Wear the Armor of God, Pray, and Fast [See Ephesians 6, Daniel 9]

If we are right, and the Lord is bringing this event together to challenge and strengthen men, then we know someone who DOES NOT want to see this event occur - or at a minimum wants to stop as many from coming as possible. Satan and his minions.  Please be careful to pray and fast for you and your family, and ensure that you are wearing the armor.  And don't be surprised if you find yourself in the middle of strange happenings.  Consider it all joy, my brethren...

Additionally, in prayer and fasting, ask God to prepare you for the boot camp.  Ask Him to make you humble, to give you courage, to open your eyes to blind spots, to give you insight and wisdom, to heal wounds, and to bear the fruit of the Spirit in you.

Read the Word

As we get closer to the event, passages of Scripture will be added to this list.  These are passages that pertain to the topic of biblical manhood - and are likely to be taught on and/or discussed at the event.  Consider inserting these passages into your regular bible reading/quiet times.  Reflect on them and ask God to give you His perspective on them.

• Genesis 1-3
• What do these passages say about how God designed men and women?
• What are men to be doing?
• How did man fail in his duties?
• How did the consequences of sin affect man?
• Deuteronomy 6
• What are fathers expected to be doing?
• What do you think that responsibility looks like? 
• Practically, how should it be accomplished?
• Men, how can we do this when we are at work all day and our children are at home or school all day?
• Psalm 78
• What do we learn about God's perspective on what a man's vision should entail/include? 
• What do your children need to know?
• How will they learn it?
• Psalm 127
• How do you think the Lord builds?
• Why would a man want children? Aren't they a financial drain and a bother?
• What should our perspective be toward children?
• Does this passage give us any insight into the number of children one should have? If so, what?
• Psalm 128
• What is the fundamental anchor to all of the blessings mentioned in this Psalm?
• Why do you think this is the key?
• Who is blessed in this Psalm?
• Why are the blessings blessings?  In our culture, would we see numerous children as blessings?
• Nehemiah 1 - 2
• Walk through the progression of Nehemiah's thoughts and actions - what can you discern about how a man should deal with difficult circumstances/needs placed before him?
• Ephesians 5-6
• These chapters provide a ton of food for thought and action - what types of things should a husband and father be doing?
• What kind of attitude(s) is described in these passages?
• Who wants to stand in our way to be/do what God has designed and ordained?
• How do we stand against this enemy?
• Titus 2
• What insight do we gain about how men are to act?
• What can we glean about the differences in men's and women's roles/responsibilites?

Take Inventory

Take some time before the event to evaluate where you are as a man, a husband, a father.  Based on what you know and understand today...

• MAN AND HIS GOD
• How much time do you spend in God's word?
• Do you truly fear the Lord?  How do you know?
• What known sins are hindering you from walking more closely with Christ?
• what/who are you afraid of? what keeps you from pursuing things that God has clearly shown you?
• MAN AND HIS WORK
• Does your work and home life overlap?  If so, how?
• Why do you do the work you do?  Why aren't you doing some other kind of work? 
• What kind of debt are you carrying?
• Do you have the freedom to move, if God called you to something new and different?
• What vision do you have for your future?  What has God placed on your heart to be about?
• MAN AND HIS HELPMATE
• Do you spend sufficient time with your wife in prayer and the Bible to develop a shared spiritual life with her?
• Does your wife know that she is both your domestic helper and dominion helper?
• Would your wife say that she feels loved by you?  Why or why not?
• Would your wife say that she is being lead by you?  Why or why not?
• Are your wife and you clear on your roles and responsibilities?  Would your wife say that you are the head of the home?
• How much do you struggle with temptation and lust?  What do you do to protect yourself from sin?
• What vision do you have for your wife?
• How are you helping your wife to grow in her Christian walk of faith?
• MAN AND HIS CHILDREN
• Do you know your children?
• Do you have your childrens' hearts?
• How often do you exasperate your children?
• Is anger in your arsenal of children correction tools?
• Who is responsible for the spiritual training of your children in your home?
• Who is responsible for the academic education of your children in your home?
• Do you see your children as blessings......really?  Would you have more, if the Lord gave them to you?
• What vision do you have for your children?
• MAN AND HIS WORLD
• Who are you connected to?  Who are you accountable to?  Who is your spiritual authority (shepherd/elder/pastor)?
• Who can you open up to and be honest and real with?
• Who can you influence for Christ through your work, wife, children, and church?
• How can your family be a bright city on a hill to a dark world in need of Light?
• OTHER GENERAL QUESTIONS TO STIMULATE THOUGHT
• What are your primary weaknesses?  What do you need to learn ASAP?
• What do you NOT understand about being a man?
• Who strikes you as a real man? and why?
• What does a godly man look like to you?  What is he like?
• If you could live anywhere and do anything, where would you live and what would you do?

Ask your wife and children to give you their candid opinion about you as husband and father.  They will have keen insight into you.  If you cannot get them to give you a forthright answer, their lack of answers should speak volumes to you.  They either don't trust you, are frightened of you, and/or don't feel close to you.

Read Worthwhile Works

Below are a list of works that we believe are useful as you pursue walking in biblical manhood.  Please try to one or more of them before you come to the boot camp.  Note that some of these books may have ideas that conflict with other books on the list - or simply contain controversial views.  As men, we do not need to fear differing views as we seek God's wisdom and Truth.

• Family Man, Family Leader by Phil Lancaster [ISBN 1-929241-83-6]
• Safely Home by Tom Eldredge [ISBN 1-929241-48-8]
• Preparing Sons by Steve Maxwell [click here to get it from the author's site]
• So Much More [available at Vision Forum]
• Wild at Heart by John Eldridge [ISBN 0-785268-83-9]
• Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by John Piper and Wayne Grudem [click here for the PDF version]
• Raising a Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis [ISBN 1-561795-34-8]
• Federal Husband by Douglas Wilson [ISBN 188576751X]
• A Call to Evaluate by Mark Holden [article - click here to read]
• other books and articles to be added