Special guest Steven Navarro joins host Steve Teel for a continuation of his previous interview. Don't miss this awesome return.

Special guest Steven Navarro joins host Steve Teel for a continuation of his previous interview. Don't miss this awesome return.

Very Bold Radio and Podcast features host Steve Teel's "Simple Man Bible Study" as well as his interviews with Christian authors, singers, entertainers, athletes, and other difference makers.

Visit: VeryBold.com 

Very Bold Radio on AM 630 The Word every Saturday from 12:00 - 12:30 pm

Very Bold Radio Podcast w/ Steve Teel

Very Bold Radio and Podcast

Very Bold Radio | Steven Navarro Continued

In this episode of Very Bold Radio and Podcast, host Steve Teal sits down for part three of a deep-dive conversation with missionary and writer Steven Navarro. Picking up in 2022 after seven years with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Amsterdam, Steven shares his candid, vulnerable journey through what St. John of the Cross named the "Dark Night of the Soul". 

Despite coming off a spiritually rich season memorizing the Gospel of Luke and experiencing intense corporate worship, Steven found himself entering a profound, multi-year season of spiritual dryness where traditional forms of devotion no longer brought a sense of God’s presence. Through silence, solitude, and guidance from mentors, he learned to embrace spiritual disequilibrium—moving from a performance-based, fix-it mindset toward an open-handed, contemplative faith. 

Key Takeaways & Topics Covered


Transition and Estrangement: Moving from leading Discipleship Training Schools (DTS) to joining a creative collective named Mosaic in YWAM Amsterdam left Steven feeling like a "fish out of water" amid broader life and faith transitions. 


The Onset of Spiritual Dryness: After a season of deep spiritual intimacy in Orlando, Florida, Steven returned to Amsterdam and began experiencing a withdrawal from the tangible presence of God during church services and prayer meetings. The harder he tried to "push in" or perform, the drier it felt. 


Discovering the Contemplative Tradition: Reading Richard Foster’s Streams of Living Water helped Steven realize his spiritual dryness was not a sign of broken faith, but a well-documented historic Christian experience known across traditions as the "Dark Night of the Soul" or "spiritual disequilibrium". 


Practicing Silence and Solitude: Guided by mentors, Steven learned to sit on a quiet bench in Amsterdam for hours, allowing the "sand and dirt" of hurry and noise to settle so he could simply be present with God without needing to perform. 


Unconventional Places of Encounter: While standard devotional routines felt dry, Steven unexpectedly encountered God’s presence in three distinct areas: 


Everyday, mundane moments (making a sandwich in his apartment). 


Creative writing (crafting fiction and sci-fi stories late at night). 


High liturgy services (participating in Catholic Mass, Anglican, and Orthodox spaces). 


Open-Handed Faith and Spiritual Maturity: Moving away from rigid, single-stream definitions of worship allowed Steven to cultivate gratitude for all traditions within the Body of Christ and step into a role of spiritual parenthood. 


Incarnational Spirituality in the Everyday: Drawing on authors like Parker Palmer and Brother Lawrence, the episode highlights that your daily life—whether changing diapers, driving a truck, or frying an egg—is the exact "school" where the Holy Spirit desires to meet you. 


Short Story Feature ("Shooting Star"): Steven closes the interview by reading a poignant original short story exploring the tension between wonder, doubt, and holding onto fleeting moments of beauty.

In this episode of Very Bold Radio and Podcast, host Steve Teal sits down for part three of a deep-dive conversation with missionary and writer Steven Navarro. Picking up in 2022 after seven years with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Amsterdam, Steven shares his candid, vulnerable journey through what St. John of the Cross named the "Dark Night of the Soul". 
Despite coming off a spiritually rich season memorizing the Gospel of Luke and experiencing intense corporate worship, Steven found himself entering a profound, multi-year season of spiritual dryness where traditional forms of devotion no longer brought a sense of God&rsquo;s presence. Through silence, solitude, and guidance from mentors, he learned to embrace spiritual disequilibrium&mdash;moving from a performance-based, fix-it mindset toward an open-handed, contemplative faith. 
Key Takeaways &amp; Topics Covered
<ul data-path-to-node="5">
<li>
Transition and Estrangement: Moving from leading Discipleship Training Schools (DTS) to joining a creative collective named Mosaic in YWAM Amsterdam left Steven feeling like a "fish out of water" amid broader life and faith transitions. 
</li>
<li>
The Onset of Spiritual Dryness: After a season of deep spiritual intimacy in Orlando, Florida, Steven returned to Amsterdam and began experiencing a withdrawal from the tangible presence of God during church services and prayer meetings. The harder he tried to "push in" or perform, the drier it felt. 
</li>
<li>
Discovering the Contemplative Tradition: Reading Richard Foster&rsquo;s Streams of Living Water helped Steven realize his spiritual dryness was not a sign of broken faith, but a well-documented historic Christian experience known across traditions as the "Dark Night of the Soul" or "spiritual disequilibrium". 
</li>
<li>
Practicing Silence and Solitude: Guided by mentors, Steven learned to sit on a quiet bench in Amsterdam for hours, allowing the "sand and dirt" of hurry and noise to settle so he could simply be present with God without needing to perform. 
</li>
<li>
Unconventional Places of Encounter: While standard devotional routines felt dry, Steven unexpectedly encountered God&rsquo;s presence in three distinct areas: 
<ol data-path-to-node="5,4,1">
<li>
Everyday, mundane moments (making a sandwich in his apartment). 
</li>
<li>
Creative writing (crafting fiction and sci-fi stories late at night). 
</li>
<li>
High liturgy services (participating in Catholic Mass, Anglican, and Orthodox spaces). 
</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>
Open-Handed Faith and Spiritual Maturity: Moving away from rigid, single-stream definitions of worship allowed Steven to cultivate gratitude for all traditions within the Body of Christ and step into a role of spiritual parenthood. 
</li>
<li>
Incarnational Spirituality in the Everyday: Drawing on authors like Parker Palmer and Brother Lawrence, the episode highlights that your daily life&mdash;whether changing diapers, driving a truck, or frying an egg&mdash;is the exact "school" where the Holy Spirit desires to meet you. 
</li>
<li>
Short Story Feature ("Shooting Star"): Steven closes the interview by reading a poignant original short story exploring the tension between wonder, doubt, and holding onto fleeting moments of beauty.
</li>
</ul>

From Spiritual Dryness to Open-Handed Faith | Steven Navarro

In this episode of Very Bold Radio and Podcast, host Steve Teel reflects on a major milestone: the 10th anniversary of the Peanut Butter Bowl. What started in 2016 as a single high school rivalry matchup between Johnson and Brandeis in San Antonio has grown into a statewide movement involving over 120 high school coaches and communities across Texas. Steve shares the story behind the initiative, celebrates the incredible milestone of over 456,000 pounds of peanut butter collected—which translates to feeding over 1.8 million people—and honors the coaches, volunteers, and hunger relief organizations that make it all possible.

Key Highlights & Topics Covered:


The Genesis of a Movement: How a warehouse tour at Daily Bread Ministries and a connection with local high school football coaches sparked the idea to fight weekend childhood hunger.


10 Years of Impact: Celebrating 200+ tons of peanut butter collected and 1.8 million people fed through local food banks and hunger relief organizations.


The Power of Leadership: Recognizing the high school coaches, assistant coaches, and student-athletes who have championed the cause, expanded the network city by city, and inspired feeder elementary and middle schools to get involved.


Teamwork Behind the Scenes: Highlighting the dedicated crew—from hunger relief coordinators and media teams to graphic designers and web developers—who keep the operation running smoothly.


Every Jar Matters: Reaffirming that whether a school collects 100 jars or 12,000 pounds, every donation brings food, fuel, and hope to a family in need.


Faith & Community Action: A call to action on the power of prayer, servant leadership, and bringing a competitive fire to serving others.

Key Takeaways:


Small Steps, Huge Multiplication: A simple idea paired with faithful action can grow beyond expectations to feed millions.


Community Unity Over Rivalry: High school rivalries on the field can turn into powerful partnerships off the field to serve the less fortunate.


Leadership Begins Young: Involving elementary and middle school students in donation drives builds a lifelong culture of service and empathy.

Resources & Links Mentioned:


Learn more or give online: peanutbutterbowl.com


Email Steve: steve@verybold.com

In this episode of&nbsp;Very Bold Radio and Podcast, host Steve Teel reflects on a major milestone: the 10th anniversary of the Peanut Butter Bowl. What started in 2016 as a single high school rivalry matchup between Johnson and Brandeis in San Antonio has grown into a statewide movement involving over 120 high school coaches and communities across Texas. Steve shares the story behind the initiative, celebrates the incredible milestone of over 456,000 pounds of peanut butter collected&mdash;which translates to feeding over 1.8 million people&mdash;and honors the coaches, volunteers, and hunger relief organizations that make it all possible.
Key Highlights &amp; Topics Covered:
<ul data-path-to-node="4">
<li>
The Genesis of a Movement: How a warehouse tour at Daily Bread Ministries and a connection with local high school football coaches sparked the idea to fight weekend childhood hunger.
</li>
<li>
10 Years of Impact: Celebrating 200+ tons of peanut butter collected and 1.8 million people fed through local food banks and hunger relief organizations.
</li>
<li>
The Power of Leadership: Recognizing the high school coaches, assistant coaches, and student-athletes who have championed the cause, expanded the network city by city, and inspired feeder elementary and middle schools to get involved.
</li>
<li>
Teamwork Behind the Scenes: Highlighting the dedicated crew&mdash;from hunger relief coordinators and media teams to graphic designers and web developers&mdash;who keep the operation running smoothly.
</li>
<li>
Every Jar Matters: Reaffirming that whether a school collects 100 jars or 12,000 pounds, every donation brings food, fuel, and hope to a family in need.
</li>
<li>
Faith &amp; Community Action: A call to action on the power of prayer, servant leadership, and bringing a competitive fire to serving others.
</li>
</ul>
Key Takeaways:
<ol data-path-to-node="7">
<li>
Small Steps, Huge Multiplication: A simple idea paired with faithful action can grow beyond expectations to feed millions.
</li>
<li>
Community Unity Over Rivalry: High school rivalries on the field can turn into powerful partnerships off the field to serve the less fortunate.
</li>
<li>
Leadership Begins Young: Involving elementary and middle school students in donation drives builds a lifelong culture of service and empathy.
</li>
</ol>
Resources &amp; Links Mentioned:
<ul data-path-to-node="10">
<li>
Learn more or give online: <a href="https://peanutbutterbowl.com/" data-hveid="0" data-ved="0CAAQ_4QMahcKEwiy_sW2vJuWAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQXA">peanutbutterbowl.com</a>
</li>
<li>
Email Steve: steve@verybold.com
</li>
</ul>

Inside the Peanut Butter Bowl: Celebrating 10 Years of Feeding Communities

In this powerful episode of Very Bold Radio and Podcast, host Steve Teel sits down with Coach Joey Saxe, the newly appointed Assistant Athletic Director for Corpus Christi ISD and former head football coach at Akins High School in Austin. Coach Saxe shares his incredible journey of leadership, transitioning from a Title I high school football stadium to a larger district platform designed to resource and champion the next generation of educators and athletes.

At the heart of this conversation is a breathtaking, unexplainable miracle. Coach Saxe opens up for the first time about his son Easton’s 100-day battle in the NICU after being born at just two pounds. He recounts the exact moment he prayed in a hospital chapel, asking God to transfer his son’s pain onto himself—only to witness a medical anomaly weeks later when severe brain bleeds completely resolved themselves, leaving doctors entirely speechless.

Beyond the miracle, this episode is a masterclass in servant leadership. You will hear the genius "secret sauce" behind how Coach Saxe grew the Austin-area Peanut Butter Bowl into a community powerhouse—utilizing popsicles, pizza parties, and high school mascots to collect over a ton of peanut butter for local food banks. From achieving a 100% senior graduation rate to intentionally embedding core values across an entire school campus, Coach Sacks proves that a whistle is a tool for eternal transformation.

Key Takeaways From This Episode:


The Power of a Visionary Coach: Why the lights on the stadium field eventually turn off for everyone, and why anchoring student-athletes in academics changes generations long after sports are over.


The NICU Miracle: A raw, firsthand testimony of a father’s desperate prayer, a physical manifestation of taking on a son's pain, and a medical resolution that secular science could only call "unexplainable."


Bridging the Campus Divide: How Coach Saxe built deep, intentional relationships with classroom teachers—from helping them unpack cars on day one to orchestrating formal, team-wide appreciation nights.


The Peanut Butter Bowl Blueprint: Practical advice for young coaches on how to turn a simple community service project into a highly competitive, massive multi-school movement.


Answering the Call: Understanding when to stay, when to step through an open door, and how to constantly strive to leave a place better than you found it.

"Coaches will impact more kids in one year than most people will in their entire lives." — Billy Graham

Connect with the Show:

To stream more inspiring interviews and get the latest updates, visit verybold.com or email steve@verybold.com. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs a reminder that God can heal, restore, and rewrite your story!

In this powerful episode of Very Bold Radio and Podcast, host Steve Teel sits down with Coach Joey Saxe, the newly appointed Assistant Athletic Director for Corpus Christi ISD and former head football coach at Akins High School in Austin. Coach Saxe shares his incredible journey of leadership, transitioning from a Title I high school football stadium to a larger district platform designed to resource and champion the next generation of educators and athletes.
At the heart of this conversation is a breathtaking, unexplainable miracle. Coach Saxe opens up for the first time about his son Easton&rsquo;s 100-day battle in the NICU after being born at just two pounds. He recounts the exact moment he prayed in a hospital chapel, asking God to transfer his son&rsquo;s pain onto himself&mdash;only to witness a medical anomaly weeks later when severe brain bleeds completely resolved themselves, leaving doctors entirely speechless.
Beyond the miracle, this episode is a masterclass in servant leadership. You will hear the genius "secret sauce" behind how Coach Saxe grew the Austin-area Peanut Butter Bowl into a community powerhouse&mdash;utilizing popsicles, pizza parties, and high school mascots to collect over a ton of peanut butter for local food banks. From achieving a 100% senior graduation rate to intentionally embedding core values across an entire school campus, Coach Sacks proves that a whistle is a tool for eternal transformation.
Key Takeaways From This Episode:
<ul data-path-to-node="8">
<li>
The Power of a Visionary Coach: Why the lights on the stadium field eventually turn off for everyone, and why anchoring student-athletes in academics changes generations long after sports are over.
</li>
<li>
The NICU Miracle: A raw, firsthand testimony of a father&rsquo;s desperate prayer, a physical manifestation of taking on a son's pain, and a medical resolution that secular science could only call "unexplainable."
</li>
<li>
Bridging the Campus Divide: How Coach Saxe built deep, intentional relationships with classroom teachers&mdash;from helping them unpack cars on day one to orchestrating formal, team-wide appreciation nights.
</li>
<li>
The Peanut Butter Bowl Blueprint: Practical advice for young coaches on how to turn a simple community service project into a highly competitive, massive multi-school movement.
</li>
<li>
Answering the Call: Understanding when to stay, when to step through an open door, and how to constantly strive to leave a place better than you found it.
</li>
</ul>
"Coaches will impact more kids in one year than most people will in their entire lives." &mdash; Billy Graham
Connect with the Show:
To stream more inspiring interviews and get the latest updates, visit verybold.com or email steve@verybold.com. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs a reminder that God can heal, restore, and rewrite your story!

Very Bold Radio | Steven Navarro Continued

Very Bold Radio Podcast w/ Steve Teel

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