Mission Focused Men for Christ

Latest Episodes:

Teaching Kids Why Some Worship False Gods Jun 16, 2024

Show notes

On October 7, 2023, more than 3000 members of the radical Muslin extremist group Hamas surged across the Israeli border crying “Allahu Akbar” “God is good” raping women, beheading children, torturing, mutilating and murdering more than a thousand people, most of them civilians conducting the greatest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. How would you respond to the trembling words of a seven-year-old who said, “Daddy, these bad men said God told them to do those awful things. How can this be?” This episode seeks to answer this question by understanding what the second commandment teaches.
For Further Prayerful Thought

How would you answer a new believer who said to you, “I believe Jesus is the Son of God, the risen Lamb slain to take away my sin, but why are there so many other religions in the world?”
Why can’t a chewing gum replica of the Alps convey their glory? Do you agree that a chewing gum replica of the Alps might be worse than no physical image? Why?
Although man was created in God’s image, our fall into sin means that we suppress the truth of who God is, especially our accountability to him, and remake God as OUR IMAGE—the way we want him to be, because we are created to worship. (Atheists usually build their life around a false ideology, which functions like a God.) How do you see this biblical truth making sense in what you observe about the world?

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Teaching Kids Why God Has to Be First Jun 09, 2024

Show notes

Episode Summary. Unlike adherents to multi-culturalism, Christians realize that God chose to reveal his moral law to one nation, Israel, in a rather spectacular manner. God himself wrote his summary of his moral law on two stone tablets using his own finger (Dt 5:22) telling his people how they can most please him. There is no other text of the Bible written directly by the finger of God. The two tablets were called the Ten Words, the decalogue, and kept in the Ark of the Covenant. Foty years later, In Deuteronomy 5, Moses repeated The Ten Commandments for the next generation. This episode examines how to apply the first commandment as the leaders of our homes and provides some thoughts about teaching it to our kids, using the New City Catechism.

For Further Prayerful Thought:

In the opening overview observations, which one stood out most to you?
Why do spiritual leaders have to fight a lifelong battle to keep reminding those under their care that God’s word is the path of life? Why is that so hard for us to remember, in moments of temptation?
What do you find most helpful in Tim Keller’s definition of an idol as: “anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.” Which potential idols do you need to be wary of?

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For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.

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Is Social Media Catechizing Your Children and Grandchildren? Jun 02, 2024

Show notes

Episode Summary. With the average teen spending over 50 hours a week on his or her phone, it is undeniable that social media is catechizing our children, not the church. This episode seeks to recapture the urgency of the fathers role to raise up his children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. It supplies a master plan that every guy can adapt for his own and begins to show how the New City Catechism can be used and be an effective plan for countering many of the cultural falsehoods impacting our kids.
Master Plan: Instilling Biblical/Moral Values: For some reason the link may not work, so here is the Website Page address:
https://www.forgingbonds.org/assets/images/general/Master_Plan_Instilling_Biblical_Moral_Values_June_2_2024_1.pdf
For Further Prayerful Thought:

Why do you think most Christian fathers are not intentional about formulating a plan to teach their children and grandchildren the ways of the Lord and Abraham was to do?
How would you persuade a Christian friend that he needs to have a master pan for what he is going to teach his sons and daughters?
So far, what have you most liked about the New City Catechism and the curriculum’ helps?

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Paul's Countercultural View of AUTHORITY May 26, 2024

Show notes

Episode Summary. This episode shows how the biblical worldview of authority laid out for us in I Timothy chapters 2 and 3 is on a collision course with the worldviews of critical theory, egalitarianism, and multiculturalism at almost every point.

For Further Prayerful Thought:

What do you think are the most important elements of a 30,000-foot overview of the Bible’s view of authority?
Paul encouraged Timothy to pray that civil government leaders accomplish four things. Which ones stood out most to you?
How would you contrast the Bible’s high view of authority with the view of critical theory and egalitarianism’s views of authority?

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Paul's Leadership Command--FIGHT May 19, 2024

Show notes

Episode Summary. There is strong evidence that Christians today are oblivious to much of the spiritual battle that Scripture repeatedly urges us to fight. In fact, in Paul spiritual leadership charge to Timothy, he commands, “fight the good fight.” It is impossible to understand why Paul urges spiritual leaders to do this or understand what the battlefield even is without understanding that we live in an age in which Christ is taking back Adam’s lost kingdom, earth, from Satan, sin, and death to reestablish righteousness and health over Adam's kingdom. This episode seeks to give a clear look at this battle, so we know how to fight it.
For Further Prayerful Thought:

When seeking to understand what fighting the good fight means, why might it be valuable to recognize that we are engaged in a war between two kingdoms?
How does understanding the extent of the damage done to Adam’s posterity and kingdom by sin and its consequences help us better understand how to implement our orders to FIGHT?
In the fight against wrong desires, thinking, attitudes, behaviors, the fight to implement Christ’s agenda in every sphere of our lives, and the fight to be salt and light, influencing culture towards righteousness and truth—which do you feel you are most alert to? Which do you need to consider more carefully?

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Biblical Male Leadership's Aim is Love May 12, 2024

Show notes

Episode Summary. When I hear accusations today of the bible teaching oppressive patriarchy, it reminds me of Mark Twain’s comment, “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” There is not a scrap of evidence to suggest that God’s design of different roles for husbands and wives is harmful in any way. In fact, the biblical view of masculine leadership, starting with Adam’s design, modeled by Jesus in his care for his bride, and the foundation for Paul’s charge to Timothy about church leadership is the call to love those under our care. This episode examines this calling. But perhaps more importantly it examines the three wellsprings, from which sacrificial love flows into men’s hearts so we can give it to those we lead.

For Further Prayerful Thought:

In your own words why does sacrificial love issue from a pure heart?
In your own words why does sacrificial love issue from a clean conscience?
In your own words why does sacrificial love issue from a sincere faith?

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Captured by the Bible's Countercultural View of Manhood May 05, 2024

Show notes

Episode Summary. This episode considers the impact that a worldview called critical theory is having in our culture, supplanting a biblical worldview at many, many points. The goal is that by the end of the episode all of us will be able to detect how the assumptions of critical theory have gotten in the way of grasping the glory of God’s perfect design of womanhood and manhood.

For Further Prayerful Thought:

As you think of the cultural examples of critical theory’s oppressor/oppressed lens shaping cultural thinking, which examples stood out most to you? What other examples can you think of?
Although we don’t know why God’s Word tells the stories of Adam and Eve’s creation in a very structured intentionally parallel way but postulate some reasons God might have done that.
Summarize the evidence from Scripture that it is God who intends his household, the church to be led by men who are also assigned to lead their homes, not oppressive biblical patriarchy.

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For FREE downloadable studies on men’s issues click here.

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Jesus' Promise of Escape From the Driven Lifestyle Apr 28, 2024

Show notes

This episode is for those who find themselves feeling more driven than called as they walk through life. It examines the way Jesus addressed the relentless internal pressure many feel to have to perform, and the resulting internal exhaustion we experience when he said, Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Mt 11:28-30). This episode examines Jesus’ only self-portrait in Scripture—that he is meek and lowly of heart, and why those qualities make taking on his yoke the pathway to REST.
For Further Prayerful Thought:

This episode explains Jesus’ offer of rest to those burdened by the inner compulsion to have to perform to reach heaven, be loved, feel valuable, be accepted, and to be strong enough for others to lean on. Which of these reasons for “needing to perform” is most powerful in your life?
If we are to REST in Jesus, why does it matter that he is meek, bearing no judicial wrath against you? Why does it matter that he is “lowly in heart?”
A yoke is a yoke; it puts the farmer in control. So, in what sense can Jesus’ yoke be easy? In what sense is it light? Since you are yoked to Jesus’ power, how can you shift more of the weight you are carrying onto Jesus?

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Jesus' Unwavering Allegiance to the Father Apr 21, 2024

Show notes

In a world that is becoming increasingly complex because of innumerable opportunities to which our cell phones connect us, it is refreshing to remind ourselves of what Jesus said was at the core of following him. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment (Mt 22:37-38.) The primacy of this first and greatest commandment resonates with me. If I could just love God more:

My heart would have less room to love sin.
The pleasure of pleasing him would overpower my selfish pleasures.
I would want the approval of God more than the approval of men.
I would shut out the world more often to be in his quiet presence.

Jesus, the perfect man who fulfilled all righteousness, obeyed the great commandment—loving the Father perfectly. This episode seeks to throw back the curtain of that devotion to the Father, so we may be inspired and challenged by it.
For Further Prayerful Thought:

How do “emptying myself” and “humbling myself” to obey God demonstrate my love for him?
Jesus was confident of the Father’s love for him. He and Paul wanted us to be confident of God’s love for us. Why might comprehending such love be foundational for our everyday walk with God?
Why does it make sense that when you love someone, you want to see that person honored? When you are battling a bad attitude in a given situation, how can it strengthen you to know that Christ-like attitudes in us bring glory to God?

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The Compelling Jesus Apr 14, 2024

Show notes

Episode Summary. There seems to be widespread agreement that Jonathan Roumie’s portrayal of Jesus in Dallas Jenkins’, The Chosen, is remarkably well done. As someone has said, “If you’re aiming to make a TV show about the life of Jesus, you better cast the right person for the lead role.” There is something deep, personal, and even perhaps threatening to us in the way Jesus is portrayed by anyone. A wrong portrayal messes with our perception of the one we have devoted our lives to. That is why this 3-week podcast series seeks to shake the dust off any mistaken Sunday-school-ideas we might have about Jesus. It seeks to replace them with the most accurate picture we can from Scripture. We begin with the COMPELLING nature of Jesus’ presence.
For Further Prayerful Thought:

As you read about the reactions of the temple guards sent to arrest Jesus, on two different occasions, what words would you use to describe their response to him?
What difference does Jesus’ courageous willingness to confront evil make in your relationship with him?
What do you think of the statement: Our God is so morally pure that he can even turn his enemies’ evil into good.

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.

To make an online contribution to enable others to hear about the podcast: (Click link and scroll down to bottom left)