This is the Truth Network. The heart of every man craves a great adventure, but life doesn't usually feel that way. Jesus speaks of narrow gates and wide roads, but the masculine journey is filled with many twists and turns.
So, how do we keep from losing heart while trying to find the good way when life feels more like a losing battle than something worth dying for? Grab your gear and come on our quest with your band of brothers who will serve as the guides in what we call the masculine journey. The masculine journey starts here now. Welcome to Masculine Journey. This is Danny, and we are back with you again this week with another topic.
And I think this is a series or pillars or just a topic we're going to drag out for a while. Oh, it's not pillars. It's not pillars. No, no, this is a totally different thing than pillars.
Well, completely different than pillars. Pillars rest on the foundation. I think it's foundational. It is. It's foundational.
It's foundational. And Andy, you're correct. Pillars have to rest on something. Yep. Yep.
Yep. We got to get the foundation.
So the Bible would call it a cornerstone, right? Right.
Well, now that I've been corrected, we're okay.
So that's all right. That's all right.
So anyway, we are going to, Andy, why don't you tell us what we're going to do with this foundation?
So I got to thinking, and this is mainly for the radio audience, the Greensboro Spartanburg area, I believe, that we went on. We'd been in the triad, Greensboro, Winston-Salem area for years, and we moved it there because we're doing a boot camp closer in proximity to that area. And I think we told it a little bit about our ministry, how it was built on Wild at Heart, and how we'd been around for. 20 years or whatever, and done a lot of boot camps. But we didn't really go through a lot of our foundation comes from the Wild Heart book, but there's more to it than that.
There's other content John's created. There's things that we've learned in our own lives that we share, but that are considered foundational. But I just got the feeling, I was like, you know, maybe we just kind of jumped in. This gives us a chance because we're just doing general topics of whatever God puts on our heart. But I believe this is always on our hearts.
This whole foundational belief system that we have, to me, that was more than anything I had ever heard at church. It expounded more of what is expected from a man and his. Not expected from a man, but how man was created in God's image and how it was foundational, the heart is central to who we are as men. And we get that from God, and Robby will talk about that a little bit more. But I just felt like it was important.
And so we don't know, it's a series, I guess. We don't know how long it'll go without, but we've got some things lined up, and we'll just start at the beginning, like you would at the book, in the book, at the core desires of a man's heart, and specifically a battle to fight. I think one other thing that's good that we go back through it is there's even members of our team that came in midstream. Yeah, right. Right.
And they've heard and they've been around some of this, but to do a deeper dive and go back into the things that we've navigated through for a long time is going to help all of us. It also kind of re-puts us back on point. It does. You know, what are the foundational beliefs we have and puts us back in that same direction? Yeah, we've done a variety of topics.
And stuff lately, and I think really believe it's God sent from all of them. But I think He always brings this back, and sometimes to have it put back in your face, it helps you to say, Oh, I forgot about that. I'm not living out of my true identity, or whatever it may be. Right, so tonight we're going with this beginning of the core desires of a man's heart, which is the opening talk that we would do at boot camp. And it's also.
you know, aligns perfectly with a wild at heart book. And the idea, actually, and the first time I heard this, I thought, that's what? John Eldridge says that one of the most important Bible verses and one of the things that really, the longer I walk with God, the more I realize how important this Bible verse is, is Genesis 1.27, where it says, let us make man in our image. And he made man male and female. In His image, He created them.
The reason why that becomes so significant as you walk through this message and understand more of what we're doing tonight and what we'll do throughout the foundation of this as you learn at boot camp is that A lot of the stuff you always thought was just random in your life happens to be you. Reflecting God within yourself. In other words, you have that heart because God has that heart. And some of the things that you desire, especially these core desires that we're going to talk about over the next few weeks, these core desires, you have. Because God has them.
And you were designed with that in mind. And so, you know, like many of us, especially since it's called the masculine journey, we're trying to figure out, you know, what's a real man? And what is it that real men do? And how is it that we can walk like that? And, you know, one of the things that you.
really can't come up. And argue with is that there was one real man that ever walked the earth, and that would be Jesus, right? And so it's fascinating to me how the more I understand this. Mm-hmm. That Satan has gone after that idea of what most people think Jesus is and his masculinity in tremendous ways, which again we'll talk about a lot through this foundation.
But one of those places that he certainly reflects masculinity is in this idea of the core desire of a battle to fight. And if you don't think little boys You know, or an image of a battle to fight. In other words, these from the time you're an infant, you wanted to play war, or you had this. Sudden enjoyment of watching things get blown up or shooting guns, and all sorts of things that little boys do that you can't help but wonder. Like little girls did not invent snowball fights, right?
Or if you put a bunch of teenage boys in a swimming pool, they will not break out into synchronized swimming. This just isn't what happens because they weren't made that way, right? I mean, what happens is, obviously, dunking, you know, let's wrestle, you know, these whole things. Like when your son comes down the stairs in the morning, you know, and he punches you right in the shoulder. Like there's something that's in there that's inherent in masculinity that must have something to do with God's heart.
And so one of the first clips that we show at boot camp, we're actually going to talk about tonight, is from the movie Brave Heart. And the idea is when you picture Jesus in your mind, and we will actually at a boot camp give two different movie clips, one being Braveheart and the other one being Mr. Rogers. And I think many people think of Mr. Rogers, you know, meek and mild, you know, a good neighbor, undoubtedly.
You know, he's definitely loving his neighbor. I mean, there's no doubt about that. But when you picture that and you picture William Wallace, you don't necessarily, you know, see that Jesus. Portrayed through that particular picture of William Wallace. And so we're going to play this speech from the movie Braveheart.
Set it up a little bit. You'll hear at the beginning that the the the men are lined up there to fight. And uh They're obviously outnumbered, and they are horses and all sorts of stuff that looks pretty scary if you are one of those guys standing there with a pitchfork and a hoe. And these other people have got all this battle weaponry. And of course, you know, they're fixing to high tail it when they see the numbers.
And you can hear the nobles come and say, hey, we need to negotiate. Stay there. You know, let's look like we have a force so we can get a good negotiation. And when you really think of what the enemy often brings into life, he wants you to negotiate. And then uprides William Wallace, right?
And what I want you to listen to is you get an idea who's going to give these men their heart back, who is going to give them back the core desire of their hearts. And he does that actually, if you listen carefully, with the gospel message. And we will share that after we play this clip. I'm not dying for these dumps. Let's go home!
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Mighty says this must be a fashionable fight. It's drawn the finest people. Where is thy salute? For presenting yourselves on this battlefield.
I give you thanks. This is our army. This is your army! Why does it go? We didn't come here to fight for them.
Sounds of Scotland. I am William Wallace. William Wallace is seven feet tall. Yes, Ivan. Kills men by the hundred.
And if he were here. He consumed the English with fireballs from his eyes. and bolts of lightning from his head. I am William Wallace. A whole army of my countrymen.
Fear and defiance of tyranny. You've come to fight a screen man. And free men you are. What will you do with that freedom? Will you fight?
Fight? Against that? No! We will run! And we will live!
Ah? Fight and you may die. Run. And you'll love At least a while. I'm dying in your bed.
Many years from now. Would you obey Welling? To trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies. That they may take our lives. But they'll never take gold freedom!
Right, that gospel message, as you listen, is: he who would seek to save his life will lose it. But when you really think about it, what little boy wouldn't wear his Superman pajamas into the grocery store so that he because he wants to rise up to be the hero. Every young man wants to rise up to be the hero in so many different ways. It's quite obvious the more you see it and the more you realize, wow. I have that heart.
Because God has that heart. I'm that way because Jesus is that way. And there's undoubtedly all sorts of battles that Satan would like to take you in all sorts of directions, but There is a a battle that Jesus has for you that you can rise up and fight. And part of the reason we start with that whole idea is that really for anything worthwhile in life that we've come to understand requires a battle. And you may even be fascinated to know that Job's name Means hated.
Job, you mean? Yeah, Job. Job. In the book of Job or Job, right? His name in Hebrew means hated.
Why? Because if you're righteous, you will be hated, and there will be a battle to fight. It's part of the deal. It's clear in the Gospels. You look at it.
But nobody did it better or helps us to understand that more than Jesus. And so as we begin this idea of how. Right.
How are we going to get a picture of the real masculinity of Jesus if we don't begin with this idea of? His name is a warrior. A warrior is his name. You'll find that in the book of Jeremiah. You're going to find it also in Exodus.
I mean, literally, God's name is a warrior. And so we have that heart because he has that heart. I think one of the things that's key about that clip, you know, we could spend the whole show on the clip, is first he reminds them of their identity. And often we need to be reminded of our identity so that we have that strength to reflect the warrior that's in us. Right, Sons of Scotland.
And a great place to start that is a boot camp. It's coming up November 20th through 23rd in Royston, Georgia, at Camp Littleite. And so you can look it up on masculinejourney.org. What we have at our boot camp is something that makes you stronger and gives you the strength to go on your regular walk with God. It's something that will make you be bigger than you were when you got there.
I think sometimes as men, we feel like we're on our own and we've got to do everything ourselves, and the weight of the world is on our shoulders, and it's our job to fix everything and make everything right and have all the answers. And I think when you come here, you just get really honed back in and reminded that God really is for us. That a good father helps you, and a good father makes sure you have all the tools you need, and a good father comes through for you when you need him and you just feel less alone. Register today at masculinejourney.org. I'm not sure if I can do it.
Fight the good fight every moment every minute, every day Fight the good fight every moment It's your lonely way Welcome back as we all got our lighters out as we rock out here Masculine Journey and Sam, I believe that was your bump it was my bump, but it's more Andy's music Don't blame it on anything. No, no, no, I picked the bump. I I had never really listened to Triumph, and that's who that was, is a band Triumph, and I just had, you know, searching for a bump to come back in and I'd put in, Okay, what's some songs that that say, you know, having the lyrics somewhere fight the good fight? Right? And that's literally the name of the song.
And when you listen to as much of the song as I did, it's really, really good. You know, it's not necessarily what I would have listened to, but I appreciated the message quite a bit. And it says, you know, fight the. Fight it every moment of every day. Fight the good fight.
It is the only way. Right, and that's really the only way we're going to continue to be able to survive is to fight the good fight and continually stay in the battle.
Well done, Sam. I like that. Yeah, yeah, and it made me really like the song quite a bit. I'm going to actually start listening to it.
So, yeah, it's on your playlist. Yeah, so I may grow my four hairs out really long, you know, and braid them or something. A four-hair dreadlock, that'd be awesome right there. That'd be pretty cool, yeah. Yeah, so anyway, well, we have a guest with us tonight, all the way from Indiana, Indiana, yeah, Mitch.
Yeah, Mitch, Mitch, how are you doing tonight? Doing great. Thanks a lot for inviting me.
Well, I think you you've got a couple of things going on you want to announce for us, and we'd like to hear your thoughts on this topic. Yeah. Um Obviously this whole idea of something to announce is we have a uh Yeah. Father, daughter. Upstairs in North Carolina.
And uh Sorry, Roddling. I got a little. Hold on, I've got a little left. Feedback and a noise coming up here. Um Yeah, one of the The 19th through the twenty first.
And it's a comparison of Depot. And one of the things that we like to talk about and that I think is really important is the connection that men have with their kids and with their families. And um We've been doing a father-daughter camp for about twenty years. And um We did them in Indiana, continue to do them in Indiana. Ours here is in just a few weeks with a couple of hundred dads and daughters.
And this is our Third year in North Carolina, actually, the Carolinas overall, and anybody nearby. But anyway, just wanted to share that with you september nineteenth through the twenty first, and it's a camp harrison. And we'd love to have people bring their daughters. I mean, it is a relationship that oftentimes is left behind. for dads to connect with their daughters.
Sometimes they connect with their sons but struggle with that connection. And so we want to provide that place for that connection to occur and also where God is at the base of that and present. And these are a lot of men who have been a part of An outpost of the wild heart message you all are so packed about that we have continued to do for many years. Yeah, if you're listening to it on a podcast in North Carolina, it's about an hour from the triad.
So it's really in close proximity that you could go do that. And what a great event to take your daughter to and really love on her and fight for her heart during that weekend and let God love on your heart. And so we'll post it on our Facebook page. We'll send it out via our email stream this week to anybody out there. And if you're in Spartanburg or Greenville, it's not that far of a drive either.
So, you know, it's pretty close to you as well. Yes, and they're we look for like six to fifteen is about the average age for the girls. But you know, I've got a girl who's nineteen years old coming. In fact, she told me today Uh I leave college to come and spend time with my dad.
So that's an important thing. And um Yeah, so that's it. And you guys were asking about my thoughts on this topic today. I think number one. is that uh guys fear greatly that they're going to be exposed, that they don't have what it takes to come through.
you know, to have a life that really matters. to have a purpose greater than I mean, they feel like they're just taking up space And God has something so much more for them. And for each of us isn't that And uh That's what William was talking about in that. a great epic movie, but what you guys are sharing so much today and I can't. say enough how important is the guy for that for a guy to have that purpose to see it.
See how God wants to work in, around, and through him. in and around the camp. And for family, especially, given to sharing about Well, the daughter can't. That that's awesome. We're gonna play another clip here.
We're gonna go to gym for the next clip. He looks so surprised if you see him on camera. I was surprised. And I'm back. This clip kind of landed in my lap and it Sounded so much like me, I had to play it even though I was going for Josie Wales as usual.
But uh this is Chief Dan George, so you'll recognize I'm from both movies, I hope. This is He is at the end of his life. He's blind. He's ready to go out and lay down and. Do what?
often happened among tribes and they would Just go off and die by themselves in the wilderness. In this case, his grandson's going with him. You'll hear him refer to being a human being and that is a very tribal thing. They called themselves the people, human beings. I want to say he was Comanche, but I could be wrong about that.
And I think there was another one. But that doesn't really matter because that was pretty much all those that were now calling Native Americans. And all of those tend to prefer being called by their tribal names.
So that's what he's calling himself there. I will talk more about this at the end, but there are some gaps. You'll hear a lot of noise for a little bit. That's him laying down and being rained on. And then he.
You'll hear him getting back up, but let's go ahead and play it. Come out and fight! It is a good day to die. Thank you for making me a human being. Thank you for helping me to become a warrior.
Thank you for my victories. And for my defeat. I am going to die now. Unless death wants to fight. And I asked you for the last time.
to grant me my old power. to make things happen. Grandfather? Am I still in this world? That's great.
I was afraid of that as I often do. I forgot the most important part of the setup. He is talking to God. the Holy Spirit. And uh he is laying down to die, but it's not his time yet.
And At my age, and I suspect Harold, although Harold's more alive than I am, I think, most of the time. The warrior's spirit is still there. I'm still ready for battle. But physical battle is not real despite me being the the size of uh William Wallace. Yeah.
I'm not prepared for combat anymore. And That's not what the fight's about, anyway. We are in a primarily spiritual journey. And the battles are a not against flesh and blood. And this Just everything about this, I've always really appreciated that, and I've threatened my wife with the fact that I'm just going to wander off in the woods someday and never be heard from again until dogs find me.
There are no woods on a cruise ship, Jim.
Well, you know, there's too far on that cruise ship. There is the plank. It's too tacky a way to go. But uh that and He did it right. He was waiting for God to take him and he didn't.
And that's how I feel a significant part of the time. But I know there's still a fight to fight, and I will do it until my last breath.
Well, you said something about, you know, we learned that it's a spiritual battle, and I thought a lot about that. Is that. in the beginning of our lives, you know, we're we're battling everything physically. You know, young bucks love to fight and and that kind of thing. And but as time goes on and you walk this journey with Christ, You learn that it's not against flesh and blood, it's not against principalities and powers, and you begin to learn to fight.
I think sometimes, like Robby was talking about. you know, we're drawn into this fight and sometimes we're in the right fight, we're just fighting it the wrong way. And, you know, like like Don Quixote in the windmill or something. And so that that's kind of what made me think about that when you played that clip. You brought up one of my favorite songs, Impossible Dream, which very few will even know.
is music. Yeah. That is from Don Quixote. You know, the thing that happens a lot of times if we're not careful, we go from that young buck stage where we are stepping into every fight we see to believing that, you know, okay, God's got everything, he's going to handle it. I don't have to engage.
You know, and that's a very dangerous place to be as well because we do have to engage. We have an active enemy that's going to fillet you if you're not actively fighting back.
Now, you have to fight with God along your side, right? And having him lead, but you have to do your part in it. You know, if you don't fight for your health, for example, who's going to? Yeah. Right.
Men that name the name of Jesus, I think, struggle a lot more with. uh, being out of the fight, being passive and not being engaged in fight because we think that's what we're supposed to do. And that's what we you know, you're just supposed to be a quiet, peaceable man.
Well, yeah, you are just like Jesus was until he needed to rise up and speak the truth at times.
So And right now I'm in one of the toughest spiritual battles of my life. And it is for my bride of 52 years coming up in a couple weeks. And that is.
Sometimes the most important battle, but we're going to get to rescuing the beauty at another time.
Well, um you can um You can find us at masculinejourney.org. You can hear about our boot camp and you can register there. We've recommended you register. And you can. See all the podcasts on any podcast platform, and then you can.
It's November 20th through 23rd in Royston, Georgia at Camp Little Light. I'm struggling. That's okay. Hey, Mitch, where can they get your information real quick? We got about four seconds.
MissionUprising.com. Thank you. And we'll send out an email this week. All right, and we will talk to you next week. Yeah.
This is the Truth Network. Yeah.
