in the starting blocks of authentic manhood

What does it mean to be a Man? A question that might seem so simple to answer has become one of the most confusing, misguided, and misunderstood in our society today. Yet here we stand in the STARTING BLOCKS of this journey The Quest for Authentic Manhood, taking the first steps in clearly and succinctly defining what manhood is in our specific lives.

As all journey’s do, this journey will require GEAR….the kind of gear essential not only for survival but for excellence as well. The gear required is this:

Toughness – to stand up to 24 weeks of study and self discovery. Toughness to battle the many distractions and emotions that will fight to tear down and discourage your enthusiasm.

Willingness - specific willingness on your part to be real with other men. Willingness to share pain and celebrate victory.

Courage – the kind of courage required for you to examine in a very real close way your life as a man. It is hard sometimes for men to open up their chest and look inside and see what’s there.

Commitment – to see this journey through. And not just commitment to yourself, but commitment to your family, your wife, your children, and those men taking this journey with you to become an Authentic Man. Many times INTRESTED can disguise itself as commitment and there is an enormous difference. If you are only interested, then you are only IN as long as it’s good for you. Once what’s in it for you is no longer fun or meeting your perceived needs, you’re OUT. Commitment never looks back.


5 MANHOOD PRESUPISITIONS

1. Manhood is in a state of confusion – We live in a society that has lost touch with what a man’s role is in his world. And this has resulted in a mass role reversal between men and women creating confusion and chaos as it relates to real authentic manhood. Confusion and chaos that has fostered an unsettledness and restlessness about life that can be narrowed down to three things:

a. What - The what is this, it’s a disappointment with life. For most of men life has fallen way short of meeting the expectations we may have had early on after graduating college, or moving into the professional world.

b. Pain - Underneath the surface of men’s lives there’s a lot of pain that they haven’t resolved. And honestly we have no idea how to talk about it.

c. Loneliness/Isolation - It’s really amazing that in the connected world we live in today we are so disconnected and alone. As men no one really has true intament access to us – and we have no idea how to get connected in a way that would be satisfying to us.

2. Confused men create major problems - All we have to do is watch TV or read a magazine or read the newspaper, or hear the latest statistics from the government, and we will find that most of the social problems in our society -- for whatever reasons – seem to rest at the feet of men. For some reason, as strong as we are, we are a fragile bunch.

3. Confused men settle for less in their life - And so we go out and get this job we’re supposed to have, and money we’re supposed to make; and things we’re supposed to have, and a wife we’re supposed to marry. And we move into that thinking because we’ve been told that if we have all those things we’ll be alive. And what happens is we get spinning in this process of life “THE PERVIABLE TOILET BOWL” and we have no higher calling on our lives other than ourselves and it so very un-satisfying.

4. There is no lofty vision of manhood - Not the kind that is compelling to men, the kind of manhood that calls men up.

5. The Bible has helpful insights - to all of the above presuppositions. It is an invaluable tool on this journey that is full of time tested wisdom and principles that have been proven out over the ages.


THE JOURNEY BEGINS NOW!