Some resources…

This morning I was thinking about where I get my ideas for my posts and what inspires this eternal quest to be the Strong Christian Man. I thought I would put together a list of a few of my resources and inspirations for you. I’m going to try to give a little info on each, but I may just give the resource on some.

The Bible- The first resource is definately scripture. I have several bibles that I refer to regularly. One that many people don’t like that I love is the 1984 NIV. I actually use a Life Application Study Bible-NIV that was printed in 2009 and I do see updates from the 2005 version that I have on the shelf, but the main reason I use it is the references that it has throughout. On every page you can find references to supporting scriptures, notes on meaning, and other helpful pieces of information. I also use the NET Bible. Many of the translators are professors from Dallas Theological Seminary and have my respect. Where I find some inssues is that it is a very literal word for word translation that seems to have a few mistakes caused by changes in word meaning. I solve this easily though, as Net Bible gives me the ability to compare it with other translations. My most recent addition to my collection of bibles is The Ryrie Study Bible – NASB. This was a gift from a man who I greatly respect who is a pastor in an underground church in China.

With all of these copies of the Bible, you would think that it would be the only resource I need, but I have been taught my whole life that Christian Men should be the humble, timid, weak men that so many men in the Church embody, and that’s where my next resource comes in:

Risk by Kenny Luck: Risk is an amazing book for men. I’d never recommend it for a woman to understand men, as only a man can truly understand what Kenny is talking about in his book. Kenny challenges the image of Christian that so many of us have been raised with. Kenny actually looks into how men’s natural tendencies are in some cases not only ok, but are biblically justified. Any man who sees the need for something more in themselves and in the men of the Church needs to read this book. Kenny also has 3 other books that follow behind Risk, they are Dream, Fight, and Soar. In each of these, Kenny attacks the misconceptions which are taught by the Church and gives biblical evidence for masculinity.

Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow: This is a great resource. If you are a church leader and you are disastisfied with the feminine church of today, read this book. David Murrow may go a little bit too far to the ultra-masculine, but he has some good points here. These points are ones that we must recognize if we want to reverse the trend of migration away from the Church by the world’s men and their families. I have also picked up Murrow’s second book, The Map, which I understand reverses a few of his views, recognizing that men must have emotional significance to be truly masculine. I hope to be able to read this soon.

No More Christian Nice Guy by Paul Coughlin: Coughlin does much the same as we do here at Hardcore Christian Man. Coughlin shows the error of many in the church and then shows how to correct this error. He is not finger poining, at least not at anyone else. He points at himself, admitting his own failures, and in this admission, he reminds the reader of the readers own failures. The primary thing that Coughlin tackles is the passive agressive, anti-conflict, weaking that is embodied by the men of the church and many leaders in the church. I have drawn more from this book in recent times than any other book except the Bible.

Now for a few websites that I enjoy, some are christian, some are not, but all help to remind me what a man is.

The Art of Manliness – This is a great site which captures much of the essence of manhood, if not the spiritual side. When I think man, I do think of the men of the early 20th century. THey were tough and sacrificed for thier families and the world. Th one caution I have is that not everything here is Christian, and we muct measure everything against scripture. So take this site with a grain of salt, but enjoy it just the same.

Other Blogs – I follow a ton of great bloggers on twitter. Reading the things that others are talking about and the things that God has laid on their hearts has helped me to get a grasp on some topics, and sent me back to scripture on others. Of course I recommend that you read Chris’s and Jared’s, but theres a few others I read regularly (actually a lot, but a few I’ll list). Tony J. Alicea has some great wisdom over at http://www.tonyjalicea.com/ and then you have http://twistedchristian.ca/, another great resource. Just take a look through the bloggers that I follow and you’ll get an idea.

Literature – Moby Dick, Treasure Island, King Solomon’s Mines, Time Machine, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and countless others. Shakespeare. Beowulfe. Lord of the Rings andThe Chronicles of Narnia.  God can be found by reading deeper into many literary works, but Masculinity can be seen in them as well. The good of man is often seen right next to the bad. Lets find the best of man and bring it out in ourselves, our brothers and our sons.

 

These are just a few of the countless and growing list of resources I use. If you have something you would recommend, let me know, either here or at my email paul@hardcore-christian.com

Until the Whole World Knows,

Paul