Today's One Big Idea:  Every man wrestles at some point with this question:  Do I have what it takes?  The good news is this:  No!  But Christ does...and Christ in you is enough.  You are complete in him.

Listen to Podcast Episode #8 to hear more.

Let me tell you a story about my friend, Andy.

Andy Average is an average, Christian man.  He's a nice guy who does nice things and lives in a nice home and has a nice family.

Andy goes to church every Sunday (or at least most Sundays).  He pays his bills on time, loves his family, and seemingly doing "good", by all accounts.

But Andy knows something that most men know of their own story:  He has settled in some ways.  He's stopped going all-in for a bigger life.  He knows he was made for more.  Knows that Christ offers more.  Knows that he's not having the impact that he could.  Knows that time is running out.

But Andy is comfortable and cozy and he's settling...

"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. ...

 SEX.

Now that I know I have your attention, let's talk about it (just like the band, TLC, told us to in the 1990s!). 

To be clear, if you are not married, this is helpful to you - not for now, but for later on.  Conversations like this are totally appropriate, needed, good and blessed by God - but only if you are in a committed, Christian marriage of one man and one woman.  If that is not you today, then take good notes and prepare for the future.

If that is you and you are married to a godly woman right now, then grab a pen and paper and lean in close.  There are some tried-and-true ideas here that can absolutely help you.

Here are 5 ways to improve your sex life today.

1. Bounce your eyes.

Imagine that you're at the gym.  A hot girl walks by in tight leggings and a sports bra.  Quick:  what do you do??

If you're most guys - even Christian guys - you stare, gawk, try to act cool, probably flex your muscles a bit, and then try to pretend like...

Disclaimer:  Today's conversation is based on an idea I stole from a message from Pastor Jonathan Pokluda.  I am including the video of this talk at the bottom of this blog post and beg you to PLEASE LISTEN to it after you read this!  It's so good and so needed!  I have taken the ideas that I am sharing here from his message, but I came up with my own C's for this blog.  So, hopefully, you will benefit even more from both his thoughts and mine.  

Loving a woman.  That's a tall order, isn't it!  How do we do that?  Where do we even begin?  

For many men, it begins with a ring.  An engagement ring, to be exact.  In today's conversation, we are going to use the same ideas for finding a quality engagement ring to help us find clues about loving a woman.

So how do you find a good diamond ring to give to your lady?  There are 4 C's that you'll need to know about.

1. Cut   2....

As fathers, we want to do our best when raising our children. We want them to grow up feeling loved and secure while also respecting authority and learning to be responsible adults along the way. The Love and Logic parenting philosophy is an effective way to accomplish this. It provides tools to help Christian men raise kids that are self-confident, respectful, responsible, and better able to choose the path of Christ for themselves.

As my wife and I have raised our girls (the oldest is 17 at the time of this writing and the youngest is 8), we have read (and re-read) the book and listened to their trainings called, Parenting with Love & Logic, many times.  (You can find it in our Amazon Store by clicking here). It has been an invaluable source of encouragement, confidence, and strength for us and we believe strongly in its principles and the tools they teach.  

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at how you can use the principles of Love and Logic in...

Quick confession:

I am a novice when it comes to guns.  I own a sweet P226 Sig Sauger 9mm handgun but hardly ever shoot it.  However, I believe in our constitutional right to own and bear arms and I think it is wise that we are educated and equipped to defend and protect ourselves and our loved ones should the need arise.  As such, I am seeking to learn more about common sense ideas for beginners like me and know that many of the men at Get In The Fight are in the same boat as me.  

The 2nd Amendment states: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

With that being said, if you carry (or plan to carry) a concealed weapon, safety should be your ultimate priority. It’s not just about ensuring the safety of those around you – it’s also about making sure that YOU are safe and secure as well. To that end, here are four...

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...