Fortunately for me, God knew my needs and began to provide some incredible resources.  First was Promise Keepers.  They were just getting started and their speakers, events, and resources helped me understand the principles of how a godly man and husband is to act.  Second, God began placing godly men in my life.  Men who were in the corporate world and struggled with some of the same day-to-day issues I did.  They showed me how to live out the principles Promise Keepers was teaching me.  I dont’ think any of them know the depth of their impact on my life and future ministry.

As God moved me from the corporate world into ministry, he placed me under the wings of Gene Wilkes.  Gene has been an encourager, fellow runner-cyclist-triathlete, as well as a mentor when it comes to ministry and marriage.  God has also provided me several friends in ministry who continue to have an impact on my life.  Guys like Stacey, Steve, and Scott.  Seems like you have to have a name that begins with an “S” doesn’t it?  During different seasons in my life God has placed men like Grant, Billy,  Randy, Vince,  and Ed to see me through those seasons.

I am who I am because of the influence of Godly men God placed in my life.  But, besides the personal effects these godly men have made on my life and my desire to paint a picture for today’s men, statistics bear out the need for active ministry to men.

According to Focus on the Family’s Promise Keepers at Work . . .

• When a child is the first person in the family home to come to faith, the rest of the family will follow 3.5% of the time.
• When a mother/woman is the first person to come to faith, the rest of the family will follow 17% of the time.
• When a father/man is the first person to come to faith, the rest of the family will follow 93% of the time.

Now that’s a difference worth striving for.

Patrick Morely states that for for every ten men in the church. . .

• 9 will have kids who leave the church.
• 8 will not find their jobs satisfying.
• 6 will pay the monthly minimum on their credit card balances.
• 5 have a major problem with pornography.
• 4 will get divorced, affecting 1,000,000 children per year.
• Only 1 will have a biblical world view.
• All 10 will struggle to balance work and family.

Additionally, most pastor I have spoken to over the my 10 years of ministry say their one of their greatest needs is more leaders – more male leaders – in their churches.  They have experienced a shift from men being the active leaders – as opposed to positional leaders – to the women of their church being the active leaders in areas of Bible study, outreach, and ongoing ministry.

The need is there and it is great.  Men, especially men in the church, need a picture of what a godly man looks like.  And we want to help.  Won’t you join us?

Mike

I’m not so sure we do. For some reason when a son turns 18 he’s considered an adult and expected to act like an adult. But just because we are another year older doesn’t mean we are treated any differently or act any differently. Those of you who work with middle school, high school, and college students know this first hand.

I think for me, whether it was planned or not, my rite of passage was when my dad invited me to wax my truck while I was in high school. I’ll never forget that Saturday. It was huge for me. Dad asked me to help him wax the truck – the one he was going to give to me when he thought I was ready for that kind of responsibility. It wasn’t any truck. It was a ‘69 Chevy Custom with a factory installed 396 c.i. motor – the same engine that came in any Chevy car with SS after it’s name. He would rub the wax on and I would remove it. OK, if any of you know what it’s like to hand wax a truck with paste wax you know where I’m going. Removing the wax – and I mean every place it had put on had to have it removed – was not the easiest thing in the world. After that, I liked putting it on much more. But dad invited me into the man’s world of cars. . .his world. He put expectations on me from that day forward – take care of the truck and help with the other vehicles. That meant doing the routine checking of oil, water, and air in the tires. That meant changing out the points and the spark plugs – yes, we used to change our own points and rotors in the distributor. Something was different now. Something had changed. I cared about the truck and the what happened to the other cars. I looked after them when Dad was out of town. He was there to help or lend advice when I couldn’t figure it out, but it was up to me now.

For some it’s going on the hunt and getting that first deer with dad. For some it’s the first car or the driver’s license. For some, sadly enough, there’s nothing to tell a boy he’s now a man. And they live like it. There’s no expectation of how he’s supposed to act. Some overcome it, but many do not.

So. . .did you go through a rite of passage with your father? If so, what was it? If not, would you have wanted to? Does it really matter all that much these days? I’m very much interested in finding out your thoughts on this matter.

Relative to this matter, I’m praying about a possible opportunity to go to Africa this summer. If it’s God’s desire for me to go I will work with pastors and men, but I will also get the opportunity to talk with these men about their rites of passage for their young men. I hear the Massai tribe has a pretty intense ritual. I would love to hear it from them and talk to some of them that have gone through it.

Be the man!

Mike

I’ve been reading through a book I have come to find both intriguing and challenging. It’s Paul Coughlin’s No More Christian Nice Guy. In it Coughlin posits the idea that our culture and our churches are creating “Christian Nice Guys” and in doing so are damaging our families, our boys, our men, and even our churches.

Coughlin suggests that we (culture and church) have created an environment where men have become passive, uninitiated, and where “nice” is preferred over good. There is a difference, you know. Jesus was good, but He wasn’t always nice.

Let’s consider how many times he confronted (something nice guys don’t do) the Pharisees and Sadducees. He used words and phrases like. . .

• “Hypocrites!”
• “White-washed tombs.”
• “Fools!”
• “Dull.”
• “Brood of vipers fit for hell.”

Think back to the time He got angry at the temple and stood up for God and the truth of God. What did He do? Remember? In case it has slipped your mind, or you’re unfamiliar with the passage, We find in John 2 that Jesus got angry and began tearing the place a part. He even made a whip and started beating some people with it. Doesn’t sound like a guy who was “nice,” does it? So while Jesus was a good guy, He wasn’t always a nice guy. He was passionate. He was a risk-taker. He was a leader. He was a changer and a doer. He wasn’t a “yes” man. He certainly didn’t “go with the flow.” He was compassionate and loving. He was gentle, but not at the expense of His masculinity.

I go to thinking the other day. What’s the picture I often see of Jesus on the cross? It’s usually this emaciated man; one who looks like He’s been on a starvation diet for some time. But as I read about Jesus of the Bible I find Him to be a carpenter. A blue-collar man. He has callouses on His hands. The muscles in His arms, shoulders, back, and chest are well developed from years of hammering, chiseling, hand sawing (no power saws here, guys), and carving. His face is worn from sweat and dust. His skin is dark from walking in the sun that last three years. He doesn’t stand out from the crowd. He looks like many of the carpenters in the carpenter’s union. That’s the Jesus I see on the cross.
Our culture tells us to be nice . . .

• “Now you boys play nice.”
• “Be nice to one another.”
• “You don’t want to do that. It sounds too risky.”
• “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t no one happy.” – I’ve said this one a time or two

What about our churches? How have they contributed to men’s desire to be “nice”? Well, when was the last time you heard a preacher tell women to learn to relate to their husband in his language? I often hear preachers and leaders encourage and challenge men to learn how to relate to their wives. It’s like we need to learn their language. We need to get in touch with our sensitive sides so we can understand them better. Yet, I rarely hear the same leaders encourage women to learn to understand their men better. Or to learn how to relate to them in the language of men. Or to stop expecting men to be something they’re not – soft and sensitive – and encourage wives to be more sexual and hands on. It’s as though the pressure is all on the man to make things work – even if it means emasculating him.

So we give in. We allow our culture, and even our churches, to step all over us. We stop being what God created us to be – leaders, risk-takers, doers, thinkers, challengers, . . .

Dr. Laura Schlessinger wrote the forward. She writes,

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to remind men that they are men, and that this designation is not about biology; it’s about strength, will, honor, courage, leadership, sacrifice, compassion, and love.

Here I am, a nice Jewish mother, writing the forward for a book about Christian Nice Guys. Why? Because, within the context of Christian Scripture, there is a message for all of us: Men and women are created differently, equal in value, but different. The unisex, anti-male mentality that has infiltrated all our institutions, even our religious ones, has not brought cooperation, love, and serenity to homes and lives. In order for our children to become happy, functional, loving, contributing members of this world, they need the support an structure that an intact, happy home can bring. I see No More Christian Nice Guy as a step in that direction.

Don’t know about you, but that says a lot about where we are and where we need to get back to.

Last month Coughlin’s suggestion came to life for me. I had taken my car to get the tires rotated before I headed back to Texas spend time with my family over the Christmas holidays. I was reading this book when a young lady and her daughter came in to the waiting area. As I set the book down she asked me about it. I shared the premise of the book with her. She grinned and said that her best friend was struggling – in her marriage relationship, she was struggling. It seems that her best friend’s husband was too passive. Her best friend wanted her husband to be more aggressive. She wanted him to step up and make decisions. . .to take a stand. . .to take the lead. She wanted him to be a man. Oh, both of these families, I found out, are active in one of our locals churches.
It seems that there is more to this concept than meets the eye. It appears that this is just not an idea for the pages of books, but is alive and well. . .even in the buckle of the Bible belt.
As I wrap up, here are a couple of the chapter titles:

• Jesus the Bearded Woman
• Other Earnest but Damaging Church Messages to Men
• How Being “Nice” Ruins Love and Marriage
• We’re Men, Not Eunochs
• Masculinity: The Journey from Nice Guy to Good Guy (parts 1 & 2)
• Searching for One’s Soul and Facing One’s Fears
• No More Mr. Nice Guy: Practical Help for Your New Life Ahead

Hey guys. If you’re looking for a book that will challenge your thinking about manhood in the 21st Century, check it out.

Mike

Former CNG

So. . .here we have this young man and this very young woman in a legally binding relationship and he finds out she’s pregnant. I don’t know about you, but someone would be coming up with some answers pretty quick. And a divorce decree would be the least of anyone’s worries. Needless to say, I would be a bit emotional about the whole situation. Given their situation there would be disgrace, shame, guilt, and a whole host of emotions and perspectives placed upon the two families, especially Mary’s family.
What does Joseph do? He first decides to quietly divorce her. He was going to do the “right” thing according to the law, but he was going to respect her and do it quietly. He wasn’t going to make a big stink about it. He wasn’t going embarrass her anymore than she and her family had already been embarrassed. Then he’s visited by an angel of the Lord in a dream who tells him everything and tells him to take her as his wife. So what does this young man of God do? He wakes from his nap and immediately goes to Mary’s house. He receives her as his wife and takes her to their home – to love her, care for her, lead her, and treat her as his own. Not only that, but he doesn’t have sex with her until after Jesus is born. OK – I can see the caring, leading, loving part, but the no sex until after the baby’s born? Come on!! This guy is way more man than I am. Part of the reason I got married was to have sex!! Anyone out there with me? Or am I the only sap who will admit that the whole ” ’till death do you part” went in one ear and out the other because I was thinking, “let’s get on with it and get to the wedding night festivities!”? Any man denying they weren’t thinking about their wedding night is either so spiritual I can’t relate to him or lying.

Anyway. . .let’s give it up for Joseph! Not only did he display incredible manhood for taking Mary to be his wife and treating her as his own, but for respecting what God was doing in and through her that he waited until Jesus was born to consummate their marriage.

Joseph. . here’s to you!

I began sharing the process of becoming the men God designed and desired us to be with Alex. I found it interesting that Alex commented that men will not attempt the process for fear. Fear of. . .? Fear of failure. He shared with me that because men fear failure so much they will not begin the process. They are afraid they will mess up in the process.
I never made the connection before. But I think Alex may be right. We men won’t even attempt to become the men God designed and desires us to be because we are so afraid of falling in the process.

Then. . .then I’m reminded that the Bible records the failings great men of God.

• David fell when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, then committed murder when he had one of his most loyal warriors sent to the greatest battle knowing Uriah’s chances of being killed in battle were the highest. And yes, Uriah was killed faithfully serving his king.
• Abraham convinced Sarah to lie about being his wife when they went to Egypt.
• Moses struck the rock rather than speaking to it as God instructed.
• Peter openly and publicly denied Christ.
• Elijah ran for his life after he witnessed God send down fire from heaven to consume not only an offering but the entire altar before the people of Israel.

I used to have a boss who said that he didn’t mind me messing up because it showed I was trying. Guys, we mess up. To be honest, we’re going to mess up. We’re guys! That’s what we do. So why not mess up trying to be the man God and your wife want you to be. Life will go on. Believe me when I tell you it will go a long way with both.
Mike

Fear in and of itself is not bad. Fears can be a source of drive for us. Fear can move us forward. It’s when our fears control us that we stop becoming the men God designed and desires us to be. Why? Because its then when we start listening to our fears instead of listening to God. And who we listen to determines our perspective. If we are listening to our fears we see things from an ungodly perspective. As opposed to listening to God and having a godly perspective.

For me it’s the fear of failure and fear of loosing control. At times I fear that people around me aren’t happy. Being the oldest child of an alcoholic I grew up wanting to make sure everyone was alright. . .happy, so, at times I fear people around me aren’t happy and I have to make things right with everyone rather than listening to God.

These are my fears. What are your fears? What keeps you from being the man God designed and desires you to be?

Comment here or click on the “Contact Me” page below and email me.

Mike

Manliness

In his book, Manliness, Harvard professor Harvey Mansfield makes a compelling case that our society should stop looking at manliness as a curse and start embracing it as a virtue. It did not take long for the liberal media to begin howling at this rising moon with a clamor of protest. According to Mansfield, manliness “seeks and welcomes drama, and prefers times of war, conflict and risk.” Manliness asserts itself, craves adventure, loves action and power in a distinctively different way than women. Manliness desires the heart of a woman and seeks to protect and provide for her. It is this manliness that benefits and protects our culture especially in times of danger and war.

The Wall Street Journal last week reported that schools, parks and clubs across the nation that are removing diving boards from pools, and children are stopped from playing the game of tag. Why? The fear of someone getting hurt and filing lawsuits. This may be what therapists call a presenting problem. In fact, the culture is growing increasingly weary and suspicious of manliness. Boys are full of recklessness on
playgrounds and this frightens leaders in our litigious environment.

Where will the lack of manliness lead us? My guess is that it leads to a growing insecurity among males who find it confusing to even define “maleness” much less “manliness.” It leads to extreme expressions by males who have no role models of responsible masculinity. All too many males are acting in violence and predatory sexual nature both in reality television and reality. It leads to a timidity in leadership and a willingness to place an increasing burden on women to provide and protect themselves.

The ultimate expression of masculinity is Jesus Christ. He refused to be passive, accepted responsibility and awaited a greater reward. For the men who followed him, Jesus modeled what a man was to do in the face of violent opposition, and how a man was to stand firm in the face of overwhelming opposition. He elevated and honored women like no man in history. Jesus was and is the ultimate model of manliness for what He did when He died a shameful death in my place. You can trust him as your Savior, and you can also trust him to show you how to be genuinely manly.

Ed Litton

WARSHIP means picking of the sword and engaging the enemy. Its not a pretty sight, but war rarely is. One of the misconceptions (for lack of a better term) of Christianity is the process of maturation. I would venture to say that most ministers, teachers, and church members have been taught or used the analogy of a baby growing into adulthood as an example of Christian maturity. And, admittedly, there is some relevance there. Even Paul speaks of sucking on milk (spiritual baby) and chewing on some meat (spiritual adult). But I think that there is a better analogy to describe what happens to us when we become a Christian – we are recruited into the army of God. We may be mere privates when we are first recruited, but we are recruited to fight none the less. As a matter of fact Paul speaks of the war that is waging around us. It is one we don’t always see, but one we are, in fact, involved.

So what do we fight for? Great question. There are several things I think every man needs to fight for.

• The Heart of Your King - In his book, The Barbarian Way, Erwin McManus describes the part legend, part truth of what happened after the death of William Wallace, the brave leader who fought for Scotland’s freedom against England. Robert the Bruce, the leader who seemingly betrayed Wallace, regained his patriotism to lead Scotland to its independence. It is said that on his deathbed he had one request – after his death he wanted his heart cut out and taken into battle with the troops. One of his knights, Sir James Douglas, agreed to the the task. After Bruce’s death Douglas had his heart embalmed and put into a silver and enamel casket and wore it around his neck.
Legend has it that Douglas found himself fighting the Moors in Spain. He and his comrades were surrounded. Death was immanent. So he ripped King Bruce’s heart from around his neck and heaved it into the enemy and said, “Go! Go fight for the heart of your king!” So, men. Go! Go fight for the heart of your King! Go fight for his Kingdom. Go stand for truth. Take up arms against the devil. You have protection, but you also have a weapon – a sword, called the truth, God’s Word – to fight with. USE IT!! What are you waiting for? Aren’t you tired of being beat about the face and head by Satan? I am. I’m also tired of seeing my King’s name, character, and heart being drug through the mud of this culture by an enemy who has already been defeated. So. . .won’t you join me in fighting for the heart of your King?

• Your Heart - Listen up. It is your job to protect your heart. How do you do that? How about watching what you look at – internet, movies, tv, magazines, women? You know what I’m talking about. How about what you say – the jokes you tell, the words you use around others – including your spouse and children? How about your thought life? How about your attitude? How about your pride? Dare I go on? Men, it’s our job to make sure our hearts are protected. It is our responsibility to take up the sword and fight for our hearts. Job did this when he made a pact with his own eyes. He even said that if he looked at another man’s wife lustfully that man would have permission to have sex with his wife. How many of us would dare to make that covenant with our eyes? We dare not try to do it alone, but with God’s help we can do it. But it takes our conscious decision to do so.

• The Heart of Our Beauty – Come on guys, you knew I was going to get to this one sooner or later. It is our job to fight the heart, the character, and the integrity of our beauties. It’s no one else’s job. And, oh, by the way, if you don’t and someone else does, don’t be surprised if she’s willing to follow him instead. The woman in your life is looking for someone to follow. She is looking for a man who will stand up for her, even if it seems hopeless. Winning isn’t the deal here. Fighting for her is. Besides who of us wouldn’t want our beauty nursing us back to health after a well fought battle. Man, I would!

I know more about this than I care to have experienced. When Karen was sick and I knew she was going to die of cancer – yes, it seemed hopeless – I went before the Lord and told him that, though He may not heal her, He wasn’t going to get her without a fight. I never knew if Karen knew or not how hard I fought for her. That’s not the point. The point is that I wasn’t willing to just hand her over without a fight. I spent many hours praying for her – her heart, her pain, her suffering, her joy, her healing. I knew others were praying, as well, but it wasn’t their responsibility to do so. It was my responsibility. It wasn’t about the outcome, it was about the battle. It was about picking up my sword and fighting for my beauty.
I know there will come a day when God will grant me another beauty to share my life with. I want her to know, above all else, that I will fight for her, ’til death do us part .

• The Heart of a Fellow Warrior – Finally, I think we need to fight for one another. I’ve been in those groups where we asked the “hard” questions only to find out that someone was not being open or honest. And if they were, they weren’t going very deep. But what if it didn’t matter? What if we had their back no matter what. In the movie The Last Samurai, featuring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe, Tom Cruise’s character, Captain Nathan Algren has contracted with the Japanese government to prepare an army. In soon to follow battle, Algren is taken captive by Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe), Lord of the Samurai. Algren was nursed back to health only to discover the discipline, strength, and heart of a samurai. Through a series of circumstances and relationships he stays. In one scene ninja are sent to attack Katsumoto and the samurai. A fight ensues. Algren and Katsumoto find themselves back-to-back fighting, not just for their own lives, but for each other. By the end of the movie they are not only fellow warriors, they are close friends and comrades in arms. Neither man doubted that the other ever had is back. They literally fought the Japanese army side-by-side, back-to-back, to Katsumoto’s death.

Algren and Katsumoto is a great picture of men fighting for one another. Who are you fighting for? I don’t mean hanging out with. I’ve hung out with guys and never. . .not once. . .stood for them and fought for their heart, their eyes, their, minds, or their families. Imagine the difference we could make in the lives of men around us if we picked up our sword and fought for them?

So. . .there you have it – the 4 steps to becoming the man God designed and desires you to be.

RELATIONSHIP – starts here, grows from here
LORDSHIP – placing yourself and everything you touch under God’s authority
WORSHIP – developing an undying passion for God
WARSHIP – learning to fight for the heart of your King, your heart, the heart of your beauty, and the heart of the men around you

I know there’s a lot here. I know it takes time to process. But the process, I believe, is pretty clear. So. . .where are you in the process and what do you need to do to get to the next step? Only you can answer that question. Want a hint? Show these steps to the gift of a woman in your life and ask her where she thinks you are and what you could do to move to the next step. This is dangerous, but then again, the most dangerous place to be is in the middle of God’s will – just ask Jesus.

Mike

You see, if you can’t or don’t have a passion for God – His ways, His heart, His desires, then there’s no way on this side of heaven you will ever become the man He intends for you to be. We have to learn to love God no matter what. That’s exactly what I have had to do over the last year and a half. On May 8, 2005 the most incredible women I have ever known went to “dance with her Jesus and worship her God” (her words). Since then I’ve had to learn to love the heart of God is new ways. In the midst of my deepest valley I had to learn to love the things of God. It sounds so right, and it is. But, admittedly, it’s never easy. Then there’s the doing it – loving God and having an unquenchable passion for Him. I can honestly say that I am coming to that point in my life. It’s not been an easy journey for me, but man am I glad I’m here.
What about you, sir? Do you have a passion for the things of God. Do you set aside time each day to spend with the Father – to get to know His character? Do you know what He desires of you? Do you spend intentional time in His Word. Do you yearn to hear the whisper of His voice or His tap at the door of your heart?

I have always been in awe of my best friend, Stacey. We used to serve together at The Legacy Church – he was the student pastor and I was just an intern/interim staff member. But I will always remember how, even in the middle of the day, he would urgently rush into his office and close the door behind him. I asked him one day if everything was alright? His response? “God’s calling me and I’ve gotta spend some time with Him.” So Stacey would lock the world away and spend time with God – reading His word. . .praying. . .worshiping. . .seeking. Thanks Stacey for being an example for so many of us who are not hungry for the heart of God. Thank you for showing me how important it is to listen for and respond to the voice of God.

Now. . .take a good, long look at your beauty, the woman God has so graciously blessed you with. Do you have a passion for her? Do you long to know her – her heart, her mind, her thoughts, her longings?

Jesus said to you and me – the church – “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.“ I love the way the New Living Translation says it – “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Do you get this guys. Jesus told His bride that He will never fail her and never forsake her for something or someone else. For what or who are you forsaking your wife? Your job, your hobby – hunting, fishing, golf, etc. – Saturday or Sunday sports, pornography, the internet, friends, your buddies, another woman? I don’t know, but you do. If you are going to lead like Jesus you must also learn to love like Jesus. Want to be the man God has always designed and desires you to be? Don’t forsake. . .don’t abandon, your Eve.

Gentlemen, if you develop a passion for your King and for your beauty – in that order – all other relationships will fall into place and you will be well on your way to becoming the man God designed and desires you to be.

Mike

Now, Lordship doesn’t mean evil, tyrannical dictator striking down all who fail or disobey. Lordship means to put everything we have and are under loving, caring, want what’s best for you God’s authority. Did you get that? I’m suggesting that you can’t become the man God designed and desires until you submit all you have to God – your heart, mind, soul, and strength, your finances, your relationships, your desires, your family, your job, your stuff, and anything else you touch, have input into, or otherwise have some form of control over. And when I say “submit” I’m meaning to voluntarily turn them over to God and allow Him direct and total control over them.

This is a huge issue for men. Why? Control. It’s all about control, boys. We want to have a say so. We want to be in charge and livin’ large. The problem with this theory is that we will never – and I mean never – be the men God designed and desires us to be if we have even the smallest bit of say so. We fail every time we venture out on our own. Why? Because we can’t do it on our own, Jesus said, “apart from me you can do nothing.” But in Christ we can do all things, including becoming all He wants us to be as men.

My pastor is fond of saying, “You can’t be over, until you’re under.” It’s a cool way of saying, you can’t lead until your ready to submit. In the movie Drumline, Devon Miles, a Harlem street drummer who’s been recruited to play the drums in a college marching band, is challenged by the leader of the drumline. Devon shows him up. Then Dr. Lee, the band director, steps in and begins playing – challenging Devon. To Devon’s surprise Dr. Lee can play, then Dr. Lee begins walking backwards, instructing Devon to follow him, reminding him that he can’t look down. Eventually Devon messes up and is more than a little embarrassed. It’s then that Dr. Lee reminds Devon that before he can lead he must learn to follow.

We, too, must learn to follow. We must learn to follow our King. Before we can lead our families, our churches, our businesses in the ways of God, we, first, must learn to follow the ways of God. And the only way to really follow a king is to submit to his leadership. The only way to follow our King is to submit all we are and all we have to His authority. . .His control.

OK. Now that we have submitted everything to God, we then must learn to lead. Jesus is a good example. Hey men, learn to lead like Jesus. Learn to lead by example. You want your wife to follow you? Learn to lead like Jesus. Learn to lead by example. You want your children to think a relationship with God is important, then show them. I think one of the greatest tragedies in our culture is the lack of male leadership in our families and in our churches. Don’t ask me to give you statistical proof. Just look at who sets the pace in your family. Who sets the guidelines? Who plans the date nights? Who wakes everyone up on a Sunday to get dressed and ready to worship the King of glory? Who serves in your local church? Listen guys, it must be us. God gave us that responsibility. The problem is that we don’t know how. So we let our wives and the women of the church do it.  We will never be the men God designed and desires until we take on the role of leadership in our families and in our churches that God expects of you and me.

So what do you say, men?  Ready to lead?  Then submit.  It’s called LORDSHIP.

Mike