Training4Manhood

Episode 100: What We’ve Learned So Far!

Guests: Preston, Parker, and Campbell Panetti

 

What are the primary aspects of manhood that you’ve learned growing up in the Panetti household?

1. You take the Panetti name wherever you go. People know you by your actions. Actions either validate what you say you believe, or undermine it.
2. Be responsible in the little things. Responsibility is a learned behavior. 
3. Be available to do whatever needs to be done. Humility is essential to be a man who looks to serve others and not be served.
4. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all! Use your words to build others up, not tear them down. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21
5. If you are filled with the Word of God, you have the opportunity to share God’s Word with others. Your relationship with God is the most important relationship you have!
6. Church is not optional. You WILL do the things you love and prioritize. Don’t be a fan of Jesus…if you’re a Christian, you’re on the team!
7. Take responsibility for your actions, don’t be an excuse maker.
8. Humility is an essential character quality to foster. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6
9. Learn from others who are doing life well. Young guys should be looking for older mentors, older guys should be looking to mentor younger guys! “To whom much is given, much is required.” Luke 12:48
10. Those who have been forgiven much can forgive others.
11. The power of other men speaking into your life is crucial. Find men who are doing life well, who know God personally and intimately, and have them share wisdom for your journey!

Thank you for listening to Training4Manhood - thrilled that we’ve been able to share 100 episodes with you and we hope that you’ve found the journey helpful and interesting so far! On to the next 100!

 

T4M guys - just a reminder that Training4Manhood is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) ministry and you can make donations either via Zelle (info@training4manhood.com) or by visiting the Training4Manhood website.

Huge thank you to Jared Wood for allowing T4M to use his music in our intro and outro selections.

Developing a Reading Plan and Some Excellent Recommendations

Guest: Mike Thornberry

 

Categories for resources:

• Marriage and Family - resources to help you be a better husband and a better father
• Passion and Devotion - books that encourage, inspire, spur you on!
• Biblical Literacy/Discipleship - books that help you better understand God’s Word
• Spiritual Disciples and Maturity - the essence of the Christian walk
• Cultural Awareness - how do I understand the issues in the world around me?
• Good literature - what are some of the great classics that you need to read?

Mike’s recommended resources:

Crazy Love by Francis Chan - how does truly understanding the depth of God’s love affect the way that you see yourself and live your life?

The Prodigal God by Tim Keller - come face-to-face with God’s “prodigal” love for His children

Encounters with Jesus by Tim Keller - unexpected answers to life’s biggest questions

It’s Better to Build Boys Than Mend Men by S. Truett Cathy (founder of Chick-fil-A) - invest in young men and train them up right!

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch - incredible life principles by which to live - read the book and watch his lecture!

Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling - great story about the maturity of a young man

Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven - the road to success begins by taking the first step - how to develop a pattern of success in life

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom - how to be thankful for your suffering and the power of true forgiveness

The Bait of Satan by John Bevere - the power of forgiveness

When People are Big and God is Small by Edward Welch - don’t allow the actions of others to control your identity

Counted Worthy by Connor Bales - developing a proper perspective on suffering

Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand - you have to stand for truth regardless of the cost!

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi - understand the difference between Islam and Christianity and the cost that many face in following Christ

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand - incredible story of God’s redemption and a life changed - made into an incredible movie

The Swans are not Silent series by John Piper - introduction to some of the great saints of our faith

Amazing Grace by Eric Metaxas - the story of William Wilberforce, one of the great men of God - also made into a great movie

Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg - learning more about the Jewish culture to understand more about the person and ministry of Jesus

Expository Apologetics by Voddie Baucham - reading Scripture through the lens of Scripture - the Bible is both a mirror and a window

The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee - if you’re not suffering in this world, you’re probably not walking with the Lord

T4M guys - just a reminder that Training4Manhood is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) ministry and you can make donations either via Zelle (info@training4manhood.com) or by visiting the Training4Manhood website.

Huge thank you to Jared Wood for allowing T4M to use his music in our intro and outro selections.

Movies Men Need to Watch

Guest: Mike Thornberry and Preston Panetti

 

Non-exhaustive list of great movies that men should watch…and why:

 

The Chosen - incredible visual display on the life of Jesus - you can watch this on their app, on other streaming services, or even in the theater (Season 3, episodes 1 and 2 were released in theaters).

 

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - Ben Stiller’s serious, powerful, movie that challenges you to get out of your mundane comfort zone and get out and live life! Great line in this movie is, “Beautiful things don’t ask for attention.”

 

The Last Samurai - Tom Cruise learns about something greater than himself, a life of service to a higher calling - great line from this movie, “There’s life in every breath.”

 

Top Gun: Maverick - Tom Cruise goes from being the young, arrogant pilot to the older, wiser instructor/teacher in the second movie - great movie for all teachers - a student won’t be greater than their teacher (Matt. 10:24 or Luke 6:40).

 

The Ultimate Gift - Jim Stovall’s incredible book put on the big screen - story of a young, prideful man who has to learn some valuable life lessons.

 

We Were Soldiers - adaptation from the book We Were Soldiers Once…and Young by Harold Moore. Mel Gibson stars in the movie, great lessons about leadership and sacrifice.

 

Here Comes the Boom - actor Kevin James is a high school science teacher who is willing to fight for something he believes in! Other movies that have a similar lesson are Gladiator and Braveheart!

 

The Rookie - Dennis Quaid gets a second chance to make the MLB, shows the power and influence of a father in the life and dreams of his children. Another baseball movie that has this same essence is Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner.

 

Remember the Titans - great movie about the influence of good leadership and how men are willing to follow a man willing to lead well.

 

Facing the Giants - great movie about the power of God to call men to a higher standard in life and about the significance of trusting God especially when it seems that all hope is lost! Other great Kendrick Brothers movies: Flywheel (their first one), Courageous, War Room, Fireproof, Show Me the Father…good movies!

 

The Lord of the Rings - epic movie series based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien - excellent story of the battle between good and evil.

 

The Hobbit - another movie adaptation based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien. Great message about the power of little things done in love for another.

 

The Princess Bride - this movie is apparently very different from the book (I’ve only seen the movie and heard the book was dark and not as good).

 

Les Mis - great story of redemption and the power of forgiveness.

 

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse - some gold nuggets of wisdom in there! It takes true strength to ask for help.

 

The Incredibles - don’t hide your true identity as a child of God - the world needs men and women to fight against the darkness!

 

Aladdin - his third wish is selfless…and you reap what you sow - great lessons.

 

Saving Private Ryan - incredible movie about the sacrifice made for others - is your life worth the sacrifice that was made for you?!

 

The Pursuit of Happyness - great story of personal sacrifice and the influence of a father in the life of his children!

 

The Upside - Kevin Hart’s serious life movie - funny yet profound!

 

Last Train from Gun Hill - the importance of raising your boys well.

 

T4M guys - just a reminder that Training4Manhood is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) ministry and you can make donations either via Zelle (info@training4manhood.com) or by visiting the Training4Manhood website.

Huge thank you to Jared Wood for allowing T4M to use his music in our intro and outro selections.

What Do I Do When I’m ”Stuck” in Life?

Guest: Dr. Josh Kirby, Sparrow House Counseling

 

Dr. Kirby graduated with a Master’s degree in Psychology from Pepperdine University and completed his PhD from the APA-Accredited Clinical Psychology program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. His dissertation research was conducted through Baylor University Medical Center Women’s Psychology Service.  Dr. Kirby completed his APA-Accredited clinical internship at the University of Texas at Arlington and Moncrief Cancer Institute in Fort Worth. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management from Harding University and a MBA from the University of Mississippi.

In addition to his clinical internship, Dr. Kirby has experience providing services to adolescents and adults at Dallas County Juvenile Department, Parkland Hospital, UT Southwestern Psychotherapy Clinic, UT Southwestern Department of Psychiatry, and Pepperdine University’s Student Counseling Center. He is available to help individuals address a broad range of concerns including anxiety, depression, academic and career stress, adjustment and grief, men’s issues, and spirituality. Additionally, Dr. Kirby has a special interest in helping couples connect, heal, and grow through premarital and marital therapy.

 

Has God ever “slowed you down” so that you can deal with some deeper issues of the heart?

 

To be “in relationship” with people means “attuning” to them - learning to adjust so that you can connect. Same principle applies to our relationship with God. How can we attune our hearts to the things of God? Just pay attention…and then lean in.

 

What to do with unmet expectations? There are “expectations” that we all have in life - some of these are rigid and are more observable, others are more flexible and latent in content. But we all struggle with unmet expectations - when life just doesn’t go the way we think or assume it should!

 

In dealing with super high achieving families that are dealing with unmet expectations, Dr. Kirby often has to say, “More is never the answer.” Think about that.

 

As you’re looking at these next stages in life, take a moment to “step back” and consider the decisions and their impact in your life.

 

There is a big difference between punishment and discipline. This is important to remember when parenting and when God wants to get your attention!

 

T4M guys - just a reminder that Training4Manhood is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) ministry and you can make donations either via Zelle (info@training4manhood.com) or by visiting the Training4Manhood website.

Huge thank you to Jared Wood for allowing T4M to use his music in our intro and outro selections.

What is ”Filling the Void” in Your Life?

Guest: Nick Bellamy

 

Shout out to Dustin Donley at Legacy Clothiers for helping make Nick look good! If you’d like for Dustin to help you dress your best, reach out to him and set up an appointment at 214-729-0670 or via email at ddonley@legacyclothiers.com

Nick shares his incredible journey that includes ten plus years spent filling the void in his life with drugs and alcohol - using a substance to deal with the “black cloud of depression” because he had never been taught anything differently!

Nick says that our faith is a “two-sided coin” that includes serving and giving, not just receiving God’s grace and mercy. Great reminder that we are blessed to be a blessing!

If you’re looking to get help with an addiction or struggle, Nick would highly recommend checking out the Life Recovery program at Prestonwood Baptist Church - or a Celebrate Recovery or Re/Gen (regeneration) program at a Bible teaching church in your area.

When you confess your sins to God, you’re forgiven. When you confess your sins to a human, you get freedom.

Guys, you need to have a community of friends around you who will hold you accountable to make decisions that are in your best interests - a friend is the person who speaks the most truth into your life.

Men, the measure of success is the amount you’re investing in others! Invest yourself in the life of at least one other person this week.

T4M guys - just a reminder that Training4Manhood is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) ministry and you can make donations either via Zelle (info@training4manhood.com) or by visiting the Training4Manhood website.

Huge thank you to Jared Wood for allowing T4M to use his music in our intro and outro selections.

Brother, Are You Clothed In Humility?

Guest: Dr. Jason Snyder

 

Note: Just to clarify, I do not believe that aliens built the pyramids in Egypt. ;-)

 

Andrew Murray - Humility

 

And so pride, or the loss of humility, is the root of every sin and evil.

 

And so Jesus came to bring humility back to earth, to make us partakers of it, and by it to save us.

 

His humility is our salvation. His salvation is our humility.

 

No tree can grow except on the root from which it sprang.

 

If this [humility] be the root of the tree, its nature must be seen in every branch and leaf and fruit. If humility be the first, the all-including grace of the life of Jesus–if humility be the secret of his atonement–then the health and strength of our spiritual life will entirely depend upon our putting this grace first too, and making humility the chief thing we admire in him, the chief thing we ask of him, the one thing for which we sacrifice all else.

 

Brother, are you clothed in humility? Ask your daily life. Ask Jesus. Ask your friends. Ask the world.

Third, it is only by the indwelling of Christ in his divine humility that we become truly humble. We have our pride from another–from Adam; we must have our humility from Another too.

 

Gentle and Lowly - Dane Ortlund

 

Matthew 11:29 - Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart [humble]...

• Humility - being “God-reliant” and not “self-reliant”

 

1 Peter 5:5-6 - Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you…

 

The point in saying that Jesus is lowly is that he is ACCESSIBLE.

• Are you accessible to those you love?
• Are you accessible to those in need?
• Are there dates/times on your calendar that demonstrate your accessibility?

 

Orange County Rescue Mission - Jim Palmer, President

Mission Statement: Minister the love of of Jesus Christ to the LEAST, the LAST, and the LOST

 

Good to Great - Jim Collins

When Collins interviewed people who worked for these leaders, he says they “continually used words like quiet, humble, modest, reserved, shy, gracious, mild-mannered, self-effacing, understanding, did not believe his own clippings, and so forth” to describe them.

 

Soldier, Statesman, Peacemaker: Leadership Lessons from George C. Marshall by Jack Uldrich

 

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t by Simon Sinek

The Law by Frederic Bastiat - socialism is terrible for both the giver and the recipient, the giver is not allowed to sacrifice for the betterment of his brothers, the recipient is not allowed to appreciate the gift from another.

 

Humility gets God’s attention

 

This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.  Isaiah 66:2

 

Humility - not thinking less about yourself…but thinking about yourself less…

 

Humility - honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness

 

Pride is the only poison that is good for us when swallowed.

 

Want your life to grow in humility:

1. Study the life of Jesus
2. Intentionally add service opportunities on your calendar

T4M guys - just a reminder that Training4Manhood is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) ministry and you can make donations either via Zelle (info@training4manhood.com) or by visiting the Training4Manhood website.

Huge thank you to Jared Wood for allowing T4M to use his music in our intro and outro selections.

Men are Peacemakers

Guest: Mike Thornberry and Gabe Boyd

 

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Matthew 5:9

 

A peace-MAKER is different from a peace-keeper…you’re not just keeping a peace that already exists, you have to MAKE PEACE.

 

Mike - #1 Issue for divorce is “unresolved conflict” - irreconcilable differences. If you want to succeed in marriage, you have to learn to resolve conflict. We live in a fallen world, conflict will exist - what’s your role in resolving the conflict that exists?

 

Gabe - before you can make peace with others, you have to understand the peace that Christ resolved on your behalf with God!

 

1 Thess. 5:23 - Now may the God of peace himself…

1 Cor. 14:33 - For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

 

The example of Jesus is that there are times that YOU must pay the price to resolve conflict even if you’ve been wronged! There are times that you must take the first step toward forgiveness even though you’ve been wronged. Can you imagine what this would look like if you do this in your family, in your workplace, in your community?

 

“PEACE, I leave with you; MY PEACE I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.”  John 14:27  The peace that God gives us is different from what the world has to offer - God’s peace comes with and through the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. 

 

“...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the PEACE of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

 

“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that crushed it.” Samuel Clemens

 

Forgiveness is not natural - it is a supernatural concept that is made possible by the loving example of God’s forgiveness in our own lives!

 

“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” An aphorism generally attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD).

 

Accountability is part of the peacemaking process. Without accountability, there can’t be peace in the midst of conflict. Sweeping conflict under the rug does not resolve the situation! Jordan Peterson - your best friends are the ones who tell you the MOST truth!

 

The CHARGE - be the kind of man that invites people to hold them accountable, are you correctable, are you teachable? Who are the guys around you - are they holding you accountable to a higher standard? Start with a self-evaluation, then ask others how they see you - those who will be honest with you!

 

T4M guys - just a reminder that Training4Manhood is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) ministry and you can make donations either via Zelle (info@training4manhood.com) or by visiting the Training4Manhood website.

 

Huge thank you to Jared Wood for allowing T4M to use his music in our intro and outro selections.

Wisdom for the Younger AND Older Guys!

Guest: J. Josh Smith

Senior Pastor, Prince Avenue Baptist Church

Josh began his ministry as senior pastor of Prince Avenue Baptist Church on January 14, 2018. Josh was the senior pastor of MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church in Irving, Texas for 12 years before coming to Prince.

Pastor Josh has ministered in more than 30 countries, worked with international students at Duke University, and served as a missionary in central Europe. His greatest passion is the exaltation of Christ and the advancement of Christ’s kingdom to the ends of the earth through the ministry of the local church.

Josh received his Bachelors in Cross-Cultural Studies from Liberty University, a Masters of Divinity from Southeastern Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry in Expository Preaching from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Andrea, have four daughters and one son.

 

The Titus Ten: Foundations for Godly Manhood

Paul’s recommendation to Titus on how to fix the problems that he’s seeing in the culture - fix the men in the church.

What can you do to get men to serve? You’re asking the wrong question. What kind of men do you want in two years - start building those men, and the doing (service) will come out of the being (as a child of God who modeled leadership by serving).

Foundations for Godly Manhood (from The Titus Ten):

1. Dominion
2. Gospel
3. Identity
4. Assignments
5. Authority
6. Character
7. Doctrine
8. Mission
9. Zeal
10. Investments

Dominion - mankind was created to have a relationship with God, to live under God’s authority, and to have authority over everything God created (Psalm 8)

To take dominion meant to take responsibility, to care, to lead, to cultivate.

There are two words in Genesis 2 that give clarity on the meaning of dominion: work and keep (Gen. 2:15).

• When you think about work, think about a plow
• When you think about keeping, think about a sword.

The domains where a man is to have dominion can be divided into three areas of Christian living:

• The church
• The family
• The world

A man must first take dominion over his flesh.

God wants to begin to rebuild men through the Gospel.

Self-control - learning how to say “no” to the lesser things so you can say “yes” to the greater things that God has in store for you! Faith is believing that God’s plan is better than your own. Sin is self harm.

Go to work and work hard. Go home and work hard. Go to bed tired.

Guys, when you go home, it should be a better place when you’re there! When you put no effort at home, you’ll get no “fruit” for your labor! Walking in “dominion” means that you’re the chief worker!

Older men - younger guys are desperate for an older man to invest in them. Be open and prepared to share the wisdom from God’s Word with others around you.

T4M guys - just a reminder that Training4Manhood is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) ministry and you can make donations either via Zelle (info@training4manhood.com) or by visiting the Training4Manhood website.

Huge thank you to Jared Wood for allowing T4M to use his music in our intro and outro selections.

Strange New World, Chapters 7-9

Guests: Tim Matthews and Jonathan Teague

 

Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution

By Carl R. Trueman

 

Strange New World is an abbreviated edition of Dr. Trueman’s longer book titled The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution

 

In this book, Dr. Trueman is going to examine how a person became a self, the self became sexualized, and sex became politicized.

 

SUMMARY: how the feelings of an individual have triumphed over the societal institutions (law, church, family, community), how objective truth has been eliminated, and how have we disassociated gender from biology.

Chapter 7 The Sexual Revolution of the LGBTQ+

 

Of more immediate significance to our current situation, however, is the thought of Simone de Beauvoir, the French philosopher whose 1949 book, The Second Sex, is a foundational text for modern feminist theory. She opens the second part of that work with a dramatic and far-reaching statement:

One is not born, but rather becomes, woman. No biological, psychic, or economic destiny defines the figure that the human female takes on in society; it is civilization as a whole that elaborates this intermediary product between the male and the eunuch that is called feminine.

 

DeBeauvoir makes a distinction between biology and what we now call gender. The whole idea of what it is to be a woman is a social construct, something that is not intrinsic to the female body. To use the language of a later gender theorist, Judith Butler, gender is a performance, a set of behaviors that society has come to expect from those who possess a certain kind of body. 

 

The preamble of The Yogyakara Principles:

Understanding “sexual orientation” to refer to each person’s capacity for profound emotional, affectional and sexual aggraction to, and intimate and sexual relations with, individuals of a different gender or the same gender or more than one gender; 

Understanding “gender identity” to refer to each person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth, including the personal sense of the body (which may involved, if freely chosen, modification of bodily appearance or function by medical, surgical or other means) and other expressions of gender, including dress, speech and mannerisms.

 

Principle 3

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law. Persons of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities shall enjoy legal capacity in all aspects of life. Each person’s self-defined sexual orientation and gender identity is integral ot their personality and is one of the most basic aspects of self-determination, dignity and freedom

 

In plain terms, this calls for societies to recognize–that is, affirm, support, and protect–whatever subjective sexual identity any individual cares to affirm for themselves.

 

Chapter 8 Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

 

While the speed of the sexual revolution has been shocking to many, perhaps the strangest and most disturbing developments over recent years have been the ways in which freedoms once considered to be self-evident goods - of speech and of religion - are now under pressure in many Western democracies. This is something both unexpected and sinister.

 

United States v Windsor (2013) - challenge of DOMA - the court saw the objections to gay marriage as being grounded in what is technically termed constitutional animus or, to put the same idea in more colloquial terms, irrational bigotry.

 

Windsor provided the immediate legal background to Obergefell v Hodges (2015) - legalization of same-sex marriage…

 

Casey (1992) decision from Justice Kennedy: At the heart of liberty is the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life. Beliefs about these matters could not define the attributes of personhood were they formed under compulsion of the State.

 

For example, when the Christian objects of homosexuality, he may well think he is objecting to a set of sexual desires or sexual practices. But the gay man sees those desires as part of who he is in his very essence.

 

What Marcuse is calling for here is the censoring of speech as a means of moving society toward a more just and equitable state.

 

Chapter 9 Strangers in This Strange New World

 

The era when Christians could disagree with the broader convictions of the secular world and yet still find themselves respected as decent members of society at large is coming to an end.

 

First, we need to examine ourselves, individually and corporately, to see in what ways we have compromised the gospel with the spirit of this age. Then, we need to repent, call out to the Lord for grace, and seek to reform our beliefs, attitudes, intuitions, and practices accordingly. 

 

Second, an awareness of our complicity should cultivate a level of humility in how we engage with those with whom we disagree on these matters.

 

Third, to be aware of our complicity at least allows us to engage in the future in appropriate self-criticism and self-policing on such issues.

 

Justin Martyr - did not spend time denouncing the evils of the emperor - rather, they argued positively that Christians make the best citizens, the best parents, the best servants, the best neighbors, the best employees…

 

Augustine - The City of God - Christians could and should be good citizens to the extent that their higher commitment to God allowed them to do so.

 

In short, we can stand strong in this cultural moment and address the specific challenges we face only if our foundations in God’s truth are broad and deep.

 

This means that the chaotic nature of our times is no excuse for abandoning the church’s task of teaching her people the whole counsel of God.

 

The church also needs to recover natural law and a theology of the body.

 

Learning from Disappointment, Leaning on God

Guest: Stephen Bryant

 

Coach Bryant played tight end for the TCU Horned Frogs. 

No matter what stage of life you’re in, you need to have a good church home.

What’s your mission, who are you living for - yourself or for someone larger than you - for Jesus Christ?

Stephen’s advice to a young guy - you don’t have to do this alone! The Lord has a plan for you and He desires to be with you!

“But God” is a great thing to add at the end of things you don’t understand…helps you gain a different perspective on things that are difficult and hard, but God isn’t done yet, but God can use all things for His glory…

Remember, the grass isn’t greener on the other side - the grass is greener where you water it - put in the time and effort to do things/relationships well.

“But God” - He can take our message and turn it into His message of grace and redemption!

Our journey with God isn’t just a “straight street” - there are twists and turns, the fun in life is trusting God no matter where He takes you. When you walk in obedience, there are the blessings of God to enjoy. When we sin and fall outside of God’s path, we learn to repent and return to the goodness and provision of God.

If you’re going to train your body physically, Paul would encourage you to train yourself for godliness as well. “Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8

Stephen - what are you seeking? What are your real priorities? If God isn’t first, He can’t bless those things that are above Him in your life!

Self-assessment is key to growth as a man of God. It’s also important to have good community around you to speak truth into your life as well.

T4M guys - just a reminder that Training4Manhood is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) ministry and you can make donations either via Zelle (info@training4manhood.com) or by visiting the Training4Manhood website.

Huge thank you to Jared Wood for allowing T4M to use his music in our intro and outro selections.