Stories

Thank you again for the retreat and your ministry to turn broken enslaved boys into dangerous and free men of God, God's boys.

- Isaac

The retreat that we just went through was truly a beautiful experience. I was able to let go and bring some of my deepest and most shameful sexual wrongdoings into the light and let them go. I was able to reflect with my fellow brothers in Christ and we all supported and lifted each other up. I absolutely loved the environment, it was amazing to see how excited my brothers were when they received forgiveness and let go of their past sins. There is nothing more powerful than a community that is on fire for Jesus and that is exactly what Dangerous Men is.

- Danny

God reminded me that he cares so much more about who I am rather than what I can do for him.

- Charlie

I never really felt free from my sin. I only felt like I was managing it. God showed that by being fully obedient I can experience a freedom like none other. A freedom only found in Jesus Christ.

- Bryce

FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDOM!

- Frank

Dangerous Men has been an incredible experience for me. It has helped me to get to know a lot of great guys where we talk about issues every man fights. This study has also taught me how to fight lust on many different levels and how to take thoughts captive. It is also great peace of mind to know that I am not alone in this fight and that I don’t have to fight alone.

- Caleb

To disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. That's ministry.

- Lowell

I was addicted to porn at a very young age. It was something that would continually draw me further and further from the God who loved me so dearly. When I gave my life to Christ, I was still struggling more than before. I felt as if I wasn’t a Christian, because of my struggles. I met Nate at Myrtle Beach and he walked me through Dangerous Men for the first time. God used DM to transform my view of my identity, love and Christ. I haven’t watched porn or masturbated in a full 227 days and everyday God strengthens me more and more as I surrender to His Spirit.

- Matt

I believe Dangerous Men has saved me from a failed marriage and shallow friendships. I have seen God's heart for me.

- Sam

These past two days have changed my life. I was not only able to confess what I have done, but renounce it. Being on the retreat with strangers was a little nerve-wracking, but these guys are some of the closest brothers in Christ I’ve ever had. I am truly free of my past.

- Trevor

This weekend was very unique. I really enjoyed it. One big takeaway from the talks was to constantly seek the Holy Spirit’s counsel and obey his nudges in my life and my relationships. Another thing that surprised me was how much I received just from talking with the other men there and asking the questions; it filled me with a lot of encouragement, hope, and joy of the Lord. I felt God show me over this weekend that there is more. Especially, when I lay down my legacy and trust Him.

- Jake

Dangerous Men has been the most life changing experience I have had, second only to coming to Christ. It has helped breath new life into my faith and allowed me to fight and defeat my sin, through Jesus, as never before. For the first time in my life I am experiencing victory over lust.

- Ethan

It's all for nothing if you don't have freedom.

- William Wallace

Side view of a muddy Jeep with a guy smiling in the back

Before I began Dangerous Men, I was walking in shame and frustration with past sexual sins and other areas of my life. I thought Dangerous Men was going to strictly be a sexual purity study, but it turned out to be a lot more. For the first time in my life, I learned that my identity is not correlated with my thoughts. I learned that I can have thoughts pop into my head that aren’t mine. I also learned that when a thought I dislike enters my mind, I haven’t sinned yet…. it’s what I choose to do with that thought that will determine whether or not I sin. I have never walked in more freedom and confidence. I know how to practically apply 2 Cor. 10: 5-6 and take every thought captive to Christ. Jesus has freed me, and I believe without a shadow of doubt that there is freedom to be found for everyone who pursues Him.

- Dan

What Steps to Freedom showed me this weekend was that men of the Kingdom can come from any kind of background or upbringing, come together under the all-powerful name of Jesus Christ, lay all of our deepest sins on the line with no judgment, and walk in the freedom Christ gave us from his death on the cross.

Since my years as a young boy, I have been submerged in the struggles of lust, masturbation, and porn. I chose to invest so much time into this addictive, shallow, and unfulfilling lifestyle. For years, I hid this darkness from everyone around me and continued to believe I could white knuckle approach this issue for the rest of my life. Little would I realize that 11 years later in my life, I would for the first time lay everything of my past on the line, and embrace being uncomfortable. As I am typing this, what came to my thoughts is, "growth and comfort don't coexist", because times of discomfort require you to be stretched and challenged to do what is beyond your capabilities and live in Christ's abilities.

Going through the Dangerous Men and the Steps of Freedom has meant so much to me as I have both grown in my faith and as a man. As I have gone through the Dangerous Men, I have grown so close to those who are now the closest friends I have ever had, and they have given that community and that support that is needed to grow and fight off temptations that plague us all together. The Steps of Freedom has been an amazing opportunity to walk through that freedom that only Jesus's cleansing blood can bring, and both times I have been through the Steps has brought new things to mind but the same awesome realization of forgiveness. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing group and one that will truly shape my life for years to come.

- Jacob

This retreat has been about so much more than fighting lust. You have given me a holistic way to fight any and every sin in my life. Confessing to Jesus my sins was never an area that came easy. It’s so incredibly freeing because I'm walking around holding onto sin God's already forgiven.

- Ethan

This marked my first experience leading both Dangerous Men small groups simultaneously, coupled with my third Steps of Freedom retreat. While I've led small groups in the past, the level of vulnerability and brotherhood I witnessed during Dangerous Men was unparalleled. The impact of the freedom retreat over the weekend has already borne significant fruit – from sexual freedom to radical honesty and a renewed relationship with our Lord. I am eager to continue taking men through Dangerous men. After our steps retreat four dudes from my small group are stoked about leading their own Dangerous Men small groups. For myself, I experienced an incredible amount of freedom from my sexual sin... It's now been 1 month since I've chosen to fall to sin. Thanks to dangerous men I now understand what it means to submit my life to Jesus and rely on him to get over my own sin and stop relying on myself. Can't wait to put all the men of "The Arena", through Dangerous Men.

- Gavin