Strength, Courage, Passion

What if courage doesn’t sound like a battle cry, but like a steady whisper in a quiet room? We open with Gideon—named a “mighty man of valor” while hiding—and explore how real might begins long before the spotlight, in the daily work of becoming rooted, brave, and focused.
We walk through three pillars that shape a life of impact. First, strength that grows from consistent, relational faith—habits that form spiritual resilience when pressure rises. Second, courage that shows up offstage: staying faithful when no one is looking, enduring pain without applause, and choosing integrity when it costs. Third, passion that aligns desire with purpose, channeling energy toward what God is building rather than scattering it across distractions. Along the way, we share quotes from Billy Graham, Chuck Swindoll, and Henry Blackaby that give language to growth, grit, and obedience.
To ground these ideas in public life, we revisit Pastor Joe Wright’s 1996 invocation at the Kansas State Legislature, a stark and confessional prayer that rattled the room. Whether you agree with every line or not, the moment illustrates how private formation fuels public conviction. It challenges us to examine our values, name what is broken, and ask for wisdom with humility and clarity. The question lingers: what would that kind of prayer stir today, and what would it look like to carry truth with grace in our neighborhoods, workplaces, and civic spaces?

If you’re ready for a five‑minute reset that blends Scripture, practical formation, and a nudge toward bold, compassionate action, this one’s for you. Listen, share with a friend who could use courage for the week ahead, and subscribe so you never miss our weekday boost. Then tell us: which pillar—strength, courage, or passion—do you need most right now?

Transcript

Gideon’s Call To Valor

What Makes Us Mighty

Strength Through Growth In Christ

Quiet Courage Defined

Passion That Fuels Obedience

Joe Wright’s Controversial Prayer

Closing And Daily Encouragement

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Good morning and welcome to Starting Right. I am Danny Mack, and I'm going to be here every Monday to Friday to help you get a great start to your day. So grab your cup of coffee, sit back and relax for the next five minutes as I help you start your day by starting right. In Judges chapter six, we are introduced to a man by the name of Gideon. Gideon was hiding in a wine press, threshing some wheat, trying to keep it hidden from Israel's enemies, the Midianites, when an angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said to him, The Lord is with you, mighty man of valor. And Gideon went on to explain why he didn't think he was a mighty man of valor, and God went on to prove how he was a mighty man of valor. Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a mighty person of valor? It really doesn't matter if you're man or woman. What is it that makes us a person of might and valor before God? I want to give you three things. And then I'm going to introduce you to someone you may not know in a modern setting who was a mighty man of valor. First of all, there's three things that make us mighty people in God. The first one is our strength. And I'm not talking about the Samson's strength, the strength of lifting the barbell strength. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the strength that is within us because we know who we are and we know who God is and we know who we are in God. Billy Graham once said, Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion. It is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ. That growth is what makes us strong, and whether you are a man or a woman following Jesus, we need to grow in God to be strong enough to overcome the challenges we have every day. Second one is courage. Chuck Swindal described it this way courage is not limited to the battlefield or the Indianapolis five hundred or bravely catching a thief in your house. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are the inner tests like remaining faithful when nobody's looking, like enduring pain when the room is empty, like standing alone when you're misunderstood. Strength and courage work together to help to make us mighty people of God. The third one I want to throw in here real quick is passion. Passion is what drives us. Passion is what gives us focus and means and keeps us moving ahead. Henry Blackaby once said, No one can sum up all that God is able to accomplish through one solitary life, wholly yielded, adjusted, and obedient to him. That's being passionate to do what God says. So a mighty person of valor is someone who has strength based upon our growth and commitment to Christ, the courage to stand up to say and do what is right in every circumstance, and the passion. The passion to pursue what God is wanting to build in our lives. Now let me introduce you to a mighty man of valor. Back in nineteen ninety-six, Joe Wright was the pastor of Wichita Central Christian Church in Wichita, Kansas. He had been invited to come and give the invocation at the opening of the Kansas State Legislature. When he stood up and prayed, the chamber of the legislators literally shook. Here's what he said. Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask for your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know your word says, Woe to those who call evil good, and that's exactly what we've done. We've lost our spiritual equilibrium. We have inverted our values. We confess that we've ridiculed the absolute truth of your word in the name of moral pluralism. We've worshipped other gods and we've called it multiculturalism. We've endorsed perversion and we've called it alternative lifestyle. We've exploited the poor and called it a lottery. We've neglected the needy and called it self preservation. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. Father, in the name of choice we have killed our unborn, and then in the name of right to life we have killed abortionists. We've neglected to discipline our children and called it building esteem. We have abused power and called it political savvy. We have coveted our neighbors' possessions and called it taxes. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We've ridiculed the time honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, O God. Know our hearts today, try us and show us any wickedness in us, and cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas and have been ordained by you to govern this great state. Grant them your wisdom to rule, and may their decisions direct us to the center of your will. I ask this in the name of your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Almost thirty years ago that prayer caused an uproar in the Kansas State Senate. Imagine what it would do today. Have a great day, my friends. We'll talk again tomorrow. Thank you for listening today. And I invite you to join me Monday to Friday right here on Starting Right with Danny Mack.