Honestly as a women in her late twenties I appreciate Mark’s sincere and honest rebuke of these guys. I’ve dated enough of them to know that someone in the church needs to speak out and start teaching Christian guys how to be “MEN of God”.

Too many ladies today are settling for Christian guys because they’ve never met a MAN of God. This is sad. So many times I’ve talked with my Christian girlfriends and we’ve asked the question, where are the MEN? Where are the MEN who know what it means to be a Godly husband and father?

About Mark’s style, and about the ladies laughing in the background… These “guys” need to realize that women are laughing at their behavior. IF women laugh at your behavior, it needs to be changed. Respect is earned and no woman laughs at the behavior of a Godly man. We admire and respect it and thank God for the men in our lives who have provided for us, protected us, led us and helped to cultivate us as Godly women.

So, no, I guess I don’t have a lot of sympathy for the guys who would be offended by Mark’s style. A MAN is not going to offended by any of this teaching because it is NOT who he is. A MAN is secure and confident enough to be challenged and to learn because a MAN of God will maintain a teachable spirit.

Praise Jesus for someone who will tell it like it really is and stop coddling guys. That’s my two cents.

michael – thanks for sharing how things are a little different in your context.

geoffc – I need to be careful of not throwing the baby out with the bathwater and be thankful for his ministry. – good call homeboy.

and this, I think, is where he hits the nail on the head, and here we have not only the type of man Jesus was but the type of man he calls us to be and also the type of God we worship. I could probably leave out the blue collar carpenter bit, the similarities between first century carpentry and 21st century tradesmen is probably not that close.

But as much as this type of thing can sometimes annoy me, often his cultural analysis is spot on and it’s obvious many man has benefited from hearing his “man up” rants. I need to be careful of not throwing the baby out with the bathwater and be thankful for his ministry.

I’m actually listening to a sermon on pastors at the moment from him and this is a direct quote, “tell the men of other men who are exemplary and worthy of honour” the whole gist of about 5 minutes was on encouraging men to be better husbands and fathers and sons.

When he tells men to “man up” he almost always draws the correlation to Jesus as being the ultimate example of manhood. He may not in this particular video, but I can asure you that in almost every other sermon on the topic he does. Alot of what he says is that while Jesus had some atributes that we equate with women he was a masculine man, he was a blue colour worker, a carpenter, he suffered inordinate pain for his bride, etc. I hope that help to clear a few things up.

“I have never felt I didn’t measure up until Driscoll”

I mean that for the most part any behavior– really just about any behavior– is ok for a guy in our society. It’s written off as, boys will be boys, or some other appeasing motto. What Driscoll does is take men out of the bible and show how we don’t match up. I don’t feel like his heart is to just belittle us for the sake of a good joke, but instead give us some good perspective.

Its plays out like this. For me, before I started to follow Christ, I would take a look at my classmates and friends and see how I would measure up. I always felt pretty good, I felt pretty manly and therefore thought I could do what men do, drink, have sex, you know the general. After becoming a Christian my eyes have been opened to many things, the greatest of which is the absolute scale of masculinity.

Other pastors implore you to change, Driscoll demands it. As a guy, I respond to challenges and demands, just wired that way.

I hope that proved a brief look into my heart about masculinity. I have been studying this quiet a bit in the couple years I have been a Christian, so I by no means think I have it all right, this is just my experience.

I actually agree with Mark’s points for the most part about men to stop behaving like boys and I think he hits the nail on the head on quite a few issues.

My experience in the majority of Christian circles I’ve been in is pretty similar to what Mark articulates. For the most part a lot of men do need a kick up the butts, even if Mark is a bit reductionistic in his presentation of it

Sorry, I shouldn’t just come in with unhelpful one liners like that.

I will say that this is not one of his better clips.

I’m a guy, and I don’t think the cruddy exegesis method should be used…

here’s the sermon he’s talking about
http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/trial/marriage-and-men

I have had many pastors talk about the ideals of masculinity, but I have never felt I didn’t measure up until Driscoll. Since then I have seen lots of Driscoll and I will say that this is not one of his better clips. He does focus on the social markers of a man, and not spiritual ones. This being said, if you would like to see a much better, and longer address to men search for his Marriage and Men sermon. Much more intentional about the Christ part of masculinity.

peaceout