Introduction to Daily Blade

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Welcome to the Daily Blade . The Word of God is described as the sword of the Spirit , the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil . Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson , and they stand ready to equip men for the fight . Let's sharpen up .

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Hey brothers , thank you for putting up with me this week . Again , this is day five , good

Cultivating with Unique Strength

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old Friday . We've been talking about why God gave us our unique strength . We saw that it was to work and to keep , and that work is the work of cultivation . Talked about cultivating a sense of self , cultivating a brotherhood , cultivating a marriage , and then , lastly , we are meant to cultivate our context . What I mean by that is work , neighborhood and hobby .

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The Bible teaches us in Psalm 139 and Acts 17 that we have been uniquely wired and uniquely placed to bring order and light to the world . And this kind of unique wiring and unique placement really set a trajectory for our lives . If we're an engineer or a welder or a teacher or a lawyer or in the C-suite , or we're a janitor , god has uniquely wired us and placed us in those places to bring order and light , to do the work of cultivation . And Jefferson Bethke says this is what differentiates boys from men . Boys are ruled by their passions , their lusts , their dreams , people's praise or critique , money and so on . But becoming a man requires developing mastery over those things by channeling our energy

Men as Watchmen on Walls

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towards a specific focus that doesn't destroy but produces your career , your job , the way you spend your life should have the aroma of Christ on it . You're coming to work to cultivate beauty , to establish truth , to establish order for the glory of God in Christ . That should infuse your life with purpose . That's how you should hit the jujitsu mats . That's how you should hit CrossFit . That's how you should hit that coffee shop . That's how you should see your neighborhood . You've been uniquely wired and uniquely placed to bring order and light . We cultivate our context . Now , cultivation or work isn't the only thing in view . We also have this command in Genesis to keep . We're to work and keep , or the idea is to watch over .

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I love this concept for men , like the watchman on the wall , like Isaiah 62 , 6 through 7 , jerusalem , I have appointed watchmen on your walls . They will never be silent , day or night . There is no rest for you who remind the Lord . Do not give him rest until he establishes and makes Jerusalem the praise of the earth . Now , at some point or at some level , this is physical . Like in almost every case , men are physically stronger than women , right ? This is why , throughout the history of the world , men have been the warrior class protecting women and children . There have been seasons and horrific situations in history , where women are in the last line of defense and have to fight , but by and large , combat has been for men .

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And

Breaking the Cycle of Self-Obsession

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so are you a watchman on the wall , brother ? Are you watching your family ? Are you paying attention to what's going on in your community , what's going on in your church , what's going on in your home ? The context in which you think about your faith , it matters , like you hear about how God is our shepherd , he's our father , he's our friend . But we cannot forget the most significant metaphor in the Bible for the Christian life , and that is the metaphor of war .

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Psalm 24 , eight says who is the king of glory ? The Lord strong and mighty , the Lord mighty in battle . Exodus 15 , three says the Lord is a warrior , the Lord is his name . And my all-time favorite , isaiah 42 , 13, . The Lord advances like a warrior , he stirs up zeal like a soldier , he shouts , he roars aloud and he prevails over his enemies .

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So I'm asking , brothers , are you a watchman on the wall ? Are you spiritually giving watch over your home , over your wife , over your brothers , over your children's heart ? When was the last time you warred in the heavens for the soul of your family ? When was the last time you looked in the mirror and slayed your inner demons for the sake of your marriage . Where are the watchmen in your church ? Are they interceding for a movement of God there , for freedom , for hope , for salvation ? If you saw the last month's worth of your prayers , that you have prayed and God answered all of them , what would you see , brother ? What would you see ? Would there be greater comfort in your life , more sex in your life , more money in your life ? I don't think that those things are necessarily bad things . I'm telling you that as a watchman on the wall , brothers , we must be mindful that we're caught in a cosmic conflict .

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Let me end my week with you like this . This is a quote from Jeff Cook . Here's what he says the more I make my life , my wellbeing , my enlightenment and my success primary , the farther I step from reality . Thus the hell bound . Do not travel downward . They travel inward , cocooning themselves behind a mass of vanity , personal rights , religiosity and defensiveness . Obsession with self is the defining mark of a disintegrating soul . This week , I'm trying to call you out of yourselves . Men , break the story , the cycle with me . Add a strong link in the chain of your bloodline . Work it and keep it . Sacrifice for the future . Now , I'm with you in this work . Brothers , I'm cheering you on , I'm praying for you , I'm in the fight with you . Keep going , always advancing God bless you .

Call to Action and Closing

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Thank you for listening to today's episode Before you go . If you want to help equip other men for the fight , share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review . Stay sharp .