No Church Answers!

In a unique gospel passage, Mark gives us a 24-hour day in the life of Jesus. We look at how the Lord balanced time he spent on his vocation, with his circle of friends, and on prayer and spiritual recharging. We look at the model it offers how to manage the pressing demands on our own time, and consider some difficult scenarios we can face when our work, family and church lives get out of balance...

When a potentially life-changing opportunity comes along, will you recognize it, grab it and commit to it? The first four disciples Jesus called were work-a-day fisherman, yet they saw something in an itinerant preacher that drove them immediately to drop their nets and follow. A big struggle men face is weighing a personal decision that calls for risk--to well-being, relationships and self-image....

Davey Gibson, associate pastor of education and discipleship at Sugar Land Baptist Church, talks with Man Up's Michael Cropper about how church ministries can bring men back into the congregation as the Covid pandemic recedes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy a...

We begin a deep dive into the first three chapters of Mark's gospel, starting with the Jesus' baptism and subsequent temptation in the wilderness. Along the way, we talk about John the Baptist's role as transitional prophet from the Old Testament to the New, and how we deal with transitions in our lives. We then look at the temptations Jesus faced and how we, like him, can meet, struggles with, an...

In our milestone 200th podcast, we talk about the listeners we each try to reach and take turns diving deeper into the various themes we return to week after week -- iron sharpens iron, lead dog needs to be fed, exercise your faith muscle, balance sheet of the soul, spoke in the wheel. What emerges is a sort of manifesto for the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

As a special feature marking our 200th podcast, we've uploaded the audio clip compilation from Podcast 199. A great big thank you to the Professor, Robert Cocheu, for assembling this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art...

As we approach our 200th podcast, we take a break from our usual format to talk about events external of the past four years: hurricanes, floods and ice storm and a year-long pandemic, and personal: surgeries, accidents, aging parents. We talk about how they have shaped us and how even in difficulty, we can see the Spirit at work. We talk about how our faith has grown and how reading and discussin...

Paul says he has learned to be content in all circumstances. That touches off a spirited discussion as to what, exactly, contentment is. Is it on a spectrum of emotions, or something that can co-exist with grieving, suffering and misfortune? Is it a conscious choice or a gift of the Holy Spirit? And, for American Christians especially, is prosperity the greatest obstacle to contentment? Hosted on...

"Do not be anxious about anything," writes Paul. That's easy to say when you're not up against a pandemic, unemployment, gun violence and toxic cultural divisiveness. We all desire the "peace that surpasses all understanding," yet each day it seems less and less achievable. In this week's podcast we each talk about the ways we try to reduce the anxiety level in our lives even while acknowledging h...

If our "citizenship is in heaven," as Paul says, what are our responsibilities on Earth? One of the difficulties of being a Christian is that sooner or later, your values will come into conflict with those of secular society. Yet at the same time, we are a religion of reconciliation and transformation. In a time where American Christians are all too ready to engage in fighting, is there a better w...

Professionally and personally, men set goals and measure themselves by how well they meet them. But what about spiritually? What are your goals for a mature life in the Christian faith? Better still, what *should* those goals be? (Hint: it's not trying to follow all the rules.) As Paul exhorts us to "press on," we discuss these questions and others. Mike talks about running the good race. Robert s...

Paul considered everything he had counted as profit before encountering Christ as "rubbish" (a family-friendly translation from the Koine Greek)when measured against the "power of the resurrection." It's a hard teaching for American Christians, but Paul forces us to always question the value of material gain and to be ready to give it all up to follow Christ. In a lively discussion, the fellows de...

We discuss Christian management and mentoring as we look at how Paul delegated ministry work to Timothy and Philippian messenger Epaphroditus. We look at how Paul's heartfelt endorsement of Timothy set up his protoge for success, and how Paul bolstered Epaphroditus, who, because he fell ill on his mission, may have been subject to backbiting by church peers as having failed his task. Finally, what...

Paul's instruction to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" has widely different meanings across different faith traditions. Is it call to cower before God or kneel in awe? Podcasting through an historic cold wave, we fearlessly dive in to the process of sanctification, submission and discipleship and how they fit into joyful Christian living. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

Most men, including us, find Paul's command to imitate Christ's humility one of the most difficult to follow. Can a Christian afford to choose humility when their teachers, bosses and social influencers place so little value on it? Our discussion explores the tension between assertiveness and humility and we hash out some real-world scenarios in a game of "It's Hard To Be Humble." Hosted on Acast....

What Paul exhorted churches to remain "in one mind," it seems divisions have been the norm since the beginning. We discuss what is meant by being of "one mind" (it doesn't mean marching in lockstep)and look at reasons churches split, from doctrine to poor people skills, and the Christ-like traits that Paul says foster unity amid disagreement. After listening, visit our YouTube page (https://www.yo...

Paul calls on the Philippians to stand firm for the Gospel, yet let their manner be worthy of the its message of grace and love. We talk about correct ways Christians can stand united against opponents, whether they are inside or outside the church community. We even stir the pot a bit with a discussion about those who brought the Christian flag to the Capitol Building riot. Hosted on Acast. See a...

Paul admitted to weighing the choice between living confined in prison or choosing death and a glorious afterlife with the Lord. That's our jumping off point for a discussion about suicide, suffering and end-of-life experiences with friends and relatives. As Christians, we believe we will enter the presence of God after we die. How much of a rush should be in to get there? Hosted on Acast. See aca...

In jail, away from friends, his missionary plans thwarted, Paul still chose to rejoice. Paul didn't just passively accept his situation; he challenged it on his own terms to make it work for the Gospel. We talk about how faith not only helps carry men through hard times, but actually transforms adversity into Kingdom work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more abo...

We start the new year with a study of Paul's letter to the Philippians. Paul saw joy from the Philippian church--whose members varied from wealthy cloth merchants to common jailers--as they looked past their differences to partner to spread the Gospel. As secular culture reduces the virtue of diversity into the latest fad, we look at the Christian ideal of purposeful community. Hosted on Acast. Se...

For our first podcast of 2021, we take on a potpourri of topics. We talk about the men we hope Man Up reaches and the overall importance of men's ministries. We ask if Christian men can be alpha males and finally we take a look back at a messy 2020 and express our hopes for a better 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone...

For our Christmas 2020 podcast, we take a look at Joseph, one of the most important figures in the Christmas story yet one who rarely gets any attention. God delegates the care and protection of Mary and the child Jesus to Joseph, who remains humble and obedient to the Lord, while decisive and purposeful in accomplishing the difficult and stressful tasks he faces. As men confront the challenges an...

Our panel discusses the traits Paul says will emerge when one truly lives by the Holy Spirit. We contrast that with his indictment of worldly practices that purport to offer the same benefits, but invariably fall short. Everyone strives for greater love, peace, joy, patience, kindness and these other examples of spiritual fruit, but how much comes from our work and how much comes from surrender to...

The guys discuss Paul's "triad" of traits that emerge when the Gospel and the Holy Spirit combine to spark transformation in a believer. We look at faith vs. works, love vs. duty and finding joy despite hardship and endurance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy a...

Instead of getting drunk on wine, Paul calls on us to be "filled with the Holy Spirit" and specifically cites singing as a way to do so. That's our cue to talk about the types of worship music we grew up with and how it contributes the overall celebration we should find in our faith. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...