Courageous

I will admit that most of the time "Christian" movies are known for cheesy acting and predictable story lines.  However, the guys at Sherwood Church know how to do it.  They did a really good job showing the difficulties of marriage in Fireproof.  Now, they are releasing "Courageous" in a couple of weeks.  This trailer is awesome!  I believe this movie will have a huge impact on men and families.  Much needed in this culture.  Guys, get some male friends together and get them to this movie!

What Should Tiger Say?

I have been quiet for the most part on the Tiger Woods issue since it came out several weeks ago about his adultery and it's resultant disaster upon his family and his credibility. I, like most people, formed an opinion quickly. However, I have learned from the past that most of the time when a story like this comes out, whether a celebrity or average Joe, that we don't hear all the story up front and the longer we go, the more info that comes out. I tried to reserve my public opinion until more info came out. I despise organizations like TMZ that tend to sensationalize events and create publicity for themselves at others expenses. The early media frenzy regarding Tiger was disgusting, in my opinion.

Tiger Woods is a human being, created in the image of God. God loves Tiger very much and desires that he would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). God has given Tiger an incredible talent and desires that Tiger would use his talent as a platform for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31). Tiger is not guilty of any sin that any other man is not capable of. Tiger has lived a life that has placed him at the center and has reaped the results of that. I heartily agree with Brit Hume and his brave comments about what Tiger must do in order to find peace with God. (previous post)

Tiger has now announced that he is going to have a "press conference" tomorrow to talk for the first time. This has created a lot of buzz about what Tiger will say and what he should say. This morning I heard Mike Greenberg on Mike and Mike in the Morning ask this question, "What does Tiger Woods need to apologize for?" Greenberg's point was that he agreed that what Tiger did was wrong, but does he really need to publicly apologize. In Greenberg's opinion, what Tiger did was between him and his family and doesn't affect the rest of us. Interesting opinion and one that I don't totally agree with. I don't think that as a 42-year old guy from rural Alabama that Tiger owes me an apology for anything. His sin, while disgusting and egregious, was not personally against me or my family. I have not been adversely affected at all by Tiger's transgressions. I actually have a forum because of his sin to talk to my sons about the humanity of all public figures, no matter how talented, and the impact of sin.

However, the question still remains, "Should Tiger apologize?" Some say that he is a role model and that he has destroyed his credibility. I think any sports figure, whether they like it or not, serves as somewhat of a "hero figure" to the younger generation. Talent and success carry the price of responsibility and those who are blessed with them must have a sense of accountability and stewardship. This is something that those who cheated at baseball with performance enhancing drugs forgot or neglected. However, I don't think Tiger should apologize just because he is a role model.

I think Tiger should apologize because that is the first step towards true confession and repentance. Tiger's actions have destroyed his credibility. He is, at the present time, not an acceptable role model for my three boys. He is a liar and and adulterer. He lied to his wife about his wedding vows and gave his heart and body to other women to feed his sinful flesh. He has violated the most basic God-ordained unit - the family. He doesn't have to answer to me or you for that. He must answer to his family and the Lord Jesus. However, Tiger is not the first or most prominent figure historically to commit adultery. The King of Israel, David, not only committed the same sin, he also had her husband killed making him an accessory to murder. David's sin was just as disgusting as Tiger's. However, David was known as a "man after God's own heart." The difference? When David's sin was found out, he publicly confessed and repented. He wrote of his agony over his sin and issued a public statement in Psalm 51.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Psalm 51:1-12

While I do not think this will be what Tiger says, ultimately, this is what I hope happens to him. This is what I hope happens to all of us that are guilty of the filth and disgust of sin. I hope and pray that the story of Tiger turns out to be one of redemption and forgiveness and not just one of admission and eventual forgetting, like the Kobe Bryant incident. Make no mistake. I believe that Tiger will recover in the "public eye" eventually. He will return to golf. He will win tournaments. He will get his endorsement offers because businesses want to make money and will attach themselves to success over character. The story of Kobe reminds me of these facts. I am more concerned that Tiger can recover in the sight of God than in public opinion. That is why what Tiger has to say tomorrow is of interest to me. King David or Kobe Bryant? Which fate will Tiger choose?

10 Books Men Need to Read

As most of you know, I am an avid reader. I am also passionate about men getting the kahunas enough to grow up and start being the men that God has wired them and called them to be - men who passionately lead their family to love Christ and his bride. There are some great books out there to help with this quest. Now I know that most men say "I'm not much of a reader." That's a cop-out though. It's baloney. That's nothing more than an attempt by most men to give an excuse why they prefer to sit in front of a television set in their boxers and with their shirt off watching senseless hours of garbage. God made you with a brain and the ability to absorb great amounts of information. He's also called you to be the leader of your home. So, if you really want to be a godly man or you want to help a guy find his shirt and turn off the tube, here are 10 great books I think every guy should pick up.

1. Every Man's Battle by Steven Arterburn and Fred Stoeker - This book is the quintessential resource for men who are secretly battling sexual addictions. It's a great, practical help that I have recommended to dozens of guys. It's about time that men and the church own up to and get honest about this problem. Statistics indicate that about 6-8 out of every 10 guys in your church are battling some sort of sexual addiction. It's destroying marriages, castrating the spiritual masculinity from most men in the church and rendering the church void of true manhood, and leaving a generation of boys without godly men to help them become true men of God. Men, don't pretend you don't have a problem with this. I struggled with this addiction since childhood and know full well the power it has over a man. Get honest with yourself and find help and accountability. If you suspect a guy has a problem in this area, confront him and give him this book. Some other great titles that deal with this are "Out of the Shadows" by Patrick Carnes and "At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry" by Steve Gallagher.
2. The Samson Syndrome by Mark Atteberry - This little book was a hidden treasure I found one day on a bookshelf. In it, Atteberry does a great job of looking at the character of Samson and the struggles he faced that are common to most men today. All our lives we are told to be "strong men". However, there are some pitfalls to strong men that we need to be aware of. This book would be a great read for a small group of guys to discuss.
3. Point Man by Steve Farrar - I first read this book before I became a husband and father and was radically convicted even then. It's a great book on designed to encourage men to take the front lines in the battle for their families. Farrar knows how to speak and write to men. Other great titles by Farrar are "Finishing Strong," "King Me," and "Anchor Man".
4. The Man in the Mirror by Patrick Morley - Morley leads probably the best para-church ministry designed to disciple men I have ever seen. This book has been around for about 20 years. It's filled with practical and spiritual help on facing the 24 most common challenges that men face.
5. The Secrets Men Keep by Steven Arterburn - Men are great at keeping secrets - not just from their wives, but from each other as well. Most men don't know how to be good stewards of money, be a spiritual leader, how to really love a woman, bond with other men, or measure success. This book addresses those challenges and more. Arterburn is a great leader in the men's ministry movement.
6. Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes - Kent Hughes is a pastor and one of the most gifted biblical expositors of the last 50 years. He's also great at helping provide strong biblical counsel to the issue of spiritual discipline and godly leadership. This book has also been around for almost 20 years, but is not well known in today's modern men's movement.
7. Raising a Modern-Day Knight by Robert Lewis - Lewis has started one of the most successful men's movements of the past 20 years in Men's Fraternity. However, before that, he wrote this book to help men know how to craft and imprint a definition of manhood to their sons. This book is more than just theory. It's the testimony of Lewis and his two friends who took the challenge to impart a biblical manhood to their sons and create ceremonies to celebrate. I have taken lots of guys through this book and it's phenomenal.
8. Choosing to Cheat by Andy Stanley - Everybody cheats somewhere. You either cheat your family or you cheat your work or you cheat your church. However, each and every day we make choices of what's going to take priority in our lives. However, not only do you make choices to borrow time and energy from one place and give it to another, but someone along the way is going to feel cheated. The reality is that you choose who feels cheated. That's the theme of this small, practical book. I would suggest this book for every guy who's running the rat race, having to be away from the family for days throughout the week, or who is so consumed in work that he's distant even when he's home.
9. The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges - Bridges is one of my favorite authors. He brings a lot of Scripture and hope to the task of following Jesus. I have read this book about 3 times. It's awesome. The truth is that holiness is not only possible for us, it's commanded of us. Therefore, we should not make it secondary. This book will provide a lot of help for the task.
10. The Silence of Adam by Larry Crabb - This is another book that's been around for a few years but that most men have never heard of. The reality is that just like Adam, most men are passive at the task of spiritual leadership. They remain silent and unable to adequately define what it really means to be a man. In the process, most men are guessing at manhood, and guessing extremely badly. Adam's silence was deadly and caused an infection to the whole human race. However, men, you can break free from the silence and discover a true biblical manhood. This book will help you.

Of course, on top of all of these books, the greatest men's manual of all is God's word. It is full of stories of true men. Men who led they family well and those who failed and turned it around. It shows us the warrior spirits of men like Joshua and Gideon. It shows us the godly leadership of Nehemiah and Moses. It shows us the missionary spirit of Paul and the wisdom of Solomon. I would suggest a healthy digestion of God's word in addition to any of the books recommended above. Get one of them today for yourself of someone you know.