Seven Virtues of Manhood to Become the Man and Father You Were Meant to Be

Somewhere along the way, our culture lost its definition of manhood, leaving generations of men and men-to-be confused about their roles, responsibilities, relationships and the reason God made them men. New York Times bestselling author Mark Batterson joined Glenn on radio Friday to talk about his new book Play the Man: Becoming the Man God Created You to Be.

"This one is a really interesting book . . . I have been looking for books over the last few years because I want to build a library about how you build a man. What does it mean to be a man? Because nothing in our culture is supporting that now," Glenn said.

Batterson's Play the Man helps men understand what it means to be a man of God by unveiling seven virtues of manhood with inspiring stories of manhood. Help start a movement of men who will settle for nothing less than fulfilling their highest calling: To be the man and the father God has destined them to be. Play the Man is available in bookstores everywhere.

The seven virtues include:

1. Tough love

2. Childlike wonder

3. Willpower

4. Raw passion

5. True grit

6. Clear vision

7. Moral courage

Read the transcript or listen to the segment below to get Glenn and Batterson's thoughtful discussion on several of the virtues.

Listen to this segment from The Glenn Beck Program:

GLENN: It is Father's Day weekend. And speaking of Amazon, a book you can pick up on Amazon.com right now is Play the Man. Mark is a friend of the program. Been on several times. He is the author of 16 different books. This one is a really interesting book because we have nothing, and I have been looking for books over the last few years of I want to build a library of how do you build a man? What does it mean to be a man? Because nothing in our culture is supporting that now. Mark, welcome to the program.

MARK: Hey, Glenn, it's good to be to be back.

GLENN: So the comes from the Bible the Romans took because he was worshiping Jesus. Can you tell the story?

MARK: Yeah. Incredible true story about Polycarp, he was the bishop of Smyrna, and he was taken into the coliseum, told to recant his faith, and he wouldn't do it. And part of why he wouldn't do it because he heard a voice from heaven saying be strong, Polycarp, play the man. And when I first heard that, Glenn, it gave me goosebumps because here was a guy who was martyred for his faith, and it's that little saying play the man that, you know, he died for his faith. The question is how do we live for our faith? What does it mean to play the man?

GLENN: That's what I was going to ask you. Play the man is weird advice. What does it mean?

MARK: Well, there's a verse in second Samuel that says play the man for our people. And Glenn, we share a love for history with so I tell a lot of stories about everybody from Teddy Roosevelt to a guy named John Wesley Powell. But really, it's about seven virtues that I think are the key to manhood, and that's the first part of the book. From to have love to moral courage, things that are lacking in our culture.

GLENN: So let's go through some of the virtues. Give them -- just go through all of them quickly first. Tough love, childlike wonder, willpower, raw passion, true grit, clear vision, and moral courage.

Let me start with true grit because you see that in a -- you see that in, you know, the movie true grit, and you identify it as that. As being that guy. A guy who saw something that wasn't right, wasn't necessarily a guy who was living a great life, but followed through and finished what he knew was right. Is that what true grit is?

>> I think it is. And let me just say this. I think different cultures at different points of history have defined manhood differently. And what I do is go back to a person by the name of Jesus. Son of Man. And I think he's true worth when it comes to manhood. No one models true grit better than he does. He endured the cross. I mean, that's -- that's grit right there. And then you read in another place in the New Testament where it says having done all the stand. It's this idea that it's going to take some grit to do the right thing. And I think we give up too easily. We give up too quickly, and I think part of what I advocate for the book is you've got to fight for your family and your marriage. It's not going to be easy. But grit is something exemplified by Jesus, and it is something we are called to as men.

GLENN: What is the biggest lie that our boys are being told?

MARK: That's a big question, and I'm not sure I can reduce it down to one. But I'll start here. The first virtue is tough love. Tough love is carrying a 300-pound cross 650 yards down for someone else's sin. I think we forgot what it means to exercise tough love. I think it's loving people when they least expect it and least deserve it. And it's not easy. But that's the standard we're called to. And in something that I think is -- in some ways because in our culture, Glenn, manhood is almost avoided or devalued or in some ways redefined. And so I think we've got to get back to some of these virtues that we see in the person of Jesus and we need to live out as men.

GLENN: So what is the difference between these virtues with women and why is this play the man? Shouldn't my wife have clear vision and moral courage and willpower and child like wonder?

MARK: Absolutely. And I make that admission in the book that, listen, I think these apply to anybody and everybody. But this is a call to men. Let me give you an example. A few months ago I was in a room with 500 guys, and I asked them how many of you were intentionally discipled by your did ad? And three hands go up. So what we have is a culture of men don't know what it means to be men of god and fathers don't know what it means to be a spiritual father. So what I'm going to do with the book, Glenn, is step into that no-man's-land pun intended and say here are seven virtues that I think we can work on as men. And then of course the second half of the book is really the heartbeat of the book, and it's about how to disciple our children.

GLENN: The name of the book is creating the man God created you to be. 16 best-selling books and a message that I think we truly, truly need. Play the man. Thanks, mark, for being on the program with us.

MARK: , hey, absolute joy and privilege. God bless, Glenn.

GLENN: God bless. We'll talk to you again.

Is Romania squashing its own 'Trump' candidate?

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This week the streets of Bucharest, the capital of Romania, erupted in protest after the Constitutional Courts annulled the recent first round of the presidential election after the "far-right" candidate won.

The government is lying to you. If you have been listening to Glenn for a long time you already know that, and you also know that if you try to call attention to the lies you get labeled a conspiracy theorist or "far-right." This is not only true in America but across the world. Politicians cheat, steal, and grab power, then lie about all of it. This is the root of countless issues across every government on the planet, and recently Romania has become the latest example of this unfortunate phenomenon.

But what is really happening in Romania? Was this an actual attempt to stamp out someone who would shed light on lies and corruption? Or did the Romanian government put a stop to a genuine bad actor?

The Election

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On December 6th, 2024, the Romanian Constitutional Court canceled the second round of the presidential election amid claims of Russian interference. The second round of the election would have seen right-wing candidate, Calin Georgescu face off against pro-European centrist Elena Lasconi.

The trouble surrounds Georgescu, who stands accused of using Russian aid to run an unprecedented social media campaign that helped him win an election pollsters claimed he stood no chance of winning. Georgescu's rapid rise in popularity on social media does raise some eyebrows, and to add to the suspicion he declared he had zero campaign spending. On the other hand, Georgescu's supporters claim that his quick rise to stardom and underdog victory is due to the growing resentment for the ever-out-of-touch political elite.

Georgescu's Platform

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Georgescu rose to prominence on a platform many of his detractors have labeled "far-right," "pro-Russian," and "populist" (sound familiar?). His positions include supporting Romanian farmers, increasing Romanian self-reliance, and increasing local energy production. Georgescu has been lauded for his message of hope and vision for the future and his dedication to truth, freedom, and sovereignty.

Georgescu is also a vocal Christian and a supporter of the Romanian Orthodox Church. He has questioned the climate change and COVID-19 narrative as well as NATO and the war in Ukraine, which is how he earned his "Pro-Russian" monicker. Georgescu promised to respect and honor its obligations to the EU and NATO, but only to the extent that they respect Romania and its interests.

What Happens Next?

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After Georgescu's unexpected victory, the Romanian Constitutional Courts annulled the election's first round and scheduled it to restart on May 4th. As of now, it is unclear whether Georgescu will be allowed to participate in the new election. This act by the Constitutional Courts triggered mass protests in the capital, Bucharest, and has caused many Romainians to question the state of democracy within their country.

Many of the protesters are calling what happened a coup and are demanding the election be allowed to continue to the second round. They are also calling for the resignation of current President Klaus Iohannis, who has maintained power thanks to the incomplete elections. Georgescu has officially challenged the court's decision and even made a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights, but it is unclear if his appeal will make any difference.

The tides have turned — and now the very same banks that were pushing heavy-handed environmental, social, governance rules are running away from them.

In a significant victory, a federal judge in Texas has ruled that employers and asset managers cannot use environmental, social, and governance factors in employee retirement accounts. If this ruling holds up — which is likely, given the conservative composition of the appellate court — it will dramatically shift the balance of power between corporations and their employees.

This decision represents one of the most substantial blows to the ESG agenda to date. Companies that have been steering employees into ESG-focused investments, which prioritize progressive values over financial returns, now face legal repercussions. Continuing such practices would directly violate federal law. The ruling forces companies to re-evaluate their commitment to ESG initiatives, and many may withdraw from these funds before the case even reaches the appellate court.

Watching these corporations squirm as they try to backtrack and avoid legal repercussions is ever so satisfying.

The impact of this ruling could very well be the beginning of the end for the ESG movement as it’s been pushed by elites.

In even better news, BlackRock, a major player in the ESG movement, has officially left the United Nations’ International Association of Asset Managers. This is a direct rebuke of the global push for ESG initiatives and a major sign that the tide is turning. In contrast to the Glasgow Net Zero Conference in which the Global Financial Alliance for Net Zero — an organization championed by global elites — was pushing for ESG to be a central focus, BlackRock’s departure from the group signals that even those who were at the forefront of this movement are starting to distance themselves.

But it doesn't stop there. Every major U.S. bank has now announced that they too are leaving the U.N.’s Association of Net Zero ESG Bankers, another key part of the Glasgow Financial Alliance. For years, we’ve been warning that ESG in banking was one of the primary ways elites like Biden, the Davos crowd, and others were planning to reset the world’s economy.

The tides have turned — and now those very same banks are running away from ESG, a powerful signal of things to come. They know they’re on the losing side, and they’re scared that a new administration will come down hard on them for their involvement in these globalist initiatives.

In another win, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau unveiled a shocking new rule that, if it survives, would prohibit many financial institutions from de-banking customers based on their political or religious views, or even certain types of speech. While the rule is not as comprehensive as we need it to be, it’s a step in the right direction — and it includes concerns raised by our allies about the dangers of ESG. The Trump administration has promised to come down even harder on the banks with tougher rules, and this is a very good start.

Watching these corporations squirm as they try to backtrack and avoid legal repercussions is ever so satisfying. Some are running for cover while others are desperately trying to ingratiate themselves with the powers that be. It’s clear that the backbone of these companies is made of rubber, not steel. They don’t really believe in the ESG values they preach — they’re just playing the game to get in bed with the political elites.

Now that Trump is back in town, these corporations are showing their true colors. They never cared about their customers or the values they forced upon them. It was always about the power they could acquire through catering to those in power at the time.

No company should be afraid of the president of the United States. But they’re not afraid of Donald Trump. They’re afraid of the return of the rule of law. They know that fascistic public-private partnerships between the government and corporations are on the way out. That’s a victory for freedom and a victory for the American people.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

Inside President Trump's EXCLUSIVE inauguration balls

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Inauguration Monday was a busy day for President Trump, and it didn't stop after his inauguration address either. President Trump partied across D.C. long into the night.

Exclusive balls are a D.C. tradition on inauguration night, hosting many of the nation's most influential people. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump appeared at three of the most prestigious balls: the Commander-in-Chief Ball, the Liberty Ball, and the Starlight Ball.

These parties had star-studded guest lists that included celebrities, musicians, politicians, and many more. Here is a peek into the exclusive inaugural balls:

Commander-in-Chief Ball

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Trump's first stop was at the Commander-in-Chief Ball, an event dedicated to the armed forces that defend our nation. The event included a dance where Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha Vance joined the President and First Lady on stage and a performance from the country music band Rascal Flatts and country singer Parker McCollum. President Trump also spoke to U.S. service members stationed in South Korea on a video call and cut a cake shaped like Air Force One with a sword.

Several people of note were in attendance, including Trump's pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and actor Jon Voight. Musician and avid Trump supporter Kid Rock was also in attendance along with country music star Billy Ray Cyrus.

Liberty Ball

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Trump's second stop of the night was at the Liberty Ball, an event thrown for all of Trump's loyal supporters. The event had a magnificent lineup of musicians, including country singer Jason Aldean and rapper Nelly. There was even a live performance of Trump's iconic campaign song, "YMCA" by Village People.

Also in attendance were President Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner, who appeared on stage with her father.

Starlight Ball

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Wrapping up his night of celebration, President Trump visited the Starlight Ball, which was full of major donors to his campaign.

Shortly after arriving, the presidential couple and the vice presidential couple shared a dance in front of a mock White House. Later the stage featured singer Gavin DeGraw for a memorable performance. Notably, renowned podcaster and comedian Theo Von was spotted entering the event. Von is known for hosting President Trump on his podcast for an in-depth interview during his campaign, which many credit boosting Trump's popularity with the younger generation.

Top five executive orders Trump plans to sign

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Donald J. Trump has officially been sworn back into office, and the restoration of America begins today!

Over the weekend, President Trump gave a sneak peek into the tidal wave of executive orders he has promised to sign on day one. Judging by the nature of these orders, it appears that Trump will hit the ground running, making massive strides toward his campaign promises mere hours after being sworn in. While the scope of the 200-plus orders is wide-reaching, there is a special focus on the southern border, the energy crisis, and purging DEI policies from the federal government.

Below we have compiled a list of the top FIVE executive orders that will be on Trump's desk today:

Declare a national emergency at the border

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The situation on the U.S.-Mexico border has been in a state of free fall for the past four years as millions of undocumented, illegal immigrants have flooded into our nation. By declaring this crisis a national emergency, Trump will bring the needed attention to the border, as well as free his hands to act decisively.

Designate cartels as terrorist organizations

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Drug cartels are responsible for many of the most heinous crimes committed across the border. These cartels are well-organized and run illicit operations including drug and weapon smuggling and human and sex trafficking. Over the past four years, the cartels have begun to establish themselves deeper and deeper in America, as in the case of an apartment complex reportedly being taken over by a Venezuelan cartel in Aurora, Colorado. By labeling these cartels as terrorist organizations, we can begin handling them with the necessary force required to relinquish their hold on American soil.

Resume construction on the border wall

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Shortly after taking office, President Biden halted the construction of the border wall, a project that was a staple of Trump's 2016 campaign. Over the past four years, no progress has been made on the mammoth structure designed to help secure our border—but that ends today.

Declare a national energy emergency

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During Trump's first term in the Oval Office, America was energy independent, a status quickly lost under Biden. By declaring an energy emergency, Trump plans to cut through miles of red tape and help America tap its bountiful natural energy sources, such as oil and gas. Under Trump, Keystone XL can resume, and new sources of oil and gas can be tapped for the first time, ending our reliance on foreign energy.

Force the federal government to recognize biological sex

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Flying in the face of the woke ideology that has been permeating the American government for years, Trump will sign an executive order that establishes a government-wide acknowledgment of the gender binary—that is, that there are only two genders, male and female. This will require all government identifications, such as passports and personnel records, to reflect biological reality and end the forced use of "preferred pronouns." It will also end taxpayer-funded transition procedures for members of the military and prisoners.