Mission Focused Men for Christ

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)

Episode Summary. As our children and grandchildren leave their homes, we can expect them to hear the argument that they should act like adults and stop viewing the Bible’s fairy tales as anything more than morally uplifting stories like The Little Mermaid, The Lord of the Rings, or Santa Clause. Against this backdrop, we must help our children and grandchildren, before leaving home, realize that believing in Jesus is far different than believing in Santa Clause. The faulty idea that the TRUTH of what you believe DOESN'T MATTER is being shouted from the rooftops in academia today. But no one lives that way. This episode seeks to equip us all to explain the ways that belief that the child in the manger is God, himself, is rooted in solid evidence, unlike the myth of Santa. For Further Prayerful Thought:How would you answer the objection, “I can’t believe in Christianity because I can’t believe God would be so narrow minded that only one religion could be right?How would you answer Da Vinci Code fans who insist that the idea that the baby in Bethlehem’s manger was made up by a faction of Jesus’ followers? Which examples of archaeology’s validation of biblical accuracy do you most want to remember?How might Jesus’ fulfillment of so many specific prophecies be a tool to help you ask those who don’t know him to consider his claims?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. Our culture is shaped by the interaction of various worldviews that compete for the influence to shape thinking. Ten days ago in the halls of Congress many of us saw the moral bankruptcy of a worldview that is held by many of the cultural elites, when the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and Penn would not say that the conduct code of their universities prevents students from calling for the extermination of the Jews. The worldview that has replaced the conscience of these elites is called critical theory. Christians have something far, far better to offer the world. It is an accurate lens to explain what is happening in the world. This episode examines this biblical worldview through which to view society. We do that by examining the Christmas story of the Magi. For Further Prayerful Thought:How does John’s worldview lens of 2 categories of people, those who hate the light and those who come to the light correspond to reality as you have experienced it?What truths stood out to you about Matthew’s inclusion of the story of the magi in his gospel? Why do you think it is so rare today to find a group so “driven” to want to worship Jesus?What do you most want to remember about the dark side of Christmas?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. Is anything more beautiful, spectacular, and wonderful than God’s creation of WOMAN? I think not. She is the crowning achievement of God’s creation process. She is the one for whom a husband is to die. Yet, we live in a culture that has profoundly marred the portrait of fulfilled womanhood as God designed it to be—and it is our feminine loved ones who are suffering from it. This episode seeks to put a spotlight on 4 worldviews in our culture that MISSHAPE our loved ones’ views of womanhood in sharp contrast to God’s perfect design revealed in Scripture. We then examine this portrait in the person of Mary, the mother of Jesus, so that we who are husbands, fathers and grandfathers can help our female loved ones delight in biblical womanhood instead of being ashamed of it.For Further Prayerful Thought: Which of the 4 pollutant worldviews in our culture about womanhood concern you most? Which of the 4 pollutant worldviews in our culture have you found hardest to refute? What part of Mary’s beauty most stood out to you? What part of Peter’s portrait of womanhood, also seen in Mary, do you want to most remember to notice in your feminine lived ones so you can praise them for it?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)

Summary: At this cultural moment Christian men face the extreme risk of abandoning our calling to godly manhood, because of the cultural pressure we feel every day. This pressure not to make distinctions between men and woman or their designed roles is squeezing many Christian men and leaders into the world’s mold and resulting unfaithfulness. But in this episode we study the example of Joseph, Jesus’ earthly dad, which is a step towards enabling us to be transformed as Romans 12:2 says, by the renewing of our minds  to set our sights on God's vision of manhood for us.For Further Prayerful Thought: Which of the 6 characteristics of Joseph do you most admire?Which of the 6 characteristics of Joseph do you think required the most spiritual might?Which of the 6 characteristics of Joseph do you most want to remember?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)Resource Used for This Podcast:Boundaries With Kids, Henry Cloud and John TownsendLeadership is Male, David Pawson

Summary: As irritations, frustrations and trials crowd into our lives bringing out our bad attitudes, we are hit in the face with James’ almost impossible command, “Count it all joy when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:3). “Be joyful,” says James, “because when it hurts, God is building in you the Christ-like quality of steadfastness.” This same, priceless, attribute of Christ-like character, steadfastness, is identified by Peter as one of the eight in the golden chain of Christ-like virtues we’re studying. This episode examines how on our terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, we can exhibit the inner toughness of character that responds as Jesus would—with steadfastness, instead of giving in to lousy, self-absorbed, wrong attitudes. We then go on to examine how to build the remaining three virtues in Peter’s golden chain that go beyond steadfastness.For Further Prayerful Thought: Why does becoming like Jesus hurt?Character is not having the right attitude once in a while but consistently enough so that such an attitude is characteristic of you. How is this truth related to the quality of steadfastness?How would you answer a Christ-follower who said, “When I was a younger Christian I needed to be connected in the Body of Christ because I was so screwed up, but now that I am stronger, I’m handling things on my own okay?”As you look back upon the 3-step process for accessing divine power to build the golden chain of virtues that rest upon one another, where would you say is the biggest breakdown in your life?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)

Summary: It is hard to image anything that would please Jesus more than hearing, “I want to be just like you.” Incredibly, the Apostle, Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:3-8 that God has graciously given us a present—his divine power to partake of his divine, holy nature. He outlines 3 specific steps by which Christians access that divined power. The last 2 episodes examined steps 1-2. This episode examines step 3. For Further Prayerful Thought:  In this episode’s review of last week we again looked at how claiming the specific promises of God to care for our needs frees us from having to worry about them knowing they are taken care of. Why might this step be required before we can focus on Christ-like attitudes towards others?What ideas about pursuing virtue, praiseworthy character stood out to you.What do you think of the statement having the right attitude comes from looking at life from God’s point of view? What reasons for knowing the Word of God stand out to you as most important.Do you agree or disagree with this statement. Self-control is more about choosing your perspective in a given situation than about resisting cravings?   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)

Summary: Against a moral backdrop much like ours, in which evil seemed ready to envelop the whole empire. Peter gave specific advice to the Christ-followers of his day. This episode examines that advice and how we can follow it in today’s world. We will see that despite being disheartened by the way Evil was winning the cultural battle between Christ’s kingdom of righteousness and the kingdom of darkness, Peter urges Christ-followers to fight a different battle—one that Christ has given us the resources to WIN.For Further Prayerful Thought: Why do you think Peter tries to motivate his readers to fight the battle against evil desires and supplant them with a heart like that of Jesus—by appealing that such effort guarantees that their commitment to Christ will not be INEFFECTIVE or UNFRUITFUL?Step 2 for accessing Christ’s power to overcome selfish attitudes (from verse 4b) stresses that the power to partake of Christ’s moral excellence comes through his precious and great promises. How can living by Christ’s promises dispel the turmoil and self-preoccupation that tend to rule our hearts?Which specific promises of God stood out to you?Which selfish compulsion of you heart needs to be expelled by claiming a promise of God?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).

Summary: Great men in the eyes of Jesus are those who fight the sinful attitudes of their hearts, self-centeredness, pride, resentment, lust, selfishness, impurity, rivalry, idolatry, greed, envy, selfish anger. They surrender in humility to God’s reclamation project of re-making them into the toughness of character that Jesus showed. They channel their masculine aggression towards overpowering the dark attitudes of their fallen hearts. This episode explores what the Apostle, Peter, taught about how to unleash the power God has provided to win this battle.  For Further Prayerful Thought: If God has freely granted us the power to overcome sinful attitudes, why do we surrender to them so much?How does Paul’s explanation of sanctification in 2 Cor 3:17 make sense? And we all, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.What obstacles keep you from intimacy with Jesus?How can we do a better job of remembering that fighting our wrong attitudes so that our inner character looks like that of Jesus, is a personal call from him?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)

Summary: In the last ten years there has been an explosion of confusion among adolescent children about their gender. Girls doubting their femininity are suffering. Boys uncertain about masculinity are unsure of themselves. Alarming statistics reveal that the more confused children are about their gender, the greater is their risk of suicide. What should Christian men do about this crisis? This episode uses God’s command to us in 1 Corinthians 16:13 to answer that question.  For Further Prayerful Thought: What do you see as the implications of God’s command, “be watchful,” regarding our response to radical gender theory’s influence in our day?What do you see as the implications of God’s command, “stand firm in the faith” regarding our response to radical gender theory’s influence in our day?What do you see as the implications of God’s command, “act like men,” regarding our response to radical gender theory’s influence in our day?What do you see as the implications of God’s command, “be strong,” regarding our response to radical gender theory’s influence in our day?Resources To Enable Men to BE WATCHFUL FREE YouTube Video Series, A Biblical Response to Gender Confusion and the Transgender Movement. The 4 lectures are Understanding Gender Theory, Understanding Today’s Transgender Craze, Countering Radical Gender Theory, Biblical Worldview of Sexuality (For teens and youth leaders).Gospel Coalition article. Sarah Zylstra, “Transformation of a Transgender Teen,” The Gospel Coalition, July 6, 2022.48-page booklet, Our Daughter and the Transgender Craze: Responding with Grace and Truth.What Would You Say  Colson Center website“Protect Our Children from Gender Confusion” Campaign—our ministry’s call to get prepared, get praying, and get promoting this campaign on Facebook. 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)