Biblical Manhood 75

About

We believe Biblical manhood is bearing the image of God by working and keeping all that God grants a man, in Christ’s strength.

God expects a man to bear His image in all that He does. A man may receive various roles during his life (i.e., churchman, husband, father, friend, employee, supervisor, etc.), in which God calls him to exercise dominion and subdue the earth unto the praise of God’s glorious name. Exercising dominion means that the man is to work and keep all that God gives him—just as Adam was to work and keep the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15).

A life of working and keeping the fields that God gives a man is hard work. Like anything worth doing, it requires a man to be self-controlled and disciplined. The problem is the modern man lacks self-control and discipline more than previous generations.

However, God unflinchingly intends for men to be self-controlled and disciplined:

• Proverbs 25:28 “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”
• Titus 2:2, 6 “Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness…Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.”
• Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
• Proverbs 5:23 “He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.”

Therefore, we created “Biblical Manhood 75,” a 75-day challenge to give men a blueprint for building self-control and discipline into their lives. Let’s not be men who merely talk about hard things, rather let’s do hard things. Our well-being and that of those under our care depend on it.

The Challenge

We recommend you take this challenge alongside other men. It is a tremendous help for building a fraternity of men who spur one another on toward biblical manhood. However, it will be a great benefit to you as a solo challenge as well.

Daily Tasks

• Bible Reading and prayer (mornings preferably). Create a Bible reading plan and stick to it (i.e., New Testament in 75 days).
• Drink one gallon of water.
• Two workouts, 45mins each. One must be outdoors (regardless of weather).
• Read 10 pages from a book (see booklist for suggested reading).
• Follow a diet plan (no cheat meals). Any healthy plan you choose.
• No alcohol
• No porn – even after day 75 (*If you need accountability on this, invite your group, pastor, or a friend to help you)
• Pray with your family.
• Make your bed. Tidy up your spaces (i.e., closet, dresser, nightstand, etc.).
• Take a progress picture.
• Suggested: Conduct the Daily Self-Examination at the end of your day (see Daily Self-Examination in “Challenge Helps”).

Other Tasks

• If applicable, attend and participate in your church’s men’s ministry each week.
• Complete three projects around the house (develop a plan and execute it).
• Take your wife on a dinner date and use the questions provided in “Challenge Helps” (Consider doing this once at the start and another at the end of the challenge).
• Write a letter to your wife, expressing your love for and commitment to her and your family.

Solo Challenge Failure

You must start over.

Group Challenge Failure

To further understand that our failures not only affect ourselves but those around us, we added a group challenge failure option. Rather than simply starting over due to a failure, we want to work together to help one another complete the challenge by adding accountability through consequences.

If you fail at any point, notify your group leader. To remain in the challenge, you must do 45 burpees per day for 5 days in a row. You are to complete these in addition to your other daily tasks. You cannot do your burpees as part of your normal workout times.

Everyone else in the group gets 15 burpees for your failure. They are to complete these within 24hrs of the reported failure.

Challenge Helps

Workout Ideas

While this is not an exhaustive list, we want you to have some ideas for your workouts. We encourage you to include your family as you are able (i.e., family walks, lift weights with your son, etc.).

• Rucking (at least 10% of bodyweight in a backpack)
• Walking
• Running
• Bike Riding
• Bodyweight Exercises (i.e., deck of cards workout)
• Weightlifting
• Swimming
• Stretching

Booklist

Below is a suggested book list. You should consider rotating through the topics as you read during the challenge. If you venture from this list, please choose books that will strengthen you in your fight for biblical manhood.

A word of caution regarding fiction, please be wise when choosing something not on this list. We encourage you to check with your group leader beforehand. You may consider reading something from the fiction list with your family.

Manhood/Family

• It’s Good to be a Man – Michael Foster (242 pgs.)
• The Covenant Household – Douglas Wilson (146 pgs.)
• Thoughts for Young Men – JC Ryle (89 pgs.)
• How to Exasperate Your Wife and Other Short Essays for Men – Douglas Wilson (106 pgs.)
• Death by Living: Life is Meant to be Spent – N.D. Wilson (208 pgs.)
• The Case for the Christian Family – Jared Longshore (136 pgs.)
• Future Men: Raising Boys to Fight Giants – Doug Wilson (199 pgs.)
• The War on Men: Why Society Hates Them and Why We Need Them – Owen Strachan (256 pgs.)
• Family Worship – Donald S. Whitney (88 pgs.)
• The Boniface Option – Andrew Isker (182 pgs.)
• Masculine Christianity – Zachary Garris (312 pgs.)
• Manly Dominion – Mark Chanski (247 pgs.)
• Sacred Marriage – Gary Thomas (248 pgs.)

Godly Living

• Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines – David Mathis (240 pgs.)
• Don’t Waste Your Life – John Piper (192 pgs.)
• Ploductivity: A Practical Theology of Work and Wealth – Doug Wilson (122 pgs.)
• The Things of Earth: Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts – Joe Rigney (298 pgs.)
• Strangely Bright: Can You Love God and Enjoy This World? – Joe Rigney (130 pgs.)
• Leadership and Emotional Sabotage: Resisting the Anxiety that Will Wreck Your Family, Destroy Your Church, and Ruin Your World – Joe Rigney (120 pgs.)

Doctrine

• Desiring God – John Piper (368 pgs.)
• Providence – John Piper (752 pgs.)
• Delighting in the Trinity – Michael Reeves (135 pgs.)
• The Kingdom of God – Jeffrey Johnson (176 pgs.)
• The Story of Redemption – Jeffrey Johnson (144 pgs.)

Fiction

• The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien (300 pgs.)
• The Lord of the Rings Trilogy – J.R.R. Tolkien (~350 pgs. each)
• The Chronicles of Narnia – C.S. Lewis (~230 pgs. each)
• The Space Trilogy – C.S. Lewis (~240 pgs. each)
• The Wingfeather Saga – Andrew Peterson (~350 pgs. each)
• The Pilgrim’s Progress – John Bunyan (~240 pgs.)
• Sir Knight of the Splendid Way – W.E. Cule (134 pgs.)
• Maritime Book Series (4 Parts) – Doug Wilson (~130 pgs. each)
• Crown and Covenant Series (3 Parts) – Douglas Bond (~270 pgs. each)

Biographies

• 27 Servants of Sovereign Joy – John Piper (1000+ pgs. Jump around in it)
• A Long Line of Godly Men (10 Volumes) – Various Authors (~160 pgs. each)
• Foundations of Grace (1400 BC – AD 100) – Steven Lawson (520 pgs.)
• Pillars of Grace (AD 100 – 1564) – Steven Lawson (464 pgs.)

Church History

• Defenders of the West: The Christian Heroes Who Stood Against Islam – Raymond Ibrahim (352 pgs.)
• The Unquenchable Flame: Discovering the Heart of the Reformation – Michael Reeves (191 pgs.)
• 5 Minutes in Church History – Stephen Nichols (141 pgs.)

Questions for your wife

1. What could I do to make you feel more loved?
2. How am I doing at spiritually leading our home?
3. What do you love most about our marriage?
4. What mutual goal would you like to see us accomplish?

Daily Self-Examination

We believe this to be an extremely helpful time of reflection as you work toward becoming more disciplined and take stock of its effects on your life each day. It also serves to help you keep your focus on growing the whole man (spiritual, physical, and mental), rather than becoming hyper focused on one aspect.

1. Gratitude: Recall anything from the day for which you are especially grateful and give thanks.
2. Review: Recall the events of the day, from start to finish, noticing where you knew God’s presence, and where you accepted or turned away from opportunities to grow in faith or love.
3. Confession: Recall and confess any sins from your day. Whether they be sins of commission or omission.
4. Forgiveness: Ask for God’s forgiveness. If your sin involved someone else, plan to reconcile with them as soon as possible.
5. Grace: Ask God for the grace you need for the next day and the ability to see God’s presence more clearly and follow Him more faithfully.

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Elements

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