Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
8 19 2026
Don’t Stop at the Threshold
Today is a little different. Pray with me about this…will you.
This week, 285 men showed up for our Courageous Men’s Group, and I want to take a moment to
welcome every one of you. But what happened to those men last night
is something that happens to all of us when God brings us to a new threshold.
There are moments in our lives when God calls us out of our comfort zone and invites us into something unfamiliar—a new beginning, a new relationship, a new season, a new calling, or even a new freedom.
And here’s the danger: we can have enough courage to step through the threshold, but not always enough courage to keep walking once we’re on the other side. The pull of what is familiar can be incredibly strong.
Sometimes the very place God is calling us toward requires us to leave behind the place
we’ve become comfortable staying in. And that’s where the real courage begins.
For those 285 men, the threshold may have been walking through the doors of Courageous. But the threshold is different for each of us. Maybe God is asking you to step into something you’ve been avoiding, to trust Him in an area where you’ve always tried to remain in control, or to allow someone else into a part of your life you’ve kept guarded. Whatever that threshold looks like, the question is the same: Will you keep walking forward, or will you retreat to what feels familiar?
Can I tell you something? That’s exactly where the enemy wants you. Because isolation is powerful. We can hide our marriage problems, our financial problems, our addictions, our fear, our insecurity, and our loneliness. We can even hide our questions about God. And here’s the crazy thing: you can be surrounded by people and still be completely alone.
Some of those 285 men may have walked out last night still feeling like nobody really knows them.
And maybe that’s you. Maybe you don’t know how to open up.
Maybe you weren’t raised that way. Maybe nobody ever taught you how to talk about what’s happening inside your heart.
Maybe you’ve been told your whole life, “Man up.” So you did. You became strong. Independent.
You learned how to fix things, provide, work, protect and perform.
But somewhere along the way, you may have learned how to be strong
without learning how to be known. And those are not the same thing.
Genesis 2:18 says, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” God said that before sin entered the world. Our need for one another isn’t weakness. It’s part of God’s design. We need God, and we need people who will walk with us toward God. Not perfect people. Not people who have everything figured out. People who are willing to say, “I’m in this with you.”
That’s what I hope Courageous becomes. Not simply a place where 285 men show up on Monday night, but a place where men begin to say, “Brother, pray for me.” “Brother, I’m struggling.” “Brother, I don’t know what to do.” “Brother, I need somebody to hold me accountable.” “Brother, I’m not okay.” And then somebody says, “You’re not alone.”
But here’s the problem. The enemy will give you a thousand reasons not to come back. He’ll tell you you’re too busy, too private, too independent. He’ll tell you, “You don’t need a bunch of guys knowing your business.” He’ll tell you, “You can do this on your own.”
But ask yourself honestly: How has doing it alone been working for you?
That’s not condemnation. That’s an invitation.
Maybe God didn’t bring you into that room simply to give you another Bible study. Maybe He brought you there because He knows you need something you haven’t been willing to admit you need. You need Him. And you need His people.
Sometimes God answers a prayer by putting us in a room with people we didn’t know we needed.
So don’t retreat from the threshold you’ve crossed. Come back. Take another step. Talk to one man. Learn his name. Ask him how he’s really doing. And when he asks you how you’re doing, don’t automatically say, “I’m good.” Maybe for once, tell the truth.
Because courage isn’t the absence of fear. Courage is moving forward while you’re still afraid.
And you may discover something beautiful. The man sitting next to you may be carrying the same thing you’re carrying. The guy who looks confident may be lonely. The guy who looks successful may be insecure. The guy who seems to have the perfect marriage may be fighting for his marriage. The guy who doesn’t say much may simply be waiting for somebody to ask, “How are you really doing?”
And maybe God brought 285 men into that room because He wants us to stop pretending that we have to do life alone. But don’t miss this: He may be doing the same thing in your life right now.
Your threshold may have nothing to do with Courageous. It may be a relationship God is asking you to repair, a calling He’s asking you to pursue, a habit He’s asking you to surrender, a wound He’s asking you to let Him heal, or a step of faith you’ve been afraid to take.
Whatever your threshold is, don’t stop here.
You crossed the threshold. Now take another step. Draw closer to God. Draw closer to one another. Let yourself be known. Let someone walk beside you. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to take the next step.
Because I believe God has a reason for every man who walked through those doors. And I believe He has a reason for every person reading this today. You may not be at a threshold but you can pray and intercede for them, that they keep going.
Don’t miss what He has for you because you’re afraid to walk any farther.
285 men showed up. Now let’s see what God can do with these men who refuse to walk away…and with every one of us who refuses to retreat from the threshold God has placed before us.
Questions to Consider
- What threshold has God brought me to, and what is keeping me from taking the next step?
- Where have fear, insecurity, pride, or independence kept me from being truly known by God or by others?
- Who is one person God may be asking me to take a deeper step toward?
Thank you for spending these few minutes with me today. My prayer is that these devotionals don’t simply give you something to think about, but draw you into a deeper love for Jesus Christ. If someone forwarded this devotional to you and you’d like to receive future devotionals each week, you can subscribe here: 👉 http://eepurl.com/i_nlb2
If you’d like to go even deeper, I’d love to invite you to join me beginning Tuesday, September 1st, for my free six-week online course, Discovering Jesus. We’ll meet Tuesday evenings from 7:00–8:30 p.m. as we explore the foundational truths of our faith and, more importantly, deepen our relationship with Christ. You’re welcome to invite your spouse, family members, friends, or neighbors. I’ll provide all of the materials at no charge. Just let me know. To join the video meeting, click this link: https://meet.google.com/zkb-dxcq-iau
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE3jyYhHluo
I surrender all Carrie Underwood
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