Mantle Devotionals

Happy Monday, gentlemen! Let’s continue to lead and love well. That begins by knowing who we are as men. If you hear nothing else this week, know that your identity is found in Jesus Christ alone. Nothing else. You are a Child of God. You’re not defined by a job title, how well your business is doing, or even how much money you’ve got saved up. Those are all worldly parameters for defining success, but when they fade (and they will) they leave us unfulfilled and lacking identity. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬ I’m proud of you! Keep showing up. Keep leading well. Keep seeking the Lord first. Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Ask the Holy Spirit to walk with you step in step. You are God’s handiwork. Challenge: Honestly evaluate and write down where you’re finding your identity. Pray over it and ask the Lord to help you center your life around him not worldly things. Song: Cornerstone - Hillsong Worship

Happy Monday, gentlemen! Let’s continue to lead and love well. All of us are leading something. Whether you’re leading your wife, your kids, or a team of people at work - How do we as men lead well? We must first ask ourselves ‘How do we love well?’ “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬-‭8‬a ‭NIV‬‬ “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬ God shows us the example of what perfect love looks like by sending his one and only Son to die for our sins. By loving well, we show all those around us including the people we lead, what true love looks like. So, how do we lead well? We love well. We love like Jesus loves. I’m proud of you, men! Keep showing up. Keeping standing firm. Have a great week! Challenge: Go out of your way this week to show God’s love to someone. Song of the week: How He Loves - David Crowder Band

Happy Monday, gentlemen! Let’s continue to lead and love well. First, we must know how much God loves us. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬ If you hear nothing else this week, remember that God loves you so much he sent his one and only Son to die on the cross for your sins, while you were still a sinner. He loves you that much. He wants a personal relationship with you that much. Jesus sets us free. If you’re still trying to do it on your own, it was never designed to be that way. Accept the free gift of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Come to him just as you are. Make him Lord and Savior of your life. There’s nothing you have done that separates you from the love of Jesus. There’s no good works that you can do to earn his love, because it’s a free gift. His grace is so deep and wide that it’s hard to humanly fathom. Keep showing up. Keep loving well. Keep striving to draw closer to Jesus. I’m proud of you, men. You are loved. Challenge: Spend 5 minutes of quiet time with the Lord this week. Work to build on that. Song: It Really Is Amazing Grace - Phil Wickham, Crowder

Happy Monday, gentleman! Let’s continue to lead and love well. “19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. “James 1:19-20 NIV In today’s world, it’s so easy to meet anger with anger. It’s too easy to take our frustrations out on the person who cut us off in traffic or carry bitterness towards someone who wronged us just to “get even”. That is not at all what God desires for us. As men, let’s lead with the example Christ set for us. Let’s resist the temptation to become angry. Let’s reject the urge to act out of anger, but rather do everything in love. We should strive to lead with Christ-like actions and set an example for all those around us to recognize what is looks like to be slow to anger. Men, I’m proud of you. Keep showing up. Keep leading well. Keep striving to be the men that God has called you to be. Have a great week! Challenge: Be slow to anger. Make a conscious choice this week to choice joy and peace, over making a situation worse through anger. Song: Lord, I Need You – Matt Maher

Happy Monday, Gentlemen! Let’s continue to lead and love well.  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 I don’t know about you, but when people ask me how I’m doing, if I was being honest, my standard answer would be “tired”. Whether it’s physically tired from a busy schedule, emotionally tired from trying to be present at work and to my family, or mentally tired from the daily weight of decisions, I’m just plain tired. But Jesus tells us life doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, He says that for His followers, it shouldn’t be. What I’ve found to be true about myself is that I pretty much always believe in Jesus, but I don’t always believe Jesus. It’s one thing to believe in a historical figure who died for you and rose from the dead, it’s another thing to chose to believe that what He says is true. Jesus promises those that choose to follow Him and His ways, to work in His strength instead of our own, that our default is not “tired” but “rested”. So what do you need to hand over to Him this week so that you can experience the rest that He promises? Song of the week: Alone In It by Metro Collective Worship This week’s devotional written by: Tyler VanWey

Happy Monday, gentleman! Let’s continue to lead and love well! As we step into the new week let’s show the love of Jesus to all those around us. “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Let’s make a conscious effort to be servant leaders this week. Let’s put the needs of others before ourselves. Let’s serve our wives, children, and communities well, by sharing the love of Jesus. Remember - it’s not about what’s in it for us! It’s self sacrificial love. Men, let’s continue to answer the call by leading with love. Let’s do everything in love, be slow to anger, and just look for ways to serve others. Let’s model our leadership after Jesus! You got this. Men - I’m proud of you! Keep showing up. Keep leading well. Keep drawing closer to Jesus! Have a great week! Challenge - serve your wife, family and kids this week individually by doing something unexpected, without being asked. Song: Yes I Will - Vertical Worship

Happy Monday, gentlemen! I hope everyone had a great weekend and you got to slow down for a bit. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NIV The challenge I have for all of us is that we lead more courageously and have complete trust in the Lord. God is bigger than anything life throws at us, but we have to fully surrender it to him and fully surrender our lives to him. We serve a big God that can do the impossible. You were never meant to do it on your own. God is bigger than that situation at work. God is bigger than that financial strain. God is bigger than that relationship problem. God is bigger than infertility. God is bigger than that mental battle. God is bigger than that addiction. God is bigger than job search. God IS bigger. God loves you and cares for you. It’s time us men continue to show those around us “I don’t got this”, but we know who does. I encourage us all to fully surrender every aspect of our lives to the Lord. I’m proud of you! Keep showing up! Keep working hard! Keep leading your families well! Have a great week! Song of the week: Strong Enough - Matthew West