Friend,

Are you optimistic about 2026? Do you feel energized about what lies ahead or are you filled with worry and fear? If you find yourself focusing on all the problems maybe focusing on God's word would be helpful for shifting your heart, mind, and spirit. Here's my favorite.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  - Philippians 4:6-7

Another good strategy is to embrace our true identity in Christ AND cast down the lies that the Devil uses to discourage us. That's the focus of this newsletter today... Who are You? What is your true identity?  

Here's a quick overview of what's on tap this week...  

EDUCATE:  Start reading the new series "6 Challenges Men Face in 2026" 

EQUIP:  Download and put into practice "Defeating the Devil's Lies"  

ENGAGE:  Read about what's been going on in the ministry and how to get involved in 2026! 

Here's to Living ALL IN! 

Marty Miller

Blueprint for Men

Founder | President

6 CHALLENGES MEN FACE IN 2026

By Marty Miller

Change is the constant and this year is no different.  But this year the changes seem to be more extreme and coming at us at an accelerating pace.  

Today I will begin unpacking the most significant battles facing Christian men today—and some practical, winnable responses that move beyond clichés into transformative faith.  

The 6 Major Challenges...

1. Fragmented Identity (Who am I really?)

2. Pornography, Sexual Drift, and Intimacy Collapse

3. Loneliness and Brotherhood Deficit

4. Distraction, Dopamine, and Spiritual Apathy

5. Fear of Leadership and Responsibility

6. Faith Reduced to Opinion, Not Obedience

Let's Get Started! 

For the next 6 weeks we will unpack each of these 6 major challenges so today we will start with Challenge #1 - Fragmented Identity. 

CHALLENGE #1:  FRAGMENTED IDENTITY

“The first and fundamental problem of man is not what he does, but who he is.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The Challenge Facing Men Today

Historically a man's identity was largely determined for him by where he was born, what his family trade was, and how his family worshiped. Very little thought was given by men as to their identity. 

Today men increasingly experience identity as something that is unstable and externally defined—by material wealth, career success, physical performance, political alignment, or online validation.

It's gotten so bad that in today's world young men can struggle to even figure out their gender.  Everything is fluid.  And the big questions of life that relate to origins, purpose, and destiny are hardly discussed at all because it's outside the realm of "science". 

Men are adrift like never before, especially as it relates to their identity. 

Here's What Researchers Are Saying...

• External Pressure. Sociologist Zygmunt Bauman describes modern identity as “liquid”—constantly reshaped by cultural pressure rather than rooted conviction.
• Eroding Trust.  Pew Research (2023–2025 trendlines) shows declining institutional trust among men, including trust in church leadership, leading to self-constructed identity frameworks.
• Fragile Health.  Psychologist Ronald F. Levant describes how men lacking a coherent identity show higher rates of anxiety, addiction, obesity, and disengagement (isolation). 

Two Kingdoms, Two Identities

The kingdom of this world and the kingdom of God are vastly different. Since we are subject to governmental systems on a daily basis our thinking about our identity is based on assigned, external qualifications. And this is what makes understanding our identity as a son of God so difficult because our identity in the kingdom of God is recieved, internal, and transformational.  

1. Worldly Identity

Our worldly identity found on passports are assigned, external, and revokable. This limited identity serves to answer the following question.

“Who are you to the system?”

2. Heavenly Identity

Our Christian identity is received, internal, and transformation.  This identity serves to answer the following question. 

“Who am I at my core, before God and in eternity?”

3.  Side-by-Side Comparison

Worldly Identity  vs  Heavenly Identity  

• Tells where you belong politically -- Tells to whom you belong eternally
• Can be taken away -------------------- Cannot be taken away
• Describes what you can do ---------- Shapes who you are becoming
• Verifited by documents ---------------- Sealed by the Spirit 

4. Why This Matters

Many people live as if:

• Their performance is their identity

• Their failure disqualifies them

• Their role defines their worth

But Christian identity re-centers everything:

You don’t work toward identity — you work from it.

Summary

A passport tells others who you are on paper; your identity in Christ tells you who you truly are.

"Identity for Dummies"

Most of us guys have seen books titled "______ for Dummies". They address complicated subjects and skills in such a way that almost anyone can understand and they do it with a lot of humor. To simplify the somewhat confusing concept of identity I'm providing a few examples that I'm calling "Identity for Dummies". 

The Core of Your Identity

Every man has three major dimensions that define his life. Knowing, Doing, and Being.

Knowing/Head.  We have a natural desire to be knowledgeable and in today's world we have access to knowledge like never before and too often we use our knowledge to impress others. It can become a big part of our identity. 

Doing/Hands. We have a natural desire to be productive and get things done. This is what really shows up and is measureable. This is what really impresses people and is often the greatest metric for a man's identity. 

Being/Heart. This is often the most overlooked and undervalued part of a man's identity yet it is the most important. This is what truly makes you... YOU!  This is your true identity. It's the deepest part of who you are. It's where God does his transformation in your life! 

Dumbing-Down Identity

Let's dumb-down the concept of identity to the simplest level. Your life as a PB&J sandwich!

Your life can be pictured as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It can be really amazing or it can be very disappointing. 

We all have had one of those peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that went skimpy on the PB&J. You know, the dry and tasteless variety that needs a tall glass of cold milk to get it to go down. Or it can be that day old PB&J sandwich that has become a glob of goo. Disgusting! 

But if you want the perfect PB&J sandwich you get two slices of fresh soft wheat bread, spread out generous portions of crunchy peanut butter and then some sweet raspberry jam, enough to squeeze out from the edges.  A PB&J sandwich made this way is nothing short of amazing, in my humble opinion! 

What makes a sandwich good is mostly determined by what's between the two slices of bread. In fact it's what identifies the sandwich.  This is a lot like our identity. It's not our knowing (head) or our doing (hands) that makes us who we are.

It's the quality of our PB&J, our being, our heart, that truly identifies and defines us.

Crafting Your God-Defined Identity

The Big Shift:

From self-defined identity → to God-defined identity 

The big challenge is to understand your identity through who God says you are, not who the world says you are.  Once a man understands and accepts his true identity he is empowered to achieve the greater things of life. Below are a list of 10 concepts that help you define your true identity in Christ. 

Core Aspects of Identity

• Belonging: A child of God, adopted into His family, a citizen of His kingdom (Ephesians 2:19).
• Redeemed: Forgiven, made righteous in Christ, no longer defined by sin but by grace (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• Servant & Lord's: Belonging to Christ as Lord, yet empowered by Him to serve others with love and justice (Ephesians 6:9).
• Worshipper & Steward: A God-fearing man who glorifies God through worship and faithful living (1 Peter 5:8-9, Ecclesiastes 3:11). 
• Warrior & Victor: Strong in the Lord, overcoming evil and self-pity with God's strength (1 John 2:14, Romans 16:20)

Practical Expressions of Identity

• Courage & Righteousness: Speaking up against sin, defending good, taking initiative (1 Peter 3:15, 2 Samuel 10:7-12).
• Service: Giving time and help to family, church, and community (1 Corinthians 15:58, 1 Peter 4:10).
• Humility & Submission: Following Jesus' example of lowliness and dependence on God (Philippians 2:5-8).
• Community: Bearing one another's burdens, forgiving as forgiven (Ephesians 4:32).
• Fruitful: Demonstrating love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, self control, etc. (Galatians 5:22-23)

My Identity Statement... an Example

"I am a son of the Father, chosen and loved. I belong to the Son Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, and I am His workmanship, created to do good works. Empowered by the Spirit, I am a servant, a worshipper, and a warrior for His Kingdom, called to live with courage, humility, and selfless service in my family, church, and world. Amen" 

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Crafting Your Identity

So, who are you? How do you describe yourself? Have you ever taken the time to write down a description of who you really are?  Maybe it's time.  But even more important than stating your identity is to reflect these principles in your day-to-day life.  Remember, talk is cheap! 

"Actions prove who someone is; words just prove who they want to be." ~ Anthon St. Maarten 

VIDEO: The Father's Love Letter to You

Below is one of the most beautiful presentations of what FATHER God says about you and your identity.  ENJOY! 

FEATURED RESOURCE

IDENTITY BUSTERS:  Defeating the Devil's Lies

By Marty Miller

To form a clear picture of your identity in Christ you must also identify the lies that often bombard your mind. The following document unveils 10 of the most common lies and half-truths that the Devil launches against us and how we can win this battle of the mind.

"Defeating the Devil's Lies" provides you with prayers and strategies for taking these thoughts captive. Download today! 

ACTIVITY REPORT

January 1 - Smoky Mountain Day Hike

Nothing like a New Year's Day hike in the Smokies! 16 men ages 15 through 68 made the 11 mile round-trip trek to the top of Mt LeConte (6,593'). The trail was icy but the day was picture perfect. 

Our climb served as a metaphor of how God calls us to higher ground, one step at a time, following Him, and finding strength through brotherhood.

This is men's discipleship the way it's meant to be experienced! 

The illustration above shows not only the process of men's discipleship but also the sequence that allowed us to enjoy our new year's day hike up Mt LeConte. 

Step 1 - Come and See - The invitation through social media, email, text, and personal invitation. 

Step 2 - Follow Me - Those that answered the invitation rendezvoused at the trailhead. 

Step 3 - Abiding - We encouraged and supported one another through dangerous icy sections. 

Step 4 - Fruitful Disciplemaker - We celebrated on the summit together and dreamed of the next summit! 

We are not meant to experience life alone. We were not meant to live life in the flatlands. So let's climb higher with Christ in 2026!

Here's our group out on Cliff Tops celebrating the summit. 

Back Row Left to Right - Bill Abler, Brad Elliott, James Bowen, Isaac Valera, Kent Kast, Sam Soler

Front Row Left to Right - David Allen, Marty Miller, Jeremiah Curda, Aaron Brude, Alexander Bowen, David Self, Dale Salter

Not pictured (sorry guys) but on the hike... Mike Mohr, Matthew Arant, and Brayton Arant

We Could Use Your Old Camper

Gentlemen, do any of you have an RV, travel trailer, 5th wheel that you could donate to Blueprint for Men? We have a full RV hookup at our headquarters in Apison and need something that can be used for temporary housing for those in need.

Please pray about this. Your unused camper could be a huge blessing. Thank you!

Contact Jeremiah Curda at 817-298-1520. 

More Ways to Get Involved

There are an incredible number of ways you can engage through this ministry. Join our growing online community, attend an event, or donate to our man-building cause. Together we can make an eternal difference!  

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