A Guide to Biblical Manhood

I really enjoyed this little book on Biblical Manhood by Randy Stinson and Dan Dumas. It is short, practical, and challenging. I particularly enjoyed the section on leading, protecting, and providing for our wives and the 25 things a dad should teach a boy.

Here are a few of the 25 things a dad should teach a boy:
-How to speak in public
-How to build a fire
-How to manage money
-How to give a "man hug"
-How to handle losing
-How to play an instrument

Biblical Manhood on Display in an Unlikely Place

I watched some of the Nightline debate regarding the existence of Satan. Pastor Mark Driscoll did a fantastic job turning the discussion to Jesus. The topic of the debate was about Satan but the topic of the conversation was Jesus.

However, there is something else I want to commend Driscoll for. A small detail that could go unnoticed. In the 5th segment, Pearson makes a point about reading the Bible litterally. In his point, he refers to the 1 Timothy passage that says women should not have braided hair and wear nice clothes. As Pearson makes this point, he seems to be pointing at Annie Lobert (who was on Driscoll's side for the debate). I think Driscoll took Pearson's comments as a slam on Annie.

Driscoll immediately spoke up and said something to the effect of, "Don't judge her, she might have shopped on sale." The crowd laughed, but I don't think Driscoll was just trying to be funny. He was defending her. He was not going to allow the only woman on stage to be degraded.

Men, God is glorified when we fulfill our God-given task of protecting and defending the women around us.

Be the Man!

I woke Jeanna up last night to read her the funniest thing I've ever read in Piper's writings. He is talking about Biblical manhood and the man's responsibility to protect and provide for his wife.

"If there is a sound downstairs during the night and it might be a burglar, you don't say to her, 'This is an egalitarian marriage, so it's your turn to go check it out. I went last time.' And I mean that--even if your wife has a black belt in karate. After you've tried to deter him, she may finish off the burglar with one good kick to the solar plexus. But you'd better be unconscious on the floor, or you're no man. That's written on your soul, brother, by God Almighty. Big or little, strong or weak, night or day, you go up against the enemy first."

This Momentary Marriage, p. 91.

Disciplines of a Godly Man

We need more godly men in our day. Where are the husbands and dads who will step up and take their God-given responsibilities seriously? Disciplines of a Godly Man is a hard-hitting book to help men grow in Christlikeness. Hughes deals with many issues including a man’s relationship to his church. Get a copy for yourself or as a Christmas present for your father or husband.

I got to meet R. Kent Hughes a couple weeks ago at the conference! Nice guy.

A Word For Singles

In Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, John Piper writes a forward to singles. I find his statements helpful and Biblical.

1. Marriage, as we know it in this age, is not the final destiny of any human. Singleness here will prove to be no disadvantage in eternity (Mark. 12:25).
2. Jesus Christ, the most fully human person who ever lived, was not married. Piper tells a great story about a letter he received from a guy who said that not to have sexual relations is to be an incomplete person (p. xix).
3. The Bible celebrates celibacy because it gives extraordinary opportunity for single-minded investment in ministry for Christ (1 Corinthians 7:7; 32-35).
4. The Apostle Paul and a lot of great missionaries after him have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
5. The Apostle Paul calls singleness a gift from God (1 Corinthians 7:7).
6. Jesus promises that forsaking family for the sake of the kingdom will be repaid with a new family, the church (Mark 10:29-30).
7. God is sovereign over who gets married and who doesn’t. And He can be trusted to do what is good for those who hope in Him (Psalm 84:11; Romans 8:32).
8. Mature manhood and womanhood are not dependent on being married. A man does not become a man by getting married and a woman does not become a woman by getting married.