Sharpening Men Podcast

Sometimes saying “I’m sorry” is only the beginning. What about the money you still owe, the property you never returned, or the lie that damaged someone’s reputation?

In this episode of Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom Henry wraps up our week on taking responsibility with a practical challenge: repair what you can. Through the example of Zacchaeus, we see how encountering Jesus changes more than our words - it changes what we do about the damage we’ve caused.

We can’t undo every consequence of yesterday. But we can acknowledge the wrong, accept responsibility, and take the next faithful step toward making things right.

In this episode:

• What Zacchaeus teaches us about repentance and restitution.
• Why asking God for forgiveness should move us to address the harm we’ve caused.
• Practical steps for returning property, repaying debts, and correcting lies.
• How to take responsibility when the damage cannot be fully repaired.
• Why we must practice the same responsibility we expect from others.

Key Scripture — Luke 19:8 (KJV):
“And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false means, I restore him fourfold.”

Today’s Challenge
Ask yourself: “Is there someone I owe restitution?” It might involve money, property, an apology, a corrected lie, or a promise you need to fulfill. Take one concrete step today. Make the call. Return the item. Begin the payment. Correct what you said. You may not be able to fix everything, but do what is honestly within your power.

Take the Next Step at Sharpening Men Breakfast
This week has raised some hard questions. Where are we making excuses? What needs to change at home, at work, or when nobody’s watching? Come work through those questions with other men who need to put Scripture into practice too.

Join us Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. in the back building of Ruddle Road Church of God, 1400 South Ruddle Road, Blytheville, Arkansas. Breakfast is free for men 18 and older, and you don’t have to attend the church. Invite a friend and tell him, “I’ll meet you there.”

Not local? Keep growing with us through the podcast, and find a Christian brother where you live who will help you follow through on what God is showing you.

Stay Connected
Visit SharpeningMen.org.
For prayer, questions, testimonies, or someone to talk to, email [email protected].

Share this episode with a man who’s ready to take responsibility alongside you. Like, follow, or subscribe to Sharpening Men Podcast, and keep taking the next faithful step.

Stop something. Start something. Confess something. Repair something. Put what you’ve heard into practice.

Nobody gets sharp alone.

Does one godly man know where you’re struggling right now - not just the battles you’ve already won, but the temptations, failures and wounds you’re still facing?

In this episode of Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom Henry continues our week on taking responsibility with a challenge that requires humility: tell the truth about your faults. Following Jesus includes letting trustworthy brothers know where you need prayer, help and accountability.

James 5:16 tells us to confess our faults to one another and pray for one another. Hiding keeps us isolated. Honest confession opens the door for prayer, support, and healing.

In this episode:

• Why a man can be surrounded by people and still be isolated.
• The place of confession to God and honesty with trusted brothers.
• How fear of looking weak keeps us from asking for help.
• Why taking responsibility means asking, “Who have I hurt?”
• What it sounds like to apologize without excuses or blame.

Key Scripture — James 5:16 (KJV):
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

Today’s Challenge
Choose one trustworthy Christian man and tell him one area where you need prayer or accountability. Give him the truth, then ask: “Will you pray for me - and will you ask me about this again?” If you’ve wronged someone, consider what you need to say to take responsibility without making excuses.

Find Brotherhood at Sharpening Men Breakfast
You don’t need a polished testimony to pull up a chair. If you’ve been carrying something alone, Saturday morning can be a place to begin building the friendships that make honest conversations possible.

Join us Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. in the back building of Ruddle Road Church of God, 1400 South Ruddle Road, Blytheville, Arkansas. Breakfast is free for men 18 and older, and you don’t have to attend church. Come eat, listen, and get to know other men learning to follow Jesus.

Not local? Keep walking with us through the podcast, and look for a trustworthy Christian man where you live who will pray with you and follow up.

Stay Connected
Visit SharpeningMen.org.
Need prayer, have a testimony, or need someone to talk to? Email [email protected].

Share this episode with a man you trust - perhaps with the words, “I need this kind of brotherhood in my life.” Follow or subscribe to Sharpening Men Podcast so you can keep growing with us.

Coming Next: What happens when saying “I’m sorry” isn’t enough? We’ll look at Zacchaeus, restitution, and taking steps to make things right.

Nobody gets sharp alone.

Your grandmother's faith cannot save you. Your mother's prayers cannot repent for you. Your pastor cannot obey God for you...and your wife cannot build your character for you.

At some point, every man must stand before God and answer for himself.

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom Henry continues our series on taking responsibility with a challenge every man needs to hear: Nobody else can live your Christian life for you.

Galatians 6:5 tells us, "For every man shall bear his own burden."

Yes, we need brothers who will pray with us, challenge us, encourage us, and help carry our burdens. But there are responsibilities God has placed squarely on our shoulders that nobody else can fulfill.

You cannot inherit salvation from a Christian family. You cannot depend on your wife's prayers to substitute for your own. You cannot expect someone else to lead your family spiritually while you sit on the sidelines.

Maybe you don't know enough Scripture. Start reading.

Maybe you've never prayed out loud. Start praying.

Maybe your father never showed you how to be a godly man. Then become the father you wish you'd had.

Spiritual maturity begins when a man stops waiting for someone else to do what God has called HIM to do.

TODAY'S CHALLENGE:

Identify one spiritual responsibility you've been expecting someone else to carry.

Have you neglected prayer? Bible reading? Church? Leading your family? Reconciling a broken relationship?

Stop waiting for somebody else.

Take one specific step TODAY. You don't have to fix everything today. But you do have to take responsibility for the next step.

SHARPENING MEN BREAKFAST

There's a difference between having to take responsibility for your own life and having to figure everything out by yourself.

Maybe nobody ever taught you how to pray, study Scripture, lead your family, or walk with God. Maybe you've spent years wishing you had a godly man to show you the way.

That's one reason we gather around the breakfast table every Saturday morning.

We're not there to impress one another with how much we know. We're there to open God's Word, ask hard questions, encourage one another, and become better men.

Come join us at 9:00 a.m. every Saturday in the back building of Ruddle Road Church of God, 1400 South Ruddle Road, Blytheville, Arkansas.

Breakfast is completely FREE and open to men 18 and older. You don't have to belong to a church or have your life figured out.

Just bring yourself and a willingness to grow.

NOT LOCAL?

You can still walk through these challenges with us wherever you live. Follow the Sharpening Men Podcast and consider finding another man who will challenge you, pray with you, and hold you accountable.

Visit SharpeningMen.org for more information.

Have a question, need prayer, or want to share your testimony? Contact Tom directly at [email protected].

HELP SHARPEN ANOTHER MAN

Share this episode with another man and ask him one uncomfortable question: "What responsibility do you think I've been neglecting?"

Then be man enough to listen to his answer.

Like, follow, and subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast so you don't miss the rest of this week's teaching.

COMING TOMORROW: Carrying your own load doesn't mean carrying it alone. We'll talk about confessing our faults, being honest with other men, and allowing our brothers to pray for us.

Nobody gets sharp alone.

What are you hiding?

Not the version of yourself that you show the world...What is REALLY happening in your life that you desperately hope nobody ever finds out about?

Here's the problem: God already knows.

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom Henry continues Week 6 on taking responsibility with a hard truth: admitting something is wrong isn't enough. Biblical repentance requires us to confess it AND forsake it.

Proverbs 28:13 warns that the man who covers his sins will not prosper, but the one who confesses and forsakes them finds mercy.

Men can become experts at hiding. We delete browser histories. Erase messages. Hide bottles. Manipulate finances. Minimize what happened. And sometimes we simply rename our sin so we can feel better about keeping it.

But confession isn't giving God information He doesn't already have. It's finally agreeing with God about what He already knows.

And confession is only half the equation.

Real repentance produces a change of direction. There's a difference between struggling against sin and making peace with it.

TODAY'S CHALLENGE:
Identify one sin or sinful habit you need to confess and forsake. Name it honestly. Don't minimize it or blame someone else. Take it to God and, when appropriate, tell a mature, trustworthy Christian man.

Then do something concrete. Delete it. Throw it away. End the wrong relationship. Change the routine. Install accountability software. Make the phone call. Ask someone to check on you.

Don't just feel bad. Change direction.

SHARPENING MEN BREAKFAST

Maybe the thing keeping you trapped isn't that you don't know what's wrong. Maybe you've been trying to fight it alone.

You don't have to.

Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m., come sit around the table with some other men who haven't mastered everything either. We're men who need God, His Word, and brothers willing to sharpen one another.

Sharpening Men Breakfast meets in the back building of Ruddle Road Church of God, 1400 South Ruddle Road, Blytheville, Arkansas. It's free and open to men 18 and older.

No pretending. No perfect men. Just come.

Not local? Stay connected with us through the Sharpening Men Podcast and SharpeningMen.org.

If you know a man who needs encouragement to bring something out of the darkness, share this episode with him.

Follow or subscribe so you can continue Week 6 with us.

Tomorrow: Carry Your Own Load.

Nobody gets sharp alone.

Whose fault is it?

That may be one of the most dangerous questions a man can ask. We can spend so much time figuring out who caused our problems that we never stop to ask a much harder question: What am I responsible for?

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom Henry goes back to the Garden of Eden and one of the first responses of fallen man: blame.

When God confronted Adam, Adam pointed toward Eve - and ultimately back toward God. Men have been doing the same thing ever since.

Our fathers may have failed us. People may have hurt us. Our upbringing may have left wounds. Betrayal, addiction, bad examples, and difficult circumstances can have very real consequences. But there is a difference between an explanation and an excuse.

Your past may explain some things about you, but it does not have to control the rest of your life.

A godly man learns to say four difficult words: “I was wrong. Period.”

No “but.” No counterattack. No list of what everyone else did wrong.

In this episode, we challenge men to identify one area where they have been blaming someone else, own their part, and take one concrete step toward change TODAY.

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:
Identify one thing you've been blaming on someone else. Name your part in it. Say, “This is my responsibility, and with God's help, I'm going to do something about it.” Then take one concrete step today.

SHARPENING MEN BREAKFAST
Join us every Saturday at 9:00 a.m. in the back building of Ruddle Road Church of God, 1400 South Ruddle Road, Blytheville, Arkansas.

It's completely FREE and open to men 18 and older. You don't have to attend our church, know everything about the Bible, or have your life together. Come eat breakfast, open the Bible, and spend time with other men who are trying to grow.

Not local? You can still be part of Sharpening Men by following the podcast and working through these biblical challenges with us each week.

Visit SharpeningMen.org.

Questions? Need prayer? Have a testimony or just need someone to talk to? Email Tom at [email protected].

If another man came to mind during this episode, share it with him—not as an accusation, but because you're willing to work through it together.

Follow and subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast so you don't miss the rest of Week 6.

Tomorrow: Admitting something is wrong isn't enough. Scripture calls us to confess it and forsake it.

Nobody gets sharp alone.

What if following Jesus actually costs you something?

Your comfort. Your reputation. Your money. A relationship. An opportunity. Your time. Maybe even suffering.

Would you still follow Him?

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom Henry concludes Week 5, “Jesus: The Model Man,” by asking what it really means to follow in the steps of Jesus.

First Peter 2:21 says, “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.”

Jesus isn't merely our Savior. He's our example. And His example includes sacrifice.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why following Jesus doesn't guarantee an easier life
• Jesus as the ultimate model of biblical manhood
• The connection between Christ's example and suffering
• The difference between suffering for Christ and experiencing consequences for our own decisions
• What obedience can cost us
• Why biblical manhood is measured by becoming more like Jesus
• Following Christ at home, at work, in relationships, in service, and in suffering
• Why following Jesus matters especially when nobody is watching

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

Look back at the five truths we've studied this week:

Think like Jesus.
Practice meekness.
Serve.
Lead by serving.
Follow Jesus even when it costs you.

Which one is your weakest?

Don't choose the one you're already doing well. Choose the one that makes you uncomfortable.

Then take one measurable action. What will you stop? What will you begin? What will you confess? What will you repair? Who will you serve? Who will you ask to hold you accountable?

Don't merely agree with these teachings. Do something with them.

JOIN US SATURDAY

If you're in or around Blytheville, Arkansas, join us for the Sharpening Men Breakfast every Saturday at 9:00 a.m.

Ruddle Road Church of God — Back Building
1400 S. Ruddle Rd.
Blytheville, AR 72315

It's completely FREE and open to men 18 and older. You don't have to be a church member, know a lot about the Bible, or pretend you've got everything together.

Come eat breakfast. Meet some men. Bring your questions. Bring your struggles. Let's sharpen one another.

SHARE THIS EPISODE

Think of one man who's trying to figure out what biblical manhood actually looks like - a younger man, father, son, coworker, or friend.

Send him this episode and tell him: “Let's both work on this.”

Christianity isn't meant to be lived alone. We're called to serve, encourage and help one another become more like Jesus.

Follow or subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast and share these conversations with the men around you.

Visit: sharpeningmen.org
Questions, prayer requests, testimonies, struggles, or just need another man to talk to?
Email Tom: [email protected]

If you want to know what a godly man looks like, look at Jesus. Think like Him. Let your strength be controlled by Him. Serve like Him. Lead like Him. And when following costs you something, keep following.

Nobody gets sharp alone.

When you hear the word “leader,” what picture comes to mind?

The man in charge? The boss? The guy with the title? The man everybody answers to?

Jesus gives us a radically different picture: the Lord of all creation on His knees, towel around His waist, washing dirty feet.

That's biblical leadership.

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom Henry continues Week 5, “Jesus: The Model Man,” by examining what Jesus teaches us about leadership.

In John 13:14–15, Jesus tells His disciples that if their Lord and Master washed their feet, they should serve one another in the same way. Jesus didn't merely teach servant leadership - He demonstrated it.

Leadership isn't about how many people you can get under you. It's about how many people God has entrusted to you that you can serve.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why biblical leadership begins with service
• Jesus washing His disciples' feet
• The difference between authority and selfish control
• What servant leadership looks like for husbands and fathers
• Why leaders should be first to sacrifice, forgive, apologize, pray, serve, and take responsibility
• How fathers lead through example, not merely rules
• What servant leadership looks like at work and in ministry
• How the “dirty jobs” expose our pride
• Why no act of service should be beneath a follower of Jesus

TODAY'S CHALLENGE

Find one “foot-washing job” today.

Find something useful you might normally expect somebody else to do—and do it.

Don't announce it. Don't complain about it. Don't expect praise.

It could be at home, at work, at church, or wherever you are. While you're doing it, remember what Jesus said:

“I have given you an example.”

Follow it.

JOIN US SATURDAY

If you're in or around Blytheville, Arkansas, join us for the Sharpening Men Breakfast every Saturday at 9:00 a.m.

Ruddle Road Church of God — Back Building
1400 S. Ruddle Rd.
Blytheville, AR 72315

It's completely FREE and open to men 18 and older. You don't have to have everything together. Come eat breakfast, meet some men, and sit down with us.

SHARE THIS EPISODE

Also, think of one man who's in leadership - he might be a father, a boss, a pastor, a coach, a ministry leader, or maybe he's a younger man who's still learning what leadership means.

Send him this episode, not as criticism, but as encouragement.

Let's become leaders who look like Jesus.

Follow or subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast so you don't miss the rest of this week's conversations about Jesus: The Model Man.

Visit: sharpeningmen.org
Questions, prayer requests, testimonies, or just need somebody to talk to?
Email Tom: [email protected]

Nobody gets sharp alone.

How do you know when a man thinks he's important?

Sometimes it's easy: everyone around him exists to serve him. Bring me this. Do that for me. Respect me. Notice me. Give me the best seat. Make sure I get the credit.

But Jesus gave us a completely different picture of greatness.

The greatest man who ever lived came to serve.

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom Henry continues Week 5, “Jesus: The Model Man,” by looking at how Jesus completely turned the world's definition of greatness upside down.

Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

The world often measures greatness by how many people serve you. Jesus measures greatness by how willing you are to serve others.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why Jesus measured greatness through service and sacrifice
• The difference between asking “What can they do for me?” and “What can I do for them?”
• What servant leadership looks like in marriage and the home
• Why no honest work should be beneath a Christian man
• Serving in the church instead of simply asking what the church offers us
• Why serving challenges our pride
• How God often meets us while we're ministering to someone else
• Serving even when nobody notices, applauds, or says thank you

TODAY'S CHALLENGE

Serve somebody today in a way that costs you something.

It might cost you time, money, convenience, energy, or pride. Do something around the house before you're asked. Help a coworker. Buy somebody lunch. Call someone who's struggling. Give somebody a ride. Pray with someone.

Do something useful for somebody who cannot repay you - and, if possible, don't tell anybody about it.

Serve because that's what Jesus does.

JOIN US SATURDAY

If you're in or around Blytheville, Arkansas, join us for the Sharpening Men Breakfast every Saturday at 9:00 a.m.

Ruddle Road Church of God — Back Building
1400 S. Ruddle Rd.
Blytheville, AR 72315

It's completely FREE and open to men 18 and older. Come eat breakfast, meet some men, and let's learn together how to become men who look more like Jesus.

SHARE THIS EPISODE

Think of a man who's always serving everybody else and rarely gets thanked for it. Send him this episode and tell him:

“I see what you're doing. Keep going.”

Sometimes the man who encourages everyone else needs somebody to encourage him.

Follow or subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast so you don't miss the rest of this week's conversations about Jesus: The Model Man.

Visit: sharpeningmen.org
Questions, prayer requests, or just need someone to talk to?
Email Tom: [email protected]

Nobody gets sharp alone.

What does real strength look like?

Is it losing control when someone makes you angry - or having enough strength to control yourself? Is it proving you can hurt someone, or possessing the power to do damage and choosing not to?

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom Henry continues Week 5, “Jesus: The Model Man,” by confronting one of the most misunderstood characteristics of Jesus: meekness.

Somewhere along the way, men began treating meekness as another word for weakness. But Jesus said, “I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29) - and Jesus was anything but weak.

Meekness is strength submitted to God and governed by love.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why meekness does not mean weakness
• Jesus as the perfect example of strength under control
• Why uncontrolled anger isn't evidence of strength
• The difference between reacting and responding
• Why forgiveness can require more strength than revenge
• How another person can control you when they can control your reactions
• Learning patience and mercy from the way Jesus has treated us
• Allowing Jesus to control our strength

TODAY'S CHALLENGE

Identify one situation where you normally react instead of respond.

Maybe it's something your wife says, a situation at work, your children, or someone from your past. When that trigger comes today, don't react immediately.

Stop. Pray. Control your mouth, control your hands, and control your attitude. Then ask:

“How would Jesus respond here?”

Choose meekness - not because you're too weak to respond differently, but because you're strong enough to let Jesus control your strength.

JOIN US SATURDAY

If you're in or around Blytheville, Arkansas, join us for the Sharpening Men Breakfast every Saturday at 9:00 a.m.

Ruddle Road Church of God — Back Building
1400 S. Ruddle Rd.
Blytheville, AR 72315

It's completely FREE and open to men 18 and older. You don't have to pretend you've figured everything out. Come eat breakfast and sit down with other men who are trying to grow too.

SHARE THIS EPISODE

Think of one man who struggles with anger or has confused strength with aggression his entire life. Send him this episode - but don't send it pointing a finger.

Send it saying, “This challenged me too.”

Follow or subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast so you don't miss the rest of this week's conversations about Jesus: The Model Man.

Visit: sharpeningmen.org
Questions, prayer requests, testimonies, or just need someone to talk to?
Email Tom: [email protected]

Nobody gets sharp alone.

What if one of the biggest problems in your life isn't what's happening around you - but the way you've learned to think about it?

Not everything you think is true. Some beliefs have been passed down from family, absorbed from culture, learned through painful experiences or picked up from the people around us. But when the way we think disagrees with the way Jesus thinks, we're the ones who need to change.

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom Henry begins Week 5, “Jesus: The Model Man,” by looking at what it means to develop the mind of Christ.

Philippians 2:5 tells us, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 12:2 tells us that transformation comes through the renewing of our minds.

Before our behavior changes consistently, our thinking has to change.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why Jesus - not culture - is our model for biblical manhood
• How wrong thinking can keep a man trapped in destructive patterns
• The beliefs men absorb about anger, respect, sex, money, strength, success and relationships
• Why following Jesus requires the humility to admit, “I was wrong”
• How God's Word replaces lies with Truth
• Why lasting transformation begins in the mind
• A practical challenge for identifying and confronting one area of wrong thinking

Don't merely try to behave differently. Start learning to think differently.

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

Identify one area where your thinking doesn't line up with Jesus. Find out what Scripture actually says about it. Write down one verse that challenges your old way of thinking, read it throughout the day, pray over it, and when the old thoughts return, answer them with God's Word.

JOIN US SATURDAY

If you're in or around Blytheville, Arkansas, join us for the Sharpening Men Breakfast every Saturday at 9:00 a.m.

Ruddle Road Church of God — Back Building
1400 S. Ruddle Rd.
Blytheville, AR 72315

The breakfast is completely FREE and open to men 18 and older. You don't have to be a church member, know a lot about the Bible, or pretend you've got everything together. Come eat breakfast, meet some men, bring your questions, and let's learn together.

SHARE THE EPISODE

Think of one man whose thinking may be keeping him trapped. Maybe he's angry, bitter, believing something about himself that isn't true, or repeating destructive decisions because he's still thinking destructive thoughts.

Send this episode directly to him. One man. One conversation.

Follow or subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast so you don't miss the rest of this week's conversations about Jesus: The Model Man.

Visit: sharpeningmen.org
Questions, prayer requests, testimonies, or just need someone to talk to?
Email Tom: [email protected]

Nobody gets sharp alone.