“I don’t know what I’m doing here.” Eddie whispers as his 13-year-old son sits in a police cell accused of murder. It’s a confession every father feels but rarely admits — standing in the chaos, with no way out and no guarantee you won’t make it better.

In this episode of Men at the Movies, Paul McDonald and Simon (host of the Restoring Authentic Men podcast) unpack Part 1 of Netflix’s Adolescence. We wrestle with the illusion of control, the silence between fathers and sons, the fragility of boyhood, and the courage it takes to stay present when everything is falling apart.

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📺 Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JINd6i4Vfso

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why “I don’t know what I’m doing here” isn’t failure, but the starting line for every father

• How shame creates a silence gap between dads and sons

• Why presence matters more than performance in our families

• Practical steps for letting go of control and embracing the mess

Listen to Restoring Authentic Men (RAM Podcast) – Listen here

Chris Farley’s Tommy Boy isn’t just comedy gold—it’s a story every man can relate to. Underneath the chaos is a powerful message: how do you move from being the beloved son to stepping into your role as a king? In this episode of Men at the Movies, we explore how Tommy’s failures, friendships, and moments of courage point us to the truth about identity, responsibility, and what it takes to lead.

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Watch the episode here.

Paul McDonald sits down with Rory Lawrence from The Dangerous Man Podcast to explore the brutal honesty of Lone Survivor. This isn't just a war movie - it's a powerful metaphor for spiritual training and the brotherhood required to survive life's battles.

From BUDS Hell Week to the mountains of Afghanistan, discover how Marcus Luttrell's story reveals what it takes to become a spiritual warrior. Rory shares his own dark battle with suicidal thoughts and how transparency broke the enemy's power. We dive into themes of identity in Christ, the training required for spiritual reigning, and why being "never out of the fight" is more than military jargon - it's a life philosophy.

Warning: This episode contains mature content including discussion of mental health struggles, domestic violence, and spiritual warfare.

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Questions

• When have you wanted to ring the bell, and what kept you from giving up?
• When have you done something God asked you to, and it went sideways?
• When have you gotten isolated when overwhelmed?
• Who do you need to share your struggles with?
• What does it look like to die to your self?
• What does it mean to lean in to the pain?
• How do you enter glory with an empty clip?
• What does it mean to give it all to Jesus?

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Audio quotes performed by Britt Mooney, Paul McDonald, and Tim Willard, taken from Epic (written by John Eldredge) and Song of Albion (written by Stephen Lawhead).

Southerly Change performed by Zane Dickinson, used under license from Shutterstock

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