Dave and Bethlie discuss the book Manhood by Senator Josh Hawley.

1. About the Author:
   1. Represents Missouri in US Senate
   2. First Amendment Lawyer and law professor
   3. Former Attorney General of Missouri
   4. They live in Ozark MO and have three children
2. About the Book:
   1. Senator Hawley addresses an issue that concerns many in our world today - the issue of masculinity under attack.
   2. He calls this issue a crisis and I agree
3. Why I love the book:
   1. It is good and offers a perspective that is sometimes outside of my realm
   2. He shows how manhood was perceived in the Greek and Roman era
   3. He has great illustrations from his own experiences growing up in a rural area
   4. He build a model of manhood following the Bible, the Word of God
4. What is the point?
   1. Senator Hawley shows the essential virtues a man should cultivate
   2. Shows why a man has to be a warrior, builder, priest, and king
   3. Show the important of courage and commitment as the starting point for manhood
   4. Shows the philosophy behind modern liberalism and offers evidence of why it is so destructive to our nation as a whole.
5. The chapters;
   1. 2 Parts
   2. 10 chapters
      1. In the Beginning
      2. A Man's Mission
      3. A Man's Battle
      4. A Man's Promise
      5. Husband
      6. Father
      7. Warrior
      8. Builder
      9. Priest
      10. King

Chapter 1

1. General patterns
   1. Living Habits and Work
      1. More and more young men remain at home
      2. 50 % of Lower skilled young men in their 20s who have a job still live at home (or with a close relative)
      3. If they don't have a job, 70% still live at home.
      4. 2015 - 1/4 of young men 20-20 had no work at all
      5. In 1970, 95 percent of 30 years old made more money then their fathers had
      6. In 2014, only 44 percent did
   2. Underperformance at school
      1. 70% of Ds and Fs are given to boys
      2. By 8th grade, only 20% of boys are proficient in writing
      3. At same age, only 24% can earn proficient scores on reading exams
      4. Boys now make up 2/3 of students in remedial programs, not because their intelligence is lower, but because they aren't trying!
   3. What do young men do with their time?
      1. Screens
      2. Leisure
      3. Porn
      4. Another way of saying it is: Socializing, relaxing, leisure
         1. Vast amount of leisure time includes video games and porn
   4. These young men are now battling depression and drug abuse at historic levels and the results have been disastrous
   5. Liberalism is the philosophy behind it all
      1. Liberalism believes that western society is unequal unjust and corrupt to its foundations
         1. Masculinity is one of the foundations and it must be "smashed" for man to be free
   6. Senator Hawley's point is that the answer to our masculine crisis is "the oldest and most profound story there is. It is the story of the Bible"

Chapter 2 places an emphasis on man's purpose by tracing our story back to the garden of Eden

Chapter 3 places an emphasis on man's responsibility and duty

Chapter 4 is especially worth considering

1. It details how masculinity became something oppressive, something to be avoided and eradicated
   1. In chapter 3, he introduces the readers to Epicurus and to Rousseau and showed how that their ideology lead to men throwing off all responsibility and choosing only to do what they wanted to do. Their happiness and their fulfillment was the only reason to live
   2. In this chapter, he show how the followers of Karl Marx paved the way for the attack on modern masculinity
      1. It saw traditional culture as the enemy; especially Christianity
      2. From there, it attacked femininity and masculinity
      3. Senator Hawley gives ample illustrations of how this is being taught in our schools and in our institutions and how it is destroy our nation as we know it

Part 2 Dave and Bethlie discuss the book And The Bride Wore White.

Chapter 2-4 about Satan's lies.

His lies haven't really changed (Gen. 3:1-13)

"Did God really say that?"

"God is keeping something good from you."

"A little won't hurt you."

"Now that you've fallen, God has no use for you."

There is no debating with the devil.

We must learn truth and shut him down with truth.

Chapter 6 about Purity being a process.

Realizing:

*I was not born pure. (We are born innocent, but we are also born sinners.)

*I will face the beast of lust, perhaps over and over again, but that in itself is not

a sin. Rather it is a chance to develop my purity by talking to God, talking to a

friend, and making a fast, strategic exit.

*I can become pure. (Pg 57)

Chapter 7 about envisioning a Godly Husband.

One of Charity's favorite chapters, simply because the author encourages girls to dream about and pray for the man that God has for them. (Incidentally, when I was praying for David Young, I was dreaming of a handsome man with dark, curly hair, blue eyes, and dimples. The Lord loves me! Ironically, David wasn't even saved when I started praying for him!)

Chapter 8-12 give practical and Biblical tools to maintain purity including awesome dating advice.

*Woven throughout the book is Bob and Dannah's love story, how they met, how they dated, broke up, got back together, became engaged, and eventually married.

Self-control and self-denial

Modesty in dress and conduct

Having the right kind of conversations. ("Foul lines"—things you won't discuss until you

are ready to be married.) (pg 98-99)

Be sure you (and the one you're interested in) love God MOST.

Being open to wise counsel, particularly from parents.

Conclusion

The book finishes with God's beautiful, sacred plan for sexuality.

There are "letters" in the appendix which deal with things like

sexual abuse

pornography

fatherlessness

abortion

singleness

Dave and Bethlie discuss the book And The Bride Wore White.

And The Bride Wore White takes the "purity talk" to a whole new level. Dannah Gresh is conversational, humorous, vulnerable, and frank, all while supporting every point with Scripture. Reading the book is like hearing from a loving big sister. It's written for high school through college aged girls, and we recommend that moms and their girls (or youth pastor's wives and teen girls) read it together. Charity and I read it together, and we had some great conversations. Be advised that Dannah is careful but frank about cultural struggles and purity issues. If we're being honest, our children, even if we feel they are totally protected from outside influences, are hearing what our world has to say about sexuality. It is worth it to prepare them with truth for the lies that our culture presents.

Dannah is also open and honest (again, carefully) about her own purity failure as a teen. My fear when I first picked up the book, was that it would present her "fall" or "struggle" in such a way that it would give license to sexual sin because, after all, that's what grace is for, right? But that is not at all Dannah's heart. Her desire is to keep girls from the shattering heartache and years of guilt and shame that Satan and our world never promises, but always delivers. The book also addresses how to allow the Lord to free you from sexual sin and to live in victory and healing grace.

*Charity told me that she felt the frankness of the book is needed to make sure every area of purity is well-covered and there is no room for "loop-hole" mentality. She said, "Mrs. Gresh makes sure she tells you every area that is wrong."

Chapter Titles Include:

And the Bride Wore White:

Deciding to Live a Lifestyle of Purity

Satan's Big Fat Sex Lies:

Learning to Recognize the Truth

Satan's Biggest, Fattest Sex Lie:

Resisting the Lure to Sin

Breakin' Up is Hard to Do:

Breaking off Sinful Relationships in Three Steps

Purity is a Process:

Defining Innocence and Purity

Purity Dreams of Its Future:

Envisioning a Godly Husband

Purity is Governed by Its Value:

Discovering Your Value in God's Eyes

Discovering Your Value in the Eyes of Others

Purity Speaks Boldly:

Preparing Your Tongue for Dates

Purity Loves Its Creator at any Cost:

Pursuing a Love Relationship with Jesus

Purity Embraces Wise Guidance

Inviting your Parents into Your love Life

Purity Watches Burning Flames:

Finding M.O.R.E. to Help You

Each chapter begins with a testimony from a teen or college student who is walking or learning to walk in purity. One of the teen girls to whom I gave this book said that those testimonials really spoke to her.

Every Chapter also begins with Scripture, the very first passage being Titus 2:11-13, "For the Grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" And so chapter one starts with saying NO to ungodliness and worldly lust, but emphasizing that we cannot maintain that purity on our own.

Every chapter ends with a reflection prompt allowing the reader to journal some ways that the Lord is convicting or encouraging them.