Introduction Tender Warriors
Introduction 1
It’s one of the great challenges that we will face in this century. What is it? It’s being a MAN! Our nation and our world are in trouble. There are not enough real MEN! It is true that there are plenty of guys who work 40 hours a week. There are plenty of guys who are married and have children. But these things don’t necessarily make them a man. Our society is confused about what being a man really is all about. Recently, I was listening to ESPN on the radio. There was a commercial that was aired for a place called “Sports Clips.” In the commercial a comment was made about how real men don’t cry. It went on to say that when a man does cry it’s not really tears that are coming out but his awesomeness. I have to admit that I did laugh a little bit. But it got me thinking that when it comes to men and how they are portrayed, some will often laugh or look down at a man who does cry. Men are taught that it’s not good to cry. Have you ever seen the Axe hair spray commercials on television? These commercials basically say that if you use their gel products for your hair, you will have women falling over you. Sadly, many young men are dumb enough to believe these commercials. But what’s being depicted in these commercials is the real issue. They are essentially saying that the number one goal for young men is to do their best to get young women to be with them physically. An online magazine recently put out a list of 10 things that make a man a real man. Below are those 10 things and some of the comments that were given for each one. 1. A real man is strong. “He doesn’t cry, doesn’t moan, and doesn’t get sick.” 2. A real man is focused. “A real man knows the difference between what’s important and what isn’t. A real man focuses on
power, money, and family. He doesn’t focus on sex. Sex comes as a result of having power, money and a wife (and if she doesn’t satisfy you, there are plenty of other women who will, especially when you are powerful and rich).”
3. A real man knows the importance of family. “A real man will keep his family strong and pass on his ancestors’ history and traditions.”
4. A real man doesn’t gossip. “A real man doesn’t discuss things he doesn’t know about or people he has never met.” 5. A real man’s word is his bond. “When a real man makes a promise, he keeps it.” 6. A real man strives to be a role model. “A real man respects himself and others at all times, unless, of course, he has been
disrespected.” 7. A real man makes his own fortune. “A real man doesn’t settle for handouts or charity when it comes to his personal fortune.” 8. A real man doesn’t look like a woman. “A real man doesn’t have piercings and long hair, and he doesn’t shave his chest.” 9. A real man keeps his house in order. “…There ain’t no pizza boxes sitting around, there ain’t no undershirts on the floor, and
there sure…no unpaid bills being used as…coasters.” 10. A real man can defend himself. “You know what’s missing in the world today? Leaders who had to fight their way to the top.”
What can we learn from lists like this? We learn that we need to listen to God’s word and not what the world thinks a man is. That’s what this class is all about. Over the next quarter we will learn what the Bible teaches regarding manhood and how we can become more effective men for God, His kingdom, our homes, and our nation.
Benjamin Lee
Lesson 1 Tender Warriors
Man Up: Becoming A Tender Warrior | 4
Quit Hitting The Snooze Button
Introduction
The Bible says in
Romans 13:11-12
“And do this,
knowing the time,
that now it is high
time to awake out of
sleep; for now our
salvation is nearer
than when we first
believed. The night
is far spent, the day
is at hand. Therefore
let us cast off the
works of darkness,
and let us put on the
armor of light.”
What can we learn
from this passage?
________________
________________
________________
________________
In this lesson we will address the need for men to wake up and realize the importance of being a man as God
demands.
1. From time to time we all need a wake-up call. How would you define what a wake-up call is? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. What instances in life have forced you to wake up and caused you to consider the things that really matter in life? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. What does the Bible teach regarding what really matters in life? Read the following passages to
help you answer this question. Ecclesiastes 12:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; Psalm 78:5-7; Luke 9:23-25.
_______________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________________
4. We have seen some things that really matter according to God. In what ways do you demonstrate
how critical these things are to you?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. Before class ask your wife this question: “If you could name just one area where you think I could
use a wake-up call, what would it be?” If you are not married, ask a friend. What was their response
and how did you feel about it?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. As men there’s no time to waste, Ephesians 5:15-17. What will you do differently to make the most
of your time in life?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
7. Skip ahead and read chapters 29 and 31. This will shed some more light on Job’s character. List some of the things that you learn about him.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Lesson 2 Tender Warriors
Man Up: Becoming A Tender Warrior | 5
Do You Have Pro-Vision?
Introduction
In Luke 6:39 the
Bible says, And He
spoke a parable to
them: “Can the blind
lead the blind? Will
they not both fall into
the ditch?”
What did Jesus
mean in this verse?
________________
________________
________________
If we are going to be successful as men we must have vision. The vision that’s required for us to be successful is PRO-VISION.
Without the proper vision in life we will never get to where God wants us to be.
In this lesson we will address the idea of
having Provision.
1. A person once said, “Is there anything worse than blindness? Oh, Yes! A person with sight and no vision. What do you think they meant with this statement? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. Why is it necessary for us as men to be visionaries in the home? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. Name some men in the Bible who had vision and were able to accomplish great things.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. When it comes to provision, what are many men focused on that can cause them to fail as leaders?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. King Saul failed as a leader of God’s people. Read 1 Samuel 17. What hampered his vision?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. Is there anything in your life that’s getting in the way of you having the proper vision?
_______________________________________________________________________________
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Lesson 3 Tender Warriors
Man Up: Becoming A Tender Warrior | 6
Taste It Again For The First Time
Introduction
The Kellogg
Company once had
a catchy slogan. In
their ad they said,
“Kellogg’s Corn
Flakes: Taste them
again for the first
time.” This is the
attitude we must
have with God’s
word. We need to go
back to it, read it
carefully, so we can
understand what it
means to be a man.
The first two lessons
have demonstrated
the importance of
the need to be men.
Now we will begin to
look at the four
pillars of manhood.
What qualities do
men need? The
answer is found in
Jesus. The four
pillars are…
1. King
2. Warrior
3. Mentor
4. Friend
1. Jesus is described as being a King, Matthew 2:1-3. What comes to mind when you think of a king? Why do you think this is an important pillar to manhood? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. Jesus could be described as a Warrior, Revelation 5:5. This may surprise some. In what ways did He present Himself as a warrior? Why is this quality important for you and me as men? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. What qualities does a warrior have? Do you think it’s important for men to have this quality? Why?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. Jesus was a mentor. Identify some passages from the gospels that demonstrate Jesus as mentor.
Why is this quality important for you and me as men?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. Jesus was a friend to many. What passages come to mind with Jesus and this quality?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. What figures defined “manliness” for you while when you were a child?
_______________________________________________________________________________
7. Of the four roles we have addressed which is easiest to you and which is hardest for you? Explain.
_______________________________________________________________________________
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Lesson 4 Tender Warriors
Man Up: Becoming A Tender Warrior | 7
A Man’s Man: Lessons from a man named Job
Introduction
In our last lesson we
introduced the four
pillars of manhood.
Do you remember
what they are?
In this lesson we will
continue to examine
the idea of these
pillars. Jesus is our
ultimate example of
these four pillars. He
was a great man!
While no one can
compare to Jesus,
there are other men
in particular that
stand out. One in
particular is the man
named Job.
Read Job 1-2. What
stands out to you
about this man?
There’s one trait that
we will pay special
attention to in this
lesson. It’s what Job
demonstrated when
times got tough. Job
had staying power.
This attribute is a
must if we are to be
good men.
1. How would you define “Staying Power”? Why is this critical as we strive to be Tender Warriors? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. Read Job 29:18-20. What do we learn about Job in regards to his staying power? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. In what specific ways did Job demonstrate staying power? How did he acquire it?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. As men tough times will come our way. In times past how have you responded to difficult moments
in your life?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. Take a moment and consider the life of Jesus. How did Jesus demonstrate staying power? What
passages from the New Testament help demonstrate this point?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. List 10 major commitments you have made in your life. How have you done with them? Are you
satisfied with the direction you are going?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
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Lesson 5 Tender Warriors
Man Up: Becoming A Tender Warrior | 8
Beneath The Breastplate: A Man’s Tender Side
Introduction
One of the four
pillars that make up
a Godly man is that
of being a warrior.
As men we are to be
warriors. And at the
same time there has
to be a tender side
to us. The title of our
workbook is called,
Tender Warriors. We
will not be the kind of
man God wants us
to be without having
a tender side.
And yet this is
sometimes a
challenge for men to
demonstrate
tenderness toward
others. How would
you define the word
“Tender”?
________________
________________
________________
In this lesson we will
examine the benefits
of us becoming
tender warriors.
1. The NCAA college basketball tournament or March Madness was on television earlier this year. Many of the young men who lost games ended up crying on the bench. Were you surprised at the amount of emotions that were displayed? Why or why not? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. Earlier, we stated that Jesus had the four pillars that make up a man. Read John 11:28-37, 19:25-27. In what ways did Jesus demonstrate His tender side? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. The apostle Paul could be called a Tender Warrior. Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-8, 2:1-8; Philippians
1:1-8. How did Paul demonstrate his tender side?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. What other men in the Bible come to mind who demonstrated a tender side? List some examples
that come to mind.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. Why is it important for men to have and demonstrate a tender side?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. Is there an area in your life where you think you could improve showing your tender side? If so, plan
something in the next month to show that person your affection towards them.
_______________________________________________________________________________
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Lesson 6 Tender Warriors
Man Up: Becoming A Tender Warrior | 9
Men Under Authority
Introduction
As we strive to
become a Tender
Warrior, this means
that we must
become leaders. Our
leadership begins in
the home. Before a
man can become a
shepherd, he must
first be able to rule
his house well, 1
Timothy 3:1-5.
As men we are to
lead. But the way
that we go about
leading is another
thing. Many men are
leaders in their
house, but no one
likes them.
In this lesson we will
consider how we are
to lead. It’s not
enough to be a
leader. We must
lead as men under
the authority of God.
1. Who is the head of the house according to 1 Corinthians 11:1-3; Ephesians 5:23? Do you think this is a popular view in our society? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. Many godly women are not bothered that God is the head of Christ, or that Christ is the head of every man. But many are bothered that the man is the head of a woman. Why is that? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. The problem with authority is that many men abuse it. Read Matthew 20:20-28. What can we learn
about being in a position of authority?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. Read Ephesians 5:25. In what way did Jesus demonstrate His love for the church? How might we
learn from Him when it comes to leading our families?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. As men, we are to be the “Head” in our house. How can we express our leadership in the home?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
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Lesson 7 Tender Warriors
Man Up: Becoming A Tender Warrior | 10
Buffaloes and Butterflies
Introduction
Think back to
kindergarten, grade
school, and even
high-school. Do you
ever recall that when
it came to boys and
girls that there was
always a separation?
When there was
some kind of social
event, the boys
would usually hang
out with each other,
and vice versa for
the girls.
From an early age
boys and girls
recognized a
difference between
each other. That’s
good! There is a big
difference between
men and women.
And yet these
differences can
cause some major
problems. In this
lesson we will
consider some of the
pros and cons of
those differences.
1. Read Genesis 1-2. What differences do you see with Adam and Eve? Read 1 Peter 3:1-7; Ephesians 5:22-33. What differences do we find here? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. Name some ways that men are different from women and vice versa. Do you like these differences? Explain. _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. The Bible is clear that there are differences among men and women. And yet our culture would like
us to think that there are no differences. Do you think that’s good or bad? Explain.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. Go back to the Genesis story of Adam and Eve, Genesis 2. Why did God create woman? From this,
what do we learn about men?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. Sometimes our differences as men can get in the way of being a Tender Warrior. Describe a time in
your marriage when some of the basic differences between men and women caused a long-term
problem between you and your spouse.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. Describe a time in your marriage when some of the basic differences between men and women
brought about something delightful.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Lesson 8 Tender Warriors
Man Up: Becoming A Tender Warrior | 11
Do You Speak Woman?
Introduction
Communication is
one of the most
challenging
components of our
lives. How we
communicate
matters. When we
do it well, lots of
potential issues and
misunderstandings
are avoided. When
we do it poorly, lots
of terrible things can
happen.
What is it that your
wife needs from
you? What is it that
you need from your
wife? Sometimes,
people can live
together for decades
and never know the
answer to these
questions.
Do you speak
woman? Do you
know what your wife
needs from you?
This lesson will
address some things
that women need.
We will learn how to
speak woman!
1. When it comes to communication between husbands and wives, what are some things that can get in the way? Whose responsibility is it to ensure that communication occurs? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. What’s portrayed in society in regards to what women need? _______________________________________________________________________________
3. What are things that you believe wives need from their husband?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. After you have answered Question #3, talk to your spouse and ask her what she needs from you.
This may be tough, but it will be worth it in the long run.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. Based off Questions 3-4, have you been speaking woman? That is, do you understand what your
wife needs from you?
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. Husbands must be reminded of some things as we become Tender Warriors. Our wives need us to
treat them like royalty. This is what the scriptures teach. Read 1 Peter 3:1-7; Romans 12:10. What
are we reminded from these passages?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
7. In this class we need to help one another. What are some simple things we can do to demonstrate
to our wives that we know how to speak her language?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Lesson 9 Tender Warriors
Man Up: Becoming A Tender Warrior | 12
The Most Powerful Word
Introduction
What’s the most
powerful word in our
vocabulary? How
would you answer
that question?
________________
________________
________________
Now read Psalm
78:5-7. Is there any
particular word in
these verses that
stand out to you as
the most powerful
word in our
vocabulary?
Our goal is to
become a Tender
Warrior. Do you
remember the four
pillars we have
discussed? They are
needed when it
comes to being a
dad.
In this lesson we will
discuss the
importance of
fatherhood.
1. How would you define the word “Father?” _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. Think about your father for a moment. What memories come to mind? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. How do you think that your relationship with your father has affected the way you live today?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. God is our father, Matthew 6:9; Ephesians 3:15. What attributes can we learn about fatherhood
from God the Father?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. When we look at our society, it’s clear that fathers are missing in many homes. What long term
impact will this have our society?
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. Imagine that your children have to write a paper on you as a father. What do you think they would
write about you? If you really want to know, why not ask them.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
7. We can’t fail when it comes to being a father. What we do will impact future generations. What can
we do to ensure that we will not fail?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Lesson 10 Tender Warriors
Man Up: Becoming A Tender Warrior | 13
Don’t Break Your Promise
Introduction
In our last study we
discussed the
importance of being
a father. We will
continue to focus our
thoughts on
fatherhood. This
class is called
Tender Warriors.
Being a good dad
really encompasses
the four pillars we
have been
discussing so far this
semester.
In this lesson we will
continue to examine
some important
passages when it
comes to being a
good dad.
The Bible says a lot
about our role as
fathers. Let’s be sure
that we don’t
disappoint God, our
wife, and our
children.
We have made a
promise to them that
we will be there.
Let’s keep it!
1. Think about some of the promises God has made to us throughout the scriptures. What comes to mind? Has God failed on any of these? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. God has always been reliable. He is faithful and trustworthy. He doesn’t want us to disappoint our family. He has given us instructions that we need to keep. Read Ephesians 6:4. What responsibility do we have? What impact as fathers will we have as we lead our family, Exodus 34:7? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. There are some simple things we can do to accomplish God’s goal for us making sure our family
stays on track. For the rest of the lesson we will consider 5 things we can do that will help us as
fathers. In what way will doing these things help us to keep our promise as a dad?
4. Pursue God the Father as we guide our families.
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. Model and teach respect for authority with our children. Why is authority so important?
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. Help your family see the big picture.
_______________________________________________________________________________
7. Commit solidly to family unity.
_______________________________________________________________________________
8. Be positive in building family members’ confidence.
_______________________________________________________________________________
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Lesson 11 Tender Warriors
Man Up: Becoming A Tender Warrior | 14
Shoot Them Straight
Introduction
Our focus over the
last couple of weeks
has been on
fathering. This
session we will once
again talk about the
importance of being
a father. The Bible
says so much about
children. Read
Psalm 127:3-5. What
do we learn about
children?
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
Children are a
blessing from the
Lord. Do you believe
that? Therefore, it’s
our responsibility to
make sure we shoot
them straight, so
they can be pleasing
to God.
1. Read Psalm 127:3-5 again. In what ways are children like arrows? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. Like arrows, children are meant to one day be released. Letting go of children is hard. Name some stages in life where we will have to let go of our children? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. We read about John the Baptist in John 3:30. What did he say regarding his role and Jesus’? How
might this help us when it comes to allowing our children to mature and to grow in responsibility?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. Why is letting go of our children and shooting them like an arrow such a hard thing to do? What are
some negative consequences when we don’t allow that to happen?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. It’s important that we let our children to mature and to increase their responsibility in life. But what is
our ultimate target that we want our children to hit? Read 1 Kings 2:2; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 to
assist.
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. It’s important to let our children know that we are releasing them into the world. What are some
things (a rite of passage) that we can do to show them that we have released them to the world?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
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Lesson 12 Tender Warriors
Man Up: Becoming A Tender Warrior | 15
A Man and his friends
Introduction
It’s amazing to see
the relationships
between men in the
Bible. Read 2
Corinthians 2:13.
What do we learn
about Paul and
Titus?
________________
________________
These words are
found in the
scriptures: “Your
love to me was more
wonderful than the
love of women.” Who
said these words?
Read 2 Samuel
1:26. Some may be
surprised to see who
said this.
Yet we are reminded
in the scriptures of
the importance of
friends. One of the
core pillars of being
a Tender Warrior is
being a friend. Yet,
it’s hard for some
men to have close
male friends.
1. Read 2 Samuel 1:26. Are you surprised that King David would say this to Jonathon? Explain. _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. How would you describe your own friendships with other men? Casual? Close? Intimate? Nonexistent? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. Would you agree that it’s important for men to have close friends who are men? YES/NO. Why is it
difficult for some men to have close male friends?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. Jesus had friends. It also appears that he had certain men who were close to Him. Read Matthew
17:1-5. Who was it that was often with Jesus? What can we learn from this with respect to having
male friends?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. Let’s go back to the story of David and Jonathon. What can we learn about friendship when we look
at these two men? Read 1 Samuel 20 to help answer this question.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. How many close male friends do you have? Not just the ones that you can casually talk to, but
rather have an intimate conversation with? If you’re not happy with your answer, what do you think
is holding you back from having close male friends?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Lesson 13 Tender Warriors
Man Up: Becoming A Tender Warrior | 16
Four Piton Principles of Friendship
Introduction
Do you know what a
“piton” is? If so, write
the definition down.
If not, then look it up
the definition of it.
________________
________________
After learning what a
“piton” is, we can
see the value of
having a piton
friendship. It’s
something that all
men desperately
need. Yet few seem
to have.
In our last lesson we
spoke about the
importance of having
male friends. We will
continue that theme
in this lesson.
Let’s examine four
principles of
friendship that we
need and that we
can provide to our
friends.
1. How would you define a piton of friendship? _______________________________________________________________________________
2. Read 1 Samuel 14:1-20. Explain what happens with Jonathon. Now read 1 Samuel 17:26. While we know that David would defeat the Philistine, Jonathon was absent in standing up to fight. What do you think changed from chapter 14 to 17? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. From 1 Samuel 17:55-18:1 we find that David and Jonathon would become and remain close
friends. One reason this may have happened was because of shared values. Why is this important
to have friends who share the same values?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. From the relationship between David and Jonathon we can learn that they had unselfish love for
one another, 1 Samuel 18:1-4. Why is this quality so important in our relationships with men?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. David and Jonathon expressed deep loyalty for one another, 1 Samuel 19: 1-5, 20:13-15. Why is
loyalty in friendships critical?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. David and Jonathon were transparent with one another, 1 Samuel 20:3, 9, 41. Why is transparency
so important in our friendships with one another?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Lesson 14
Tender Warriors
Man Up: Becoming A Tender Warrior | 17
The Four Marks of a Finisher
Introduction
So far this quarter
we have discussed
some great
principles regarding
becoming a Tender
Warrior. Becoming a
Tender Warrior is a
big deal. But the
truth is, some will
take this class, and
forget most of the
things we have
discussed. Don’t be
that guy. We have to
finish and
accomplish what we
have begun.
In this lesson we will
look at four elements
that are required to
become a great
finisher. Those four
things are…
A clear eye for the
goal
A strong heart to get
there
A little fire in the
belly
A certain confidence
1. Name some great finishers in the sports arena or business arena. _______________________________________________________________________________
2. Can you name some men from the Bible outside of Jesus that were great finishers? Identify at least three men who were great finishers. What made these men finish well? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. Now identify at least three men who either failed to finish or finished poorly. What caused these
men to finish poorly?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. I listed the four elements that are needed to become great finishers. Read them again and see if
you can summarize each one with one or two words.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. Self-Examination: In what areas in your life do you need to become more focused and finish what
you have begun? What’s hindering you from becoming a great finisher?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Lesson 15 Tender Warriors
Man Up: Becoming A Tender Warrior | 18
Caleb: A man who was a great finisher
Introduction
In our last class we
discussed the four
marks of being a
great finisher. Do
you remember what
they are?
In this lesson we will
continue to focus our
thoughts on this idea
of finishing. While
many men begin
their marriage
strong, far too many
give up when the
time gets tough.
Sadly, the same is
true with parenting.
We are in this to win
it. Therefore, we
don’t give up.
In this lesson we will
consider the man by
the name of Caleb,
Read Joshua 14:6-
15. What’s going on
right now in the
history of Israel?
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1. Read Joshua 14:8, 9, 14. What words are mentioned a couple of times in these verses? _______________________________________________________________________________
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2. Why was Caleb so intent on getting his piece of land? _______________________________________________________________________________
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3. In our last lesson we discussed the four elements a finisher requires. Let’s examine Caleb more
closely to see how he possessed these traits. The first trait “A focused pursuit.” Read Joshua 14:6-
12. Something is mentioned numerous times in these verses, which shows us where Caleb was
focused on accomplishing. What is it?
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4. The second trait is “An undivided heart.” Read Joshua 14:7. What did Caleb focus on during the
wilderness wandering? A heart that’s divided is dangerous. What is potentially dividing your heart
from fully serving God?
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5. The third trait is “A driving intensity.” It’s obvious that Caleb was intense. He was 85 years old and
still going strong. Why is that many guys will lose the drive to finish what they have begun?
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6. The fourth trait is “A certain confidence.” Caleb had faith to finish. He had optimism. Why is this so
important for us if we plan to be great finishers?
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Lesson 16 Tender Warriors
Man Up: Becoming A Tender Warrior | 19
The Ultimate Tender Warrior
Introduction
Who would you say
is the ultimate
Tender Warrior? If
you said Jesus then
you are correct.
Earlier in the quarter
as we began looking
at the four pillars of a
Tender Warrior, our
model we used was
Jesus.
We need to go back
to Jesus and to
consider some more
things we can learn
from Him. Jesus is
the Ultimate Tender
Warrior, yet many
ignore His example.
Hopefully, we don’t
fall into this
category. We need
to be men like
Jesus.
Jesus reminds us of
what it means to be
a man.
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1. Read Luke 2:40-52. Jesus matured into manhood. In what areas of His life did He mature? _______________________________________________________________________________
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2. Do you think following in the footsteps of Jesus will diminish our manhood? Explain. _______________________________________________________________________________
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3. Do something easy. Read through the book of Mark in one setting. What stands out to you about
Jesus as a man? What traits do you need to emulate?
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4. If a hidden observer were to study your actions for thirty days, what conclusions would they make
about your purpose in life? Where would they say you were headed in life?
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5. Ultimately, our lives must be about Jesus. What areas of your life do you need to surrender more to
Jesus?
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