Nathan joins an Iron Tavern men's community call for a deep conversation on martial skills — the physical disciplines every Christian man should cultivate alongside his spiritual ones. Drawing from 14 years in Army Special Operations and his church security ministry, Nathan lays out a balanced framework: spiritual readiness first, physical capability second, and the wisdom to know when each applies.

The conversation covers the theology of violence through the lens of Westminster Larger Catechism Question 135 (duties required by the sixth commandment), Raymond Ibrahim's historical work on Christian-Islamic conflict, the definition of biblical meekness ("having a sword, knowing how to use it, and leaving it sheathed"), practical training for families, and how to structure church security teams with honest skill assessments. Nathan's core message: master the basics, start small, include your family, and never let the pursuit of tactical perfection keep you from starting.

Resources Mentioned:

• Two Swords of Christ by Raymond Ibrahim
• Finish by Jon Acuff
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
• Westminster Larger Catechism Q135
• Tactical Household
• Reformed Evangelical Seminary — Church Security Course
• Three Guns Every Dad Should Own — Free PDF at tacticalhousehold.com

Outline:

00:00 — Introduction: What are martial skills and why they matter

03:00 — The two swords of Christ — theology of when to use force

05:00 — Spiritual protection, situational awareness

09:00 — Finding a church community with trained men (Genesis 14:14)

11:00 — The biggest threat to your family is sin, not external violence

14:00 — Balancing training investment with your wife as a sounding board

17:00 — Westminster Larger Catechism Q135 — the spiritual undergirding

19:00 — Courteous words or hard knocks — meekness vs. weakness

22:00 — Practical training: habit stacking, dry fire reps

25:00 — Nathan's background: Rangers, Special Forces, 12 combat deployments

29:00 — Historical context and defending physical space

33:00 — Covenantal responsibility: protection as a man's duty

40:00 — Raising sons and daughters with grit

44:00 — When is martyrdom the right response vs. armed defense?

52:00 — Turning the other cheek — insults vs. physical violence

54:00 — Church carry posture and layered security teams

1:00:00 — Deterrence, humility, and the danger of arrogance

In January 2022, I recorded myself praying over a decision to pursue buying 63 additional acres adjoining our family's 20-acre property. I asked God to expand our borders — a real Prayer of Jabez, not the bumper sticker version.

Four months later, we sold our duplex in Southern Pines for $775k (bought it for $165k), rolled every dollar into the land through a like-kind exchange, and had nothing left to build with. No house. No cash. Just faith and a vision for something multi-generational.

Five years later, I'm sitting in the home office of the house we're building on that land. This episode is the raw, unedited prayer from 2022 and what happened after. If you're trying to build something bigger than yourself — for your children's children — do it in prayer and without doubting.

Outline:

0:00 — Introduction: Revisiting a prayer from January 2022

1:00 — Why I'm publishing our five-year journey

1:45 — The 63 acres: survey stakes and a text to the landowner

2:45 — Praying the Prayer of Jabez — expanding our borders

3:30 — Trusting God when the math doesn't work

4:15 — "I am a character in a story He is writing"

4:50 — The prayer (raw, unedited)

7:00 — Amen — and what happened next

7:45 — Sold the duplex: $165k → $775k in equity, January to May

8:30 — Rolled 100% into 34 additional acres, zero left to build

9:30 — Years of waiting — the construction business used the land

9:50 — Spoiler: sitting in the house on that land today

10:00 — Do it in prayer and without doubting

In this episode, Nathan sits down with Jordan Bush (@jmbushwrites), founder of Thank God for Bitcoin (TGFB Media), to discuss Bitcoin from a Christian perspective. Jordan shares his journey from missionary work in Uruguay to becoming a leading voice in the Christian Bitcoin space. The conversation covers currency debasement, ethical investing, practical Bitcoin adoption for churches and families, and how Christians can build financial sovereignty. Jordan also discusses his work helping churches, nonprofits, and families understand Bitcoin's non-intuitive benefits beyond "getting rich quickly." This is a deep dive into money, faith, and preparing your family for an uncertain economic future.

Episode Website

https://www.spearing.co/bush

Connect with Jordan Bush

Website: TGFB.com Twitter: @jmbushwrites Podcast: Thank God for Bitcoin Podcast

Jordan's Books:

• Thank God for Bitcoin (2nd edition releasing soon)
• The Orange Umbrella (Children's book - available for pre-order)
• Gospel-focused Bitcoin resources

Resources Mentioned

• Cash App - Custodial Bitcoin wallet (easy for beginners)
• Blue Wallet - Non-custodial hot wallet (recommended for self-custody)
• Cold Card - Hardware wallet for long-term savings
• Start Nine - Private server solutions for Lightning nodes
• River.com - Bitcoin-only exchange (1% fees)
• AZTeco - Bitcoin vouchers (non-KYC option)
• Square/Block - Bitcoin payment processing for merchants
• Lightning Network - Second layer for fast, cheap Bitcoin transactions
• Modello - Steel seed phrase storage device

Books Referenced:

• The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss
• Thank God for Bitcoin by Jordan Bush and co-authors

Outline with Timestamps

00:00:00 - Introduction and Jordan's Background

• Growing up in a Christian family
• Drifting from faith in high school, returning in college
• The missions conference that changed everything
• Moving to Uruguay as a missionary in 2015

00:06:00 - Discovering the Currency Problem

• Venezuelan refugees flooding Uruguay
• Learning about currency debasement and hyperinflation
• How governments fund promises by printing money
• The connection between monetary policy and human suffering

00:08:00 - The Path to Bitcoin

• Opting out of Social Security as missionaries
• Looking for ethical investment alternatives
• The Coca-Cola dilemma: profiting from selling sugar water
• First hearing about Bitcoin in 2012 (and not buying)
• Finally buying Bitcoin in 2017-2019

00:12:00 - Going All In on Bitcoin

• Putting 85% of liquid net worth into Bitcoin in June 2019
• Why Bitcoin solves the Venezuela problem
• The philosophy behind Bitcoin: sound money that can't be inflated
• Writing "Thank God for Bitcoin" and outselling the Pope

00:19:00 - Bitcoin vs. Cry...