#89 – Impacting Men Deeply

Guest: Reza Zadeh

Director, Men’s Ministry Catalyst

Act Like Men- Men’s Leadership Podcast

Podcast Show Notes

Great story from our guest today. Originally from Iran, he grew up as a Muslim in Southern California. It was through sports and Athletes in Action (AIA) that Reza came to know Jesus. Since Jesus impacted his life so deeply, he chose to answer the ministry call on his life to impact others through pastoring, Athletes in Action, sharing the Word in churches, camps, golf courses, and coaching.

What do many men deal with in their process of coming to Christ and maturing in their faith?

Identity – Everyone wrestles with the idea of what their identity is. We are conditioned in our society to create our own identity – after all, we are self-made men, correct? As men of God, we do want to find our identity in Christ, but we often fail to understand that our identity is not something we achieve; it is something we receive from God.

Father – How do we view our earthly father? Often, we translate that view to our heavenly Father. If we have had an absent, abusive, neglectful, or a father we were unable to please, we translate that to what we think about God our Father. It is important to see God as He is presented in the Bible, not necessarily in our human experience. Sometimes having a mentor, or close friend, that we can utilize to help build a positive and correct view of our Heavenly Father. How you see God as your Father does make a massive impact on your life.

Shame – someone said that shame is the language the enemy speaks. Lying is what the enemy does. Shame says I am bad because of what I have done. It is not conviction that leads us to make changes, it is a condition that causes us to live under the impact of thinking we are bad…no hope, with no ability to be anything other than bad. Guilt says I did something bad and is a motivator to help you make changes. The truth is, I am a child of God. I need to repent and make changes, but God loves me, can forgive me, and place the identity of a man of God within me. You are not your sin – you are a child of the living God.

Men – today, replace lies with truth. Our engagement with God and open dialogue with trusted men of God can make a massive impact in your life.

Today, live your identity in Christ and pursue the truth of God about you, found in the Word of God. YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE LIVING GOD!!

If you want to connect with Reza Zadeh directly, visit https://www.rezazadeh.co

As a reminder, these podcasts are released on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month. For additional podcasts, go to: https://mensministrycatalyst.org/podcasts/