Website: Instituteofmen.org

Books Referenced

Men on Fire

Stephen Mansfield’s Book of Manly Men

Endurance

https://www.instituteofmenpodcast.com

The Institute of Men exists to build, strengthen, and form Christian men by helping them figure out what kind of man they want to be. We derive wisdom from what is ancient, traditional, and from the greatest men in history.

You will develop character, morals, and a Christian worldview. You will also learn about your Christian heritage in the USA and throughout history. This is a platform for LEARNING and development.

Subscribe to my email list on Substack.

With a free subscription to Substack, you receive:

* Email notifications for every podcast.

* Weekly Odds and Ends newsletter with book, podcast, and e-course recommendations, a workout challenge, and more.

With a paid subscription you get all the above PLUS

* Access to exclusive videos

* Long form interviews

* You can read American Christianity where I explore the divisive history of American Christianity.

* Access to essays on The Man I Want to be and The Dad I Want to Be

The Institute of Men exists to build, strengthen, and form Christian men by helping them figure out what kind of man they want to be. We derive wisdom from what is ancient, traditional, and from the greatest men in history.

You will develop character, morals, and a Christian worldview. You will also learn about your Christian heritage in the USA and throughout history. This is a platform for LEARNING and development.

Subscribe to my email list on Substack.

With a free subscription to Substack, you receive:

* Email notifications for every podcast.

* Weekly Odds and Ends newsletter with book, podcast, and e-course recommendations, a workout challenge, and more.

With a paid subscription you get all the above PLUS

* Access to exclusive videos

* Long form interviews

* You can read American Christianity where I explore the divisive history of American Christianity.

* Access to essays on The Man I Want to be and The Dad I Want to Be

Substack

Subscribe on Youtube

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

Today, we talking about men who give away their strength, then we will go into our Comments Section where I respond to comments on YouTube, and we’ll be finishing with today’s Gospel coming from Luke chapter 7.

The Institute of Men exists to build, strengthen, and form Christian men by helping them figure out what kind of man they want to be. We derive wisdom from what is ancient, traditional, and from the greatest men in history. Please consider sharing this with friends and family, or sharing on social media.

Subscribe to my email list on Substack.

With a free subscription to Substack, you receive:

* Email notifications for every podcast.

* Weekly Odds and Ends newsletter with book, podcast, and e-course recommendations, a workout challenge, and more.

With a paid subscription you get all the above PLUS

* Access to exclusive videos

* Long form interviews

* You can read American Christianity where I explore the divisive history of American Christianity.

* Access to essays on The Man I Want to be and The Dad I Want to Be

Subscribe on Substack

Also Check out my work on YouTube

References:

Perpetual Adolescence

Men Without Work

The Vanishing American Adult

Subscribe to my email list on Substack.

With a free subscription to Substack, you receive:

* Email notifications for every podcast.

* Weekly Odds and Ends newsletter with book, podcast, and e-course recommendations, a workout challenge, and more.

With a paid subscription you get all the above PLUS

* Access to exclusive videos

* Long form interviews

* You can read American Christianity where I explore the divisive history of American Christianity.

* Access to essays on The Man I Want to be and The Dad I Want to Be

Don’t forget to check out my YouTube Page

Listen to the Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more.

If you have not subscribed yet, please consider subscribing to my Substack. It is the easiest way to be updated about content and to read all that I publish.

Show Notes

One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. Proverbs 13:7

One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

We talk about money a lot on this podcast because if you mess up money in your twenties and especially in your 30’s, you’re gonna have really hard time later in life.

Money is your first line of responsibility as you become an adult, begin to pay for stuff, and to earn your own income. A lot of people in their 20’s blow everything they make because when you’re young, you make stupid choices.

I was one of those guys. I made stupid choices. I swear, God did not allow me to make more money than 30k until I learned some hard lessons. I’m partly kidding, and partly convinced that is true.

I used to pretend to be rich by eating out all the time. I used to pretend to be rich by buying nice gifts I couldn’t afford. Believe it or not, I used to have a great wardrobe. I had no money in my account but I was keeping H&M in business.

We could talk about this proverb today as pretend you are poor, live under a budget, live on less than you make, and you will get wealth - I think that is one thing this proverb is conveying.

But I also think this proverb is speaking to an attitude that is prevalent in the human heart: the deceitfulness of riches.

Those who appear rich are placing their trust in their image - they are anxious about what they should wear, eager to look like Solomon.

Other hoard all they have, placing their future security in the abundance. They have built bigger barns and said to their soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” Luke 12:19

It is the spirit of Scrooge.

Now before I go through this any further, you socialist leaning people who think I am saying the government should come in a redistribute wealth - nope. That is called stealing and its against the 7th commandment and against the 9th and 10th commandment (depending on how you count them) to not covet what your neighbor has.

No, what I am talking about is the human proclivity to serve mammon rather than God, no matter how much or how little we have in our savings account.

There are plenty of people who are wealthy and yet live so cheap they crowd out other areas of their life. They are hoarding their money, falling for the deceitfulness of riches as THE means of security and as the only thing that matters.

So what do we do? How do we draw the line, how do we avoid being legalistic?

Serve God.

You cannot serve God and money so the answer to all money conflicts is to serve God. That means you pray, and you live as you are led. Serve God. Contribute to what he is doing on the earth as you have means. It means pay your taxes and your debts.

Links

Youtube

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts

This is a re-run of one of my more popular episodes.

Words easily become a snare.

I fall into a snare because I do not want to disappoint or let down, or anger people in my life.

I make caveats and try to explain away what I believe so as not to be “offensive”. But I know what I am doing. I am being a coward. Cowardice and prudence are different. Often I prefer peace more than righteousness. Peace before righteousness is unrighteous peace. It is a falsity, a temporary form of peace that is a trap.

I lie, I deceive, I am intentionally vague because I want to control the outcome of my life and my relationships. To tell the truth is to surrender the outcome of whatever happens. If I tell the truth, I cannot control how other people respond.

To tell the truth, I must choose between fear or trust which might be the hardest decision in the world to make.

Thank you for reading and listening to the Institute of Men. This post is public so feel free to share it.

Thank you for reading and listening to the Institute of Men. Please consider sharing this podcast with any man who is looking for grow.

Around 40% of all undergraduate students end up dropping out of college, and almost 60% of men drop out of college.

The enrollment rate for men in higher education plummeted over the last few years, dropping down 70% for men. Men are looking at the cost, the job opportunities, the general outlook of what is available and saying, nah, I’d rather do something else.

Today, I look at reasons to go, reasons to stay, and reasons to stop your college education.

Resources for Continuing Self-Education

The resources below are either free or very cheap (Less than $20 per month)

https://www.theosu.ca/

https://www.augustineinstitute.org/program-and-resources/short-courses

https://online.hillsdale.edu/

https://leadershipinstitute.org/

https://pll.harvard.edu/catalog/free

https://www.skillshare.com/en/

https://www.masterclass.com/

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtncouL76JV3a-BUcptjWaA

You can listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts.

Institute of Men is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

If you want to improve your life, have better relationships, more financial success, more career success, and make better decisions overall, you need wisdom. Wisdom is the greatest skill you can acquire and is more valuable than anything you can buy. If you get wisdom, you get everything else you desire.

Links are below to listen on your favorite platform.

Be sure to check out my work on YouTube and hit that subscribe button.

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXN0b3MuY29tLzNkMjV3

If you want to improve your life, have better relationships, more financial success, more career success, and make better decisions overall, you need wisdom. Wisdom is the greatest skill you can acquire and is more valuable than anything you can buy. If you get wisdom, you get everything else you desire.

On Wisdom Wednesday, we look at one proverbs from the book of proverbs and apply it to our lives. Simple, accessible, and practical.

Institute of Men is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Please consider sharing this with friends and family, or sharing on social media. The Institute of Men exists to build, strengthen, and form Christian men who build God’s church, strengthen their marriages, and form their children. By sharing this content, you are helping us accomplish that mission. Thank you for your consideration.

You can also participate by subscribing on YouTube, listening to the podcast, or joining our locals community.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@InstituteofMen

Locals:

https://instituteofmen.locals.com

Substack

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXN0b3MuY29tLzNkMjV3

Please consider sharing this with friends and family, or sharing on social media. The Institute of Men exists to build, strengthen, and form Christian men who build God’s church, strengthen their marriages, and form their children. By sharing this content, you are helping us accomplish that mission. Thank you for your consideration.

You can also participate by subscribing on YouTube, listening to the podcast, or joining our locals community.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@InstituteofMen

Substack

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXN0b3MuY29tLzNkMjV3

Please consider sharing this with friends and family, or sharing on social media. The Institute of Men exists to build, strengthen, and form Christian men who build God’s church, strengthen their marriages, and form their children. By sharing this content, you are helping us accomplish that mission. Thank you for your consideration.

You can also participate by subscribing on YouTube, listening to the podcast, or joining our locals community.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@InstituteofMen

Locals:

https://instituteofmen.locals.com

Substack

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXN0b3MuY29tLzNkMjV3

Please consider sharing this with friends and family, or sharing on social media. The Institute of Men exists to build, strengthen, and form Christian men who build God’s church, strengthen their marriages, and form their children. By sharing this content, you are helping us accomplish that mission. Thank you for your consideration.

You can support the work financially by donating here: https://the-man-i-want-to-be.castos.com/donate

You can also participate by subscribing on YouTube, listening to the podcast, or joining our locals community.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@InstituteofMen

Locals:

https://instituteofmen.locals.com

Substack

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXN0b3MuY29tLzNkMjV3

Thomas à Kempis

You will have to acknowledge that your bad habit, your secret, your addiction, your bad relationship, whatever it is, you will have to acknowledge that it is killing you. When we are ruthlessly honest, we have to think through everything that could or will happen in the future, bring it into the present, and confront it. We no longer say, “this is bad I should stop”, we say, “This is killing me and my future and if I don’t face all the possible consequences, it will continue to steal, kill, and destroy me.”

You might need to scare yourself in order to change.

By wisdom a house is built, but understanding it is established. By knowledge rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might.

“My timeline doesn’t allow me to make a the decision I need to make so I am just waiting. I hate just waiting - I need to do something. My family needs me to do something, my soul feels like it is going to burst if I don’t make something happen.”

When all you’re doing is waiting, you start to feel antsy. You feel as if you aren’t doing the things men are supposed to do which is take action and to make something happen in your life - we believe that here, we teach that and push you to take action.

But we cannot confuse taking right action, with controlling every aspect of our lives. Sometimes it doesn’t matter the action we take. We cannot control the outcomes. Sometimes we are just stuck, waiting, wondering what is going on. Doing the things we need to do but without anything happening. We’re just stuck.

How do we get unstuck?

What keeps men from taking on responsibility and how do we grow in this area? I answer those questions on today’s episode.

You can hear the confidence that only comes from conquering obstacles and enduring suffering.

Towards the end of the Podcast, Ethan shares the secret confidence that helped get him through. (I’ll give you a hint, it was his father).

On this episode you’ll get to hear what it is like to go through selection for Special Forces, the lessons Ethan learned along the way, and you will hear the sound of a confident man. His voice is different and yours can be too if you do not give up.

Please share this episode with a friend, and you have not subscribed to my Substack, click the button below.

Keatontucker.substack.com

Don’t forget to subscribe the my substack: keatontucker.substack.com

Should she get a second date? Or a third date?

Before you get to the place of wanting to propose, you should make sure there are some character traits that are upright and good.

What is an indicator that should should get a second date?

The answer I give is “how does she talk about her friends and her co-workers?”

* Does she see the good or does she have something to say about how they could be better?

* Does she say “I love her but…”

* Does it seem like she is always in a fight or drawn to drama?

* Is she always agitated with someone?

Chances are she is a gossip or a quarrelsome woman (those two tend to go together) and you are in for trouble because how she talks about them is how she will talk about you when you are not around.

Bible Verses:

For lack of wood a fire goes out and where there is no whisperer quarreling ceases. As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is the quarrelsome person for kindling strife. Proverbs 26:20

A Continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike. To restrain her is to restrain the wind of grasp oil in one’s right hand. Proverbs 27:15

Better to live in the corner of a house than with a quarrelsome wife. Proverbs 21:9

It is better to live in a desert with a quarrelsome and fretful women. Proverbs 21:19

Keatontucker.substack.com

“Even a child is known by his actions”. Today we talk about how your character is revealed by the actions you take. The actions other people take also show you who they really are so you do not need to be deceived by their words. Don’t fall for people’s words, pay attention to their actions.

Be sure to check out my Substack for additional content on becoming the man you want to be.

keatontucker.substack.com

Maybe that is you.

You have an idea of you to be. You want to be a man of valor, a man of good courage, strong and daring, fearless. You want to lead your family, take responsibility, take part in work that matters, fighting a good fight, making a difference in someone’s life, maybe even greater than just one. You want to be a man of character, a man of good presence, someone people like to have around, a man your wife and others can admire and look up to as an exemplar and a leader.

You want your life to be more than video games, a few beers and fantasy football. You’ve PR’d your bench press, your squat – I’m here for it, get as strong as you can – but you’re also wondering if your spiritual strength will ever measure up to the strength of your body – of maybe you’re wondering if you’re not much of a man because you aren’t strong at all, but you have a good heart which others call soft.

Maybe you think of yourself as nothing more than a mechanic, a barista, a trainer, a creative, on your fourth job this year hoping you don’t have to go back to chik-fil-a or clearing carpets at the movie theater; the question “what do you do for work” has become the question you dread because the answer immediately causes people to think less of you. Or at least you think it does.

If someone asked you to pray you wouldn’t know what to say and its embarrassing for you. You dread if people ask you for advice because you don’t know if what you’d say is helpful but secretly you wish someone would ask you at least one question to prove to you that someone cares about what you have to say.

Maybe you are filled with shame for past mistakes that no one can know about so you hide it from the public, but it is on repeat in your mind day by day. Maybe your shame is linked to the surmounting debt you find yourself in – how did I get so much?

You think to yourself “I will never be as smart or as successful as… fill in the blank with the person you see daily who looks like they have it all together.

You tell yourself, “I am just a shadow of a man – It’s nice Keaton that your father asked you what kind of man you wanted to be and was present for all your games and dinner. But my dad left when I was 9 years old so I had to fend for myself and teach myself. Yeah, I want life to be more than it currently is and I want to became the man I know I could be, the man I envision I could be but here I am, on my couch again for tonight’s round of Netflix and chill by myself. I’ll crack another beer, pour another drink, open another bag of chips, and let my life be what it is. Sure I am angry about it but don’t let them see your anger – that might be labeled toxic. I don’t want to be called toxic. It’s better that I sink into this couch, a stone of a man or sloth of a man depending on the day. Who needs men anyway.

I wouldn’t even know how to be a man if I tried.

I have tried and gave a good effort. I followed the advice of this podcast, I went to church but it didn’t connect. What are those songs y’all sing? I tried the books, the podcasts the workouts. But I think I will accept my life as it is.

Such is the story of many, many, men every single day. If any of that resonated with you, you are in good company. I’ve been there and everything I listed I have heard from at least one man at one time. What you struggle with or think of yourself is common to all men. And that is because those feelings you keep so close to your chest and ignore linked to something in your way – you look like a man but internally don’t feel like the man you know you could be.

What is described above is also not new – the conditions above, you could say are men who feel distressed, bitter in soul, and indebted. And there is a way out.

Thank you for reading Institute of Men. This post is public so feel free to share it.

Be sure to check out Fight the New Drug to learn more about the harmfulness of porn and how to get help. https://fightthenewdrug.org

Fight the New Drug breaks down how porn affects individuals, relationships, and society. They have resources and support for anyone who wants to get free.

If the work of ministry better than the work in the marketplace? No, absolutely not. They are different. As you listen to this episode, you might realize your purpose is outside of ministry and in the marketplace.

As long as you are following Jesus and listening to what he says is best, you are on a good path.

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.

41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

If you want to stand before Kings, if you want to be in the presence of really important and influential people, work diligently at your craft.

understandings on history, the banking crisis and much more.

Instagram: @keaton.tucker

Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.

Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. 

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.

Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

A will to obey, a work to accomplish, a woman to love.

One thing that sticks out to me about Jesus is he was never, ever, not once,… in a hurry. He gets interrupted so many times you’d think it would be a nuisance but in the stories told about him it almost seems like he fully expected to be interrupted. All the time. He’d be interrupted, fully present, do his Jesus thing, and then get back to what he was doing before he was interrupted without skipping a beat.

Discipline is your ability to rule over your own life; to rule over yourself.

Want to be on the show? Email Keaton.tucker@icloud.com

Your first assignment is to become the best possible man you can become.

Make this your top priority, more than anything else. Become the best possible man you can become. Get some moral knowledge, get some courage, stretch your fearlessness; get strong in mind, body and spirit; serve others, figure out what your believe. Every man has this assignment from God; no one is exempt; it is the assignment you know you have all the time.

“The problems differ from generation to generation, but the qualities needed to solve them remain unchanged from world’s end to world’s end; it takes strong and daring men or moral courage. Most of all, I believe whatever value my service may have been comes even more from what I am than from what I do.” Theodore Roosevelt

624 hours per year.

Over a 5 year period, that is 130 extra days. Not 8 hour days, 24 hour days.

Jesus was a man who had a full schedule and made the most of his time.

Hear me – I am not advocating or suggesting you work 80 hours a week at your job. Not at all, I don’t believe that is a good use of time.

What I am advocating though is that you get rid of all the dilly dally things in your life that keep your distracted and ineffective. Right now, most of my listeners, you are responsible for only you which means you don’t have that much responsibility. But one day you will. One day you will be married; you will have kids; you will have a higher promotion.

One day you will be responsible for more than yourself and if you dilly dally your time away now instead of preparing you will carry those bad habits into your future. Right now you can work 32 hours a week, eat poorly, and play video games till late at night.

Is that what you want to bring into your future?

Is that the kind of man you want to be?

Is that the legacy you want to leave?

Your twenties are your defining decade according to Dr. Meg Jay (she wrote a book about it). How you spend your twenties sets the stage for the rest of your life. It is time to use that time well. Now is the time to practice and prepare for that future responsibility by owning and investing your time wisely, not dilly dallying in things that do not profit.

Proverbs 12:9-11

Better to be lowly and have a servant than to play the great man and lack bread.

Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast.

Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.

Control you appetites, eyes, and desires. 

What kind of man do you want to be?

I believe if you can answer that question, if you can figure out what kind of man you want to be in your character, everything else will go well for you. If you’re an overcomer in your character, instead of someone who lets obstacles get in the way, life is gonna go well for you. The same is true if you’re responsible, strong, daring, courageous, and all the other manly virtues, if you have those things in your character, life is going to be better for you. And then you can figure out what you’re going to give your life to, which is your mission and your purpose. Character will sustain your mission and your purpose.