We discuss Mike's top questions he has had, as he looks to disciple people via his blog by sharing his journey of faith, he wants to give them the proper answers.

  Q1: How do you know when it is actually God talking to you?
  Q2: How does  the devil use the world to get us to question God or God's existence?
  Q3: How do we find our calling in life?
  Q4: What if you feel you are too bad of a person for God to want to save you?

Mike, our guest, recently began attending our church and is a self-declared newer believer, joined us and asked several very good questions that we discussed.

Mike, Chad and some of their neighbors have been doing the Every Man a Warrior men's Biblical discipleship program  for the last 7 months or more. Mike has been transparent about his growing faith in God and is willing to ask questions as he grows.  Mike realizes other people also have questions and has started  his own blog as a way to process his thoughts and help others.

Here is Mike's blog:  www.iamtheimperfectchristian.com

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

The New Testament book of Ephesians gives us many good aspects of what biblical Disciple Making looks like.  Dr. Michael Cooper, author of the book Make Disciples - Discovery the Spiritual Journey of a Christ-Follower outlines more the topic of "what is a disciple".

Discipleship is not something that is done just one day a week, it is done every day of the week. We always have opportunities to either disciple others or be discipled ourselves and it is just a matter of what we are choosing to be disciple by. Sometimes these are negative things or positive things.

Michael challenged us to regain our identity with Christ as part of being a disciple. "to obey all he has commanded" means there is to be no distinction in what you believe and how you behave.  Our doing should flow out of our being.  One key way to do that better is to get back to knowing who Jesus really is, as it is He that we are imitating as His disciples.

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

The end of a year, the start of a new year. 
In this time of transition, join us as we share some resources that we read or listen to - books and podcasts.  As you prayerfully consider how and where to invest your time and grow in the year ahead, consider choosing 1 or more of these to check out for yourself!

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

Boys to Men: What does a man of God look like - as compared to being a boy?
What defines manhood? What are the blessings and joys of being a man? It seems our culture today has eroded much of the common historical understanding of this.

Listen in as we reflect on a list of comparisons between boys and Biblical men, and what we have seen in our own lives and those around us. We hope and pray this is not just something you listen to, but perhaps there are some things that convict you and call you into being more engaged as a Biblical man.

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

Caleb Jones from West Michigan Wellness joins us and talks about Addiction. He shares his personal sobriety story, things that helped him find recovery and some of the dynamics in facing and finding freedom from addiction.

Addiction is anything that you place as an idol above God.

Alcohol gave him an escape - a way to avoid facing/answering the question that faces every man, "Do I have what it takes?" After several years of his journey, thankfully during an onsite treatment God revealed to him that he did not need a substance to have a meaningful and full life. He is now three years sober and training to be a professional counselor.

Some things we discuss are: emotions, the brain, biblical allies, authentic allies, the Word of God and common factors that can impact one's addiction or addiction level.

Be encouraged that you are not alone, and God wants you to find healing. We pray something in Caleb's story will grab you and give you a foothold for you or to share with someone you care for. 

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

FEAR  or FEAR NOT
As follow up to S2/E13, fear is a primary emotion. The secondary emotions surfaced from fear are feeling anxious, insecure, inferior, panic.
Fear often comes from possibly losing something: love, identity, meaning, purpose (or the chance to express oneself), or life.

"Do not fear" and similar phrases are mentioned OFTEN in the Bible (365 times or more, depending on how you search for similar words/thought). It is a primary theme.

God's command/invitation for us to "Not Fear" is to be taken in view of the reality of who God is and who we are as his children.            

God spoke "Do Not Fear" to the leaders He called into mission with and for Him. 
We are well served when we stop looking at things from our perspective, but from God's perspective. Are the things we may be afraid to lose really ours to lose?  These are all gifts from God and in God's Kingdom we cannot lose His love for us, our identity in Christ, meaning or life.

God gets that we have a tendency to be afraid, so he is reminding us regularly about the spiritual reality and keep our focus on God/Jesus and who He is, not the "surrounding waves" around us and what we feel that we lack.    We should not be controlled by our fears, but to give them to God, or Heavenly Father. After we give our fears to God, we need to leave those fears with Him  - and not pick them back up to try handle or deal or dwell on with them with ourselves.

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

Pride and praise, when is it healthy? When is it unhealthy? What does Scripture say about this? What is appropriate for us to do as followers of Christ?  Join us as we reflect on this and draw on some of what Scripture says about it.

As a Christian, you are given everything by God, so that you can work out of the gifts you have for God’s glory. Work well for the glory of God. When we deflect, minimize or steal the glory of God that is sinful pride.

From the book The Intentional Father: a man is an image bearer and son of God entrusted with the power and responsibility to create, cultivate care and defend for God’s glory and the good of others.

Men, we are capable of so much. God has built us and designed us to achieve anything he calls us to. We are to remember it is for God’s glory and the good of others, not to bring the glory to ourselves.

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

Our guest, relationship counselor Jim Brazel from West Michigan Wellness group talks about four typical stages conflict can progress through that lead to disaster - and helpful ways you can learn how to master conflict in communication to bring about healthy resolution. We can all learn from this powerful episode!

One of the common areas that impact relationships is conflict. Conflict is going to happen in all relationships. How you deal with that conflict is a real strong indicator of whether your relationships will survive or not. Your initial response, e.g. a soft start up versus criticism is an essential first step. Listen to learn the additional steps.

"Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble."  - 1 Peter 3:7-8

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

Scott shared some of the challenges or hopes he has for others by stepping out and going on a mission trip, having recently gone on one with Paradise Bound to Guatemala.  

• See the people as people, not the poverty
• Dare to go out on mission, and once you go, do it again
• See God more clearly by looking intently

Many times these can be done best when we get out of our comfort zone. Staying in our comfort zone may limit our ability to see, experience and share God with others.

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

Drift: to slowly move off course
What causes us to drift in our spiritual disciplines and walk with God?

We all, at times, find ourselves getting out of regular, life giving rhythms - mentally, physically, schedule, etc. that can cause us to drift spiritually.
Join us as we talk about how this happens, and some key remedies:
     1 - TARGET/VISION
     2 - INTENTIONALITY
     3 - COMMUNITY
     4 - PRAYER

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

How to Help Hurting Men - Standing shoulder to shoulder.

Kevin DeKam, counselor and owner of West Michigan Wellness Group shares insights and tips in areas:

• Spotting men who may be hurting
• Things you can do or say
• Things you should avoid doing or saying

As a self-described "counselor for normal people" listen to his advice and learn a bit more about how to come alongside another person during a trying time in their life.  You may have to listen twice to catch all the wisdom shared in this podcast, and the good thing is you can do that if you wish!

Enjoy and we pray this helps you move toward healing in hurting relationships.

2 Corinthians 2:5-11  Bringing Reconciliation

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

As regular listeners, you have heard us share in each episode our personal reflection on Scripture from our own "Quiet Time" with God. In this episode we talk more about the "HOW" of doing a Quiet Time.  Listen and be encouraged as we share the key elements - the ABC's of a Quiet Time method from Every Man a Warrior, and some variations we each have to this base method.

Scripture has instruction for life. Scripture is God's voice. The more we read and reflect on Scripture, the better and clearer we can hear God. This is a critical part of living an abundant life of close fellowship with God.

     A - Ask Questions
     B - Best Verse
     C - Communicate (pray)

Many men do not have a regular time with God:
   1) They have not been trained.
   2) Satan does not want you to spend time in the Word of God.
   3) We have not had anyone to hold us accountable.

Three reasons to have a Quiet Time:
   1) God wants to meet with you.
   2) You need it.
   3) The world around you needs to hear about God.

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

In the valley... a story of life transformation
So many nuggets in this episode!
Listen as Jeff shares his journey of faith. When buried in shame and choosing isolation, a Christian brother invited him to fellowship with other men to dig into God's Word. "This was the best decision of my life."

Life circumstances turned his life upside down, then God turned his life upside down (in a good way) as he leaned into Every Man a Warrior, growing his love relationship with God. What was effectively a non-existent relationship is now foundational, his identity is in Christ.

The building blocks of discipleship:
Flipping the pyramid:  All of his life was previously about trying to find his purpose (the top). He is now focused on the base - his love relationship with God. Instead of making him "sea-sick" most of the time, life now makes sense and is stable. His  identity is based in Christ and God is giving him purpose and growth as a disciple and disciplemaker. 

Be inspired to invite someone to walk closer with God. together with you.
Say yes when a brother invites you into a band of brothers, let God use them to reach you.

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

How you react to others can change the course of events - for the better or the worse.
Join us as we gain wisdom in our discussion about de-escalation with special guest John Riley.

John shares his wisdom from training Church Security teams and others how to have a gentle response, to interact in situations with a "Kingdom mindset."
John 's experience early on was in the military and law enforcement, before launching his current 6 year plus ministry to churches.

In a nutshell, see all people as image bearers of God. If they offend you or seem a risk, the first steps should be:
     1) Be nice.
     2) Agree to disagree
     3) Walk away
If you serve on a security team, as a parent, teacher, etc take this ministry mindset and you will de-escalate potential conflicts -- instead of fanning them, even unintentionally, into flames.

Proverbs 15:1 MSG
"A gentle response defuses anger,
    but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire."

Learn more about John's approach and resources at his website:
https://gentle-response.com/

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

Sports. ...the Good. ...and the Bad. 
Listen as we reflect on some of the good things sports provides, and some of the negative sides that also can grow out of sports.

Why do we love sports? What problems come from sports?
What defines a sport?     Pick the definition you would agree with:
    (a) You can't do it while eating a hot dog. If you can, it is NOT a sport.
     or
    (b) competition between two or more relatively equally skilled parties according to a set of rules

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

We all feel overwhelmed at times. 
How do you know when you are overwhelmed?  What can trigger this feeling? What do you do when it happens? What rhythms have you found to help minimize becoming overwhelmed? 
Join our discussion on this topic.

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

Proverbs: A book of wisdom, in direct contrast with foolishness. In Proverbs we learn that A FOOL: lacks wisdom, has no concern for others, does not desire to avoid sin, and brags about his sinful actions. Or more simply a fool is anyone who rebukes and runs away from God's wisdom. A fool is directly mentioned 71 times directly (and 100 indirectly).
Listen as we discuss the some of the proverbs and how as men of God we can use them to better identify how we should live and use them to guard against our sinful nature and natural tendency to not choose God and his ways.

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

Vacation: taking time to enjoy family, creation . A break from your routine, from your work,  is a healthy thing.  Hopefully we have fun memories of vacations growing up. We do! and we shared some of these impactful moments.

BE INTENTIONAL. As a Father and Husband, make time to spend family time together on vacation (leaving work behind). Your children and wife will enjoy it - both in the moment and in the future as they recall  your investment in them.

Vacation is a treasure to invest more deeply to enjoy PEOPLE  important to us - spouse, kids, friends, and others. And this is often done in PLACES that are new or help us connect to God and his glorious creation.  We shared these are lakes, rivers, mountains, woods - but may different places for you. Going to PLACES with PEOPLE makes for memorable JOURNEYS - you are together on the same mission and can just enjoy the time together. Make the space to show your wife and kids you love them, that they are important to you by giving them your time - time together.

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

Setting Goals. Why is this important? What is the link between habits and goals.
What are some of our current goals and experience in achieving them.
How to set goals that are achievable using S.M.A.R.T.
                 Specific - Measurable - Achievable - Realistic - Time bound

Quiet Times
       Matthew 27:34  - "What have we done?"
      1 Chronicles 16:11 - Seek the presence of the Lord
      James 5 - Get Serious
      Matthew 26:39-46 - Alignment to God's Goals

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

Season 2 is here!  
We start  this season talking about Communication and how it is essential in building stronger relationships.
Listen as we discuss, among other things the importance of:

• being clear
• asking for feedback to gauge understanding
• need for two-way communication
• using the same language
• 5 levels of communication (shallow to deep)
• using the appropriate level based on the relationship
• using deeper communication to grow relationships
• going first - being vulnerable
• being honest - address issues, not people
• making time to have authentic conversations
• realize you communicate with your words - as well as your tone and body language
• being present (not on your device)

Note, we also have changed the format, with the Quiet Times following at the end, after discussing the Podcast topic.

Thanks for listening. Like Us. Share Us. Send us feedback, we want to communicate with you!

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV