leave the culture out of it!

what does it take to be a man? what makes a man manly?

there are so many cultural connotations to these questions. in fact, as soon as the questions are asked you probably saw images of ripped, gruff & tough guys from some truck commercial racing through your mind. it's almost impossible to give a definition of what it means to be a man without being influenced by our culture (and particularly the media).

but who can answer these questions?

unfortunately we've settled for the definitions we've been given. stereotypes that are assumed. we're told who we are...or at least, who we should be if we want to be anybody. but even more unfortunate than that is the confusion we seem to get from those who call the shots. commercials, youtube videos, movies and tv shows are constantly sending mixed messages that can be extremely confusing and frustrating for young men trying to grow up to be real men. one minute they say men are funny, lazy slobs excused from immaturity because of raging hormones. the next minute we've got to have it all together with a successful job, power suit and gorgeous girls hanging off of each arm. and then a few minutes later they throw in men who are confident in their alternative sexual lifestyles. which is it? pick an option. or just stayed confused...

which is just symptomatic of the most unfortunate consequence of our culture's influence on our thinking: the fact that we look to our culture at all for answers and trust them to lead us in the right direction of manhood.

can our culture really answer the question of what it means to be a man?

i hope you see how relative the answer becomes if they do, because each culture will answer it differently. from a cultural standpoint being a man means something entirely different in india then it does in the united states. and you could most likely make a case for it being different in any other country or region of the world.

so what is the standard? where do we get the answers?

if we're going to learn what it truly means to be man, then we look no further than the Creator of man Himself! He alone can tell us what it truly means to be a man and what is manly.

His answers are the truth we need to become men who live on purpose...for the purpose we were created for. so when the question is asked, "what does it mean to be a man?", leave the culture out of it and turn to the Word of God.

let me leave you with a few thoughts from His Word that begin our quest in biblical anthropology:

1. man is created in the image of God. (genesis 1:26,27)
2. we were created for His glory (colossians 1:16)
3. all men are sinners that fall short of His glory (romans 3:23)
4. we are redeemed by faith in Jesus Christ (romans 3:24-26)
5. we were created to serve Him (eph. 2:10; 2 Tim.3:17)

these truths are hidden from man apart from divine revelation (1 corinthians 2:14-16; matthew 11:27). so stop looking for truth in the dumpster of the media. don't turn to the blind "experts" of psychology, sociology or science that separate our existence from an Almighty Creator.

do you wanna be a man?

then become a man of God's Word! it's your source of truth, and you can trust it!

a manly stereotype?

ok, guys, in order for this to be effective i need your help in giving your best answer and spreading the word about this blog for other guys to read and respond. so give me your feedback and give another dude the link to this site.

click on the "comments" below...and then you can click on the "email post" and send it to someone else! the more involved in the discussion the better. i'll follow up in a few days after the discussion gets rolling.


answer this: What makes a man MANLY? Does he have to fit a stereotype (i.e. rough, tough, built like the Hulk, unemotional, etc.)?

Father's Day challenge

pastor terry's message yesterday on passing the baton was especially challenging to Dad's on their way to become godly men and fathers...

Terry Thompson's Message

the dream

i have a dream. or at least the beginnings of one...

i hope this blog is just the beginning of something that God will use to impact generations of young men for His glory.

the dreams starting coming while driving down the road (which should have indicated to me right from the start that this dream will be dangerous). i landed in crawfordsville, indiana 3 years ago, which is a story in and of itself, but i've often wondered, God, what in the world am i doing here? for most of 3 years i've heard nothing in reply. except the lesson of waiting in patience. not an easy one for me. but now looking back on this past few years' experience i'm beginning to see a few of the brushstrokes He's been painting for the storyboard of my life. it's actually fun growing older and realizing that He really has been using everything to bring me to where am at today. and a few more years down the road i'll be looking back thinking the same thing. i hope...

but lately i've started to dream about how God could use me uniquely to impact the world for Him. and it all hinges around inspiring and empowering young men.

when i graduated from moody bible institute in the spring of 2006 i left there with great potential to be the quint-essential pastor. or so i thought. i honestly felt like i could do it all. i loved to preach, teach, sing, play guitar, minister to kids, teens, adults, elderly...i mean, i had it going on!

then i actually got a position in the ministry.

wow. apparently i'm not all that i thought i was cracked up to be. in fact, i've learned more from making boneheaded mistakes and naive assumptions than anything. there have been many days when i've looked around and thought, am i being effective at all??? but God has helped me focus my gaze and understand where i am gifted...where i am used most effectively. and as i look back on all that He has done since i got a real job ('entered vocational ministry' sounds better) i'm beginning to see a passion grow to impact the lives of high school and college age men.

there's something about that stage of life that gets me fired up. it's an awesome time of exploring on your own, building new friends, and making life-changing decisions. in fact, somewhere between the time you graduate from high school and begin your senior year of college most guys have this epiphany, like, oh man, i'm about to graduate...what in the world am i gonna do? thats' such a vulnerable place in life. and it's a great time for someone to step in and challenge them to think hard about the direction their life is headed.

i want to do that.

i want to help young men become real men.

and that's not easy in our culture. but i'm pumped about the possibilities of what God will do with generations of young men who are sold out to Him and desire to be used by Him to impact the world. i wanna be right there in the action!

so this is the beginning of a ministry that's aimed at pushing guys to Jesus. and i pray He'll use my utmost for His highest!