Are You a Tough Guy with Paul Horrocks-CMAW158

Q&A: When did you become a Christian? What led you to write this book? In your book, you picked out four characteristics of tough guys, which we're going to talk about today, you gave examples of those traits from men in the Bible, lesser known men from present day, as well as from Jesus, and you give tips on how men can apply this trait to their lives.  I like this format since it's similar to what we do on this podcast. I love that you used examples from the Old Testament since that the OT is often ignored today.  I also like that you took time in the beginning to give some historical context for when these men lived. So let's start with trait #1-Took risks-give us examples of some tough guys in the Bible who took risks How did Jesus take risks? You said that God often choose unlikely men to serve. I thought this was encouraging especially for those of us who aren't in traditional leadership/management roles at work.  Why do you think God operates this way? In business we often associate risk with reward.  Should we expect a reward for taking a risk in the name of the Kingdom of God? 2-Spoke the truth directly-I think it's pretty easy for us to think of how Jesus spoke the truth directly, can you give us examples of some other tough guys in the Bible who spoke the truth directly? You say that we need a perspective change when it comes to this of speaking truth directly, tell us about that (what will happen if I DON'T speak up vs if I DO speak up). When it comes to politics, you point out that Atheists and Secular Humanists have their own religion but are actually less ashamed of their religion than most politicians today.  You also point out that there are justice issues that the church often supports that are popular with the general public, but that in order to change the culture we need to talk about justice issues that are less popular that the Bible talks about.  Can you expand on that? What are some excuses Christians use for not speaking up? 3-Excelled at what they did This trait is near and dear to the heart of this podcast. Give us an example of someone in the Bible who excelled at what He did. Can men count on having worldly success as a result of working with excellence? You say that tough guys didn't just work hard they were shrewd.  When I heard that I thought of a phrase a contractor said to me recently named Brandon, that it's easy to work hard, but it's hard to work easy.  Can you give us some examples of what it looks like to be shrewd? When it comes to working with excellence you mentioned the importance of having goals. Why is it important for men to have goals when it comes to their spiritual life, not just things of this world? 4-Feared God more than men - you said this is the toughest trait for men, and you said that men are often courageous but hold back something from God.  Why is this trait so hard for men? I made a note of this scripture in your book, not sure if it was in your book or something I came across in the Bible after reading your book, but it's from Prov. 23:17 ESV "Let not your heart envy sinners but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day".  Do you see envy as being a trap for men when it comes this issue of fearing men? How can men contact you, get your book and learn more about you? Any final thoughts?