Brave and Bold: 31 Devotions to Strengthen Men

I saw this marketed to teens, & probably it would be good for them, but also for any man. I purchased it as a gift for a military man. I think he will appreciate not just the writing, but also the challenges thrown down at the end of each chapter to help Christian men grow above & beyond. I also like that the 31-day format makes it easy to use on an ongoing basis.

Men play a vital role in the spiritual development and growth of their families. However, many times men are not equipped to achieve this goal and do not know how to do this well. There is a dire need in the church for men to be better equipped as the spiritual leader in the home. In his new devotional book for men Brave and Bold: 31 Devotions to Strengthen Men (NewGrowth Press, 2021), pastor and author Marty Machowski seeks to help men become better spiritual leaders. As stated in the subtitle, the book is broken into thirty-one devotions on differing topics pertaining to manhood and spiritual leadership. These subjects include: worship, prayer, discipline, fidelity, courage, and service just to name a few. Each topic begins with a corresponding scripture passage and then a story to illustrate the topic being discussed. At the end, there is a Scripture passage for meditation and then a challenge in order to put into practice the topic being discussed. All thirty-one devotions follow this structure, and can be read within ten to fifteen minutes. This lends itself to the busy daily lives of most men who are juggling the responsibilities of family, church, and work. My main critique of the book is that I would not classify it as a devotional. I tend to classify devotionals as a resource that provides material to be read individually to aid spiritual growth. Although this book is arranged and marketed that way, I think it lends itself more to group study of at least two to three men. The reader would benefit more from reading the book in that setting so as to provide accountability to put into practice the material discussed in the book. Yet, I would still recommend Brave and Bold as a resource for men who are seeking to grow in their faith.

I’m not generally a fan of devotionals, but my children and I are currently going through LONG STORY SHORT (also by Machowski), and we are immensely enjoying it. So when I heard about the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of his newest work, I jumped at the chance. The first thing to point out is that, while this devotional is geared toward men (it says so in the subtitle, after all), the actions and attitudes proposed in this book (encouragement, truthfulness, confession, and so on) aren’t exclusive to men. They represent the calling of all of God’s children: young and old, men and women. So why the focus on men in particular? Because men need instruction and training in how to apply core Christian responsibilities with God-honoring masculinity. As Machowski says in his book’s introduction, “Men are not born; boys are. Manhood requires education, development, and application.” (2) And as the book concludes, “The church needs men. While we should beware of simply affirming every cultural expression of manhood as biblical, we should nevertheless seek to champion men.” (113) This devotional is an attempt to do just that. “Think of it,” Machowski says, “as manhood basic training…[or] your pocket biblical manhood boot camp.” (3, 4) Each devotion begins with a Bible verse and a story of some kind (often from the realm of the author’s experiences in the armed forces), which are both tied together to illustrate a particular theme. This format is to be expected. However, a highlight of this devotional—and what makes it stand out from the rest—is its focus on practical application. Rather than leaving readers with thinking, “Okay, that was a nice perspective,” each chapter has two rubber-meets-the-road sections. First is "Get Started." This section includes a Scripture passage to meditate on. Because readers are lazy (including myself), the book prints the passage itself for easy reference. (You don’t even have to go find a Bible to look up the passage.) Also included are additional thoughts, action steps, or questions to ponder—all related to the chapter’s topic. Second is "Take the Challenge." This is where Machowski recommends action steps to apply the chapter’s material. Sometimes the challenge is simply to pray about a particular issue or to follow directions in memorizing a short passage of Scripture. At other times, the challenge is to seek accountability for a specific issue or to implement a new practice into your routine. In any case, these challenges help put feet to the principles explored earlier in each chapter. You can, as the devotional itself says, read through the 31 chapters in 31 days (and pick just a few areas to focus on), or you can read one chapter a week and give yourself more time for application of each challenge. Whatever method you choose, the meditations, questions, and action points move the book from the realm of “merely theoretical” to “immediately practical.” On rare occasions, Machowski defines manhood without what I would consider sufficient Biblical support, either because he assumes the reader agrees with him (which I do), or because he chooses a proof text that seems to be taken out of its proper context. Such moments, however, are few and far between. Overall, as someone who rarely reads devotionals, I can confidently state that BRAVE AND BOLD, especially with its unique application sections, promises to be a means of grace for real and lasting growth in manhood—not in the macho or milquetoast extremes of our culture, but in the Christ-like character we all desperately need.

Brave and Bold should be required reading for every man in the church. The devotions are easy to digest and understand, while also being incredibly insightful into how God calls men to live their lives. Each chapter focuses on a trait found in the Bible that all men must strive to emulate. The book challenges men to live up to the full potential that God has called them to and breaks down what scriptures teach about true manhood. A must-read!

Brave and Bold has been an amazing resource for me in my walk with Christ. I read it with my two co-workers each morning, and every day it takes a different aspect of our walks with Jesus and shows us what the Bible says about it and how to be strengthened in it. I especially like the challenges at the end of each chapter, it gives me specific biblical application that I can do today to obey God. Highly recommend!

Needed book for those aimless teenage boys who need to get off their cell phones, put down their video games, stop thinking about themselves - and re shift their focus to growing in their walk with Christ.

I purchased this for a friend and her husband. Their son is having a difficult time transitioning from being a teen to an adult. After dropping out of the Army, he has come back home to live with his parents and is trying to "figure it all out". We used Mr Machowski's Bible products with our children when they were younger. Nice to see him now writing for young adults.

Another fantastic book by Marty Machowski, I have started reading through earlier this month and have enjoyed picking it up each morning. It is a great read for anyone looking to gain consistency in morning devotions.