Manhood Restored

Episode 9 – DR JOHN R. WOOD, Guest Convo

Dr. John R. Wood is a passionate Catholic evangelist, having spoken at hundreds of parishes across the country and published three books, including the bestselling, “Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Mission: 5 Steps to Winning the War Within”.  When he’s not helping patients as a mobile eye doctor, John and his family put on powerful sacramental prep retreats called Dragon Slayers at churches all over Ohio.

Chad takes lumberjack-like swings at the big questions with Dr. Wood, while Ben whittles in his own nuanced inquiries.  John shares with the guys his background in collegiate sports, how he felt called to share the gospel, and what he sees “out there” in terms of this trend of the Nones.  The conversation carves in John’s take on the crisis of manhood, as well as some practical tips on how fathers can better instill the faith in their children.

SHOW NOTES:

John’s website:  https://www.saintsinthemaking.com/john-r-wood.html

John’s books: https://extraordinarymission.com/#/shop

Episode 8

Today Ben and Chad risk it all by sharing from their lives.  They look at their own successes and failures as well as how healthy risk is necessary to restore manhood.  The two outline what is a healthy risk and an unhealthy risk.  They also explore what it means for the church to “circle the wagons.”  Ben leads the way in calling out complacency in men and unpacks what risk looks like for the Kingdom of God.  (35:00).  As with a lot of the episodes it gets more lively as they go ending with a rock solid challenge that we spoil at the end of the show notes.

Psalm 37:25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.  You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’[a]”

 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy.

Luke 18:18-23

Challenge

Pray about what  to do. 

Pick one. 

Plan it. 

Pursue it.  

Episode 7 – Are You a None?

Being religiously UN-affiliated (going with the NONE identifier on the ‘religion’ portion of census questioning) is all the craze these days.  You might be surprised to know just how popular, though!  Recent data suggests a snowballing trend on this score.

After attempting some trick (word) plays, Chad gets under center to quarterback this episode.  With Ben as the unconventional offensive lineman, the two take the field to peel away the layers of this phenomenon.  What does this trend signal for our future?  How do we explain why this is happening, and who’s to blame?  Is this a good look for men, or should men be thinking about this differently?

SHOW NOTES:

1. Article discussed about 2021 book release on the subject:  https://religionnews.com/2021/03/24/the-nones-are-growing-and-growing-more-diverse/
2. http://ryanburge.net/nones/ 
3. Casting Crowns song Slow Fade https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QASREBVDsLk 

After serving as a pastor for 23 years, Mike Spencer has dedicated himself to full-time pro-life ministry.  His heart for the unborn has led him to speak to thousands at churches, conferences, and campuses across the country.  First as a speaker for Life Training Institute, and now as the founder and president of Project LifeVoice, Mike’s burden is to awaken and equip the church to become pro-life ambassadors.

Chad and Ben sit down with this Man of Justice and discuss the civil rights issue of abortion.  Why are pastors and priests so reluctant to speak out on this issue?  Should men get involved in what’s often framed as a “women’s issue”?  Chad leads the inquiry as Mike shares compelling, first-hand knowledge of what’s at stake in this fight for life. 

SHOW NOTES:

1.       Website for Mike’s Ministry:  https://projectlifevoice.com/

2.       Short video showing an abortion: Sorry we were unable to locate this link.  

3.       “What to Say When”, new book from 40 Days for Life:  https://www.40daysforlife.com/en/whattosaywhen

4.  Mike's Book: Humanly Speaking : The Evil of Abortion, the Silence of the Church, and the Grace of God

Episode 5 Spiritual F-Words

Today Chad and Ben are not dropping F-bombs but instead looking at the one thing many men resist in their spiritual journey, fellowship with God.  This is the key to true peace and spiritual growth.  They also look at what men do to avoid what’s most important and look at the why behind it.  They address some of the escapes men use to avoid fellowship.
We also acknowledge the elephant in the room and address the Father Wound.


SHOW NOTES

4 Escapes from Fellowship

Fantasy- This is where we become the hero of the story instead of God.

Fervor- We often pour into our work; ignoring the best for the good.  See below, Mary and Martha Luke 10:38-42

Flesh- We indulge our flesh, eating, drinking, etc. staying busy avoiding intimacy.

Facebook- This site will give you a rush but you'll still be avoiding the deeper things of life and avoiding doing the work the Lord has called us to.

A good father scripture reference-Matthew 7:9-11 

Episode 4 – Men of Justice (Not Social Justice)

The word Justice is rarely uttered without the qualifier “social” in front of it.  Do we even know what true Justice is anymore?  Why all the buzz about social justice anyway?  Chad sits in the driver’s seat to explore the landscape in search of real Men of Justice.  Ben’s part navigator, part backseat driver, as the two meander through the differences between Justice and social justice.  Is there hope to regain a proper understanding of Justice, and are men willing to respond accordingly?

Show notes:

1.       Scott Hahn’s Book, “It is Right and Just” https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/55478244-it-is-right-and-just

2.       Scene from Saving Private Ryan:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv-67DFlOsM

Episode 3 – JEFF MONFORT, Guest Convo

 The first guest of the Podcast, Jeff Monfort, worked for McDonalds for over 40 years.  Climbing the ranks to management, he and his wife Mary became owner/operators of eight McDonald’s restaurants.  In 2018, Jeff received the Golden Arch Award, recognizing him as a top 1% Owner/Operator worldwide.

As a follow up to their episode on “Workaholism”, Ben and Chad talk with Jeff about the keys to his success:  how did he juggle the demands of work and family? What impact has his faith had over the years? And what challenge would he issue to men today?  Jeff plays sage & storyteller, citing Stephen Covey and Scripture while the hosts soak up his wisdom.  

Here are a few links from what we talked about.  

1.       Steve Covey’s Big Rocks (Habit 3):  https://www.franklincovey.com/habit-3/

2.       Golden Arch Award:  https://curtiszimmerman.com/going-for-the-golden-arches/ 

3.       Jeff’s Challenge:  Psalm 27:4 
One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.

Many men struggle with being “all work and no play”, often forsaking their family and their faith for more easily-attained success at work.  Ben is attending physician AND patient zero.  Chad hands Ben the scalpel to dissect the good, the bad, and the ugly.  They look at the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW and WHY of Workaholism and talk about how to overcome it. 

Chad takes the lead and Ben’s on backup vocals. They explore the deeper meaning behind beards and pickup trucks (there is one?), and Ben tries mightily to grasp Chad’s Catholic claim that outward appearances can indicate an inward reality.

We are two ordinary Christian guys who feel compelled to call men back to true Masculinity. Through raw conversations between a Protestant and a Catholic, we aim to help men become better husbands, fathers, and leaders.  We encourage an activation of faith and manly virtue so our listeners can become the Mighty Men they were made to be.  

On this trailer/teaser Chad's friend John Paul interviews Ben and Chad so listeners can get to know the men behind the mic.  Note: Ben just met John Paul 5 minutes before recording!  The three jump right in and run with it.  Join us for this lighthearted discussion about faith, family, and the purpose of this podcast.  

New episodes weekly.  Check out www.manhoodrestored.tv.Find us on Facebook at Manhood Restored Podcast.  Look for the Cross! E-mail at [email protected]  Don’t forget to subscribe and share!