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SDMI Mens Group - The Man Cave, 1S325 Ardmore Avenue, Villa Park, IL (2026)

05/03/2023

How many times do we find ourselves like the guy in this meme? We say that we are “giving it to God” but we let the weight of our responsibilities and the pressures of our circumstances get to the best of us!

1 Peter 5:7 TPT says this. “If you bow low in God's awesome presence, He will eventually exalt you, as you leave the timing in His hands. Pour out all your worries and stress upon Him and leave them there, for He always tenderly cares for you.”

SO my brothers…stand tall with bold confidence! With our promissory note in hand and with the guarantee of our Lord and Savior! He’s got this!

05/01/2023

Moral Courage

1 Corinthians 16:13 NIV - Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

I love how God repeatedly told Joshua to be strong and courageous when he was about to lead the Hebrew nation in their conquest of Canaan (Joshua 1:6-7, 9). But the truth is, he tells all of us to be strong and have the courage to do what is right.

Let’s quickly review. The six virtues of manhood we’ve looked at in these devotions so far have been tough love (sacrificing yourself for others), childlike wonder (never losing your desire to learn about God’s world), will power (that sanctified stubborn streak), raw passion (an infectious enthusiasm), true grit (the combination of passion and perseverance), and clear vision (knowing what you’re fighting for).

None of these are good enough without the final virtue: moral courage. “Courage is not simply one of the virtues,” writes C. S. Lewis, “but the form of every virtue at the testing point.”

Where does moral courage come from? From a conscience that is taken captive by the Word of God.

The conscience is our spiritual operating system—hardwired into the human heart—and it requires constant updating and upgrading. The way you do this is by downloading Scripture on a daily basis. When you study Scripture, you’re uploading God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will. Then you let your conscience be your guide—a conscience informed by the Holy Scriptures and fine-tuned to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit.

If you violate your conscience consistently, it’s like a gauge that no longer gauges. But if you get into God’s Word and God’s presence on a consistent basis, your conscience learns to listen for and respond to the voice of the Holy Spirit. You may need to humble yourself, confess sin, stand up to wrong, come out publicly for Jesus—it depends. But if you do it, eventually you become a man after God’s own heart.

A man of conscience is a change agent—a force to be reckoned with. As Andrew Jackson observed, “One man with courage makes a majority.” He’s not blown here and there by trending winds. He’s anchored to the Word of God, and that anchor holds him through ups and downs, through thick and thin.

Listen to your conscience and follow its lead.

Where do you need to act out of moral bravery today?

04/30/2023

Clear Vision

Matthew 11:12 ESV - From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.

I don’t know what version of the Bible you’re using to read today’s Scripture verse, but mine says that “violent men” take the kingdom of heaven “by force.” What a bold description! The first-century church had issues, just like the church does today, but they were full steam ahead. They had a clear picture of what they wanted—God’s reign—and they went after it.

The sixth virtue of manhood is a clear vision.

Men need something to fight for, something to fight against. It’s how we survive the storms that are bound to batter us now and then. Without a vision, a man will waste his life. But with a clear vision, he’s a force to be reckoned with.

Do you have a mission statement for your life?

What about a vision statement for your marriage?

How about core values for your family?

Or what about life goals or a life plan?

You can’t play the man without a vision any more than you can play piano without a piano or play football without a football.

I love the classic scene from The Blues Brothers when Elwood Blues announces: “We’re on a mission from God.” It’s a mission from God that keeps us on the straight and narrow. When we are busy with the Father’s business, we can’t be sidetracked. A mission from God not only motivates us to do the right thing, but it also demotivates us from doing the wrong thing.

If you aren’t on a mission from God, you aren’t really living—you’re dying. You aren’t just wasting your God-given potential, you’re wasting space. You’re dead weight.

You need a vision for a mission. Ask God to give it to you. Pray, fast, study—whatever it takes, don’t stop until you have your vision. Then write it down and never forget it or stop pursuing it with all the “violence” of your God-given determination.

What is your purpose for the remaining years God will give you on this earth?

04/28/2023

True Grit

James 1:12 NLT - God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

James talked about a single-minded stick-to-itiveness come hell or high water. In a word: grit.

That’s the fifth virtue of manhood. Grit is the place where passion and perseverance meet. It’s resilience in the face of rejection, fortitude in the face of fear. It’s a no guts, no glory approach to life, even in the face of impossible odds.

I certainly believe in the power of prayer. We must pray like it depends on God. But I also believe that a good old-fashioned work ethic honors God. So you have to work like it depends on you.

Even if you’re hanging on by a thread, you hang in there. No matter how many times you’ve been knocked down, you get back up! You keep on keeping on no matter what, no matter when, no matter how.

Today I want you to consider the idea that men should actually seek out situations where they’re going to have to activate their grit if they are going to accomplish anything.

Truth is, I’m more and more convinced that men need an element of danger. It’s one way we come alive. It’s one way we discover who we really are. Without danger, our sense of manliness atrophies. We become like caged animals. If there isn’t a healthy and holy outlet for our testosterone, we often find unhealthy and unholy outlets.

“What does not kill me,” said Friedrich Nietzsche, “strengthens me.”

The way you gain strength is by breaking down your muscle fibers. Then, with the help of protein, those muscle fibers grow back even stronger. What’s true physically is true emotionally and spiritually. When you go through a season of stress, think of it as an emotional workout. It might feel like a breakdown, but God is building up your emotional fortitude! Maybe it’s time to set a stretch goal.

We must choose to do things that push us past our previous limits.

It takes tremendous grit to go after your dreams. It takes tremendous grit to fight for your marriage. It takes tremendous grit to be a true friend, a true father. But that is precisely the point.

It takes a man.

It makes a man.

Name today’s stretch goal. And go for it!

04/27/2023

Raw Passion

Colossians 3:23 NLT - Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

A literal translation of today’s verse could read: “Do it like your life depends on it.”

Playing the man means playing hard. It’s leaving it all out on the court. In other words, give it everything you’ve got. Don’t just make a living. Make a life. Don’t just earn a paycheck. Go after the passions God has put in your heart. Halfway is no way to live; you’ve got to go all in.

So here’s the fourth virtue of manhood—raw passion. It’s a lust for life that doesn’t settle for status or status quo. It’s an insatiable energy that motivates you to live each day like it’s the first day and the last day of your life. It’s an infectious enthusiasm that can come only from being filled with the Holy Spirit to overflowing.

The word enthusiasm comes from the Greek roots en and Theos, meaning “in God.” So the more you get into God, and the more of God’s Spirit that gets into you, the more impassioned you become.

When was the last time you got outside your comfort zone physically, spiritually, or relationally? You tell me the last time you were uncomfortable, and I’ll tell you the last time you grew! Growth only happens when we put ourselves into uncomfortable situations.

How about this example? Jesus may have been meek and mild, but He also had a wild side. He touched lepers, celebrated Samaritans, stopped storms, exorcised demons, ate with sinners, healed on the Sabbath, and turned funeral processions into parades. Then He died the way He lived—with pure passion. It’s no coincidence that the final week of His life is synonymous with passion—Passion Week.

When you follow in the footsteps of Jesus, His passion will refine you and define you. God doesn’t just crucify our passions; He resurrects them and uses them for His purposes!

What can you do today that will make you feel uncomfortable—and fully alive?

04/26/2023

Will Power

1 Corinthians 10:23 NIV - “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.

In today’s Scripture verse the distinction between permissible and beneficial is the difference between good and great. Don’t settle for what’s permissible. That’s the path of least resistance. Go after greatness by going the extra mile!

The first and second virtues of manhood we looked at in these devotions were tough love and childlike wonder. The third is will power.

Will power means not my will, but “your will be done” (Luke 22:42). It’s a will that has been fully surrendered to the lordship of Jesus Christ. It’s a sanctified stubborn streak that refuses to compromise its convictions.

At a pastors gathering not long ago, Jack Hayford shared his secret sauce. It’s so simple yet so profound: Make decisions against yourself.

We want success without sacrifice, but life doesn’t work that way. Success will not be shortchanged. You have to pay the price, and it never goes on sale. The best decision you can make for yourself is making decisions against yourself. You have to discipline yourself to do the right things day in and day out, week in and week out, year in and year out. And if you do, the payoff is far greater than the price you paid.

Now let’s bring this idea down to earth for you. If you want to get out of debt, you’ve got to make decisions against yourself financially. It’s called sticking to a budget. If you want to get into shape, you’ve got to make decisions against yourself physically. Join the gym. If you want to grow spiritually, you’ve got to make decisions against yourself. Try fasting.

Of course, you could just let things go, keeping busy with whatever pursuits you’re comfortable with. And those things may not necessarily be wrong in themselves. They might be quite good. But if you want God’s best, you have to say no, not just to things that are wrong, but even to second best—whatever’s merely good instead of truly great.

What decision against yourself do you need to make today?

04/25/2023

John 4:24 NLT - For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth

“Childlike Wonder”

We think of spiritual and intellectual pursuits as mutually exclusive endeavors, but they are one and the same. Great love is born of great knowledge. In fact, your knowledge is your worship ceiling!

Knowledge does not automatically translate into worship. But in some respects, quality of worship is determined by quantity of knowledge. The more you know, the more you have to worship. So that’s why the second virtue of manhood is a childlike wonder about the world.

I’m not advocating an intellectual feeding frenzy. After all, we already suffer from information overload. There is more information in one Sunday edition of the New York Times than the average person living in the Middle Ages would have consumed in an entire lifetime. I’m not convinced we need to know more, as much as we need to do more with what we know. That said, keep learning!

“Live as if you’ll die tomorrow,” said Mahatma Gandhi. “Learn as if you’ll live forever.” That’s a good rule of thumb.

According to the Pew Research Institute, half of adults read fewer than five books per year. And men read thirteen percent fewer books than women. I don’t know if you’re above average or below average, but five books a year doesn’t cut it. Especially since most men, myself included, average twenty hours of ESPN per week.

The most important law of ecology is this: L ≥ C. For an organism to survive, the rate of learning must be equal to or greater than the rate of change happening around them. With the rate of change escalating, we must learn faster, learn better, and learn more.

The word disciple comes from the Greek word mathétés. The root word means “the mental effort needed to think something through.” So by definition, a disciple is someone who never stops learning.

Faith is not mindless.

Faith is mindful.

Let’s be men who are driven by a childlike wonder to know as much as we can about as much as we can. Why? So we can worship God as much as we can.

What are you going to read today?

04/24/2023

Luke 9:23 NLT - Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

“Tough Love”

Take up your cross.

We say it so effortlessly, so flippantly. But that’s because we read it figuratively. It’s estimated that a Roman cross weighed three hundred pounds, and even if Jesus carried only the crossbar, it was still placed on raw flesh that had just been flogged! And He carried it no less than 650 yards down the Via Dolorosa.

Seven virtues of manhood! The first virtue is tough love. Here’s what I mean by that: Being a tough guy doesn’t mean sticking up for yourself when you get offended. A true tough guy sacrifices himself for the sake of others.

Jesus didn’t just carry a three-hundred-pound cross; He carried the weight of the world. Every offense ever committed was placed on His shoulders, and He carried it all the way to Calvary.

Tough love like this is far more difficult to attain than physical toughness, and far more important. It sets the men apart from the boys! A tough guy isn’t someone who can blacken an eye or bloody a nose; it’s someone who is willing to be nailed to a cross for someone he loves.

So let’s get it straight in our minds. Tough love is sacrificial love—a love that is willing to be nailed to a cross for someone else’s sin. Tough love is unconditional love—a love that is not dictated by someone else’s performance. Tough love is covenantal love—for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health.

If you’re married, it’s easy loving your wife when everything is going great, right? When it’s not going great, it’s not so easy. Why? Because our love tends to be reactive. Tough love is proactive. It’s not a need-seeking love; it’s a need-meeting love. It doesn’t seek validation, because it doesn’t need any! It adds value to the beloved.

That’s what it means to carry your cross. That’s what you’re called to.

So toughen up.

Play the man!

How can you show sacrificial love to another today, regardless of how tough it is for you?

05/22/2022

Sundays remind us to rest in Jesus. Breathe today. Worship today. Slow down and see God's grace today!

03/17/2022

His People Will Rise

Micah 7: 8-10

No one likes a sore loser, but even worse is a sore winner, who not only celebrates victory but also mocks the loser. In these few verses, Micah speaks in the voice of Zion (that is, Jerusalem) warning her enemies not to gloat because of the punishment God had delivered. While they refused to follow Micah’s calls to repentance, God’s people now recognized that His punishment was just. And, like Micah, they put their trust in the Lord and were waiting expectantly for His deliverance. They knew that God’s anger would not last forever (see Ex. 34:6–7).

God’s people were so convinced that God would restore them that they could state confidently, “I will rise” (Mic. 7:8). The NIV and other English translations treat this as a future-tense verb. However, in Hebrew, this is actually a past-tense verb, what scholars call a “prophetic perfect.” In Hebrew, it would read more like “I have risen.” Zion’s rising was still in the future when Micah wrote this book. But, from the speaker’s point of view, it was like it had already happened. God’s people were not just engaging in wishful thinking or putting a positive spin on a bad situation. Based on God’s faithfulness in their past, they were utterly convinced that the then-future restoration would happen.

Based on the faithfulness of their God in the past, they knew He would not be angry forever. How much more should we, on this side of the Cross, express our trust and hope in the God who died to save us? We know the character of the God we serve, and so we know that His discipline is meant to restore us to a right relationship with Him. We know, “Though I have fallen, I will rise.”

>> It is significant that “I will rise” is actually written in the past tense. That means it is a sure thing. Make this your focus phrase today, and believe that God will be faithful, just as He promised!

PRAY WITH US
“Though I have fallen, I will rise” (Mic. 7:8). Because we sinned against You, we bore Your wrath, until You pled our case and upheld our cause. You have brought us out into the light; we see Your righteousness.

03/16/2022

Hope & Faith

Micah 7:7

Have you ever been so discouraged in doing good that you felt like giving up? Micah knew that no matter how difficult his circumstances, God was with him. While for years the prophet failed to bring about any real change in God’s people, Micah refused to be discouraged: “I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” Even though Micah’s words seem to have fallen on deaf ears (7:7), he knew that what really mattered was not the people’s response but God’s faithfulness.

Even though Micah was filled by “misery” (7:1) and surrounded by people who had rejected his call to return to the Lord, he resolutely put his hope in God. He did not look at circumstances, but kept his focus on the Lord’s faithfulness. Micah was demonstrating the type of faith the author of

Hebrews writes about in chapter 11: “[C]onfidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (v. 1). Hebrews chapter 11 is often called the “Hall of Faith” because it lists people who trusted God despite their circumstances. We read of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, and others. “They did not receive the things promised” but kept their eyes focused on God and His promises (vv. 13–15). Why? “They were longing for a better country—a heavenly one” (v. 16). Notice the ending in verse 16: “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God.” What high praise is given here to these men and women who showed faith in God even when faced with challenges! May we, like Micah and the author of Hebrews, become ever more convinced, despite what we see around us, that “my God will hear me” (Mic. 7:7).

>> Write down the definition of faith found in Hebrews. What things tend to shake your faith in God? Reread this Scripture often as you strive to become a person of faith. Read also: Hebrews 11:1–16

PRAY WITH US
“They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance” (Heb. 11:13). Thank You that we live in the realization of Your promise to the ancients. Give us faith like theirs.

03/15/2022

Times of Discouragement

Micah 7: 1-6

We now come to the final chapter in Micah, which will end on a note of hope for the future and trust in the Lord. Despite that promised ending, in these first few verses of chapter 7 Micah is sad and dejected. Maybe you’ve found yourself in a similar position, wondering why you’ve spent so much time and energy when no one receives your message. You feel alone and frustrated. If you’ve ever been there, then you can count yourself among the ranks of Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Micah, and countless other saints who have gone before you.

In verse 1 Micah uses an agricultural metaphor to describe the sadness he is experiencing: “I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave” (7:1). “Gleaning” refers to ancient Israelite practice of leaving behind parts of a crop after the harvest. The harvesters were to go through the fields (or vineyard, in this case) to gather fruit, then leave the rest for travelers and the poor to eat. Micah is like a traveler through the land, looking for even a small bite to eat, only to realize that everything is gone.

In verse 2 Micah makes clear what exactly his metaphor means: “The faithful have been swept from the land; not one upright person remains.” And in the following verses he describes the people of Israel in language that reminds us of the people Proverbs warns us to avoid (see Prov. 4:10–19). Indeed, despite all the work Micah has put in calling his fellow Israelites back to the Lord, it seems that no one has heeded his message. We will see Micah’s hope in the Lord despite the reality around him, but today let’s sit with him in his sorrow at the “failure” of his ministry.

>> Have you ever experienced the sort of pain and loneliness that Micah describes here? How did the Lord meet you in that moment? Read Also: Proverbs 4:10-19

PRAY WITH US
For some of us, our enemies dwell in our own household. You understand, for You were also betrayed by someone close to You. Comfort us in our grief, and in the fullness of time, bring us joy.

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