When I was a kid, men were men, and boys were boys, and we were good with that. Men defended the honor of women and fought the wars, and they were respected as bosses and fathers.  Then the cancel culture kicked in. In the name of Women’s liberation, they demeaned, de-masculated, and canceled men so that they are portrayed as idiots, sex starved, and singularly minded on TV. Now, hear me when I say this. Women did need to be raised up in our country and our churches. They still need to be raised up to equal status in over 100 countries around the world.  That is not the point of this. We needed to teach men to be Godly men without telling them that their testosterone was wrong.  Where is the church in all this? Sixty years later, where are all the men in the church. Men are addicted to pornography, and men are leaving their wives for the pipe dream in the cubicle next door. Where are men learning and being mentored and discipled by other men to be the kind of Man that God wants them to be?  Where do men go to learn this?  I found just the place. A place where men can hear from men about struggles and victories both at home and at work. Real men with real stories with God as the central character. That’s my kind of action.  Blake Mattocks is passionate about men being Godly men. So passionate that he started  www.365Christianmen.com and he is here to tell us about it.  Don’t disconnect just because you aren’t a man.

Blake Mattocks was angry.  He decided to join the Marines at age 18 in hopes that he could blow things up and not get in trouble.  Blake shares his journey through the military, back home when his mom dies, and then eventually in Bible college and as a pastor.  In 2018 Blake admittedly blew up his relational world and vocational world with an emotional affair.  He and his wife fought to save their marriage and decided to stay in their church. 

A leader approached him in his church with a vision of 365 Christian Men.  The vision was to use stories to inspire men to dig deeper, seek more intently, and be the man God called them to be.  The daily videos show men how to have honor, what a role model looks like – even if they’ve done right or wrong, and teach life lessons.  Their tagline is “Inspirational Stories of real men”. Each story contains four key elements. 

1. Every story contains a scripture that relates to and is relevant to the story. 

2. Each story must be about a Christ follower or a conversion to Christ story

3. What we call a timeless truth. It is a statement or an inspiring quote that is short, memorable and challenging.

4. An application

Blake shared about Dr. James Dobson’s video where he shares a story of someone finding his high school tennis trophies in a dumpster and the lessons that can be learned from that.  Other videos have lessons of forgiveness or integrity.  There are videos by personalities like LeCrae and everyday people too. 

Look on their website for all kinds of resources at www.365christianmen.com .  We are giving away a copy of LeCrae’s audio book by calling our listener line at 866-713-9675.

The foundational verse for 365 Christian Men is Heb 12:1. We want to bring attention to what God has done and is doing in the lives of people. It is the power of story. In the future there will also be resources for another year of content for Christian Men as well as a year for Christian Women.

Featured Guests: Blake Mattocks

Ministry/Workplace: 365 Christian Men

YouTube Video Interview

Is it OK for a Christian to be in politics, to be involved in a political conversation? Isn’t politics too volatile for a Jesus Follower to be a part of?  Where does our faith fit into the political process of the united states of America?  How do we bring our faith in Jesus into the political arena without destroying relationships? How do we embrace faith, inspire hope, weaponize love and impact a nation? Can any of that be done within politics?  Honestly, I don’t know many of the answers to the questions I am asking. I do know one thing – everyone around me should be benefitting from my faith in Jesus whether they believe in Jesus or not. Is it working??? I don’t know for sure, but I do know that politics is quicksand for me. Soooo, we are bringing in an expert who talks all day long about bringing in the principles of the Kingdom of God into politics. Aamon Ross with Kingdom in politics is with us today to inspire a generation of Jesus followers to get involved in politics and fill the 575,000 political offices in our country.

God calls us to take the Kingdom into every area of the world.  For the last 60 years we’ve abdicated our responsibility to steward the political arena and the results are catastrophic.  If you’re tired of just talking about the problems in politics and want to be part of the solution, Kingdom In Politics is for you.

Aamon Ross from Kingdom in Politics grew up in a Christian family, but it was just six years ago, while on a business/mission trip to the China wall, that God truly grabbed his attention.  Aamon heard God tell him two things, you think too small, and you don’t think generationally.  These two statements changed Aamon’s trajectory that led to Kingdom in Politics.  With only a 5th-grade civics background, Aamon met with his friend Kevin Stitt and shared how he thought God wanted him to influence politics.  At that same meeting, Kevin Stitt confidentially shared with Aamon that he felt he was supposed to run for Oklahoma’s governor.  The short story is that Aamon became Kevin Stitts’s campaign manager, won the election and is currently the Governor of Oklahoma. 

Aamon shared that at their first meeting to talk about their campaign, they wrote a list of over 100 words in politics that they didn’t know and started studying the language. 

When someone decides to become a missionary in a culture, they don’t know anything about it.  Much like a foreign missionary learns a language and culture to serve a specific people group, Aamon sees the need for Americans to understand the political language and culture to serve the people group of politics.  The idea behind Kingdom in Politics is to raise up groups within churches that “send” someone into politics as they would foreign missions, creating a support team to have the most success.

Kingdom in Politics has a goal to raise 100,000 elected political officials in the next ten years.  There are over 500,000 elected positions in America.  What a great goal to fill 100,000 offices with Christ-followers.  These positions could be from the school board to the White House and everything in between.  Their website is full of training and guides to make this possible. 

When asked if Christians should be involved in politics, Aamon likes to ask this question, “How do we like the results of Christians not being involved in politics?”  Wow, what a powerful question.  Is God prompting you to get involved?  Is God tugging at you to see a change in an area you can influence?  Now might be the time to put your hat in the ring and allow Kingdom in Politics to help you get going.  God calls us to take the Kingdom into every area of the world.  For the last 60 years, we’ve abdicated our responsibility to steward the political arena, and the results are catastrophic.  If you’re tired of just talking about political problems and want to be part of the solution, Kingdom In Politics is for you. This is what it means to work4Him in politics.

Featured Guests: Aamon Ross

Ministry/Workplace: Kingdom in Politics

YouTube Video Interview

Communities have issues. Communities have problems. But their communities. What else so communities have? Community!  We head off to Sunny California where one such community has decided to take the resources they have and put them all to use in addressing the issues of chronic homelessness and many other issues.  I can’t wait for you to hear the story of the e49 Foundation and compassion village and the amazing things they have done. Their founder & CEO & Social Entrepreneur Tammy Vallejo is with us today to tell us the story of transformation in their Del Paso California Community and the way you can do it in your community too.

Tammy was raised in a Christian home and baptized at age 7.  Raised in the mid-west she found herself on the West Coast by the time she was a young adult.  As a married couple she and her husband looked at the community around them and saw many areas of need.  With a background as a real estate broker, Tammy knew how to navigate the housing world.  Seeing such a high level of poverty and chronic homelessness lead to the start of the Compassion Village and The E 49 Foundation. 

Tammy saw a need to pull the church together with the business people in her community and started using events to drive collaboration and cooperation.  God showed her that the DNA of Entrepreneurs and Churches are very different, yet when brought together they can do great things.  Chronic homelessness, having no bed or car for over 1 year has grown from around 2500 to 12,500 in Tammy’s community.  This once hidden issue is now very public and needed to be addressed.  Now through Compassion Village churches and business people are working together to raise funds and provide the labor to build tiny homes.  This is just the beginning of the healing process for the homeless.  They are also offered services to learn skills, as they heal and learn to live in community.  Now there is also the Biblical Justice Leaders Lab, School of Kingdom Business, and the School of Social Justice.  Through the hands and feet of Jesus, a broken world is learning to heal and solve social issues in the process.

What an encouragement to hear how the churches are using their unused properties and really serving outside the walls of the church.  Tammy said the model can be reproduced across the country and they are happy to share what they have learned.  What an example of collaboration.  You can learn more at www.Thee49foundation.org or www.compassionvillage.org

Featured Guests: Tammy Vallejo

Ministry/Workplace: The e49 Foundation / Compassion Village / The Creator’s Place

YouTube Video Interview

It’s always fun to travel back to the frozen tundra where I grew up—so many great people with so many great stories. Well, traveling to MN is out right now, but we can go anywhere and do anything with Zoom.  Today we are going to talk to an entrepreneurial couple. The Husband takes normal cargo vans and turns them into fantastic conversion camper vans. The Wife is a coach to Christian Working Women all over the Country.  We love talking to couples like this because together, they are trying to change the world by living out their faith in everything they do and running two companies and maintaining a healthy marriage, and raising kids. Gina Marie Lokken with Gina Marie Coaching and Erik Lokken with Narrow Road Van Conversions are with us on the show today.

Erik and Gina Lokken both have Jesus stories that intersected in a singles ministry.  Erik felt like he had a Job experience in his life.  He was doing well, built a huge house, and then experienced divorce and job loss through a series of events.  Erik took to listening to audiobooks while traveling for work and was exposed to the likes of CS Lewis.  God eventually led Erik to work in a church and lead a singles group, which he didn’t feel equipped to do. 

As an adult, Gina had her dream job and yet found herself struggling with anxiety and depression.  One of her vet tech friends invited her to church.  She had been to church in her life but never felt the warmth and welcome she did when she went to church with her friend.  She experienced a joy that overwhelmed her, and she knew it was an encounter with God.  Eventually, Erik and Gina met in the singles bible study and later married. 

Now Gina has a coaching business where she helps others change the world by changing their world.  Gina is a Strengths Finder coach, and John Maxwell certified and uses her coaching to help others gain confidence to do what they are equipped to do.  Gina also has been building community through her Women Rise Up Peer Groups.  Martha recently completed a coaching series with Gina to do the Strengths assessment and was utterly amazed by the process. 

A little over a year ago, Erik did a van conversion for his family to travel and camp in nature in a self-contained vehicle.  He gained so much interest from others that it has turned into a business with orders through next year.  His company is growing, and Erik is seeking how to incorporate his faith in his new business best.  In the past, he worked in a church where it was a natural outpouring of his work. Now, Erik can see his work as a mission field. 

With two growing businesses, it’s important for Erik and Gina to make sure to spend time together.  Recently they have re-instituted date night and know the importance of keeping family a priority. 

Gina is offering the iWork4Him audience a special “Friends & Family Strengths Coaching Discount” – 50% off the 5-hour Strengths Assessment – Regular price $1297 (Clifton Strengths Assessment Included) by emailing at hello@ginamarie.net “iWork4Him, I’m In”!  Learn more at www.ginamariecoaching.com Gina and Erik are also giving back 10% of these signups to iWork4Him.  Thank you guys for believing in our mission and paying it forward.

Featured Guests: Erik & Gina Lokken

Ministry/Workplace: Gina Marie Coaching LLC & Narrow Road Van Conversions LLC

YouTube Video Interview

Almost all of us use one when we need to find out how to get from here to there, from home to a vacation destination, from a friend’s house to your favorite coffee shop in the next town over.  We all use a GPS to find our way which in most cases involves coordination with a map app on our phone. No one uses a paper map when they have a GPS and a cell phone around. So, what do we do when we need help navigating life. Navigating around the challenges we face, the obstacles in our way and the sin in our life. Where do we turn? We turn to the Words of God in the Bible. He speaks Truth and it guides us. If you are like me, you may need a guide along the way and that is why Martha and I have invited Nolen Rollins to join us today on iWork4Him. Nolen has written a study called GPS Life Journey www.GPSLifeJourney.com This is a resource we all can use as we navigate living out our Faith at Work.

Nolen Rollins was blessed to be raised in a Christian home and decide to follow Jesus at age 9.  He is grateful that by the grace of God he did not rebel as a teenager.  After spending 30+ years as an Executive Pastor of several mega churches he found himself sitting on the stage of a church looking out into the congregation and seeing many retired CEO’s that weren’t living in their greatest potential.  Living in SW Florida Nolen was in the center of an area with possibly the most retired CEO’s in the country and they were being used in the church to direct traffic.  Now, there’s nothing wrong with directing traffic, it’s just that they may have greater potential. 

Nolen ended up developing GPSLifeJourney.com to help others discover their purpose.  They have had participants now in over 25 countries and more than 12,000 people, from ages 13 – 89 years old.  Nolen’s own purpose is to help others discover their purpose, so he is most fulfilled leading these classes.  GPS actually stands for Gods Plan for Significance.  When we discover this plan for significance we are energized to live in that purpose. 

Nolen says that most people actually stay in their profession when they discover their purpose as often God is going to give you your purpose in the context of your normal life.  You don’t need to leave your professional career and go to seminary to fulfill your purpose, unless God reveals that as your purpose.  You can live life to the fullest when you know you are making a difference.

GPS Life Journey can be done virtually or in person.  Check out their website for more details at www.GPSLifeJourney.com

Featured Guests: Nolen Rollins

Ministry/Workplace: GPS Life Journey

YouTube Video Interview

There are over 4 million Primary and Secondary school teachers in America. There are millions more in higher education. What does it look like for you to live out your faith at work in higher education?  Dr. Tara JG is with us today from Buffalo NY. She has a Dr. in Women’s studies and she is the CEO & Founder of TMJ Consulting where she provides innovative solutions for higher education. Dr. Tara is joining us on iWork4Him to talk about Higher Education and living out your faith in your work.

Dr. Tara JG met Jesus during college.  Her and a friend liked to sit in the back of a church and listen to the preacher.  Eventually she decided to attend the women’s ministry and on her first visit accepted Jesus as her Savior.  For the past 17 years she has worked in Higher Education in many different facets.  Today she helps others navigate higher education and provide innovative solutions through her consulting firm. 

Dr. Tara says we need more pioneers to go beyond their fears and be strong and courageous in education.  We had a great conversation about listening to students and getting to know them and their dreams.  Through her experience she’s been involved in women’s groups to help each other advance and succeed in high education.  It’s amazing to hear how the women work together not in competition but encouraging and helping each other to succeed.

Dr. Tara has a group that she prays with early each morning and meets a couple times per month on Saturday to keep her grounded in her faith and fellowship with other believers.  A mentor once encouraged her to work smarter not harder and later she discovered that mentor was watching her actions and following her faith.

Featured Guests: Dr. Tara JG

Ministry/Workplace: TMJ Consulting, LLC

YouTube Video Interview

Fame. It’s attractive and it’s mesmerizing. So many of us have had at least one moment in our life that we thought being famous would be awesome. But as a Christ Follower, fame takes on a different meaning. You may be famous but it’s no longer about you, it’s about Jesus. How do you use your fame for His glory and His Honor? And what happens when your fame starts to fade or an illness takes you out of the limelight, how you react to your circumstances is being watched by everybody. Then fame may not be all that you were hoping for.  Today we talk with Singer, Songwriter, Artist and Comedian Kelly Lang. She has sung alongside some of the greatest singers of our time, performed in front of huge audiences and been on many TV shows and she has a story to tell when that fame and career was threatened by cancer. Walk with us as we talk with Kelly Lang about her story.

Kelly Lang was born into a loving family where her dad was a road manager for Conway Twitty.  Her life was surrounded with famous people but her dad often told her to not be like the people that let fame get to their heads and treat others badly.  She became a Christ-follower at the age of 12 and was involved in her youth group and church.  God gave her many opportunities to perform in and around Nashville and grew her confidence as a performer. 

16 years ago Kelly wrote a song for a friend as she watched her console her dying husband and kept telling him she wasn’t going anywhere.  After her own serious bout with breast cancer Kelly’s song has become the voice of a hospital commercial where she was treated for her breast cancer.  God used her words to not only minister to a few but now thousands that are struggling with hurt, pain, suffering, and loss in this season. 

Kelly Lang sees her work as her ministry.  God has shown her that her breast cancer wasn’t a death sentence but rather a life sentence while she is here on earth.  Everyday is an opportunity to live and make a differene in those around her.  Early in her career she was encouraged to sing at church and perform Gospel music, but she understood that she could minister to those that may not enter a church if she performed elsewhere.  So Kelly knows that when she is performing in a bar she can be a light to someone there.  She knows that having confidence in her path and trusting her personal friendship with Jesus allow her to be strong and not compromise. 

Kelly is doing interviews and podcasts so she can share her message of all that God is doing and using her music, songwriting, artist and comedy as the platform.  You can watch the song video of I’m not going anywhere.  https://www.kellylang.net/videos

Featured Guests: Kelly Lang

Ministry/Workplace: Singer/Songwriter

YouTube Video Interview

You know it’s always amazing when a bunch of Jesus followers from all over the country get together.   The mutual camaraderie and mission pull us together as brothers and sisters in Christ.  The excitement is palpable and inspiring.  Now for the last 14 months we haven’t had events and we have barely gotten together with people in our own neighborhoods let alone our country. But the Country is opening up and God is on the move. As is our calling, we are covering a move of God called the Christian Leadership Alliance. Their mission is dedicated to equipping Christian non-profit leaders to a high level of excellence while protecting and projecting the Gospel message to the lost and hopeless of our land. Martha and I have grown very fond of the Christian Leadership alliance and their leader Tami Heim. We invited Tami to join us today to talk about the Blockbuster event The Christian Leadership Alliance is hosting in Orlando in June. A Perfect time to break out of quarantine lockdown and join a 1000 others in pursuing excellence with others in the kingdom.  Tami Heim is here to talk about all things Outcomes Conference and their theme for 2021 – Thrive.

The Outcomes Conference 2021 June 15 –17, 2021 Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Hotel – Orlando

Tami Heim shared with us how the Christian Leadership Alliance prepares leaders of non-profit for the uncertainty of tomorrow.  This was a huge benefit in 2020 as many non-profits had to adjust and learn how to function during the pandemic. 

God has taught her to wait, be patient, and listen to Him for guidance.  As a leader these can be difficult to do, but they paid off as God provided miraculously for the increased expansion of The Outcomes Conference to several countries because of the digital approach last year. 

This year’s theme of Thrive is increasingly important as non-profits learn what it really means to thrive both personally and corporately. 

LATE BREAKING NEWS:  The Outcomes Conference early bird pricing has been extended to May 7th and you can find out more at www.outcomesconference.org Jim and Martha Brangenberg are this year’s emcees for The Outcomes Conference.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Featured Guests: Tami Heim

Ministry/Workplace: Christian Leadership Alliance & The Outcomes Conference

YouTube Video Interview

iWork4Him is a show solely focused on the intersection of our Faith in Jesus and our Work. When these two collide – fantastic things happen all around us. People start to benefit from you following Jesus whether they believe in Jesus or not. That’s when the enemy goes full on frontal attack. He wants to compromise your reputation at work so that your testimony is no longer attractive.  What is one way he does this? An Affair with an office mate.  Whether you are a man or a woman, A committed follower of Jesus or one just finding their way in being a Jesus Follower, the enemy wants to see you fail.  How do we protect our reputation and the reputation of our savior? We need to affair proof our marriages. We need to have a solid ground to stand on at home so that our steadfastness isn’t compromised at work. Even if you are not married, an affair at work will significantly dismantle your witness as a Christian.  Today joining Martha and I in this conversation is Rhonda Stoppe with www.NoRegretsWoman.com She has written many books. We use The Marriage Mentor all the time that she wrote with her husband Steve and today’s topic will come from the pages of Real Life Romance, which we will give away today.

Rhonda Stoppe returns to iWork4Him for another great interview about marriage.  She recently commented on one of our iWork4Him PowerThoughts about the need to Affair-proof marriages in the context of our workplaces.  Her book Real-Life Romance and also The Marriage Mentor are great resources for helping to strengthen marriages at home and to help affair proof them. 

Rhonda and Steve have been married for 39 years and she knows that they continue to need to be transparent with each other and take their advice from scripture.  When they were new parents Rhonda found herself dressing up for church on Sundays and appreciated the compliments of a gentleman there.  After a few weeks of getting compliments she approached Steve and basically explained the situation and told him he needs to compliment her more, as she was looking forward to the compliments of the man at church.  She knew this behaviour could have bad consequences and that is how most affairs get started. 

Applying that story to the workplace is pretty easy.  We need to set good boundaries and clearly protect our marriages.  We can do this by strengthening our marriages and making them a priority.  We shared the 72-hour intimacy rule with her and Rhonda is going to add that to her messaging.  Rhonda encouraged women to pursue their husbands.  This is a successful way to affair proof your marriage. 

Rhonda is offering a free ebook – “A Christian Woman’s Guide to Great Sex in Marriage” when you sign up for her newsletter:  http://www.noregretswoman.com

There is a road to recovery for an affair.  God has forgiven us as far as the East is from the West.  Don’t stop protecting your marriage.  When the kids leave and our lives change we shouldn’t look elsewhere for attention.  Rhonda encouraged marriages to be careful even in our virtual relationships while we work distantly.  It can quickly get out of control. 

For more great insights to affair proof your marriage check out Rhonda Stoppes website at http://www.noregretswoman.com. It is always fun to have Rhonda as a guest on iWork4Him.

Featured Guests: Rhonda Stoppes

Ministry/Workplace: No Regrets Woman LLC

YouTube Video Interview

God designed all of us to be leaders. How do I know this? Jesus handed down an assignment that designates all of us to lead others back to Him. What does it take to be a great leader in challenging times. Some would say Tempered Leaders. Leaders that have been pounded, beaten, attacked, hardened, fought in the heat of battle. Leaders who have face great opposition and have come out with Tempered Resilience. Resilience that represents our ability to rebound in the face of great challenge. Leaders who demonstrate Tempered Resilience, are leaders without pride issues and without privilege. These are tried and true leaders who have earned their position and a right to be heard. Tod Bolsinger comes back on iWork4Him today to talk about his book Tempered Resilience. Tod Bolsinger is a Senior Fellow at De Pree Center and Associate Professor of Leadership Formation at Fuller Seminary.

Tod Bolsinger has been a previous guest on the iWork4Him show talking about his last book, Canoeing the Mountain.  This excellent book about not continuing to do things the way they’ve always been done is a great leadership book that Jim has recommended often.  On March 13, 2020, Tod got off a plane from traveling and discovered that 15 of his next speaking opportunities had been canceled.  Little did he know that God would use this adversity to allow Tod to do 105 webinars instead.  He had a chance to live out what he wrote about in his newest book “Tempered Resilience.”

God also allowed 2020 to be a year to launch the Church Leadership Institute at Fuller Seminary in the DePree Center. 

Tod said a key for leaders is to keep learning and growing and allow formation during a disruption.  Be stronger and flexible and have the capacity to adapt core values.

Tod’s new book Tempered Resilience: How Leaders are Formed in the Crucible of Change is here for such a time as this.  Everyone is experiencing disruption and change.  Tempered tools are stronger than their original matter. 

Most leaders experience the most challenging resistance inside their organization and need help to know how to navigate this resistance and be resilient.  When I asked Tod when someone should read this book, he agreed it could be read anytime, as someone prepares to be a leader, or during their leadership opportunity.  The real lessons are learned in the midst of the crisis. 

Call our listener line at 866-713-9675 to win a copy of this book Tempered Resilience: How Leaders are Formed in the Crucible of Change. You can also text:  change to 66866 to get a link to resources by Tod Bolsinger.

Featured Guests: Tod Bolsinger

Ministry/Workplace: Church Leadership Institute

YouTube Video Interview