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Episode Summary:  Elijah was the biblical superstar, the hall of famer, who singlehandedly was used by God to turn the hearts of Baal-worshipping Israel back to Yahweh. But the Bible insists there was nothing special about Elijah. “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit” (James 5:17-18). This podcast series looks for clues about this ordinary man who accomplished a most extraordinary feat—turning fallen hearts back to the worship of the true God. This episode examines the God’s faith-building bootcamp, and how Elijah’s faith muscles were built.     For Further Prayerful Thought.  What do you think is the significance of the four words from Elijah’s story turned their hearts back. How does that relate or not related to your prayer concerns?How would you use the example of a tight rope walker crossing over Niagara Falls to explain the difference behind faith that is a mental nod of agreement and a life-changing choice to trust?What stood out most to you about the way God strengthened the faith muscles of Elijah by the brook Cherith? 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)

Episode Summary:  With the return of football season, I’m reminded of one of the pairs of network commentators for NFL games, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. Whenever Buck introduces his partner, he adds the new first new he has given him: Hall of Famer, “I’m Joe Buck and this is Hall of Famer Troy Aikman.” When it comes to our own motivation to follow Jesus and motivating those under our care, it is worth noting that there is a hall of fame given by God in Scripture. Its members are identified in Hebrews 11: Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Gideon, Rahab, Jephthah, David the prophets and others. All of these showed one distinctive attribute that got them into God's Hall of Fame—unconquerable faith.  Such was the faith of Elijah the Tishbite, a giant from God’s hall of fame. Today we begin a new series that looks at Hall of Famer Elijah and what lessons can we can learn from him as a man and as a leader. This episode examines the seeds of his faith, which he lived out in a world that is as hostile to God and his kingdom as is the world we live in today. For Further Prayerful Thought.  Do you think it is self-centered or properly self-motivating to want to strive to be in the NFL hall of fame? What about God’s hall of fame in this NT era?Christianity is the only faith that says it is hopeless to think you can earn your eternal presence with God by trying to be good. Yet that admission requires a humility that not only surrenders to God’s provision for our sin but to him as our Lord. How would you explain why might others might be inclined towards false religions instead of Christianity, or atheism?Which components of Elijah’s faith stand out to 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.  To make an online contribution to enable others to hear about the podcast: (Click link and scroll down to bottom left)

Episode Summary: Prayer is simply having a conversation with God. So why would Jesus’ followers ask Jesus to teach them how to pray? Similarly, why would Jesus view prayer as something he needed to teach his followers to do? The answer is that in Jesus’ mind, his followers should build a pattern for a regular conversation with God. Not only that, but there are six component parts to build into that conversation that are so important that he mentioned the identical six components of prayer twice in Scripture. This episode examines these six components and then looks at why it is so hard to continue to pray, especially for kingdom advancement, and what Jesus said to help us stay motivated.  For Further Prayerful Thought. What is your response to the idea that prayer is an intimate, real conversation with a heavenly father who loves us, but that Jesus directed his followers to build that conversation around six principles?Why do you think Jesus taught us to regularly confess our sins to God and to associate that with insuring that I have a forgiving attitude towards others?With all the challenges that we have to face in everyday life to try to live for Jesus, why do you think Jesus included, as the last petition that we should anticipate temptation and ask for help to resist it when it comes? Why don’t we do that more often? You would you reconcile your unanswered prayers with Jesus’ promise, For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What message is Jesus trying to send?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)

Episode Summary: God wants your prayer life to be filled with petitions and intercessions for others and for the advance of His Kingdom. He wants answers to such prayer to become your thrilling and frequent experience. God wants answers to your prayers to be frequent and blessed. He wants you to prove repeatedly the mighty power of prayer in your own experience. He wants you to become not only a prayer veteran but also a constant victor in situations where the answers bring great glory to God and great consternation and defeat to Satan. This episode takes a fresh look at how prayer fits into our calling to be followers of Jesus.  For Further Prayerful Thought. What do you think of the argument that there is a parallel between God’s decision to leave the creation incomplete for his image-bearers to complete, and God leaving his new creation for Christ-followers to complete? Where does this analogy seem to fit and break down?How do you think the promise of God the Father to God the Son, “Ask of me and I will make the nations your heritage, the ends of the earth your possession” should impact our thinking about spreading Christ’s kingdom of righteousness over earth?What stood out most about the three prayer principles that Jesus explained?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)

Episode Summary: When the wisest biblical writer who ever lived begins a command with the three words, “above all else,” we need to pay attention. That is the way that Proverbs 4:23 begins: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” As we come in our study of the Ten Commandments, to the tenth, we realize that this final commandment goes beyond our behavior to the matter of our hearts. You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. (Ex 20:17). As I have meditated on this commandment I've come to believe that God takes the sin of coveting much more seriously than we do. This episode looks at the vital matter of the desires of our hearts and how they can lead us astray. For Further Prayerful Thought. In what ways does the concept of “over-desire” which is the meaning of the Greek word for both lust and covetousness make sense as a description of both words?Paul stated that covetousness was idolatry. How would you explain that? What do you think is the significance of the bookends of the Ten Commandments, the first and tenth, addressing the issue of heart desires?Do you agree that God takes the sin of coveting more seriously than we usually do? Do you think we are worse at ignoring this commandment’s significance than ignoring the other commandments?Which principles for preempting covetousness most stood out to 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. To make an online contribution to enable others to hear about the podcast: (Click link and scroll down to bottom left)

Episode Summary: God’s design for mankind is to build a culture based upon truthfulness, not lies. When he revealed to us ten fundamental moral pillars upon which a society needs to be built, he gave us the Ninth Commandment which reads, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” This episode examines this prohibition against lying, why extreme integrity should be the mark of Christians and why society needs Christians to stand for truth in opposition to cultural lies. For Further Prayerful Thought. What is the strongest motivation you can think of for not lying or shading the truth?In examining the conditions which open the door to the temptation to bend the truth, which of the ones listed stand out most to you? (to avoid punishment, humiliation, embarrassment, to fit in, to save money, or when asked to make a promise you can’t in good faith make?). What others would you add?How would you answer someone who argues that Christians should stop trying to influence their culture but stick to the gospel?Of the examples given of he need to speak into today’s culture, which one or two most stood out? Which others would you add?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)

Episode Summary: In last week’s episode, we tried to put a biblical lens over socialism. Let’s review a moment. The socialist playbook begins with 1) perverting justice by claiming that economic justice means equal outcomes instead of equal opportunities, 2) then fans the flames of sinful envy of the rich, 3) deceives naive citizens into surrendering their political power to socialist leaders and supporting their totalitarian rule to force economic equality and 4) causes horrific suffering especially of the poor because socialism as an economic system always fails. But is capitalism really any better? Isn’t capitalism based on greed? Isn’t its whole motivational system based on the love of money, which Paul said was the root of all kinds of evil. Doesn’t it incentivize the rich to victimize the poor? Having put a biblical lens over socialism last week, this week we seek to put a biblical lens over capitalism.   Resources Used for Today’s Podcast Institute for Faith, Work and Economics website (excellent, biblical, scholarly articles on the biblical view of economics, helping the poor, etc.)What Would You Say Colson Center  (Excellent short videos on how to promote a biblical view of economics).For Further Prayerful Thought. What do you think is the relationship between owning private property along with other resources and the foundational principle of stewardship in the economy of God’s design?How does the concept of making a capital investment in tools to increase our efficiency seem like a wise component of accomplishing our task of developing the potential built into planet earth to make life better?How is a relatively free market economy linked to the concept of a business owner being a servant to his customer, i.e. the principle that he who waters others will himself be watered?When considering the rule of law that must accompany a market economy to be biblical, which categories of laws most stood out to you as essential?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)

Episode Summary. In the Eighth Commandment, “You shall not steal,” God introduces the foundational principle of private ownership as one of the ten most foundational principles for flourishing. Today’s episode comes at a time in America when the Democratic Socialist Party has made enormous inroads into the political world. So, this episode examines the attractiveness of socialism and then places a biblical lens over five of basic components of this ideology.    For Further Prayerful Thought. How would you respond to the average Christian dad who says, “understanding economics is not part of my calling. I can’t answer my kid’s accusations that Christianity is hypocritical and that they can’t embrace a religion that favors American consumerism instead of ECONOMIC EQUALITY as Jesus would have?”What most stood out to you about current ideologues who have replaced the content of the word EQUALITY as equal justice under the law with the concept of equal outcomes?In seeking to put a biblical lens over socialism, which components of socialism seem most evil?How can we better help our kids recognize politicians who demonize the wealthy, thus subtly fomenting the evil motivation of class envy?Resources Used for Today’s Podcast Institute for Faith, Work and Economics website (excellent, biblical, scholarly articles on the biblical view of economics, helping the poor, etc.) What Would You Say Colson Center  (Excellent short videos on how to promote a biblical view of economics). 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)

Episode Summary: In today’s episode we will discover that the modern “enlightened” view of sexuality actually undervalues sexuality and that it is, in fact, the Biblical view that upholds sex as a precious treasure. We examine three common messages about sexuality articulated and assumed by today’s social media and how the biblical view is richer and corresponds much more to reality. We then show three practical ways to resist the temptation to commit adultery. For Further Prayerful Thought What is your opinion of the modern view that sex is just a way to satisfy a normal bodily appetite? How would you explain that the biblical worldview of protecting the vulnerable intimacy of sex by placing it in the Covenant of Marriage makes more sense than the secular view?Why is it easy for even Christian couples who get engaged to rationalize having sex. How would you persuade a brother to stop doing so?Why do you think advocates of the gay lifestyle use the ad homonym argument to label those who disagree homophobic? Why is it loving, if you had the chance, to guide someone AWAY from the gay life?Which practical step for resisting the temptation to adultery most stood out to you?Resources Used for Today’s Podcast The Meaning of Marriage, Tim and Kathy KellerA Practical Guide to Culture, John Stonestreet and Brent KunkleThe Secular Creed, Rebecca McLaughlinFor 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)

Episode Summary. This episode examines both the explicit meaning of what is prohibited in Sixth Commandment and what Jesus and James taught is the implicit meaning of what is prohibited the Sixth Commandment for Christ-followers so that we are equipped to teach our children and grandchildren the ways of the Lord.  For Further Prayerful Thought: Why is it important to know that the 6th Commandment prohibits the unlawful taking of a human life?Which God-ordained restraints upon the evil of hostility towards other humans leading to murder most stood out to you?What do you most want to remember about the NT teaching that the sixth commandment not only prohibits harming another’s body, it prohibits harming another’s soul?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)

Episode Summary. If you were God giving instructions to the human race about how to get along with each other, what would be the first thing you'd say? Don't be selfish? Don't be proud? Learn to forgive? Treat others like you want to be treated? God's first law is “Honor your father and mother.” And in case we still don't catch the foundational importance of this command, God attaches an unbelievable promise to it. It is the only one of The Ten Commandments with this kind of a promise: that you may live long and that it may go well with you.  Isn't it interesting that God's first law of human relationships has to do with the family? God starts with the most basic and important cell group in society. God designed it to be the birthplace of a child's self-esteem and of his sense of identity, the place where he is to learn what it means to be loved and to give love, the place where he learns how to adapt to the way the world has been created by God to operate. This episode examines this foundational commandment and its implications not just for children but for adults. For Further Prayerful Thought: How would you contrast “obedience-centered training” with “child centered training?” What would you say to one who said this verse in Proverbs 22:15 encourages abuse? “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of the child the rod of discipline will remove it far from him.”How do the opening verses in the first chapter of Proverb juxtapose being shaped by your parents’ wisdom with being shaped by peer pressure? (See vs 8-10).What does it say about God that he demands that adults honor their elderly parents?What evidence do you see in the culture that it is anti-God’s design of the family to be the foundation of society?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)

Episode Summary. One of the words used to describe the worldview of the culture in which we all swim is secularism, which describes a lifestyle of preoccupation with the visible, material world to the neglect of the world of the spiritual. The result of swimming in this polluted water has been, in my view, a largescale disregard of the fourth commandment by Christians and consequent loss of its benefits. The lost benefits are understanding the eternal value of work and understanding the need to regularly shut out the secular world to be renewed and reconnected to the Spiritual Being who created us. This episode seeks to recover what is often lost by the neglect pf the fourth commandment. For Further Prayerful Thought: What most stood out to you in this episode about the fourth commandment?How would you respond to someone who said, “Keeping the Sabbath is being legalistic, and the church is not Israel?”What components of a biblical view of work seem most important to you.It’s been said that the more important your work is, the more important it is to regularly step away from it and renew. How might this principle apply to serving Christ?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)

Episode Summary. Fatherhood champion Anthony Bradley’s research proves what Scripture teaches us about the role God has assigned to fathers in creation: fathers are the most important men in any community, anywhere, everywhere, ever. Their presence, involvement, and guidance are pivotal for the emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being of their children. This is the fourth episode in our June series Fathers Giving the Moral Foundation to Their Children That the Culture Won’t. It recognizes that the third commandment, You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain, involves much more than a prohibition against cussing. It goes to the very heart of our love for Christ and how God says that love should be shown in the way we treat his name.   Link to New City Catechism Curriculum. 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)

Episode Summary. 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?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)

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? 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)