Mission Focused Men for Christ

Episode Summary. This is the first episode in our March series, Worldviews Leading Our Loved Ones Astray. We begin by noting that many of the rising generation are rejecting the Christianity they grew up with because what the Bible says about homosexuality seems so outdated and unfair to them. This episode seeks to recover the teaching that all Christians must treat those in the LGBTQ+ life with compassion and dignity, yet not allow ourselves to over-empathize with this group and abandon the truth of Scripture as many are doing. This episode explains the background behind, 1) those who claim to be Gay Christians, 2) the concept of sexual orientation, and 3) the concept of gay identity.   For Further Prayerful Thought:What stood out to you about the way Jesus exhibited a welcoming attitude towards the woman at the well and refused to stigmatize her. How would you try to make the church a safe place for rising teens who experience same-sex attraction?How would you explain to other Christians that the category sexual orientation is a false characterization of personhood? How does that perspective of the sin of homosexuality get in the way of one repenting over his or her same sex desires and practices?If all Christians are sinners, which means some are guilty of the sin of same-sex desire, why is calling those who struggle with this particular sin “Gay Christians” wrong?Which facts about the homosexual life stood out to you?For the printed version of this message click here.For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.For FREE downloadable studies on men’s issues click here.To make an online contribution to enable others to hear about the podcast: (Click link and scroll down to bottom left)

Episode Summary. This episode acknowledges that those whose loud voices proclaim that the Bible promotes oppressive patriarchy would be horrified to read its title: Her Heart Needs Your Spiritual Leadership. But wise Christians understand both the horrible abuse of women by men and the fact that the cause is not God’s design structure for the home, but men’s sinful nature. The truth is that every woman’s heart is designed to be fulfilled by her husband leading their home and family well. This episode examines what this glorious design of male leadership in the home looks like, recognizing that only Jesus can give us the power to lead this way. For Further Prayerful Thought:In one sentence, how would you design the spiritual leadership a Christian wife’s heart yearns for?How is the strength of your relationship with Christ related to the strength of your ability to love your wife and family well? What steps might you take to walk more closely with Jesus?In what ways might you more fully share the weight of your wife’s concerns on the home front?Is it overstating Paul’s teaching about your wife’s growth in holiness to say that in eternity a husband will celebrate how much he has enabled his wife to radiate eternal godly womanhood through his prayers for her character and for strength to resist her temptations? For the printed version of this message click here.For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.For FREE downloadable studies on men’s issues click here.To make an online contribution to enable others to hear about the podcast: (Click link and scroll down to bottom left)

Episode Summary. Instead of hearing refreshing words of praise and appreciation from their husbands, countless wives endure each day with parched souls and sad hearts. Being starved for words of affirmation, they feel worthless, unattractive, and unappreciated. This episode examines a biblical role of husbands that you may have thought little about—our job to protect our wife’s self-esteem. Life and self-doubt will eventually crush her sense of worth if we don’t keep binding up the wounds to her self-esteem, covering her with the salve of our reassuring words of affirmation.For Further Prayerful Thought:In your own words, describe the inner feelings of a wife who is suffering from low self-esteem.In your view what are the weightiest arguments for the husband being the primary means by which these inner feelings of inferiority are alleviated?Of the five steps to praising our wives more, the first four had to do with getting our hearts to feel grateful for her. What insights did you gain that might help you better do that?What steps do you need to take to program your “inner feminine beauty recognition” program to better recognize your wife matching the woman of virtue in Proverbs 31 and turn that recognition into words of praise?For the printed version of this message click here.For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.For FREE downloadable studies on men’s issues click here.To make an online contribution to enable others to hear about the podcast: (Click link and scroll down to bottom left) 

Episode Summary. God wants husbands and wives to drink deeply and frequently of the refreshing waters of their partner’s sexuality. But most of us whose marriages have lasted beyond the honeymoon stage have found that sustaining romantic and sexual passion has been a lot harder than we ever thought it would be, especially because our wives are NOT wired the way WE are. This episode looks for biblical clues to understanding how and why a woman’s view of romance and sex is so different than her husband’s.For Further Prayerful Thought:What would you say to persuade a Christian brother and sister that married couples having a great sexual relationship is important to God?What are some of the ways that feminine sexual desire seems consistent with what God has revealed to us in Genesis 2 about how he has created woman?How would you use the fact that God created Adam to be ground focused and Eve to be relationally focused to explain why difference in sexual desires can create resentment in marriage? What stood out to you about how to romance a woman?For the printed version of this message click here.For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.For FREE downloadable studies on men’s issues click here.To make an online contribution to enable others to hear about the podcast: (Click link and scroll down to bottom left) 

Episode Summary. This episode examines five biblical texts that reveal the various facets of a wife’s need for heart intimacy with her husband. 84% of wives 9indicate that their husbands have no clue how to meet this need of their hearts.For Further Prayerful Thought: Why do you think 84% of wives say that their husbands are not meeting their need for heart intimacy with them?What do you most need to remember about listening well to your wife to help her open her heart to you?What is your reaction to this statement: For most wives the pain of their husbands never connecting with them at the level of heart intimacy would be like the pain a husband would feel if his wife never had sex with him? What do you think of this description of a wife’s need for affection: it is regularly communicating in small, non-sexual, ways that you care about them?  What else besides hugs fit this category for your wife?For the printed version of this message click here.For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.For FREE downloadable studies on men’s issues click here.To make an online contribution to enable others to hear about the podcast: (Click link and scroll down to bottom left)

Episode Summary. This episode challenges husbands and fathers to be as devoted to bringing out the potential of those under their care as Richard Williams was, the father of Venus and Serena Williams. We take the example of Jesus' leadership of the church as prophet, priest, and king, to identify practically what we should do to help those under our care reach their full potential in Christ.For Further Prayerful Thought:How might you become and remain as passionate about developing the potential of each of your family members as Richard Williams was about developing Venus’ and Serena’s tennis abilities?What are the biggest obstacles to being devoted to the Word of God and leading your family to be shaped with the Word of God?What is the biggest obstacle to interceding for your loved ones, giving them the power to exhibit Christ-like attitudes and resist temptation? What can you do to remove that obstacle?What struck you about the way that King Jesus gifts us to participate in the church’s mission to make disciples of the nations? What might you do to enhance the fruitfulness of your loved ones for Christ?For the printed version of this message click here.For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.For FREE downloadable studies on men’s issues click here.To make an online contribution to enable others to hear about the podcast: (Click link and scroll down to bottom left)

Episode Summary. The opportunities to influence our kids’ lives go by in a flash and after they are launched are rarer still. So, dads and granddads need to know how to maximize the influence we do have. This episode examines God’s two-part design of the influence we wield as spiritual leaders of our home, positional influence and relational influence. In both cases, we must overcome false worldviews that deny the way God wants us to lead our homes. For Further Prayerful Thought:How would you argue with a Christian brother who said, “My wife is better with the kids, so I leave their discipline to her?”How does the discipline approach, “Your behavior is making mommy and daddy feel angry with you” violate the principles of biblical parenting?Why do you think God makes such harsh statements about the failure to bring painful consequences for wrong behavior—you hate your child, you bring death to your child?Why is biblical leadership more about winning the hearts of followers by serving them, than it is having responsibility for making decisions?Which component of Jesus’ leadership practices with the twelve do you most need to put into practice in your leadership role? Recommended Resource Used in this Episode:Boundaries With Kids: When to Say YES, When to Say NO to Help Your Children Gain Control of their Lives,  by Henry Cloud and John TownsendFor the printed version of this message click here.For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.For FREE downloadable studies on men’s issues click here.To make an online contribution to enable others to hear about the podcast: (Click link and scroll down to bottom left)

Episode Summary. Family leadership isn’t for the half-hearted. And it is not always appreciated by our followers! What is worse is that our leadership attempts can fail, disheartening us. But as Wayne Gretzky has pointed out, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” This episode examines what leadership at home looks like, so we can give it our best shot.   For Further Prayerful Thought:What do you learn about the leadership process that you want to remember?In your own words, what is the destination of that Christian men who are leading their homes are pursuing with their family members?Why might it be argued that investing in your calling to love God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength while drinking in his love for you is the foundation of our mission?How can you better connect the frustrating blitzes of your life to the qualities of character God might be teaching you through them?When might you steal an hour to spend on the website What Would You Say, to get better equipped to verbalize the biblical worldviews on the issues of the day as salt and light?For the printed version of this message click here.For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.For FREE downloadable studies on men’s issues click here.To make an online contribution to enable others to hear about the podcast: (Click link and scroll down to bottom left)

Episode Summary. There are so many forces in today’s culture, our own hearts, our wife’s heart, and churches today that are pushing hard against men taking leadership in their homes and churches, that daring to lead our families is tough. It isn’t for sissies. It demands courage to overcome our uncertainty about what we are doing, a thick skin to resist peer pressure, and determination to defeat our passivity. But men, we can’t let our families bear the cost of our rejection of Jesus’ call to biblical manhood. They will suffer. This episode is for those who refuse to offer Jesus a slight nod and mediocre commitment to being a godly man. It challenges men instead to say to Jesus, “I don’t care how strong the resistance is, how unequipped I feel, or how many times I fail, by God’s grace I am going to define MY role as a man in MY home BIBLICALLY and lead My wife and children according to that design as best I can for their welfare and Jesus’ honor.”  For Further Prayerful Thought: What to you is the hardest thing about a Christ-following man’s call to be the leader of his wife and kids?What most stood out to you about the “headship” of husbands in marriage?How best can you help other Christians grasp the magnificence of this design?Which parts of headship do you most want to remember and concentrate upon if you have a family?Which roots of courage to stand alone sometimes in this culture for God’s gender design have to most power to energize you?For the printed version of this message click here.For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.For FREE downloadable studies on men’s issues click here.To make an online contribution to enable others to hear about the podcast: (Click link and scroll down to bottom left)

Episode Summary. In my view as a men’s ministry leader, one of the great tragedies of the church today is that we have failed to capture the hearts of men with the greatness of our mission. This episode focusses on just one aspect of a decision that every Christian who is listening to this podcast has made—choosing to be a follower of King Jesus. Disciples follow their masters’ example. They apply his teaching. They embrace his cause. This episode looks at just one facet of Jesus’ identity that has enormous implications for following him. He is the Prince of Peace who brings shalom.For Further Prayerful Thought:What steps can you take to increase the likelihood that that next year at this time you will look back and say, “I was a faithful agent of reconciliation of the kingdom. I prayed for, the building of relationships with the lost around me and for opportunities to share my faith, and seized those opportunities”?How can you better notice the inner turmoil of those around you and take a small step in pointing them to Jesus? How can you support ministries of those reaching those who have been broken by life?What caveats do you want to remember about being a peacemaker among humans?What do you think of Miles McPherson’s Third option?Why might it be important in your world to remember that Christians aren’t call just to fix spiritual things—but respond with compassion to those impacted by the brokenness of the physical world?For the printed version of this message click here.For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.For FREE downloadable studies on men’s issues click here.To make an online contribution to enable others to hear about the podcast: (Click link and scroll down to bottom left)