+ BOOKS
What it Means to be a Man
God’s Design for Us in a World Full of Extremes
Being a man in contemporary culture can be extremely confusing. Rhett Smith brings light to the subject in, What it Means to be a Man. I highly recommend it.
This book moves beyond the rah-rah Braveheart masculinity. Rhett Smith is aware of the deadly symptoms that plague men from being ‘men’, but wisely directs men toward core issues beyond adrenaline-based masculinity. This book is accessible for readers and non-readers alike and also brings the ideas down to earth through practical application in each chapter. I know plenty of boys who need to become men and this book will help.
Simple and to-the-point, What it Means to be a Man is practical conversation starter for men (and women too!). I deeply appreciate how Rhett consistently brings the focus of masculinity back to the relationship God the Father has with his Son, Jesus. After working with teenagers for the past 12 years, I could see this book becoming a great resource to give to guys as they head off to college.
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View the video series that I made for readers of What it Means to be a Man
Men today are confronted with many different expectations of who they are supposed to be and what role they should be filling. By looking at history, our culture, the clichés of manhood, and what intimacy with God looks like—this short book will offer up hope and a new perspective for men (and women) to rethink what it means to be a man in today’s culture.
What it Means to be a Man works through the tough aspects of defining masculinity such as: How can men look up to role models without following their flaws? Is it possible to strike a balance between passivity and aggression? How can men speak up, find intimacy, and take care of others without neglecting themselves?
When Christ calls us to follow Him, He paves a path that is different than our cultural expectations, a path that leads us to a relationship with Him and to true knowledge of what it means to be a man.
The Anxious Christian
Can God Use Your Anxiety for Good?
This book cuts through the fakeness and fear. Part memoir and part manual, it offers hope for real people who often have real worries…I wrote this foreword because this was a book I needed, and I think other people need it to.
I loved this book. I often read something and think, this will be helpful to many, but I can’t think of anyone who would not be helped by reading Rhett’s book. It made me smile to see once more how God tucks the best news inside the most unusual boxes if we have the courage to open them.
Rhett’s personal story is profoundly honest-vulnerable, agonizing, and joyful. He does not settle for the quick fixes of pop psychology or the veneer of superficial Christianity. In reading The Anxious Christian you will find yourself plunged into the heart of anxiety, and in the deep waters of God’s healing grace.
Check out the other endorsements and reviews of the book.
In our journey of faith there are particular moments characterized by, or that produce a certain amount of anxiety. Often anxiety and/or worry has been looked upon as an evil, or an un-Christian feeling to have, but The Anxious Christian conveys the message that anxiety can actually be helpful in our spiritual formation, and that God can use anxiety as a catalyst to move us forward in our life of faith. In that movement, anxiety’s gift is that it allows us to face our resistance and fears, understand where those fears come from, and then make intentional choices about important issues such as career, marriage, money, our spiritual lives and much more – rather than getting stuck.
It is quite common in the Christian life that when someone mentions they are experiencing anxiety, they are often dismissed and devalued by what are often well well-intentioned Christian platitudes and Bible quoting. But this dismissal of anxiety often produces shame in the individual, driving their anxiety into hiding where it often does more damage.
Let’s re-think our shame about anxiety by planting the seed that anxiety in our lives can be a catalyst for growth that moves us closer to who God created us to be.