²³ Come and listen to my counsel.
I’ll share my heart with you
    and make you wise.

A lot has been written on submission, but for us today, teaching our sons about manhood is essential. Men teaching sons. I think that is why the gap is widening and confusion is happening with men teaching about manhood.

In ancient Sparta, young boys were trained from childhood what it meant to become a soldier. Stephen Pressfield describes their training in his book, The Warrior Ethos.

When they were boys, they were forced to bathe in frigid water, run barefoot till their soles grew as thick as leather, ride all day without food or water, and endure whippings and ritual humiliations. On a rare occasion when they got rest, their trainers would remind them, “While you lie here at ease, the sons of the Persians are training to defeat you in battle.”

Many of you reading these words are thinking that is pretty extreme. It was not in ancient days. Spartan boys were raised to be Sparta men. These men were ready for battle,  were ready to slay evil armies,  were ready to fight wild beasts, and were ready to rescue people in need.

Some of what I have written today comes our of Chuck Holton’s latest book, Making Men. I am challenged not only by his writing but by his thoughts on submission. Being a man of God required submission to Jesus Christ.

When a man knows who he is in Christ, he does not battle the compromise of lust, sexuality, or confusion to world tries to infuse in us each day as men. We are warriors in God’s army. He challenges us in Ephesians 6 to put on the armor every day.

We will get to learn about submission and more this September 14th from 6:30-8:00 at the Pella Christian High School. The speaker is Chuck Holton who was an army ranger, and he is a man of God. This will be a good night for men, sons, and warriors. This kick-off leads us into our series: Conquer – The Battle Plan for Purity. Are you ready?

Strength and Courage

Michael