The Sword & Shield: Devotionals for Men: Recent Episodes
Robert Noland
The Sword & Shield: Devotionals for Men is to encourage, inspire, and challenge men to be leaders for Christ in their families, workplaces, and circles of influence. Author and communicator Robert Noland shares stories, analogies, and Bible teaching to spur men on in their spiritual journey of following Jesus.
We all struggle to make right decisions, especially in circumstances where emotions and feelings are driving what we would like to do. As Christ-followers, we have to allow the Holy Spirit to help us look beyond the good way and find God's way. In today's episode, we'll look at three situations where David had a clear choice and, in the end, chose God's way over his own, even when everyone around him would have justified his choices.
Do you often feel unworthy and insecure? Have you or do you ever tell God that He's got the wrong guy when you sense He's asking you to partner with Him? In today's episode, we'll look at Scripture that helps us see we are in good company, but, at the same time, realize we have to stop telling God who we aren't and buy into who He says we are.
We love the people who make us feel good and we work to avoid the folks who don't. But God wants to use every relationship in our lives to transform us into the image of Jesus. This episode might just help you have a fresh perspective on the people you want out of your life.
Someone can look the picture of health physically while being emaciated spiritually. Be overweight while starving the spirit. Hear the Word every Sunday morning and then wonder why nothing changes. In this episode, we take a look at what it means to suffer from "spiritual eating disorders."
In this episode we look at the two times the Book of Mark tells us about Jesus feeding thousands of people in the middle of nowhere and how we can connect that as a principle for how we experience His grace in our lives, as well as share that with others.
There are days where we feel troubled. Maybe we know why, maybe we don't, but our minds and spirits are struggling. In those frustrating times, how can we trade our chaos for God's peace? In today's episode, we look at the practical way to engage this spiritual transaction.
Often, as Christians, we can state what we believe but the challenge can come when we have to explain why we believe. In today's episode, we'll look at the analogy of owning vs. renting to better understand this important concept for maturing and deepening in spiritual growth.
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There are truths we believe because we know them to be true. Then there are truths we believe because we have lived them. That brings the question, "Why do I believe what I believe?" Could someone talk you out of a truth you know? But who could separate you from a truth where you walked through a fire and it's now a part of you? In today's episode, we take a look at the difference between knowledge in faith vs experience out of faith.
As men, how we think is crucial to how we live our lives. Do you view your Christian walk as a remodel where Jesus is the Contractor or a new house where He is the Carpenter? In today's episode, we look at one verse that gives us a clear lens through which we should see our lives. The way God sees in us in Christ.
Today, so many Christians aren't sure what to do with the command we have to share Jesus. The dilemma can create everything from guilt to goofy to grief. So, what are we supposed to do with the Gospel? Isn't the offer offensive today? In this episode, we'll look at how Jesus made it as easy as understanding the difference between rocks and roots.
New Testament teaching tells us if we have a relationship with Jesus, we are now His temple, no longer an ark or a building. That brings the story of Jesus clearing the temple in all four Gospels into a brand new light. In this episode, we take a deeper dive into that legendary story and how it applies to our lives today.
When we look at manger scenes and watch Nativity reenactments, most people pay no attention to Joseph. But the few Scriptures we have about him are so rich and full of lessons to learn from the man who God hand-picked to raise His Son—the sinless Savior of the world. No matter what time of year you listen to this episode, I promise Joseph's story will be inspiring to you.
In the US, we go through this strange transformation from October to December, from celebrating Halloween to Christmas, changing our focus from darkness to light, from fear to hope. Nestled right in between these two holidays is Thanksgiving. In today's episode we talk about making the choice of gratitude versus the decisions that can bring us guilt.
We all have regrets about choices we have made. No one escapes that dilemma. But the amount of time we spend looking back, reflecting on failure can have a devastation effect on where we are and where we're going. In today's episode, we're going to take a look at the purpose of the rearview mirror vs. the windshield as a metaphor for our choices in how we live day to day.
Every day, we produce trash in our lives—stuff we decide we don't need, don't want, or have to get rid of. In cat some of it starts to stink if we let it sit too long. Every day, we also sin—we disobey a holy God. But just as we have to choose to throw stuff away, we have to choose what we will bring before God. Today's episode uses a common metaphor to help us better understand confession and forgiveness of the trash we produce in our lives.
As we walk through life and mature as Christ-followers, we are going to have to deal with "gray areas," the places where we aren't clear on what we should do or how we should handle an issue. Today's episode offers some practical advice on approaching this dliemma.
After having celebrated 39 years of marriage, while certainly not claiming to be an expert on the subject, in this episode, I thought I would share ten principles that I have challenged myself to hold to over the years. Whether you're married a long time, newly married, divorced, remarried, or single hoping to one day be married, I hope these can encourage and inspire you in the one relationship that God can constantly use to make us into the men He desires for us to be.
Anytime you are involved in any of your circles of influence, your mind and body are present, regardless of your level of engagement. But what about your spirit as a Christ-follower? Is that aspect of you engaged as well? How does this work and what might God do if we paid more attention to this amazing and available gift from Him?
We all have to have some contracts in our lives, but, as Christ-followers, we also need to understand the biblical concept of covenants. Where men want a contract in place, God desires a covenant, which we see throughout both the Old and New Testament. This episode talks about the difference in the two dynamics and invites you to take an inventory of your covenant life.
The question of "Who is your pastor?" is a really interesting one for us all. There are some valid life questions and some deep truths for us to get from considering the strategy we have for a crisis. Today's episode asks that question of you and then offers some challenging thoughts for you.
Prayer is, of course, one of the foundational dynamics of following Jesus. So, how can we become more focused when we talk with God? How can we grow in this discipline of our faith? In this episode, I offer some simple answers that can help you in sharing your heart and mind with your Heavenly Father.
One of the most asked questions I've ever gotten over the years from Christ-followers is "How Can I Hear God?" The real concern is always, "How can I be sure it's His voice and not my own?" In this episode, we'll talk about the rarely discussed discipline of listening during our prayer time—developing the aspect of discipleship where we hear and obey His voice. We also talk about the truth behind "praying without ceasing." And then the bottom line of hearing from God to better minister to others in His name.
Of the thousands of metaphors for life, few are better than a climb up a mountain. Especially as men, we can relate to the days we have to dig our fingernails in to hold on and not fall, as well as the days we can look out and enjoy the beauty of where we have been allowed to reach. Today, let's talk about the mountain of life through the lens of a teaching that Jesus gave on a literal mountainside.
Most men today count the guys they work with or are in their career network as their friends. But who do you hang out with? Spend time with? Talk to? But then the big question—where do you go when you need counsel? Real help? When the crisis comes? In this episode, we evaluate the difference between acquaintances, friends, and brothers.
We see the darkness growing stronger in our world every day. Meanwhile, we have a story to tell about Jesus who has changed our lives and will always overcome any darkness with His Light. We live in a day when people don't want to be told what to do, but everyone sure loves a great story. And we have a really good one to tell.
Our world is so obviously in desperate need of help to take care of conflict. We live in a day where people air out issues with one another in front of everyone on social media. As is the case with so many problems in our lives, Jesus had something to say, the right way to handle something that will be opposite of what the world says to do. In this episode, let's look at how the Lord tells us as men to deal with conflict, both when we offend and when we are the offenders.
As Christian men, most of us have the goal of one day being filled with wisdom and able to wield the Word of God in our everyday lives, influencing and helping others. So, how do we get there? How do we become that guy? Today's episode is a challenge and encouragement to start that journey now.
Waiting is tough, especially in a culture that demands immediate experience. Today's episode focuses on our timing versus God's timing and how we can navigate the difference, the balance, and the ultimate outcome. If you're wanting and waiting on anything, these words will hopefully bring you some help and encourage you.
Every disappointment begins as an expectation. Disappointments can be used as seeds that root as much bigger issues. In this episode we talk about how to navigate all this into a far better outcome—gratitude.
Striving is a weird word we don't use much anymore, but it describes really well when we think we have to make something happen in our own strength. And the longer it takes, the more desperate we become. But in the Kingdom of God, giving up doesn't mean failure. In fact, that decision can actually create success in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. If you struggle with striving anywhere in your life, I have some good news for you.
When I go to a grocery store with a list, once I'm done and have all my items, I go straight to the self checkout lane. I'm not dependent on an employee there to take care of my shopping experience. There'a actually a strong spiritual growth analogy to be learned here that can challenge us toward maturity.
All men want respect. Respect is a godly quality. Yet, it can never be demanded and it will never be received quickly. In this episode, I share a few principles and thoughts around this quality and characteristic that each of want and desire to grow in our lives.
Throughout the Bible, God used men who were available and would be obedient. He didn't create a race of super-heroes to do His work. That should be encouraging to us all. Today, I give you a sample day out of my latest men's devotional, Legacy of Leaders: A 40-Day Journey with the Men of God's Word. I talk about a one-verse guy who acted as close to an Avenger as the Bible gets, but he still just used the tools of his trade to fight his battle.
Being accused of laziness are usually fighting words for a man. But the reality is, because of sin, we always have areas where we are being lazy to some degree. Evaluating and being honest about where we are lazy and then the most important question why we are lazy is crucial to our maturity and growth as men and Christ-followers.
As men, we usually have a resume and a job description. But most of us we end up with a lot of roles, wearing a lot of hats. Then with that, comes expectations and pressures. If we are Christ-followers, God has a job description and clear role for us as well. When we embrace that, it can have a positive effect on all our other roles and become a game changer for us.
As sinners, as flesh, as men, we are going to be tempted to give up on so many things. But actually giving up on anything we are called to do or adopting a lifestyle of giving up or an attitude of giving up is not at all what Jesus died and rose again to give us. Today is a pep talk that when the temptation comes to ... not give up.
Avalanches make the news. Erosion never does. For us men, erosion is the constant killer of our attitudes, words, and actions. But we can recognize and stop erosion before an avalanche is ever a threat.
In God's creation, He factored in starts and stops. In our days and on our calendars, there are starts and stops. When we read and write, there are commas, periods, and chapter changes to navigate pauses, end points, and new starts. In this episode, we look at how God can use those in our lives to hear Him, to obey what He speaks to us, as well as the importance of allowing blank pages in our life script for Him to move and work in and through us.
Our current season of isolation is raising up old and new issues for many. In idle time alone, temptations are rearing their ugly heads, causing problems. So what can we do? In this episode, I offer some practical principles for protection for these challenging days.
The content here is gleaned from my latest book Believe, Become, Be: Becoming the Man God Believes You Can Be.
We all understand that the enemy wants to destroy, but when crises come, what is God doing? In this episode we look at the biblical pattern of destruction vs disruption. And then looking at the state of the world today, as ourselves, what is the message for us as men who follow Christ?
Our world needs hope more than ever before, yet we live in a day when hype is all around us. We try to live in hope while sifting through the hype for the facts. Today's episode is an entry from my The Sword & Shield Devotionals for Men that talks about these two opposing forces in our world.
Jesus came to build the ultimate bridge between God and man. But He constantly encountered walls built by the religious leaders and the cultural stigmas of the day. This episode asks the question of what are we building with our lives.
As Christian men, over the course of our lives we will experience a few landslides—sudden crashes of our character. But the real enemy and the greater threat is the daily emotions and attitudes that can creep into our lives to harm us and others.
In today's celebrity-crazed, viral-driven culture, we tend to get pedestals and platforms confused. Today's episode is a quick challenge to evaluate which one we have and which one we really want.
To make a living we have to be involved in creating transactions. But as Christ-followers we are commanded to focus on relationships first. In this episode I talk through this paradigm and how we can practically live in the balance of honoring God and others while doing what we have to in the marketplace.
Matthew 4:1-11 gives us one of the most fascinating conversations ever to take place on the earth—Jesus and Satan. There is so much we can learn and apply in our own lives by reading what each said. In this episode, I give you three P's to remember when you're tempted, gleaned from Jesus's response to the enemy.
As Christian men, we understand the need to forgive others. But what about ourselves? What if we do something that we just can't seem to let go of? This episode explores that dilemma we all face and offers three practical steps toward freedom and forgiveness.
As guys, we work to stay in the comfort zone, but God is constantly challenging us to change. This episode talks honestly about what it means to coast and what we can do to get back on the road towards change.
This episode focuses on three simple W's that can help us practically remember what we are doing here in this life, and why we are here at all.
What causes one guy to keep carrying over the goals of last year to this year and another guy to report amazing change that has happened in his life? In this episode, we take a look at two key factors that can help us stop procrastination and make real, lasting progress.
God doesn't need days and nights, the change of seasons, old years or new years. but he gives them to us for our benefit. As we close a year ,as well as a decade, and enter into the new, let's talk about how God can use pauses, starts, and stops in our lives to help us get where He wants us to be. This episode includes an evaluation resource to help you reflect on the past year and strategize for the new year.
Luke 2 is such a familiar passage this time of year that we can easily miss some amazing details about the story around Christ's birth. In fact, the guys to whom God chose to give the birth announcement were actually the introduction of a pattern to whom his ministry would be for. Check out some new thoughts on the traditional Christmas passage.
There's a man in every manger scene and every Christmas pageant that is always present but quite invisible to most people. But he was incredibly important to God. We can learn so much from this man as we read the Christmas story about his choices to obey God and love his wife.
Every great story has a villain and Jesus' birth is no exception. But we won't see this guy in the manger scenes. Herod was a egomaniacal genius who wanted to take out this baby King. But the cold hard fact is we all have a little Herod in us and that's exactly why Jesus had to come at all—to save us from sin and our selves.
The stats and the news feed tell us we have an epidemic on our hands. From young men with their lives ahead of them to middle-agers fighting off mounting stress to elders with a bleak future, taking ourselves out has become an option we can't and shouldn't take. In this episode, I share my own personal experience with suicide as well as three practical points to try and reach out to the men who are struggling, while encouraging other men to step up and speak out. My prayer is this episode saves someone's life ... maybe yours.
This is the first in a series of Christmas-focused features. In this episode, I talk about the Charlie Brown Christmas Special and the powerful truths we find in this animated timeless classic.
This is the fourth episode in a short series from my new book Believe Become Be: Becoming the Man God Believes You Can Be, releasing today, November 25. Why did Jesus call some men and they dropped their nets and followed Him immediately and then He called other guys who gave Him some reason why they needed to delay going with Him? In this episode we look at Matthew 4:18-22 and Luke 9:57-62 for clarity on our own daily choice to follow Him or offer up an excuse.
This is the third episode in a short series focusing on my new book Believe Become Be: Becoming the Man God Believes You Can Be, releasing November 25. Today is a few thoughts from the second part of the book regarding Being a Man of Truth. I talk through some principles regarding our speech and personality, encouraging us all to allow Jesus to be Lord over both.
This episode is the second of a short series focusing on my new book Believe Become Be, releasing November 25. In this excerpt from the book, I talk about how the majority of the world's belief systems teach that you have arrived or been enlightened when you go from ignorance to knowledge in their religion. Jesus consistently taught that application, not simply belief or knowledge, was the arrival of faith in HIm. As James said in chapter 1, "Don't just listen to the Word. Do what it says." Believe to become to be.
This episode is the first of a short series focusing on my new upcoming book, Believe Become Be, releasing November 25. Topics include a look at Paul's raw and honest confession in Romans 7, the difference between doing and being, and the gift of realizing your heavenly Father believes in you.
Click to see the book here.
When we pray, we want and expect God to answer, which He always does in one of three ways. But we have to be very careful how we handle if he doesn't say 'yes'. As a good and holy Father, His answers to our prayers are always going to be the best for us. But how do we navigate that? How do we respond and interpret God's answers?
A lot of people today get confused between the anger of God in the Old Testament and the love of God in the New Testament. Why is there such a difference? What's the deal? Is there a connection between the two? Today's episode speaks simply into this tough and sometimes touchy topic.
In this episode, I share some insights from Hebrews 5 about the life of Christ, focusing on the fact that while Jesus was 100% God, He was also 100% man, a fact we often forget. As men transformed through the power of Christ with and in His Spirit, we have the privilege of making the same choices He made.
When was the last time you heard someone share the simple truth of the Gospel? When was the last time you shared your story with someone? Our lives and our churches can get off-track when we get off-message and begin to neglect the simple truth that saved us. In this episode, I share an old road story and a challenge to keep the Gospel central in our lives.
While we make a lot of decisions every single day, sometimes we find ourselves at a critical crossroads when a choice we face needs serious attention. In this episode, I offer five points to help you the next time you face a high impact decision.
Check out The Sword & Shield 40-Day Devotional for men on Amazon or anywhere you buy books.
As men we must constantly evaluate who is setting our standards for living. In every area of life, if anyone else is calling the shots of what we will or won't do, we will lose. When we allow the Lord to set them for us as we follow Him, our foundation is secure.
Check out The Sword & Shield Devotional for Men on Amazon or wherever books are sold. Audiobook is also available.
There are times we need to connect Bible stories together in a sequence, even though the writers chose to put a chapter break or a sub-heading in between them. There are also times in our own lives when we need to connect the dots between events that occur. God may want us to not see two circumstances as mutually exclusive but rather put them together to see what He is doing.
Check out My The Sword & Shield 40-Day Devotional for men on Amazon or wherever books are sold.
As busy men, we can treat God like a cosmic Santa Claus: jump up in His lap, read off our list, and expect Him to deliver what we ask for. Or maybe we've made prayer such a "have to" that we've stopped altogether. But God wants a relationship with His sons where there's a real conversation. This episode presents a fresh take on speaking with God and investing in our own lives through prayer.
Check out The Sword & Shield Devotional on Amazon.
As men, we all have issues and problems. We can decide that something in our lives cannot be defeated, that there is no answer for us. But if we follow Christ, we have to realize we are then saying there is something God cannot do. So how do we reconcile this faith dilemma? Check out The Sword and Shield Devotional Book on Amazon.
Reading the words of the Bible is intended to be far more than some religious "have to" exercise. Psalm 1:1-3 holds a fascinating and powerful principle about the importance of taking in Scripture. In this episode, I introduce the Cow Cud Principle that God wants to use to impact your life and your world by His Word in you. Check out The Sword and Shield Devotional Book on Amazon.
We all know that great teams score points on offense and stop points on defense. As a Christian man, the same is true for our spiritual lives. In this episode, learn a simple Bible study method to develop practical principles for growth and maturity. Check out The Sword and Shield Devotional Book on Amazon.