What do you really believe about eternity—and is that your final answer?

• Faith Decisions Shape Everything: Robert Lewis opens with the bold claim that faith decisions are the most important decisions a man will ever make. Everyone lives by some assumption about eternity—even choosing not to believe is, itself, a belief system. These beliefs influence our daily actions more than we realize.

• The Sacred Ground of the Mind: Continuing a theme from earlier sessions, Lewis calls this internal space of reflection “sacred ground.” It’s where men weigh their end, envision eternity, and measure today’s choices in light of that vision.

• Everyone Lives by One of Four Views:

  1. Nobody sees and nobody cares.

  2. Somebody sees, but it doesn’t matter.

  3. Somebody sees and is keeping score.

  4. Somebody sees and wants to help. These views are not just abstract—they shape how men live, lead, and make decisions today.

• Comparison of Major World Religions: Lewis walks through what major world religions teach about the afterlife—Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Mormonism—and notes they all share one common element: earning heaven through good works. Christianity stands apart by offering a relationship with a Savior who offers help, not a checklist.

• Robert Lewis’s Personal Journey: He vulnerably shares his own story—growing up in a chaotic home, experiencing inner turmoil in college, and ultimately reaching for Christ at age 18. That decision reshaped both his present and eternal life.

• The Two Circles Illustration: Lewis explains his theology using two circles:

  • Top Circle – What Jesus Christ has done for me:

    • Forgiveness of sins

    • Eternal life

    • Adoption as a child of God

  • Bottom Circle – What Jesus Christ desires to do in me:

    • Abundant life

    • Good works

    • Loving others well The top circle guarantees salvation (unchangeable), while the bottom circle reflects daily discipleship (changeable and rewardable).

• Eternal Impact of Daily Choices: While salvation is secured through faith in Christ, rewards in heaven are determined by how faithfully we walk with Him. Lewis emphasizes this doesn’t determine if you get in, but it shapes how you live there.

• • A: It’s over.

  • B: It’s not over, and everyone will be fine.

  • C: It’s not over, and I’m good enough.

  • D: It’s not over, and I’ll need help.

    Final Challenge: “Is That Your Final Answer?” Echoing Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Lewis asks each listener to confront their deepest belief about eternity. Options:

• Colossians 2:13–14 – Forgiveness of sins.

• 1 John 5:11–13 – Assurance of eternal life.

• John 1:12 – Becoming a child of God.

• John 10:10 – “I came that they may have life...”

• Ephesians 2:10 – Created for good works.

• John 15:12 – Loving others as Christ has loved.

• Philippians 3:20–21 – Citizenship in heaven and transformed bodies.

• 1 Corinthians 3:10–15 – Eternal rewards and loss.

What will heaven really be like, and how should the promise of eternity shape the way I live today?

• The Power of Envisioning the End: Robert Lewis continues the theme of “sacred ground”—reflecting on death and eternity—as essential to a well-lived life. He illustrates this with the story of Alfred Nobel, whose accidental obituary inspired him to reshape his legacy. Similarly, men are called to think ahead to their end and live accordingly.

• Two Worldviews, Four Outcomes: Building on the previous week, Lewis recaps the two metaphysical worldviews (traditional religious vs. secular scientism) and the four outcomes people commonly choose regarding the afterlife. Most Americans believe in an afterlife, but their assumptions vary widely.

• Heaven Described as Dynamic, Relational, and Rewarding: Lewis dismantles the dull, caricatured views of heaven (clouds, harps, robes) and instead offers six compelling biblical insights:

  1. A place of resolution – where life’s injustices and mysteries are clarified.

  2. A place of altered states – where we receive transformed, physical-yet-glorified bodies, capable of operating in new dimensions.

  3. A place of personal rewards – where how we lived matters eternally; faithfulness is honored with real commendation and reward.

  4. A place of new status and position – where people’s earthly faithfulness determines their roles and responsibilities.

  5. A place of adventure and creation – not a static eternity, but one full of exploration, challenges, and creativity.

  6. A place of endless surprises – experiences beyond our imagination, prepared by a generous and relational God.

• Not Everyone Will Go There: The Bible is clear that there will be judgment. Heaven is not universal, and not everyone will enter. The big question isn’t just how good you are—but whether you recognize your need for help.

• Sobering and Motivating: Lewis calls men to be honest about where they stand in relation to eternity, challenging the idea of being “good enough” and urging listeners to grapple with grace and truth.

• 1 Corinthians 9:26 – Living with aim and intention.

• 1 Corinthians 13:12 – “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully...”

• Ecclesiastes 12:14 – “God will bring every deed into judgment...”

• 1 Corinthians 15:19 – “If only for this life we have hope in Christ...”

• John 14:2 – “I go to prepare a place for you.”

• 1 Corinthians 3:12–15 – Works tested by fire, rewards given.

• Matthew 19:27–30 – Rewards and positions in the kingdom.

• 1 Corinthians 2:9 – “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard...”

• Matthew 25:31–46 – Separation of the sheep and the goats.

Are you living with the end in mind, and how does your view of eternity shape the way you live today?

• Sacred Ground as a Mental and Physical Space: Robert Lewis introduces the concept of “sacred ground”—a moment or place, whether physical or internal, where we reflect deeply on what matters most. These encounters can reorient our lives, helping us clarify what is truly worth living and dying for.

• Orientation Determines Destination: Using the metaphor of an "adventurer's wiring," Lewis maps a man’s life from birth to death and eternity. Right orientation—knowing where you are going and aligning your present with that end—is essential for a meaningful life.

• The Power of Contemplating the End: Lewis urges men to regularly reflect on death and eternity—not as a morbid exercise, but as a life-shaping habit. This contemplation leads to better decisions, deeper satisfaction, and a clearer sense of purpose.

• Two Competing Worldviews: He contrasts the traditional religious worldview (which affirms divine origin, design, eternity, and ultimate meaning) with secular scientism (which views life as a random accident with no ultimate purpose). Every person lives according to one of these views, consciously or not.

• Peripheral Vision and Metaphysics: Just as athletes rely on peripheral vision, men need “metaphysical vision”—the ability to see the bigger picture beyond the immediate. This vision shapes our everyday choices and values.

• Four Views of the End:

  1. Dead End – Life ends with death, nothing follows.

  2. Blind Optimism – “Everything will be okay” without reason or clarity.

  3. Good Enough – Based on self-evaluation and comparison to others.

  4. I Need Help – Recognizes the need for grace and divine help—this is where Christianity uniquely speaks.

• Why the Christian Vision of the End Matters: Contrary to caricatures of heaven as boring or irrelevant, Lewis teases that the Bible offers a compelling vision of eternity—one worth exploring deeply in coming weeks. Christianity uniquely answers the human longing for meaning, justice, and hope beyond the grave.

• 2 Corinthians 4:18 – “...the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

• Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has also set eternity in the human heart...”

• 1 Corinthians 15:32 – “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (Referenced indirectly through Paul's quote)

How does a man make wise, lasting decisions in the chaos of life—and what role does his unique wiring play in creating a meaningful legacy?

• Life Feels Like Air Traffic Control. With so many pressures, obligations, and decisions swirling around, it’s easy for a man to lose his way. Wise living depends on good "wiring."

• Wiring = How You're Made + What You've Lived + Where You're Headed. Robert Lewis presents a model where your design, past experiences, present convictions and problems, and future vision all feed into how you navigate life.

• Your Design Matters. Every man is uniquely made with talents, abilities, motivations, and God-given strengths (Psalm 139:14). Knowing your design helps you find energy and fulfillment in your pursuits.

• The Past Always Carries Over.

  • Positives (e.g., strong family, success, faith) can empower your present.

  • Negatives (e.g., wounds, broken relationships, shame) act like hidden cancers if unaddressed. Until past wounds are faced and healed, they will sabotage your current pursuits.

• Convictions Anchor You. Many men lack real convictions. True convictions aren’t just beliefs—they’re values you live by and can prove with your actions. Without convictions, men drift.

• Problems Are Destabilizers. The big four: marriage, children, job, and money. If unaddressed, these problems quietly wreck your wiring and pull you off course. Facing them honestly is part of godly manhood.

• Future Vision Pulls You Forward. Knowing where you’re going—your dreams and God’s purposes—keeps you moving with clarity. Most men lack defined dreams or plans and get lost in the fog of routine.

• Legacy and Destiny Matter. Life isn’t just about success—it’s about legacy and eternity. What happens when you die? Your answer to that shapes how you live today.

• Self-Evaluation is Key. Robert offers a "circuit tester" exercise: Evaluate each aspect of your wiring (design, past, convictions, etc.) and label it with a "+" (healthy) or "–" (unhealthy). Where you see a negative, that’s where your next life adventure must begin.

• The Goal is Full-Life Manhood. One path leads to a dead-end half-life manhood: pressured, lost, isolated. The other leads to life-giving adventure: healed, purposed, future-facing.

• Psalm 139:14 – “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” (Affirms God’s intentional design in every person.)

• Proverbs 15:22 – “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Wise men seek help.)

• Ecclesiastes 12:1, 7 – "Remember your Creator… the spirit returns to God." (Life is short. Eternity is real.)

• Ecclesiastes 2:24; 3:11; 5:18; 9:9 – Various calls to enjoy life as a gift, yet live with eternity in view.

• John 10:10 – “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (True life comes through Christ.)

What does it take to make a life, not just a living—and how do I re-engage when life starts to feel flat, numb, or overly burdened?

• Anyone can make a living—but it takes adventure to make a life. Many men settle into half-life manhood: successful but unsatisfied, responsible but restless.

• Four core life adventures define whole-life manhood:

  1. Family Adventure – Reproducing life in your children through intentional, hands-on fatherhood that shapes their character and future.

  2. Noble Cause Adventure – Fighting for something bigger than yourself that contributes to others’ lives, moving from mere success to significance.

  3. Man-Size Adventure – Making space for fun and rejuvenating experiences; planning for joy and making memories that sustain you.

  4. Spiritual Adventure – Experiencing a relationship with God that brings eternal perspective, peace, and purpose.

• Time for a "timeout": This session was intentionally a pause to reflect, process, and realign with the journey so far. Life is like mountain climbing—you need rest stops.

• Tension is a gift. The restlessness many feel isn’t something to run from—it’s a signpost, revealing areas of needed growth or change.

• Fun must be reinvented. Especially as men age, meaningful recreation becomes something you must plan and pursue with intentionality.

• Finding your unique design matters. Robert introduces a future exercise (led by Bill Wellons) to help men discover what makes them come alive and how they’re wired to thrive.

• Work is a means, not the end. Work should serve your life’s adventures—not be the thing that swallows them whole.

• It's okay to need change. For some, that may mean adjusting work roles; for others, it might require the bold step of changing jobs entirely.

• For younger men: Be realistic, pursue wise mentors, and take God seriously. Avoid chasing a dream version of manhood that leads to burnout or boredom.

• Not religion—relationship. Robert clarifies he’s not pushing religious tradition, but offering the Bible’s wisdom and the reality of a spiritual life with God.

• Genesis 1:28 – The foundational call to be fruitful, multiply, and subdue the earth, revealing God’s original design for man’s adventures.

• Ecclesiastes 3:11 – God has set eternity in the human heart.

• Ecclesiastes 2:24, 5:18, 9:9 – Emphasize enjoying one’s work and life as gifts from God.

• Third John 1:4 – “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

• John 10:10 – Jesus promises life, and life abundantly.

• Augustine (quoted): “There is a God-shaped vacuum in every human heart that can only be filled by God.”

Guiding Question: What if your life as a man could be more than responsibilities and routines—what if it could be a great adventure, full of purpose, meaning, and joy?

• Responsibility Alone Will Drain You Robert Lewis warns that when a man's life becomes nothing more than duties—family, work, obligations—he becomes exhausted emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. Anger, sadness, or fear often creep in when adventure and passion are absent.

• Men Need More Than Survival—They Need Purpose Real manhood isn’t just about showing up; it's about showing up with vision. Men were never meant to just survive life but to live it with mission, balance, and joy.

• The Great Adventure = Purpose + Fit + Destiny Every man should strive to find a life that:

  • Aligns with a sense of calling (purpose),

  • Matches his personal design (fit),

  • Builds toward a meaningful impact (destiny).

• Three Core Adventures for Every Man Drawing from Genesis 1:28–30, Lewis outlines God's original commission to men as the basis for a threefold adventure:

  1. The Family Adventure – Engaging hands-on to shape a virtuous next generation.

  2. The Noble Cause Adventure – Fighting for something bigger than yourself that benefits others.

  3. The Man-Sized Adventure – Having fun, taking risks, and doing things that make you come alive.

• Self-Discovery is Critical in a World of Options In today's culture of endless career paths and distractions, men must become pioneers of their inner world. This means asking: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?

• Culture Offers Confusion; God Offers Clarity While modern culture defines men by performance, pleasure, or possessions, Scripture roots manhood in being:

  • Created by God – I am not random; I am a man made on purpose.

  • Commissioned by God – I am called to live fruitfully and with impact.

  • Accountable to God – I will one day answer to Him for how I lived.

• Your Job Should Serve Your Life, Not Define It Work is meant to be a means to the adventure—not the entirety of it. If your career is crushing your sense of family, passion, and mission, something’s off.

• To Find Life, You Must Risk Something Real adventure will always require courage—facing fears, asking hard questions, making bold choices, and sometimes breaking from the norm.

• Genesis 1:28–30 – “Be fruitful and multiply…subdue the earth…enjoy all I have given.” (The foundational mandate for manhood—reproduction, contribution, enjoyment.)

• Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “The body returns to the earth… the spirit returns to God who gave it.” (We are spiritual beings accountable to our Creator.)

• 2 Corinthians 5:10 – “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…” (Each life is headed toward a divine evaluation.)

• 3 John 1:4 – “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (A father’s greatest joy is seeing his legacy live on.)

• Deuteronomy 30:19 – “Choose life so that you may live…” (Life is a series of choices with eternal consequence.)

• Men’s Fraternity is a Journey of Rediscovery Robert Lewis frames this session as the start of a meaningful journey for men to uncover their true identity, understand their design, and live with purpose. This is not just a Bible study—it’s a bold initiative to challenge passivity and embrace courageous manhood.

• Three-Year Structure of Men's Fraternity:

  • Year 1: The Quest for Authentic Manhood – Focused on core identity and rejecting passivity.

  • Year 2: A Man at Work and at Home – Emphasizes responsibility in vocation and relationships.

  • Year 3: The Great Adventure – Invites men to step into their destiny and lead courageously.

• Men are Often Disconnected Many men are drifting—successful on the outside but unclear on the inside. They lack spaces to be real and honest about their struggles, dreams, and fears. Men’s Fraternity offers a safe, supportive environment to change that.

• Rediscovering the Spirit of Adventure Somewhere along life’s path, many men lose their sense of adventure. Responsibilities pile up, passions fade, and life becomes maintenance rather than mission. This year’s focus aims to reignite that inner fire and clarify life’s direction.

• Masculinity Must Be Defined and Lived Intentionally Without a clear, compelling definition of manhood, men default to culture’s confusion or retreat into passivity. Lewis emphasizes the need to establish personal mission, reflect on one’s design, and step forward with conviction.

• Life is a Choice—Choose Adventure Men can either live managed by circumstances or step into life with intention. This means rethinking careers, risks, passions, and even how we approach aging. The goal: to finish life satisfied, with a sense of "mission accomplished."

• Genesis 1:28 – “Be fruitful and multiply…subdue the earth.” (God’s original mandate to Adam was adventurous and expansive.)

• John 10:10 – “I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.” (Jesus invites men into a full, flourishing life.)

• Psalm 90:12-14 – “Teach us to number our days…that we may present to You a heart of wisdom…that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” (A call to live with purpose, joy, and reflection.)

• Ephesians 5:15-16 – “Be careful how you walk…making the most of your time.” (An urging to live wisely and not waste life’s opportunity.)

• Deuteronomy 30:19 – “Choose life so that you may live…” (Life and death are choices—men must decide how they’ll live.)

• Genesis 25:8 – “Abraham died…satisfied with life.” (A beautiful picture of finishing life well, having lived a full adventure.)

Guiding Question: What is a husband really called to be—and how does a man step into that role with confidence and clarity?

Summary

Description: Robert Lewis delivers a deeply practical and inspiring message on biblical manhood and marriage, focusing on Ephesians 5:22–33. Speaking directly to married men—but also with applications for single men and parents—Lewis explains what it means to be the “head” in a marriage. Far from a model of dominance or superiority, biblical headship is a call to Christ-like leadership through love, guidance, and provision.

He highlights three essential roles every husband must embrace: being a lover, a standard bearer, and a provider. Each role is unpacked with vivid illustrations, cultural observations, and personal reflections. Lewis also explains the modern confusion around headship and submission and offers a redemptive vision for how those principles create health and strength in marriage.

Lewis appeals especially to men to gain direction—not domination—and calls fathers to pass this vision on to their sons. He ends with practical steps for husbands to engage their wives more deeply, starting with discovering their love language.

Outline:

1. The Challenge of Modern Headship – Cultural confusion, resistance to submission, and the loss of clear direction.

2. Setting the Context – Marriage as a sacred calling for men; not superiority, but responsibility.

3. Perspective Check:

   • Men need clear direction to thrive.

   • Headship in Scripture is modeled after Christ, not power.

   • Submission is space for responsibility, not oppression.

   • Neglectful husbands push wives into damaging fallback roles.

4. Three Best Practices for Husbands:

   • Lover – Show your heart, connect emotionally, learn your wife’s love language.

   • Standard Bearer – Hold up God’s Word, protect the home morally and spiritually.

   • Provider – Enable your wife to become all God intended, including financial provision where possible.

5. Why Respect Comes Last – True respect from a wife is earned through a husband’s consistent, sacrificial love.

6. Sociological Backing – Contemporary studies support biblical principles for husband roles in happiness and stability.

7. Applications:

   • Fathers teaching sons.

   • Single men embracing these roles as preparation.

   • Married men identifying their weakest area and taking steps to grow.

Key Takeaways

• Biblical headship is about responsibility, not rights—modeled after Christ, not culture.

• A husband must actively love, lead, and provide for his wife to foster a healthy and joyful marriage.

• Emotional connection is vital; husbands must learn and act on their wife’s love language.

• Leading spiritually means holding up the Word as a guide and guard for the home.

• Providing includes enabling a wife’s calling—financially and otherwise.

• Respect from a wife is the fruit of a man’s sacrificial, consistent love.

• These roles must be taught to young men early; most flounder without vision.

Scriptural References

• Ephesians 5:22–33 – Roles of husbands and wives in marriage.

• Genesis 2:24 – “Leave and cleave” foundation for marriage.

• Genesis 3:1–6 – Adam’s failure to lead as standard bearer.

• Proverbs 29:18 – “Without vision, the people perish.”

• 1 Peter 3:7 – Husbands live with their wives in an understanding way.

Recorded 3/4/07