A new book to build your faith

A few weeks ago, I camped in a hurricane.

Some of you were there, too. It was unforgettable.

3,000 guys from 45 states and 7 countries opted in for MAN CAMP well before Hurricane Helene was on the radar. But as those guys started to pack and make their way to southwest Ohio—some driving from as far away as California— the wind and rain closed in.

The storm hit with a fury, just as the first campers started to arrive. Winds up to 60 mph were blowing everything around. Rain was falling in sheets, turning once green fields into oceans of mud and muck. It would be impossible to have a fire. You could expect to be soaked to the bone for the next two days.

And still, men chose to get out of their vehicles and face the elements together. They did it because they wanted God more than they wanted comfort; they wanted camaraderie more than ease; they wanted adventure more than safety. It was at that moment the weekend was won.

The wind was throwing the rain around like bullets as men toted in tents, sleeping bags, and cookstoves. The line of campers stretched as far as the eye could see. Man after man after man put their head down and pressed on. It moved me to tears.

This was the most impactful MAN CAMP in recent memory. I think it is because men were pressed, and they endured. They showed what they were made of. They weren’t the only thing taking a beating that weekend.

There is a huge tent at MAN CAMP—the biggest one we are able to fit onto the land. It is held up by 72 metal posts, ranging in height from 8 feet to 28 feet. During the worst of the storm, we saw some of the posts shaking under the wind and rain, but the tent held. Thanks in no small part to the 300 four-foot spikes holding it in place.

Walk around the perimeter of that tent and you’ll see those spikes sticking four inches out of the ground. But the reason they are able to hold that massive tent in place isn’t what you see on the surface, but the 90% of the spike that’s buried. The real power resides in what you can’t see.

It’s the same for us. Character is unseen, but it is what will hold your life steady when everything else around seems to be shaking. Character holds through storms, through disappointment, through crisis, through election seasons, through job changes, through relational turbulence, and through loss.

Those four-foot tent spikes aren’t driven into position with one swing of the hammer. It takes hit after hit after hit to get them into the ground. Character is built the same way.

That is the idea behind a brand new book that I’m releasing next month. The Five Marks of a Man Devotional: 60 Days to a Powerful Life was created to be the consistent hammer blows we need to develop into men.

I’ve said it many times, but it bears repeating: you don’t age into manhood. I know 45-year-old boys, and I know 15-year-old men. Job status, financial security, and relationship milestones won’t mark you as a man either. The only way to recognize a man is by the way he lives.

Men have a vision, while boys live day to day.
Men take minority positions, while boys go along with the majority crowd.
Men are team players, while boys only focus on being MVP.
Men work, while boys avoid it at all costs.
Men are protectors, while boys are predators.

The Five Marks of a Man Devotional is divided into 12 weeks of NEW content. Each week, you’ll take a major swing to drive the stake of manhood further into the ground of your life. Each entry has a scripture reading, teaching and thoughts from me, a prayer, and challenges to help you put the marks into practice.

We all have ground to take in being a man, myself included. This, I believe, is a tool that will help us do that. This could be a meaningful Christmas gift for husbands, sons, brothers, fathers, or friends.

Preorder the book now, and you’re guaranteed to have it by release day, December 3rd. That day we’re starting something special over on my podcast, The Aggressive Life. Be sure you’re subscribed to not miss it.

Without those stakes, the massive tent at MAN CAMP would have blown away in gale force winds. Culture is bearing down on men just as forcefully. Suicide, mental health, loneliness and life expectancy continue to hit alarming records for men. We aren’t powerless. Now is the time to drive your stake into the ground.

The world needs more good men. Let’s do something about it.

Pre-order today on Amazon here and bring it out to a live book signing with me:
Dec 7 at 11am at Joseph Beth Lexington KY
Dec 14 at 11am at Joseph Beth Cincinnati (Oakley)