Young America
The Crisis of Manhood: Reclaiming Fatherhood and Virtue in Modern America
Amidst the backdrop of shifting societal norms, we take a hard look at the state of manhood and fatherhood in America. This episode peels back the layers of complex realities that men and families face today, probing the effects of a fatherless generation on our societal fabric. We delve into statistics and personal anecdotes to reveal a landscape where traditional male roles are in decline, and the consequences are reshaping our communities. Expect to come away with a profound understanding of why the resurgence of strong male figures and responsible fatherhood is not only necessary but imperative for the future of our families and nation.
We wrestle with the contentious interplay between feminism and masculinity, debating if equality has come at the cost of male responsibility, as we explore what it means to be a provider and protector in the 21st century. We reflect on the Biblical wisdom that offers a roadmap for navigating these tumultuous waters. Our candid discussion opens up about the struggle for men to honor their inherent roles without sacrificing the progress we've made towards gender equality, aiming for a harmonious balance that can enrich family life.
At the heart of this conversation, we emphasize the transformative role of personal revival and adherence to spiritual values in cultivating a legacy of righteousness. We examine the scriptural call for men to lead their families with the strength and love of a Godly man, acknowledging that the ripple effects of such leadership extend far beyond the home. As we wrap up, we encourage listeners to take those first steps towards positive change, inspiring men to become the anchors of their households and advocates of faith in action. Join us on this enlightening journey and be part of the movement to strengthen the cornerstone of society: the family.
Amidst the backdrop of shifting societal norms, we take a hard look at the state of manhood and fatherhood in America. This episode peels back the layers of complex realities that men and families face today, probing the effects of a fatherless generation on our societal fabric. We delve into statistics and personal anecdotes to reveal a landscape where traditional male roles are in decline, and the consequences are reshaping our communities. Expect to come away with a profound understanding of why the resurgence of strong male figures and responsible fatherhood is not only necessary but imperative for the future of our families and nation.
We wrestle with the contentious interplay between feminism and masculinity, debating if equality has come at the cost of male responsibility, as we explore what it means to be a provider and protector in the 21st century. We reflect on the Biblical wisdom that offers a roadmap for navigating these tumultuous waters. Our candid discussion opens up about the struggle for men to honor their inherent roles without sacrificing the progress we've made towards gender equality, aiming for a harmonious balance that can enrich family life.
At the heart of this conversation, we emphasize the transformative role of personal revival and adherence to spiritual values in cultivating a legacy of righteousness. We examine the scriptural call for men to lead their families with the strength and love of a Godly man, acknowledging that the ripple effects of such leadership extend far beyond the home. As we wrap up, we encourage listeners to take those first steps towards positive change, inspiring men to become the anchors of their households and advocates of faith in action. Join us on this enlightening journey and be part of the movement to strengthen the cornerstone of society: the family.
Families in America are falling apart. The head of these families is supposed to be the father. A father should be a strong man and leader. However, manhood is under attack and many young men do not know who to look to for an example of the kind of man that they should be. The Bible has the answer not only to broken manhood, but also to broken families, and the key to having revival in America.
Speaker 2:Welcome back to Young America. My name is Joe, I'm Jacob, so today we're going to be talking about the subject of well, originally it was going to be fathers, but then it kind of morphed into this manlyhood type deal. What is the problem that young people are facing today, especially young men?
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, it seems like there's a lot of factors, and the thing about this talking about manhood is we can't possibly cover everything and do a justice, I feel like, in just one episode, but we're going to try, and anyway, the problem, though that we're referring to is the problem that young men either don't know how to act like men and they have grown up fatherless. That was see, because we were, like you said originally, we were going to talk about fathers, so we were going to talk about fatherhood and how that's important, not only for young people, but for America, his fatherhood. But then that sort of changed into well, it's not just fatherhood that we're missing, it's the manliness in general. That's the problem, and just the how do you treat your wife, how do you live the Christian life as a man, how do you stand up for yourself and do right, I guess. And so the problem that we see today is that we I mean I looked up some stats here from Pew Research.
Speaker 1:It says only 11% of American children lived apart from their dads in 1960, whereas today that number has grown to 27%, which is one in every three American children. So one in every three children don't have a dad or they're not growing up with their dad in the house, and that destroys families and destroys lives. Another study that I researched found eight different things. It says they're at a higher risk of behavioral problems, four times more likely to live in poverty, more likely to be incarcerated, twice as likely to never graduate high school, seven times higher risk of teen pregnancy, more vulnerable to abuse and neglect, more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, and twice as likely to obese to be obese. And so a lot of the problems that we deal with are actually symptoms of a bigger problem than that's fatherlessness, and so we want to, through this episode, teach other people our age from what we're learning how to be a good father and how to be a good man, because that's what this country needs is strong men who do what's right.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah. So first off, I guess it would be the lack of true manliness, or manliness in itself. There is a lack of it. You don't see men out there doing what men are supposed to do. They're not taking care of their families, they're not providing for their needs or they're not doing anything manly. All the guys are well, not all of them, but the majority of them have become sysified. That's the word my dad uses and it just passed down to me. So there are a bunch of sysies. They don't know how to do anything. Hard work is foreign to them and it's evident because no one's out there working, busting their tail off to provide for their family. They're just going to mosey through life and hope everything goes well, and that's not how it's supposed to work.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think a lot of that got brought from feminism, which is partly brought on from feminism, because there was the whole oh, women can be powerful and women can be strong, and women should be in the workforce and be the boss lady and all this stuff which I mean, I'm not going to say it's like a sin if you're in the workforce, but the idea is that the man is supposed to be the provider and protector of the family. And so I think that when the roles are mixed up and the woman wears the pants, so to speak, and the father is the one at home taking care of the children which is not bad you need to spend time with your children, but you also need to be the one to provide for your family. That's your job, that's biblically. Your job is to provide for your family and to protect it. And when you abandon that, which we have thoroughly done in our nation, then you have what it's come to man our wimps, and don't know how to do anything.
Speaker 2:Well, if you look at this structure of how God set it up even it's God man and then you know the wife and you know the kids, and man is supposed to take the role he's supposed to take responsibility and he, at some point in time, after you know we're all dead and gone, he is going to be the one that's responsible to God for his family. So he's the one that has to make sure his family's doing what's right and they're taking care of and it's his job. God has specifically put him in that position for that job and you can't just shrug it off. It's like, oh, I don't feel like doing it today. No, no, hang it. You can't do that. You are a man, suck it up and get done with what you need to get done with. It's part of being a man. Suck it up, nobody cares, you just got to do what you got to do.
Speaker 2:But yeah, with the feminism that has brought. Now, don't get me wrong. I love women. You know women are great, but they have their role, they have their position. I'm not saying they can't be in the workforce Just like everybody else does. I'm not saying that at all. I'm just yeah, right. I'm just saying they, not that they shouldn't, but in a way they shouldn't be in the workforce, if that makes sense. I mean, you know like you're going to do your own thing I'm not saying you can't do it at all, but it wasn't necessarily meant for women.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you need to have your priorities straight. Whatever the case is, I think Right.
Speaker 2:Well, with feminism, yeah, it's kind of like you were saying men have, in a way, given up their role as men and it's just I don't want to put it like this, but in a way, feminism was not beneficial. It was, but at the same time it wasn't because I would say it wasn't like just completely.
Speaker 2:Well, if you want equality, you have to do the things that men do. If you actually want real equality which is a big deal right now, or still is, or whatever equality and it's just. Women are not built. We're built different Guys. We're tough, we're well, we're supposed to be tough. Anyways, we have thick skin. It's in our nature to do a hard work and to get beat up. You know like it's just in our nature.
Speaker 2:Women are more, they're feminine, they're more delicate and they weren't necessarily meant to be in the workforce and all that jazz. And then you know, anyways, they're not supposed to be with equality. They're not supposed to are with voting and stuff. How are they? They have the right to vote because of feminism. They have the right to vote, but yet they're not required to be drafted.
Speaker 2:You know, if a draft comes up during the war, and if you want equality, then you're going to have to play by the rules that we play by. If you're one equality, you're going to have to be and do exactly what men do, and that's not the way it's supposed to be. Women have their spot and men have their spot, and when we mess those roles up, things aren't going to go as they need to and not as God playing them to, which is what we have today, which I'm not saying being a woman is bad at all. No, because there's certain things that guys can't do that women do great at. Everyone has their specific jobs that they're good at, but you can't live one is.
Speaker 1:God created two different kinds.
Speaker 2:It's just not possible. So don't take it the wrong way. We love women. They all had their own purpose and design. Now, so we see a lack of involvement in work, hall work, a hall ism, in men especially, you know, as in fathers, we see that there is there is no involvement with their children.
Speaker 1:An interesting parallel you could draw here is we just got done talking about feminism and how the women are the workers, right, and that's where we're headed and where we're at. But then there's also the flip side, where the fathers who do work, that's their life. They're not involved with their kids, they don't care. I don't know if they don't care about their family, but they put their job and their work over their family. And when your work replaces your family, because you just gotta get that grind going, that's not what the Lord wants either.
Speaker 1:The Lord wants you to provide for your family, but he also wants you involved in your family. He doesn't want you to be at your job all the time. Like just an example, I was at my sister's violin recital the other day and there was a guy there with his family to listen to this recital, still working on his computer at the church while we were doing the recital. That's ridiculous. You're there, be involved, listen to your child, all right. And what I'm saying is you gotta be able to leave work at work. You should provide for a family, but be involved with your family as well and leave work at work.
Speaker 2:Yes well, that's the thing where men get it mixed up in a way. Because you're to provide for the family, yes, but at the same time, you are also there to be their rock and to be their foundation. You are to bring stability to the home. They need something that is constant, something that they can rely on. So when you get to work, fine, do your hardest, work your best and get it done. I agree 100%. I do that all the time. Okay, but at the same time, you have to leave work where it's at and spend time with your family.
Speaker 2:Get off your phone, get off your laptop, leave work where it's at, take care of your family, enjoy your family. You only have them once. You can't redo it After they're out of the house. They're gone. There's that constant yearning to have a fellowship. You need to be there for your kids. So get off your phone, get off your computer and spend time with your kids, spend time with your wife. Obviously, we're not married, or even close to that, but we do have fathers who do have a Bible that we can read, and God has clearly set out the principles of how to be a man, and so we don't necessarily have to be husbands right now, and we're not, but God has given us the way to do it, and so, therefore, we're telling you how to do it. It's just plain and simple, like that.
Speaker 1:We're trying to tell other people our age that they need to wake up and to me, one of the key messages I want people to get out of this is, just because your family wasn't perfect and maybe your dad wasn't the perfect dad, that doesn't mean you don't have to be the perfect dad. It doesn't matter what your life was like. All right, you may be inclined because you didn't grow up to, you know, with the dad in your house or whatever to be in that category where you're more vulnerable for all these horrible things or whatever, but that doesn't mean you have to be. God's word is still true and God is still on the throne and so if you serve him and you're doing what's right, he's gonna lead you in the way you should go and you can be a godly man and a godly father, and that's what we want you to be and that's what we want you to be and we wanna encourage you.
Speaker 1:Whatever the deal is, it doesn't have to be the way that it is. That's our, I mean, I think that's our message. Just even in general. It doesn't have to be the way that it is. We don't have to keep the status quo. We can have revival in this country and we can see it turn around. And we want other people our age and I don't care if you're our age or not. We want you to wake up and start doing something and serving the Lord the way he's supposed to be served. Having a dad that's a workaholic is almost as bad as growing up without a dad, because you never see it. Many Don't be that person. I can already see in my own life. I am inclined that way and it kinda scares me, so I try to remember. It's like it doesn't matter. You need to be able to put whatever the thing is aside and go have fun with your family.
Speaker 2:Right, so you only got them once.
Speaker 2:That's something that I am striving to do, or at least playing on doing, obviously, when I have a family is spend as much time as I can with them, because you only have them once. Make the most of it you have to, and just spending time with your family is gonna teach them Godly principles. Just sitting there talking to your kids, talking to your wife, you're gonna develop a relationship and it just continued to grow and, if you're a Christian, fruit is gonna come from that. It's gonna be beneficial for all of you, whether that's doing devotions or just simply just talking to each other. You're gonna grow each other and encourage each other, and it's a wonderful thing that God has designed it's family. It's something that God wants. God is your father, if you're saved, and he wants that relationship with you, and so he has that design in you already, if that makes sense, whether that's spiritually or even physically or here on this earth. So yeah, I mean the design is already in you to have a fellowship with your father.
Speaker 1:One thing you could say is a little bit of a side point, but it's interesting me to understand how relationships work and, according to my understanding, if your relationship is right with God, then your relationship will be right with your wife, and if you have the right relationship with your wife, then your relationship with your kids will be the way that it's supposed to be. Not only because if you're doing what God wants you to do and you and your wife aren't a good relationship and doing what God wants you both to do, then you're gonna be able to lead your kids in the way that they should go as well. And that's the goal. Through your own example is to lead your kids in the way that they should go. Be the example that they're looking for.
Speaker 1:I mean, I think about the people today on there in the man-o-sphere or whatever. Every now and then they have something good to say. All right, they're not completely wrong, but they're wrong. Okay, life isn't all about being rich and being strong and having fancy cars. That's not the point. The point is being godly, doing what's right and raising your family, because another random fact is that you are raising the next generation of people. So if you don't want your kids to grow up. Your kids are either going to be the terror that destroys the country or they're going to be the people to build it back and keep it strong, if you understand what I'm saying, because and so it is up to us and up to you to make sure that you are training your child in the way that he should go, and the only way you can do that is if you have a right relationship with your wife and a right relationship with God, because God comes first, and that's obviously hard and we have no experience with that, but that's what the Bible says. So thank you.
Speaker 2:I mean, yeah, even with that, as a father and a husband with your wife, it's a great thing to be on the same page, especially if you have children, because they need to see a unified front. They need to see that you both agree on the same thing and that you both have each other's backs. That is most important If your marriage it depends on that. You both have to have communication skills. You both have to communicate, communicate and communicate. That's the most important thing is communication and honestly, this generation is not good at it at all. I'm not good at it even. I need to work on it. But communication is key. You can't stress communication. It is vitally important. But at the same time, because you communicate, you are going to be on the same page and obviously you're going to have disagreements in your marriage and you're not going to agree all the time. But personally I would keep it behind closed doors, me and my wife, we hash it out in a nice way, in a calm way, and we resolve the problem. We don't necessarily want at least I don't necessarily want my kids to see the tearing down of each other, and it's not healthy at all. Men are supposed to respect their wives and the wives are supposed to respect their husbands. It's a two-way street. People say it's 50-50. No, it's 100-100. You both give the same effort and you both put in the same work and at the end of the day, you're both going to get a great result.
Speaker 2:If you're see, the thing is you have to be willing and you have to be willing to want it and to strive for it. If you're, and you have to fight for it. If you don't want it, don't waste your time getting married. Don't waste your time because you're going to end up getting a divorce. You're going to end up getting separated, you're going to end up leaving your kids without a father or a mother and it's just going to be awful.
Speaker 2:Don't do it If you're not committed to anything. Don't ruin everyone else's life. If you want to ruin yours, go for it, but don't bring your whole family down with you. It's the amount of pain that it causes in homes. Don't do it. It's not worth it. You have to be a good man and you have to want what God wants for you. And if you're a Christian and if you're in fellowship with God, he will obviously bring that to light and he will show you what is good and what is right, and as long as you follow him and as long as you pursue that, then I think you'll be fine and God will bless you for it.
Speaker 1:Well, along those lines too I mean because I was thinking about divorce, and it's always so amazing to me the people who are like, oh yeah, I'm right with God, I'm just struggling with my marriage right now and we're just having a hard time. It's like, well, maybe if you were actually doing what the Lord would want you to, you wouldn't be having this problem, and the idea I feel like, okay, this is a feeling, right, in fact, don't care about your feelings, but work with me here. I feel like people are like oh yeah, we got divorced, but my kids are doing fine. Just because your kids look like they're doing fine doesn't mean anything.
Speaker 1:Divorce rips people apart. It rips you apart, whether you think you feel it or not. All right, it affects everyone. It displeases the Lord. To me, it's not an option. And so if you married the wrong person, too bad, so sad. You're stuck. Tough luck, like the Lord wants you to do, and maybe you'll find out you actually like the person. But just division, division in any way, whether it's your marriage, whether it's your church, whether it's you, I don't care. It displeases the Lord and it rips things apart and tears people down. You need to be having the right relationship with God and if you have the right relationship with God, then he is going to work in your life and he is going to help you with your marriage and help you in your life and help you in your church. Don't come to me I mean, people haven't come to me, but don't have the attitude of, oh, I'm right with God, I just have this problem. That's not right.
Speaker 2:That's not right it's not true.
Speaker 2:That doesn't make any sense whatever. So I mean, the moral of the story, I guess, is just be a godly man and as long as you're following what God wants for you and what God has for you, you can't do any better. That's the best you can get. But anyways, what we can find in the Bible of being godly and being a man, well, let's read in Genesis, chapter two, verse 24,. Therefore, shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave into his wife, and they shall be one flesh. Okay, so it's talking about when a man finds a woman and he wants to get hitched. He's going to have to leave his parents, he's going to leave his mom and his dad and he's going to start his own household and he's going to become the one that's responsible for his family. You become the man of the house and it's your responsibility. So, yeah, ephesians 5-33,. Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular, so love his wife, even as himself and the wife see that she received her husband. So it's talking about a husband and a wife relationship. It's going to be, yeah, right, it's reverence. They both have to respect each other. They both have to put in the effort. It's, you know it's a team effort. And then, like I was saying, ephesians 5- 23,.
Speaker 2:For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church and he is the savior of the body. So the husband is the head of the wife, he's the head of the household, even as Christ is the head of the church. So Christ is the head of the church and as head of the family and he is the savior of the body. Christ is the savior of the body, is the one that's going to be responsible to God for your sins, because he came across, he died for us and he's the one that took our sin. So he's the one that's responsible to God for our sin. And so the same is true with man. Man is going to be responsible. Our husbands are going to be responsible to God for their wife and for their family. Pretty cool comparison right there.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So lets go right over there. Alright, close it here. Another crazy and cool comparison is where it says husband loves your wife. Love your wives isn't even as Christ loved the church, which is amazing and hard to do because we can't love like Christ could ever love the church, but it's our duty to do our best to do so.
Speaker 1:Some of my favorite verses about manhood and manliness is from Titus two. Titus two two says that the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound and faith in charity, in patience. And then Titus two, six, seven and eight says young men likewise exhort to be sober minded in all things, showing thyself a pattern of good works in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned. That heed that is of the contrary part, may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. So to me I mean, it says it right there.
Speaker 1:Young men do this All right. This is key for people our age. Be sober minded, think straight, use your brain okay In all things. Showing thyself a pattern of good works. So work hard and serve the Lord in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity. And then it says sound speech that cannot be condemned. So your doctrine and the words that come out of your mouth should be true and accurate, so that those who would judge you can't have anything nasty to say about you. You know, that kind of reminds me of that comment we got on that on that reel. He didn't. The person who commented basically called me names. I don't really want to mention the whole thing because it's kind of like a little too easy, but for me anyway but he didn't have anything bad to say about what I had to say.
Speaker 2:He just called me a name Unnecessary.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, and he didn't like. Just he didn't complain about the things I had to say. Instead, he just came up with a mean thing to say about what I looked like. I mean, who cares? I don't care, I'm not gonna shave. So there you go.
Speaker 1:But so, as a young person, the things that come out of your mouth. Obviously we haven't had as much experience as those who are older than us, but that doesn't mean that we cannot say what we think, but when we do say what we think, we need to make sure that it's accurate and true and based on the Bible, so that we cannot be condemned for what we have said. So I just want to exhort not only myself think about doing this podcast, because we're letting our opinion out to the world but everyone else out there, whether you're young or old, be careful what you say and how you say it, so that it cannot be held against you. That is how you become a godly young man is by thinking straight and using your brain. Be careful what you say, and our goal should be to approach what verse two said that the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith and charity in patience. We need to be heading towards the goal of what the aged men are supposed to be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, sound in the faith and charity that's love and patience.
Speaker 1:We develop and we grow the older we get. I mean I can think I've even grown, since I'm only 20, but I've grown since I was younger and I have a lot more growing to do and it's kind of exciting because there's always more to learn and more to grow. But we should be aiming towards the things that godly men are supposed to be aiming for and that should be the goal. Those are just some of my favorite verses talking about manhood, because it says right there it doesn't get any more clear. It says that the aged men be this and that the young men do this. I mean straightforward. It doesn't get better than that. So if you need a good passage to study Titus too, it's a great one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I mean I love like those few books. There's Titus and Timothy's, and those few are really solid books, because Paul is writing to, obviously, titus and Timothy and telling them how to, I guess, be good godly men and how to do the job well I guess. But yeah, those are very, very good. Here's another one. It's in Proverbs, chapter one, verse five.
Speaker 2:It says a wise man will hear and will increase in learning. A man of understanding will attain into wise counsel. So with being a man, obviously you're responsible for your family and for everything that goes on in your household, so be wise about it. A wise man will hear and will increase in learning. Okay, so you're gonna hear things, but yet you're gonna go search it out and you're gonna try to understand and learn different things.
Speaker 2:And then it says a man of understanding shall attain into wise counsel. So if you're wise and you're smart, you're gonna search out and you're gonna ask for wisdom. You're gonna ask for instruction and as guys, that's not really an easy thing to do necessarily is to ask for wisdom or to ask for help, because we all think that we're all macho and we can do it ourselves and to an extent, sure why but at some point you're gonna have to humble yourself and you're gonna have to ask for help and you have to ask for counsel, and you will be wise for that. So I mean, that's a really good verse that I saw.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and one thing on that, just before we keep going, is I was just gonna say if you ever come to the point where you think you made it, you're in a scary place because you haven't, you know. I mean, I know it's like, oh, once you graduate high school, you've made it. And then it's like, oh well, once you graduate college, you made it. That's baloney. If you ever stop growing and you ever think you've arrived, then you've got a long way to go, man, as soon as you realize you have a long way to go, then you're starting to have made it. In a sense. You never truly make it, because we're always imperfect and we can always grow and we can always learn more. So I guess my encouragement is be open to the counsel of others, like you said, and pray and ask God and increase your understanding and your wisdom. That's how you become a good guy, man.
Speaker 2:You can apply this to a father and a son, because that's what Proverbs is A father is telling his son how to be wise and how to be a good man. So if you wanna be wise or, yeah, if you're gonna be wise and understand things read the book of Proverbs, because it is full of good things. It is wow, it is amazing. But as a father, you are supposed to train your children. You're supposed to train them in the ways of the Lord. Whether that's a daughter or son, whatever it is, there's only two genders. So that's what I'm saying. Whatever, either it's a boy or a girl We'll get on that subject later but you're supposed to teach them and train them in the ways that the Lord has shown you, obviously in the Bible. He's given you 66 books Chock Full of Wisdom, instruction of how to Teach your Children and how to Glorify God with your Children, because children are gifts from God. And we can talk about abortions later, and I totally disagree with that, and I don't think you should murder your children, because that's what it is if you have an abortion.
Speaker 2:Life is precious and life is in the blood, and we find that in Genesis. But we can talk about that stuff, obviously later too as well. But life is a gift and you need to nurture that gift and use that gift to glorify God. One thing that at least my parents did is after we were born, they would dedicate us to the Lord and they'd have a dedication service and they're just saying like, hey, lord, you've given me this gift.
Speaker 2:Let me give him back to you, let him be glorifying to you and he's yours in a sense. You have blessed us with the stewardship of him. At the end of the day, everything is the Lord's. He gives and he takes away as he pleases. You have to be good stewards, whether you like it or not, but everything is the Lord's and we need to realize that, because we don't always remember that. Hey, this is the Lord's, and it's true with your money, with your life, with whatever you have. It's just it's the Lord's and he's the one that's blessed you with it. So bless him back by serving him and giving glory for him to him.
Speaker 1:I mean Proverbs says to your point train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. It doesn't get more clear than that. And some people are like, oh well, let's not really, because what about? Look, if you're doing what's right, ultimately there does come a time when your child makes the decision whether he's going to obey or disobey the Lord. But if you do what's right and you train up your child in the way he should go and you're honoring the Lord as best as you can, your child will go the way that the Lord wants him to go.
Speaker 1:And to that point as well, I mean I can think of godly people who did the best that they knew how, and yet you know their child is struggling away from the Lord and that just is a reminder to me that the Lord is not done with you and he's not done with your child. Now, obviously there is a limit, but to me I can see in people's lives it's like well, that person is, you can see the Lord working in that person, bringing that person back and just slowly and incrementally. But you thank the Lord for the blessings that he's given, when he gives them and whatever the case is, whether your child is astray or whatever, talk to the Lord about it, ask Him for it and be the best witness that you can and let the Lord work on Him and don't give up. That's what I want to tell you. People Give up on people.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, well, I mean yeah, also with your children maybe not have turned out, or whatever, or you also have to realize that they are the ones that put themselves in that situation. They are the ones that have chosen this path. You know, as long as you have trained them like you should, as Bible describes. You know, as long as you've done that and you've tried your best and you've asked God for your help or His help, and you've done that, they are the ones that have made that decision and they are the ones that inevitably have chosen to live right or to live wrong.
Speaker 2:So I mean, you can, you did your part, in a sense, if that makes sense, you did your part and it's up to them now to turn their their, their selves around and to please God and to serve God. So you know, don't be discouraged that you did a bad job and that you were a bad parent, because if you, if you did what God told you to do, then obviously you, you weren't a bad parent. It's just that's that's the path that they have chosen and the devil is using that to divide you and your family. And but at the end of the day, the Lord is going to have the final say and as long as you keep praying for them and keep hoping and praying that they turn around, then God I believe he will. He does have you know, like he was saying, he has a purpose for each and every one of them, but you just got to be consistent and pray for them, and the Lord is in control.
Speaker 1:One more thing right before we keep going, because it's on my mind, is for young people, our age, there must come a point, preferably before our age. Okay, if you're at this point now, then, but eventually your parents God must become your God. That is what's happened in my life. Is the Lord that I serve, is not just my parents God, because they always took my church. He's my God and I am serving Him. The Lord of the Bible is the God that I serve, and that is a choice.
Speaker 1:Saying, oh well, that's great for my parents ain't going to cut it for you, man Ain't happening. He's either your God or he's not. Make the choice, because if you don't, you're in a scary, scary place. If you're out of the Lord's will, I mean? I mean I can't tell you where you're going to end up, but it's not going to be where the Lord wants you to, and there's no better place to be than serving the Lord right where he's got you. That's what I strive to do in my life as best I can. I try to be open. I try not to put limits on God. I say, lord, if that's what you want, then you just help me to take the first step and show me the way to go. That's what I want, because he is my God. He's no longer the God of my parents. He's my God and he must become yours.
Speaker 2:No, that's solid, that's good stuff. Yeah, you do have to make that decision for yourself, and oftentimes, as growing up as a kid, growing up into adulthood and making your own decisions, you have to realize that oftentimes it is the hardest. The first step is always going to be the hardest Putting your faith in Christ, and like, hey, I don't know what I'm doing, I need help. I need to be the hardest part in realizing that this is what God wants for you and then acting upon that. That is the hardest part. But once you do it, though, everything just works out and it's great and everything falls into place, because you did put your trust in God and he's taking care of you and he's blessing you for it. It's like, hey, I got you, don't worry about it, and you just have to take him out of his word and trust him, and that's the hardest part.
Speaker 1:I would say, because the episode's about manliness, so we're talking specifically to men. I mean, these things apply to women as well, I would say, but a lot of them anyway. The goal is to follow the Lord in all you do, and if you have a right relationship with him, then you will become the Godly man that the Lord wants you to become, and so what I want to say to those out there who are listening is don't put limits on God. Serve him. Let him be your God. Learn from his word what it means to be a Godly man. Don't let things like feminism or the stereotype, or the people from the manosphere convince you of anything other than what a Godly man should be. A Godly man should have sound speech. The husband of one wife should know how to train his children, provide for his family, protect his family, love his family as Christ loved the church. That is what a Godly man is. Is someone whose relationship with God is such that his relationship with his family is right, and even on a bigger scale. Well, I mean, it doesn't get any bigger than that, but just on a broader, vaguer scale, I guess is. Family is the building block of this country and of society, and so when families are ripped apart which the devil absolutely loves he can destroy this country, and I love this country and I don't want to see it destroyed. So for me and for Joe and for all of you, our goal should be to become Godly men with Godly families who can build this country, be the foundation of the churches and the foundation of the communities that build a Godly nation. Ultimately, we want to see revival, and the only way we have revival is by seeing others revived, other people acting like the men that God created them to be. That's what we are striving for, that's what we want, and the only way we can get it is if we are in God's word and we are praying and we are trying to do His will.
Speaker 1:And whatever the first step is, you better just start taking it. Like Dr Bill says, it's like brushing your teeth. You don't know what you're supposed to do after that. You just know you're supposed to brush your teeth. So start with what you know and go from there. I don't know what I'm supposed to do, even tomorrow. I mean, I know generally what I'm going to do I'm going to get up and go to work, but I don't know what's going to happen after that. I have to take the first step and the Lord is going to lead me from there. I don't know what he has in store for life. I mean, I've had even crazy ideas that I want to do. Even today I was like man. That would be great if we could do that. Just take the first step, follow the Lord, have revival.
Speaker 1:Revival is a daily thing. The Bible says is that Isaiah? I think it's Isaiah If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now that was to Israel, but the principle remains If we individually humble ourselves, pray, seek God's face and His will, turn from our sin. Your sin is never hideable and it's not like oh, it only hurts me or whatever. That's not true. It's a big fat lie and sometimes we have to learn that the hard way. But turn from your wicked ways, ask the Lord what it is that you need to turn from, then he will forgive your sins. He will forgive our sins. He will heal our land. The only way we have a revival in America as a whole is if we have revival personally and it spreads from there. So moral of the story be the man God wants you to be and have revival in your life. Let's turn this country around.
Speaker 2:Yeah, even with you know, individually, you're talking about that.
Speaker 2:But even as a father and as a man of your own household, you are the ones that are responsible to bring revival to your family as well, not only responsible for yourself, but you're also responsible for what your children are learning, what your wife is learning. It's very beneficial and it's very necessary to have devotion as a family. You can interact around the Word of God and you can interact and you can pray to God and you can seek His face and you can learn from the Bible, and you are the one that are supposed to be the leader and you're the one that is supposed to lead your family in that. And so when you do that, as a man, you then bring a whole family, a whole. You know, however big your family is, you bring them closer to God and which then, in return, brings your church closer to God, because they are involved in the church, hopefully, and they, they rub up against other Christians, and that's what church is for. But they've rub up against other Christians and you can continue and persuade other families to get a hold of God and to get in relationship with God and you can start revival by your, by starting your family, and it's so necessary. You start in yourself, but then you move to your family, then you move to your church and then it eventually spreads to the county, and the county spreads to the state, and the state spreads to the other state and then, before you know it, you have a worldwide stinking revival.
Speaker 2:As a man, you have the responsibility to keep your family Godly and teach them principles that you know God would be pleased with. So just another encouragement that you have a responsibility to your family and to God to bring them to God. You have to be Godly yourself first, and then, as long as you obey God and obey his principles, he will lead you to find a wife that is Godly and that you love and that she loves you, and then you then proceed to have a family, and then that family grows and you, you see the, the fruit that comes from that, and that's something I'm looking forward to as I forsell around. You know, when I get older, become a grandpa and see the fruit that God has blessed me with and the fruit that I have sown, and just see. That would be amazing. You know, I look back at my grandparents and what they have done and how they have changed the whole family around, and it is incredible.
Speaker 2:But that's just something I'm looking forward to which you know, still got plenty of years left to look forward to that. But so moral of the story be Godly and do what God wants.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I might just add two things to that, because Lord put on my mind is, you know, because you were talking about getting married, and that's something we think about a lot at our age, I think. But I pray every day that the Lord would turn me into the kind of man worth marrying. And you know, I think that if you become the kind of man the Lord wants you to be, the Lord will help you find the right one at the right time. But if you're ain't worth marrying, then why are you worrying about it? Pray for the Lord to make you a man worth marrying. Pray for him to lead you in the right direction and he'll lead you in the way to go.
Speaker 1:And then my second point is I think that one of the best things you can do with your children is serve the Lord together with them in your church and in ministry.
Speaker 1:Whether that's singing, whether that's cleaning, I don't really care what it is, but there's always things to be done in a church.
Speaker 1:And the way, one way to help your kids grow together in church and in your family is to serve the Lord with them and be in ministry together, and a lot's been a blessing in my life being able to sing with my sisters and run the soundboard and just being able to minister in different ways. It's helped me grow spiritually because it helps me keep my focus on the right things, helps me keep my focus on serving the Lord, because it doesn't matter what other people think, it just matters if I'm doing right. And it's grown our family together as we've served the Lord together, we grow together as a family, in a relationship not only with God but with each other if we serve the Lord together. So that's just something I would encourage other people who have kids, who are thinking about having kids, be involved in your church and grow in the Lord together and serve the Lord together, and that's gonna do wonders for you, I think yeah it's good.
Speaker 2:All and all this stuff is really solid. I really enjoyed doing this one. I think it's very necessary for people to understand the importance of being a man, and you see, throughout the media and through all this nonsense and Hollywood and all that garbage, it's like they put down man, men in general, and they make fun of men and that's, that's just the agenda, and they're tearing men down and men don't deserve that. Men don't need that. They have a specific purpose and a role. Just be the God, the man that God wants you to be and be. Just be a good, good dude, you know, work hard, love your family and serve God. That's the moral of the story. That's just.
Speaker 2:It's easier said than done, you know, granted, but as long as you try your best and you ask God for his help and his wisdom, I think you'll succeed in life, and I think you know. That's another thing that other men like ingrate and all those people, and which is success. And success isn't all about money and it's not about being your own man and doing whatever the heck you want to do. It's not about that at the. You know we're all gonna die at some point and everything that we do will be forgotten, but the one thing that will be the most important is what we have done with the souls of our family members. If we can see our family members getting saved and coming to Christ and building that eternity would be just priceless you can't.
Speaker 2:You can't get any better than that. That will last forever. So let me encourage you to just be a godly man. It's not gonna be easy, it's not gonna be the best thing in the world, but God will bless you and it. You know you're gonna have your difficulties, but you're gonna enjoy it and you're gonna get the fruit from it. So, yeah, I think that's got it for this episode.
Speaker 1:I think a good verse, just to sum it all up, is Ecclesiastes 12 13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of me, I mean. That pretty much sums up everything we just said, so I just want to leave you with that yeah.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, thanks for listening to the episode. We really appreciate you guys. There's only there's not many of you, there's only like maybe 30 40 of you, but we really do appreciate you supporting us. We are planning some pretty big things here in the future, so just continue to support us, continue to share, but we're looking forward to how God is gonna use us and how we can be blessing to you, because that's basically what this is all about is trying to help people. That I need to help, and so also, you need to check out the YouTube and Instagram, facebook and rumble, because we are actually starting to post day the reels, so that'll be exciting.
Speaker 2:I enjoy doing that. Actually, it just it's nice to take a moment of your time and to just think about life and reflect about life, you know, think about what you want to talk about that day, and I really enjoy that. So give us a look on rumble and Facebook and all that stuff. If you don't already subscribe to the podcast, go ahead and do that. That would be a great blessing. Also, check out the Joe's Joe affiliate link that we have. Try his coffee, see what you think about it. Also, leave us a review. And yeah, I think I've said enough. So thanks, and we'll see you later thank you for listening to young America.
Speaker 1:If you enjoyed the show, please consider sharing it with a friend or subscribing using the link below. If you want to see more content from us, feel free to check out our Facebook, instagram, wisdom, youtube or rumble accounts. God bless America.