If somebody wrote a book about your life, is there a chapter you wish you could tear out? Something you did - or something that happened to you - that you hope nobody ever reads?

Here’s the good news: that chapter doesn’t have to be the end of your story.

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom talks man-to-man about failure, repentance, grace, and moving forward. Scripture is filled with men who had serious failures in their past - Moses, David, Peter, and Paul among them - yet God was not finished with their stories.

Grace doesn’t mean pretending the past never happened. A man owns what he did, admits where he failed, repents, learns from it, and then refuses to build his life around yesterday’s mistakes.

Sometimes the very thing you're most ashamed of can become something God uses to help another man. The recovering addict can encourage the man still struggling. The former inmate can tell another man that life after prison isn't over. The father who made mistakes can help a younger father avoid them. Your mess can become a message, and your test can become a testimony - not because the mess was good, but because God’s grace is greater.

Today’s challenge is simple:

What have I done that I need to own?
What has God taught me through it?
Who could benefit from what I’ve learned?

Then find one man who might need to hear, “Man, I’ve been through some things too. If you ever need somebody to talk to, I’m here.” That’s brotherhood.

Join us for the Sharpening Men Breakfast!
Every Saturday [tomorrow] at 9:00 a.m. in the back building at Ruddle Road Church of God, 1400 S. Ruddle Rd., Blytheville, AR 72315. It’s completely FREE and open to men 18 and older. You don’t have to be a church person, have your life together, or know anyone before you come. Come eat, listen, meet some men, and bring a friend with you.

Not local to Blytheville? You’re still part of Sharpening Men. Follow and subscribe to the podcast, share these episodes with another man, and use what you’re learning to sharpen the men around you. Visit SharpeningMen.org for more resources, or reach out anytime at tom@sharpeningmen.org. Wherever you live, you don’t have to walk this road alone.

Your worst chapter doesn’t have to be your last chapter. Own the past. Learn from it. Give it to God. Start walking forward.

Nobody gets sharp alone.

Picture your life like a truck. Who has their hands on the steering wheel? God? You? Your appetites? Your anger? Your past? Somebody else’s opinion?

Some men say they want a new destination while allowing the same old driver to keep the wheel.

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom tackles something that keeps a lot of men chained to their past: condemnation.

Romans 8:1 declares that there is NOW no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. But there is an important difference between God showing you that something in your life needs to change and a voice telling you that you will never change.

Conviction says, “Change.”
Condemnation says, “You’re finished.”

Conviction says something in your life needs to be dealt with. Condemnation tells you that failure is all you’ll ever be. Conviction can lead you toward repentance and freedom. Condemnation often sends you deeper into hiding.

And men can become very good at hiding—behind anger, humor, work, sex, alcohol, drugs, religion, and sometimes even ministry.

But God brings things into the light so they can be dealt with.

So who is driving your life?

Walking after the Spirit doesn't have to be complicated: when God says go right, stop insisting on going left. Obey the next thing you know to do.

Today’s Challenge: Identify one thing you know God has been dealing with you about. Don’t sit there condemning yourself - respond. Confess it. Make the call. Delete it. Pour it out. Break it off. Walk away. Ask another man for help. Whatever obedience requires, take one concrete step today.

Join Us Saturday

If you need some men around you while you're learning to walk this out, that's exactly why Sharpening Men exists.

Join us Saturday at 9:00 a.m. for the completely FREE Sharpening Men Breakfast, open to men 18 and older, in the back building at Ruddle Road Church of God, 1400 S. Ruddle Rd., Blytheville, AR 72315.

No pretending. No faking it. Come eat with us.

Visit SharpeningMen.org
Reach out to Tom at tom@sharpeningmen.org
Follow or subscribe to the Sharpening Men Podcast.
Share this episode with a man who keeps beating himself up over something God wants him to bring into the light and deal with.

Nobody gets sharp alone.

There’s a reason the windshield in your vehicle is bigger than the rearview mirror: where you’re going needs more of your attention than where you’ve been.

Too many men are trying to move forward while constantly staring backward. They’re still living under the weight of an old failure, addiction, divorce, crime, rejection, broken relationship, abuse, or something they deeply regret.

This episode has a particularly strong message for men who feel trapped by failure, addiction, broken relationships, incarceration, or simply years of bad decisions.

In this episode of the Sharpening Men Podcast, Tom talks about one of the most important truths a man can understand: your past may explain where you’ve been, but it does not have to determine where you’re going.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says that if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. That isn't positive thinking or simply believing in yourself. Our hope is in Jesus Christ, and genuine newness is possible in Him.

Following Jesus doesn't magically erase the consequences of yesterday. Broken trust may take time to rebuild. Damaged relationships may take time to heal. Some consequences may remain. But you can still make a different decision today.

You can become dependable.
You can become sober.
You can become honest.
You can become faithful.
You can become responsible.
You can become patient.

You don't have to spend the rest of your life proving everybody's negative opinion of you correct.

Today's Challenge: Identify one thing from your past that is still controlling a decision you're making today. Then ask yourself: If my past didn't get to make this decision, what would obedience to God look like today?

Then do that.

One decision. One act of obedience. One step forward.

Join Us Saturday - If this message hits close to home, there is a chair for you at the Sharpening Men Breakfast.

We meet every Saturday at 9:00 a.m. in the back building/fellowship hall at Ruddle Road Church of God, 1400 S. Ruddle Rd., Blytheville, AR 72315.

The breakfast is completely FREE and open to men age 18 and older.

Whether your story includes addiction, jail, divorce, failure—or maybe you simply know you're not yet the man you need to be—come as you are and come willing to grow.

🌐 Visit SharpeningMen.org
📧 Email Tom at tom@sharpeningmen.org
🎧 Follow or subscribe so you don't miss the next episode.
📲 Share this episode with one man whose past has convinced him that his future is already decided.

Your past does not have to be your future.

Nobody gets sharp alone.