Episodes

Are your kids part of the 48% of children today who won’t reach 18 years of age with both parents still in the home? If so, or even if your family is still intact, this episode will help you SHOW UP as a dad.In this week’s 10-minute equipping episode, Pastor Jim Ramos teaches you how to be so consistent that your presence builds a firm foundation in your kids’ hearts. You’ll walk away from this episode with 5 boots-on-the-ground tactics to stay engaged with your kids.[Honor God through your ...

Are you married? Your wife is greater than your kids. Remarried? Still true! The Bible shows us that your wife is greater than your kids, even in the tricky situation of remarriage. In this message at the MAG, Pastor Jim Ramos lays out the biblical case for this counter-cultural assertion, WIFE > KIDS.This message is from The MAG, The McMinville Area Gathering for men, which meets weekly most Wednesday nights at Grange Hall in McMinnville, Oregon. You can come out to see Jim Ramos in person ch...

We all want to be successful leaders and fathers in our homes. But how do we properly assess where we’re at and what areas we can improve? In this week’s 10-minute equipping episode, Pastor Jim Ramos breaks down the 5 levels of leadership a dad can obtain. Jim asks you to get real with yourself to make an honest assessment of your level of leadership and consider how you can move up to be a level 5 leader in your home.[Honor God through your fitness. Use code 'ARENA30' at mtntough.com for 6 we...

Need a full-service revamp of your marriage? Today, Jim Ramos is joined by power couple, Drs. Paul and Virginia Friesen, as they help you avoid marriage pitfalls, offer tangible advice, and encourage you as you battle for your relationship with your wife. This unique husband-and-wife episode offers fascinating insight from a women’s perspective. You’ll walk away with tangible steps and tools to make sure you come out victorious in your marriage.The last time Paul and Virginia appeared on our p...

Are you a know-it-all? Do you have trouble taking criticism? Pretty sure you don’t need direction from others? Find yourself judging the way others do things? Having a TEACHABLE spirit is vital when you’re living out your best version of life in Christ. Even so, many of us walk around with a “know-it-all” attitude. In this week’s 10-minute equipping episode, Pastor Jim Ramos teaches you 6 secrets a “know-it-all” attitude reveals about your heart and how it plays into your “Season of Manhood” (se...

Calling all WILD MEN! You know you’re called to be a strong Christian man, so why does the Bible tell you to be “meek?” And why does God keep calling WILD, UNRULY men to his cause? This world wants to break men like you, but God has different plans. This week, Men in the Arena founder Jim Ramos is joined by evangelist Ryan Miller, known on Instagram as “Dude with the Good News” @dudewithgoodnews for a deep dive into what WILD Christian masculine strength really looks like.[Honor God through yo...

Men, are you stuck in the daily grind? Wondering if you’re getting anywhere? Often we can’t see the forest for the trees. How do you zoom out to see the bigger picture in the Stress Bubble? In this week’s 10-minute equipping episode, pastor Jim Ramos teaches you the activity that he did once 25 years ago which still impacts his life today. In fact, the ministry of Men in the Arena is a direct result of it!Men, it’s time to write your own obituary! You’ll walk away from this episode with Jim’s ...

How should a single Christian man approach sex? What does honoring God look like when single, dating, or divorced? In this second episode in our two-part series on “SEXpectations," Jim Ramos is joined by Carol Tanksley, MD DMin, to discuss biblical principles for how to honor God in your sex life during all seasons. The first episode focused on married sex. This week's interview focuses on sex and the single, dating, and engaged Christian man.Dr. Carol's Book: Sexpectations: Reframing Your Goo...

No men’s ministry at your church? You can start one! Today, Jim Ramos, pastor and founder of Men in the Arena, will walk you through his newest resource. Born of thirty years of starting transformational small groups, The Men’s Ministry Playbook contains his proven strategy to help you launch and grow a men’s ministry at your local church.For our free resources designed just for men’s ministry leaders, check out meninthearena.org/mensministr[Honor God through your fitness. Use code 'ARENA30' ...

Are you disappointed by your sex life? Many Christian men in otherwise happy Christian marriages are not getting the sex they hoped for. There are hidden motivations, lies, and expectations that may be manipulating your views on sex! In this two part series on “SEXpectations," Jim Ramos is joined by Carol Tanksley, MD DMin, to discuss biblical principles for how to honor God in your sex life during all seasons. This first episode focuses on married sex. Next week's interview will focus on sex an...

Most church men's ministries are set up wrong! If you're wondering why your church's men's ministry is dead in the water, or if you're are about to start a men's ministry and want to avoid the most common mistake, today’s 10-minute equipping episode will teach you what to do to get a vital, growing ministry to men. Pastor Jim Ramos breaks down step-by-step, proven ways to get your men’s ministry off the ground, including what NOT to do. He'll walk you through the 5 purposes of the Church, the Bu...

Starting a men’s group can be daunting, and even for those who want to, it can be a struggle to find resources and a game plan to get one off the ground. Today, Men in the Arena's Director of Outreach Jay Penton joins Jim Ramos to break down the process he uses to help men start small groups at their churches. You'll walk away from this episode with practical steps to start a men’s group.Men's Ministry Playbook - meninthearena.org/playbookHelp! I'm Starting a Men's Group - meninthearena.org/...

There are ignorant voices in the world calling masculinity toxic. True masculinity is a blessing to the world, and there are some loads that God designed only men to carry.In this week’s 10-minute equipping episode, Pastor Jim Ramos shows you how to use the weight of who you are to be a blessing to your world. When a man gets it—everyone wins.[Honor God through your fitness. Use code 'ARENA30' at mtntough.com for 6 weeks free access to the MTNTOUGH fitness app.]

What’s the difference between a Male and a Man? A Man shows up. A Man follows through. In this week’s interview, Jim Ramos is joined by TJ Greaney, the founder of Kids Outdoor Zone, the nation’s fastest growing hunting, fishing and outdoor ministry, to discuss how God can use the men of the Church to reach today’s young males and help them become men. You’ll walk away from this episode with practical, tangible ways that you can help the next generation of men.[Honor God through your fitness. U...

Ever feel like the season of life you're in will never end? Are you in the stress bubble trying to keep up with all the pressures of life? In Part 2 of his series "Seasons of a Man's Life", Pastor Jim Ramos shares the final 2 seasons of manhood ("fall" and "winter"), and how each season is vital in creating a complete life that’s well lived.[Honor God through your fitness. Use code 'ARENA30' at mtntough.com for 6 weeks free access to the MTNTOUGH fitness app.]

There are so many voices telling you how to parent, how do you sift through the worldly advice and get to the true spirit of fatherhood? In this week's interview, Jim Ramos is joined by Larry Hagner from Dad.Edge to discuss the roots of healthy, godly parenting. He offers practical advice to get you on track to make a lasting, positive impact on your kid's life.Larry’s Book: The Spirit of Fatherhood -https://tinyurl.com/spirit115[Honor God through your fitness. Use code 'ARENA30' at mtntough....

Ever feel like the season of life you're in will never end? Are you in the stress bubble trying to keep up with all the pressures of life? In Part 1 of his series "Seasons of a Man's Life", Pastor Jim Ramos shares the first 2 seasons of manhood ("spring" and "summer"), and how each season is vital in creating a complete life that’s well lived.[Honor God through your fitness. Use code 'ARENA30' at mtntough.com for 6 weeks free access to the MTNTOUGH fitness app.]

Have you been hurt at church? One of the biggest barriers to men going to church is the people IN the church! In this week's interview, Pastor Jim Ramos is joined by Wendell Morton to teach you practical ways to deal with the wounds you've received from 'church people.' How do you stay in church even when it's filled by sinners? How do you forgive and release the bitterness that makes you reluctant to go on Sunday, or has even driven you away from the church altogether? You'll walk away from thi...

Did you know courage is a character trait developed over time? Like weightlifting, men have to practice, struggle and persevere to build the “muscles” of courage until it becomes who we are. The good news: God wired men to be courageous. Like a cattle brand, God has stamped the desire to be courageous into men. But it’s up to you to make that choice. In this final message in the “Take Courage” series from the MAG, Pastor Jim Ramos shares how we can make sure our character is SOLID and not easily...

You hurt for the victims of sex trafficking, but what can you DO about it? There’s a way you can help survivors of sex trafficking without leaving your home. In this week’s unique and powerful interview, Jim Ramos is joined by sisters Shannon Sloan and Amanda Kozlowski to talk about their ministry, the Free Bird Initiative. They share powerful stories of rescue and redemption and teach you how you can honor your own wife while helping empower sex trafficking survivors.Free Bird Initiative: fre...

Congrats brother, you’ve married a strong Christian woman. But, what does she NEED from you? In her core, what does she need and want from you on a daily basis? In today’s 10-minute equipping episode, pastor Jim Ramos teaches you the 4 core desires of every woman and the practical ways you can meet those needs. Jim pulls from Michael Thompson’s (ep. 710) book KING ME(https://tinyurl.com/kingme115), taking his principles and breaking them down so you’ll be able to take action starting today!Mic...

“I’m fine” says every man…but it’s not true. We live in a broken world and every man brings brokenness to the table. How do we sift through our brokenness to find healing? How do we break the cycle of childhood trauma and generational sin? And how do we forgive those that contributed to our brokenness? This week, Jim Ramos is joined again by men’s ministry giant Patrick Morley (of ‘Man in the Mirror’ fame, listen to our interview about that book here), to discuss his new book, ‘From Broken Boy t...

One of the biggest questions men ask is, “what does a spiritual leader look like and how do I become one in my home?” In this week’s 10-minute equipping episode, Pastor Jim Ramos reviews 3 practical ways men can lead by example using 1st Timothy 4:15. You’ll walk away from this episode knowing how to start your journey to become the spiritual leader in your home.[Honor God through your fitness. Use code 'ARENA30' at for 6 weeks free access to the MTNTOUGH fitness app.]

Strength and courage. Can you have one without the other? These words are used over and over and commonly paired up in the Bible. In this message, Jim teaches the importance of why these words are often paired together, and what it means when you only have one of the two. This episode will challenge you to look in the mirror, face your fears, and tap into your strength as you strive to live a courageous life.This message is from The MAG, The McMinville Area Gathering for men, which meets weekl...