Most men today are disempowered. Lost and groping in the dark, they are driven by fear and insecurity. Isolation and loneliness have led to dysfunctional marriages, broken families, and a society with no mooring to truth. Addictions to pornography, alcohol, drugs, and gaming have enslaved men and stolen our confidence.

At the 2023 Men’s Weekend, Mike Hatch spoke about the transformation that occurs when a man walks in the light of the gospel, where he is known by God, grown by God, and owned by God. This is the first of three talks that Mike gave, with a focus on not just knowing about God but being known by Him.

As a recovering pornography addict himself, Mike is well acquainted with feelings of disempowerment and hopelessness. In Manhood: Empowered by the Light of the Gospel (book, audiobook), Mike explains the empowerment that comes from being known by God, having God as the source of power for character improvement, and transcending your own agenda to be a powerful tool in the hand of God. Walking in the light 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. Learn more at EmpoweredManhood.com (digital course).

Being a father is a never-ending job with a ton of responsibility and uncertain outcomes. But it's arguably the most important job you'll ever have.

Host Chris Bolinger explores the challenges and impacts of fatherhood.

This week’s Bible passage: Galatians 4:1-7 

Podcast resource: 52 Weeks of Strength for Men (ebook, paperback)

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

People are increasingly unable to get along. Differences often divide us, even in churches, Christian workplaces, and among Christian couples.

But conflict and division don’t have to be the norm, nor are they God’s intention for how His people should operate. One key is to know, value, and fully integrate the strengths of everyone on the teams in your life: at home, at work, at church, and elsewhere.

Rodney Cox, the president of Ministry Insights International, explains how to develop strong teams built on empathy, understanding, and trust, where every team member feels valued and contributes at the highest level possible. As you’ll learn, Christ-like love plays a critical role.

Rodney is the author of the book Leading From Your Strengths. Listen to him on the StrongTeams Podcast and connect with him at StrongTeams.com (where you can use the promo code “mountains” to get 15% off everything).

What did Jesus say when he attracted a large crowd? He said things that drove most of the people away. 

Why? Jesus didn’t want fans; he wanted followers. And being a real follower is tough. It takes discipline.

Host Chris Bolinger presents a famous example of the value of discipline and explains why discipline in your life is even more important.

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

Podcast resource: 52 Weeks of Strength for Men (ebook, paperback)

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

The interview with Tretiak comes from the documentary Do You Believe in Miracles?.

The church is approaching sexual addiction wrong. By staying locked in a cognitive perspective, the church causes more harm than good.

20 years ago, God called David Janvier to the counseling field to take people to deeper levels of personal healing and a greater experience of God’s presence and grace by creating healing spaces. In this episode, David explains how and why we need to approach sexual addiction holistically. By employing such an approach, David has had a positive impact on countless addicts over the past two decades.

David is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) who integrates psychology and counseling modalities with theology and spiritual formation. He views himself as a spiritual companion to those who are in need of deep healing from devastating trauma, profound suffering, and enslaving addictions. Learn more at SiimdaSoulCare.com

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus didn't say, "Blessed are the peacekeepers." He said, "Blessed are the peacemakers." Making peace often involves conflict. And conflict carries a lot of risk.

In this episode, we'll look at biblical "best practices" for conflict.

This week’s Bible passage: Romans 12:17-19

Podcast resource: 52 Weeks of Strength for Men (ebook, paperback)

Other resources:

• Chris’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

Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. Many Christians avoid it because we perceive it to be too risky.

Thank God our guest today, Jim Fitzgerald, took the leap. Otherwise we wouldn’t have incredible resources such as Focus on the Family’s The Truth Project or Drive Thru History with Dave Stotts.

We follow Jim’s captivating journey, from his business in the early years of the cable industry, to coming to faith after being invited to a Bible study, to founding ColdWater Media, which develops and produces high-quality education media with a Christian worldview.

ColdWater Media has produced a broad range of innovative, award-winning videos, including Drive Thru History (over 100 episodes), The Truth Project, seven short films for the Museum of the Bible, and national ads for Hillsdale College. Connect with Jim on LinkedIn and Twitter.

In the Marvel movies, Hulk is always, always angry. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Anger is an emotion, a reaction to something that threatens you or someone you love. Anger has some positive attributes, but misdirected anger can lead to dangerous and destructive behavior. Host Chris Bolinger discusses how we can follow the command to "be angry, and do not sin." 

This week’s Bible passage: Ephesians 4:26-27

Podcast resource: 52 Weeks of Strength for Men (ebook, paperback)

Other resources:

• Chris’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

Servant leadership is a trendy topic, but practically speaking it’s one of the hardest things to do.

Tim Tucker, author of Grab a Towel: Christ-Centered Leadership for the 21st Century, has been through tremendous hardships in his life. During times of overwhelming grief, God has empowered Tim to continue donning the towel of servant leadership.

Tim shares his compelling story of God’s faithfulness in his life and how the Lord used him to foster a movement in Africa. Tim credits his impact to the “steel spine” God provided him.

In 2013 Tim joined The Message Trust, founding the first international hub of The Message in Cape Town, South Africa, to reach urban youth through Gospel-centred and holistic discipleship programs. Recently, Tim joined The Message’s global development team to guide operations across African.

Tim is passionate about Africa and, in particular, investing in African leaders. His books include The Pace Setter, Grab a Towel, and Grief and Grace, which tracks his journey through the loss of his first wife.

Tim currently is married to Christina. The couple and their four children reside in Cape Town.

A wealth of resources from Tim are available at the Grab a Towel site. Connect with Tim on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

This is the debut episode of Throwing Mountains: Weekly Strength, a podcast series that helps you draw strength, and encouragement, from the Bible. In this episode, host Chris Bolinger covers why he’s doing this weekly podcast. He also explains what encouragement really is and why you need to receive it, and give it to others, every day.

 This week’s Bible passage: Romans 7:21-25a

Podcast resource: 52 Weeks of Strength for Men (ebook, paperback)

Other resources:

• Chris’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