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By now, more than anything, I pray that you are convinced of God’s unimaginable greatness. I hope that God has become so much bigger to you and that you see him as being completely sufficient. If that’s true for you, then most likely you have been empowered, and that’s what our families need—men empowered by the light of the gospel...

RESOURCES:

• EmpoweredManhood.com
• Empowered Manhood Digital Course
• Email Mike: mike.hatch@empoweredmanhood.com
• Throwing Mountains Podcast

Subscriber-only episode

Chapter Summary:

• The four stages of manhood—known by God, grown by God, owned by God, and empowered by God—are not meant to be formulaic or prescriptive. Rather, they provide a framework for helping men understand God’s work in their lives. 
• John is a great example of a man deciding to step into the light as a result of Holy Spirit’s work in his life. Through church and relationships with other believers, the gospel lit his way out of the dark and guided him into the light of the truth, where he discovered a new confidence in God. 
• Eric had been walking around the chair of faith, encouraging everyone else to sit but never finding rest himself. It wasn’t until his sin was dragged into the light that he was forced to trust God and found true rest, joy, and purpose. 
• After years of living out of fear and insecurity, I found confidence in Christ—but only after everything I was hiding had been exposed. Being laid bare, yet experienc- ing God’s unconditional love, set me free to humbly walk in the light as He is in the light, in order to be a light for the glory of God. 

RESOURCES:

• EmpoweredManhood.com
• Empowered Manhood Digital Course
• Email Mike: mike.hatch@empoweredmanhood.com
• Throwing Mountains Podcast

Subscriber-only episode

Chapter Summary:

• Everything we’ve ever hidden will be revealed by the light of God’s truth. However, God led by example in providing access to himself through the Holy Spirit—the most vulner- able expression of his presence in human history. 
• The Holy Spirit, the fullest expression of God’s presence, is his seal of ownership—a lot like a logo. Just as an automobile logo serves to bring glory to its manufacturer, the Holy Spirit serves to bring glory to God. 
• God accomplishes his kingdom purposes through us by vir- tue of the Holy Spirit inside of us. The Spirit empowers us to transcend our own agenda and accomplish God’s will. 
• Franz Jägerstätter, an Austrian conscientious objector dur- ing World War II, submitted his will to God’s to the point of death. He was owned by God and completely obedient to the demands of Christ. 

RESOURCES:

• EmpoweredManhood.com
• Empowered Manhood Digital Course
• Email Mike: mike.hatch@empoweredmanhood.com
• Throwing Mountains Podcast

Subscriber-only episode

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION & FURTHER STUDY

1. Like God’s work in helping Chris overcome his stuttering prob- lem, what miraculous work do you hope to see God do in your own life?
2. How would you know if you’re feeling entitled to God’s grace? What attitudes or actions might tip you off?
3. Read Isaiah 53. Create two columns on a sheet of paper, or in a notebook. At the top of the left-hand column write “Jesus,” and at the top of the right-hand column write your name. Now, record in each of the columns the things you and Jesus received from the “great exchange.” What is most surprising to you about this exchange? How do you think you should respond?
4. Throughout the majority of history, male strength has been used to exploit and abuse the vulnerable. In what ways can you embody the opposite? Be specific.
5. What difference does it make knowing that the Holy Spirit is at work in you and is evidence of God’s faithfulness to you?

RESOURCES:

• EmpoweredManhood.com
• Empowered Manhood Digital Course
• Email Mike: mike.hatch@empoweredmanhood.com
• Throwing Mountains Podcast

Subscriber-only episode

Chapter Summary:

• Miracles happen when we expose ourselves to the light of the gospel. The Holy Spirit works to change us through God’s Word which leads to confidence, knowing that our standing before God isn’t dependent on anything we’ve done or will do. 
• Grace is like oxygen. We’re all desperately dependent on it, but the man who exercises greater dependency on God’s grace expands his capacity for that grace and grows stronger in his faith. 
• The empowered man becomes ever more dependent on God’s grace to strengthen his faith and improve his perfor- mance. However, this man is humbled by God’s gracious pro- vision for sin and uses his strength of faith self-sacrificially. 
• We are completely helpless to change ourselves for the better. In fact, we’re “dead” in our sin. However, there is incredible.
• God’s faithfulness to us is what sustains us, not our commitment or devotion to him. This produces a confidence in God’s character, not in ourselves.

RESOURCES:

• EmpoweredManhood.com
• Empowered Manhood Digital Course
• Email Mike: mike.hatch@empoweredmanhood.com
• Throwing Mountains Podcast

Subscriber-only episode

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION & FURTHER STUDY:

1. What characteristics of God’s goodness do you think you’ve missed as a result of being in the dark instead of walking in the light?
2. If you felt the same security in your relationship with God as I felt in my relationship with my grandpa, how would that change you?
3. Reflect on the scriptures below about your identity in Christ. Discuss, or write down, the attributes of your identity that mean the most to you.
   • 1 Peter 2:9–10
   • Galatians 3:26–29
   • 1 John 3:1–10

             4. Write down and/or share the things from your sinful nature that you’d like to
                  exchange for Christ’s righteousness.
              5. In your own words, describe what it means to be a “new creation”
                    (2 Corinthians 5:17).

RESOURCES:

• EmpoweredManhood.com
• Empowered Manhood Digital Course
• Email Mike: mike.hatch@empoweredmanhood.com
• Throwing Mountains Podcast

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:

The Search for Significance, by Robert McGee

This book was a game-changer for me when I first started my battle with pornography after my wife walked in on me. It helped tremendously to understand who I was as a beloved child of God.

Subscriber-only episode

Chapter Summary:

• When we trust God for our salvation, we become his beloved sons and privileged children. God knows us differently than the rest of his creation, and we become uniquely dependent on him. 
• As true children who’ve exchanged our sin for Christ’s righ- teousness, we become a new creation. The more convinced we are of our identity in Christ, the more confident we become through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us. 
• Our confidence should be rooted in the fact that God chose us, not that we are righteous enough to earn God’s favor. The whole of the Bible exemplifies this truth through the moral failure of every single person—except Jesus. 

RESOURCES:

• EmpoweredManhood.com
• Empowered Manhood Digital Course
• Email Mike: mike.hatch@empoweredmanhood.com
• Throwing Mountains Podcast

Subscriber-only episode

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION & FURTHER STUDY:

1. Have you acknowledged your need for God? In other words, do you believe you are “poor in spirit” like Jesus says in Matthew 5:3? Why or why not?
2. In what ways have you been self-reliant? It may be helpful to think about the chair or pavilion illustrations.
   • In what ways have you been circling the chair, yet not entrust- ing your weight to it?
   • Are you all wet, standing outside the shelter? What does that look like, for you?
3. How would you describe your battle between light and dark? Have you seen victory and experienced freedom, or has it been an ongoing struggle?

4. How does it feel to know that your moral improvement and character development are God’s responsibility?

5. Write your own definition of empowered manhood.

RESOURCES:

• EmpoweredManhood.com
• Empowered Manhood Digital Course
• Email Mike: mike.hatch@empoweredmanhood.com
• Throwing Mountains Podcast