Joe vs The Volcano: A Man's Journey to His Destiny

Written By Paul McDonald

Coming up on the Men at the Movies podcast, we talk about Joe vs the Volcano. Joe is a man who was losing his soul. A man that life happens to. A man that, frankly, needs to get his balls back. This movie is about a man’s journey to become who he was meant to be. And like us, he can’t get to where he wants to be without going through hardship and struggle. May you live to be a thousand years old, sir, and let’s discover God’s truth in this movie.

About Paul Nichols

Paul Nichols is a son, husband and dad in Cincinnati, OH. He works in a small custom cabinet shop, loves finding Eternal Truths in movies and will discuss those Truths with anyone who will sit still long enough, preferably around a fire with good whisky and a cigar. 

Paul also works with a team of like-hearted allies helping men recover their hearts at Man Camp in Cincinnati, find out more at mancamp.us 

When he's not watching movies, spends as much time as possible outside with his wife, 3 kids & 2 dogs.

Quotes

  • Death is not the worst thing when you’re living a lifeless existence.

  • Joe has been asleep. This is the story of what happens when a man wakes up.

  • This movie is about a man’s journey to become who he was meant to be.

  • Living in a miserable known feels safer than venturing into the unknown.

  • We’re not going to grow or transform without some sort of catalyst.

  • You can’t get to where you want to go without going through the hardship and the struggle.

  • You don’t grow without resistance.

  • Jesus has more resource than we have need.

 Themes

  • Joe is a man who is losing his soul. He needs to get his balls back. He’s a man that life happens to. He has been asleep.

    • Has a boss with fake testicles

    • Powerless

    • He was taken out by trauma from a job where he made a difference and went to a job that risked nothing.

    • He has lost who he was.

  • When he comes alive, people around him come alive as well.

  • He overreacts with purpose in response to the feeling that he’s wasted his life.

Resources

  • “If the choice is kill yourself or do the thing you’re scared to do, just do the thing you’re afraid to do.” - Joe Banks

  • A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. - Franklin D. Roosevelt

  • “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Questions

  • When have you let fear dictate who you became?

  • Where do you feel like you’re asleep?

  • Where do you feel like you’re awake (or waking up)?

  • What did you want to be when you were a child? What happened?

  • Where do you feel powerless?

  • Where do you feel ruled by men with fake testicles?

  • What are you afraid to do?

  • How did a shipwreck get you to where you needed to be?

  • What parts of you are still asleep?

  • Where do you feel like it’s too late?

  • Where do you feel like you’ve wasted your life?

More info

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Edited and mixed by Grayson Foster

Logo and episode templates by Ian Johnston

Audio quotes performed by Britt Mooney, Paul McDonald, and Tim Willard, taken from Epic (written by John Eldredge) and Song of Albion (written by Stephen Lawhead).

Southerly Change performed by Zane Dickinson, used under license from Shutterstock.

Links:

Paul McDonald
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