Charis Anchored Foundation

The Retreat Is the Beginning

A weekend can help you hear God clearly. The next eight weeks are about what happens when the weekend is over: Monday morning, the drive to work, the tension at home, the private decisions nobody sees.

You do not need all the answers. You need a willingness to open Scripture, tell the truth, pray, and take one faithful step at a time. You will do this with a Discipleship Leader beside you, because following Jesus was never meant to be a solo project.

How this works

Five study days Monday to Friday, about 30 minutes a day: Observe, Interpret, Engage, Apply, then Go Deeper and prepare to talk.
Weekends For your family. No study, no calls or texts. Each week ends with one optional devotional.
Check-in Once a week with your leader on a weekday. At the end of each lesson, a fuller conversation.
Brotherhood Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17).
Memory verse One verse per lesson to write out and say to your leader.

Your first week after the retreat

The retreat high fades fast. Do these three things before you start Week 1.

Tell your leader one true thing. One sentence about what God showed you is enough.
Choose your time and place. Where will you open this, and when?
Text one brother from the retreat. Say “I’m doing the workbook. Want to compare notes?”

My time and place for my study days:My Discipleship Leader’s name and number:The weekday and way we will check in each week:

Growing together in Christ Your Discipleship Leader is not expected to have every answer, and neither are you. You may be at different places in your walk with Christ, but these eight weeks are a journey you will take together. When you do not know an answer, search Scripture together. Neither of you has to know everything. Both must be willing to grow.

What you put into this matters

These eight weeks will require your time, honesty, commitment, and a willingness to be challenged. This is not a book to finish and put on a shelf. Open your Bible. Ask hard questions. Tell the truth about your struggles. Put what you learn into practice, even when it is uncomfortable.

You are not earning God’s love by doing the work. Salvation is His gift of grace through Jesus Christ. But growing as a disciple requires a willing heart and faithful obedience.

The goal is not just eight weeks completed. The goal is a life that follows Christ.

My starting point

On a scale of 1 to 10, how close to God do I feel today?The struggle I most want God to change in these eight weeks:What I hope is different in eight weeks:

My commitment

With God’s help, I commit to my five study days, the weekly check-in, and being honest with my leader for the next eight weeks.

I commit

If you fall behind

Life gets busy. If you miss a session or a week, do not double up and do not quit. Pick up with the next day and that week’s step, stay honest with your leader, and do not let a missed day become a reason to quit.

Beyond the Retreat

The retreat may have awakened you. Following Jesus happens in ordinary life.

Read this week James 1:19–27 · Luke 9:23–25 · John 15:1–11

Why this matters

At a retreat, it is easy to be honest and moved. James compares a man who hears but does not obey to someone who looks in a mirror and forgets what he saw. The danger is not that the retreat was fake. The danger is that it stays a memory. Jesus calls His followers to deny themselves and follow Him daily, and He promises that fruit comes from staying connected to Him, not from a burst of willpower.

Setting the scene James, a leader of the believers in Jerusalem, wrote to believers scattered and under pressure. He is practical: real faith shows up in how we listen, speak, and act. Luke 9 records Jesus teaching the cost of following Him, and John 15 comes from His final evening with the disciples before the cross.

Your week

Monday Observe: read the passage and see what it says
Tuesday Interpret: understand what it means
Wednesday Engage: work it out honestly
Thursday Apply: take this week’s step
Friday Go deeper, pray the passage, prepare to talk, and check in with your leader
Weekend Rest. One optional devotional at the end of the Check-in tab.

This lesson, weeks 1 and 2 Goal. By the end of this lesson I can explain the gospel in my own words, I know where I stand with Christ, and I have taken one concrete step of obedience. Truth to carry. My standing with God rests on Christ, not my performance. I follow Him daily, one faithful step at a time.

Monday: Observe

Read the passage

Read James 1:19-27 slowly, twice. Notice who is speaking, repeated words, commands, and promises.

Observe. List the commands in verses 19-21. What picture does James use in verses 23-24?

Write what you see: Observe (Hear)

Read James 1:19–27 slowly, twice. Then write:

One instruction I understand:One question I have:One thing the “mirror” shows me about myself:Memory verse: John 15:5. Write it out from your Bible, and say it to your leader this week.

Tuesday: Interpret

Read the passage again, then the verses before and after it. Ask what it meant to the people who first heard it.

Interpret. Why does James call hearing without doing self-deception? What does doing the word look like in verse 25?Who wrote this, to whom, and why?What does this show me about God?What does this show me about people, and about me?

Scripture connects to Scripture | Romans 12:1-2 Paul calls us to offer our whole selves to God and be renewed in our thinking. What would that look like this week?

What it adds:The main point of this passage, in my own words:

Wednesday: Engage

Engage (Abide inventory)

Read John 15:1–11. Underline every time Jesus says “abide” or “remain.” Then spend ten quiet minutes telling Jesus where you have been relying on yourself instead.

1

Where I run on my own strengthWhat staying connected to Jesus might look like

2

Where I run on my own strengthWhat staying connected to Jesus might look like

3

Where I run on my own strengthWhat staying connected to Jesus might look like

Faith in real life Tom came home from the retreat on fire. By Wednesday he was snapping at his kids and scrolling late at night. By Sunday he felt like a fraud. What would James and Jesus say to Tom? What is one small step he could take today?

My answer:What this showed me about myself:

Thursday: Apply

Apply. One thing I have heard (at the retreat or in the Bible) that I have not yet done:

Apply (Obey)

Read Luke 9:23–25. “Deny yourself” is not about earning salvation. It is about giving up the right to run your own life. Where will that be tested on Monday morning: work, marriage, what you watch alone, your temper, your word, your money? Before you meet your leader, identify one situation where obedience will cost you comfort, and write a specific plan.

One concrete act of obedience I will do, and when:When and where I will do it:Who I will tell:What might get in the way, and what I will do about it:

Brother challenge Text your leader or a retreat brother one sentence about what God is showing you.

Closing prayer, in my own words:

Friday: Go Deeper and Prepare

GO DEEPER | THE MIRROR AND THE WORD James 1:22–25 warns that hearing Scripture without obeying it is self-deception. A mirror shows what needs attention, but looking is not the same as changing. God calls us to respond to His Word with action. Ask yourself: What did I hear at Charis that I have not put into practice? What would obedience look like this week?

Man of the Bible | PETER (Matthew 14:28-31; John 21) Peter walked on water, sank when he looked at the wind, swore he would never fall away, then denied Jesus three times. Jesus met him on a beach and restored him. A moment of boldness is not a life of following. Failure is not final when you stay with Jesus.

Pray the passage

Take five minutes. Thank God for what is true, confess what it exposed, and ask for help to obey.

Thank:Confess:Ask:

Prepare to talk with my leader

The truth I most want to remember from this week:Where I struggled or resisted:My step, and how my leader can pray:

Talk. Pray. Look Back.

Your weekly check-in with your leader

Pick a weekday. Friday works well. Keep it short, by call, text, or voice message. Share these. Your Friday tab has your notes:

What I read, and what stood out: one truth you are learning and the step you plan to take.
Where I struggled or resisted.
My step this week, and how my leader can pray.

Ask: “What helped you stay steady after your own retreat?”

Closing prayer

Father, thank You for what You began stirring in me at Charis. Keep me from depending on a moment or a feeling. Give me courage to obey Your Word in ordinary choices. Teach me to deny myself, stay close to Jesus, and bear fruit that honors You. Amen.

My prayer in my own words:Please pray for me about:

Week check

Weekly devotional (optional) Step taken Checked in with my leader

This copies only a short status line, such as how many study days you finished. It does not include anything you wrote.

The weekly devotional | JAMES 1:22-25 OPTIONAL

The Mirror

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

Every man knows the feeling of walking out of a good message ready to change everything.

And every man knows how fast it fades.

James says hearing without doing is self-deception. You look in the mirror, see what needs attention, walk away, and forget. The problem is not that the mirror lied. The problem is that you left.

God is not impressed by how much you heard at the retreat. He is looking for what you did on Monday.

Not perfect. Not impressive. Just obedient in one small thing.

Ask: What is one thing God showed me that I have not yet done?

My one line:

The Gospel and a New Beginning

Grace is not a reward for getting your life together. It is God’s gift in Christ.

Read this week Ephesians 2:1–10 · Romans 5:6–11 · 1 Corinthians 15:1–8 · Romans 10:9–13

Why this matters

Many men live as if God’s approval is something to be earned: by working hard, being the provider, keeping the family together, hiding the messy parts. Ephesians 2 starts somewhere different. It describes people who could not help themselves, rescued by God’s mercy. Good works follow salvation; they do not purchase it. And the whole message stands on one fact: Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead. This week you will look at both, and be honest about where you stand.

Setting the scene Paul writes to believers in Ephesus, many of them non-Jews, to remind them where they came from and what God has done. Romans 5 and 2 Corinthians 5 add the picture of reconciliation: the gospel is something done for us before it is something we do.

Your week

Monday Observe: read the passage and see what it says
Tuesday Interpret: understand what it means
Wednesday Engage: work it out honestly
Thursday Apply: take this week’s step
Friday Go deeper, pray the passage, prepare to talk, and check in with your leader
Weekend Rest. One optional devotional at the end of the Check-in tab.

Monday: Observe

Read the passage

Read Ephesians 2:1-10 slowly, twice. Notice who is speaking, repeated words, commands, and promises.

Observe. Circle every description of us in verses 1-3 and every action of God in verses 4-7.

Write what you see: Observe (Receive)

Read Ephesians 2:1–10. Write down every action God takes in these verses, in your own words.

Actions God takes:

Tuesday: Interpret

Read the passage again, then the verses before and after it. Ask what it meant to the people who first heard it.

Interpret. What does verses 8-9 say we contribute to salvation? What does verse 10 say about good works?Who wrote this, to whom, and why?What does this show me about God?What does this show me about people, and about me?

Scripture connects to Scripture | Titus 3:4-7 Titus tells the same story of grace. How does it reinforce Ephesians 2?

What it adds:The main point of this passage, in my own words:

Wednesday: Engage

Engage (Trace the verbs)

Read Romans 5:6–11. Fill in the two columns honestly.

1

What Christ didWhat I did to deserve it

2

What Christ didWhat I did to deserve it

3

What Christ didWhat I did to deserve it

What do you notice about the second column?

Faith in real life Carlos works hard to be the man everyone depends on. With other men he stays quiet about his struggles because he assumes God is disappointed in him. Which part of Ephesians 2 would you share with Carlos? How might grace change how he shows up?

My answer:What this showed me about myself:

Thursday: Apply

Apply. Where am I tempted to earn God's approval?

Apply (Respond)

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17–21. You have been given the message of reconciliation. Where could you take one step toward peace this week, where appropriate and safe? Where do you tend to prove yourself, or tear yourself down?

My step, and when:When and where I will do it:Who I will tell:What might get in the way, and what I will do about it:

Brother challenge Thank one person who showed you grace when you did not deserve it.

Closing prayer, in my own words:

Friday: Go Deeper and Prepare

GO DEEPER | GRACE AND GOOD WORKS Ephesians 2:8–10 holds two truths together: salvation is God’s gift, and good works have a place in the new life. Grace is not a license to coast, and effort is not a way to earn acceptance. Ask yourself: Which truth do I forget more easily: that I am fully accepted, or that I am called to live differently?

Man of the Bible | ZACCHAEUS (Luke 19:1-10) A tax collector who got rich by cheating people. Jesus invited Himself to his house, and grace reached Zacchaeus before his habits changed. Then he gave and repaid. Grace comes first. Change follows.

BEING A MAN | IDENTITY God made man in His image (Genesis 1:26–27). A man’s worth does not come from his job, his strength, or his record. It comes from being made by God and redeemed in Christ. Ask yourself: Where have I been getting my worth from something other than Christ?

Pray the passage

Take five minutes. Thank God for what is true, confess what it exposed, and ask for help to obey.

Thank:Confess:Ask:

Prepare to talk with my leader

The truth I most want to remember from this week:Where I struggled or resisted:My step, and how my leader can pray:

Going Further: The Resurrection and Where You Stand

This page is part of the study. Finish it and talk it through with your leader.

TELL YOUR LEADER Whichever you checked, tell your leader this week. There is no wrong answer, and he will be glad you did. This may be the most important conversation in the workbook.

Read 1 Corinthians 15:1–8 and 15:17–22

Paul puts the whole message on a fact. Answer in your own words.

What does Paul say is “of first importance”?Why does he list so many eyewitnesses?If Christ was not raised, what falls apart?

Say the gospel in your own words

Read Romans 10:9–13. Explain the gospel in four short sentences, as if to a friend who has never heard it.

Who God is:What went wrong (what we did):What Christ did:How we respond:

Where do I stand?

Check the one that is honestly true today.
☐ I have trusted Christ, and I know it.
☐ I believe, but I am not sure my faith is real.
☐ I have never made this decision.

What I will tell my leader this week:

Talk. Pray. Look Back.

Your weekly check-in with your leader

Pick a weekday. Friday works well. Keep it short, by call, text, or voice message. Share these. Your Friday tab has your notes:

How last week’s step went.
What I read, and what stood out: where you have been trying to earn God’s approval.
Where I struggled or resisted.
My step this week, and how my leader can pray.

Ask: “When did grace first become real to you?”

Closing prayer

Merciful Father, I cannot save myself. Thank You for loving me while I was still a sinner and for making new life possible through Jesus. Help me receive Your grace with humility and live as someone You are changing. Amen.

End-of-lesson conversation: A New Beginning

Meet on a weekday for 30 to 45 minutes, in person, by video, or by phone. Set the time before this lesson ends.

How would I explain the difference between hearing God's Word and obeying it?
Where did I see myself trying to earn God's approval? What did I learn about grace?
What was my act of obedience, and what happened?
Say my memory verse from this lesson.

Notes from our conversation:The step I am committing to:Our next meeting (date, time, and how):

Week check

Weekly devotional (optional) Step taken Checked in with my leader

This copies only a short status line, such as how many study days you finished. It does not include anything you wrote.

The weekly devotional | EPHESIANS 2:4-10 OPTIONAL

The Two Words

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—”

Two small words change everything in this chapter: But God.

Dead in sin. But God. Children of wrath. But God. Nothing to offer. But God.

He did not wait for us to clean up. He did not wait for a better résumé. He made us alive while we were still dead.

And verse 10 is the part men skip: we are His workmanship, created for good works. Grace is not a license to coast. It is the reason to move.

You do not work to be accepted. You work because you are.

Ask: What would change in my week if I really believed I am already accepted?

My one line:

Learning to Hear God in Scripture

God’s Word forms our thinking, exposes error, and trains us to live faithfully.

Read this week 2 Timothy 3:14–17 · Psalm 1:1–3 · Acts 17:10–12

Why this matters

Scripture is not only a source of comfort. Sometimes it confronts an assumption you would rather keep. This week you will learn a simple method for reading any passage, and you will start a daily habit that carries through the rest of the workbook.

Setting the scene Paul wrote 2 Timothy near the end of his life, handing the work to a younger leader surrounded by false teaching. Psalm 1 opens the book of Psalms by contrasting two paths. In Acts 17, believers in Berea examine the Scriptures for themselves.

Your week

Monday Observe: read the passage and see what it says
Tuesday Interpret: understand what it means
Wednesday Engage: work it out honestly
Thursday Apply: take this week’s step
Friday Go deeper, pray the passage, prepare to talk, and check in with your leader
Weekend Rest. One optional devotional at the end of the Check-in tab.

This lesson, weeks 3 and 4 Goal. By the end of this lesson I have a realistic daily rhythm for reading Scripture and praying. Truth to carry. God speaks in His Word and I answer in prayer. I do not have to pretend with Him.

Monday: Observe

Read the passage

Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17 slowly, twice. Notice who is speaking, repeated words, commands, and promises.

Observe. What four uses of Scripture does Paul list in verse 16?

Write what you see: Observe

Read 2 Timothy 3:14–17 and answer the Four Questions in a few lines each.

What it says / what it meant / what it reveals / my response:

The Four Questions (use them on any passage, any time) 1. What does it say? 2. What did it mean to its first hearers? 3. What does it reveal about God and about people? 4. What faithful response follows?

Memory verse: Psalm 119:11. Write it out from your Bible, and say it to your leader this week.

Tuesday: Interpret

Read the passage again, then the verses before and after it. Ask what it meant to the people who first heard it.

Interpret. Why does Paul remind Timothy who taught him (verse 14)? What does "breathed out by God" mean for how I read?Who wrote this, to whom, and why?What does this show me about God?What does this show me about people, and about me?

Scripture connects to Scripture | Psalm 119:105 What does it mean for God's word to be a lamp for my feet? Which decision this week needs light?

What it adds:The main point of this passage, in my own words:

Wednesday: Engage

Engage (Be a Berean)

The Bereans in Acts 17:10–12 checked what they heard against Scripture. Pick one claim from a retreat talk, or something you have heard in a talk or online, and look up the passage behind it. Read the verses before and after. Does the claim fit what the passage actually says?

The claim:The passage:What I found:

Faith in real life David reads his Bible for ten minutes some mornings but feels nothing, and he is thinking about quitting. What would you tell David? What might help him keep going?

My answer:What this showed me about myself:

Thursday: Apply

Apply. Which of the four uses do I most resist, and why?

Apply (Meditate)

Read Psalm 1 slowly, twice. Write one sentence you will carry through the day. Then set your daily rhythm: Starting this week, I will read one chapter of Mark each day (or another plan my leader suggests), beginning with ten attentive minutes.

My sentence to carry:My time and place for reading:When and where I will do it:Who I will tell:What might get in the way, and what I will do about it:

Brother challenge Read one devotional aloud with a family member or a brother.

Closing prayer, in my own words:

Friday: Go Deeper and Prepare

GO DEEPER | CONTEXT MATTERS A verse pulled out of its setting can be made to say almost anything. Reading the paragraph around it, and asking who was speaking and to whom, protects us from misusing Scripture and from missing what it actually says. Ask yourself: Is there a verse I have leaned on without ever reading what surrounds it?

Man of the Bible | TIMOTHY (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14-15) Timothy learned the Scriptures from childhood from his mother and grandmother, and grew into a leader Paul trusted. A man formed by Scripture can lead others well.

Pray the passage

Take five minutes. Thank God for what is true, confess what it exposed, and ask for help to obey.

Thank:Confess:Ask:

Prepare to talk with my leader

The truth I most want to remember from this week:Where I struggled or resisted:My step, and how my leader can pray:

Talk. Pray. Look Back.

Your weekly check-in with your leader

Pick a weekday. Friday works well. Keep it short, by call, text, or voice message. Share these. Your Friday tab has your notes:

How last week’s step went.
What I read, and what stood out: what usually distracts you from reading Scripture.
Where I struggled or resisted.
My step this week, and how my leader can pray.

Ask: “How do you read the Bible when you don’t feel like it?”

Closing prayer

Lord, open my eyes to Your Word. Give me patience to read carefully, humility to receive correction, and courage to obey. Make Scripture a steady part of my life instead of something I reach for only in a crisis. Amen.

My prayer in my own words:Please pray for me about:

Week check

Weekly devotional (optional) Step taken Checked in with my leader

This copies only a short status line, such as how many study days you finished. It does not include anything you wrote.

The weekly devotional | 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 OPTIONAL

Breathed Out

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…”

Notice the order. Teaching. Reproof. Correction. Training.

Most of us like the first and the last. We tolerate teaching. We want training.

Reproof and correction? That is the Bible telling you you are wrong, and that is why a lot of men quit reading.

But God does not breathe out Scripture to flatter you. He gives it to make you complete, equipped for every good work.

A Bible that never bothers you is probably a Bible you are not reading.

Ask: Which of the four uses do I avoid, and what does that say about me?

My one line:

Prayer and Dependence

Prayer is not a performance. It is drawing near to our Father through Christ.

Read this week Matthew 6:5–13 · Philippians 4:4–9 · Hebrews 4:14–16

Why this matters

Many men say, “I don’t know what to say when I pray.” Jesus does not hand His disciples a script to impress anyone. He teaches them to come as children to a Father: honest, dependent, and specific. God is not impressed by long prayers. He welcomes sincere ones, including “Lord, help me trust You today.”

Setting the scene Jesus teaches this in the Sermon on the Mount, contrasting showy religion with a child's honest relationship with a Father. Paul writes Philippians while imprisoned and still urges prayer and joy. Hebrews 4 reminds us that Jesus understands our weakness.

Your week

Monday Observe: read the passage and see what it says
Tuesday Interpret: understand what it means
Wednesday Engage: work it out honestly
Thursday Apply: take this week’s step
Friday Go deeper, pray the passage, prepare to talk, and check in with your leader
Weekend Rest. One optional devotional at the end of the Check-in tab.

Monday: Observe

Read the passage

Read Matthew 6:5-13 slowly, twice. Notice who is speaking, repeated words, commands, and promises.

Observe. What does Jesus warn against in verses 5-8? List the requests in verses 9-13.

Write what you see: Observe (Learn)

Read Matthew 6:5–13. The Lord’s Prayer has five movements. Write one sentence of your own prayer for each.

Father (who God is):Honor (His name and kingdom):Daily needs (provision):Forgiveness (mine and others’):Protection (from temptation):

Tuesday: Interpret

Read the passage again, then the verses before and after it. Ask what it meant to the people who first heard it.

Interpret. Why does Jesus begin with who God is before asking for anything?Who wrote this, to whom, and why?What does this show me about God?What does this show me about people, and about me?

Scripture connects to Scripture | Luke 18:9-14 Two men pray. What made the difference? Which prayer is closer to mine?

What it adds:The main point of this passage, in my own words:

Wednesday: Engage

Engage (Turn worry into prayer)

Read Philippians 4:4–9. Name three real concerns, then bring each one to God with something you are thankful for.

1

What worries meWhat I askWhat I thank God for

2

What worries meWhat I askWhat I thank God for

3

What worries meWhat I askWhat I thank God for

Faith in real life Marcus only prays when things go bad, and it feels like a list of demands. He thinks he does not know how to pray. How might Matthew 6 and Hebrews 4 change how Marcus prays?

My answer:What this showed me about myself:

Thursday: Apply

Apply. Which request do I most neglect in my own prayers?

Apply (Approach)

Read Hebrews 4:14–16. Jesus is a sympathetic high priest who understands weakness. Pray out loud about one weakness you normally hide, and do not tidy it up. Daily rhythm this week: a short prayer each morning (“Lord, I need You today”) and an honest one each evening, even when you don’t feel spiritual.

The weakness I brought to God:When and where I will do it:Who I will tell:What might get in the way, and what I will do about it:

Brother challenge Pray out loud with another man, even for one minute.

Closing prayer, in my own words:

Friday: Go Deeper and Prepare

GO DEEPER | WHEN WORDS ARE HARD A prayer can be as simple as “Lord, help me trust You today.” God is not impressed by length; He welcomes sincere dependence. Return to Matthew 6:9–13 when you do not know where to begin. Ask yourself: What am I avoiding telling God because it feels too small, too shameful, or too repetitive?

Man of the Bible | DANIEL (Daniel 6:10) Daniel prayed three times a day, even when it was illegal and could cost him his life. He knelt at the same window he always had. A steady habit of prayer holds when pressure comes.

BEING A MAN | PURPOSE In Genesis 2:15, God put the man in the garden to cultivate it and guard it. Purpose begins with listening to God and answering with faithful work and care for what He has put in your hands. Ask yourself: What has God placed in my hands to cultivate and protect?

Pray the passage

Take five minutes. Thank God for what is true, confess what it exposed, and ask for help to obey.

Thank:Confess:Ask:

Prepare to talk with my leader

The truth I most want to remember from this week:Where I struggled or resisted:My step, and how my leader can pray:

Talk. Pray. Look Back.

Your weekly check-in with your leader

Pick a weekday. Friday works well. Keep it short, by call, text, or voice message. Share these. Your Friday tab has your notes:

How last week’s step went.
What I read, and what stood out: what is hardest to say honestly to God.
Where I struggled or resisted.
My step this week, and how my leader can pray.

Ask: “What does your prayer life actually look like on an ordinary day?”

Closing prayer

Father, teach me to pray without pretending. Thank You that Jesus understands weakness and opens the way to Your mercy. I bring You my fears, needs, gratitude, and sins. Shape my desires as I learn to trust You. Amen.

End-of-lesson conversation: Hearing and Talking with God

Meet on a weekday for 30 to 45 minutes, in person, by video, or by phone. Set the time before this lesson ends.

What reading rhythm worked for me, and what got in the way?
Which passage taught me something new?
How has my prayer life changed, even a little?
Say my memory verse from this lesson.

Notes from our conversation:The step I am committing to:Our next meeting (date, time, and how):

Week check

Weekly devotional (optional) Step taken Checked in with my leader

This copies only a short status line, such as how many study days you finished. It does not include anything you wrote.

The weekly devotional | HEBREWS 4:14-16 OPTIONAL

Walk In

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Many men believe God is waiting with His arms crossed.

The writer of Hebrews says the opposite. Jesus is a high priest who has been tempted in every way, and He sympathizes with your weakness.

Notice the word: confidence. Not “crawl.” Not “beg.” Walk up.

The throne is a throne of grace. Mercy for what you did. Grace for what you are about to face.

Stop waiting until you feel worthy. You will never feel worthy. You were never asked to be.

Ask: What weakness have I been afraid to bring to God? Will I bring it today?

My one line:

Halfway: Look Back, Then Adjust

You are halfway. Take thirty minutes this week to look back before you move on. Be honest, not impressive.

1. Look back

What has God shown me in four weeks?Which habit has helped most (reading, prayer, my leader, the brothers)?Which has been hardest to keep?

2. Rate my rhythms (1 = barely, 5 = steady)

Scripture:Prayer:Leader conversations:Brotherhood:Obedience:

3. Adjust

One thing I will do differently in the second half:What is getting in the way, and who can help?

4. Take this to your leader

Share your ratings and your adjustment. Ask, “What do you see in me that I might be missing?” Then pray together. Compare today’s closeness to God (1 to 10) with what you wrote at the beginning.

Repentance, Temptation, and Real Change

Repentance is more than feeling bad. It is turning toward God in truth.

Read this week 1 John 1:5–10 · Psalm 51:1–12 · Romans 6:11–14 · James 1:12–18 · 1 Corinthians 10:12–13

Why this matters

Most men are good at managing sin: hiding it, renaming it, promising to do better. Scripture invites something different. Confession is not informing God of what He doesn’t know. It is agreeing with Him about what is true, so that grace can do real work. Sin we hide tends to grow. Sin we name, with help, loses much of its power.

Setting the scene John writes to believers about fellowship with God and is plain that sin is real and so is forgiveness. Psalm 51 is David's prayer after his sin with Bathsheba and against Uriah (2 Samuel 11-12). Romans 6 shows how grace leads to new living.

Your week

Monday Observe: read the passage and see what it says
Tuesday Interpret: understand what it means
Wednesday Engage: work it out honestly
Thursday Apply: take this week’s step
Friday Go deeper, pray the passage, prepare to talk, and check in with your leader
Weekend Rest. One optional devotional at the end of the Check-in tab.

This lesson, weeks 5 and 6 Goal. By the end of this lesson I have named one thing I need to stop hiding, I have a plan for one temptation, and I am practicing one new habit with the Spirit’s help. Truth to carry. God forgives the man who confesses, and He changes the man who turns.

Monday: Observe

Read the passage

Read 1 John 1:5-10 slowly, twice. Notice who is speaking, repeated words, commands, and promises.

Observe. What results from walking in darkness and in light (verses 6-7)? Compare verses 8 and 10 with verse 9.

Write what you see: Observe (Confess)

Read 1 John 1:5–10. Tell God the truth about one specific sin, without excuses and without minimizing it.

What I told God, in plain words:

Name it plainly Not “I’ve been struggling with some stuff,” but something specific. Examples men often carry include secret habits (including pornography), anger and harsh words, dishonesty, alcohol or other substances, money, work, or unfaithfulness. You do not have to share every detail with anyone but God, but you do need to be honest with Him.

Memory verse: 1 John 1:9. Write it out from your Bible, and say it to your leader this week.

Tuesday: Interpret

Read the passage again, then the verses before and after it. Ask what it meant to the people who first heard it.

Interpret. What does it mean that God is faithful and just to forgive?Who wrote this, to whom, and why?What does this show me about God?What does this show me about people, and about me?

Scripture connects to Scripture | Luke 15:17-24 The son comes home. What does the father's response say about repentance and welcome?

What it adds:The main point of this passage, in my own words:

Wednesday: Engage

Engage (Confession map)

Read Psalm 51:1–12. David asks God for a clean heart, not just relief from consequences. Complete this for one specific sin.

1

What I did, in plain wordsWho it affectedWhat I will do (confess, repair, set a boundary)

2

What I did, in plain wordsWho it affectedWhat I will do (confess, repair, set a boundary)

Faith in real life Jake promises himself every Sunday to quit a secret habit and breaks that promise by Wednesday. He is tired of lying to his wife about it. What does 1 John 1 offer Jake? What practical steps could help him?

My answer:What this showed me about myself:

Thursday: Apply

Apply. What am I hiding, excusing, or renaming?

Apply (Practice)

Read Romans 6:11–14. Sin does not have to be your master. Take the first step from your plan: remove one opportunity (an app, a route, a situation, a person), and tell the brother you named.

What I removed or changed, and who I told:When and where I will do it:Who I will tell:What might get in the way, and what I will do about it:

Brother challenge Confess one thing to your leader this week, as much as you choose to share.

Closing prayer, in my own words:

Friday: Go Deeper and Prepare

GO DEEPER | FORGIVENESS AND RESPONSIBILITY David’s confession in Psalm 51 did not erase the harm he caused or its consequences. Forgiveness and responsibility belong together. Ask yourself: Where do I need to stop defending myself and begin making things right?

Man of the Bible | DAVID (2 Samuel 12:1-13; Psalm 51) After his sin was exposed, David did not argue or excuse. He said he had sinned against the Lord, and he wrote Psalm 51. Honest confession opens the way to restoration, though consequences may remain.

Pray the passage

Take five minutes. Thank God for what is true, confess what it exposed, and ask for help to obey.

Thank:Confess:Ask:

Prepare to talk with my leader

The truth I most want to remember from this week:Where I struggled or resisted:My step, and how my leader can pray:

Going Further: A Plan for Temptation

Most men fall not because they were surprised, but because they had no plan. Build yours on this page, then share it with a brother.

TRIALS AND TEMPTATION ARE DIFFERENT A trial tests your trust. Temptation pulls you toward sin through your own desires (James 1:2–18). God allows trials, but He never tempts you to sin, and with every temptation He provides a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Read James 1:12–18

Trace the chain in verses 14–15: desire, sin, death. Where does the chain begin for you?

The first link in my chain (tired, lonely, angry, bored, stressed, alone with a screen):

Build the plan (1 Corinthians 10:12–13)

Choose one recurring temptation and fill in the plan.

1

My triggerThe temptationMy way out (a call, a walk, a boundary, a phrase)The brother I will tell

2

My triggerThe temptationMy way out (a call, a walk, a boundary, a phrase)The brother I will tell

Say it before you need it

Write the sentence you will pray the moment it hits. Example: “Lord, help me. I am leaving this room.” Then tell the brother you named, today.

My one-sentence prayer:When I will tell him:

Talk. Pray. Look Back.

Your weekly check-in with your leader

Pick a weekday. Friday works well. Keep it short, by call, text, or voice message. Share these. Your Friday tab has your notes:

How last week’s step went.
What I read, and what stood out: one thing you are ready to stop hiding, as much as you choose.
Where I struggled or resisted.
My step this week, and how my leader can pray.

Ask: “How should I handle this if it affects someone else?”

Closing prayer

Holy God, I have sinned in thought, word, and action. Forgive me through Christ. Give me a clean heart, teach me to hate what destroys, and help me take honest steps toward change. Amen.

My prayer in my own words:Please pray for me about:

Week check

Weekly devotional (optional) Step taken Checked in with my leader

This copies only a short status line, such as how many study days you finished. It does not include anything you wrote.

The weekly devotional | 1 JOHN 1:5-7 OPTIONAL

Walk in the Light

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Most of us manage sin the way we manage clutter: shove it in a closet and shut the door.

John says God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. That means closets do not impress Him.

But look at the promise. Walk in the light and you get fellowship with others and cleansing from all sin. Not some sin. All.

Darkness feels safer. It is not. Whatever you hide has the most power over you.

Bring it out. Light does not just expose. It heals.

Ask: What am I keeping in the dark because I am afraid of who would see it?

My one line:

Identity, Humility, and the Spirit

Real change is not willpower. It is the Spirit of God forming Christ in a man who stays close to Him.

Read this week Colossians 3:1–17 · Romans 8:1–17 · Galatians 5:16–25 · Matthew 23:11–12

Why this matters

Colossians 3 does not only tell us what to stop doing (anger, slander, lying). It tells us what to start wearing: compassion, kindness, humility, patience, and love. Real change is both. But you cannot do it by gritting your teeth. Every believer has the Holy Spirit living in him, and He is the one who convicts, leads, and grows fruit. Jesus also turns our idea of greatness upside down: the greatest is a servant.

Setting the scene Colossians was written to believers tempted to look elsewhere for spiritual fullness; Paul points them to Christ and then to everyday character. Romans 8 and Galatians 5 explain where the power for that change comes from: the Holy Spirit living in the believer.

Your week

Monday Observe: read the passage and see what it says
Tuesday Interpret: understand what it means
Wednesday Engage: work it out honestly
Thursday Apply: take this week’s step
Friday Go deeper, pray the passage, prepare to talk, and check in with your leader
Weekend Rest. One optional devotional at the end of the Check-in tab.

Monday: Observe

Read the passage

Read Colossians 3:1-17 slowly, twice. Notice who is speaking, repeated words, commands, and promises.

Observe. List what to put to death (verses 5-9) and what to put on (verses 12-14).

Write what you see: Observe (Put off, put on)

Read Colossians 3:1–11, then 3:12–17.

One old pattern I need to put off:One quality I need to put on:

Tuesday: Interpret

Read the passage again, then the verses before and after it. Ask what it meant to the people who first heard it.

Interpret. Why does Paul start with setting my mind on things above (verses 1-4) before giving commands?Who wrote this, to whom, and why?What does this show me about God?What does this show me about people, and about me?

Scripture connects to Scripture | John 14:15–17, 26 Jesus promises the Helper, the Spirit of truth. What does He say the Spirit will do? How does that change what I rely on this week?

What it adds:The main point of this passage, in my own words:

Wednesday: Engage

Engage (Case study)

Mike is respected at work for his reliability. He is generous with his time and money. At home, he is short with his wife, scrolls his phone through dinner, and snaps when the kids are loud.

What does Colossians 3 say about the gap between Mike’s public reputation and his private life?If Mike walked into your life tomorrow, what would you tell him to do first?Where do you see a smaller version of Mike in yourself?

Faith in real life Ryan praises others in public but quietly keeps score and resents people who do not notice his work. What do Matthew 23 and Matthew 6:1-4 say to Ryan? What would put-on humility look like?

My answer:What this showed me about myself:

Thursday: Apply

Apply. Which one "put off" and one "put on" is mine this week?

Apply (Serve)

Read Matthew 23:11–12 and Micah 6:8. Real change shows up in choices. This week, do three things: (1) keep one promise you have been putting off, (2) tell one difficult truth kindly, and (3) serve someone without telling anyone. Ask the Spirit to help you each morning.

My three, and when:When and where I will do it:Who I will tell:What might get in the way, and what I will do about it:

Brother challenge Do one kind thing this week that no one will ever know about.

Closing prayer, in my own words:

Friday: Go Deeper and Prepare

GO DEEPER | PUTTING ON NEW CLOTHES Paul uses the picture of changing clothes: old habits are taken off and new ones put on. You do not become compassionate by wishing; you practice it in specific moments, and the Spirit grows it in you. Ask yourself: In which situation this week will I deliberately put on patience or kindness, and ask the Spirit for help?

Man of the Bible | JOSEPH (Genesis 39:7-23) Joseph refused his master's wife, ran from temptation, and ended up in prison for doing right. Yet Scripture says the Lord was with him. Integrity may cost you, and God still stays with you.

BEING A MAN | PURITY AND INTEGRITY Strength under control is part of biblical manhood. Scripture calls men to flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18) and to guard their eyes and hearts (Job 31:1). Secret habits grow in isolation and lose power when they are brought into the light with a trusted brother. Ask yourself: What am I protecting with secrecy, and who could help me bring it into the light?

Pray the passage

Take five minutes. Thank God for what is true, confess what it exposed, and ask for help to obey.

Thank:Confess:Ask:

Prepare to talk with my leader

The truth I most want to remember from this week:Where I struggled or resisted:My step, and how my leader can pray:

Going Further: Walking by the Spirit

This page answers the question behind the whole lesson: how does a man actually change? Take it slowly.

THE HOLY SPIRIT, NOT WILLPOWER Every believer has the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9–11). He convicts of sin, reminds you of who you are, leads you, and produces fruit that effort alone cannot. Your part is to keep in step with Him: say yes to His prompting, stay in the Word, and stay close to other believers. Fruit grows like a crop, slowly, not by decision.

Read Galatians 5:16–25

The flesh and the Spirit pull in opposite directions. Be honest about both.

1

Works of the flesh I see in me (vv. 19–21)The fruit I need (vv. 22–23)One way I will keep in step this week

2

Works of the flesh I see in me (vv. 19–21)The fruit I need (vv. 22–23)One way I will keep in step this week

3

Works of the flesh I see in me (vv. 19–21)The fruit I need (vv. 22–23)One way I will keep in step this week

Read Romans 8:1–17

Answer in your own words.

What does “no condemnation” free me from?Who leads God’s children, and what does He tell me about who I am? (vv. 14–16)

A daily rhythm for the Spirit

Each morning this week pray: “Holy Spirit, lead me today.” Each evening, notice where you followed Him and where you did not.

What I noticed:

Talk. Pray. Look Back.

Your weekly check-in with your leader

Pick a weekday. Friday works well. Keep it short, by call, text, or voice message. Share these. Your Friday tab has your notes:

How last week’s step went.
What I read, and what stood out: what pattern you see in yourself, and where you have been trying willpower alone.
Where I struggled or resisted.
My step this week, and how my leader can pray.

Ask: “How have you learned to listen for the Spirit’s leading?”

Closing prayer

Jesus, shape my character where no one else can see. Remove pride and dishonesty. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, and grow love, patience, and self-control in me. Teach me to keep in step with Him, and let my private life agree with the faith I profess. Amen.

End-of-lesson conversation: Real Change

Meet on a weekday for 30 to 45 minutes, in person, by video, or by phone. Set the time before this lesson ends.

What did I name that I had been hiding or excusing?
What is my plan for a recurring temptation, and who knows about it?
Where did my private life and public life line up, and where did they not?
Say my memory verse from this lesson.

Notes from our conversation:The step I am committing to:Our next meeting (date, time, and how):

Week check

Weekly devotional (optional) Step taken Checked in with my leader

This copies only a short status line, such as how many study days you finished. It does not include anything you wrote.

The weekly devotional | ROMANS 8:12-17 OPTIONAL

Led by the Spirit

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

Here is something many men miss. Change is not just you trying harder. If you belong to Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in you.

He is not a force. He is God, living in a believer, convicting, comforting, guiding, and reminding you of who you are.

Paul says you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. You received a Spirit of adoption. You can say, “Abba, Father.”

Not “Sir.” Not “Whom it may concern.” Dad.

Willpower runs out. The Spirit does not. Lean on Him.

Ask: Where have I tried willpower alone instead of asking the Spirit to lead?

My one line:

Brotherhood, Forgiveness, and Peace

Following Jesus is personal, but it was never meant to be isolated, and it never stays peaceful without forgiveness.

Read this week Hebrews 10:19–25 · Galatians 6:1–5 · Ephesians 4:25–32 · Matthew 18:21–35 · Romans 12:14–21

Why this matters

Most men can name a dozen acquaintances and almost no one who knows what they are really facing. Scripture treats gathering as more than attending an event: it is how believers help each other persevere. Accountability is not surveillance, shame, or gossip. It is a trusted relationship that tells the truth and points toward Jesus. And wherever people get close, there will be hurt. Men tend to explode or go silent. Scripture calls us to tell the truth in love, forgive as we have been forgiven, and pursue peace as far as it depends on us.

Setting the scene Hebrews is a message to weary believers tempted to drift. Galatians 6 and Ephesians 4 are practical instructions for how believers treat each other, including when they fail. Ecclesiastes 4 is a wise observation about work, loneliness, and what companionship gives us.

Your week

Monday Observe: read the passage and see what it says
Tuesday Interpret: understand what it means
Wednesday Engage: work it out honestly
Thursday Apply: take this week’s step
Friday Go deeper, pray the passage, prepare to talk, and check in with your leader
Weekend Rest. One optional devotional at the end of the Check-in tab.

This lesson, weeks 7 and 8 Goal. By the end of this lesson I have taken one step to be known by another man and one step toward peace, and I have a 30-day plan and a clear next step with my leader. Truth to carry. I was not made to follow Jesus alone. My hope is anchored in Christ, and I will keep walking with my brothers.

Monday: Observe

Read the passage

Read Hebrews 10:19-25 slowly, twice. Notice who is speaking, repeated words, commands, and promises.

Observe. What do verses 19-22 say we have in Christ? What do verses 24-25 tell us to do?

Write what you see: Observe (Gather)

Read Hebrews 10:19–25. What does the passage say believers are to do for one another? Then contact one believer who encourages your faith: a call, a text, or a coffee.

What the passage says, and who I will contact:Memory verse: Hebrews 10:24-25. Write it out from your Bible, and say it to your leader this week.

Tuesday: Interpret

Read the passage again, then the verses before and after it. Ask what it meant to the people who first heard it.

Interpret. Why does the writer connect holding fast with meeting together?Who wrote this, to whom, and why?What does this show me about God?What does this show me about people, and about me?

Scripture connects to Scripture | John 15:12-15 Jesus calls His disciples friends and commands them to love each other. What does that kind of friendship cost?

What it adds:The main point of this passage, in my own words:

Wednesday: Engage

Engage (Circle map)

Read Ecclesiastes 4:9–12. List the people in your life in three circles.

1

Who knows my schedule and surface lifeWho knows what I am really struggling withWho I would call at 2 a.m.

2

Who knows my schedule and surface lifeWho knows what I am really struggling withWho I would call at 2 a.m.

3

Who knows my schedule and surface lifeWho knows what I am really struggling withWho I would call at 2 a.m.

What do you notice? What keeps you from moving someone one circle closer?

Faith in real life Steve tells everyone he is fine. His marriage is strained, his job is shaky, and he has not told a soul. What keeps Steve isolated? What is the first small step toward honest friendship?

My answer:What this showed me about myself:

Thursday: Apply

Apply. Who stirs me up to love and good works, and whom am I stirring up?

Apply (Carry)

Read Galatians 6:1–5. Burden-bearing is not rescuing someone from every responsibility; it is truth, prayer, and wise help. Ask one man how you can support him without taking over, and share one honest struggle with your leader.

My step, and when:When and where I will do it:Who I will tell:What might get in the way, and what I will do about it:

Brother challenge Invite one man to coffee or a call and ask how he is really doing.

Closing prayer, in my own words:

Friday: Go Deeper and Prepare

GO DEEPER | CARRYING AND CARRYING Galatians 6 tells us to carry one another’s burdens and also says each man carries his own load. Burden-bearing helps a brother stand; it does not take responsibility away from him. Ask yourself: Am I more likely to rescue people or to avoid them?

Man of the Bible | BARNABAS (Acts 9:26-27; 11:22-26) Barnabas, whose name means encourager, vouched for Paul when the believers feared him, and later brought him to Antioch. One man willing to stand with another can change a life.

Pray the passage

Take five minutes. Thank God for what is true, confess what it exposed, and ask for help to obey.

Thank:Confess:Ask:

Prepare to talk with my leader

The truth I most want to remember from this week:Where I struggled or resisted:My step, and how my leader can pray:

Going Further: Forgiveness and Peace

Brotherhood will not last without forgiveness. Work through this page and take one real step.

A HARD BUT IMPORTANT DISTINCTION Forgiveness releases revenge to God. Reconciliation requires truthful engagement and often rebuilt trust over time. Forgiving someone does not mean calling evil good, denying consequences, or returning to an unsafe situation. If you are being harmed, tell your leader, and he will bring in help.

Read Ephesians 4:25–32

What does it say about anger, speech, and bitterness?

One thing that surprised me:

Read Matthew 18:21–35

Choose one real conflict or hurt and fill in the plan.

1

The situationWhat I need to forgive or releaseWhat I need to ownA wise next step (or boundary)

2

The situationWhat I need to forgive or releaseWhat I need to ownA wise next step (or boundary)

Read Romans 12:14–21

Take one wise step toward peace or appropriate boundaries. Apologize for one specific wrong, with no “but” and no excuses, where appropriate and safe. A good apology sounds like: “I was wrong when I ___. I’m sorry. How can I make it right?”

My step toward peace, and when:

Talk. Pray. Look Back.

Your weekly check-in with your leader

Pick a weekday. Friday works well. Keep it short, by call, text, or voice message. Share these. Your Friday tab has your notes:

How last week’s step went.
What I read, and what stood out: who currently knows the real you, and whose wrong you may still be rehearsing.
Where I struggled or resisted.
My step this week, and how my leader can pray.

Ask: “How do I know when to forgive and when to set a boundary?”

Closing prayer

Father, thank You that I do not have to walk alone. Give me courage to be honest, humility to receive correction, and love to carry another man’s burden wisely. Help me forgive as I have been forgiven, and pursue peace without pretending wrong is right. Amen.

My prayer in my own words:Please pray for me about:

Week check

Weekly devotional (optional) Step taken Checked in with my leader

This copies only a short status line, such as how many study days you finished. It does not include anything you wrote.

The weekly devotional | ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12 OPTIONAL

Two Are Better

“For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”

Men say, “I am fine.” It might be the most common lie we tell.

Solomon says woe to the man who is alone when he falls. Not if. When.

Work falls apart. Marriages get strained. Health fails. Temptation hits at the worst time. And the man with nobody takes the hit by himself.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. That is strength through connection, not strength through isolation.

You do not need a crowd. You need two or three men who know the real story.

Ask: Who knows what I am really dealing with right now?

My one line:

An Anchored Life

The end of this workbook is not the end of following Jesus.

Read this week Hebrews 6:13–20 · Colossians 2:6–7 · Philippians 1:3–11

Why this matters

Our hope is not in a finished workbook or a flawless record. It is in God’s faithful promise and in Jesus, who has gone ahead of us. Growth is ongoing. The goal now is not a bigger push but a sustainable rhythm that survives busy seasons and discouragement.

Setting the scene Hebrews roots our hope in God's oath and in Jesus, who has gone ahead of us. Paul wrote Colossians and Philippians while imprisoned, urging believers to keep going and to grow in love and discernment.

Your week

Monday Observe: read the passage and see what it says
Tuesday Interpret: understand what it means
Wednesday Engage: work it out honestly
Thursday Apply: take this week’s step
Friday Go deeper, pray the passage, prepare to talk, and check in with your leader
Weekend Rest. One optional devotional at the end of the Check-in tab.

Monday: Observe

Read the passage

Read Hebrews 6:13-20 slowly, twice. Notice who is speaking, repeated words, commands, and promises.

Observe. What did God do when He made His promise to Abraham (verses 13-14)? What are the two unchangeable things in verse 18?

Write what you see: Observe (Remember)

Read Hebrews 6:13–20. Write what makes Christian hope secure. Then look back at your starting point near the front of this workbook and at your midpoint check-in.

What makes my hope secure:How close to God I feel now (1 to 10), and what has changed in me, my family, or my work:

Tuesday: Interpret

Read the passage again, then the verses before and after it. Ask what it meant to the people who first heard it.

Interpret. What does the anchor picture in verses 19-20 say about hope?Who wrote this, to whom, and why?What does this show me about God?What does this show me about people, and about me?

Scripture connects to Scripture | Psalm 121 Who keeps the one who calls on Him? How could this psalm anchor me next month?

What it adds:The main point of this passage, in my own words:

Wednesday: Engage

Engage (30-day plan)

Read Colossians 2:6–7. Choose sustainable rhythms for the next 30 days. Keep it realistic.

Scripture

What I will doWhen and whereWho will help me stay on track

Prayer

What I will doWhen and whereWho will help me stay on track

Brotherhood

What I will doWhen and whereWho will help me stay on track

Serving

What I will doWhen and whereWho will help me stay on track

What I will do when motivation fades or life gets busy:

Faith in real life Kevin finished a study once and was strong for three months, then drifted. He worries it will happen again. What would keep Kevin anchored? What will you do differently this time?

My answer:What this showed me about myself:

Thursday: Apply

Apply. When I fail, what will I hold on to?

Apply (Continue)

Read Philippians 1:3–11. Share your plan with your leader and pray together. Ask: “Who will keep me honest after Week 8?”

Who will keep me honest after Week 8:When and where I will do it:Who I will tell:What might get in the way, and what I will do about it:

Brother challenge Invite one man to read the Word with you. This is the first step toward leading.

Closing prayer, in my own words:

Friday: Go Deeper and Prepare

GO DEEPER | THE ANCHOR HOLDS An anchor does not hold because of the strength of the ship; it holds because of what it is fastened to. Hebrews 6 grounds our hope in God’s promise and in Jesus, who has gone ahead of us. Ask yourself: When I fall short next month, what will I hold on to?

Man of the Bible | CALEB (Joshua 14:6-14) At eighty-five, Caleb asked for the hill country God had promised him, because he had wholly followed the Lord all his life. Finishing well is the fruit of faithful days.

BEING A MAN | LEGACY A man’s lasting mark is the men he helps follow Jesus. Paul told Timothy to pass on what he had learned to faithful men who could teach others (2 Timothy 2:2). Ask yourself: Who is one man I could walk with next, the way my leader is walking with me?

Pray the passage

Take five minutes. Thank God for what is true, confess what it exposed, and ask for help to obey.

Thank:Confess:Ask:

Prepare to talk with my leader

The truth I most want to remember from this week:Where I struggled or resisted:My step, and how my leader can pray:

Going Further: Faithful at Home, at Work, and Ready to Share

Following Jesus is tested in your roles, and it shows when you can say why you hope.

WHERE DISCIPLESHIP IS TESTED The greatest classroom is the job, the marriage, the family, and the neighborhood. Faith that does not show up there is a hobby. Jesus defines greatness as service (Mark 10:42–45).

Read Deuteronomy 6:4–9 and Colossians 3:17–24

Faith is meant to be woven into daily life. List the roles you hold and be honest about each.

1

My role (husband, father, son, coworker, boss, friend)What people in this role experience from meOne change

2

My role (husband, father, son, coworker, boss, friend)What people in this role experience from meOne change

3

My role (husband, father, son, coworker, boss, friend)What people in this role experience from meOne change

Read 1 Peter 3:13–17

Write a short, honest explanation of your hope in Christ. Keep Christ, not yourself, at the center.

“Before I took faith seriously...”“What I am learning about Jesus is...”“One difference He is making in my life is...”

My two steps

Choose one relationship where you will lead through service instead of control, and one person you will be ready to share your three sentences with.

The relationship, and what I will do:Who I will share with, and when:

Talk. Pray. Look Back.

Your weekly check-in with your leader

Pick a weekday. Friday works well. Keep it short, by call, text, or voice message. Share these. Your Friday tab has your notes:

How last week’s step went.
What I read, and what stood out: what God has shown you, and your 30-day plan.
Where I struggled or resisted.
My step this week, and how my leader can pray.

Ask: “What would you do if you were me in the next three months?”

Closing prayer

Faithful Father, thank You for carrying me through these weeks. My hope is not in finishing a workbook but in Jesus Christ, my sure and steadfast anchor. Keep me rooted in Him, teach me to love with wisdom, and lead me into the next faithful step. Amen.

End-of-lesson conversation: Walking Together and Staying Anchored

Meet on a weekday for 30 to 45 minutes, in person, by video, or by phone. Set the time before this lesson ends.

Who knows what I am really struggling with now?
What step did I take toward honest friendship or peace?
What will keep me anchored after this workbook ends?
Say my memory verse from this lesson.

Notes from our conversation:The step I am committing to:Our next meeting (date, time, and how):

Week check

Weekly devotional (optional) Step taken Checked in with my leader

This copies only a short status line, such as how many study days you finished. It does not include anything you wrote.

The weekly devotional | HEBREWS 6:16-20 OPTIONAL

The Anchor

“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain…”

An anchor does not fix the storm. It keeps you from drifting.

The writer says our hope is an anchor, and then he says where it is fastened: behind the curtain, where Jesus has already gone ahead of us.

That is the picture. It is not anchored to your feelings, your record, or a workbook. It is anchored to Jesus.

You will have bad weeks. You will skip days. The anchor still holds because of what it is tied to.

When things shake, grab the line.

Ask: When I fail next month, what will I hold on to?

My one line:

Your Next Faithful Step

You have completed eight weeks of study. That is worth recognizing, but it is not the finish line. Look for the work Christ is doing in your heart and in the way you live.

The retreat was a beginning. So is what comes next. Your hope is not anchored in a feeling, a leader, or a workbook. Your hope is anchored in Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 6:19–20)

One truth about Jesus I want to remember:A habit I will continue over the next 30 days:One way I will serve someone else:

Keep walking together

Meet with your Discipleship Leader. Share what God has taught each of you. Pray for one another and agree on a specific time to reconnect.

The brother I will stay connected with:Our next conversation or gathering (date or plan):

Lord Jesus, thank You for meeting me in these eight weeks. Keep my heart humble, my faith steady, and my eyes fixed on You. Give me courage to obey Your Word, confess when I fall, love the people You have placed in my life, and walk faithfully with my brothers. Let this not be the end of my growth, but the beginning of a lifelong walk with You. Amen.

Your next 30 days

Read one chapter of the Gospel of John a day, Monday to Friday. Choose one verse that stands out and ask the Four Questions of it. John has 21 chapters, so you will finish in a little over four weeks.

In 30 days I want to grow in:In 60 days:In 90 days:My time and place for Scripture:One way I will serve this month:

Talk with your leader Ask what comes next. Many men who finish are asked to come back and serve at the next retreat, and there is a next phase of discipleship being built for men who want to keep growing.

Keep These Pages Handy

When I am tempted

1. Stop and name it. “I’m being tempted to ___.”
2. Pray one sentence. “Lord, help me.”
3. Take the way out. Leave, call, walk, put the phone down, change the room.
4. Tell a brother today. Do not wait for it to feel safe.
5. If I fall, confess quickly (1 John 1:9), tell my leader, and begin again. Falling is not the end; hiding is the danger.

The four rhythms of an anchored man

Receive Grace is God’s gift in Christ, not a reward I earn. Ephesians 2:8-10
Abide Stay connected to Jesus through His Word and prayer, daily. John 15:5
Turn Confess honestly, turn from sin, and put on Christ-like character. 1 John 1:9
Walk Together Follow Jesus with brothers: truth, forgiveness, and peace. Hebrews 10:24-25

The Four Questions for any passage

What does it say?
What did it mean to its first hearers?
What does it reveal about God and about people?
What faithful response follows?

Prayer starters

“Lord, help me trust You today.”
“Father, I need You with ___.”
“Jesus, thank You for ___.”
“God, I’m struggling with ___ and I don’t know what to say.”