Kingdom Man: Every Man's Destiny, Every Woman's Dream [Hardcover]

Tony Evans (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 27, 2012

When a man follows the principles of biblical manhood, those around him benefit from his leadership and care. Kingdom Man challenges and equips men to fully understand their position under God as well as their position over what God has given them. The biblical definition of a man is one who has learned to operate under the authority of Jesus Christ while carrying out responsible and legitimate leadership within the sphere of influence that God has placed him. Kingdom Man provides concepts men can follow that will help them to actively pursue ways to maximize and develop the character qualities of biblical manhood in their lives.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Kingdom Man is a playbook for life. Tony Evans has laid out the game plan to follow if we, as men, want to live a championship life. He describes not only what we need to do, but more importantly, how to do it. This book is a must-read for any man who wants to live up to God’s design for male leadership of the family! (Tony Dungy, Super Bowl-winning coach and New York Times bestselling author)

From the Inside Flap

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.” (Matthew 13:44)
A priceless treasure is worth everything you have. But so many men today are living without even a semblance of treasure because they have not understood the mystery of the Kingdom; instead, they settle for gadgets, golf clubs, video games, careers, cars, remotes, and vacation packages.

Those things are okay—unless they take you off course from pursuing the Kingdom— unless they become your goal.

Men, God has a standard, a goal. Yet so many have lowered His goal, only to then congratulate themselves for being able to dunk the ball. A cursory glance around our homes, churches, communities, and globe reveals that men—not all, but many—have missed the goal to live as a Kingdom Man.

Society has deteriorated to an all-time low. Our world is on a downward path of self-destructive behavior.

That must change—but how?

It’s up to men to take the lead in raising the standard back to where God originally placed it. This book is about raising that standard and defining manhood as God intended. It’s about discovering what it means to be a Kingdom Man.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Focus on the Family (February 27, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589976851
• ISBN-13: 978-1589976856
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (108 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Tony Evans is one of the country's most respected leaders in evangelical circles. As a pastor, teacher, author and speaker, he serves the body of Christ through his unique ability to communicate complex theological truths through simple, yet profound, illustrations. While addressing the practical issues of today, Dr. Evans is known as a relevant expositor. New and veteran pastors alike regard him as a pastor of pastors and a father in the faith.

The first African-American to graduate with a doctoral degree from Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), he served as an associate professor in DTS' Pastoral Ministries Department in the areas of evangelism, homiletics and black church studies. He continues to serve DTS on the Board of Incorporate Members. Dr. Evans holds the rare honor of serving as chaplain for the NBA's Dallas Mavericks over the last three decades, the longest standing NBA chaplaincy on record. He also serves as chaplain of the Dallas Cowboys.

Through his local church and national ministry Dr. Evans promotes a Kingdom agenda philosophy that teaches God's comprehensive rule over every sphere of life as demonstrated through the individual, family, church and society.

This philosophy connects biblical spirituality with social responsibility. Dr. Evans teaches that the church, not the government, is the best social service delivery system since it is closer to the needs of the people, offers the largest potential volunteer force, has facilities for outreach programs, and provides a moral and spiritual frame of reference for making right choices.

At the heart of this vision is the use of church and school partnerships to effect spiritual and social change in communities. Dr. Evans' church and school outreach philosophy has been attributed as a catalyst for former President George W. Bush's Faith Based Initiative, which was his first formal act of office. Dr. Evans seeks to train churches, schools and volunteers in this philosophy, as well as in the functional practicalities, through the National Church Adopt-A-School Initiative which is a ministry underneath the umbrella of The Urban Alternative.

Dr. Evans has served as the senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship for over 35 years, witnessing its growth from ten people in 1976 to now over 9,000 congregants with 100 plus ministries.

Dr. Evans also serves as president of The Urban Alternative, a national ministry that seeks to bring about spiritual renewal in America through the church. His daily radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on more than 500 radio stations throughout the United States and in more than 40 countries.

Dr. Evans has written numerous books and booklets including his legacy work, Oneness Embraced, as well as his vision work, The Kingdom Agenda. Some of his most recent books include Kingdom Man, How Should Christians Vote, Marriage Matters, Between a Rock and a Hard Place and Victory in Spiritual Warfare.

Dr. Tony Evans is married to Lois, his wife and ministry partner of 41 years. They are the proud parents of four children, all who serve in ministry: Chrystal Hurst, Priscilla Shirer, Anthony, and Jonathan as well as the proud grandparents of ten: Kariss, Jessica, Jackson, Jesse, III, Jerry, Jr., Kanaan, Jude, Joel, Kelsey, Jonathan II.

Dr. Evans has received many honors, including the Father of the Year award voted by the Dallas Father of the Year Committee and the Marian Pfister Anshutz Award for "dedication to protecting, encouraging, and strengthening the American family" from the Family Research Center.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 55 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Step up and be a man March 16, 2012

By Joshua Reich

Format:Kindle Edition

Just finished reading Kingdom Man (kindle version) by Tony Evans. It was a book that I pulled a few ideas from for my sermon this past weekend at Revolution Church on "Marriage & Men."

One of the driving forces of Revolution Church from day one has been to challenge men to step up to the plate and be the men God has called and created them to be. Dr. Evans gets it right, you can trace many of the problems and issues in our culture back to the home and absence of men.

Here are a few stats:

-70% of all prisoners come from fatherless homes.
-80% of all rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes.
-71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes.
-63% of all teen suicides occur in homes where the father was either abusive or absent.
-Virtually every adult social pathology has been linked to either fatherless homes or homes with a father and/or husband who was absent, abusive, or neglectful.

In this book, Dr. Evans looks at this problem, but unlike many authors he doesn't stay at the problem He quickly moves to the solution, and that's what the book is about. He traces the biblical story, how men are created to lead, have dominion under God's authority. The reality that we see in Genesis 3 and then in Romans 5 is that men are primarily responsible for what happens on their watch. They are given primary responsibility for their families, to lead them well. As Dr. Evans says, "As a man, you are ultimately responsible for those within your domain." The concept of domain or dominion is important and easy to misunderstand. The biblical concept of dominion, or rule, is neither a dictatorship nor a posture of domination, but rather it entails exercising legitimate authority under the lordship of Jesus Christ.... Legitimate authority entails all that God provides for and permits a man to do, but not all that a man wishes to do. Dr. Evans is calling men to fulfill their biblical calling, step up to the plate and lead and oversee as God has called them to do.

Here are a few things that jumped out from the book:

-A kingdom man is the kind of man that when his feet hit the floor each morning the devil says, "Oh crap, he's up!"
-When a kingdom man steps out his door each day, heaven, earth, and hell take notice. When he protects the woman under his care, she can do little to resist him. His children look to him with confidence. Other men look to him as someone to emulate. His church calls on him for strength and leadership. He is a preserver of culture and a champion of society to keep out evil and usher in good. -A kingdom man understands that God never said a godly life would be easy, He just said it would be worth it.
-If you are man, like it or not, you are a leader by position. It could be that you are a horrible one by practice, but by position, you have been called to lead.
-Every area of life should feel the impact of a kingdom man's presence.
-Any man who blames his wife for the chaos in his home without simultaneously accepting responsibility for addressing it is publicly declaring his lack of biblical manhood.
-Pornography use is one of the greatest indicators that a man has lost touch with his own manhood since he has to piggyback on the intimacy of others.
-When a kingdom man rules his realm well, everyone benefits.
-As a man, when you have demonstrated to a woman, children, or people within your sphere of influence that you are dependable, responsible, and that you take ownership to fix, solve, or simply carry the burden of that which cannot be solved, you have freed them to rest. You have freed them to relax because they know that they can trust the man who has proven to them through past actions that he's got it.
-If a man is out of alignment with God's prescription for kingdom manhood, it not only messes him up, but it can also mess up anyone or everyone else who comes into contact with him, especially if they fall under his authority.
-Being a kingdom man involves exercising authority and responsibility along with wisdom and compassion. A kingdom man intentionally aligns his life, choices, thoughts, and actions under the lordship of Jesus Christ.
-While it is the rare woman who will admit her age, it has become the rare man who will act his age.
-What woman wants to be intimate with someone whom she has to clean up after, wake up for church, and babysit. Her rationale is that if he can be a man in bed, then why can't he be a man in the living room, at the office, with the finances, as a father, or in the marital relationship?
-Headship isn't about essence or being; it is about function.
-Headship and covering work both ways. A man covers a woman because Christ covers a man. To hold a woman accountable to something that you yourself are not willing to do is a double standard, and it is one of the major reasons that cause the breakdown of the family. If a man is expecting a woman to be answerable to him, she should see him modeling that same principle by being answerable to God's headship as well.
-A husband is to be his wife's savior in the sense that he sacrifices his life for her well-being.
-Along with being your wife's savior, a husband is to sanctify his wife.
-To sanctify something means to set it apart as special and unique. A man sanctifies his wife over time through discipling her and providing a place where she is safe to grow and develop into the creation God made her to be.
-A kingdom husband satisfies his wife.
-The first step to learning how to satisfy your wife is in understanding her. Study her. Get to know her. Find out what makes her tick, what motivates her, and what inspires her. Discover what her dreams are and how they connect with your own.
-The time you spend with your family as a man should never be a second thought. It should always be your first thought.

While there are more and more books on what biblical manhood is, this one hits it on the mark. Definitely worth picking up if as a man you are struggling to figure out how to lead your family well. Read more ›

36 of 44 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars A Mixed Bag April 4, 2012

By Mathew Sims

Format:Hardcover

We Do Need Kingdom Men

We need a focus on charging men to take their Biblical responsibility as such seriously. Tony Evans takes this seriously and for that I'm glad. He begins by setting the stage,

The impact of lowered standards leaves its scars no matter what race, income bracket, or community a person is in. The outcomes may be different depending on the location, but they are just as devastating. Promiscuity, emptiness, depression, chronic irresponsibility, family breakup, misuse of finances, divorce, violence, chemical addiction. overeating, indulgence, bankruptcy, low self-esteem, and general aimlessness plague our society as a direct result of the abuse or neglect of biblical manhood. (p. 2)

I've never read any of his other books but it seems we share the same foundation of a complementarian understanding of men/women relationships. However, I fear in Kingdom Man that masculinity is confused with athletic prowess. I love sports but many men don't and for those men may find relating to Tony's message difficult because his favorite metaphor is athletics. Even for a guy like me who loves sports, the analogies wore me out by the end of the book. We have to do a better job communicating what true manhood is without falling back on sports as our primary analogy. Often I would argue that professional athletics have contributed heavily to the abuse that Tony is arguing against.

Kingdom Man is broken up into three parts which each build upon each other. In Part 1 ("The Formation of a Kingdom Man"), Tony begins by establishing the basis for his kingdom theology. He argues for the need of kingdom men to focus and glorify God (an emphasis throughout the book which I found refreshing see p. 6).... There's also a strong emphasis on being great and fulfilling our destinies of being great for God.

In Part 2 ("The Foundation of a Kingdom Man"), Tony delves into how we exercise our rule and authority. He rightly reminds men we rule under God and often delegate responsibility and the need for an ezer (help-meet). The final chapters in the this section to are dedicated to examining the dominion covenant (name it and claim it).

In Part 3 ("The Function of a Kingdom Man"), Tony structures these final four chapters around Psalm 128. He applies the theology he has developed in the previous chapters to a kingdom man's personal life, family life, church life, and community life.

A Call to Greatness or Self-Help?

In Part 1 ("The Formation of a Kingdom Man"), a lot the practical advise ended up veering too much into the self-help category. In my estimation, this confusion could have been resolved with a more robust connection to the gospel and the person of Jesus. For instance, Tony says

Whether we are comfortable enough to admit it in spiritual circles, men want to be great.

I'll admit it; I don"t mind--I want to be great.

And if you were brutally honest, I would be bet that you also want to be great.

But what may surprise you, and what I would suggest, is that far from what we often hear in the biblical teaching on servanthood and humility is that God wants you to be great as well.

Not only does God want you to be great in His Kingdom, but He has destined you for it. (p. 38)

This concept is supported with some squishy exegesis (pp. 40-44 especially the discussion of John 14:12 and Matthew 20:25-26). I was glad when Tony cautioned "Men, what you never want to do in your desires to be great is to try to steal or usurp God's glory (p. 40).

My number one disappointment with Kingdom Man was the lack of direct connection with the gospel. When Paul talks about biblical manhood, headship, and submission, he always connects it back to the created order (which Tony does) and then to the gospel in Jesus (which Tony doesn't at least not explicitly).

The Dominion Covenant: Naming For God's Kingdom

At the root in developing the dominion covenant or what Tony calls naming (p. 108) is bad exegesis. He begins by examining the story of Adam naming the animals and then looks at the significance of names given to people in the Old Testament (pp. 109-10). He then recommends "to think in terms of your divinely given authority and responsibility. Take hold of creation; grab the piece of creation that God has for you to name" (p. 113). There's a logical leap made--because God had Adam name animals at creation that we should name things within the spiritual realm of our authority. Tony shares this anecdote,

I remember driving by this property one day and deciding to to pull my car right up in front of the vacant and now run-down building. Years passed since God had put it on my heart that this building was going to be used for His glory. So while looking at the building, I said, "God, I name that. I name this entire place for the good of others and your glory. We don't have the money for it right now, but God, hold it for us. Because I name it in Jesus' name." (p. 114)

He then goes on to explain that the Spirit laid the story of Joshua treading around Jericho and so he tread over the entire property naming it for Jesus. I was glad when he guarded against using this theology for personal gain:

It's important, though, to realize that naming does not mean claiming anything and everything you want. Neither is naming something solely for your personal benefit. Naming--like everything man is supposed to do--is always toed to God's glory and the expansion of His kingdom. (p. 115)

I was very grateful for his focus on the glory of God as the end. However, this much needed warning doesn't discount the fact the foundation for the practice of naming is on shaky exegetical ground. We dare not presumptuously claiming anything except the promises of God. We must be faithful in claiming these and only these.

For the reasons stated above, I can't give Kingdom Man a full-throttled endorsement. There was too much poor exegesis/theology mixed in with a right message (men need to step up). Biblical manhood is important and I'm glad Dr. Tony Evans understands this but I wish there a clearer connection with the gospel and also less of a mixed bag theology. Read more ›

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Kingdom Man March 26, 2012

By Ma Ingalls

Format:Hardcover

What a strong desire God has given Tony Evans for the hearts of men! Men who function under the submission of Jesus Christ. Men who desire for what God desires. Trusting Christ alone for salvation. Mediating on God's strength and love. Tony takes theology and talks like a coach. He puts God's Word in a context in which men can relate and spiritually digest.

As a reviewer, this book echoed themes from other recently published books: The Circle Maker, The 21-Day Dad Challenge, The Book of Man, and Why Men Hate Church. Also, the movie Courageous. This book encourages God to be the source men draw from in spiritual battles. The race set before us is not for wimps. And as Christ intended, men are spiritual warriors and a covering for their families. Knowing about God is crucially important for conducting our lives. Men can not disregard God's plan.

I found Mr. Evan's testimony about his father (through out the book) encouraging. God does not want us to do life alone. This book also calls out mentors to shepherd the next generation. Jesus calls men to learn from him.

This book is for our home libraries to refer to often and for our sons as they become men.

I received this book free for an honest review from Tyndale publishing.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book March 6, 2012

By C. Tanner

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Bought this book to see if it would make a good men's bible study book. It's excellent! Good encouragement for men. We will defiantly be using it in a men's small group study. I highly recommend it.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Lord has a purpose for each person. March 13, 2012

By Irene's Christian Reviews

Format:Hardcover

Kingdom Man, written by Dr. Tony Evans, is filled with helpful information for any man wanting to be a spiritual leader at home, at church, or even at his workplace.

The Lord has a purpose for each person. Men can be equipped to be leaders by following the Lord's guidelines found in the Bible. The Lord wants men to be leaders who are wise and compassionate. They also have to model what they are asking of others. Meaning if you think your wife should be spending more time helping the children with schoolwork, you need to help out more too.

I liked his analogy of a football game. You will have to read the book to see how he compares Christian leaders to the officials in the game. Although the primary audience is men, any woman can read this book. Women will find what makes a good leader and what they should be praying for when looking for a man in their life. If a woman is already married she can still learn from this book, especially the principles taught about the marriage relationship. Understanding what the Lord wants for a marriage will help both the husband and the wife keep their marriage strong.

Scripture supported all the principles discussed in the book and all the principles are easy to follow and explained well. The author is excellent at simplifying the Lord's guidelines for Christian men. This book is written in a straightforward manner and is well organized. I highly recommend this book for every Christian man to read!

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.