Pastors Unfiltered #108: Balancing Career and Calling
In this deeply honest episode of Pastors Unfiltered, Pastors Brandon Beals and Tony Mattar sit down with Sean King and Connor Takata to talk about the realities of bi-vocational ministry—the highs, the heartbreaks, and the holy tension between calling and career. Together, they explore: Why many pastors step away from full-time ministry, the emotional weight of transitioning to the secular workforce, what it means to be called—and how that calling evolves. How to balance work, family, finances, and faith why the church needs to rethink how we define ministry success from funny stories to raw reflection, this episode is for anyone in ministry, anyone called, and anyone wondering if they’re “doing enough” for God.
00:00 – Intro banter: episode number confusion & salty podcast hosts
02:40 – Meet Tim Cruickshank: former Navy SEAL and founder of Bonefrog Coffee
05:30 – Tim’s military journey: SEAL teams, injuries, and retirement
09:15 – Launching Bonefrog Coffee as a mission and business
12:00 – Why entrepreneurship is spiritual warfare
14:40 – The tension between faith and failure in business
17:30 – Purpose-driven businesses and the story behind the Bonefrog name
21:10 – Training in combat vs. life after the military
25:15 – Leading with conviction: “We will not compromise”
28:30 – The role of prayer and obedience in daily leadership
31:00 – God’s guidance in business and what success really looks like
34:00 – Raising kids to carry faith with integrity
36:45 – Learning to listen to God’s voice as a man
39:30 – Marriage, mission, and navigating hard seasons
43:00 – Spiritual battles in entrepreneurial and political spheres
46:00 – Tim’s view on America’s current spiritual condition
48:20 – Tim’s hope for revival among men and fathers
51:00 – What legacy looks like in war, family, and faith
54:10 – Rapid fire: coffee origin, favorite SEAL memory, best advice
57:00 – Final words from Tim & encouragement to listeners
59:30 – Outro: how to support Bonefrog Coffee and closing remarks
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