Vertical Pursuit - podcast cover

Vertical Pursuit

Mike Barrett and Mike Tatlockverticalpursuit.org
Vertical Pursuit exists to help you gain the elevation between where you are and where God destined you to be. We want to inspire you to create the space to live your best life every day. In today's culture, men are defeated, isolated, beat down, and stereotyped. We also live in a time where men are hunting and hungry for the blueprint of what it means to be a man. Imagine not living a life of shame or failure. A life of defeat, regret, or insignificance. A life of isolation, fear, and loneliness. Instead, we can live a life of power and purpose that will clarify our outlook, overcome our struggles, forge our relationships, and impact our world. Vertical Pursuit podcast is about helping men find a place to be known, belong, and unlock their God-given potential. A place to move from the ordinary to the extraordinary! As we focus on manhood primarily in this podcast, we believe we can empower men to embrace Jesus-formed masculinity in a way that inspires them to be the best husbands, fathers, friends, and leaders to those around them. Mike Barrett, also known as "MB", is a former television play-by-play announcer for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association, the Portland Thunder of the Arena Football League, and the Portland Fire of the WNBA. Mike Tatlock, also known as “Tats”, is an author, NBA chaplain for the Portland Trail Blazers, and Lead Pastor of Grace Chapel in Wilsonville, Oregon.
Last refreshed:
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Episode 089: The Sonship Principle

Identity, inheritance, relationship, and understanding that you are a child of God, adopted into His family through faith in Christ, should be the lens by which we view our lives. We are co-heirs with Christ, even if that can be difficult to digest at times. How do we get that through our heads?

Jul 27, 20251 hr 10 min

Episode 088: The Hulkster and Ecclesiastes

What did the recently-deceased Hulk Hogan have in common with Solomon in the Bible? They both had it all, and tested all of life’s offerings. Both figured out they were merely chasing the wind, and realized building a relationship with Jesus is how you become a true champion.

Jul 27, 20251 hr 6 min

Episode 087: Holy Spirit 101

Whether we want to admit it or not, the Holy Spirit is mysterious to a lot of us. He is not a vague force, power, or energy, but is a distinct person, with attributes. Do you know that we have access to Him? And, yes, He is a valid recipient of prayer. We take a deep dive into the Holy Spirit in this episode.

Jun 25, 20251 hr 17 min

Episode 086: Be Still

When talking about challenging verses, especially in our culture, Psalm 46:10 takes the gold medal. “Be still, and know that I am God,” can even sound like an unachievable goal for many of us, especially in our culture. What does it truly mean to be still?

Jun 24, 20251 hr 10 min

Episode 085: Guest - Ben Lundquist

Ben is a leader, speaker, pastor to pastors, and hosts the podcast Rise and Lead, which is in the top 1% of podcasts in the world. To call him simply a “life coach” is an understatement. He has spoken to large corporations, and trained faith leaders, business heads, communities, groups, and couples, in over 20 countries.

Apr 26, 20251 hr 53 min

Episode 084: Close Encounters

In this episode we share the story of our brother Isaac, who has been illuminated in a way he couldn’t have predicted. It’s been painful, and miraculous at the same time. An accident has him feeling anointed and promoted, and we can all profit from his example and story.

Apr 23, 20251 hr 12 min

Episode 083: Getting Unstuck In Unmet Expectations

What is the secret to navigating life’s trials, decisions and unmet expectations? How do we get clarity in the midst of lifes chaos and complexities? If you got everything exactly the way you wanted it, would you be happy? Or, would you immediately want more? Your suffering is not caused by things not going your way. Are we holding on to expectations of how we think things should always go? How do we break that? We can often be haunted by the deicsions we regret that keep paralyzed by fear and w...

Mar 16, 20251 hr 15 min

Episode 082: The Struggle With Porn

From profanity to pornography, we all know the dangers of giving in to habitual sin, and these days pornography is at the top of the list. Porn can be a bear trap for men, and turns into a neurochemical addiction. You start needing a quick fix to give you that escape. We call can agree that it is destructive. So, how do we get free?

Mar 12, 20251 hr 25 min

Episode 081: The Mystery Of Miracles

Many of us have witnessed miraculous events, and even more of us are open to the idea of them happening. What should our reaction be to true “Jesus moments?" We dive into scripture to explore this subject and more.

Mar 02, 20251 hr 6 min

Episode 080: San Quentin Freedom

Pastor Mike recaps a recent trip on NBA All-Star Weekend to the oldest prison in the United States, where some incarcerated men are actually discovering a freedom that is available to us all.

Mar 02, 20251 hr 5 min

Episode 079: Embrace the Uncomfortable

When God wants you to grow, he makes you uncomfortable. No pain, no gain, right? This is a fundamental teaching, but it’s easier said than done. How do we really reach the point where we are lacking nothing? It sure isn’t by being satisfied with always being comfortable.

Feb 10, 20251 hr 5 min

Episode 078: Equally Yoked

The Bible tells us to spend time, and our lives, with people who share our same vision. But, where is the line? Aren’t we supposed to go make disciples, even among non-Christians? What about close friends, and even prospective spouses?

Feb 09, 20251 hr 1 min

Episode 076: Progressing Toward Truth

Could we actually be on the verge of coming out of a very cloudy time where the truth was suppressed, shaped, and controlled by a select few, and into a time where there is power in consensus, and that’s easier to access?

Jan 19, 20251 hr 7 min

Episode 077: Power In Numbers?

What do Biblical numbers mean, and what do we do with this topic? Also in this episode we wrestle with the idea of a wrath of God, and what that could look like in today’s world. Are natural disasters God's judgment today?

Jan 19, 20251 hr 1 min

Episode 075: Conspiracies, Drones, And Ghosts

This episode is weird, hopefully in a good way. At times we make “going off on tangents” an art form, and this episode certainly falls under that heading. We start with the drone drama, and that took on to an off ramp of strangeness, viewed through a lens of faith, of course.

Dec 20, 20241 hr 13 min

Episode 074: Who Gets In?

Not everything we read in the Bible is warm and fuzzy, and some is downright scary. And, that’s okay to admit. Are we doing enough? Will I make the cut? And, if I’m living in sin, does God even hear my prayers? Ugh.

Dec 18, 20241 hr 5 min

Episode 073: Cracking The Code

If over 90% of men believe in God, why do only roughly 35% of men in the U.S. regularly attend church? Many of our female listeners have not only noticed this, but have asked for advice on how to get their men on the road to an abundant Christian life.

Nov 20, 20241 hr 10 min

Episode 071: Who Are You?

Actually, the question shouldn’t be "who are you,” but rather "WHOSE are you?” Paul sets this example for us in Ephesians by identifying that he is not bound to his past, and instead identifies himself by whose he is now, through Christ. That can help remove the pressure of our past mistakes, which leads to freedom.

Oct 26, 20241 hr 6 min

Episode 072: Controlling the Uncontrollable

We often choose to hold on tightly to anxiety and worry, thinking that we’ll be able to at least have some measure of control over our circumstances. We do not gain control through fear, but our fear ends up controlling us. The gap between our illusion of control and our reality then gets filled with anxiety. What do we do with this?

Oct 13, 20241 hr 7 min

Episode 070: Deception Perfected

It says in scripture that the one who is in control of the deception will literally blind the eyes of mankind. How can we not relate that directly to what we see (or not see) in today’s world? What do we do with that? And, what role does the government, and the vote, play in a Christian’s life? Buckle up, cowboy.

Oct 13, 20241 hr 7 min

Episode 069: Vintage Masculinity

There can be some confusion about what both of these words mean, and certainly negativity, these days, about anything referring to anything masculine. But, in this episode we discuss a new book that sets the record straight on both, and gives practical advice, and a Biblical perspective to the true meaning of masculinity, and what we should aspire to be.

Oct 11, 20241 hr 9 min

Episode 068: The Undisputed

We live in a world of distraction and deception. As a result, we’re seeing a hunger for foundational truth, especially in young people. Foundational truth is Biblical truth. Some of the lost are actually calling for the Bible to be labeled ‘misinformation’ these days. Is that a cause for concern? Yes. Should we worry? No.

Sep 28, 20241 hr 8 min

Episode 067: Why Doesn’t He?

The three young men who stood their ground against King Nebuchadnezzar are legends. Why? Because their faith wasn’t based on an outcome. They believed, even if their prayers weren’t answered. They understood that this isn’t a transactional adventure, and God isn’t a genie in a bottle.

Sep 15, 202457 min

Episode 066: Allegiance And Idols

Do you have idols in your life, or things that are becoming idols? Where do your thoughts go by default? What outcomes or dreams are always on your mind? Purging idols is not easy, but anything that consumes too much of your thinking is taking the place of the Lord. Changing these habits is possible.

Sep 14, 20241 hr 4 min

Episode 065: Guest - Matt Taylor

Matt is a leader of men, and as a high school basketball coach, a leader of young men. He walked away from the corporate world about a decade ago to become a pastor, and his obedience to that calling is worth celebrating. He is now on the front lines in helping men find their purpose and improve their faith lives.

Aug 30, 20241 hr 31 min

Episode 064: Our Mental Battlefield

Why do negative, and even self-destructive thoughts, come to us so much easier than positive thoughts? Giving ourselves grace can be a massive challenge, but if we don’t learn to do it, it’s possible that it’ll not only take us down, but everyone close to us.

Aug 14, 20241 hr 3 min

Episode 063: A Perfect Plan?

How did we get where we are? Did we obediently follow God’s plan for our life? And, how do we know if we’ve arrived at our predetermined destination? Perhaps we’re overthinking this. The plan isn’t prefect because we’re perfect; the plan is perfect because God is perfect.

Aug 14, 20241 hr 7 min

Episode 061: Role Acceptance

Anytime a group of two or more people get together, there are natural roles for each individual. It’s easily explained when talking about a sports team, or a business, but is no less important when talking about a family, or a church, or even a group of friends. What is the role of a man, husband or father? Role acceptance leads to chemistry, which leads to culture. As the world works harder to destroy roles, and pushes a “you be you” strategy, push back with a Biblical vision for your role in r...

Aug 01, 20241 hr 4 min

Episode 059: Merciful Forgiveness

Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace. That sure sounds good, but it’s not quite that easy, as we all know. In this episode we discuss the differences between mercy and forgiveness, and how it can truly be a gift to yourself. Also, how the freedom to forgive, or not, was a gift to us.

Jun 22, 20241 hr 2 min

Episode 060: The A.I. Rebellion Against God

Artificial Intelligence is a hot topic these days, and it’s advancing at warp speed. It’s exciting, but also very concerning, because of the trans humanist movement that seems to be coming along with it. Is this human evolution, or is this a planned rebellion against God? Buckle up.

Jun 22, 20241 hr 5 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android