What Makes a Man?: 12 Promises That Will Change Your Life

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

More than any other thing today, our society needs men who are willing to stand up and make a difference. Men who, having counted the cost, are willing to reflect the character of Jesus Christ in a world of negotiable values, confused identities, and distorted priorities.

But what does it take to be such a man? How does one become fully Christlike and fully masculine? That's the question Bill McCartney, head football coach for the University of Colorado Buffaloes, asks a group of well-respected Christian men in What Makes a Man?

Their answers, drawn from a broad range of experiences, difficulties, concerns, and ideals, all point to three common elements-conviction, integrity, and action.

Men who make a difference are men of conviction. They possess unwavering belief. Having stepped across the line, they will not be dragged back for any reason.

Men who make a difference are also men of integrity. By seeking to live their lives with ever-increasing sincerity and honesty, and by avoiding all expressions of deception, they develop both personal confidence and public trust.

Finally, men who make a difference are men of action. Not settling for good intentions, they coose to make a positive impact on their families, churches, coworkers, and communities.

But life is composed of many different (and often conflicting!) areas of responsibility, including: 1) Your relationship with God 2) The development of your character 3) Your marriage 4) Your family 5) Your place in the community 6) Your duties as a citizen of your country 7) You place in the Church 8) Your vocation 9) Your friendships 10) Your responsibilities to those in need 11) Your contributions to the future

Taken by themselves, any one of these facets of modern life could easily require full-time focus. So how is it possible to demonstrate conviction, integrity, and action across the board?

That's exactly what you'll discover in What Makes a Man? As you read through the challenging insights and examples presented, you'll come away with more than enough practical ideas to help you become the man you were designed to be. Because when a man decides to make a difference, he becomes a different man.

12 Promises That Will Change Your Life. Every man makes promises. The mark of the authentic, Christlike man is that he keeps them. In What Makes a Man?, you'll discover what it means to keep the promises you make in each area of life.

What is a Promise? Learn the importance of promises from Gary Smalley and John Trent, Leighton Ford, and Gary Oliver.

Promises to God Discover what it means to be a godly man from Gary Smalley and John Trent, William Gaultiere, Luis Palau, Roger Palms and John Yates.

Promises to Yourself Learn what elements a man's character must include from Gary Smalley and John Trent, Ken Abraham, Jerry Bridges, Harold Bussell, Larry Crabb, Steve Farrar, Bill Hybels, Bill Sanders, and others.

Promises to Your Wife Explore both the problems and the joys of marriage with Gary Smalley and John Trent, Ken Brown, Don Harvey, Ken Taylor, Dennis Rainey, Charles Stanley, and others.

Promises to Your Immediate Family Weather the ups and downs of family relationships with Gary Smalley and John Trent, John E. Brown III, Steve Brown, Ken Canfield, Jay Carty, Jerry Jenkins, Don Osgood, Fran Sciacca, and others.

Promises to Your Parents Examine the importance of a relationship with your parents with Gary Smalley and John Trent, Harold Bussell, Ken Canfield, Don Osgood, Gordon Dalbey, and Dave Simmons.

Promises to Your Friends Benefit from increased accountability in friendships with insights from Gary Smalley and John Trent, Tim Kimmel, Ken Abraham, Jerry Bridges, Edwin Louis Cole, William Gaultiere, Robert Hicks, and Chuck Miller.

Promises to Your Church Discover what role you can play in your local church with Gary Smalley and John Trent, Olen Griffing, Jack Hayford, Robert Hicks, Andrew LePeau, Luis Palua, and Jerry White.

Promises to Your Business Look at what it takes to be a godly man while in the working world with Gary Smalley and John Trent, Jay Carty, James Dobson, Udo Middleman, and others.

Promises to Your Community and Nation Find out what you owe your communty and your country with Gary Smalley and John Trent, Gary Oliver, and Chuck Miller.

Promises to Those in Need Learn how to champion the cause of the needy, the rejected, and the fatherless with Gary Smalley and John Trent, Steve Diggs, Wellington Boone, Udo Middlemen, and Luis Palau.

Promises in the Future What promises can you make to the future? Find out from Gary Smalley and John Trent, Jay Carty, Bill Hybels, Dennis Rainey, and others.

BILL McCARTNEY is head football coach at the University of Colorado. Following the much publicized 1989 season, McCartney was named Kodak Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association, Bear Bryant Coach of the Year, Walter Camp Foundation Coach of the Year, UPI Coach of the Year, and Big Eight Conference Coach of the Year. Then, in the 1990-91 season, he took the Buffaloes to their first National Championship with a victory over Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. McCartney has appeared on "The 700 Club" and "Focus on the Family" and is interviewed many times each year by television and radio stations nationwide. Bill McCartney is the founder of Promise Keepers, an organization dedicated to motivating men toward greater strength and Christlike masculinity.