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Weekly Strength 3.06: Big Topics — Mission

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Weekly Strength 3.06: Big Topics — Mission

When they reached Emmaus, Cleopas and his friend asked Jesus to stay with them. But Jesus left.

40 days later, Jesus ascended to heaven, leaving all his followers behind, staring at the sky.

His leaving was the best thing for them. And for us.

It forced all of us to pursue a new mission.

This week’s Bible passage: Isaiah 40:1-11

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

Other resources:

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Punching Men in the Face for Jesus — guest: Shane Manney, 5 Stones Fight Club

He’s leading missions trips to deliver humanitarian aid and provide trauma medical training in some of the world’s most challenging environments, including Iraq, Ghana, and Nepal. In The States, he’s taking on the absence of young men (ages 18-35) in the church.

His headquarters: a fight club eight miles from Hershey, Pennsylvania.

At 5 Stones Fight Club – which offers boxing, mixed martial arts, wrestling, and strength training – Shane Manney uses a team atmosphere to grow trust and build a sense of belonging. Once friendships are established, relational evangelism and discipleship flow naturally.

In this interview, Shane explains why he started 5 Stones, why it’s effective, and what’s coming next.

Shane has over 20 years of experience coaching and instructing wrestling, boxing, submission grappling, and strength training. He has been an infantry machine gunner in the United States Marine Corps, a police officer, and a private security contractor and has worked in the field of drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Shane is married with three children and has a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from Lancaster Bible College. Learn more at 5stonesfightclub.org.

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Weekly Strength 3.05: Big Topics — Hope

The Bible tells us that hope, real hope, never disappoints. But what if you’re in prison, and you’ve lost all hope?

Eric Genuis has visited 1,000 prisons. To every one of them, he’s brought hope . . . in a surprising way.

This week’s Bible passage: Psalm 33:16-22

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

Other resources:

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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:

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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