Sharpening Men Podcast

What would have happened if everyone who knew the gospel had kept it to themselves?

Someone told you. Someone prayed for you. Someone invited you. Someone preached the truth, handed you a Bible, encouraged you when you were struggling, or took the time to point you toward Jesus.

Now the question is: Who are you doing that for?

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, we close Week 4 by looking at an essential part of becoming a disciple of Jesus: eventually, disciples make disciples.

Jesus didn't call us merely to receive the gospel, learn more Bible, get our problems fixed, and become better versions of ourselves. He commanded His followers to go and make disciples. Christian growth eventually has to turn outward. The gospel isn't just supposed to come to you - it is supposed to go through you.

You don't have to know everything about the Bible before you can help another man. Tell him what you know. Tell him what Jesus has done for you. Pray with him. Read Scripture together. Buy him a cup of coffee. Ask him how he's really doing - and listen to the answer.

You don't have to be twenty miles ahead of another man to help him. Maybe you're only three steps ahead. Turn around, reach back, and help him take his next step.

TODAY'S CHALLENGE: Think of one man who needs encouragement - someone struggling, lonely, drifting, searching for Jesus, or simply needing a brother. Then do something. Call him. Text him. Pray with him. Share your testimony. Send him this episode. Invite him to breakfast.

Don't just pray, "God, send somebody." Maybe God is sending you.

SHARPENING MEN BREAKFAST - Join us every Saturday at 9:00 a.m. in the back building of Ruddle Road Church of God, 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 have your life together. Come eat breakfast, meet some men, open the Word with us, and let's sharpen one another.

Follow and subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast, and share these episodes with the men around you.

Visit www.sharpeningmen.org for information and resources.

Questions, prayer requests, testimonies, struggles—or maybe you just need someone to talk to? Email Tom at [email protected].

The gospel reached you because somebody refused to keep it to himself.

Now it's your turn.

Nobody gets sharp alone.

Have you ever gotten free from something - only to find yourself drifting right back into it?

Maybe it was drinking, drugs, pornography, anger, a destructive relationship, or another pattern you thought you had finally beaten. For a while, things changed. Then slowly, the old life began pulling you backward.

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom Henry talks about the difference between experiencing a moment of freedom and learning to actually walk in freedom.

Jesus said in John 8:31–32, “If you continue in my Word, then are you my disciples indeed; And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

The key is to continue.

A disciple doesn't just hear God's Word once, agree with it once, or underline it in his Bible once. He keeps walking in it. Scripture begins rebuilding the way a man thinks - but patterns developed over decades aren't usually replaced overnight.

Don't just get empty. Get filled.

Don't just stop drinking - learn to walk with God. Don't just turn away from pornography - fill your mind with God's Word. Don't just leave destructive relationships - build healthy ones. Don't just stop spending time with men who pull you backward - find men who will pull you forward.

Freedom requires continuing.

Read. Pray. Obey. Keep showing up. Keep walking.

Today's challenge is to identify one area where you've experienced freedom but are tempted to go backward. Strengthen that area today. Delete the app. Block the number. Change where you go. Tell somebody the truth. Open your Bible and ask God, “What are You saying to me, and what am I going to do about it?”

Then do it.

SHARPENING MEN BREAKFAST - Join us every Saturday at 9:00 a.m. in the back building of Ruddle Road Church of God, 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, and you don't have to have everything together. Just come.

Know a man who's fighting to stay free or rebuild his life? Send this episode directly to him. Sometimes a man doesn't need another lecture. He needs another man reminding him to keep walking.

Follow or subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast and visit SharpeningMen.org for more.

If you're struggling, need prayer, have a question, or just need someone to talk to, email Tom at [email protected].

Nobody gets sharp alone.

What’s the difference between having Jesus as part of your life and having Jesus at the center of your life?

A man can make room for Jesus alongside his work, family, money, hobbies, relationships, plans, and goals - but biblical discipleship calls us to something much deeper. Christianity isn’t about squeezing Jesus into the life we already have. It’s about surrendering our lives so completely that Christ begins living through us.

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom continues Week 4’s focus on becoming a disciple of Jesus by looking at Galatians 2:20 and the radical truth behind Paul’s words: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me.”

Jesus didn’t come merely to renovate the old man, make us a little more respectable, or help us manage a few bad habits. The call of Christ is a change of ownership. Our marriage, money, body, career, sexuality, plans, future, thought life, and temper all belong to Him.

That means discipleship reaches far beyond Sunday morning. Christ must be Lord when we’re angry, when nobody is watching, when temptation comes, when our marriage is difficult, when an opportunity to compromise presents itself, and when life doesn’t go according to our plans.

Today’s challenge is simple but demanding: identify one area of your life where Jesus may be present but isn’t truly at the center. Then ask, “What would this look like if Jesus were really Lord here?” Take one measurable action today that reflects your answer.

Don’t merely say Jesus is Lord. Live like He is.

SHARPENING MEN BREAKFAST

If you’re anywhere around Blytheville, Arkansas, join us every Saturday at 9:00 a.m. for the Sharpening Men Breakfast. We meet in the back building of Ruddle Road Church of God, 1400 S. Ruddle Rd., Blytheville, AR 72315.

It’s completely free and open to men age 18 and older. No pretending. No perfect men. Come as you are, eat breakfast with us, open the Bible, and spend time with other men who are learning what it means to follow Jesus.

CONNECT WITH SHARPENING MEN

Visit sharpeningmen.org for everything we’re doing.

Questions? Need prayer? Have a testimony? Or just need another man to talk to? Email Tom at [email protected].

Think of one man who needs to wrestle with this question: Is Jesus part of my life - or is He the center of my life?

Send this episode directly to him. One man. One conversation. That’s how this grows.

Follow or subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast so you don’t miss the next episode.

Nobody gets sharp alone.

What if following Jesus means that sometimes you don’t get what you want?

Our culture says, “Follow your heart. Do what makes you happy. Be true to yourself.” Jesus gives us a radically different message:

Deny yourself. Take up your cross. Follow Me.

In today’s Sharpening Men Podcast, we continue our week on becoming a disciple of Jesus by confronting what following Him actually requires.

Luke 9:23 says, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Notice that word: daily.

Following Jesus isn’t merely a decision you made years ago. Every day a man must decide again who gets the final word - himself or Jesus.

Self-denial doesn’t mean hating yourself. It means self doesn’t get to be God anymore. Your appetite, anger, sexual desires, pride, feelings, and personal wants don’t get the final vote.

Jesus does.

Sometimes we want Jesus as Savior without really wanting Him as Lord. We want Him to save us, fix our marriage, give us peace, straighten out our finances, and set us free - but we don’t necessarily want Him telling us what needs to change.

But Jesus isn’t trying to destroy your life. He’s trying to free you from the things that are destroying it.

That’s why Jesus uses the picture of a cross. A cross is where something dies. Sometimes it’s pride. Sometimes lust, anger, addiction, unforgiveness, the need to always be right, or the desire to get even.

And yesterday’s surrender doesn’t automatically make today’s decisions.

Today’s Challenge - Identify one area where your flesh has been calling the shots. Then take one measurable action today that declares, “Jesus is Lord here too.”

Delete something. Make the call. Confess something. Apologize. Walk away. Ask another man for accountability.

Whatever obedience looks like, do it.

Take up your cross. Follow Jesus.

Join Us Saturday - If you’re near Blytheville, Arkansas, join us for the Sharpening Men Breakfast, Saturday at 9:00 a.m. in the back building of Ruddle Road Church of God, 1400 S. Ruddle Rd., Blytheville, AR 72315.

It’s completely free and for men 18 and older. You don’t have to be a church member, know the Bible, or have your life together. Come eat and meet some other men.

Not local? You’re still part of this. Follow or subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast and share this episode with one man who may be fighting the same battle. Don’t send it as a sermon aimed at him. Just tell him, “Brother, this challenged me too.”

Visit SharpeningMen.org.

Need prayer, have a question, or just need somebody to talk to? Email [email protected].

Tomorrow: What happens when Jesus stops being merely one part of your life and becomes the center of it?

Nobody gets sharp alone.

There’s a big difference between knowing about Jesus and actually knowing Him.

You can know the stories, quote Bible verses, understand the cross and resurrection, and still face a much more important question: Are you actually following Jesus?

This week on the Sharpening Men Podcast, we’re talking about becoming a disciple of Jesus. And it begins with one of the simplest - and most demanding - things Jesus ever said: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” — Matthew 4:19

Notice the order: Follow Me, and I will make you.

Jesus didn’t tell Peter and Andrew to get themselves straightened out first. He didn’t tell them to fix every weakness, learn enough Scripture, or become good enough before coming to Him.

He told them to follow.

That’s discipleship.

You follow. He changes you.
You obey. He makes you.

Peter wasn’t finished when Jesus called him, and neither are we. He made mistakes, acted impulsively, and even denied knowing Jesus. But Jesus kept working on him.

Our responsibility is to keep following.

So ask yourself: Are you still following Jesus, or have you parked somewhere along the road?

Maybe you can remember when you were hungry for God, when you prayed, studied the Bible, or experienced God changing your life. Those memories matter—but what is He doing in you now?

What is He teaching you? What is He changing? Where is He leading you today?

You can’t follow somebody while standing still.

Today’s Challenge

Identify one thing you already know Jesus wants you to do.

Maybe you need to forgive somebody, apologize, get back into Scripture, start praying again, walk away from something, or finally obey something God has been dealing with you about for months.

Choose one thing and take one measurable step of obedience today.

Jesus said, “Follow Me.” So follow.

Join Us Saturday - If you’re in the Blytheville area, join us for the Sharpening Men Breakfast every Saturday at 9:00 a.m. in the back building of Ruddle Road Church of God, 1400 S. Ruddle Rd., Blytheville, AR 72315.

It’s completely free and for men age 18 and older.

You don’t have to be a church member. You don’t have to know a lot about the Bible. And you definitely don’t have to have your life cleaned up before you come.

Just show up. Come eat breakfast, meet some other men, and let’s learn together what it means to follow Jesus.

If you’re not local, you can still be part of what we’re building. Follow or subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast and share these episodes with other men.

Think of one man who needs to hear today’s question: Are you actually following Jesus? Send this episode directly to him.

Visit SharpeningMen.org for more information.

If you have a question, need prayer, have a testimony, or simply need somebody to talk to, email [email protected].

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the part of following Jesus that doesn’t get advertised nearly as much: denying yourself and taking up your cross daily.

Nobody gets sharp alone.

What would you do differently if you weren't worried about what everybody else thought about you?

Would you admit you need help? Walk away from certain relationships? Go to church? Quit drinking? Tell your friends “no”? Apologize? Pray? Would you finally start becoming the man you know God is calling you to be?

In today's Sharpening Men Podcast, we finish our week on the Fear of the Lord by confronting one of its most dangerous counterfeits: the fear of man.

Proverbs 29:25 warns us, “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.” A snare is a trap - and a man can spend years trapped by the need for approval. Trying to impress friends. Trying to prove something to his father. Protecting a reputation. Looking tough. Keeping everybody happy. Worrying about criticism, rejection, or what people will say when he starts changing.

But somebody is always going to have an opinion.

For some men, breaking free from that approval can be especially difficult. Coming out of addiction, gangs, prison, destructive relationships, or simply an old way of living may mean losing acceptance from people who only know the old version of you.

But what is your freedom worth?

No human being gets the throne of your life - not your friends, your boss, your family, social media, nor even people at church. That throne belongs to God.

Today's challenge is simple: identify one decision you're making primarily because you're afraid of what somebody else will think. Then ask yourself: If God's opinion mattered more than theirs, what would I do?

Take one step in that direction today. Say no. Say yes. Walk away. Ask for help. Admit you've been pretending. Whatever it is, make your decision based on obedience rather than applause.

Join Us Saturday Morning - If you're in the Blytheville area, come join us for the Sharpening Men Breakfast every Saturday at 9:00 a.m. in the back building of Ruddle Road Church of God, 1400 S. Ruddle Rd., Blytheville, AR 72315.

It's completely free and open to men age 18 and older.

You don't have to know anybody. You don't have to be a “church guy.” Maybe you've been locked up. Maybe you're recovering from addiction. Maybe you're successful on the outside while privately struggling. Or maybe you've simply realized you need some better men around you.

Come eat breakfast with us. Bring a friend if you'd like.

Not Local? You're Still Part of This

If you don't live near Blytheville, you can still be part of what we're building. Follow or subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast, share this episode with another man, and use these daily episodes to help you become the man God created you to be.

Visit SharpeningMen.org for more information.

If you have questions, need prayer, want information about the breakfast, or simply need somebody to talk to, email [email protected].

This week we've learned that the fear of the Lord is the beginning, wisdom starts with knowing who God is, the fear of the Lord produces confidence, a man must decide whom he will obey, and fearing people is a trap.

So here's the question to carry with you:

Who's really sitting on the throne?

Nobody gets sharp alone.

You may think of yourself as an independent man. Nobody tells you what to do!

But something does.

Money. Sex. Pride. Approval. Anger. Addiction. Your career. Your friends. Your appetites.

Everybody serves something. The question isn't whether you're going to serve. The question is who - or what - gets to be your master.

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom gets to the heart of what it means to follow God. Christianity cannot remain theoretical forever. Eventually, a man has to decide: Am I actually going to obey God?

Not simply admire Him.
Not merely believe He exists.
Not occasionally ask Him for help.

Obey Him.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

Joshua 24:15 puts the decision just as plainly: “Choose you this day whom you will serve.”

Maybe life doesn't have to be as complicated as we sometimes make it.

Fear God. Obey God. Love God. Love people. Follow Jesus. Help others follow Jesus.

But what does that look like when Monday morning comes?

Go to work honestly. Keep your word. Treat people right. Control your mouth. Love your family. Forgive. Help somebody. Tell the truth. Refuse temptation. Do the right thing when nobody is watching.

That's where obedience happens - not merely in church, but in everyday life.

And that leads to a harder question:

Where have you been resisting God's authority?

Maybe God has been dealing with you about something for months, and you keep answering, “Later.” “Not yet.” “I'm working on it.”

At some point, brother, you have to choose.

Today's Challenge: Identify one area where you already know what God wants you to do, but you haven't obeyed.

No more research.
No more excuses.
No more waiting for another sign.

Take one measurable step of obedience today. And if you need accountability, tell another man exactly what you're going to do.

Join Us Saturday

Come join us for the Sharpening Men Breakfast, Saturday at 9:00 a.m. in the back building at Ruddle Road Church of God, 1400 S. Ruddle Rd., Blytheville, AR 72315.

It's completely FREE and for men 18 and older.

Whether you've followed Jesus for years or you're not even sure what you believe yet, you're welcome. Come eat breakfast, listen, ask questions, and sit around the table with other men who are trying to become the men God created them to be.

Visit SharpeningMen.org for more information.

Questions, need prayer, or just want to talk? Email Tom at [email protected].

Follow or subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast, and send this episode to one man who needs to be challenged to stop putting off what he already knows he needs to do.

Nobody gets sharp alone.

Are you tired?

Not just physically tired. Tired inside. Tired of carrying everybody. Tired of trying to figure everything out. Tired of lying awake wondering what might happen tomorrow.

What if the money doesn't come? What if you lose your job? What if your kids don't straighten up? What if the relationship doesn't work?

Maybe you're carrying something you were never designed to carry.

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom continues the discussion about the fear of the Lord with a surprising truth: the more appropriately you fear God, the less you have to fear everything else.

Proverbs 14:26–27 says that in the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, a place of refuge, and a fountain of life.

That's not the picture of a man cowering in fear of God. It's the picture of a man who understands, “My life is in God's hands.”

But there's another question every man needs to consider: Are you tired of doing God's job and asking Him to do yours?

We ask God to fix our finances while refusing to change how we spend. We ask Him to fix our marriage when maybe our responsibility is to apologize. We ask God to get us out of the mess while continuing to make the same choices that put us there.

At the same time, we're trying to do God's job - controlling tomorrow, controlling other people, controlling circumstances, and trying to guarantee every possible outcome.

There is another way.

Trust God with what belongs to Him, and obey Him with what belongs to you.

You may not know how everything is going to turn out, but you can know who God is. That's where a man's confidence comes from - not arrogance and not the belief that nothing bad can happen, but the confidence that whatever happens, God is still God.

Today's Challenge: Take a piece of paper and make two columns:

My Responsibility
God's Responsibility

Put the things you're worried about into the correct column.

Then stop trying to carry what belongs in God's column.

Ask Him, “What is my responsibility today?” Choose one thing from your column and obey Him in it.

Join Us Saturday

Come join us for the Sharpening Men Breakfast, Saturday at 9:00 a.m. in the back building at Ruddle Road Church of God, 1400 S. Ruddle Rd., Blytheville, AR 72315.

It's completely FREE and for men 18 and older.

If you're carrying something heavy, you don't have to walk through the door and announce it to everybody. Just come. Eat breakfast. Sit down with some other men. Maybe you'll eventually find another man you can trust enough to talk to.

Visit SharpeningMen.org for more information.

Questions, need prayer, or just need someone to talk to? Email Tom at [email protected].

Follow or subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast, and send this episode to one man you know who's trying to carry too much by himself.

Nobody gets sharp alone.

Are you qualified to be God?

Can you see tomorrow? Do you know everything? Can you control what happens around you? Have you ever made a decision you were absolutely certain about - only to discover later that you were completely wrong?

If we're not qualified to be God, why do we keep trying to do His job?

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom continues the conversation about the fear of the Lord by looking at Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

One of our biggest problems as men is that we can make God too small and ourselves far too big.

We try to control tomorrow. We try to control our children, our marriages, our circumstances, what other people think about us, whether people like us, and even things happening in the world that are completely beyond our control. Then we wonder why we're exhausted.

Maybe we're trying to do a job we were never qualified to hold.

There is freedom in admitting, “I don't know, but God does.” There is freedom in saying, “Lord, I don't understand this, but I'm going to trust You.”

That's not weakness. That's wisdom.

The better we know God's character - His holiness, faithfulness, power, mercy, love, justice, and wisdom - the easier it becomes to trust His direction.

Instead of making our own decisions and then asking God to bless them, what would happen if we actually stopped and asked Him what He wants us to do?

Today's Challenge: Pick one decision you're dealing with right now. Before doing what you normally do, stop and pray. Look at what Scripture says. Ask: “Lord, what would obedience look like here?”

If you still don't know, talk to a mature Christian man you trust.

Then follow God instead of simply asking God to follow you.

That's wisdom.

Join Us Saturday - Come join us for the Sharpening Men Breakfast, Saturday at 9:00 a.m. in the back building at Ruddle Road Church of God, 1400 S. Ruddle Rd., Blytheville, AR 72315.

It's completely FREE, for men 18 and older, and you don't have to be a member of Ruddle Road - or any church.

Maybe you've spent years trying to run your life alone. Come sit with us.

Visit SharpeningMen.org for more information.

Questions, need prayer, or just want to talk? Email Tom at [email protected].

Follow or subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast, and send this episode directly to one man who needs to hear it.

Nobody gets sharp alone.

A man can know a lot and still be a fool.

He can have degrees hanging on the wall, know how to make money, quote Bible verses, have an opinion about everything - and still wreck his life and his family.

Why? Because there is a difference between knowledge and wisdom. There is also a difference between knowing about God and actually knowing God.

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom begins a new week examining something we don't hear talked about nearly enough anymore: the fear of the Lord.

The fear of the Lord isn't hiding in terror, afraid that God is going to get you. It's recognizing who God really is - standing in awe of His power, holiness, perfection, and love; reverencing Him because He is worthy; and submitting to His authority.

Simply put, fearing the Lord means taking Him seriously enough that what He says actually determines how you live.

Proverbs 1:7 tells us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

The question isn't simply whether you believe God exists. The harder question is: Does the fact that God exists actually change the way you live?

What happens when Scripture tells you something you don't want to hear? What happens when God puts His finger on your anger, pride, dishonesty, bitterness, drinking, relationships, money, sex life, unforgiveness, or the words coming out of your mouth?

Do you submit—or immediately start explaining why your situation is different?

A fool doesn't necessarily lack information. He refuses instruction.

And that's especially dangerous for men because a man who cannot be corrected cannot be sharpened.

Today's Challenge: Ask God one simple question: “Lord, show me one area where I have been resisting Your instruction.”

Then get quiet long enough to listen. When something comes to mind, don't argue, explain, or blame someone else. Write it down and take one specific action that brings that area of your life into obedience.

Join Us Saturday - If you're anywhere around Blytheville, come join us for the Sharpening Men Breakfast, Saturday at 9:00 a.m. in the back building at Ruddle Road Church of God, 1400 S. Ruddle Rd., Blytheville, AR 72315.

It's 100% FREE and for men 18 and older. You don't have to belong to Ruddle Road - or any church. You don't have to know the Bible, and you definitely don't have to get your life cleaned up before you come.

Just come. Eat breakfast. Meet some men. Sit down with us.

- Learn more at SharpeningMen.org
- Questions, need prayer, or just want to talk? Email Tom at [email protected].
- Follow or subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast so you don't miss the next episode.
- Think of one man who needs this conversation and send this episode directly to him.

Nobody gets sharp alone.