There are a few people in life whose presence becomes a turning point, whose character quietly shapes our own. For me, that person is my friend and mentor, Mike Akins. Mike has walked with me through the good, the bad, and the downright ugly seasons of my life—not as someone who stands above me, but as someone who stands beside me. He has always been honest and open, offering either a compliment or a reality check, whichever my heart needed more.

What sets Mike apart is that he is the only person I know who consistently lives out the character of Christ—whether under pressure or at peace. Watching him has given me hope that the ways of God truly do work, not just in theory but in the grit and stress of everyday life. His example is living proof that transformation is possible.

The three videos I’m about to share speak to that same kind of transformation—one that this age desperately needs. They capture the heart of what I’ve seen lived out in Mike and what I believe can shape us all.

Pastor Joe Stover