The key to sustained church growth is reaching and discipling men, says David Murrow. His first book, Why Men Hate Going to Church, has sold over 200,000 copies because it “calls the church back to men” and provides practical steps on attracting and retaining men. David’s latest initiative, the Online Preaching Coach, trains pastors on providing compelling online content, which is critical to  reaching young adults, especially young men.

This episode is highlights from two previous interviews with David:

• #3 Why Men Hate Going to Church
• #141 Your Online Preaching Coach

After you hear the highlights, be sure to check out the complete interviews. And visit DavidMurrow.com for a wealth of resources on growing your church by growing your men.

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:

• Chris Bolinger’s other devotional: Daily Strength for Men
• Mike Hatch’s book: Manhood: Empowered by the Light of the Gospel
• Relational men’s discipleship programs: CLC

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.

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:

• Chris Bolinger’s other devotional: Daily Strength for Men
• Mike Hatch’s book: Manhood: Empowered by the Light of the Gospel
• Relational men’s discipleship programs: CLC

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.

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:

• Chris Bolinger’s other devotional: Daily Strength for Men
• Mike Hatch’s book: Manhood: Empowered by the Light of the Gospel
• Relational men’s discipleship programs: CLC

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.

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:

• Chris Bolinger’s other devotional: Daily Strength for Men
• Mike Hatch’s book: Manhood: Empowered by the Light of the Gospel
• Relational men’s discipleship programs: CLC

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.