If dogs are a man's best friend, passivity is man's greatest enemy. It takes courage and strength for a man to step up and lead his wife and be the master of his home. It is not as easy as it seems, as any married man can attest. Today, we are going to look at three key traits every husband should exhibit as he looks to lead in his marriage. 1. Authority: The man is supposed to be the authority in the home, as indicated by Ephesians 5:23. This means that when hard decisions must be made, the man must be ready to make the final call. This can be intimidating, but this is God's call on your life. Your wife will appreciate it more than you know. Even if the choice you make doesn't work out in the end, as long as you are listening to God and His Word, she will respect you for making it. 2. Submission: Submission to God and His Word ensures that the authority you have been given remains a blessing and not a curse. You will be a leader, not a dictator; a brave, caring spouse, not a tyrant. As the wife submits to you, you must submit to God's Word. You are also responsible for submitting to your wife when she notices the blind spots in your leadership and points them out. 3. Sacrifice: Jesus modeled perfect sacrifice for us, so there is no mistaking how high the bar is set for husbands. In every situation, we must be prepared to lay down our lives, our wills, and our ambitions to pursue the best for our wives and families. Time, attention, money, energy--all these you must be willing to sacrifice for your family. After reading all of this, you may feel like this is too much responsibility for one person. To the man who is weighed down under doubt, the one who thinks he will never be able to lead his family, I point you to this verse. "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6 Thank you for listening to the Strengthened Hands Podcast! Don't forget to send comments to strengthenmyhands@gmail.com for comments, questions or future podcast ideas!  Visit our YouTube channel to see video versions of the Strengthened Hands Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2HzPSrQ2RzhCdhqBqsTwWg Support us by checking out our Etsy Shop! https://www.etsy.com/shop/StrengthenedHands Share the episode with your friends and make sure to follow the podcast so you don't miss any new episodes!

"Why don't I care about other people? Why does my brain work this way? Am I broken? What is wrong with me?" If you find yourself asking these questions, this podcast is for you. This is one of the most horrifying thoughts a person can have because it undercuts and calls into question the sincerity and goodness of every action that you do. "Am I doing this selfishly, or am I truly thinking of others?" Relationships are messy. They are messy between friends, family, spouses, siblings, and strangers. We are supposed to exhibit the utmost care for others, even thinking of others as greater than ourselves (Philippians 2:3), but this is extremely difficult. You may find that even with the people you are "supposed to be close to", you don't love them the way you're supposed to, the way you want to, the way you ought to. You don't love your neighbor as yourself. So what are we to do in this situation? God's word has the answers for us in James 3:13-18 and 4:1-10. We have a lot of emotions that are going on inside of us all the time, wars of ambitions and jealousy. These emotions make it difficult to parse out true intentions and motives, but with God's truth as our aid, our care for other people can grow. Don't forget to send comments to strengthenmyhands@gmail.com for comments, questions or future podcast ideas!  Visit our YouTube channel to see video versions of the Strengthened Hands Podcast:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2HzPSrQ2RzhCdhqBqsTwWg Support us by checking out our Etsy Shop!https://www.etsy.com/shop/StrengthenedHands Share the episode with your friends and make sure to follow the podcast so you don't miss any new episodes!

There are a lot of people in the world, and no two are the same. Some people love to sing, some are deathly afraid of singing. Some people love ice cream, some would prefer cake. Others are die hard sports fans while others couldn't care less. But one thing that every person has in common is that all people love to be respected. It's in our human nature to feel like we are important and recognized. When we don't feel important or recognized, this is known as disrespect. Respect is something that seems to have gone out of fashion with the passage of time. Parents are no longer respected or obeyed, governmental authorities are daily disparaged and criticized, friends mistreat each other for no cause, and elders no longer hold the same status that required young people to give up their seats or hold doors open or say "yes, sir," or "no ma'am." This is not only a social problem, but a spiritual problem. God has high expectations for the respect we are to show to one another, and this is what we are going to look into on today's episode. Jesus said "Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12) This is the golden rule, and as Jesus so clearly puts it, if we were able to just do these two simple things perpetually, we would be keeping the entire Law. However, we are not able to do this. "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do." (Galatians 5:17) However, God is patient and mericful and continually reminds us to live in love and respect of one another. He gives us guidlines for how wives and husbands should treat each other (Ephesians 5:22-33), how children ought to treat their parents (Ephesians 6:1-3), how fathers ought to treat their children (Ephesians 6:4) and how citizens are supposed to treat their authorities (Romans 13:1-7). God is fully able to understand our hearts and how we ought to treat each other, and his Word is full of good wisdom for how we are to do just that. So join me as we dig into what it looks like to live a life of respect and the change that is produced when men lead this much-needed social charge. Don't forget to send comments to strengthenmyhands@gmail.com for comments, questions or future podcast ideas! Visit our YouTube channel to see video versions of the Strengthened Hands Podcast:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2HzPSrQ2RzhCdhqBqsTwWgSupport us by checking out our Etsy Shop!https://www.etsy.com/shop/StrengthenedHandsShare the episode with your friends and make sure to follow the podcast so you don't miss any new episodes!

"What can I do to get to know God?" For a Christian, there is no question more stimulating or exciting to answer than this when it is coming from a genuinely curious non-believer! Today on the Strengthened Hands Podcast, I will be answering this question. There are numerous ways to get to know God, some that I do not even address in this episode. I will be highlighting the most important and helpful methods. Reading your Bible - There is no better way to learn about the holiness, love, and justice of God the Father, the salvation that comes through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (God the Son), and the power and conviction of God the Holy Spirit. This book contains truth and nothing but the truth. It is inerrant, unchanging, and life-giving. The statutes and rules written ages ago remain relatable even thousands of years later, and the comfort it brings to the forgiven person is unmatched in all the world. Prayer - Prayer is our daily tether to God, our way of communicating with Him. He speaks clearly to us through the Bible, but he can also speak to us in the quietness of prayer. Through prayer, we request His aid to face many difficult trials, and we thank him for the many blessings He has poured out on us. Prayer is the means by which God's hand moves to answer specific desires we have. It draws our hearts nearer and dearer to His own. It is a pure act of faith that has no equal. Going to Church - The gathering of the people of God is a required practice for the Christian (Hebrews 10:25), not as a means by which religion can keep weak people under a heavy burden, consuming one day out of each week, but as a beautiful gathering of the friends and family who will eventually live together in perfect harmony in heaven. It is a place of worship, prayer, the reading of God's Word, fellowship, and loving relationship. It is the place where we see what happens when people actually follow what the Bible says. Here's a hint: it's an irreplaceable experience.Talking to Christians - Are you intimidated by the church and large groups of people? Don't worry, there are other ways to get to know God, and of the best ones is to simply talk to a real, live Christian! You should be able to recognize us by our love (John 13:35) and the fact that we are always trying to get you to think about God's salvation through Jesus (Mark 16:15). Christian Books, Podcasts, and YouTube Videos - Let's face it. This is the twenty-first century.  With that being the case, we Christians realize that we have a trove of new tools for spiritual growth that the world has only recently accessed! The information spreads quicker and finds it's way into the homes and headphones of non-believers in a way that would make any evangelist's heart pound violently from excitement. There has never been more to hear or to know about the mighty works and teachings of God than there is right now. With this, however, comes the unfortunate possibility of more false teachers and charlatans, but with a little bit of help and guidance from the teachings of scripture and Biblically grounded Christians, these resources can extremely beneficial to those interested in the faith. My Christian podcast recommendations:Living Waters Podcast (and YouTube channel) - Evangelism and topical studies of Biblical conceptsSteve Farrar - Men's Bible study teachingsRemnant Radio Podcast - Exploring different branches and doctrines of Christianity, focus on the power of the Holy Spirit and Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12-14)Cross Examined: I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist by Dr. Frank Turek - Apologetics (defense of the Bible)Bible Thinker by Mike Winger (and YouTube channel) - In-depth study of biblical topics and doctrinesEmail for comments: strengthenmyhands@gmail.comSupport us on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StrengthenedHands

In today's episode, we are talking about initiative. Initiative is one of the most powerful and useful tools in a person's toolbelt because it causes real, live-time change to be made in our world. Initiative is active when we offer to help someone carry their grocery bags. It is also active when we have an idea for a new business or product that will make life simpler and we take steps to create it.  It is active when starting a new art project or seeking a new job that will bring you more joy.Not everyone has a lot of natural initiative. Some people have to work hard to improve it, but in this episode I would like to show you that everyone should strive for initiative. Why is that? Because God loves initiative. How do I know? Because He proved it in the first words of the Bible: "In the Beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1God has given us the unique ability and power to assess our world and make changes if we see that something is broken or not working well. He has given us specific talents that we are supposed to use for His glory, and if we don't use them, we are denying Him the glory he deserves. This episode provides encouragement to those who do not have a lot of initiative, and cautionary advice for those who may have too much. I hope that by the end of the episode, you are inspired to go and make something of the talents God has given you!Thank you so much for listening faithfully to the podcast! Make sure to download, subscribe, share, and leave ratings! You can also send comments and ideas for future podcast episodes to strengthenmyhands@gmail.comSupport us by visiting our Etsy shop for cool podcast merch!Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StrengthenedHandsCheck out our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@strengthenedhands

Jesus and Satan are both complex beings. The difference between them is that one thinks he deserves to be God and is constantly trying to attain deity, the other KNOWS He is God and doesn't feel the need to defend his position against would-be gods. In Jesus, we see the humility of God. In Satan, we see pride. This virtue and this vice are completely at odds with each other-- always have been, always will be. It's light vs. dark, good vs. evil, Jesus vs. Satan. We are going to be looking at several accounts of Jesus showing us exactly how we can follow Him in godly humility, and we will also see several accounts of how pride insidiously infects the hearts of lesser creatures, namely Satan and mankind. Jesus was our perfect example of humility; he lowered himself in every way imaginable. A boundless God confined himself to flesh. He walked dusty roads. He allowed himself to be spat upon and beaten. He touched and healed sick and broken people. He washed the filthy feet of His disciples. Satan is the paragon of pride. He thought he was better than God. He glorified himself for his beauty which did not come from himself but was rather given to him by God. He dares us to think that we also can be gods, or at the very least to esteem ourselves as greater than those around us. These are the two most important spiritual forces fighting in the war of our hearts: which one are you going to enable in your life? One leads to honor, the other leads to destruction: can you guess which is which? (1 Peter 5:6, Proverbs 16:18)Thank you so much for listening faithfully to the podcast! Make sure to subscribe, share, and leave ratings! You can also send comments and ideas for future podcast episodes to strengthenmyhands@gmail.comSupport us by visiting our Etsy shop for cool podcast merch!Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StrengthenedHandsCheck out our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@strengthenedhands

1 Corinthians 9:27 "but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." When you see the word discipline, you may think about being corrected or chastised, possibly by a parent for wrong behavior. When I see the word discipline, I think about right living, the habits that we establish that set us apart from the masses and set us up for success. The reason I love talking about this second kind of discipline is because when we, by our own choice, lead strong, disciplined lives, we avoid needing to be disciplined by outside sources. What are the areas of discipline I am talking about? That is what today's episode is all about. There are two types of discipline I am going to address: spiritual discipline, and discipline for daily life. In daily life, we need discipline in what we eat, how much sleep we get, in our attitudes, our goals, and our relationships. These disciplines determine the quality of our lives. We also need spiritual discipline, the ability to put aside what we want in order to achieve a higher goal. Paul speaks of this concept in 1 Corinthians 9 when he tells of all he has given up for the sake of spreading the Gospel. If we are to "run as though to win" in this Christian race, we must be spiritually conditioned and disciplined to disdain the things of the world and look toward our ultimate goal, "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:10-11Thank you so much for listening faithfully to the podcast! Make sure to subscribe, share, and leave ratings! You can also send comments and ideas for future podcast episodes to strengthenmyhands@gmail.comSupport us by visiting our Etsy shop for cool podcast merch!Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StrengthenedHandsCheck out our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@strengthenedhands

Welcome back to the Strengthened Hands Podcast. Today we are discussing insecurities-- what they are, how we can recognize them in ourselves, and how we can handle them Biblically. Insecurities are a constant companion to the human heart, even the male heart. We cannot avoid them completely, but what we can do is fight against them using the Sword of the Spirit which is God's Word. Do you think you are ugly? Do you think you are dumb?Do you think you are too skinny? Too fat? Too weak?Christ came for us in our lowest state, and when we turn our eyes away from ourselves and look at the cross, we see that we are more than our shortcomings. Join us as we talk about a sensitive issue in a constructive way!Check us out on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StrengthenedHands?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=1500612980

There is no more terrifying thought than that of being sent to Hell, a place of punishment and wrath for eternity. People don't even like to mention the word Hell because of the fear it produces. No one wants to go to Hell. Everyone wants to go to Heaven. But how can we know for sure where we will end up when our days on this earth are through? When used together, Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23 show us exactly where people are headed if things are left totally in their hands. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). When we fail to live up to the standard that God has given to us, to be holy as He is holy (Lev. 11:44), we bring death upon ourselves (Romans 2:5). But "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16 If you want to go to heaven, trust in the one who paid your death sentence for you on the cross and rose victorious from the grave. Repent and turn from your sins and let His Holy Spirit guide you into all truth. (John 16:13) That is how you can go to Heaven and escape the clutches of Hell. Send me comments on what episode I should do next, and make sure to check out the new merchandise for the Strengthened Hands Podcast on our Etsy shop! Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StrengthenedHands

In this episode we are going to be talking about one of the most important topics for young men: integrity. Integrity is lacking in our American culture and the world as a whole. People are cutting corners to get ahead, fudging numbers, telling little white lies to stay out of trouble. The Bible has harsh things to say about people who have no moral standards and ignore their God-given conscience. We would do well to remind ourselves what integrity looks like. Come along with me as we take a look into personal stories of integrity, both in my own life and in the life of king David in scripture.

It's finally time to talk about the thing that all the young guys are thinking about... girls. Today as we discuss the topic of dating, I am going to give you Biblical insights into what you should consider before you begin dating. Remember this: dating is all about marriage. As you seek to date, you should constantly be considering the likelihood and benefits of making the person you're pursuing your spouse.I am going to be sharing my story of dating: the good, the bad, and the ugly. I hope that through what I have lived and learned, you can can avoid the school of hard knocks and be brilliant examples of standup young men who date with purpose in mind. If you're already dating someone, this episode will still be helpful for you as we explore the role of the boyfriend and the eventual role of a husband through the lens of 1 Corinthians 11. There is so much to say about this topic and I hope that you guys have your eyes opened to the great joy that there can be when men step up and fulfill their God-given call in pursuing godly women. Let's get started!Thank you so much for listening faithfully to the podcast! Make sure to subscribe, share, and leave ratings! You can also send comments and ideas for future podcast episodes to strengthenmyhands@gmail.comSupport us by visiting our Etsy shop for cool podcast merch!Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StrengthenedHandsCheck out our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@strengthenedhands

Pop quiz: What is the most attractive quality in a man?? I think it is a safe bet to say that women would put work ethic near the top of the list. Why would that be? Because men were designed to work.God created Adam and gave him dominion over the entire creation in Genesis 1 and 2. This is one of the foremost institutions of nature, that man would be a worker. However, work is not always enjoyable. When Adam ate from the tree, God cursed the work of man, which is why work can be such a hard and unpleasant reality for many people. So what can we do when we find ourselves despising our work? One of the best things you can do is develop a good work ethic. Work ethic is the principle that says, "even though this is hard and I don't like it, I am going to finish this job and do it well because it is the right thing to do." This principle comes straight out of scripture. In this episode, I am going to show you why work ethic is an important character quality to attain, as well as how you can develop this healthy attitude toward work. By the end I hope you will have gained a whole new perspective on work and the eternal impact that it has, even when you don't see it.Thank you so much for listening faithfully to the podcast! Make sure to subscribe, share, and leave ratings! You can also send comments and ideas for future podcast episodes to strengthenmyhands@gmail.comSupport us by visiting our Etsy shop for cool podcast merch!Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StrengthenedHandsCheck out our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@strengthenedhands

In this episode, we are going to talk about one of my favorite topics: quiet time with God! Being alone with God has led to some of the most special moments in my life. My quiet time is my safe space, where I can give my burdens to the Lord, praise Him for all He's done, and ask him to make me more like Him. I want this episode to be an encouragement to you, to open the door to one of the biggest blessings available to the Christian. "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:1-2 Here are the questions we will be tackling in this episode:1. What does quiet time with God look like?2. When should we do it?3. What do you do during quiet time?4. What order do you do it all in?5. How much is enough?6. How important is it really?  I hope that you enjoy this episode, and I hope that by the end of it, you're rushing to turn it off so that you can go spend time with the Almighty! Thank you so much for listening faithfully to the podcast! Make sure to subscribe, share, and leave ratings! You can also send comments and ideas for future podcast episodes to strengthenmyhands@gmail.comSupport us by visiting our Etsy shop for cool podcast merch!Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StrengthenedHandsCheck out our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@strengthenedhands

This is the first installment of the Strengthened Hands Podcast; thank you so much for tuning in! This podcast is specifically designed to tackle issues that young men in their late teens and early twenties are dealing with. I want these episodes to be a Biblical springboard for any young man who wants to stand out from the crowd and live life boldly in Christ. When I was choosing what episode I wanted to be the first, the answer came pretty easily: masturbation. Why would I choose such an uncomfortable topic for my very first episode? Because this is the real stuff that young men are dealing with today. I could be found wrestling with this issue just a few years ago myself. It was one of the most difficult mental battles I have ever fought, and I went through it alone, too ashamed to share my struggle with anyone else. I don't want you to be alone. In this episode, you are going to hear my story, and together we are going to look at what the Bible says about masturbation and how we can break our addiction to it. You will hear exactly what verses brought me to understanding of my sexual body and God's purpose for it. I hope that this episode will help you in a life-changing way, and I cannot wait to make more episodes just like this one for all of you young men!Thank you so much for listening faithfully to the podcast! Make sure to subscribe, share, and leave ratings! You can also send comments and ideas for future podcast episodes to strengthenmyhands@gmail.comSupport us by visiting our Etsy shop for cool podcast merch!Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StrengthenedHandsCheck out our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@strengthenedhands