Training4Manhood

Next Steps: Learning to Listen to Godly Wisdom

Guests: Harrison Leak and Parker Panetti

 

How do you decide what to do, where to go…what’s that process look like for a young man who is trying to honor the Lord?

 

Great resource: Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will by Kevin DeYoung

 

Money shouldn’t be the primary motivator for what position you take - there are other things that are more important. A great resource in helping you balance those concepts is Your Life…Well Spent: The Eternal Rewards of Investing Yourself and Your Money in Your Family by Russ Crosson

 

When considering the concept of “success,” think about the line from CS Lewis that humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. Along that same line, Tim Keller has an outstanding resource titled The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness: The Path to True Christian Joy.

 

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.

Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield (Session 4 of 4)

Guests: Dr. Jason Snyder and Dr. Jonathan Teague

 

Excerpts from the conversation:

 

Lie #4: Transgenderism is normal.

• Scripture does not support transgender ideology/belief/actions as normal, healthy, or to be supported or endorsed.
• In today’s culture, “love” has been redefined as acceptance and endorsement as I am and you are not allowed to say anything in opposition to my beliefs.
• And since God is “love,” when culture redefines love, it redefines the very nature of God to fit its own desires. This redefined god is not the God of the Bible. How to address this concept - go back and learn about the God of the Bible.
• Read Rosaria’s article entitled, “Why I no longer use Transgender Pronouns - and Why You shouldn’t either.”
• WPATH: The truth about “gender affirming healthcare”

 

Lie #5: Modesty is an outdated burden that serves male dominance and holds women back.

• Guys, the issue of modesty isn’t just a woman’s issue - as men, dads, we need to address this issue in our homes…and lead by example. We don’t need to buy into the “modest is hottest” false narrative, we need to understand that modesty is the desire to be holy and honor God with our bodies.
• Men, if the pornographic culture is shaping the way that you view women, you will not understand the importance and value of modesty.
• The issue of modesty is less about “protecting men” and more about presenting women as daughters of the living God who are more than mere physical beings - ladies, you are body, soul, and spirit - don’t allow the culture to elevate your physical attributes over the other important aspects of who you are!

 

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.

Next Steps: Preparing Now for Your Future

Happy Memorial Day!

 

The word graduation comes from the concept of “steps” - taking the next step. What is the next step in your life - college, work, marriage, family? What are you doing now to prepare yourself for those next steps?

 

Some good questions to ask yourself on your journey:

• What has God been teaching you recently?

• How are you feeding the spiritual man?
  • Word of God
  • Words of wisdom - godly people and good books
  • Work
  • Fellowship - we are relational beings
  • Rest
  • Luke 2:52 - Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with man…
• How are you feeding your flesh?
  • Pride, envy, lust, disobedience, impatience, anger
  • Romans - be killing sin or sin will be killing you

• How are you feeding others?
  • Service and sacrifice
  • Titus 2 - older men train up the younger men - urge the younger men to be self-controlled…
  • Friendship - a plant of slow growth

 

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.

Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield (Session 3 of 4)

Guests: Dr. Jason Snyder and Dr. Jonathan Teague

 

Excerpts from the conversation:

 

Lie #2 - Being a spiritual person is kinder than being a Christian.

 

The Gospel doesn’t just make us nicer versions of ourselves. The Gospel gives us a new nature and the power to live for the glory of God.

 

What is your working definition of “good”? If your definition of good is absent of absolute truth, then it is subjective and lacking. For a Christian, “good” is defined by the nature of God and is not held captive by “the spirit of the age” or what is defined as good or popular during this particular day.

 

Make sure that you have an eternal, unchangeable standard for the foundation of your worldview and definitions.

 

Lie #3 - Feminism is good for the world and for the church.

 

Most individuals that we know who are supportive of “feminism” as a worldview have specific, individual negative experiences in their own lives from a man who abused his position of power and authority.

 

Feminism attacks God’s design for gender and sexuality, the family, and culture at large. Feminism is incompatible with Biblical personhood because it contradicts the creation ordinance.

 

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.

Five Practical "Cs" for Building Altars in Your Life

Genesis 26:25 - Building Altars, Pitching Tents, Digging Wells

 

Five Practical Steps for Building Altars

Commitment

• Building family habits of spiritual consistency…takes commitment to say no to lesser things to advance the more important…
• Prioritize spiritual things - don’t let select sports, etc. take top place

 

Contentment

• Beware of the sin of envy and comparison, the thief of joy…
• Use money to buy more time with your family, not more things
• You have been blessed to be a blessing…
• Haggai 1 - be careful of paneled houses when the house of God isn’t finished!
• Raising Spiritual Champions by George Barna
  • Only 8% of young people believe that wealth is given by God to manage for the advancement of God’s kingdom on Earth - they are far more likely to believe that they have earned what they possess and are free to use their wealth as they see fit without regard to spiritual principles or God’s expectations
  • Deut. 8:18 - But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…

 

Consistency

• Thomas Watson - we call a thing by what it generally is
• David - a man after God’s own heart - massive sin, massive repentance

 

Communicate

• Listening is more important than talking…learn to listen and hear what is being communicated…
  • 2 Samuel 11:3 - And David sent and inquired about the woman. And ONE SAID, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
  • Learn to listen to things we don’t want to hear…

 

Care/Compassion

• Love well - care about the well-being of those around you…
• Do the little things to make their situation better
• Don’t settle for the shortcuts - JFK, we go to the moon because it is hard

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.

Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield (Session 2 of 4)

Guests: Dr. Jason Snyder and Dr. Jonathan Teague

 

Excerpts from the book:

 

Lie #1: Homosexuality is Normal

 

I lamented male-female relationships that called for a woman’s submission, even if voluntary. My feminist worldview/religion declared any male-female sexual relationship that rejected sameness (the idea that men and women are interchangeable) and called for a wife’s submission to her husband foundational to rape culture.

 

The order of creation made the point: the sexes are equal in essence and different in social roles.

 

It was utterly and completely shocking to realize that my lesbianism was truly a sin.

 

Godly womanhood does not erase a woman’s strength or identity; rather, it applies God’s grace to me.

 

Biblical sexuality is natural, God-blessed, and procreative. In contrast, homosexuality is unnatural, sinful, and barren.

 

What if it feels right?

That sin nature is why homosexuality can feel normal and natural to some people.

 

The Bible is truer than our feelings.

 

WORDS matter. And Jesus is still the Word made flesh.

 

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.

Your Life...Well Spent with author Russ Crosson

Guest: Russ Crosson, chief mission officer and senior partner of Blue Trust, author of Your Life…Well Spent, The Truth About Money Lies, What Makes a Leader Great, and Your Money Made Simple. You can reach Russ at 1-800-987-2987 or via email at russ.crosson@bluetrust.com

 

Men, it is so important to realize the difference between investing your time, energy, and resource into your prosperity (wealth/money) vs. into your posterity (children/legacy)

 

Prosperity - the accumulation of goods

• The process of working is a real blessing
• God empowers us to enjoy the fruit of our labor by giving us the proper perspective about it
• We are successful when we are in the process of being obedient and carefully doing all that God’s Word says to do

 

Posterity - the heritage we leave to coming generations

• Money is simply a tool to invest in our posterity

 

• When you make spending decisions, ask, “How will this expense affect our entire family?”

 

• Principle of Replacement - the addition of new time commitments to my schedule usually involves a trade-off between work and posterity time
  • Only say yes if the activity can replace something else that’s already in your schedule that doesn’t detract from your posterity time

 

Only change vocations to better fulfill your purpose and maximize your time flexibility - not to make more money

 

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.

Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield (Session 1 of 4)

Guests: Dr. Jason Snyder and Dr. Jonathan Teague

 

Some incredible excerpts/statements from Five Lies:

 

This book is for Christian, especially Christian WOMEN.

• But still a valuable read for guys - which is why we are tackling this book on T4M

 

But some of us believe, as I do, that God’s design for women determines our roles and our priorities. The Christian family matters, and its neglect is deadly.

• God’s design for women is biologically to bear children - and the greatest calling and responsibility for Christians (men and women) is to train children and raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord…
• This will require a sacrifice from both men and women in terms of their priorities and opportunities…

 

This book [the Bible] offers one simple answer: the world is in chaos, and the church is divided because we have failed to obey God and value his plan for how men and women should live.

 

The creation of man and woman, also known as the “creation ordinance,” is CENTRAL, not peripheral, to the GOSPEL.

 

God is holy, and therefore ignorance, iniquity, and ungodliness reflect our sin nature in Adam.

 

Three “exchanges” of truth for lies in Romans 1:21-28

• First there is the exchange of the Creator for the creature, or the exchange of God worship for idol worship
• Second is the exchange of truth for lies
• Third comes the exchange of natural sexuality (heterosexuality) or dishonorable passions (homosexuality)

 

The Five Lies:

Lie #1: Homosexuality is normal

• Lie #1 claims that the word of God doesn’t apply to homosexual orientation because homosexual orientation represents a person’s core truth
• But if you exchange the Creator for the creature, you impose God’s attributes on man.

 

Lie #2: Being a spiritual person is kinder than being a biblical Christian.

 

Lie #3: Feminism is good for the world and the church.

• In 2023, we cannot even define what a woman is or defend her right to exist

 

Lie #4: Transgenderism is normal.

 

Lie #5: Modesty is an outdated burden that serves male dominance and holds women back.

 

My reason for changing my mind can be stated in two words: Obergefell (as in Obergefell v. Hodges, 2015) and Bostock (as in Bostock v. Clayton County, 2020)

• Obergefell legalized same-sex marriage
• Bostock made sexual orientation a protected class

 

Thomas Watson in The Doctrine of Repentance

1. Recognition of sin
2. Sorrow for sin
3. Confession of sin
4. Shame for sin
5. Hatred for sin
6. Turning from sin

 

Thomas Watson comments:

“Loving of sin is worse than committing it. A goodman may run into a sinful action unawares, but to love sin is desperate…”

 

After Obergefell and Bostock, LGBTQ+ describes who someone is rather than how someone feels.

 

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.

Valuable Life Lessons from Coach Hunt

Guest: Melvin Hunt, man of God, husband, father, coach

 

Melvin uses the “camouflage” of basketball to be able to train young men - for success on the court…and off!

 

Best advice that someone else has given you? Melvin’s daughter Braya reminded her dad to “be you.” In a world that tells you to be someone else, there is rest and comfort in knowing that God has a plan for your life - and that He created you just the way you are!

 

Second best piece of advice was from Coach Riggs - you steal a page from every man’s book, and soon you’ll have your own. We learn from others. Thomas Watson’s line is, “Great men are the mirrors by which ordinary men dress themselves.” What great men are you seeking to emulate? Are there younger men looking to learn from your life?

 

As you move up in life, don’t forget where you came from. Seeing the “big world” can give you perspective, but remembering where you came from can keep you grounded. Both are valuable.

 

Community that knows you is valuable on your journey - give others permission to speak truth into your life…and learn to listen!

 

In life, there are principles and preferences. Stand on the principles, soften on the preferences.

 

There is a huge difference between chasing good things…and not “God” things. That extra “o” changes things. Want nothing more than you want God.

 

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.

As You Start, So You Will Finish (So Start Well!)

Guest: Michael Perron, Minister of Life Recovery at Prestonwood Baptist Church

 

Sit down with a piece of paper and write out: What is success? How do you answer that question?

 

Guys, at some point in life, you might make a decision that runs counter to the opinion of your father - which is an important step of growing up - to learn to pursue the acceptance of God as opposed to the acceptance of any man.

 

If your definition of success deals with anything “extrinsic,” you’re going to be frustrated. Success needs to be something that is intrinsic, internal - your character, integrity - having that peace of mind that you’ve made good decisions and can sleep well at night!

 

Guys, are you satisfied with life? Are you “worthy” of being satisfied? Are you living today trapped in the past failures of your life?

 

Great resource: The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs

 

Guys, do you ever consider the decisions that you’re making will impact future generations?

 

A good name is better than great riches. Proverbs 22:1 What “name” was left for you and what name will you leave for your posterity? As your children see you being obedient to what the Lord has for you, it will mark your children!

 

Randy Pausch The Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams (YouTube video)

 

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.