Journeymen of Faith

Throughout most of my life, my dad was a journeyman toolmaker. I didn't understand what this meant fully until he died. As a journeyman, he was responsible to take apprentice tool and die makers under his wing and help them learn the craft of tool making. At my dad's funeral, among those who came were a handful of his former apprentice toolmakers. Tool and die makers are often a tough lot. Toolmakers are not highly polished, and tend to be a bit rough around the edges. What struck me however was the comment one of them wrote on a memory card provided for those who attended the visitation. On his card he simply wrote these words: "Fred didn't just teach me to be a good toolmaker, he taught me to be a good man." The truth of the matter is that for any man to become the man God envisions him to be, it will take more than a stack of books on men's issues and a Bible. Shaping a man takes another man. Proverbs 27:17 states, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Whose life are you shaping today? How will a man's future and the future of his family be eternally changed because of your influence in his life?

The Back Row Dad: How One Man Learned to Become a Godly Dad

When I first heard about Doug, I was shocked at the story of his life. It's not that I hadn't heard much of it before. Doug was a young dad who had grown up in a busted up home with absolutely no idea of what it looks like to be a godly dad. What amazed me about Doug's story though was how he learned to become a great dad. "Given where you have come from Doug, how could you have possibly learned to do the things you do today with your children?" Doug's answer was a powerful reminder of the impact godly men have on not only their own families, but on the families of those around them as well. "I came and sat in the back of the church and began to watch men with their kids. I watched what they did, and listened to what they said. I sought out dads who looked like they knew what they were doing, and I simply did what they did." If you saw Doug today, you would have no idea that he has come down the path of life that he has walked. No excuses, no whining about what he did or didn't have, Doug simply made a commitment one day to begin learning how to be a godly father. Where did he turn to learn how to be a dad like he never had? Doug turned to the men in his local church. Men, never underestimate the power of your life's witness. Your life is not only impacting generations of your family, your life is impacting the generations of other families as well. This Father's Day, take time to thank a dad who has been a model dad for you in some area. Let him know what you have learned from his life. Bless him for sharing something of himself with you whether or not he ever even knew it.

Knowing God in the Company of Men

What Do Men Teach Us about God?

As men, we often learn a great deal about life in the company of other men. Some of it is good, some of it is not so good. In the company of men, we have learned to make the perfect cast, throw a curve ball, drive a nail, paint a wall, enjoy a classic story, or appreciate a piece of music. In the company of men, we have also learned how to treat women, how to use power, and how to get what we want.

But, what have we learned about God in the company of men? A great deal has been written in recent years to bring a more holistic view of God in light of the contribution of women. I don’t ask this question to suggest either of the sexes is more or less capable of teaching us about God. The truth is that God’s image is expressed most fully in the relationship of a man and a wife (Genesis 1:26-27). As men and women relate to one another, especially in marriage, the world sees a living reflection of the character of God. Each one makes a unique contribution to God’s self-revelation through the human race.

So, what has been the unique contribution of men to your understanding of God? What positive contributions have other men made to you knowing God? How have the actions and attitudes of men hindered you from having a view of God that is consistent with the Bible’s revelation of God?

Reaching the Next Generation of Men

1 O my people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
3 what we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
(Psalm 78:1-4 NIV)

My father was incredible story teller. Throughout my childhood, he made it a point to tell me stories before I would go to bed. He created memorable characters like the adventurous Oolie the Indian, and the mischievous team of Becky and Henry. I can recall many nights with him as we watched the fire burn down in our fireplace and he would take me on Canadian moose hunts. We did all of this and never left the living room.

As great as those stories were however, it was the stories he and my mom would tell me of God's faithfulness to them during the Great Depression and the Second World War that have stuck with me into my adulthood. The memory of these stories caused me to wonder, "What stories have I passed on to my own children of God's faithfulness? How have I placed a hunger in their hearts for a relationship with their Heavenly Father by recounting the Lord's presence in the life of their earthly father?"

On a broader scale, this passage has led me to wonder how the current generation of men's leaders is preparing the young men coming behind us to be the leaders God is calling them to be. The power and influence of the men's movement of the 1990's cannot be understated. Ministries like Promise Keepers and men like Ed Cole launched the current generation of men's leaders into an era of unprecedented fruitfulness in men's ministry. But how will we pass along a passion for God to the next generation of young men?

I encourage you to respond with your thoughts, insights, and experiences as to how you and your men's ministry is reaching back and helping ignite a fire of spiritual passion in the lives of the next generation.

Maiden Voyage

Welcome to Spirit Formed Men. This site is dedicated to providing a place where men can share their stories, insights, resources, and lessons from their journey of life and faith. From the beginning of time, God has been in the process of forming the lives of men. Genesis 2:7 tells us that our Creator crafted us from the most common element on earth: dirt. From these humble beginnings the Lord formed a being capable of reflecting the nature and character of God to the world.

The pages of Scripture are filled with examples of God’s ongoing work in the lives of men. Each man was unique, and each one faced formational challenges similar in many ways to our own. Jeremiah the prophet witnessed firsthand the work of a potter shaping, crushing, and reshaping a pot that reflected his desires (Jeremiah 18:1-6). Similarly, God shapes, crushes, and reshapes the life of a man to reflect the Father’s expressed purposes for his life.

How many times have we as fathers agonized over our children as we have watched their lives being formed through the consequences of their choices in life? Similarly, the apostle Paul agonized as he witnessed the forming of Christ’s character in the lives of those in whom he had invested his life, (Galatians 4:19).

Where do you see God shaping and forming your life and the lives of men? What are you learning about your heavenly Father from this process? What experiences, relationships, and truths have most shaped your life to this point?