I have updated my page on Godly Manhood. It is now much “new and improved.” I would love for you to read the post below and then check out the updated page. It has lots of updated links to things that I’ve written as well as some great links to ministries that are doing some important work with and for men. Thanks, Dale
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Thanks for checking out this page on Pursuing Godly Manhood. For a short season I attempted to juggle two blogs at the same time… this one (i.e., the Journal) and one focused specifically on ministering to men (Pursuing Godly Manhood). While I still have a great passion for helping men grow in their faith in every sphere of their lives, I have realized that I just can’t run two blogs at the same time. Therefore, I have consolidated everything at this blog (i.e., the Journal).
Here’s a little information about this page…
- Pursuing – Striving to gain; seeking to attain or accomplish; carrying on; continuing
- Godly – Pious; devout; characterizing a Godward attitude; doing that which pleases God; indicating reverence manifested in actions
- Manhood – No one seems to know! Well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s not far from the truth. My desire with this page is to help move us all forward in coming to a better understanding of such an important subject as “manhood.”
Why Focus on Manhood?
While I serve my present ministry appointment in a variety of ways (related to discipleship), ministering to men has been a special focus and passion of mine for over a decade now. I can still remember when the light bulb went off for me regarding the importance of ministering specifically to men. The avalanche of statistics as well as my own ministerial observations began to sink in. I finally realized what I had read dozens of times was actually true. My little epiphany could best be summarized by the words that I once heard pastor and writer, Tony Evans, preach…
- As the man goes, so goes the family
- As the family goes, so goes the church
- As the church goes, so goes the community
- As the community goes, so goes the city
- As the city goes, so goes the state, then nation, and then the world
Of course, nothing is ever that simple. However, virtually every statistic I’ve come across – secular and Christian – has stressed that the positive influence of a man in the home is non-negotiable for health and vitality in that home, as well as for society. Therefore, I came to embrace the wisdom of, as well as to put into practice, an intentional focus on ministering to men. Additionally, as a father of three sons, I also realized that the best time to influence men is before they’re men… that is… when they’re still young men and boys.
Purpose of this Page
The purpose this page is to help men become all that God has created, redeemed, and called them to be in every sphere of their lives. It ought to go without saying, though I dare not go without saying it, that this is not a “self-help” blog. My fundamental premise is that no man, woman, or child can become godly until they first respond in faith to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Only then can God’s Spirit and Word renew minds, renovate hearts, and transform lives.
My emphasis for this page is pretty wide. I will focus on the general issues of godly manhood, marriage, fatherhood, raising sons and daughters, workplace, calling, vocation, relationships, worldview, character, leadership and witness. Those are broad and far-reaching themes to be sure, but I believe that those areas either relate to the spheres of life that influence us or those spheres where we have opportunity to influence others for Christ and his Kingdom.
Let me finish up with this “4 Sakes Prayer” that I found at the end of Jack Graham’s book, A Man of God:
For the sake of the Kingdom,
For the sake of my family,
For the sake of God’s Church,
And for the sake of our nation,
I will become a man of God.
Grace and Truth,
Dale Tedder
