The Daily Blade: Joby Martin & Kyle Thompson

A city is sacked, pilgrims are slaughtered, and a king rises from a deathbed with one decision that will define the rest of his life. We close the week by walking through the story of Saint Louis IX, the Crusade-era French king who aimed himself at Jerusalem and refused to apologize for it, even when everything went sideways.

We trace the Seventh Crusade from meticulous preparation to the shock of plague, failure, and capture by Mamluk forces in Egypt. The detail that stops us cold is what his enemies said about him: Louis is calm in chains, praying constantly, unbroken. From ransoming his army to insisting on honor in negotiations, we look at what conviction looks like when you do not get the outcome you wanted, and why he spends years afterward strengthening fortifications and caring for Christian communities in the Holy Land.

Then we zoom out with Psalm 84 and Philippians 3 to get painfully practical. These heroes of Christendom do not get tidy endings, but God does not measure faithfulness by earthly results. He measures the direction of your course and the consistency of your steps. Our closing question is the one you cannot dodge: what is your “Jerusalem,” the God-given calling that feels impossible and out of reach?

If this challenged you, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a five-star rating and review so more men get equipped to press on and stay sharp.
Support the show
Want to connect? Email communication@coe22.com

A kidnapper’s plan. A forced identity. A lifetime of training aimed in the wrong direction and then one decisive walk away. Today we tell the story of Skanderbeg, the legendary Albanian commander taken at age 10 and absorbed into the Ottoman system as a Janissary, only to become the leader who later defies that empire and raises a new banner over his homeland. If you’ve ever felt like your past boxed you in, this one cuts straight to the heart of it. 

We trace how Skanderbeg rises through the ranks, earns the name “Lord Alexander,” and then shocks the world by returning to Kroya, reclaiming the Christian faith of his childhood, and holding the Ottoman Empire to a standstill for twenty-four years. We talk through the scale of the odds, including the famous 80,000 vs 10,000 clash, and why his leadership still matters for anyone interested in Christian history, the Crusades era, and what courage looks like when you feel outmatched. 

Then we tie the history to Scripture in a way that gets personal: the prodigal son “coming to himself” in Luke 15, Gideon’s reduced army in Judges 7, and the redemptive sovereignty of God turning what the enemy intends for destruction into a weapon for good. The question we leave you with is simple and unavoidable: what do you need to walk away from, and which banner are you flying right now? Subscribe, share this with a man who needs it, and leave a five-star rating and review so more men can stay sharp.
Support the show
Want to connect? Email communication@coe22.com

A warrior king built for battle shows us something most men never practice: restraint. We step back into the Crusade era and trace the high-stakes aftermath of Saladin’s victory at Hattin, the fall of Jerusalem, and the shock that rippled across the Christian world. Using Raymond Ibrahim’s Defenders of the West as our guide, we focus on Richard the Lionheart and why his enemies feared him, not just for his strength, but for his resolve.

Richard’s story is more than medieval history. At Acre, his arrival flips exhaustion into momentum. At Arsuf, his discipline becomes the deciding weapon as he holds formation under relentless pressure and refuses to break early. That patience turns into a charge that changes the battlefield and forces Saladin to retreat, leaving a lasting crusader presence and opening safer access for Christian pilgrims through a negotiated treaty.

Then the episode gets personal. Richard does not capture Jerusalem, and we talk about why: fear of God, humility, and grief that runs so deep he cannot even look at the city. We connect that kind of righteous mourning to Ecclesiastes 3 and Nehemiah 1:4, and we challenge ourselves to stop calling emotional detachment “strength.” If you are a man trying to lead your family, stay disciplined in your faith, or hold steady when life hurts, this message is direct: let grief fuel your charge, and hold the line until the right moment.

Subscribe, share the podcast with another man who needs it, and leave a five-star rating and review so more men can stay sharp.
Support the show
Want to connect? Email communication@coe22.com

A man gets exiled by his own king, abandoned by allies, surrounded by enemies, and still becomes the most feared and respected warrior on the battlefield. That’s the story of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, better known as El Cid, and we use it to ask a blunt question: what do you do when you’re the only one left standing?

We walk through the Reconquista setting of medieval Spain, why the conflict mattered, and why Raymond Ibrahim’s Defenders of the West is a valuable guide for reading this era with clear eyes. El Cid’s life is complicated, but the through line is courage under pressure: taking Valencia in 1094 with his own army, holding it through repeated sieges, and refusing to quit even when the odds stay ugly. Then we connect that grit to Scripture with Joshua 1:9 and the command to be strong and courageous when fear feels reasonable.

From there, we bring it home with practical, honest prompts for men: the hard conversation you keep avoiding, the toxic workplace you’re scared to leave, the betrayal you haven’t faced, the forgiveness and reconciliation you know you need to pursue. If you’ve felt counted out, this is your reminder that God hasn’t called you to comfort. He’s called you to stand your ground.

Subscribe to The Daily Blade, share this with a friend who needs courage, and leave a five-star rating and review so more men can get equipped for the fight.
Support the show
Want to connect? Email communication@coe22.com

A warrior scales the walls of Jerusalem, wins the city, and then does the unthinkable: he refuses the crown. That single decision cuts through a lot of modern noise about strength, ambition, and what it means to be a Christian man with a fight in his chest.

We’re pulling from Crusades history and the story of Duke Godfrey of Bouillon, a leader shaped by brutal marches, siege warfare, and relentless pressure. We talk about why stories like this still matter when you feel the angst of our times and the pull to defend what’s true. Godfrey’s courage is obvious, but the real turning point is spiritual: “God forbid that I should be crowned with a crown of gold, where my Savior bore a crown of thorns.” That line forces a question most of us avoid: what happens when you finally get what you think you deserve?

From there, we connect the story to Philippians 2 and the model of Jesus’ humility, then broaden it to our everyday “crowns” like status, titles, validation, and the respect of other men. We also look at Revelation 4 and the sobering picture of crowns being laid down before God’s throne, reminding us that even our best rewards are meant to end in worship. If you care about spiritual warfare, Christian discipleship, servant leadership, and biblical masculinity, this one is a strong reset.

Listen, share it with a brother who’s chasing the crown, and then subscribe, leave a five-star rating and review, and tell us: what recognition is hardest for you to lay down?
Support the show
Want to connect? Email communication@coe22.com