Men in the Arena - Christian Men's Podcast

It might seem expensive to prepare your family for emergencies, but you can do it without breaking the bank. In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, Jim Ramos outlines how a Christian man can prep without blowing his family's budget.

In the last episode, Jim Ramos taught you the first 5 items on the "List of Lists" a.k.a. the '9 B's of Preparedness' for when the electricity, internet and online connectivity are gone. In this 10-minute equipping episode, he outlines B's 5-9. Here are the books mentioned in the episode: One Second After -> https://tinyurl.com/onesecond115 By William Forstchen World Made by Hand: A Novel -> https://tinyurl.com/worldmade115 By James Howard Kunstler Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse -> https://tinyurl.com/patriot115 By James Wesley Rawles How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times -> https://tinyurl.com/howtosurvive115 Dare to Prepare - 6th Edition 2020 Printing -> https://tinyurl.com/dareto115 By Holly Drennan Deyo

Christian man, if the electricity went out and didn't come back on, what would you do? The outage of electricity and internet represent a major danger in an increasingly internet-reliant world. If this happened, would you be ready, or panicking with everyone else? In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, Jim Ramos teaches you the 9 B's of Preparedness a.k.a. "The List of Lists."

As anticipated, we received some pushback on Jim's 10-minute equipping episode on how Christians can deal with anxiety (episode 659). He addresses some of the concerns raised, and elaborates on the point, while preaching at Yamhill Christian Church in this bonus audio-only episode.

Christian man, are you prepared to lead your family through the worst? If the pandemic taught us anything, it's that hard times WILL come - it's just a matter of when. As a leader, you bring peace to your family and set yourself up to help others when you are prepared. This week, Jim Ramos unpacks how to start prepping using the Survival Rule of 3s.

Should a Christian man be a prepper? Does prepping indicate a lack of faith in God? In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, pastor Jim Ramos gives his take on prepping and looks at what the Bible says on the subject. Here's the book Jim mentions in the podcast: One Second After, by William Forstchen (Using this link to check out the book helps support Men in the Arena. Thanks!) This is the start of a 4-episode series on prepping. Follow the podcast in your podcast app so you see the rest of the series right away as they drop.

Is it ever okay for Christians to use physical force? This can be a touchy subject in Christian circles. In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, we dive in to see what the Bible says about using physical violence and force. How do we balance the tension between the God we read about in the Old Testament vs. the God we read about in the New Testament?Pastor Jim Ramos continues to process what the Bible says as we ask the question, is there GOOD violence?

Brother, do you need courage? Is God calling you to a place you've never been, or to something you're not sure you can do? Several times in his life, pastor Jim Ramos was deathly afraid of the next step God was calling him to take. Each time, he did a comprehensive study of 'courage' as it shows up in the Bible. He discovered 4 attributes of courage that will help you make the courageous move today. (Years later, that comprehensive study became his book Guts and Manhood: Four Irrefutable Attributes of Courage. You can listen to it on Audible here.) Book referenced in the episode: No More Christian Nice Guy by Paul Caughlin (using this link supports Men in the Arena)

What is courage, and how do you get it? It may not be what you think. In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, pastor Jim Ramos debunks many of the views we're taught about courage that aren't biblical. We look at examples of courage from the Bible that are typically interpreted wrong or viewed incorrectly, and debunk common courage myths. You'll walk away from this episode ready to take the courageous path in your own life.

Man, are you in the Stress Bubble? There are multiple pressures that combine to create the "Stress Bubble" season of a man's life. In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, Jim Ramos describes 4 dangers that can happen when a man is in the Stress Bubble and how you can become your best version even while battling through this hard season of life. Here's the YouTube video where you can see Jim's balloon illustration: https://youtu.be/XvXZ7adtdKk

Society tells us that anxiety is a diagnosis we carry with us. But what does God say about it? In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, pastor Jim Ramos looks at how God handles anxiety in Scripture and teaches you 4 steps for tackling your anxiety that are grounded in the Word of God.

Brother, are you ALL IN on your marriage? Are you sure? In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, Jim Ramos outlines a common mistake that married men make, and one step you can take to ensure that your marriage thrives. This episode pulls from principles outlined in Reggie Campbell's excellent little book, What Radical Husbands Do. (This is an affiliate link, so if you decide to purchase the book, use this link - it helps support Men in the Arena.)

When it comes to finishing strong, you can't get much better than Caleb in the Bible. In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, pastor Jim Ramos pulls from the life of Caleb in Numbers 13 and Joshua 14 to give you four battle cries of a man who is finishing life strong.

Is your young adult child rebelling, or threatening to leave the faith altogether? Even kids raised in a solid Christian homes can end up doing stupid stuff that doesn't match Christian values. If that's you (or you're worried it will be the moment your kids reach college), there's hope. There are choices you can make that increase the likelihood of your young adult child coming back to the Church. In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, Men in the Arena founder and pastor Jim Ramos gives you 7 steps you can take to love your child back into a relationship with God.

Are you a step-dad, or about to be? How does a dad navigate a second marriage with a blended family successfully? How can you avoid the traps and set yourself up for success? In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, Pastor Jim Ramos walks you through the 7 principles outlined in blended-family expert Ron Deal's excellent book, The Smart Step Dad: Steps to Help You Succeed. For more on Ron's book and step-parenting, listen to Ron's three interviews on the Men in the Arena podcast.

Christian, where is your heart headed? Are you slipping into the danger zone? In this week's 10 minute equipping episode, Pastor Jim Ramos gives you 3 red flags for the Christian heart. These three "H's" 🚩🚩🚩 will help you figure out if your heart is headed towards trouble.

Wondering what your next step is for unlocking your best version and living it over a lifetime? This week, Jay Penton, Men in the Arena's new Director of Outreach, joined Jim Ramos to share how he can help you achieve your best version. Join a Team Men in the Arena's free Resources for Active Military, First Responders, and Men in Developing Nations

Have you ever considered leading men? Odds are that most of the men you know don't have a men's small group, but a consistent group of guys to lock shields with is a game-changer in a man's life. This week, Jim Ramos walks you through the 7 steps needed to launch a team.

Is your marriage stuck in a rut? Do you feel like you're just going through the motions? If your marriage is spinning its wheels but can't seem to get traction, this episode is for you. This week, Rich Millentree, host of the Growing in Marriage podcast, joined Jim Ramos to help you and your wife take the small steps that will get you big traction and headed in the right direction!

Sponsor: Juniper Mountain Trading Post coffee. Use code "ARENA" at junipermountaintradingpost.com for 10% off your order. If you're listening to this podcast, you're probably a pretty good dad. But there are 5 common mistakes that even GOOD dads make. In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, Jim Ramos describes the five types of mistaken dad he's seen over and over again in 30 years of ministry, and helps you course-correct if you've fallen into one of the "good Christian dad" errors. Are you the: Rubberband Dad? Bulldozer Dad? Kids-First Dad? Working Dad? Religious Dad? Find out in today's episode.

When a BOMB drops on your life, how do you get through it? Death of a spouse, cancer diagnosis, divorce papers, mental illness - none of us gets through this life unscarred. The question is, when the INEVITABLE crisis comes, who will you lean on? And as a dad, how do you walk your kids through life's hardest circumstances? This week, Jay Holland, the host of the Let's Parent on Purpose podcast, joined Jim Ramos to talk about his journey through crisis with his kids and what got him through it. Here's the book with the brotherhood accountability questions referenced in the podcast: Character That Counts by Rod Handley. [If one of your buddies or someone at your church is going through grief, this series of 4 tiny books is designed to help you support him through the process: Journeying Through Grief by Kenneth C. Haugk. Our Men in the Arena board chair keeps a set of these on hand at all times to hand out.]

How much TV do you watch each night? If you're a typical American, it might add up to more than you think. In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, Jim Ramos takes a look at television's place in the life of a Christian man. Some of the ideas in this episode are related to our audio-only interviews with Matt Friedman (Kill the Flatscreen and Discipleship and Your Kids) about his book, Discipleship in the Home.

Financial worries keeping you up at night? A Christian man doesn't have to be a poor man! Ryan Arzner joined Jim Ramos to help you achieve financial freedom in the stress bubble. Resources: The Rat Race Rich Dad CASHFLOW Board Game Tax Free Wealth by Tom Wheelright Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki Rich Dad's CASHFLOW Quadrant: Rich Dad's Guide to Financial Freedom by Robert T. Kiyosaki .

In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, Jim Ramos outlines his top 17 books for men, along with why they are must-reads for every man. His list includes 2 Bibles, 3 biographical adventures, 6 fiction, and 6 nonfiction. Add these books to your reading list. Here are direct links to his top 17 books for men: BIBLES: The Bible: New Living Translation Filament - complete with all-important ! at John 19:30. The Chosen Blended Harmony of the Gospels BIOGRAPHICAL ADVENTURES: Undaunted Courage by Steven Ambrose Endurance by Alfred Lansing River of Doubt by Candice Millard FICTION One Second After by William Forstchen Old Man and the Sea by Earnest Hemingway The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino Call of the Wild (White Fang) by Jack London This Present (Piercing the...) Darkness by Frank Peretti Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein NON-FICTION: Forgiving Forward: Unleashing the Forgiveness Revolution by Bruce Hebel Wild at Heart by John Eldredge What Radical Husbands Do by Regi Campbell Developing the Leader Within You by John Maxwell How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie Strong Men Dangerous Times: Five Essentials Every Man Must Possess to Change His World by Jim Ramos (Now available in Audiobook format! You can finally listen to SMDT in your car!) (Using these links to check out the books helps support Men in the Arena - thanks!)

Do you believe Jesus is the ultimate man? If so, then His life must hold the keys to how men like YOU should live. This week, author Josh Khachadourian joined Jim Ramos to discuss his book, The Standard: Discovering Jesus as the Standard for Masculinity. They explore how Jesus controlled conversations; how He managed His team; practiced self-mastery; and the ancient disciplines, actions, and methods He employed (that you can adopt) to influence those around you.

Men, who do you prioritize in your family? Who is the most important person in your world? Your wife? Your kids? You mother? Does this change if you've been remarried and have kids from your first marriage? In today's 10-minute equipping episode, Pastor Jim Ramos walks you through what the Bible teaches about where you family priorities should lie, and what it means for your family, step-family, wife (1st, 2nd, or 3rd), and kids.

The second episode in a 2-part series. Everybody makes assumptions. There are assumptions behind the things we read, watch, and hear. The question is not if you assume, but rather how you assume and if your assumptions are true. As Christian men raising families in a fallen world, we need to equip ourselves - and our kids - with the ability to discern what is real and true among all the false narratives in our culture. This week, David Richardson, the founder of the Assumptions Institute, joined Jim Ramos to discuss his book 'Transparent: How to See Through the Powerful Assumptions That Control You'. By the end of this two-part series, you'll be better able to discern the assumptions behind any message you hear and equip your kids to encounter the world's agendas without being misled and manipulated by them.

The average wedding today costs almost $30,000! And half of the time, that $30K investment is flushed down the toilet in divorce. However, there are wedding planning choices that you can make to reduce the chance of your marriage dissolving and that wedding investment being wasted. In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, Jim Ramos offers you a new way to look at marriage and your wedding day.

Everybody makes assumptions. There are assumptions behind the things we read, watch, and hear. The question is not if you assume, but rather how you assume and if your assumptions are true. As Christian men raising families in a fallen world, we need to equip ourselves - and our kids - with the ability to discern what is real and true among all the false narratives in our culture. This week, David Richardson, the founder of the Assumptions Institute, joined Jim Ramos to discuss his book 'Transparent: How to See Through The Powerful Assumptions That Control You.' By the end of this two-part series, you'll be better able to discern the assumptions behind any message you hear and equip your kids to encounter the world's agendas without being misled and manipulated by them.

Men, do you know that you have a unique role in fostering beauty and femininity in the women in your life? It's a job that only a man can do. In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, Jim Ramos teaches you 5 things you can say to call out the femininity in your wife, your daughters, and your granddaughters.

The world needs real men, real bad. And there are all sorts of conflicting ideas and messages about what a "real man" is (and is not). This week, radio host and author Brant Hansen joins Jim Ramos to discuss his book The Men We Need: God's Purpose for the Manly Man, the Avid Indoorsman, or Any Man Willing to Show Up and provide you with a specific, actionable picture of what God created you to be as a man - a "Keeper of the Garden" - and what that means for you today.

When you look at your wife, what do you see? Is she still the glowing bride you married, or does she look worn out, tired, and joyless? In this week's 10-minute Equipping episode, Jim Ramos teaches you to ask this important question and what to do about it.

This week's episode comes with a special giveaway! Our guest, Trent Fisher of Born and Raised Outdoors, is offering our listeners the chance to win one of 2 free "Cat Road Shuffle" elk call kits, valued at $174.89 each! Enter to win at https://meninthearena.org/bro. Do you like your work, love it, or dread going back to it? If you are dragging yourself in on Monday, maybe it's time for a new path. This week, Trent Fisher of Born and Raised Outdoors joined Jim Ramos to talk about why it's important to enjoy your work and how to transition into a career you love.

You love your bride, but do you accept her? In today's 10-minute equipping episode, Jim Ramos walks you through ONE thing you can do to change the course of your marriage now. The month of April is when our ministry raises most of our operating budget. We are looking for financial partners! If this podcast has impacted you over the past year, please consider giving back by making a recurring or one time gift at meninthearena.org/donate.

In part 2 of our series, Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield joins Jim Ramos to cover tools 5-15 in her Fathering Toolbox. Dad, is distance growing between you and your daughter? Was your relationship better when she was a little girl? As she's growing into a young woman, are you struggling to understand her, or concerned that you might not be getting it right? This week, we brought back one of our all-time favorite guests - Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield ("The Dad Whisperer"). She sat down with Jim Ramos for a deep-dive, two-part podcast where she unpacks all 15 of her tools for girl dads from her book 'Dad, Here's What I Really Need from You: A Guide for Connecting with Your Daughter's Heart.' She mentioned that this is the first podcast interview that has ever covered ALL 15 of her practical tools for dads! (They might even help you with your wife, too.) You'll walk away from this podcast with strategies you can implement with the women in your life TODAY.

Is there something about your wife that really bugs you or frustrates you? It may be a sign of something deeper going on. In this 10-minute equipping episode, Jim Ramos unpacks one way that you can change the course of your marriage.

Men, are you making the mistake of being NICE? Many men in the church mistake goodness with niceness. In this reboot episode, Jim was joined by Paul Coughlin, author of the book No More Christian Nice Guy: When Being Nice--Instead of Good--Hurts Men, Women and Children to teach you the difference between the two.

Dad, is distance growing between you and your daughter? Was your relationship better when she was a little girl? As she's growing into a young woman, are you struggling to understand her, or concerned that you might not be getting it right? This week, we brought back one of our all-time favorite guests - Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield ("The Dad Whisperer"). She sat down with Jim Ramos for a deep-dive, two-part podcast where she unpacks all 15 of her tools for girl dads from her book 'Dad, Here's What I Really Need from You: A Guide for Connecting with Your Daughter's Heart.' She mentioned that this is the first podcast interview that has ever covered ALL 15 of her practical tools for dads! (They might even help you with your wife, too.) You'll walk away from this podcast with strategies you can implement with the women in your life TODAY.

Single guys, how do you know the woman you're with is THE ONE? How do you find your soul mate? And should you date a woman who doesn't believe the same things you do? In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, Jim Ramos gives you 4 questions you should ask yourself before you choose to marry the girl you are dating.

Today we're rebooting one of Jim's favorite episodes, his interview with Regi Campbell, the author of a small but mighty book, 'What Radical Husbands Do.'

Has your hobby gotten out of control? How do you know if it has? What are the signs when you are out of balance? How do you protect your children and your marriage from your passions? This week, author Shane Sunn joined Jim Ramos to discuss his book, 'Moon and Sunn: Memoir of a Fishing Legend and His Son' and help you consider whether your pastimes are causing harm in your life and family, and if so, what to do about it.

Why do so many marriages fail? How should a Christian man treat his wife to help his marriage thrive? In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, Jim Ramos teaches you the principles of the "Eight-Cow Wife" and the "Five Star Man" to help you understand how you as a Christian man should treat your wife.

This is the first of six installments in our "OG ("Original Gangster" aka "Old Guy") Series. In it, we'll take a deep dive into each of the six expectations of "older men" (aka Elder Statesmen) listed in Titus 2:2, "Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, (sound) in love, (and sound) in perseverance." This week, Jim Ramos will teach you about the STABILITY of the OG.

Are you stuck in thinking 'do good, get good, do bad, get bad?' Performance- and works-based religion are in the heart of every Christian man. In this classic episode, co-author of 'The Shack' Wayne Jacobsen joined Jim Ramos to discuss how you can avoid the trap of performance-based religion in your own life.

Are you concerned about your kids' screentime? You know this stuff is addictive, but how should you manage the use of phones, video games, computers, and TV in a way that makes sense in a digital world? There are a lot of opinions out there on how much technology is too much. Some are too extreme, some are too lax. In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, Jim Ramos offers the best guidelines he has found for managing the tech in your home. (The steps in this episode came from our interview with past expert guest, Jasper Hall, president of pureHOPE.)

In this classic episode of the Men in the Arena podcast, Gene Getz joined Jim Ramos to discuss his classic book, Measure of a Man. How do you measure up?

Has your "happily ever after turned into struggling to keep your marriage alive? You might have begun your marriage with an incomplete picture of each other that is silently, invisibly destroying your relationship. This week, Jason Karampatsos joins Jim Ramos to discuss his book, "The Elephant in the Marriage." This episode will help you discover what is trampling your marital satisfaction and how to fix it. (Jason's previous two appearances on the Men in the Arena podcast are in episodes 239 and 240.)

Are you a great dad? How do you know? In this week's 10-minute equipping episode, Jim Ramos gives you a 10-item checklist to help you know if you're average, mediocre dad or an excellent one.

In this bonus recording of Jim Ramos speaking at a local gathering for men in McMinnville, Oregon, he outlines his new theme for the year - "Clean the Cup" - and what it means to the Godly man.

Fighting? Miscommunication? Hurt feelings? Ever feel like you and your wife are speaking completely different languages? That's because you and your wife have different communication styles. This week, author Bill Farrel joined Jim Ramos to discuss his book, 'Men are Like Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti." He explains why communication seemed so much easier while you were dating, and teaches you to leverage your differences to make a happier, more solid marriage. Understanding how God made men and women to communicate will change your marriage forever.