Football season is back, and every fan base believes this could be their year. Then kickoff comes, and you find out where your team really stands. The same is true for a man's spiritual life.

In this episode of the Step Up Podcast, Pastor Chris Kouba and Josh Thomas kick off a fall check-in for men using an illustration from Tim Keller's book on prayer. Keller pictures the soul as a boat with both oars and a sail, then asks four questions: Are you sailing, rowing, drifting, or sinking? This episode covers the first two.

Sailing is the season when God feels close, Scripture jumps off the page, and prayer feels like a real conversation. Chris explains how to make the most of that momentum by going deeper with God, writing down His faithfulness, doing the hard thing you've been putting off, and pulling along a friend who is struggling. Rowing is the season when the disciplines are still in place but the joy is gone. Chris opens up about a season when a coach helped him see he had turned his relationship with God into "a metric dashboard," and he shares the three lessons that changed how he walks with the Lord.

Whether the wind is at your back or you're grinding it out, this conversation will help you take an honest look at where you are and remember that you cannot row your way into a sailing season.

To find out more about Pastor Chris, follow him on all social platforms (@ckouba) and to connect with the ministry of United City visit https://unitedcity.church.

Connect with Us

Follow on Instagram: @stepup.podcast

Follow United City: @untdcitychurch

Connect with Pastor Chris: http://chriskouba.com

More About United City: https://unitedcity.church/

Chapter Markers

00:00 – Intro

00:32 – Football Season and Hoping This Is Our Year

04:52 – A Fall Spiritual Check-In for Men

05:31 – Tim Keller's Boat: Sailing, Rowing, Drifting, or Sinking

06:57 – What a Sailing Season Looks Like

08:16 – Don't Coast When the Wind Is at Your Back

10:50 – Use Your Momentum to Pull Others Along

12:34 – Write Down God's Faithfulness

14:11 – What a Rowing Season Looks Like

17:25 – When Pastor Chris Turned His Faith into a Metric Dashboard

18:29 – Three Lessons from a Coach

20:45 – Joshua, Jericho, and Trusting Unseen Results

21:16 – You Cannot Row Your Way into a Sailing Season

21:42 – Practical Steps for the Rowing Season

24:10 – Next Steps for Sailing and Rowing

We live in a world that celebrates busyness, productivity, and always being available. But what happens when we slow down long enough to hear from God?

In the Season 3 premiere of the Step Up Podcast, Pastor Chris Kouba and Josh Thomas discuss the life-changing lessons Chris learned during his recent sabbatical. From disconnecting from technology and creating healthier boundaries to rediscovering the biblical practice of Sabbath, Chris shares how stepping away from the constant noise of life transformed his understanding of rest, productivity, and trusting God.

Together, they explore why rest is more than simply taking a day off, how our desire to stay busy can reveal a deeper struggle with control, and why creating space for God's presence is essential to spiritual health. This conversation challenges men to stop measuring their worth by what they accomplish and begin living with a greater dependence on the Lord.

Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities, struggling to disconnect, or simply looking for a healthier rhythm of life, this episode is a reminder that sometimes the most productive thing you can do is stop, rest, and trust God.

To find out more about Pastor Chris, follow him on all social platforms (@ckouba) and to connect with the ministry of United City visit https://unitedcity.church.

Connect with Us

Follow on Instagram: @stepup.podcast

Follow United City: @untdcitychurch

Connect with Pastor Chris: http://chriskouba.com

More About United City: https://unitedcity.church/

Chapter Markers

00:00 – Intro

01:05 – Why Pastor Chris Took a Sabbatical

02:21 – Disconnecting from Technology and Discovering Digital Freedom

06:03 – Creating Healthier Boundaries with Technology

09:27 – Slowing Down to Hear God's Voice

13:20 – Rediscovering the Biblical Practice of Sabbath

16:15 – Trusting God to Work When You're Not Working

19:20 – It's Not a Productivity Problem. It's a Trust Problem.

21:20 – Finding Your Identity Beyond What You Accomplish

26:57 – Learning to Follow God's Timing Instead of Your Own

28:04 – Becoming More Spirit-Led Than Plan-Led

32:24 – Practical Ways to Start Practicing Sabbath