How to Build a Godly & Manly Foxholeনমুনা

NOTE: This devotional is meant to be consumed mainly in audio form. The text below simply serves as an outline for the audio material.

RECAP: In days 1, 2, 3, and 4 of this devotional, we spent some time diving into four questions:    

• 1. What makes a godly man?, 2. What makes a manly man?, 3. Can you be both godly and manly? & 4. Was Jesus a manly man?    
• 1. What makes a godly man?  
  • 1. Truths outside the self (the narrative of humanity), and     
  • 2. Truths displayed publicly (answers the question: What makes a godly man?)...    
  • Listed characteristics of a godly man            
• 2. What makes a manly man?  
  • At Undaunted.Life, we have a definition of what a “man” is, and it’s this: “A man is a male that cultivates spiritual, mental, and physical resilience DAILY.”            
• 3. Can you be both godly and manly?  
  • Yes. Yes, of course!    
  • Adam Brown is certainly an example.    
  • Went deep into the story of Nehemiah, specifically the first 4 chapters of the book of Nehemiah.            
• 4. Was Jesus a manly man?  
  • Obviously Jesus is a godly man, because, He’s, (cough), God    
  • Jesus is manly because he’s the perfect man. He’s a perfect man. Perfectly manly.    
  • Jesus cultivated spiritual, mental, and physical resilience DAILY.     
  • Stories like him turning over the tables in the Temple and his 40 days of temptation in the desert show this.            
• Make sure you’ve listened to days 1, 2, 3, & 4 before you take in today’s lesson.

If you go back to day 1: What makes a godly man?    

• You’ve heard it all before…    
• Men are lonely…    
• Men don’t have any friends…    
• Men don’t have other men that they can count on…    
• Men aren’t engaged in the church, in their homes, at their jobs…    
• Men aren’t leading themselves or others…    
• I briefly introduced the definition of a “Foxhole”: A foxhole is a group of men that constantly push each other to be better men.

Back on Day 2: What makes a manly man?    

• At Undaunted.Life, we have a definition of what a “man” is, and it’s this: “A man is a male that cultivates spiritual, mental, and physical resilience DAILY.”

WHAT IS A FOXHOLE?  

• Our full definition of a foxhole: “A foxhole is a group of men that constantly push each other to cultivate spiritual, mental, and physical resilience DAILY.”

As important as it is to know what a foxhole IS, it’s equally important to know what a foxhole IS NOT.    

• A foxhole is not just a group of guys.    
• A foxhole is not just a men’s event once a year.    
• A foxhole is not just a men’s prayer breakfast.    
• A foxhole is not just your old college buddies that you rarely see.    
• A foxhole is not just the guys from work that you go to lunch with sometimes.    
• A foxhole is not a group filled with perfect guys.

So that’s what a foxhole IS and IS NOT. Let’s make it even a bit more practical…    

• A foxhole is filled with 3AM friends, not 6PM friends.    
• A foxhole is filled “I’m on my way” friends

It should be important to you, because Jesus, you know, the Son of God, even found it important to surround himself with a group of men as he performed his earthly ministry. You’ve likely heard of them: the 12 apostles.     

• Mark 3:13-19  
  • Jesus chooses his 12 apostles from his disciples roughly a year and a half after John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the world by baptizing him (Mark 1:1-11).     
  • Picking 12 is likely not a random thing. As the English Standard Version Study Bible commentary puts it: “Initially, Jesus proclaims the kingdom of God to descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel, and the selection of the 12 apostles probably represents these tribes.”  
    • Revelation 21:14            
  • These are going to be the 12 men that will be the closest to him during the remainder of his earthly ministry. They’re going to travel with Jesus. They’re going to be prepped and molded for ministry moving forward by Jesus. They’re going to serve as a support system for Jesus (as if he needed one, but you get the idea).    
  • These were also a bunch of dopes. These weren’t amazing, incendiary guys.        
    

Mandates to the Apostles that ARE explicitly specified in this passage:

1. Be with Jesus

2. Be ready to preach

3. Be ready for spiritual warfare 

Mandates to the Apostles that ARE NOT explicitly specified in this passage (list and then FLOW on each):

1. They are to subjugate themselves completely to the tutelage of Jesus.

2. They are to be fully prepared to immediately act on Jesus’ behalf.

3. They are to support and develop one another as a godly foxhole.

In order for the 12 Apostles to be with Jesus, be ready to preach, and be ready for spiritual warfare, they HAD TO be spiritually, mentally, and physically resilient. Likewise, in order for the 12 Apostles to subjugate themselves completely to the tutelage of Jesus, to be fully prepared to immediately act on Jesus’ behalf, and to support and develop one another as a godly foxhole, they HAD TO be spiritually, mentally, and physically resilient.

Ultimate list:

1. Be with Jesus

2. Be ready to preach

3. Be ready for spiritual warfare

4. Be subjugated to the tutelage of Jesus

5. Be prepared to act on Jesus’ behalf

6. Develop one another as a godly foxhole

Again, our definition of a foxhole: “A foxhole is a group of men that constantly push each other to cultivate spiritual, mental, and physical resilience DAILY.”

Before you move on to the next thing, here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. Do I have a true foxhole? If not, why not?

2. If I were in trouble at 3AM, would I have a godly, manly man to call?

3. Am I with Jesus, ready to preach, and ready for spiritual warfare?

For more content like this, be sure to check out our other YouVersion devotionals.

Make sure you come back tomorrow for Day 6 where we discuss why a man needs a foxhole. 

Until then, keep pushing back darkness… keep forging spiritual, mental, and physical resilience… KEEP SEEKING THE LION OF JUDAH.