When young men feel stirred to act but don’t know where to start, seasoned men must step in to guide, disciple, and help them channel their passion into purposeful action for the Kingdom.
A few weeks ago, I sat across from a young man wrestling with a question I’ve been hearing more and more: “What do I do now?”
He had just come out of a church experience that left him stirred up — not angry, but restless. He’d seen a movement of young people rise with passion for truth and boldness, and he wanted in. His heart was ready. His spirit was fired up. But he didn’t know what to do with that energy.
“I just want someone to tell me what to do,” he said.
I smiled and told him, “You’re like a cannon that’s been packed with powder but doesn’t have a projectile or a target. You’re ready to explode — but you’re not sure where to aim.”
That conversation captured what I believe is a defining moment for many young men today. They’re eager. They sense God’s movement. They want to stand firm in their faith. But they don’t yet have direction — and many of us older men haven’t stepped up to provide it.
A HUNGER FOR PURPOSE
As I met with other men later that week — younger and older — I heard the same theme again and again: “I feel like I should be doing something, but I’m not sure what that is.”
We live in a culture that’s loud with opinion and thin on discipleship. Young men are hearing passionate calls to action, but few of those calls are grounded in Scripture or guided by godly wisdom.
That’s where seasoned men need to show up.
God is stirring the hearts of young men across this nation — many of them through unexpected means. The Charlie Kirk event was one example: thousands of young believers inspired by bold proclamation. But inspiration without discipleship is like fire without oxygen — it burns hot for a moment and then fades.
If we, as older brothers in Christ, don’t step in to help direct that fire, the culture will.
BOLDNESS WITH DIRECTION
When I met with that young man, I didn’t tell him to start a movement or post something online. I asked him what it would look like to represent Christ in his workplace and other places of influence. I asked if he and his wife had ever considered moving to help plant a church. I gave him a copy of More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell and introduced him to the Engel Scale — a simple framework that helps people see where they are on the journey toward faith. (Here’s my favorite version of the Engel Scale.)
By the end of our time, he wasn’t just restless — he was ready and resolved to take some next steps.
You see, young men don’t need hype; they need a path. They need to see what faith looks like in action — in their families, jobs, and communities.
AROUND THE FIRE
Later in the week, a few other young men joined me at my backyard fire pit. We started talking about Charlie Kirk and ended up talking about Jesus. We discussed what it means to defend our faith, to share our stories, and to engage the world without losing sight of the gospel.
After three hours, I went inside, (caught the end of the UVA-FSU game,) and went to bed. I told the guys to stay as long as they wanted, how to manage the fire, and where to turn off the lights.
I later learned that they stayed until midnight. The guys talked for 2 hours after I’d gone inside. Several of the guys were sharing their faith and answering questions for another, who was a self-professed unbeliever. (Notice the past tense in that previous sentence. Many have been praying for this man and walking with him toward the cross. He said YES! to Jesus two weeks later!)
As I reflected on this, I told Stacy, “I’m glad I was out there to help catalyze the conversation, but I’d rather see those young men continue the conversation than for me to be the one leading it.”
That moment reminded me why this matters so much. Discipleship doesn’t just happen in classrooms or conferences. It happens around campfires, over coffee, in the everyday rhythm of relationships.
Men need those times and places. This is where multiplication occurs.
STAYING GROUNDED IN TRUTH
There’s a critical warning I’ve been giving the men I meet with: Be careful where you get your information.
Social media thrives on outrage and attention. It’s built to manipulate emotion, not cultivate discernment. If we aren’t rooted in Scripture, we’ll find ourselves swept up in someone else’s agenda.
Remember: in every place God is working, Satan is working too.
So stay in the Word. Keep your eyes on Christ. Don’t operate in the flesh. Truth is our anchor in a world of noise.
WHAT NOW?
Because of recent events, millions of people have heard the gospel — some for the first time, others more clearly than ever before. That’s an incredible opportunity! But if the church responds first with political strategy instead of spiritual formation, we’ll miss what God is doing.
Charlie Kirk was doing what he was called to do — living out his faith in a political sphere. Most of us are called to live out our faith in other places: our homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces.
The question for each of us is the same: What now?
Maybe it’s time to invite a few guys to your backyard fire pit. Maybe it’s time to disciple the young man in your office who’s asking big questions. Maybe it’s time to stop waiting for someone else to act — and step into the calling God’s already placed in front of you.
Pray. Prepare. And then, do something.
Let’s be 1 Peter 3:15 men who say, “Yes!” when He calls.
But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:14-17