When Pride Fades, and Grace Begins
When pride fades, grace begins—and that truth sits at the heart of this robust conversation.
In this episode of Honest Christian Conversations, I sit down with Mark Osborne to talk about what it truly means to surrender everything to God. Mark’s story is one of strength forged not through self-effort, but through humility—learning that fundamental transformation begins when we stop building our own kingdom and allow God to shape every part of who we are.
Mark grew up witnessing the undeniable power of God through his father’s radical conversion. After years of resistance, alcohol abuse, and spiritual struggle, one altar call changed everything. In a moment Mark will never forget, his father turned back, ran to the altar, and emerged a new man—sober, joyful, and at peace. Seeing that transformation firsthand convinced Mark that God was real.
Yet believing in God didn’t immediately translate into knowing Him. As a teenager, Mark followed the motions of faith—serving, attending church, saying yes at the altar—without yet walking in daily surrender. Like many of us, it would take years, pain, and discipline before the relationship replaced the routine.
That turning point came decades later, after a mild heart attack and an honest moment at his kitchen table. As Mark asked God why he wasn’t happy, a simple whisper sparked dramatic change. He lost weight, rebuilt his physical strength, and accomplished goals he never thought possible—but slowly, pride crept in. What began as obedience became self-focus.
In God’s mercy, Mark recognized the shift and made a bold decision to lay everything down. He deleted the distractions, refocused on his marriage and ministry, and chose humility over image. That surrender became the foundation for restoration.
Out of that season, God birthed The Valiant Forge Podcast—a space where men are encouraged to grow in mind, body, and spirit through Scripture, not self-help. Mark’s message is clear: when growth flows from surrender to God, it produces better husbands, fathers, and leaders.
🎧 Listen to the episode to hear how surrender reshapes strength, why dying to self leads to true freedom, and how God uses humility to forge lives of lasting impact.
💬 After listening, join the conversation in the community, where we reflect together on pride, purpose, and what it means to build God’s kingdom one surrendered step at a time.
Wife. Mother of five. Podcaster. Fiction Novelist
Ana is the host of the Honest Christian Conversations podcast and a prodigal saved by God’s unending grace.
She grew up in a legalistic Christian home where asking questions often felt wrong. In her early twenties, overwhelmed by confusion and hurt, she walked away from her faith. Yet even then, God’s love never stopped pursuing her. At thirty years old—and after a painful second divorce—He brought her back to himself, and she has never looked back.
As Ana returned to Christ, she began rebuilding her faith from the ground up and asked the questions she once feared to ask. Along that journey, she discovered inconsistencies, misplaced teachings, and even lies woven into the Christianity she grew up with. Instead of destroying her faith, this only deepened it. Out of that discovery, she founded Honest Christian Conversations. Ana's heart is to help others navigate the same tension she once lived with: wanting to know the real Jesus while sorting through the noise of deceptive teachings, spiritual manipulation, and “wolves in sheep’s clothing.”
Everything she creates flows from gratitude for the God who rescued her, restored her, and continues to shape her into who He intended her to be.
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