When the circumstances of life are uncertain, we want to know for what cause, reason, or purpose. “Why?” is a question we never stop asking.

We can tell God exactly what we feel, not what we think He wants us to feel. We can ask Him anything. However, we need to understand the Power of Why. It can lead us to a deeper faith and expand our understanding of God's character and sovereignty, or it can sink us like an anchor around our neck. This tiny three-letter word is debilitating when it demands an explanation that we think will restore our control of the circumstances.

Jesus promises His peace in the midst of trouble. His peace is in a class to itself. It’s bulletproof. He tells us exactly where to find it. And that is where these eight sessions will take us.

A cautionary tale is a story that serves as a warning to others. Fairy tales contain cautionary elements. Pinocchio warns against lying, and Little Red Riding Hood teaches children to be careful when encountering strangers. Our daily news feeds deliver an endless stream of cautionary tales, stories covering everything from economic mismanagement to exposés about moral decline and failure.

Here's our dilemma: Humans are slow learners, and adjusting our course to steer clear of danger is challenging. No matter how devastating the outcome of previous bad choices, we tend to be repeat offenders. We ignore the warning signs and build our houses closer and closer to the cliff.

The Bible is packed with stories that capture men and women at their best and worst. It contains true-story cautionary tales that place God's presence, power, and grace in the midst of it all. No one intentionally auditions for a starring role in a cautionary tale. We typically stumble into it or stubbornly walk down a path while ignoring the warning signs. In these eight sessions, we'll look at a collection of cautionary tales to help us avoid making the same costly mistakes.

ESSENTIALS is an 8-session series for rookies and veterans of the faith to help us grow in 3 Essential Relationships: Devotion To God, Community With Believers, and Influence With Others.

– Session 1 clarifies that our foundation is Jesus and lays out a framework that is built with the 3 Essential Relationships.

– Sessions 2, 3 & 4 help us grow deep in our Devotion To God.

– Sessions 5 & 6 help us develop a healthy Community With Believers.

– Session 7 equips us to be an effective Influence With Others.

– Session 8 explains what it looks like to be a living sacrifice and respond to God’s grace with the total package of heart, soul, mind, and strength.

It’s always best to process content like this with another person or a small group of friends. Questions to get the conversation started are at the end of each session.

Each session on the app has a digital outline with spaces to record your own thoughts and personal applications. Look for the ESSENTIALS OUTLINE buttons under the description of each session. Your notes sync across your devices. You can email them to yourself and share them with others. If you prefer a blank page, look for the TAKE A NOTE button.

[WATCH SESSION 1]

Fight Club: Some Things Are Worth Fighting For was created for a seasonal gathering of men called The Quest. About a thousand men each week had gone through the Men’s Fraternity content created by Robert Lewis. Fight Club was a change-up with a strategy to shorten the number of sessions in a semester and create more space for men to process and apply the principles they were learning.

It’s important to understand what format will be most effective for your group. The original strategy called for two sets of six rounds with a break in the middle. Part Two, Round 7, begins with a brief recap of Part One.

The content was filmed at Chad Robichaux’s Gracie Baja Jiu Jitsu studio in The Woodlands, Texas. Chad went on to become the President & Founder of Mighty Oaks Warrior Programs and the Director of Veteran Affairs for Serving California, two non-profit organizations dedicated to helping our combat heroes suffering from the unseen wounds of combat stress and PTSD. The MOWP Edition of Fight Club was highly effective in helping many combat heroes find their way home.

We continue to receive requests for Fight Club from men around the world. As we were editing and remastering the original videos for this version, it became clear that the content is still relevant and important to help men today build a strong and active faith.

A fundamental rule in Fight Club is that no man fights alone. While there can be some value in watching the sessions by yourself and making notes in the digital outline or workbook, you are encouraged to go through this series with other men and process the principles together. You need their perspective, encouragement, and support. They need the same from you.

[WATCH SESSION 1]