importance of that. As Mike was making his way to college, the point in our lives where we really develop our identity and discover, “who we really are”, he knew where to lay his foundations. When he laid out his priorities of not wanting to disappoint God and letting Him direct where Mike was to go, it laid the foundation for who he was to become. When God is calling the shots in our life, and directing our character development, and everything else in-between, it’s a guaranteed recipe for success.

3 | INSPIRING PRAYER IN YOUR FAMILY

Mike mentions a quote from a podcast he heard from Andy Stanely, paraphrased, that sounded something like this:

A real goal I have as a father is that I don’t want my kids to remember when they started to pray.

What an incredible impact we can have on our children. They must pursue faith on their own and grasp what their own personal relationships look like with our Heavenly Father above. But what values are we teaching our kids, what practices are we putting into their lives every day, that is modeling that behaviors for them? Are we teaching them, through our actions, what a healthy prayer life looks like? Are we modeling why effecting and meaningful quiet times are essential in our growth as Christians? The environments that we cultivate in our homes must make it irresistible to know our Heavenly Father intimately. 

SHOW NOTES

Welcome back as we continue our Identity series here on Uncharted. This series is all about how people have experienced sports, recreational activities, or the outdoors in a significant way and how it’s played a role in their faith and identity. We’re really excited as today, we sat down with a good friend of the Men’s Ministry here, Mike Petrelli.

Mike currently splits time between being a dad, a father, and serving at Mission Hills Church on top of his full-time position of running the marketing department at The Club at Ravenna. Mike does an amazing job of walking us through what it was like transitioning from a life of baseball to a life devoted to Christ and the realizations he had along the way that lead him to where he is today. You don’t want to miss this one.

You can also listen in on our Women’s Podcast Channel: Anchor + Waves, as we’re currently running a sister-program on that channel for female athletes also called Identity.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Guy’s mom was the first one to plug him into sports and enourage him to reach his potential | 1:41
• As a young man persuing two sports, how did faith “fit-in” to the picture?  | 4:30
• The reliance on mentorship and guidance on life-defining decisions  | 5:57
• When you’re pursuing new opportunities, make sure you’re not sacrificing what is important to you  | 9:37
• God places different people in our lives at different mile-markers to bring us through what is before us   | 14:27
• The importance of bringing Christ-like-characteristics into your family and household  | 18:51

INSTANT TAKEAWAYS

1 | SELF DISCIPLINE

Baseball is a great example of this. As Guy says, “Baseball is a team sport until it isn’t”. It solidifies a band of brothers around a common goal, by adding up individual efforts. We don’t all have the same philosophies, habits, or methods. But what we do have, is the commonality that pushes us towards achieving something together. When we focus on what we’re tasked with, and do that to the best of our abilities, the best way we know how we are able to push the team forward. By focusing on improving your individual efforts, and pouring into your teammates to ensure their success on top of yours, we come closer together.

2 | MILE MARKERS

Throughout our lives we face countless trials and tribulations. But, we are never alone in facing any of them. When the going gets tough, God often puts someone in our life to help us through. When we look back on our journeys we can see our paths littered with knowledgable guides, mentors, and friends. Mentorship and discipleship and so instrumental in our lives that it’s not something that God leaves to happenstance and chance. Focus in on where you are, what you’re going through, and who God has surrounded you with.

SHOW NOTES

Welcome to the second episode of our Identity series here on Uncharted. This series is all about how people have experienced sports, recreational activities, or the outdoors in a significant way and how it’s played a role in their faith and identity. Throughout our lives, we ask ourselves, “Who am I”? We are constantly searching for meaning, relationships, guidance, and stability. And the one place we should root all of this is in Jesus.

Today, we sat down with Guy Beesley. Guy is a Colorado native with a unique perspective on team sports, mentorship, the great outdoors and what goes into leadership. Listen in today as we talk about picking up hunting later in life, plugging into Church, baseball in Holland and a myriad of other topics that you for sure don’t want to miss.

You can also listen in on our Women’s Podcast Channel: Anchor + Waves, as we’re currently running a sister-program on that channel for female athletes also called Identity.

IN THIS EPISODE

• An early athletic start and growing up in the Tar-Heel State | 1:26
• Accepting Christ into your life WILL change everything  | 5:25
• Carrying a strong faith with you as you become a man  | 10:54
• When you’re searching for identity, and rooting yourself in Christ, seek out mentorship  | 13:02
• It’s vital that we listen to our calling, especially when it’s to vocational ministry | Finding Purpose | 14:45
• What you can learn from sports like football, to then teach those around you  | 17:46
• When we can see the finish line, our goal approaching, we tend to got more focused and hone in on what’s important  | 20:36
• It’s imperative you establish confidence in who you are, who you are in Christ  | 26:01
• Taking a peak into Rex’s Ministry | You Have a Destiny | 29:43

INSTANT TAKEAWAYS

1 | NOTHING IS EVER THE SAME AFTER

In this episode Rex talks about his upbringing and the unfortunate behavior and influences he had early on in life. It’s not something to be ashamed of or shy away from. We see through the Scriptures that Jesus doesn’t care about where you’ve been or what you’ve done, he just cares about you. When Rex made the decision to follow Christ, everything changed for him. He refers to is his Damascus Road experience! Don’t be afraid of coming to the table with your bags, Jesus wants them. He wants to lift that weight off of your shoulders and show you a new way down the path, a better way. His path.

As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there, speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Paul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. | Acts 9:3–9

2 | PURSUING PASSION

We are intimately designed by a creative Father. A father who knows the number of hairs on our heads, the thoughts we have throughout the day, and where our hearts are drawn to. He has designed us to be creative and to explore those passions! Rex’s Ministry focuses on bringing The Gospel to youth through sports. He knows that by opening up and “on-ramp” to The Gospel, through something that they already love, it’s a no-brainer! God knows that we are gifted with athleticism, coaching strategies, and an urge to want to compete while doing community side-by-side. Don’t be afraid of bringing life to how you share The Gospel and how you engage with it. We all have a destiny that is outlined for us, and God wants us to seize that with joy!

3 | LESSONS FROM THE GRIDIRON

Sports is so ingrained in us today as a culture through our upbringings (almost everyone is put through youth ‘beehive’ soccer), through media, and through conversations. Athletes are well paid, well advertised and we constantly consume books put out by coaches and athletes alike. Rex takes those lessons that he learned from his playing and coaching days and applies them to Biblical truths. Christ calls us to have integrity, discipline, endurance. All of these can be seen in our great athletes, on the gridiron, and we should live them out daily. Life is tough, but we’re called to push through, never give up, and keep our eyes forward on Him. Our attention, intention, and focus intensifies as we hone in on the finish line and approach our goals! Keep that in mind when life knocks you done. He wants us focused on Him, and He’s there to pick us up. 

When you think you can’t take another step, you can go 13 more miles.

4 | RUN TO PRAYER

When the going gets tough, we should always turn to the Lord. Rex attributes the success in his marriage, on the football field, professionally, and in ministry to his time he spends (alone) with our Father. When we focus on listening to our Father, spending time alone with Him in prayer, we inevitably grow closer. We are given authority in our Father that He wants us to carry out throughout our lives. Make the time in your day, take a moment and connect with your Heavenly Father, listen in to what he’s telling you. Our first option, whether things in life are good or bad, should be to sprint towards Him in prayer. Thank Him, let Him know what you’re struggling with, ask Him to come into your life. He wants in.

SHOW NOTES

It’s finally here, our launch! We are so excited to bring you our Identity series here on the Uncharted Podcast. This series is all about how people have experienced sports, recreational activities, or the outdoors in a significant way and how it’s played a role in their faith and identity. And we’re honored to have Rex Tonkins kick things off for us.

Rex is an incredibly outspoken, vibrant, and inspiring leader from South Carolina who now resides in Colorado Springs. Rex had a tough upbringing but with the aid of some strong mentors, an unshakable faith, and a passion to stay focused on the goals laid out before him, he has been able to accomplish much through Christ. Listen in today as Rex talks about finding his savior, when he laughed at the notion of being recruited to play football, and what a strong family life has meant to him.

You can also listen in on our Women’s Podcast Channel: Anchor + Waves, as we’re currently running a sister-program on that channel for female athletes also called Identity.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Meet the Uncharted crew and our first series we’ll be running on this channel | 0:39
• How have we rooted our Identities?  | 1:06
• We hope to tap into the question, “Who are we in Christ?”  | 2:23

INSTANT TAKEAWAYS

1 | LAY THE CORRECT FOUNDATIONS

So often we get wrapped up in what we’re passionate about, what is temporary here. Each one of us has special gifting’s that we tend to falsely build our identities around, it happens. It’s human nature. However, that’s not what we’re called for. Make sure that you take your gifts and give thanks to the creator. Throughout this initial series here called Identity, we’re going to be looking at athletes, coaches, and outdoorsmen who have placed their identities in Christ. When we are rooted in what’s eternal, what we’re truly called for, that’s what matters.

SHOW NOTES

Welcome to Uncharted, a podcast for men. We are so excited to launch this channel with material that we think every guy will be able to relate to. Neil Eukel and Tyler Soulek are going to be your guides on this journey and hope that you’re ready to explore unfamiliar territories on the horizon.

We’re kicking off this channel with our Identity series. This series is all about how people have experienced sports, recreational activities, or the outdoors in a significant way and how it’s played a role in their faith and identity. We’re so stoked you tuned in!