Deepen with Pastor Joby Martin

Episode: A Conversation on Biblical Manhood – Stand Firm and Act Like Men Roundtable
Date: December 2, 2025

Overview

This special roundtable episode brings together nine influential Christian men—from pastors and authors to hunters and entertainers—to tackle the urgent question: What is biblical manhood? Hosted by Pastor Joby Martin in tandem with his new book, “Stand Firm and Act Like Men,” the conversation explores manhood through scripture, confessions of personal weakness, the battle with pride, the dangers of comfort, and the transformative power of community and Christ. Authenticity, wisdom, humor, and vulnerability abound as each guest shares their story and vision for men seeking to become who God intended them to be.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction & Panelist Backgrounds (00:00–10:33)
2. Defining Biblical Manhood & Rite of Passage (10:34–22:05)
3. The Need for Biblical Men in Society (23:50–33:00)
4. Vulnerability, Pride, and Humility (35:07–54:45)
5. Nature, Nurture, and the Core Calling of Men (55:12–64:28)
6. Community, Accountability, and Wise Counsel (66:04–80:02)
7. On Encouragement, Mentors, and Passing Down Wisdom (84:25–98:59)
8. The Idol of Comfort vs. the Adventure of God’s Call (99:31–115:28)
9. Redefining Strength and Courage (116:30–133:01)
10. Fear, Identity, and the Longing for Significance (133:15–145:14)
11. Final Encouragement & Closing Prayers (156:15–171:56)

1. Introduction & Panelist Backgrounds (00:00–10:33)

• Moderator Ali introduces the episode as a roundtable on “Stand Firm and Act Like Men,” emphasizing the diversity and authenticity of the panelists, all united by their pursuit to be the men God called them to be.
• Pastor Joby: “None of us feel like we have it figured out… the source of being the man that God’s called us to be is in the person and work of Jesus Christ.” (00:46)
• Panelists introduced, including bestselling author Charles Martin, Pastor Matt Chandler, hunter Michael Waddell, singer/songwriter Drew Parker, preacher Ben Stewart, comedian Jeff Foxworthy, pastor Matt Carter, and athlete Tim Tebow.
• Notable relationships: mentorship chains are visible, e.g., Jeff Foxworthy discipling Michael Waddell, Pastor Joby discipling Drew Parker.

2. Defining Biblical Manhood & Rite of Passage (10:34–22:05)

• The conversation begins with 1 Corinthians 16:13–14:
  “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (12:48)
• Each man is asked if/when they felt they became a man:
  • Matt Chandler: His father was “anti-vision.” Mentors and Promise Keepers offered a new path. "Dad was kind of anti vision for my life, but I didn't have vision for my life. And so Promise Keepers… became for me, like the seedbed." (13:18)
  • Matt Carter: “When I saw that little boy for the first time, I was like, crud, I gotta start acting like a man now… there was something that happened in my heart on that drive home where it sunk into my life in my heart, like this is my responsibility and my responsibility alone.” (14:53)
  • Michael Waddell: Achievement by worldly standards still left him feeling like a “man-child.” Vulnerability and surrender came in his thirties. (16:11)
  • Tim Tebow: The first drive home with his newborn daughter: “All of my senses, I'm focused, I'm locked in. But what about the next day and the next day?” (22:12)
• Pastor Joby: Laments the lack of rites of passage in modern America—today's “adolescence” or “dude” culture is dangerous, lacking biblical responsibility. (21:03)

Memorable Quote

“There’s nothing more dangerous than boys trying to bestow manhood on other boys. …That is not what it means to be a man at all. Not biblically.” – Pastor Joby (21:03)

3. The Need for Biblical Men in Society (23:50–33:00)

• Pastor Joby: Society is in “a bit of a crisis” over gender and manhood, which represents “an attack on the character and nature of God.” (11:01)
• The world is “screaming for men to be the biblical kind” who “let everything they do be done in love.” (25:23)
• Matt Chandler: The data is in: “Solid, Jesus loving, church involved Christian men are the best husbands and dads on the planet.” (25:23)
• Men, as God designed, are to provide, protect, and love; problems like trafficking persist because of male abdication or evil.

4. Vulnerability, Pride, and Humility (35:07–54:45)

• Ali: Everyone at the table has a platform—how have they battled pride?
• Charles Martin: Writing the book forced the “mirror” on himself; pride is best checked by loving one’s wife and children as Christ loves us. (35:36)
• Jeff Foxworthy: Grew up without a model—asked questions of men he admired. “I am a good dad... but it didn’t just happen.” (41:00)
• Pastor Joby: “Humility is not a feeling… It is a posture.” (40:53)
• Matt Chandler: Challenges the “lie of silent suffering”—that not sharing is strength. “That’s pride as much as… cocky arrogance here.” (42:45)
• Tim Tebow: The pride of believing “I nailed Jesus to the cross” is the starting point for humility and grace. (52:01)
• Jeff Foxworthy: “At the moment of surrender, every one of us goes, God, I cannot do this. …As soon as we back up, we go, I’m a mess, but I’m not as big a mess as she is.” (53:09)

5. Nature, Nurture, and the Core Calling of Men (55:12–64:28)

• Pastor Joby: Uses the biblical roles: provider, protector, prophet, priest, servant-king.
• Matt Chandler & Ben Stewart: From Genesis, men are called to “cultivate and keep”—to bring order, to use strength not for domination but for others’ flourishing.
• The enemy corrupts man’s God-given nature—making self the goal, not service. (49:16)
• Jeff Foxworthy: “Self-scout”—be honest about your own temptations. (61:00)

6. Community, Accountability, and Wise Counsel (66:04–80:02)

• Ben Stewart: Cautions against mere “accountability” groups with surface-level sharing—calls for true self-sabotage, honesty, and preemptive confession, not just postfailure guilt. (64:44)
• Jeff Foxworthy: On the danger of pedestal leadership and the need for a “king’s table” of trusted counselors. (67:36)
• Matt Chandler: Everyone needs three kinds of friends: Nathans (wise, honest), Joabs (action-takers), and Jonathans (soul-friends). Don’t be 99% known—“that 1% is the devil’s playground.” (69:27)
• Tim Tebow: Proverbs repeatedly commands us to seek wise counsel, not just accountability for pastors, but for every man. (75:44)
• Drew Parker: On the other side: If someone confesses to you, keep their trust—be a safe person. (77:47)

7. On Encouragement, Mentors, and Passing Down Wisdom (84:25–98:59)

• Jeff Foxworthy: Truett Cathy’s principle—if someone’s breathing, they need encouragement. “It makes you be aware.” (84:25)
• Pastor Joby: Stories of affirmation from men—“When you teach the Bible, I see them come alive. And I see you come alive.” (86:55)
• Drew Parker: Publicly thanks Joby for seeing God’s work in his life and reaching out to disciple him. (90:34)
• Charles Martin: His father taught “all that we have are words,” instilling a lifelong value of truth in speech. (96:18)
• Group: Several stories are shared about mentorship and the life-changing power of small moments of encouragement or challenge from an older man.

8. The Idol of Comfort vs. the Adventure of God’s Call (99:31–115:28)

• Pastor Joby: “Part of the American dream that is 100% at odds with the gospel… the pursuit of comfort… If you want to pursue a comfortable life, then do not follow Jesus.” (99:31)
• Jeff Foxworthy: True adventure lies in embracing the unknown and embracing the “mess” of real life—“Feed my sheep is a nasty job.” (101:00)
• Tim Tebow: Aspires to “show up to heaven exhausted… it would be a really bad day to get there well rested.” (104:36)
• Matt Chandler: “The thing that we’re all trying to avoid [suffering] is the thing that can produce some of the best gold…” (104:46)
• Ben Stewart: No one watches a movie about a guy watching TV. We’re made for adventure. “I want to do hard things that matter with people I love.” (113:37)

9. Redefining Strength and Courage (116:30–133:01)

• Jesus redefines greatness: “He’s not saying, don’t be strong… He just redefines greatness in an upside-down kingdom where to be great is to be like him.” (116:30)
• Practical strength comes from humble service, not self-promotion—Jesus as the model servant.
• Ben Stewart: “All our power is derivative. …I want to lean so far out on faith that if God’s not real, I’m falling on my face.” (120:55)
• Matt Carter: Real strength in marriage is loving first, “even when you’re not being loved in return.” (123:03)
• Tim Tebow: “Courage is not the absence of fear. It means you do it anyway, even if you are afraid.” Trainings and football were nothing compared to true courage and sacrifice for eternal things. (126:09)
• Pastor Joby: Meekness is “strength under the control of a loving master… That doesn’t mean that we’re not strong, we’ve just said, God… I want to put the reins back in your hands.” (131:35)

10. Fear, Identity, and the Longing for Significance (133:15–145:14)

• Pastor Joby: At the soul’s core, “Do I have what it takes?” and the recurring fear of letting others down.
• Matt Chandler: “I know the answer theologically, but so much of my life is still trying to get it in there…”
• Jeff Foxworthy: On significance, not just from work but in identity as a child of God. Galatians 1:10 – “Am I now seeking the approval of man or of God?”
• Drew Parker: Fear of being exposed as an inadequate husband, father, friend—resolved only by surrender to God and honest brotherhood.
• Charles Martin: Confession breaks fear’s hold; “the confession cut me free from the fear.”

11. Final Encouragement & Closing Prayers (156:15–end)

Key Closing Quotes

• Matt Chandler (On hope for broken men):
  “Hardly anybody in the Bible could get hired at the Village... God pulls from the fringes of darkness those who become his brightest lights. …If you’re swimming in a sea of crap, you’re God’s kind of guy.” (156:15)
• Matt Carter: “Just show up, and you’re going to accomplish more as a dad than you can imagine.” (158:56)
• Drew Parker: “You don’t have to abandon your story. You just have to surrender it to the Lord.” (161:00)
• Ben Stewart: “Don’t shame the small steps. …Celebrate them.” (162:49)
• Michael Waddell: “You can be used. Don’t let your insecurities and look at what you think is worth define what you could do.” (164:50)
• Jeff Foxworthy: “As the devil’s accusing us, I picture a courtroom, and every time he reads something out, Jesus, as the intercessor, stands up, holds up that hand with a hole in it, [and says] ‘I’ve already paid for that.’” (168:31)
• Pastor Joby (Final challenge):
  “If you have this desire to be a better man, that's cause God put that in you. But you'll never be able to stand firm and act like men until you bend your knee to Jesus. …His divine power has given you everything you need to be the man that God has called you to be.” (171:13)

Prayer
Pastor Joby prays for men to embrace their calling not through their own strength, but by the power of Christ within them.

Memorable & Notable Quotes

• “There is nothing in your life that Jesus wants distance from. Like, there’s just nothing. Especially if you think it’s gross or nasty or you hope nobody ever finds out.” – Matt Chandler (156:15)
• “Comfort is killing us right now. I wish brothers would choose the hard thing for the good, the gold…” – Matt Chandler (109:12)
• “My wife and my daughters didn’t need a famous dad. They needed a faithful one.” – Drew Parker (161:20)
• “[Strength is] a bit-bridled horse. ...When they're under the command of a loving master ... everything increases in their life." – Pastor Joby (131:35)
• “Nobody ever writes this down, but temptation is tempting.” – Pastor Joby (63:29)
• “You are so hard on yourself. ...But you've got some pretty soft boundaries against sin in your life. …Be kinder to your heart. You're his dad, you are loved.” – Ben Stewart (150:55)

Action Points & Encouragements for Listeners

• Find a group of godly men: Don’t walk alone. Authentic community is indispensable.
• Seek wise counsel: Even strong men need help and correction; invite it.
• Fight pride with humility: Ask for help; don’t project an image of having it all together.
• Be present: Just showing up for your family is half the battle.
• Don’t be defined by your failures: Surrender your story to God, not the enemy.
• Reject comfort as your highest goal: Live for the adventure and hard things God calls you to.
• Remember your worth is found in Christ: Not in achievement, platform, or performance.
• Take the next small step: Obedience isn’t about how far you have to go, but the step in front of you.

For more:
Grab a free chapter of Pastor Joby’s book or support the Church of Eleven22 at the links shared in the episode.

This summary captures the authenticity, wisdom, and practical encouragement of a milestone conversation on biblical manhood. For any man, or anyone who loves a man—this episode is a call to step up, stand firm, and act like men, not by the world’s standard, but by God’s.