Mission Focused Men for Christ

Summary: This episode continues the series, Winning Spiritual Battles Because We Use Our Spiritual Weapons. As we seek to run well the race marked out for us, this calling means advancing the righteous reign of King Jesus in our own hearts, attitudes, and behavior, not to mention and shaping each sphere of life with Christ’s agenda. But it is very easy to think, “Who am I to spread righteousness anywhere? Whoever thinks that’s my job in life, doesn’t understand the corruption of MY heart and weakness of MY flesh.”  But it is Christ who told his followers to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Jesus calls us to this primary life focus, knowing the weakness of our sinful nature because his plan has never been for us to seek righteousness in our own strength but in his. He tell us: Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God (Eph 6:10-13).  This episode tries to define in practical terms how to put on the helmet of salvation and how that protects us in the fight to do the right thing.For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.For FREE downloadable studies on men’s issues click here.

Episode Summary: Christ has called you and me to follow him in his cause of defeating evil and establishing his righteous kingdom over every square inch of human hearts and lives. There is no other man who can replace you in your life, in the arenas you have been called to. If you leave your place in line, it will remain empty. You must be the hero in your own story. There is no extra or stunt man to fill in for you. Winning your spiritual battles matters. You will celebrate for eternity the ones you win tomorrow and the next day and the day after that because each victory has honored Christ. This episode examines how we protect ourselves from Satan’s fiery arrows by lifting up our shield of faith. For Further Prayerful Thought:For you, what is the hardest part of remembering that winning your spiritual battles matters?What circumstances tend to be the occasion for you to doubt God’s goodness and whether following Christ is worth it?Of the six aspect of our faith shield mentioned, which “Trust God because…” statement do you most want to remember?For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.For FREE downloadable studies on men’s issues click here

Episode Notes Summary: Marriage failure almost always begins with the loss of intimacy, closeness in the marriage. This episode examines what Scripture says married couples need to understand and do to experience both the emotional and sexual intimacy which God designed marriage for. VALENTINE'S DAY QUESTIONS FOR COUPLESWARM UPWhat do you remember most about your first date? Share two things you most appreciate about your mate. EMOTIONAL INTIMACYHusband to WifeWhat regular tasks in taking care of the family do you dislike the most or find most difficult?How can I help you shoulder your load at home? How can I better help you share your heart with me?What family problems do you feel need to be addressed?What are the worries and concerns that are weighing heavily on your heart?How can I best help you feel cherished by me?How can I support your use of your gifts that go beyond the home?       Wife to HusbandHow best can I help you when your emotional tank is on empty?What gets you down most at work? When there is something weighing heavily on you at work how can I best help you share it? How can I support your spiritual leadership in our home.Do I tell you often enough what I admire and respect about you?    SEXUAL INTIMACYHow do you feel about discussing sexual intimacy on this date?Why do you think God invented sex?What are two things you appreciate about each other as lovers?What sexual activities do you find most exciting?Is there anything else about our love-making that you want to tell me?For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.For FREE downloadable studies on men’s issues click here

This episode continues our study of the armor of God and finishes looking at Eph 6:15, where we’re told to put on, as our shoes, the readiness of the gospel of peace. Most Christian men want to be contagious Christians. We know that sharing our faith is something our Lord wants us to do and when we do seize opportunities to talk with others about Christ the experience pumps joy and energy into our walk with Him. We also realize that if we are to lead our homes well, our wives and kids need to see us modeling Jesus’ love for the lost and a commitment to seeking ways to share him with others. So, we want to be ready, when the opportunity presents itself, to steer a conversation towards the good news that our listener can have a personal relationship with Christ. This episode looks at three ways TO BE READY when that opportunity arises.For Further Prayerful Thought:Does realizing that Jesus tailored the good news to others based on the way they were experiencing the brokenness of life in this fallen world discourage you because it makes sharing Christ harder, since there is no “one size fits all” or encourage you because it helps you realize how wise we are to be about relationships and the uniqueness of every human?Which 2 or 3 of those in your circle of lost associates and friends has God put on your hearts. What might be missing in their lives compared to what you have in Christ?Is God prompting you to be more intentional about praying for and reaching the lost? What might additional intentionality look like for 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

Summary.  Often Christians think of evangelism like this: It is having the courage to overcome every piece of emotional intelligence we’ve learned about relationships, and intruding into the life of a co-worker, neighbor, or stranger to tell someone, who doesn’t want to hear it, the gospel message that they are a sinner in need of a savior, and then being willing to suffer rejection if we are accused of being preachy. If that is what sharing our faith looks like, who would want to do it? But this view is NOT BIBLICAL. It has major flaws. This episode identifies these flaws and ends up showing a biblical view of sharing our faith that is winsome and begins where people are instead of where we want them to be. For Further Thought:Why is it misleading to understand the Greek word for evangelism(EUANGELIZO) to mean preaching the gospel to others? How does understanding the four-chapter gospel help us realize that Christ’s kingdom power is for more than just an eternal life insurance policy?Can you think of biblical examples not mentioned in this episode of Jesus tailoring the good news of the kingdom to the point of brokenness being felt by his listener?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

Summary: Do you ever feel like our side is losing in the spiritual battle—that the powers of darkness and evil are winning? Perhaps more specific to our own lives, do you ever wonder why the Christian life is so hard, why sin so easily ensnares us, why our whole-hearted resolve on Sunday to love Jesus better by obeying him more has given way to blatant sin by Sunday night? Today we continue our series, Winning Spiritual Battles Because We Use Our Spiritual Weapons. Paul tells us that to fight evil we must put on the breastplate of righteousness. But most of us don’t even know what the breastplate of righteousness is, much less how to put it on. At the end of this episode, we want everyone to have a clear picture of what this piece of armor is and begin winning more spiritual battles because we put it on. For Further Prayerful Thought:  What is the motivation for hungering and thirsting for righteousness for one who is confident of God’s unconditional love? How does that contrast with the moralist’s view of the moral law What is the difference between seeking righteousness and being legalistic?How would you summarize Paul’s command to put on the breastplate of righteousness? What stood out to you about HOW to do this?How is the fourth beatitude (Matt 5:6) a prerequisite for putting on the breastplate of righteousness?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 

Episode Summary:  Is our mission today, as Christians living in America, to recover America as a Christian nation? As we process what happened in the last election and the storming of the Capitol since, Christians are divided. Eschewing passivity, many believers feel impelled to speak up on the social media to fight a movement rooted in ungodliness, which they see shaping our culture. They are appalled that younger Christian leaders either don’t seem to see this happening or seem to lack the courage to speak up about it. Other believers are horrified at the views they hear expressed by Christians on social media, which exhibit a kind of “Christian Nationalism” and exhibit Christians to be combative towards those with whom they disagree, violating Christ’s clear command, love your neighbor, not to mention, love your enemy. This episode continues our series Winning Spiritual Battles Because We Use Our Spiritual Weapons by examining how to encircle ourselves with the belt of God’s truth, which must be the starting point for sharing that truth in the culture. Then we consider how to be persuasive as salt and light in the culture, and in particular the dangers of being right, but sharing truth in a HARMFUL, rather than a COMPELLING way.   For Further Prayerful Thought: 1. Which aspect of fastening the belt of truth around ourselves stood out to you?2. Why is it important in today’s word to surround our loved ones with truth?3. How does Jesus’ teaching not to give holy things to dogs or throw our pearls before swine resonate with your experience? Are there times when you have thought that a person is not spiritually in a place to hear this truth?4. How do Paul and Barnabas follow this teaching from Jesus in Acts 13:44-49. What Thoughts do you have about trying to determine is a potential hearer of biblical truth is in a place to value it or not?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.

Summary: This episode continues the series, Winning Spiritual Battles Because We Use Our Spiritual Weapons. Every guy who gets this podcast would stand at the door of his house with a shotgun to protect his family physically. But most Christian men feel inept and inadequate at fighting to protect them, spiritually. As we saw last week, Jesus told his disciples the ultimate weapon for defeating Satan is prayer. But if we are going to use this weapon effectively in spiritual battle, we need to understand it. This episode continues our study of what Jesus taught are the six basic parts of effective prayer, in Matt 6:9-13.For Further Prayerful Thought: What would you say to a believer who said he thought that reciting the Lord’s prayer at the end of his daily bible reading is what Jesus taught?What struck you about Jesus teaching us to tell our heavenly father what our practical needs are? Have you ever thought about keeping a prayer journal?Why does it make sense that one of the six prayer concerns we should have is looking at past events to see if there is unconfessed guilt or resentment towards another/How can you be more watchful of temptation coming into 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: 

Summary: This episode begins the series, Winning Spiritual Battles Because We Use Our Spiritual Weapons. As we seek to run well the race marked out for us in 2021, i.e. advance the righteous reign of King Jesus in our own lives, God has ordained one, primary offensive weapon that overthrows the kingdom of darkness:  PRAYER. Jesus said to Peter, “Satan has demanded to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you “(Luke 22:31-32). One veteran missionary writes, There is nothing on earth that Satan so fears as prayer. He cannot triumph over prevailing prayer. Satan is more afraid of your praying than of your pure life or zealous witness. One’s life may be a beautiful witness that cannot be silenced, but prayer is a militant force that has the potential of defeating Satan, destroying his works, and driving him out of places and lives he claims as his own. This episode examines how to unlock the power of prayer in our spiritual battles because we know what Jesus taught about how to pray. 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: 

Summary: As we turn our thoughts to the year ahead, wouldn’t it be great if Jesus came to you and said, “This is what I want you to concentrate on most in 2021. In the year ahead, this is the matter of greatest importance for you.” I think most of us getting this podcast or blog would listen very carefully to what Jesus said, and immediately begin forming our plan to reach this objective that The Master says is of greatest importance. But what if Jesus has already told us that? This episode takes a fresh look at how we actually apply what Jesus taught was to be the priority of his followers as they went about living their everyday lives.Resource to stay focused on your mission:  Here is the link to a FOCUS Notebook that has biblical insights for every aspect of your mission. The notebook and printed contents are $15 at our store. But a FREE virtual PDF download of the contents of this notebook is available as well. 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