Sooner or later faith must become action. To get their paralyzed friend to Jesus, four guys hauled him onto a roof, burrowed a hole and lowered him down. What should we, as Christian men, be prepared to do to bring people to the Lord? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We look deeper at Jesus' healing touch of a leprous man and how transgressive it was to a culture which believed it had moral sanction the dehumanize members of a specific group. In a lively discussion, we apply it to today's racial environment, and debate the degree even the most humble of white Christian congregations can be blinded by biases imbued and reinforced across generations. As leaders in our church, how can we best battle inherent human prejudice and build a Kingdom wherein every man...
In a unique gospel passage, Mark gives us a 24-hour day in the life of Jesus. We look at how the Lord balanced time he spent on his vocation, with his circle of friends, and on prayer and spiritual recharging. We look at the model it offers how to manage the pressing demands on our own time, and consider some difficult scenarios we can face when our work, family and church lives get out of balance. We also talk about exorcisms, demons and Jesus' commanding them to silence. Hosted on Acast. See a...
When a potentially life-changing opportunity comes along, will you recognize it, grab it and commit to it? The first four disciples Jesus called were work-a-day fisherman, yet they saw something in an itinerant preacher that drove them immediately to drop their nets and follow. A big struggle men face is weighing a personal decision that calls for risk--to well-being, relationships and self-image. We explore the fateful decision by Peter, Andrew, James and John to go all-in with Jesus. Hosted on...
Davey Gibson, associate pastor of education and discipleship at Sugar Land Baptist Church, talks with Man Up's Michael Cropper about how church ministries can bring men back into the congregation as the Covid pandemic recedes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We begin a deep dive into the first three chapters of Mark's gospel, starting with the Jesus' baptism and subsequent temptation in the wilderness. Along the way, we talk about John the Baptist's role as transitional prophet from the Old Testament to the New, and how we deal with transitions in our lives. We then look at the temptations Jesus faced and how we, like him, can meet, struggles with, and overcome challenges to our own Christian faith. Also, Sugar Land Baptist Church Associate Pastor D...
In our milestone 200th podcast, we talk about the listeners we each try to reach and take turns diving deeper into the various themes we return to week after week -- iron sharpens iron, lead dog needs to be fed, exercise your faith muscle, balance sheet of the soul, spoke in the wheel. What emerges is a sort of manifesto for the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As a special feature marking our 200th podcast, we've uploaded the audio clip compilation from Podcast 199. A great big thank you to the Professor, Robert Cocheu, for assembling this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As we approach our 200th podcast, we take a break from our usual format to talk about events external of the past four years: hurricanes, floods and ice storm and a year-long pandemic, and personal: surgeries, accidents, aging parents. We talk about how they have shaped us and how even in difficulty, we can see the Spirit at work. We talk about how our faith has grown and how reading and discussing scripture each week contributes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Paul says he has learned to be content in all circumstances. That touches off a spirited discussion as to what, exactly, contentment is. Is it on a spectrum of emotions, or something that can co-exist with grieving, suffering and misfortune? Is it a conscious choice or a gift of the Holy Spirit? And, for American Christians especially, is prosperity the greatest obstacle to contentment? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"Do not be anxious about anything," writes Paul. That's easy to say when you're not up against a pandemic, unemployment, gun violence and toxic cultural divisiveness. We all desire the "peace that surpasses all understanding," yet each day it seems less and less achievable. In this week's podcast we each talk about the ways we try to reduce the anxiety level in our lives even while acknowledging how difficult that is to do. Also, we briefly discuss a USA Today call to remove Oral Roberts Univers...
If our "citizenship is in heaven," as Paul says, what are our responsibilities on Earth? One of the difficulties of being a Christian is that sooner or later, your values will come into conflict with those of secular society. Yet at the same time, we are a religion of reconciliation and transformation. In a time where American Christians are all too ready to engage in fighting, is there a better way to bring truth to a fallen world? We also tackle another set of hypothetical scenarios that call ...
Professionally and personally, men set goals and measure themselves by how well they meet them. But what about spiritually? What are your goals for a mature life in the Christian faith? Better still, what *should* those goals be? (Hint: it's not trying to follow all the rules.) As Paul exhorts us to "press on," we discuss these questions and others. Mike talks about running the good race. Robert suggests applying the SMART approach to setting faith objectives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...
Paul considered everything he had counted as profit before encountering Christ as "rubbish" (a family-friendly translation from the Koine Greek)when measured against the "power of the resurrection." It's a hard teaching for American Christians, but Paul forces us to always question the value of material gain and to be ready to give it all up to follow Christ. In a lively discussion, the fellows debate how much the Lord asks of believers, to what degree, if any, there is virtue in wealth, and if ...
We discuss Christian management and mentoring as we look at how Paul delegated ministry work to Timothy and Philippian messenger Epaphroditus. We look at how Paul's heartfelt endorsement of Timothy set up his protoge for success, and how Paul bolstered Epaphroditus, who, because he fell ill on his mission, may have been subject to backbiting by church peers as having failed his task. Finally, what can we learn about "servant leadership," a juxtaposition of seemingly opposite terms, and its appli...
Paul's instruction to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" has widely different meanings across different faith traditions. Is it call to cower before God or kneel in awe? Podcasting through an historic cold wave, we fearlessly dive in to the process of sanctification, submission and discipleship and how they fit into joyful Christian living. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Most men, including us, find Paul's command to imitate Christ's humility one of the most difficult to follow. Can a Christian afford to choose humility when their teachers, bosses and social influencers place so little value on it? Our discussion explores the tension between assertiveness and humility and we hash out some real-world scenarios in a game of "It's Hard To Be Humble." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What Paul exhorted churches to remain "in one mind," it seems divisions have been the norm since the beginning. We discuss what is meant by being of "one mind" (it doesn't mean marching in lockstep)and look at reasons churches split, from doctrine to poor people skills, and the Christ-like traits that Paul says foster unity amid disagreement. After listening, visit our YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-7ygRzB3xlve113C3-YAaw) for some more background on Man Up and the Man Up fellow...
Paul calls on the Philippians to stand firm for the Gospel, yet let their manner be worthy of the its message of grace and love. We talk about correct ways Christians can stand united against opponents, whether they are inside or outside the church community. We even stir the pot a bit with a discussion about those who brought the Christian flag to the Capitol Building riot. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Paul admitted to weighing the choice between living confined in prison or choosing death and a glorious afterlife with the Lord. That's our jumping off point for a discussion about suicide, suffering and end-of-life experiences with friends and relatives. As Christians, we believe we will enter the presence of God after we die. How much of a rush should be in to get there? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In jail, away from friends, his missionary plans thwarted, Paul still chose to rejoice. Paul didn't just passively accept his situation; he challenged it on his own terms to make it work for the Gospel. We talk about how faith not only helps carry men through hard times, but actually transforms adversity into Kingdom work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We start the new year with a study of Paul's letter to the Philippians. Paul saw joy from the Philippian church--whose members varied from wealthy cloth merchants to common jailers--as they looked past their differences to partner to spread the Gospel. As secular culture reduces the virtue of diversity into the latest fad, we look at the Christian ideal of purposeful community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For our first podcast of 2021, we take on a potpourri of topics. We talk about the men we hope Man Up reaches and the overall importance of men's ministries. We ask if Christian men can be alpha males and finally we take a look back at a messy 2020 and express our hopes for a better 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For our Christmas 2020 podcast, we take a look at Joseph, one of the most important figures in the Christmas story yet one who rarely gets any attention. God delegates the care and protection of Mary and the child Jesus to Joseph, who remains humble and obedient to the Lord, while decisive and purposeful in accomplishing the difficult and stressful tasks he faces. As men confront the challenges and pressures of the holiday season, we look at the lessons we can learn from the example Joseph sets....
Our panel discusses the traits Paul says will emerge when one truly lives by the Holy Spirit. We contrast that with his indictment of worldly practices that purport to offer the same benefits, but invariably fall short. Everyone strives for greater love, peace, joy, patience, kindness and these other examples of spiritual fruit, but how much comes from our work and how much comes from surrender to the Spirit? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The guys discuss Paul's "triad" of traits that emerge when the Gospel and the Holy Spirit combine to spark transformation in a believer. We look at faith vs. works, love vs. duty and finding joy despite hardship and endurance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Instead of getting drunk on wine, Paul calls on us to be "filled with the Holy Spirit" and specifically cites singing as a way to do so. That's our cue to talk about the types of worship music we grew up with and how it contributes the overall celebration we should find in our faith. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We dissect Paul's command to be kind, compassionate and forgiving with the reality that men, as leaders, often need to use "tough love" in our parental and managerial relationships. Even Christ saw virtue in directness: "Let your 'yes' be yes and your 'no,' no." (Matt. 5:37) How do Christian leaders set high expectations yet do so with love and kindness? Also, the fellows talk about the Boy Scouts and whether the program is still relevant in 2020. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more ...
Paul seems to say so, but others disagree. This week we explore the meaning of be "sealed" by the Holy Spirit. Can we lose our salvation by failing to walk with the Spirit? What about those who, like Hawk Nelson frontman Jon Steingard, openly renounce their faith? Also, Bill Cox, our director, reflects on Veterans Day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Our panel takes up the concept of joy and how it might differ from happiness or contentment. Paul says joy comes through righteousness, and righteousness comes through the Holy Spirit, but what is righteousness, anyway? And does claiming your righteous automatically negate it? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
