The Heart of a Man

A man’s heart reflects the man… — Proverbs 27:19 NIV

WELCOME

Welcome to session 1 of Wild at Heart. This first session covers chapter 1, “Wild at Heart,” and chapter 2, “The Wild One Whose Image We Bear,” of John’s book. If there are new members in your group, take a moment to introduce yourselves to one another before watching the video. We suggest you simply share your name, some brief details about your life, and why you decided to join this study. Now, let’s get started!

VIDEO TEACHING

Play the video segment for session 1. A summary of the key points is provided for your benefit.

Summary

In this six-part series, we are going to take a journey together into the most important part of your life — your masculine heart.

What does it mean to be a man? Is masculinity something that is just socially created?

Genesis 1:26-27 gives us insight into what God had in mind:

Then God said, ‘Let Us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.

Male and female He created us.

This is an absolutely incredible passage, because right here at the beginning, the very first things God says about the human race — about you — is that you are made in His image and that you are made in His image as a man.

Gender is from God. Masculinity is deep and immortal and everlasting.

God made the masculine heart and sets it within every man He creates. This is going to help us understand so much about our lives as men. If we know who we are, if we know what we were designed for, it will help us make sense of our stories and plan for our future.

Out of your masculine heart flows all of the things that make your life worth living — friendship, love, adventure, career, your dreams, and your relationship with God. If you look at the games that little boys play and the movies men love, you will find in every man’s heart three core desires: a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to love.

You simply have to get your heart back. This is like a treasure hunt with Indiana Jones. Only we’re not looking for a golden statue; we’re looking for something a whole lot more valuable than that.

GROUP DISCUSSION

Take a few minutes to go through the following questions with your group.

1. Could you relate to the stories and struggles of the men in this group? Why or why not?
2. What adventures or games did you play as a boy?
3. What is your favorite movie? Why are you drawn to it?
4. The core desires of a man’s soul is a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to love. How do you see these three desires expressing themselves in your life? The Creator made the human race as male and female. Gender is from God. How would you describe what this truth means to you?
5. Where do you find yourself losing heart? Has greater duty or obligation helped in your attempts to awaken your heart? Explain.

RESPOND

Briefly review the summary for the session 1 teaching and any notes you took. Write down the most significant point you took away from this session.

CLOSING PRAYER

Wrap up your time together with prayer. Remember, prayer is simply talking to God. Here are a few ideas of what you could pray about based on the topics of this first session:

• Ask God to reveal why you’re drawn to the movies you most love… and what that reveals about your deepest longings.
• Invite God to reveal your true hunger for adventure, battle, and beauty.
• Confess how it is a hard time to be a man in the world today.
• Name the ways you’ve lost heart and your longing to get back what’s been stolen.
• Speak Proverbs 4:23 aloud, asking God for help in guarding your heart.
• Pray that through this study, God would reveal more of your masculine heart.

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Your Turn

Let us know your thoughts about Wild at Heart in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!