The Gospel & Gradebooks Podcast

It’s Homecoming Week, so Jamie and Timm are taking a trip back to their high school days and sharing some of their favorite homecoming memories, including a few stories that probably seemed like a much better idea at 18 than they do now.
But the conversation turns to a bigger question: What would we tell our 18-year-old selves if we could sit down with them today?
What would those teenage versions of us be shocked to learn about the men we became? How surprised would they be by the importance of faith in our lives, the things we now value, and the things that turned out not to matter nearly as much as we thought they did?
Then we turn the question around. If the older versions of Jamie and Timm could sit down with us today, what would they tell us to stop worrying about? What would they tell us to prioritize? And what are we taking for granted right now that we’ll one day wish we could have back?
It’s a conversation about growing up, looking back, and making sure the man you’re becoming is someone your younger self would be proud to meet.

This week, we’re taking a trip back to our senior years of high school, talking college football, and making a few picks along the way. But the conversation takes a much more personal turn when Timm opens up about a struggle a lot of Christians know well—fighting the same sins over and over again.
What do you do when you’ve prayed about it, repented of it, fought against it…and still find yourself back in the same battle? We talk honestly about temptation, grace, repentance, and what it looks like to keep fighting instead of giving up.

Payton Zeigler grew up in church, but it wasn't until an invitation into a Freedom Group that his relationship with Christ became truly personal. At the same time, a brutal battle with Crohn's disease was draining him physically and taking his family into some incredibly difficult places.
Payton joins us to talk about faith becoming real, what God taught him in one of the hardest seasons of his life, and the road to recovery he's walking today. We also talk about his work with Serve to Lead, a ministry using baseball and mission trips to share the Gospel around the world.

Jeremy Dunbar’s story begins with addiction at a young age, follows him through the military, an overdose, rehab, relapse, and years of trying to fight a battle he couldn’t seem to win. But Jeremy’s story isn’t ultimately about drugs. It’s about redemption, brotherhood, and what can happen when God puts the right men in your life.
Everything began to change when a close friend refused to give up on him and brought him into a men’s small group. Jeremy sits down with us to share his story, the men God used along the way, and why none of us were meant to fight our battles alone.

**Are you actually teachable?** It’s easy to say yes until someone corrects you, challenges you, or points out an area where you need to grow.
This week, Jamie and Timm look at the very different responses of Saul and David and ask what their stories can teach us about humility, correction, and growth. We also get personal about the areas where we still need to become more teachable as husbands, fathers, leaders, and followers of Christ.

It’s easy to stand for what’s right when it doesn’t cost you anything. But what happens when conviction becomes uncomfortable?
This week on Gospel & Gradebooks, Jamie and Timm talk about the battle every Christian man faces between conviction and convenience. Scripture is filled with men who were forced to make that choice. Daniel refused to compromise. Nehemiah stayed focused on the work God gave him. Joseph chose integrity when no one would have known otherwise. And Jesus remained obedient to the Father even when obedience led to the cross.
That same choice shows up in our lives every day.
We face it in our marriages when doing what’s right requires humility and sacrifice. We face it as fathers when being present is harder than being distracted. We face it at work when integrity costs us something. And we face it when God gives us an opportunity to share Jesus, but staying quiet would be easier.
The question isn’t whether you have convictions.
The question is whether your convictions survive when convenience offers you an easier way out.

Jamie and Timm are back from the **STAND Men’s Conference at First Baptist Church Opelika**, and this one left an impact.
In this episode, we break down our biggest takeaways from a day of worship, laughter, encouragement, and biblical truth alongside hundreds of other men. We talk about worship with **Charles Billingsley**, comedy from **Jonnie W.**, and the messages from **Auburn head baseball coach Butch Thompson, Phil Waldrep, and Al Robertson**—and what each of them challenged us to think about in our own lives.
But one of our biggest takeaways wasn’t just something said from the stage. It was the power of **Christian men gathering together, encouraging one another, worshiping together, and realizing we aren’t trying to live out our faith alone.**
Coming right at the beginning of another school year, STAND was exactly the encouragement we needed.
And now we want more.
If your church or ministry is hosting a men’s conference, retreat, or event anywhere in the Southeast, **invite us!** We’d love to come worship with you, meet other men pursuing Christ, and help spread the word about what God is doing in your community.
**Men need fellowship. Men need encouragement. Men need other godly men. It’s time to STAND.**

This week, Jamie and Timm sit down with Andrew Odom to talk about faith, service, and what happens when God takes you outside your comfort zone.
Andrew shares about growing up with Jamie in Red Level and the influence his Pawpaw had on his relationship with Christ before taking us to Honduras and Orphanage Emmanuel. What began as a mission trip became something much deeper as Andrew and his wife spent time playing with the kids, building relationships, and showing them the love of Christ. The experience left a lasting impact on their family, and today they sponsor three girls from the orphanage.
Andrew also shares about his work with Ultimate Experience Outdoors, a nonprofit using hunting and fishing to create unforgettable experiences for children and veterans.
It’s a conversation about the people God uses to shape our faith, stepping outside of what’s comfortable, and discovering that sometimes when you go somewhere to serve others, God changes you in the process.

We all say God comes first. But if someone looked at our calendar, our conversations, and the way we spend our time, would they come to the same conclusion?
This week, Jamie and Timm discuss a conviction that came out of an FCA leadership meeting: are we simply too busy, or have we become busy building the wrong things? Looking at Haggai 1, Jesus' words in Matthew 6, and the example we set for our children and those around us, they wrestle with what it really means to seek God's Kingdom first.
This isn't a conversation about doing more. It's about making sure the things that matter most are actually first.

Tripp Henderson returns to Gospel & Gradebooks for the third time to share what God has been doing since leaving the classroom to serve as an FCA Area Representative.
We talk about what led him to step away from teaching, how God confirmed the decision, and what he hopes to see happen in the lives of students through Fellowship of Christian Athletes this school year. As another school year begins, we also spend time discussing how parents can encourage their children to stand firm in their faith when they walk through the school doors.
Whether you're a teacher, parent, student, or simply wondering where God may be leading you next, this conversation is a reminder that our greatest calling is always to faithfully follow Him wherever He sends us.