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How To Discuss Sex With Your Children
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The Big Idea: Out: having “the talk.” In: an ongoing conversation about sex. For many of us, sex was taboo in the homes where we grew up. Not many of us had a parent give us “the talk.” For those who did, it was usually awkward. It may even have gone like this: “Son, you…
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In Times of Great Need God Will Sustain Us
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The Big Idea: Even if I give up on God, God will never give up on me. You really do need a newer car, to restore your marriage, to get your children to understand what’s at stake by their behavior, to make more money. You’ve prayed and prayed. You’ve tried to keep the faith. But…
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My Name Is Joseph And This Is My Story
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The Big Idea: Jesus came to pay a debt He didn’t owe, because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay. My name is Joseph, and this is my version of the events that led up to the birth of my son. We were living under crushing circumstances. Poverty and disease were rampant. Hope was in…
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How One Cup of Coffee Can Change the World
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The Big Idea: Discipleship is one man caring enough about another man to help him build a relationship with God, a worldview that’s biblical, and a lifestyle worthy of Christ. Let’s presuppose that, like Peter, James, John, Paul, Timothy and others, you’re a true believer that making disciples is the main work of a Christian.…
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Next Step Triple Threat
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The Big Idea: Be a friend. Pray. Serve. Give. The challenge in the previous message, “How a Cup of Coffee Can Change the World”, was to begin the process of engaging another man in conversation and begin to get to know him. Great. Now what? Introducing the Next Step Triple Threat. Like the great “Read Option”…
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How to Handle Disappointment
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The Big Idea: Jesus called us to go, not to wait and see if they come to us. In the previous two messages, we’ve been given several ways to get involved in a man’s life and help him move forward in his walk with Christ. But anyone who has ever tried to help another person knows…
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The Ministry of Giving a Nudge
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The Big Idea: Just help a man go as far as he wants to go toward Jesus at that moment. We’ve been learning that reaching men is pretty much doing what we do every day, but with a view to building intentional spiritual friendships. So let’s say you’ve had that cup of coffee, helped a…
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Getting a Man to Say Yes
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The Big Idea: An intentional spiritual friendship is built over time. It’s a relationship, not a transaction. So how exactly do men develop relationships? We tend to bond in shared experiences (verses shared conversations), and there’s a definite progression. You can see it in the way that Jesus built a seemingly random group of strangers…
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The Indispensable Necessity of Connecting Men to Church
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The Big Idea: A real man invests in his church, then helps other men do so as well. Many men today consider church to be optional or a low-priority item on their list. But after you connect with a man who wants to grow in Christ, the reality is that it will be impossible for…
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A Men Reaching Men Celebration!
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The Big Idea: It takes a man to teach a man to be a man. Men are often frustrated because they know “what” needs to be done, but not “how” to do it. That’s why in this series we focused on proven, easy-to-execute ideas to reach other men. And it’s working! You guys have gone…
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What Knowledge Will Bring You Sustainable Joy?
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The Big Idea: The more we grasp just how much Jesus really cares, the more robust will be our joy. Are you a basically unhappy man who occasionally experiences joy, or a basically joyful man who occasionally experiences sadness? We will all feel what C. S. Lewis called “stabs of joy” in our circumstances, but…
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No One Thinks They’re Going To Fall Away
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The Big Idea: Let us learn to distrust any confidence that does not depend entirely on the Holy Spirit. No one ever thinks they’ll be the one who falls away, but could it happen to you? Or is it happening now, or already happened? When Jesus predicted that all the disciples would fall away, they…
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The Fully Surrendered Life
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The Big Idea: The key to embracing God’s will is to fully surrender any will of my own. Many soldiers and martyrs have gone fearlessly to their deaths. But in today’s passage, Jesus underwent a moment of unrivaled agony and suffering. What was happening that was so extraordinary? What does it mean to us? And…
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What Should You Do When You’ve Been Betrayed?
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The Big Idea: If God allows you to be betrayed, how can you handle it so that Christ is glorified? King David expected his enemies to oppose him, but it really got to him when betrayed by his friends. He was devastated. For there to be a betrayal there must first be someone you thought…
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How To Get Back At The Jerks Who Mistreat You
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The Big Idea: Mistreatment is God teeing up opportunities to show the world there really is a difference. Unfair mistreatment is so pervasive. Between our relationships and transactions, most of us get mistreated all the time. We have quite an example for how to get back at those who mistreat us. No man was ever…
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How Men Deny Jesus and What We Can Do About It
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The Big Idea: Men deny Jesus when they value something else more than they value knowing Him. Peter hit rock bottom after having perhaps the worst 24 hours in history. While we may not face the drama he did, all of us are tempted to deny Jesus in big and small ways. We may not…
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Betraying Jesus for Money
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The Big Idea: Everyone betrays Jesus for money, but it’s what we do next that counts. Not even an atheist would ever name his son Judas! Judas is synonymous with betraying Jesus for money. Yet at some point, haven’t we all betrayed Jesus for the same reason? So what’s the difference between Judas and us?…
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What Jesus Wants Us To Know About His Kingdom
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The Big Idea: Every form of truth requires some form of faith. From his verbal exchange with Pilate, we learn something explicit about the nature of Christ’s kingdom we would otherwise not know. Join us as we delve into why some men are so conflicted about the truth, what we know that’s true about the…
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A Man Struggling To Do The Right Thing
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The Big Idea: Once a man is willing to compromise his integrity, anything can happen. We all get caught up in situations where we know the right thing to do, but we’re conflicted. That’s the situation in this lesson. Join us as we learn something about Jesus that we would otherwise never know. We’ll explore…
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Hope Amidst Despair
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The Big Idea: Suffering unjustly reminds us of Jesus’ pain & purpose. You might be feeling hopeless or desperate right now. Maybe your family is suffering, you’ve lost your job or a relationship you value is damaged inadvertently. Maybe there are things going on in the culture that are making you feel marginalized…or just plain…
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What Can Happen When a Man Finally Gets It
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The Big Idea: Am I where I’m supposed to be? Am I doing what needs to be done? Is this where I can do the most good? What did a lifelong criminal dying on a cross next to Jesus see that was so powerful he felt compelled to plead, “Jesus, remember me when You come…
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Why The “Happiness” Gospel is Letting You Down
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The Big Idea: Any gospel without suffering is a gospel without Christ. No one wants to suffer. You’d be nuts if you did. In fact, it’s normal to do everything humanly possible to seek the abundance promised by Jesus. But a gospel without suffering is a gospel without Jesus. In this lesson, we explore how the…
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The Man Who Could No Longer Remain Silent
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The Big Idea: What stirs you so deeply that you can no longer remain silent? Our nation is falling apart morally. Few would disagree. But what can you do? No doubt the early disciples were thinking similar thoughts and asking similar questions at the murder of their Leader. Now we come to His burial. In…
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The Empty Tomb: What (Else) Is Missing?
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The Big Idea: Jesus defeated death and sets me free from my sin. The story of Jesus’ execution, burial, resurrection and bodily existence post-execution is a public narrative. Literally dozens of people saw him die and saw him alive again. In this message, Man in the Mirror vice president Brett Clemmer looks at the Bible’s…
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Did Jesus Actually Rise From The Dead?
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The Big Idea: What changed their minds then is what will change our minds now. Long before we get to the “meaning” of the Resurrection, the bigger issue for most of us was, or is, “Did it actually happen?” It’s natural to have doubts. But whatever they are, they’re probably mild compared to the doubts,…
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But We Had Hoped…
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The Big Idea: In my greatest disappointment Jesus gives me the biggest surprises. After Jesus’ death, two of his followers left Jerusalem to go to a nearby town. Soon, a stranger joined them as they walked. They told him the story of the last few days, the death of their beloved rabbi and friend, and…
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First Things First: Restoring Confidence
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The Big Idea: Even if I die, God is still in control. We’ve all lost confidence in leaders because we think they let us down—whether a boss, pastor, or elected official. That’s to be expected. You may have even been the leader who went through, or is going through, such a crisis. But what if…
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Jesus’ Faithfulness to His Friends
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The Big Idea: Jesus will keep on showing up. That’s what he does. Even after he died, Jesus just keeps on showing up. If the disciples thought they were sharing a hallucination, Jesus repeated appearances should convince them that he is really alive! Jesus always shows up – if you’re super emotional like Peter, a…
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Jesus, The Tender Warrior
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The Big Idea: Jesus wants to heal our most broken places so we can be completely His. Jesus fights for his friends. In John 21, Jesus renews and restores the disciples so they can live the great adventure he set before them. In this message, we’ll learn how He can do the same for us.…
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Guilt-Free Disciple Making
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The Big Idea: Our work for God (making disciples) will always be a reflection of our walk with God. Why do we feel so much pressure—and guilt— when we hear Christ’s command to “go and make disciples?” Actually, you’re probably already doing a lot more than you think! In today’s lesson we’ll explore what Jesus…
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Why Knowing We Should Make Disciples Isn’t Enough
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The Big Idea: The more consciously you witness in the power of the Holy Spirit, the more consistently you will see lives change. In His final messages, Jesus told the disciples to carry on His mission—to go and make disciples. But Jesus apparently knew that wouldn’t be enough. I agree. In a career that spans…
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The Rat Race
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The Big Idea: The Rat Race is the conflict between who I am created to be and who I am tempted to be. The proverbial questions of the rat race–“What’s it all about?” and “Is this all there is?”–have tortured us all at one time or another. So let’s kick off this new series by…
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Leading an Unexamined Life
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The Big Idea: It is for a lack of discipleship that men lead unexamined lives. We all want the same things–something we can give our lives to that will make a difference, someone to share our lives with, and a belief system that makes sense of why life is so hard. Christianity and secularism both…
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Biblical Christian or Cultural Christian?
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The Big Idea: No matter how men get stuck in cultural Christianity, the only solution is to disciple them out. When you look around it’s obvious that a lot of men are stuck. Some are stuck because they have yet to experience the freedom of being in Christ. Others have professed faith, yet they’ve been…
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Significance: The Search for Meaning and Purpose
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The Big Idea: The Rat Race is the conflict between who I am created to be and who I am tempted to be. The proverbial questions of the rat race–“What’s it all about?” and “Is this all there is?”–have tortured us all at one time or another. So let’s kick off this new series by…
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Purpose: Why Do I Exist?
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The Big Idea: I will feel most alive, most useful, and most significant when I am doing what God created me to do. It’s just a fact of life. Most men don’t know their purpose in life, or their purpose is too small. Sincerely ask a man, “What is the purpose of your life?” and…
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The Secret of Job Contentment
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The Big Idea: The secret of job contentment is not getting what I want, but redefining what I need. What do you want from your job, and are you getting it? It turns out that most men are not content in their work. In fact, according to Gallup’s 2013 “State of the American Workplace” report,…
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Broken Relationships
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The Big Idea: If you don’t have enough time for your family, you can be 100% certain that you are not following God’s will for your life. Let’s be honest. Work can be intoxicating. It can also be a place to escape unpredictable emotions and whiny kids. Yet no amount of success at work can…
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Children: How to Avoid Regrets
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The Big Idea: Encourage children by fathering their hearts, not fathering for performance. Who hasn’t heard a sobering story about a Dad who alienated his kids? To be a great Dad isn’t a given. Like any worthwhile skill, there are principles to learn and time to invest. Join us to learn the valuable distinction between…
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Wives: How To Be Happily Married
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The Big Idea: After God, but before all others, make your wife your top priority. Sigmund Freud said, “Despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, I have not yet been able to answer that great question…What does a woman want?” Too bad Freud didn’t believe in Christianity, because for Christians the answer…
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Joshua: The Principle of Mission Success
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The Big Idea: God will not give you a mission without also equipping you with everything you need succeed. If God has ever called you to a great (or small) mission, then you know the ecstasy of getting started and the astonishment of finding out how hard it is to follow through. You feel like…
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Friends: Risks and Rewards
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The Big Idea: Three 2:00 AM friends can make up for a multitude of disappointments. Sooner or later we all realize that friendships are a beautiful thing. We realize that we need some other men who walk in our same shoes–who share similar problems and life experiences. But adult male friendships are difficult to start…
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Money: A Biblical Point of View
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The Big Idea: Don’t buy the lie that money will do what it won’t, and that God won’t do what He will. Many Christians cling to the illusion that money will make them happy. Of course, money is important. Especially if you don’t have enough. When the 10th of the month rolls around, your mortgage…
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The Four Pillars of Financial Strength
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The Big Idea: The greatest source of financial wisdom about earning, saving, sharing, and debt has always been and will forever be the Bible. What should be your financial aspirations as a Christian man? Does the Bible have clear cut principles to guide how we think about money? Yes, and in this lesson we’ll zero…
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Decisions: How To Make The Right Choice
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The Big Idea: The goal is always to bring my will into alignment with God’s will. Most of us will only make a handful of truly major decisions in the course of a year. “Do I change jobs, move, get married, have children, take on a personal ministry, buy a car, lower my lifestyle,” and…
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Priorities: How To Decide What’s Important
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The Big Idea: Priorities help me manage the pressures that would otherwise manage me. We are all under a lot of pressure. Work pressures, marriage pressures, parenting pressures, money pressures, health pressures. Taking some time for yourself sounds good, but then who’s going to meet that deadline? How do you decide? You have far more…
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What Warriors Pray [Pete Alwinson]
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Christ following men need to know who they are, and the Bible tells us–we are sons, leaders and warriors. While our core identity is as sons of God because of Jesus and His cross, we are also leaders of our families and therefore workers and providers as well. What does it mean for us to…
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Time Management: Doing God’s Will
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The Big Idea: Move from “Plan, then pray” to “Pray, then plan.” Each of us wants to lead a productive life. God wants that too. “Producing a crop” is a big part of His will for us. Yet adding a bunch of rules and regulations to “make it happen” doesn’t really help much, does it? …
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Pride
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The Big Idea: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. The Bible says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” But what about feeling proud of our son’s grades or getting a promotion? Is that wrong? Actually, that’s a different kind of pride–let’s call it Pride Type I. Pride Type II, on…
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Fear
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The Big Idea: Faith in the promises of God will render fear impotent, even if our circumstances don’t change. Everyone struggles with fear: What if this deal falls through? Will she ever feel safe with me again? Will I be able to make payroll? Is it cancer? How am I going to pay my mortgage?…
