The new year is a traditional time to think about forward motion. Nobody wants to stand still. We all want to make progress toward becoming the husband, dad, and man God created each of us to be. In this episode and next week's, we'll take a look at some solid goals for the next 12 months based on the wisdom of Psalm 112. The psalmist's principles and practical applications have the power to transform you and your family for a lifetime.

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A new year is upon us, and this often gives us a chance to feel like we have a fresh start. Scripture tells us that even Jesus grew intellectually, physically, spiritually and socially. If He had room to grow in those areas, we certainly have room to grow as fathers, husbands, friends, and Christ followers. In this episode, we'll be talking about healthy ways to turn the page in the new year and considering some helpful actions that will help us become more godly dads in the coming months.

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While the wrapped presents on birthdays and around the tree at Christmas are nice, the consistent presence you provide your family the entire year is a gift of infinite value. What's more, by actively engaging with your family each day, you are are modeling the incredible love and purposes of our engaging God. In this episode, we'll examine the gift of presence and how you can become the hands and feet of Jesus as a father and husband by plugging into your relationships this year—and every year.

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Christmas is a great time for giving and receiving gifts. But there are plenty of gifts you can give and receive all year long. For example, this episode digs into what it looks like to give the gift of listening. We'll look at what the Bible has to say about listening and why that matters for our lives each day. If your goal is to become a better listener in the weeks and months ahead, we've got some tips for how you can make the most of this gift that keeps on giving. Merry Christmas!

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The Bible tells us that God works out every situation for the good of those who love Him and follow Him. If that's true, then nothing we experience is a waste or without purpose. Everything has the potential to draw us closer to God and make us more like Jesus. This episode wraps up our "Don't Bench Yourself" series with one of the most important manhood lessons of all: Learning how God uses our inevitable mistakes and failures to transform us into men who fulfill His plans for His glory.

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Memories. They can be a blessing or a curse. When they lead you toward gratitude and appreciation, there's nothing better. But if they keep you focused on guilt, pain, and "what could have been," you need to find a way to put them in your rearview mirror . . . and fast. Letting your past dominate and define you as a man is a dangerous and unhealthy way to live. It lands you on the bench when you should be making major contributions in the lives of your family and friends. As we round third base in our "Don't Bench Yourself" series, in this week's episode, you’ll learn how to take control of your past by keeping it in proper perspective, and make sure your mistakes aren't keeping you on the bench.

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Teams that thrive are built around teammates who work well together. But that's not possible if players refuse to take ownership of their failures or, even worse, blame others for their mistakes. The same principle is true as a man. You can't prosper and grow if you turn a blind eye to your shortcomings or point the finger at your wife, kids, and friends. Instead of deflecting the blame, you've got to seek forgiveness and repair the damage. If you want to get off the bench–and become the best teammate possible–it's crucial to make it right.

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Any athlete worth his salt knows that once you get off the bench, you never want to go back. Your goal is to stay in the game. Our God-given purpose as men of faith is to stay off the sidelines and to serve our wives, kids, co-workers, and friends with integrity and intentionality. But we can't do that if we refuse to be honest about our mistakes. We have to be able to call it out. As we start the second half of our Don't Bench Yourself series, we're going to look at four ways we can choose to stay off the bench. This week, the first one we'll focus on is the ability to "Call It Out." We're all going to miss the mark at times, but as we'll learn in this episode, the key to staying in the game is coming clean about our miscues and taking responsibility for making them right.

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"Hurry up!" How many times have you said this as a dad, maybe to your kids, your wife, or even to God? Patience is something that every single one of us struggles with as a father. It's so easy to give up when we don't see the results we're wanting, when we want them. "I'm still angry." "My kids still feel lonely." On and on the list can go. The bench can look really comforting when we're feeling like no matter what we do, we're not getting anywhere. However, we can't always rely on key performance indicators to determine our spiritual growth. Sometimes, all we can do is trust God's plan and keep pushing forward. In today's episode, we look at some encouragement from God's Word to keep running the race and completing the good work he has for you. Don't let impatience keep you on the bench. Let's get back in the game today.

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We've all heard that words can never harm us. We also know that nothing could be further from the truth. While sticks and stones can do a lot of damage, nothing is more devastating to the nurturing of manhood than a steady barrage of painful criticism. In a world built on a foundation of negativity, it's vital for guys to learn how to embrace the constructive criticism that makes us better—and to reject the harmful judgments that tend to keep us on the bench.

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