Shanktification
Welcome to Shanktification: Golf, grace, and the beautiful struggle for perfection.
What happens when our sanctification journey starts to look a lot like a shank?
In this weekly 15-minute conversation, we explore how the game of golf is filled with moments that mirror the gospel message—revealing lessons about grace, humility, perseverance, and growth.
Whether you’re curious about Jesus or have followed Him for years, and whether you love golf or are still learning to love it, you’ll find a place here. The highs, the lows, the frustration, and the beauty of the game all point us toward something deeper.
This isn’t about having it all figured out. It’s about walking the process together—learning, growing, and celebrating the journey as we go.
Shanktification
You Are What You Are
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What if the pressure you’re living under… isn’t actually necessary?
In this episode, we walk through Colossians 2:6–7 and Colossians 2:15 to uncover a powerful truth: Jesus has already defeated the enemy—and that changes how you live today.
Using the lens of golf and the idea that “you are what you are,” we talk about identity, pressure, and why one bad hole doesn’t define your round.
You don’t live to become someone.
You live from who you already are in Christ.
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Reach out to me at mark@shanktification.com or follow me on Facebook here. I'd love to hear from you!
I was pulling for Rory during the 2026 Masters Tournament. But unfortunately, I had some things to do on Sunday and I couldn't get away and watch it live. So I recorded it and watched it later that night. But I knew who won already. I couldn't take the anticipation. I like Rory. I was pulling for Rory that week, but when I sat down to watch it Sunday night, I wasn't stressed every time I hit an errant shot. I wasn't stressed every time somebody charged up the leaderboard and threatened his win. I didn't stress out, I wasn't frustrated, I wasn't panicking. Why? Because I already knew how it ended. And now think about this. What would it look like to live your life like that? You still have bad days, you still make mistakes, things don't go your way, but instead of spiraling, you stay steady. Why? Because something deeper has already been settled. You already know how this ends. In the second chapter of Colossians, verses 6 and 7, it says, So then, just as you received Jesus Christ our Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in your faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. And then if you jump down to verse 15, it says, And having disarmed the powers and authorities, meaning Jesus, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them at the cross. Paul says, Just as you received Jesus Christ as Lord, continue to walk in him. Stay rooted, stay built up, stay established. Then he says something powerful that Jesus disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them. The enemy we're worried about, he's already been defeated. Now go back to that 2026 Masters, and every time Rory did something wrong, every time he missed a putt he should have made, every time he hit an errant drive, every time somebody went on a hot streak, I would be losing it. But I wasn't. I was calm. The mistakes didn't disappear, the fear of them did. I once heard someone say, in golf, you are what you are. If you're a scratch golfer, you might have a bad hole, you might start out with a double bogey, but you're probably not going to shoot a 95. Why? Because your identity shows up over time. When you hit a bad shot, you don't panic. When you make a double, you don't spiral. You stay composed because you know that's not who you are. And on the flip side, if you're playing against somebody in match play who normally shoots a hundred, he's not going to go out there against you and accidentally shoot even par. Because here's the truth: a bad hole or a good hole doesn't change your identity. It just shows up inside of it. And that's exactly what Paul was saying in Colossians. You received Christ, you're rooted in him, you're being built up in him. In other words, you are what you are in Christ. And then jump down to Colossians 2.15 again. It says, Jesus didn't just help you, he defeated what stood against you. He defeated sin, shame, he defeated the enemy, and he made a mockery of them. He didn't just beat them, he obliterated them, he embarrassed them. So now your identity isn't someone you're trying to win. It's someone who belongs to the one who already has. The only way a great golfer falls apart is if they forget who they are. They start pressing, overthinking, playing scared, and the same is true in spirituality. The enemy can't change who you are, but he'll do everything he can to make you forget. So what would our life look like if we actually believed this? When we messed up, when we had a bad whole kind of day, or when things just don't go our way? Do we spiral, or would we reset and keep walking? Some of us are living like every mistake defines us, but that's not how identity works. Following Jesus is a lot like watching a game that you already know the outcome of. And it's like stepping on a golf course knowing who you are. You're gonna have a bad hole, you're gonna hit a bad shot, but that doesn't define you. You don't live to become someone. You live from who you already are in Christ. Because of him, you are what you are. We all have these friends, I've got one. He plays golf about twice a year, he doesn't take it seriously, he's not that great, and he comes out and the first shot he'll hit 10 yards and he'll get so mad. He'll double bogey the second hole or triple bogey the first hole or miss an easy putt, and he just gets so angry with himself. And I always think to myself, man, you probably shoot about 120 on an average basis, the two times a year you play golf. Did you think you were gonna come out here today and shoot for under accidentally? Like, you are what you are, and that's okay. I can hang out with guys that shoot 120, but don't be disappointed when you expect your identity to change the second you step on the first T-box. But I'm guilty of the same thing sometimes. Sometimes I'm watching the golf match between Jesus and Sin, and Jesus has got a 476-stroke lead going into the 18th hole, and I'm still kind of biting my nails. Like, what if they make a comeback? What if Jesus trips up somewhere? What do I need to do? How can I help? How can I stress out enough to help the win? And Paul's saying, no, no, no. Not only is Jesus going to win, but the enemy has already been defeated. Jesus' name is already engraved on the trophy, and they've already planned the master's dinner for next year in his honor. Now, we're getting close to sacrilege here, so I'll stop the analogy. But but you get the idea. Not only are we completely helpless to help Jesus win, but the match was won 2,000 years ago. So what would it look like if we start living like that? And sometimes we need a reminder. Sometimes we need to go back and read the history books, read the Bible, and see what he did. Remind ourselves that he won. That's what Easter is all about. We celebrate that. We celebrate that victory. So I encourage you, go back and remind yourself, even though you know we all need a reminder. And share this with somebody who doesn't know who won yet. My name is Mark. This is Shantification, and just a reminder to stop scoreboard watching and keep chasing better.
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