One Good Thing This Week
I was at the Unite Mississippi gathering this week, and it was incredible. Leaders from all parts of the state and all walks of life have come together because they want better for the 'Sip. The diversity in the room was incredible—pastors, bishops, and Supreme Court Justices sitting with ex-felons and reformed gang leaders, all focused on bettering Mississippi. Their approach? Reach the men.
The state of Mississippi [their governor included] has realized that if you want things to improve, you must reach the hearts of men. Turn the hearts of men toward God, and everything gets better. Families are strengthened. Churches are fortified. Cities prosper.
Mississippi is setting the bar for what it looks like to run hard after the men. It is like Tom Nelson once told me, "If you can only do one thing, go after the men."
The catalyst will be a GATHERING on March 1. If you're within 200 miles, you need to be THERE. Also, you pastors and leaders of men who read this newsletter take note... Generational change will not come through your next VBS. Your women's ministry will not be the birthplace of the next great revival. Your pulpit ministry is not the end all be all. Lasting, impactful change happens when you lead the men of your church [and community] into God's promises and purpose for their lives.
Something Beautiful This Week
Christian apologist Wes Huff 'debated' atheist Billy Carson. Huff dominated the conversation and, more importantly, he did so in a kind and winsome way [say what you mean, mean what you say, don’t be mean when you say it].
The debate was so one-sided, Carson tried to sensor the debate and ultimately sued Huff. It’s a big mess and has gotten a lot of commentary online, which is how Joe Rogan discovered Huff and subsequently invited him onto his show this week.
Below is that interview. It’s about three hours long, but it is worth the listen. Especially the last 5 or so minutes where Huff asks Rogan what he believes about Jesus. After listening to Rogan’s response, Huff breaks down moralism [and Jordan Peterson] and graciously paints a picture of the [true] gospel. This presentation was heard by MILLIONS. Absolutely beautiful.
Well done, Wes. Well done.
"…always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…" — 1 Peter 3:15
One Concerning Thing This Week
The Wall Street Journal published an interesting piece titled: What Happens When a Whole Generation Never Grows Up? It seems that 'adulting' [I hate this phrase BTW] is on the decline, or at least stalled…
Americans in their 30s have never looked less like grown-ups. Amid steep declines in homeownership, marriage and birth rates, economists have long been warning that young people are struggling to meet the milestones of adulthood. Although some 30-somethings are consciously choosing a less traditional path, many say these goals are simply out of reach…
"It feels like the instructions for how to live a good life don’t apply anymore," says 38-year-old Cody Harding, who is single and lives with three roommates in Brooklyn. "And nobody has updated them."
"We’re moving from later to never," says Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men. He notes that the longer people take to launch into a more conventional adulthood, the less likely they are to do it at all.
A third of today’s young adults will never marry, projects conservative think tank the Institute for Family Studies, compared to less than a fifth of those born in previous decades. The share of childless adults under 50 who say they are unlikely to ever have kids, meanwhile, rose 10 percentage pointsbetween 2018 and 2023, from 37% to 47%, according to Pew Research Center. "You can kick the can down the road, but only so far," says Reeves.
Median wages for full-time workers ages 35 to 44 are up 16% between 2000 and 2024, from $58,522 to $67,652 adjusted for inflation, according to the Labor Department. The overall wealth of 30-somethings, too, rose 66% between 1989 and 2022, according to the St. Louis Federal Reserve, from $62,000 to $103,000. In many ways, this age group is in a better place financially, on average, than their parents were at this age. The problem is that they don’t seem to know it.
To be sure, financial averages are just that. A sizable share of this generation is worse-off than their parents were. Young men in particular are struggling in the labor market. And some of the traditional goals of adulthood really have become more difficult to achieve. Student debt has more than doubled over the past two decades, yet a college degree is no guarantee of a well-paying job. Rising interest rates and dwindling supply have also put homeownership out of reach for a growing share of Americans. The median age of first-time homebuyers hit a record high of 38 this year, according to the National Association of Realtors, up from 35 in 2023 and 29 in 1981.
Aaron Renn [one of my fav reads] noted: "One thing I’ve clearly noticed is the 'kidulting' trend, where what should be mature adults are still engaging in the same hobbies and activities they did as teenager or even children, like watching superhero movies, playing video games, and playing with legos. Adults apparently buy more than half of all lego sets sold for themselves. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with this, but it does seem to be a sign of arrested development."
My 3 Favorite Quotes of the Week
"The end of a melody is not its goal." — Friedrich Nietzsche
"I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend." — Faramir [J.R.R Tolkien, The Two Towers]
"Many times people think if God has called you to something, he's promising you success. He might be calling you to fail to prepare you for something else through the failure." — Tim Keller
Stat(s) I Found Fascinating [Or Alarming] This Week
Is cheating on your spouse wrong?
Opinion: It is only a matter of time before the marriage bed is no longer sacred, that sex is no longer a covenantal act between husband and wife, but an act of novelty and convenience that nullifies when it is no longer… novel or convenient.
My Favorite Pic/Meme This Week
I’m glad I got this off my chest…
Song I had on Repeat This Week
This week, I got some windshield time. A pseudo-snow closed down DFW airport and my flight(s) from Jackson MS were cancelled. Thus I did what any man who has a pretty girl waiting on him at home would do: rented the biggest 4x4 the Jackson International Airport had and drove west…
The 6+ hours in the car allowed me to go deep into my favs on Spotify. This gem was unearthed. The coast of clear, brothers. Enjoy.
“The coast is clear
You don't have to be afraid son…”
Book(s) I Read This Week
I am slowly walking through a Tale of Three Kings again this year. This time, I am reading it with four other brothers. I love the commentary around young David before he was anointed king. The author talks about David's days and what they would have been like as he tended to his father's sheep. As the sheep grazed, David had downtime. Lots of it. Some days, he wrote music and played his instrument. Some days, he loaded his sling and knocked down rocks, hundreds of yards away. Though David was a shepherd, he wasn’t just a shepherd. He was a man of utility. He was a shepherd, a studio musician, an aspiring poet, and a bear wrestling, giant slaying warrior in training. David was a man of utility—of usefulness.
Growing up, I was told in order to be 'something,' I had to be a specialist. I had to focus on one thing. "Declare your major," counselors bemoaned. "Become an expert," they said. In becoming an 'expert,' I have since discovered that I have lost most of my usefulness. I can do one, maybe two things well, and in almost everything else, I am at the mercy of others. It is like I have given a piece of my manhood away. The piece that made me interesting, that bound me to my fellow man. The piece that said, "I am here to help, and I am able to help..."
Reading about David tending sheep, playing music, writing poems, and slinging rocks has rekindled a dampened spirit within me. I want to be useful.
"As with all children, the feeling that I was useful was perhaps the greatest joy I experienced."— Eleanor Roosevelt
What God Showed Me This Week
"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger…" — James [1:19]
The Lord showed me this week that I need to take James 1:19 to heart. Thus, I’ve been trying to run everything I [want to] say [especially the heard things] through this grid:
Does this need to be said?
Am I the one that needs to say it?
Is this the right time and place to say it?
If I am not [at least] 2 out of 3, I’m practicing restraint. Best part:I am learning the holy discipline of not having to have the last word.
"Silence is a fence around wisdom…” — German Proverb
If you’re in these areas over the next few weeks, I’d love to connect:
Noble Warriors Conference, January 14, Glen Allen, VA.
Man Camp, January 24-25, Ridgeland, MS
I hope you have a spectacular week. May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.
Love y’all,
—Harp
Would you help me spread the word? Hit the heart at the bottom or top of this email to help others discover my publication. You can also share it with someone. Remember, sharing is caring.
I have a question about the book Tale of Three Kings. The author repeatedly says that we cannot know who is God's anointed, only God knows and he never tells us. But clearly David knew that Saul was God's anointed and God did tell. Same with David. So I'm confused why the author repeats over and over that statement.
"Lasting, impactful change happens when you lead the men of your church [and community] into God's promises and purpose for their lives."
This.