I want you to imagine that you are on the beaches of Normandy, France, in June 1944.

If you're not sure what that would look like, just think about the opening scene of the movie, Saving Private Ryan.  That's where you are.  You're on a boat just off the shore of Omaha Beach.

Thousands of men have already gone on ahead of you but you haven't seen the carnage yet.  Your gut tells you it's going to be bad but you have no idea what to expect when the backend of that boat lowers and you finally see it yourself.

There is death and destruction everywhere.  Bodies ripped open by sniper rounds that are, even now, ripping through your buddies standing right next to you.  If you don't hurry (and get very lucky), the next round could tear into you.

Everywhere you look, men - boys, really - are frozen in terror, paralyzed with fear, refusing to move and losing their lives.  It's a tragic scene that you're caught up in and the damage is overwhelming.

...

Want to listen to more of this conversation?  Subscribe & Listen to Podcast Episode #9

Have you ever seen something that you're not familiar with and thought, "I wonder what's for?"  Or, "I wonder what that does?!"

I was driving in my truck the other day with my youngest daughter.  She hasn't been allowed to sit up in the front, passenger side seat yet because she's too short and it's against the law (and unsafe).  But as she's gotten taller and older, we've been able to let her do this more (much to her great delight since she can now have a seat with a warmer for the cold winter months here in Michigan!).

As we were driving along the other day she began to go through the glovebox.  She kept pulling things out and was asking over and over, "What is this?!"  "What does this do?"  "What's this in here for?".  There were things like our insurance and registration packet, paperwork from service that's been done on the truck from...

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16

Maybe you've heard that before.

Maybe, though, you wrestle with if it's actually true for you.

Sure, God loves the world - but me?  Little ol' me?  Insignificant me?  Continuing-to-fall-in-sin me?

For some men, this struggle is very real!  They believe that "God is love" and they recognize his loving kindness in their lives in many ways.  But to genuinely believe that he not only knows you but loves you like he loves Jesus?  

That's just too much for some of us to truly believe.

Here are 8 signs that this may be true for you and 2 ways to deal with this issue:

• You secretly don't like yourself or you struggle to know who you really are
• You're tormented by voices from your childhood 
• You're constantly looking for (and desperate for) approval from others
• You're critical of others
• You...

What does it mean to be a godly man?

What does it look like?

At Get In The Fight, we are aiming at specific tenets or strategic ideas that help us demonstrate what the marks of a godly man look like in action.  They are:  Honor, Discipline, Strength, & Joy.  These are the foundational elements that make up the life of godly men.

Today, then, we want to look at the primary verse that we use at Get In The Fight ministries and share what we think are 5 clear marks of what it takes to be a godly man.

Here's the verse that we use:  1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NASB)

"Be on alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  Do everything in love."

 Let's take a closer look at each of these 5 marks of godly men.

Be On Alert

Have you ever gone on a hike in the Southwest or maybe on a trail like the Appalachian Trail?  If you have (or maybe even if you haven't), you'd know that there are potential dangers all along the trail. ...

Honor is kind of an old-fashioned word.  Its meaning may be confusing, or maybe its just an idea that is fuzzy at best to most of us.  But on our journey to becoming the man that God meant for us to be, we must embrace and understand this ancient concept.

As one of the 4 Tenets, or key principles, of Get In The Fight, Honor is central to what we understand as the core of a biblical, Christian man.  Because of this, it is imperative that we look closer at this key idea.

To be a man of honor is to live life with a sense of purpose and integrity. It is to be truthful, honorable, and just in all your actions. Becoming an honorable man requires creating standards for yourself and living up to them. It also involves cultivating meaningful relationships and living courageously in the face of adversity.

So let's break down what it means to be an honorable man and some ideas on how to become one.

What does Honor Look Like?

Honor looks like having the fortitude (another...

In Matthew 25:14-30, we read one of the most memorable of Jesus' many parables:  The Parable of the Talents.

At first glance, we would assume that he is talking about the skillsets and gifts we've each been given but this is not what the story is really about.  Instead, Jesus uses a common monetary term to help teach us key principles for life.

Here are 3 of them that Christian men would do well to embrace from this timeless teaching.

#1: Financial Wisdom

While this parable is not a conversation directly addressing financial planning principles, the parable of the talents teaches us more than just one application at a time.

A “talent” was not a skillset or gifting, but a monetary term that equated to the highest level of monetary gain in the Jewish culture of the time.  A talent was equivalent to approximately one years worth of income.  So, in typical Jesus fashion, he used a very common and well-understood idea from the physical...

Being a man of honor, discipline, strength, and joy is not something that comes naturally. It requires effort and dedication to live in such a way that reflects God's glory and His love for us. 

Here are some helpful tips for Christian men on how to live with these core values each day.

Living with Honor

Honor is the cornerstone of any man's life. It means speaking truthfully and respectfully to others, even when you don't agree or understand their beliefs or actions. It also means living according to the highest standards of integrity; never compromising your principles or values in order to gain favor or success. Living with honor also involves being honest about your mistakes and taking responsibility for them. When we make mistakes it can be difficult to admit them but owning up to our mistakes shows humility and courage—two qualities every man should strive towards.

Are you a man of HONOR?

Living with Discipline

Discipline is essential for any man...