discipleship Archives

https://youtube.com/live/oq-DuHG-HNw Every man needs more than motivation. He needs brotherhood. In this episode of the 2000 Cubit Rule, Mark Rowan sits down with Warren Mainard, National Director of IMPACT Players, for a powerful conversation about identity, calling, leadership, marriage, fatherhood, and the kind of community men need in order to grow. With more than 30 years of ministry and leadership experience, Warren has walked through seasons of fruitfulness, hardship, transition, and rebuilding. His story is a reminder that God is not done with a man just because one season ends. Sometimes the painful place becomes the doorway into a clearer calling. For Warren, that calling was summarized in two simple phrases: magnify Christ and multiply His Kingdom. When Ministry Becomes Heavy Warren spent many years in pastoral ministry, including church planting in Seattle. The work was meaningful, but it also came with significant weight. He spoke honestly about the pressure many pastors and ministry leaders face today. In many churches, pastors are expected to preach, counsel, lead, market, manage, inspire, administrate, and carry the spiritual weight of the congregation. But biblically, the work of ministry is not supposed to rest on one person. Pastors are called to equip the saints for the work of ministry. That distinction matters. Warren explained that too many people in the church have become spectators, watching from the stands while others carry the load. But the call of an impact player is different. An impact player gets out of the bleachers and onto the field. That picture is central to Warren’s work with IMPACT Players. The goal is to help men stop sitting on the sidelines of their faith, family, church, workplace, and community. Men are called to step forward, take responsibility, and make plays for the Kingdom of God. Losing a Title, Finding a Calling After years of ministry, Warren walked through a painful transition. Leaving the church plant brought questions about identity and purpose. Who am I if I am not a pastor?Who am I if I do not have the title?Is God done with me? Those are not small questions. Many men wrestle with identity when a career changes, a ministry season ends, a business fails, or a role shifts. But in that valley, God reminded Warren that his calling was not dependent on a title. He did not need a position, platform, or paycheck to magnify Christ and multiply His Kingdom. That reminder became a filter for his life. If an opportunity fit that calling, he could consider it. If it did not, he could let it go. In that clarity, God began opening the door for Warren to serve men through IMPACT Players. What began as a small ministry in Seattle has now grown into a national movement, helping thousands of men discover what it means to become better husbands, fathers, leaders, and followers of Jesus. Why Men Need Real Brotherhood One of the strongest themes from the conversation was the need for men to have a band of brothers. Warren pointed to David as an example. David was gifted, called, anointed, and courageous, but he still needed mighty men around him. The one season where David was isolated from his band of brothers was also the season where he fell into serious sin. That is not a coincidence. Isolation is dangerous for men. It makes them vulnerable spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and morally. Many men assume friendship is optional once they become adults. They focus on career, marriage, parenting, bills, church, and responsibility, but slowly lose meaningful connection with other men. IMPACT Players challenges that mindset. A man cannot afford to live isolated. He needs other men who will encourage him, sharpen him, challenge him, pray for him, and walk with him through the real battles of life. Not surface-level connection. Not just sports talk. Not just casual acquaintances. Real brotherhood. Discipleship Through the Lens of Relationship IMPACT Players exists to inspire men to be great husbands, fathers, and leaders by equipping them to thrive in the relationships that matter most. That is a strategic and practical approach to discipleship. Many men may not begin by saying, “I want to be discipled.” But they will often admit: I want to be a better husband.I want to be a better father.I want to be a better leader.I want my life to matter. Warren explained that those desires create a discipleship pathway. To become a better husband, a man must learn to love like Christ. To become a better father, he must understand the heart of his Heavenly Father. To become a better leader, he must learn to walk in the fruit of the Spirit. In other words, helping a man grow in his key relationships becomes a bridge to helping him grow in Christ. The Power of In-Person Community IMPACT Players offers monthly breakfast gatherings, cohorts, leadership development, online opportunities, and seasonal challenges. But Warren emphasized that in-person community is deeply important. He used the word “incarnational,” meaning in the flesh. Jesus did not come as a distant message. He came in person. He came near. That matters for men’s ministry. Digital tools can be useful, and online cohorts can help men take a first step, but there is something powerful about men gathering face to face, sharing a meal, telling the truth, and walking together. After the isolation many experienced in and after 2020, Warren sees the need for in-person brotherhood as more urgent than ever. The enemy wants to isolate the sheep from the flock. God brings men into the strength of godly community. Impact Hard and the Call to Love God Fully Warren also shared about Impact Hard, a 75-day challenge inspired in part by his own experience combining physical discipline with spiritual growth. Years ago, Warren went through a season where he committed to intense physical training while also reading through the Bible. That combination changed him. He lost weight, grew stronger, and experienced deep spiritual renewal. Impact Hard builds on that idea by challenging men to pursue God with their whole being. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Warren highlighted how interconnected those areas are. A man’s spiritual life, emotional health, physical body, mental focus, relationships, habits, and daily discipline all affect one another. If a man neglects his body, it can affect his mind and soul.If he neglects time with God, he can look strong on the outside while collapsing on the inside.If he neglects relationships, he can become vulnerable to discouragement, temptation, and isolation. Impact Hard is not about physical achievement for its own sake. It is about men learning to pursue God with everything they are. Heart. Soul. Mind. Strength. God’s Plan Is Still the Best Plan One of the most encouraging parts of Warren’s story is how early God began shaping his life. As a teenager, Warren was going down the wrong path. After a major move from Washington to Florida, God used a simple Scripture reference from Jeremiah 29:11-13 to awaken something in him. Warren began to understand that God had a plan for his life, and that the way to discover the plan was to seek the God of the plan. That truth still matters. God’s plan is not always easy. It may include transitions, losses, surrender, and seasons that feel unclear. But His plan is still good. His calling is still worth following. His purpose is still better than anything we can build on our own. For Warren, that journey has now become a mission to help men become impact players in the places God has assigned them. A Challenge for Men The challenge from this conversation is simple but weighty. Do not live isolated.Do not sit in the bleachers.Do not reduce your walk with God to one area of life.Do not assume your title is your calling.Do not neglect the relationships that matter most. Get around men who will sharpen you.Love your wife well.Lead your family with humility.Serve your church with faithfulness.Take care of your body.Renew your mind.Feed your soul.Use your strength for the glory of God. Every man needs a band of brothers, and every man is called to make an impact. To learn more about Warren Mainard and IMPACT Players, visit impactplayers.org. More From SheepFeast At SheepFeast, we help Christian leaders clarify their message, simplify their tools, and amplify what God has placed in their hands. If you have a message, ministry, coaching framework, or discipleship resource that needs to be organized and shared more effectively, The Farmwork can help you bring the pieces together and reach more people with purpose. LEARN MORE >

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