Biblical Manhood Podcast | Biblical Manhood Podcast

Welcome back to the BMP! Today’s episode is such a joy for me to share with you because you’ll get to hear from a Biblical man who has every reason to brag about himself but truly counts it all as loss for the sake of knowing Jesus. I’m so glad to call Jimmy my friend and really value his input when I need encouragement and wisdom. In this episode, Jimmy will tell us a little about his background and the foundations that started his walk with God. We’ll hear about a once broken relationship with Jimmy’s father that God is now restoring for His glory. Jimmy shares his passions in life, thoughts on Spiritual gifts and a story of previous “idols” that could never have glorified God. We also discuss frustrations with men in and outside the church and the legacy of cultural change he wants to leave when “Before the throne of God above.” What an answer to prayer it was to do this interview. I hope you enjoy it and are blessed by Jimmy’s testimony.

Welcome back to the Biblical Manhood Podcast! Our episode today is a much lighter topic than we’ve been discussing in the past few episodes. We will establish a philosophy of being a Biblical Gentleman. Because Jesus is our example, we will look at what it means to be aware of and meeting the physical needs of others in an appropriate and edifying way. The Bible has a lot to say about humility and considering others better than ourselves. A word that beautifully illustrates this seemingly distant, but vital purpose of living as a Biblical gentleman is anointing. What does it even mean to anoint? Its like one of those super spiritual words that no one outside the Abrahamic faiths uses. Transubstantiation, sanctification, tribulation and not far down the list of words least used by the average secular American: anoint. It’s beautiful. We’ll look at what this means, how Mary Magdalene anointed Jesus and forever tagged her name to the Gospel. As we tie this understanding of anointing to how we perform Biblical gentlemanly activities, we see a clear path to why we go to the trouble of meeting other’s physical needs. Why give up your seat to anyone else if you don’t care whether they’re comfortable? Why open the door for someone if they probably won’t even acknowledge you? All these questions consider self as more important. The Gospel met us when we were wretched, poor and naked. I can’t imagine Jesus asking “Why die for people who would spit in my face?” There are practical, traditional approaches to being a gentleman, that we will discuss from a historical and cultural perspective. We’ll use these traditional gestures to launch into a peek at how anointing others translates into life in the Information Age. I’m really excited to share this with you and can’t wait to read your comments! Please take a moment and “Like” the BMP on Facebook. I hope you have an awesome day and enjoy this episode of the Biblical Manhood Podcast. Shownotes: 1 Peter 5 Romans 10 Matthew 5 Dictionary.com – Anoint Mary Magdalene (Secular) Gentleman’s How-To Lists: The Gentleman’s Guide – Has an Englishman’s Flavor. Fun to Read with an English Accent. WikiHow – To Be a Gentleman. George Washington’s “Book of Etiquette” via PBS Bibleisland.com

Welcome back and thank you for tuning into another episode of the Biblical Manhood Podcast! We have an interesting show for us to explore today. We will be continuing our look into the Biblical man mentioned as the “gatekeeper” or “doorholder” in Neh. 4:13. This time we will be talking about the weapon the gatekeeper holds in the hand opposite the one that works. Just a fair warning about today’s episode, it may get a tad controversial because we will be venturing into an area where many Christians differ greatly in the application of a practice known to the world as self defense. We will look at some text that may surprise you, no matter where you come down on the issue. Its a great thing for us to talk about in 2011, specially since the news about Osama caused something not seen in recent history: Christians rejoicing together with non-believers in the streets. So how does a Biblical man go about defending himself? If he gets mugged, is he supposed to fight back? If his loved ones are in trouble or being subject to imminent harm, is he supposed to ask the mean man to stop? Does he run? Does he offer his wife and child as gifts to the mean man? Back in the Old Testament the rule was simple, but hard: eye for an eye. Jesus fulfilled that in the new testament by blessing the peace-makers and rebuking many to give up their cloaks if someone would take their belongings. Today, in 2011, men have changed quite a bit. We are so much more unsure of ourselves. Toughness and violence are frowned upon and discouraged in almost every instance and cause. The death of Osama reminded me that our emasculated culture still has some place for praising violence if all collectively think it was “deserved.” Many times, men are led to make assumptions based on their observations of the world around them, rather than the truth inside them. Take sex, for example. The world around says to spread your seed and praises promiscuity. The truth is that sex was meant for a safe and most enjoyable framework: marriage. I’ve spoken with countless friends, believing and not, who wholeheartedly agree. I think we (modern men, and even Biblical men as a whole) have made a false assumption proposed by the world pertaining to violence and self defense. The world says that violence solves nothing and praises, here’s the keyword: tolerance. The truth is that violence is best exercised in the perfect justice of God. This, I think, is another concept even non-believers, though they may profess not to know God, understand. It is a part of this absolute truth, a common grace like the sun that shines on believers and non believers alike. It is very human to feel relief when justice is served. We don’t have to convince ourselves of it or be talked into feeling at peace when we can clearly see that justice was served. But what form does that perfect justice of God take? We will begin to look at a very deep question, close to the heart of defining Biblical manhood in today’s episode of the Biblical Manhood Podcast. Shownotes: Nehemiah 4 Self Defense Scriptures

Thank you for returning to the Biblical Manhood Podcast! What an amazing week! God is so good. As for the Biblical Manhood Podcast, this episode, like the others, didn’t really come together until the very end of the writing portion. It is so crazy how the “not sure where this is going” turned “Glory to God ties it all together at the last minute” has happened for almost every episode. Hah! That’s really all there is to say! In Genesis 2:15 (ESV), it says: “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Mind you, man’s working was before anyone ever even ate an apple. Eve was barely a twinkle in God’s eye while Adam was working in the garden! God even created Eve because Adam needed help. All this is to say that man’s work predates sin. So, sinless work under God at the hands of man existed before man’s image fell. Adam’s work, like everything before sin, glorified God and probably satisfied Adam deeply. In light of this, I believe that there was a sinless way for a man to do work. But what does that look like today, in a fallen world? A quote from Kay Stepkin says that “Your work is your identity.” Men today often do not glorify God with their work. Many seem to either idolize their work or neglect its significance all together. I know I am only starting to figure out what the work of my life is supposed to be. I used to see work as a menial means to a selfish end. After the month I’ve had recently, I’m starting to think much differently about the topic. I propose that  modern men’s idolization of and/or indifference toward work do not bear fruit in the kingdom, but have immense impact on the “Man Problem” (See Episode 1) facing our society and culture. The potential to have joy in work seems like foolishness to men, or many have a lame idea of what “joy in work” looks like. However, we will see today that the truly Biblical man has perpetually satisfying and immensely glorifying joy in his work. Today we will continue our discussion of the GateKeepers as we saw them in Neh. 4:17. More specifically, we will look at the hand that works. Our culture places heavy emphasis on a man’s work. We’ve already explored a work ethic imbalance between men and women in their twenties. Men in my demographic make less than women who share the age group and demonstrate less drive to achieve. If we are so apathetic and indifferent about our identity in society that our work reflects it, then there should be some consequences. The Bible has many things to say about being idle, apathetic, lazy. None of the scripture with which I am familiar speaks approvingly of these qualities, especially for Biblical men. We will talk about some of my work-related experiences and paradigm shift since starting the Biblical Manhood Podcast. We will look at some scripture that pertains directly, but discreetly, about a Biblical man’s work. The scripture we will read later hit me at the last minute when writing this episode. It wonderfully sums up all the points and experiences that led me to making this little expansion of the GateKeepers installment.  I hope you will find that you relate well to some of these experiences and are encouraged in your walk as a Biblical man. As always, please share your comments with me. Let me know if something I’ve said really hits home with what you’re going through and don’t be afraid to share your experience. By delving the concept of work for the Biblical man, we will come to see that, as Biblical men, we are inseparable from our “work”. As Christians, our identity is found in Christ. Kay Stepkins quote is true and telling for Biblical men too. But if we do our “work” Biblically, we will glorify God and be satisfied in the ultimate source of joy. Here’s an equation for all our Biblical theo[...]