The Sword & Shield: Devotionals for Men

Our world is so obviously in desperate need of help to take care of conflict. We live in a day where people air out issues with one another in front of everyone on social media. As is the case with so many problems in our lives, Jesus had something to say, the right way to handle something that will be opposite of what the world says to do. In this episode, let's look at how the Lord tells us...

As Christian men, most of us have the goal of one day being filled with wisdom and able to wield the Word of God in our everyday lives, influencing and helping others. So, how do we get there? How do we become that guy? Today's episode is a challenge and encouragement to start that journey now.

Waiting is tough, especially in a culture that demands immediate experience. Today's episode focuses on our timing versus God's timing and how we can navigate the difference, the balance, and the ultimate outcome. If you're wanting and waiting on anything, these words will hopefully bring you some help and encourage you.

Every disappointment begins as an expectation. Disappointments can be used as seeds that root as much bigger issues. In this episode we talk about how to navigate all this into a far better outcome—gratitude.

Striving is a weird word we don't use much anymore, but it describes really well when we think we have to make something happen in our own strength. And the longer it takes, the more desperate we become. But in the Kingdom of God, giving up doesn't mean failure. In fact, that decision can actually create success in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. If you struggle with striving anywhere in...

When I go to a grocery store with a list, once I'm done and have all my items, I go straight to the self checkout lane. I'm not dependent on an employee there to take care of my shopping experience. There'a actually a strong spiritual growth analogy to be learned here that can challenge us toward maturity.

All men want respect. Respect is a godly quality. Yet, it can never be demanded and it will never be received quickly. In this episode, I share a few principles and thoughts around this quality and characteristic that each of want and desire to grow in our lives.

Throughout the Bible, God used men who were available and would be obedient. He didn't create a race of super-heroes to do His work. That should be encouraging to us all. Today, I give you a sample day out of my latest men's devotional, Legacy of Leaders: A 40-Day Journey with the Men of God's Word . I talk about a one-verse guy who acted as close to an Avenger as the Bible gets, but he still just...

Being accused of laziness are usually fighting words for a man. But the reality is, because of sin, we always have areas where we are being lazy to some degree. Evaluating and being honest about where we are lazy and then the most important question why we are lazy is crucial to our maturity and growth as men and Christ-followers.

As men, we usually have a resume and a job description. But most of us we end up with a lot of roles, wearing a lot of hats. Then with that, comes expectations and pressures. If we are Christ-followers, God has a job description and clear role for us as well. When we embrace that, it can have a positive effect on all our other roles and become a game changer for us.

As sinners, as flesh, as men, we are going to be tempted to give up on so many things. But actually giving up on anything we are called to do or adopting a lifestyle of giving up or an attitude of giving up is not at all what Jesus died and rose again to give us. Today is a pep talk that when the temptation comes to ... not give up.

Avalanches make the news. Erosion never does. For us men, erosion is the constant killer of our attitudes, words, and actions. But we can recognize and stop erosion before an avalanche is ever a threat.

In God's creation, He factored in starts and stops. In our days and on our calendars, there are starts and stops. When we read and write, there are commas, periods, and chapter changes to navigate pauses, end points, and new starts. In this episode, we look at how God can use those in our lives to hear Him, to obey what He speaks to us, as well as the importance of allowing blank pages in our life...

Our current season of isolation is raising up old and new issues for many.  In idle time alone, temptations are rearing their ugly heads, causing problems. So what can we do? In this episode, I offer some practical principles for protection for these challenging days. The content here is gleaned from my latest book Believe, Become, Be: Becoming the Man God Believes You Can Be .

We all understand that the enemy wants to destroy, but when crises come, what is God doing? In this episode we look at the biblical pattern of destruction vs disruption. And then looking at the state of the world today, as ourselves, what is the message for us as men who follow Christ?

Our world needs hope more than ever before, yet we live in a day when hype is all around us. We try to live in hope while sifting through the hype for the facts. Today's episode is an entry from my The Sword & Shield Devotionals for Men that talks about these two opposing forces in our world.

Jesus came to build the ultimate bridge between God and man. But He constantly encountered walls built by the religious leaders and the cultural stigmas of the day. This episode asks the question of what are we building with our lives.

As Christian men, over the course of our lives we will experience a few landslides—sudden crashes of our character. But the real enemy and the greater threat is the daily emotions and attitudes that can creep into our lives to harm us and others.  

In today's celebrity-crazed, viral-driven culture, we tend to get pedestals and platforms confused. Today's episode is a quick challenge to evaluate which one we have and which one we really want.

To make a living we have to be involved in creating transactions. But as Christ-followers we are commanded to focus on relationships first. In this episode I talk through this paradigm and how we can practically live in the balance of honoring God and others while doing what we have to in the marketplace.

Matthew 4:1-11 gives us one of the most fascinating conversations ever to take place on the earth—Jesus and Satan. There is so much we can learn and apply in our own lives by reading what each said. In this episode, I give you three P's to remember when you're tempted, gleaned from Jesus's response to the enemy.

As Christian men, we understand the need to forgive others. But what about ourselves? What if we do something that we just can't seem to let go of? This episode explores that dilemma we all face and offers three practical steps toward freedom and forgiveness.

As guys, we work to stay in the comfort zone, but God is constantly challenging us to change. This episode talks honestly about what it means to coast and what we can do to get back on the road towards change.

This episode focuses on three simple W's that can help us practically remember what we are doing here in this life, and why we are here at all. 

What causes one guy to keep carrying over the goals of last year to this year and another guy to report amazing change that has happened in his life? In this episode, we take a look at two key factors that can help us stop procrastination and make real, lasting progress.