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Answering God’s Call to Prison Ministry — guest: Cru’s David Derry

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Answering God’s Call to Prison Ministry — guest: Cru’s David Derry

At first, he dragged his feet. Minister to guys in prison? He wasn’t trained for that. God should tap someone else, someone with special skills and experience.

But God changed David Derry’s attitude by changing his heart.

After all, God sent his Son to die for everyone. Including thieves. And murderers. And other guys in prison. Ministering to the incarcerated doesn’t take special skills or training. It just takes saying “yes” to God. Once you do that, says Derry, there’s no limit to what God can do.

Once you hear our interview with David, you might reconsider how God is calling you.

David and his wife Laurel spearhead, organize, and lead marriage events in prison, and David also works with incarcerated youth and young adults. Email David at davidderry@cru.org and get details on the Derrys’ ministry at their Cru webpage. And catch our first interview with David in Episode 10 of this podcast.

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Weekly Strength 3.04: Big Topics — Forgiveness

Why should you forgive other people?

Jesus gave us a very clear reason: if you don’t, then God won’t forgive you.

But there’s another good reason: it sets a prisoner free. That prisoner is you.

This week’s Bible passage: Colossians 3:11-14

Weekly Strength resource: 52 Weeks of Strength for Men (ebook, paperback, study guide)

Other resources:

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The Story Behind the Film “Unsung Hero” — guest: Writer/Director Richard Ramsey

A little over a decade ago, as he was struggling with a crisis in his faith, Richard Ramsey was given the opportunity to write and direct a feature film that presented the life of Solomon in a modern-day context. He threw himself into the project and delivered what he thought was a solid film, The Song.

When it lasted only two weeks in theaters, Richard felt like a failure. And he spent the next seven years in a wilderness of projects that never came to fruition.

Then came the chance to co-write and co-direct Unsung Hero, which opens on April 26. As Richard shares in this interview, putting your life together in the aftermath of failure is a main theme in this film . . . just as it has been in Richard’s life.

With a BA in Theatre from the University of Houston, Richard spent his early career impacting the independent film world in Texas. His feature film debut, The Song, was released in 2014 in theaters nationwide. He is the co-director and writer of the upcoming feature film, Unsung Hero. After a six-year tenure as Artistic Director of the award-winning City on a Hill Studio in Louisville, Kentucky, Richard relocated to Nashville where he served four years on the creative staff of Kingdom Story Company. He and his wife live in Tennessee and have five children all named after Beatles songs.

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Weekly Strength 3.03: Big Topics — Faith

Jesus said that, if you have a tiny amount of faith — faith like a grain of mustard seed — then you can tell a mountain to throw itself into the sea, and it will happen.

So, why aren’t you moving mountains in your own life? Do you lack the faith?

This week’s Bible passage: Hebrews 12:1-3

Weekly Strength resource: 52 Weeks of Strength for Men (ebook, paperback, study guide)

Other resources:

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Mastering Soul Care — guest: Greg Woodard

What are you doing to take care of your soul?

After 14 years as a Navy Chaplain and stints as a pastor in an addiction recovery program and local church settings, Greg Woodard has found that caring for your soul is the key to long-term effectiveness. Soul care involves not just having a healthy spiritual life but also developing consistent rhythms, or practices, to boost your physical health, your emotional health, and your relationships.

Get Greg’s insights on how to take your leadership to the next level with some disciplined soul care.

Greg has a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership Renewal and Coaching from Regent University. He is writing a book entitled Living the Connected Life: Soul Rhythms for Purposeful Leadership. Email him at greg@gregwoodard.com or visit his website.

About Throwing Mountains

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.”
— Mark 11:22-23 (ESV)

With the Throwing Mountains podcast (formerly the Empowered Manhood podcast), men rediscover courageous leadership by hearing how God is working in the lives of ordinary men today.

Beginning July 2023, we’re on the BiblicalLeadership.com Podcast Network.

Host: Mike Hatch

A recovering porn addict with 20 years of experience discipling men, Mike is all too familiar with the struggles men face. His life mission is to walk humbly in the light, as Jesus is in the light, in order to be a light for the glory of God (1 John 1:7).

Mike’s heart for men is reflected in his book, Manhood: Empowered by the Light of the Gospel. You can listen to the book’s introduction and first chapter here and join Mike’s Empowered Manhood Facebook group here.

​A graduate of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Mike started his ministry career in Young Life before becoming the men’s pastor at a large church in Pittsburgh. Currently he serves Christian small business owners as a Chapter President for Truth At Work in Pittsburgh, where he lives with his beautiful bride and beloved son.

Co-Host: Chris Bolinger

After a life-changing experience in CLC, Chris decided to write a devotional for men. To everyone’s surprise, including his, Daily Strength for Men has sold over 300,000 copies. Chris’s latest devotional, 52 Weeks of Strength for Men, features a free online study guide.

Chris and his wife Libby split their time between SW Florida and NE Ohio. Against the advice of medical professionals, Chris remains a die-hard fan of Cleveland sports teams.

Resources

Most men today are disempowered. Lost and groping in the dark, they are driven by fear and insecurity. Isolation and loneliness have defined us as a generation, and the tragic result has been dysfunctional marriage, broken families, and a society with no mooring to truth. Addictions to pornography, alcohol, drugs, and gaming have enslaved men and stolen our confidence.

As a recovering pornography addict himself, Pastor Mike Hatch is well acquainted with feelings of disempowerment and hopelessness. Whether you are battling addiction, infidelity, or a crisis of purpose or identity, you will find this book to be accessible, readable, and highly actionable, built for you to make progress quickly and intentionally.

The empowered man does not just know about God but is known by him; he understands God as the source of power for character improvement; and he transcends his own agenda to be a powerful tool in the hand of God. Manhood: Empowered by the Light of the Gospel focuses on these three principles to provide guidance, encouragement, and resources for Christian men who are struggling with fear and insecurity. You’ll learn how being Known by God, Grown by God, and Owned by God provides the contentment to accept all circumstances of life, the clarity to embrace your transcendent and redemptive purpose, and the freedom to live courageously once again.

Chris Bolinger’s first men’s devotional, Daily Strength for Men, has sold over 300,000 copies. Get your own copy to find out why.

His second men’s devotional, 52 Weeks of Strength for Men, provides the structure and insight you need to get into a rhythm of daily Bible reading for an entire year. The free online study guide helps you stay on track every day.

Our Partner: CLC

With CLC, men build authentic community through the uncommon pursuit of Christ. CLC equips men to center their lives on Jesus and the Bible, transforming them into passionate Christ-followers who inspire others, via small groups, to do the same. Find out more at clchq.org.

Latest News

Our Name

Why did we change the name of the podcast from Empowered Manhood to Throwing Mountains? Get the inside scoop on this episode.

Our Network

We’re on the BIblicalLeadership.com Podcast Network. Here’s our podcast interview of Tom Harper, who runs BiblicalLeadership.com,

Upcoming Event

September 2024: Israel Tour

Join podcast host Mike Hatch on a 12-day Biblical tour of Israel. For details, email Mike. Register for the
Empowered Manhood Israel Experience using tour code Empower24.

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