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...

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...

Today's One Big Idea:  

Jesus the man was a fighter.  That is our heritage and that's who we come from.

 "If a boy is to become a man, if a man is to know he is one, this is not an option.  A man has to know where he comes from and what he's made of." - Wild at Heart

Where do you come from?  Who do you come from?

Those are good questions to ask.

I come from a man who was super nice - but also had a tough-guy streak in him apparently, too.

One of my favorite thoughts of my dad was that he was a golden-glove boxer in high school in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  He is a southpaw, lefty and he's got fast hands.  I always imagined that he was probably a great boxer when he was younger.

Me?  Well, I was good at other things, I suppose, but getting punched in the face and taking on a fight was never one of my finer skillsets or ambitions.

In fact, anyone who knows me well knows I was VERY wimpy as a kid.  I was afraid of...

"For if you are going to know who you truly are as a man, if you are going to find a life worth living, if you are going to love a woman deeply and not pass on your confusion to your children, you simply must get your heart back."

- John Eldredge, Wild at Heart

I know what you might be thinking when you read a quote like that.

For a lot of men, any conversation about the heart is an instant "eye roll" or "here we go again with this soft stuff!" kind of feeling.  I get it!  I really do.

But bear with me for a minute because I think John's on to something incredibly important for us men that we need to hear.  If you find that this doesn't apply to - great!  No harm, no foul.  

But what if it does?  What if you're one of the millions of men who is dealing with some of the common things that are keeping you back from the life that Jesus offers and you don't even know that your heart is the real issue?

Let's look at some of the signs or symptoms and see...

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. ...

It can be easy for men to forget what true masculinity really is or what it looks like in action. Too often we're surrounded by messages that tell us that real men are self-serving, aggressive, and power-hungry. To be a man, you must be rowdy, curse like a sailor, and look down on the weak.

But this simply isn't the case.

The Bible reminds us that true masculinity is about sacrificially serving people in need—selflessly giving of ourselves for the benefit of others. It's about dying to yourself for the benefit of others.  That is the essence of the Christian life and true masculinity.

So what does this look like in a practical sense?

Here are four ways that Christian men can demonstrate what true masculinity actually looks like.

Love Sacrificially

The Bible tells us that the greatest form of love is sacrificial love. When we choose to lay down our own desires in order to serve others, we show them the love of Christ through our actions. This can be done in small ways such...

It takes a lot of courage to be a man. To make a difference in this world and to stand up for what is right and true, a man must have the courage to step out of his comfort zone and take some risks.

To do this, courage must be cultivated, especially for those of us who seek to live out our faith and hear the words that we all long to hear, "Well done - good and faithful servant!".

But how does one become more courageous? Let’s look at some practical ways that men can develop courage and why it matters so much that we do.

The Role of Fear

Courage does not mean the absence of fear or having the false hope that someday we can completely eliminate fear altogether.   Having courage simply means that you have the strength and mental fortitude to face your fears head-on. To move toward them when everything inside of you wants to run.

It is human nature to feel fear in the face of danger or uncertainty; however, if we allow fear to control us (and that is the REAL issue...

As Christian men, we are often called to stay and "fight the good fight".  I wrote about why that may be true in a previous post. There is growth in adversity and facing our challenges head-on will make us stronger.

However, there are times when it may be wise to leave and get away from a situation that is not good for us. Let’s take a look at four reasons when this may be true.

1. When Your Safety Is At Risk

Your safety always comes first. If you feel your physical or emotional wellbeing is threatened in any way, then leaving the situation is the best option for you. There are some situations that may be too dangerous for you to stay in and it’s important for you to recognize when those scenarios arise and make the decision to leave if necessary.

This may be if you are in a hostile work in environment and it is mentally draining you and causing you harm.  Or maybe its when someone is antagonizing you and picking a fight and you know you're about to blow...

Let's face it...life is hard sometimes. 

In fact, sometimes it can be brutally hard.

In many cases, it’s easier for us to run away from our problems and try to forget about them rather than face them head on. I know I have done this and been tempted to do this more times than I can count!  I bet you may have some stories, too.

But if we want to become better men of faith - men who are becoming more of the man that God had in mind when he made us - then there are at least four reasons why we ought to stand up and fight against our emotional pull to run away from our problems and painful situations.

Consider these 4 reasons.

Reason #1: You Gain Strength Through Overcoming Difficulties

Problems bring out the best in us when we choose to stay and fight. I wish there was an easier way, but there really isn't. 

The Bible tells us that those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31). This means that going through difficult times can actually...