Blog
Suffering for Righteousness' Sake
Why Men Don't Read, and Why They Should
One of the constant conversations I have with men is the stress they feel at work. They are expected to do more on the job with less help. They feel pressured to email and text on weekends. Margins for rest erode. Time to re-create is pushed aside. And one of those things pushed aside is reading.... read more
In His Image
In the very first book of the Bible we see God model something for us—leadership. He does what leaders do, he takes the initiative for the benefit of others. This is what we see him doing in Genesis 1 and 2. He acts. He initiates. He does something. God looks into the darkness and chaos and he speaks light and life into existence. He creates stars, streams, and solar systems. He orders and arranges creation. God was not passive. He acted. And when he finished, he enjoyed his creation: “And... read more
Looking for Strength
What makes you feel strong? Where do you go to find strength to walk through life? For men, the strength issue is a massive one. I saw that first hand when taught high school. Here I watched young men looking for their strength in all sorts of ways: aggressively pumping iron, hyper-focusing on athletics, bullying others, using drugs and alcohol, flirting with girls, trying to be the alpha male, being a part of the cool crowd. What was interesting in our classroom conversations about strength is... read more
5 Movies that Celebrate Fatherhood
Some movies are entertaining, some are educational, and then there are those that make you feel something. A mentor once told me, "Pay attention to what moves you. It's either God inviting you deeper into the Larger Story or deeper into your own story." Those words have stayed with me and as I find myself experiencing deep emotions during a movie, I try to pause and reflect on what about that particular scene is hitting me so hard.
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Connecting to the Heart
How do I connect with my daughter's heart so she can connect with God's heart?
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Falling Into Trust
When I used to teach high school freshman Bible, one of my favorite activities happened during the section on trust in God. Instead of just discussing it, the boys would go and experience it. I would take them to the auditorium stage and have a courageous volunteer stand with his back facing the front of the stage. Then he would fall backwards into the arms of his classmates lined up below on the auditorium floor. There was a moment right after the falling started when it was instinctive to... read more
Living the Mandate
God has "hard-wired" men to create and cultivate. I believe at the core of a man's heart he must be creating and taking initiative for the benefit of others to feel a sense of significance, meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. As we covered extensively in Session Two, God models creation and cultivation as early as Genesis 1 and 2, then mandates those two acts of courage to Adam as the core essence, responsibility, and purpose of his masculinity. That mandate is still ours as men today.... read more
4 Foundational Truths About Marriage
Our culture contributes to a great deal of confusion, not just with regards to masculinity, but also with marriage. Never before has there been a greater lack of clarity about what constitutes a marriage. But scripture gives clear direction and provides declarative context for marriage. Consider the following passage.... read more
