Podcast
Cross Training Ministries Podcast
Hosted by Cross Training Ministries · EN
We train men in spiritual fitness. Joe Barnard and Evan McGinty give Christian men the training they need to break through low ceilings of spiritual growth. https://www.xtrainingministries.com/
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Manhood Defined
May 500:38:29Tap to summarizeNo one seems to know what it means to be a man. Joe Barnard gives us some clarity. Here are five theses on manhood.Need more help? Go to https://www.xtrainingministries.com/
Transcribe →Ten Rules for Fighting Against Satan's Devices
Apr 700:38:02Tap to summarizeIn this final episode of this mini-series, we discuss ten rules for fighting against Satan's devices.Walk by the Rule of the Word of God. Make the Bible your guide and authority. Obeying God’s Word keeps you in the safest path, while abandoning it opens the door to Satan’s devices.Beware of Grieving the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who helps you discern Satan’s snares and gives strength to escape them. Vexing the Spirit removes your best defense.Labor for More Heavenly Wisdom. Knowledge is not enough; you need wisdom to apply that knowledge. Wise Christians see and avoid traps that trap the unthinking.Resist Satan's First Motions. Do not dally with temptation. It is safe to resist immediately but dangerous to debate with sin. Eve debated and fell; Job resisted and stood.Labor to Be Filled with the Spirit. Satan is a powerful spirit, so you need the greater power of the Holy Spirit to be filled in your heart, not just in your head.Keep Humble. A humble heart is difficult to tempt. As low shrubs are protected from strong gusts that tear down tall trees, humility protects you from prideful pitfalls.Keep a Constant Watch. A sleepy soul is an ensnared soul. Diligently watch your heart and actions, both from within and from without, to ensure you are not caught off guard.Continue Your Communion with God. A soul close to God is not easily conquered. Commune with God to gain the strength to fight, even when heavily tempted.Do Not Engage Satan in Your Own Strength. Lean entirely upon Christ and his power, rather than your own past experiences, graces, or duties.Be Much in Prayer. Prayer is a shelter for your soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to the devil. It is the method of escape when other ways seem blocked.Need more help fighting sin and temptation? Get our resource Surviving the Trenches.
Transcribe →The Seriousness of Sin
Apr 200:23:38Tap to summarizeMen, you need to be equipped to fight back against sin and temptation. This is the second of a three episode mini-series where we are learning from puritan Thomas Brooks on how to recognize Satan's tactics and strategies of temptation.Need more help fighting sin? Check out Joe's book Surviving the Trenches.
Transcribe →Fighting Temptation
Mar 2400:25:23Tap to summarizeMen, you need to be equipped to fight back against sin and temptation. Join us as we learn from puritan Thomas Brooks on how to recognize Satan's tactics and strategies of temptation.Need more help fighting sin? Check out Joe's book Surviving the Trenches.
Transcribe →How to Evangelize Modern Men - A Christmas Message from Joe Barnard
Dec 2400:27:48Tap to summarizeWe live in a time of unprecedented religious interest among men. Are you equipped to help the spiritually curious men around you get on a path of growing in Christ?Don't leave your friends spiritually stuck. Get a copy of Joe's newest book The Road Back to God - it's a guide for men who are dissatisfied by the modern world.
Transcribe →Troubleshooting Prayer with Richard Baxter
Dec 1900:23:23Tap to summarizeCan you relate to any of the following...starting prayer and then getting distractedstarting prayer and then abruptly ending itstarting prayer and giving up because nothing seems to be happening starting prayer and then giving up for no reason at allIn our last episode of this series, we're going to trouble-shoot some of our common prayer problems with Richard Baxter.
Transcribe →Exercising the Affections, and the Work of Consideration
Dec 1200:28:10Tap to summarizeThe idea of preaching the gospel to yourself seems to have gained a lot of traction over the past few years. This is, however, an old tactic used by Christians throughout history to fight for a heavenly mind. Richard Baxter is chief among these.In this episode Baxter coaches us on the work of consideration, wrestling with reason, activating the affections, preaching to yourself, and more.A few quotes from Baxter...Consideration presents to the affections those things that are most important in the most affecting way.Consideration is but the reading over and repeating God's reasons to our hearts.Meditation holds reason and faith to their work, and blows the fire till it thoroughly burns. To run a few steps will not get a heat, but walking an hour may.If you can talk of divine things to others, why not also to your own heart?
Transcribe →Preparing For Gospel Meditation
Dec 500:26:29Tap to summarizeIn this episode Andy, Joe, and Evan break down Richard Baxter's definition of heavenly contemplation. They also talk about the best time (specific, frequent, seasonable), place (in private), and temper (a clear and solemn mind) for practicing this discipline.Baxter's definition of heavenly contemplation: the set and solemn setting of all the powers of your soul in meditation upon your everlasting rest.
Transcribe →The Hindrances and Helps of a Heavenly Mind
Nov 2600:29:48Tap to summarizeIn Scotland, there are hills full of sheep. If you watch closely, you can see sheep doing a lot of things - but there is one thing I've never seen a sheep do: look up at the sky. You can have a brilliant sunrise in the sky, or there can be a million shining stars with a glorious full moon, but the sheep never look up - in most cases there faces are always in one position: looking down at the grass.This is a picture of a lot of men. The Bible pulls back a curtain so that we can lift our mind to glorious realities, but so many of us never do so. We're stuffing our faces like sheep when we could be contemplating the throne of God like angels.In this episode, Richard Baxter helps us identify the hindrances and helps of a heavenly mind.Hindrances:Living in known sin Earthly-mindedness Hanging out with ungodly Arguing too much over secondary stuff e.g. theology and politics LazinessTalking about Christ instead of Delighting in HimHelps:Genuine ConvictionsPersonal AssuranceProximity to heavenSpiritual FriendshipA Sanctified ImaginationThe Means of GraceBodily Discipline
Transcribe →Leading a Heavenly Life on Earth
Nov 1700:23:07Tap to summarizeMen are passive about their thought life and emotional life. We act as if our thoughts and emotions are like the weather: beyond our reach and out of our control. This is strange. There are a lot of trustworthy Christian guides from the past that indicate that there are ways in which we can direct our mind. One of the greatest of these guides is Richard Baxter. In this series we're going to invite Baxter onto our podcast in order to learn from him how we can begin to live a heavenly life on earth. In this episode, Baxter guides us to learn...how to live a heavenly life on earththe discipline of setting your mind on things that are abovethe benefits of setting your mind on things above
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