Oh the places you'll go!
Now may the God of peace... equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. -Hebrews 13:20-21 (NIV)
I was privileged this past weekend to visit with some of my children and my granddaughter, as they came into town for their cousin's wedding. We had a great visit and a good time together. I was struck with how "grown" they are, and, in turn, how "old" I am. I don't say that remorsefully - I couldn't be more proud of them. I'm glad to have the margin at this point in my life to consider and appreciate the transitions, the passing of the baton. It gave me great joy to watch my son read books to his daughter that his mother and I had read to him when he was a child.
With that "passing it on" idea in mind, I wanted to share some resources you may find useful, for your own encouragement and growth, as discussion starters in a small group setting, or things you might share with others you meet along the way. I have first-hand exposure to many of these items; others just looked interesting. I have included links for your convenience. You may want to bookmark a couple to come back to at a later date. The video content I have included is gathered on a site called RightNow Media (https://www.rightnowmedia.org/). It costs some to use the stuff you find there (unless you are part of an organization that already has a group subscription), but the amount and variety of content there are amazing!
Video resources:
RightNow Media Men's series catalog https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Channel/423
33 The Series – Authentic Manhood (vol. 1-6) https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/211 Thirty-six 30-minute episodes on various aspects of manhood, from the creators of the Men’s Fraternity curriculum.
Core Series 1 https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/325268 Ten 10-minute episodes on finding our identity and purpose, presented by athletes, artists, and men of note.
Not a Fan https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/1277 Six 30-minute episodes on discipleship, based on the book by Kyle Idleman.
Play the Man https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/229917 Four 20-minute episodes on what it means to be a man.
Genesis of Manhood https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/173709 Six 40-minute episodes examining the purpose, fall, and restoration of man in Genesis 2 & 3.
Standing Tall – Developing Leaders around You https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/198301 Twelve 20-minute episodes exploring leadership principles taken from the Old Testament book of Nehemiah.
Books:
How God Makes Men, Patrick Morley amazon.com/How-God-Makes-Men
Disciplines of a Godly Man, R. Kent Hughes amazon.com/Disciplines-Godly-Man
Point Man: How a Man Can Lead His Family, Steve Farrar amazon.com/Point-Man-How-Lead-Family
Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul, John Eldredge amazon.com/Wild-Heart-Revised-Updated
The Dude's Guide to Manhood: Finding True Manliness in a World of Counterfeits, Darrin Patrick amazon.com/Dudes-Guide-Manhood
Mansfield’s Book of Manly Men: An Utterly Invigorating Guide to Being Your Most Masculine Self, Stephen Mansfield amazon.com/Mansfields-Book-Manly-Men
The Man Book: If you're interested in being a man..., James D. Wilson amazon.com/Man-Book-youre-interested-being
And a website I think you will enjoy. Covers a wide variety of topics relevant to men of various ages and backgrounds, curated by some sensible and decent people: The Art of Manliness https://www.artofmanliness.com/
Have fun y'all! We were made for this!
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. -1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)