Q:  Why did you write ‘Locking Shields’?

  A:  Honestly?  I didn’t set out to write a book.  I was leading a men’s group and would write the lesson, then update it with any changes I made during my prep time as well as those I made during delivery.  Basically, I was trying to faithfully capture the actual lesson I brought.  God showed me that there were a lot of guys just like me that want and need to connect in meaningful ways with other Christian men.  He kept bringing people into my life that needed to be in a tight community but didn’t have one.  That recognition developed into an understanding that I needed to share what He’d given me with a wider audience.  Every time I’d start to lose focus on what He’d put on my heart, He’d bring someone along to remind me that I needed to get after it.

Q:  You mentioned a “men’s group”.  What is that and why does it matter?

  A:  That’s a great question.  It’s different from a normal community/life/small group where men and women get together outside of regular church services.  Men’s group is a bunch of guys getting together to pursue their relationship with Jesus Christ.  To use somewhat of a generalization, when guys go to the store, we don’t usually “shop” much.  We’re there to get what we came for and move on.  It’s a similar mentality with a men’s group.  The guys that come want to be there.  We’re meeting on purpose and for a purpose, so there’s a different level of focus and intensity.  For me, men’s group has been a place of immense growth.  I’ve been challenged, refined, stretched, and freed from things I didn’t even know had me bound.  It’s made all the difference in my relationship with Jesus.

Q:  How does this book fit into a men’s group?

  A:  There are a lot of great books out there that focus on Christian discipleship, mentoring, and leadership.  I’ve participated in several groups that use a book-based study guide and they were good.  However, ‘Locking Shields’ is a different kind of book.  It contains 52 lessons that can be used to immediately start a men’s group.  God used the lessons, and the men I had the honor to be in group with, to change my life.  This book will enable other Christ followers to lock shields of faith as they pursue their relationship with Jesus and become who He designed, created, and purposed them to be.