The Tin Soldiers Study Guide

By Andrew Schwab

Young, believing men today are facing a tragic identity crisis-trapped in lives of emptiness, hopelessness, and apathy, ensnared in a web of addictions, anxiety, and broken relationships. We are a generation of men who seem lost, without purpose, without direction. But is this who we were meant to be?

No.

In The Tin Soldiers Study Guide, Andrew Schwab delves deeper into his most candid and spiritually encouraging work to date-offering practical reflection, examination, and application which, when paired with The Tin Soldiers book, serves as a small group curriculum.

These fifty-two exercises are a one-year journey where we will confront our deepest fears and darkest secrets, together. And as we do, we will find a connection to the spirit of God, the character of Christ, and to one another like never before.

It’s time to transform from dead metal to life more abundant. It’s time to become real men. It is time to become who you were meant to be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Feb 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781483549507

Book preview

VII

Week 1: January 1-7

What is a Tin Soldier? Part I

…there are a growing number of us who seem...lost. We are empty, depressed, hopeless and dissatisfied. We are isolated and purposeless. We are addicted, distracted, and apathetic. In short, it seems many Christian men today are living versions of ourselves who are far from what we were meant to be. How did we, as a generation, get here?—p. 6

REFLECT…

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When I was five years old, I wandered off at a department store while my parents were trying on clothing. My reasons for wandering off against the will of my parents were simple: I thought I was big enough and strong enough to handle roaming the store by myself, and I wanted to go find the toys.

At first, it was a blast. I did whatever I wanted. I hid in clothing racks and no one stopped me. I chucked basketballs down the sporting goods aisle. I shot plastic laser guns at employees.

But about four minutes into my new adventure I began to feel uneasy. I soon realized that a) I didn’t know my way back to the dressing rooms, b) wandering alone wasn’t very fun, and c) most of the employees were very creepy. The last of these was the worst part of it all. Older women with large moles on their faces smiled at me with grins that were missing teeth. Older men with unsettling Magnum P.I. mustaches glared at me. At one point a large, sullen, female employee asked me if I was lost. I sprinted as far as I could away from her, begging heaven for an invisibility cloak.

Alarms bells were ringing. I was terrified.

I felt…vulnerable and insecure, like a doe in an open field during the first day of hunting season. And I realized I didn’t know myself as well as I thought I did. I wasn’t strong or big. I was just a little kid who needed his parents. I started to panic. I thought to myself…What in the world have I done? Someone, please help me!

Not ten seconds later my dad came galloping around a corner. My dad swiped me up and I hugged him with all I had, tears drizzling down my face. It felt so good to be found. I said I was sorry, and swallowed my pride. I admitted that I was not old enough to wander off by myself. My dad forgave me immediately and I didn’t even get punished. He was just happy to have me back.

How many times have we found ourselves in a dangerous spiritual situation because we think we can handle things alone? And how many of us have gotten so lost that we can’t seem to find our way back home again?

As males, we always want to prove that we are impressive, that we do not need help to handle anything that life throws at us. But in our desire to be respected and present a strong image, our weaknesses actually gain power. The truth is, many of us are isolated, lost in a desert of secret vices and unresolved pain because we have chosen to tackle our lives and our problems by ourselves.

But to go it alone is to guarantee we will eventually become lost.

For the Christian man, to be lost is not to simply lose our way, but to forget who we are, or more importantly, who we are meant to be.

Who are we meant to be? First and foremost, we were created to worship, and to find our meaning in knowing God. So, our ultimate purpose is to become like Jesus, and to spend our lives in pursuit of this end.

The sooner we can embrace these two facts about ourselves and truly live in their wake, the sooner we can be found by our Father, who will always, always, always welcome us back with open arms, no questions asked. And to give ourselves fully to the process of transformation into living, breathing reflections of Christ is to no longer be lost.

EXAMINE…

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Read Jeremiah 50:6: My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place.

The verse above references poor leadership as a precursor for a lack of overall direction among the populace of believers. Even if you are not following one pastor or teacher directly, each of us has influences who shape our lives. Who are your greatest influences? And where are they leading you? This is a great indicator of where you will end up…found by a loving God, or lost like so many of the sheep which inhabit this earth.

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When we find our rest in anything besides God, we will lose our way. Where do you currently find rest? (Hint: This is the place you go to recharge.)

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We all find ourselves feeling lost at some point in our lives. This is usually because we don’t know where we are headed, or when we can’t see a clear path in front of us. In these moments, it’s easy to forget that where we end up is dictated by who we are, not by our circumstances. Who are you at present? What defines your purpose as a man?

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How do you think we can become found if we feel lost, even as Christians?

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APPLY…

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So many of us have gotten off the narrow path without even knowing it. The road to the desert can be a gradual one. So, the first step to coming out of the desert is admitting that you have lost your way. Then, upon realizing your position, you sound out a distress call. Here is a prayer which will alert help if you are in this situation. Pray it with at least one other friend.

God, please give me your heart, and make me aware of the truth of my situation. Awake from me from any apathy or numbness so that I can understand where I truly am. Help me to see that who I am in relation to you will truly determine my future. Light my path before me so I can find my purpose in you.

Week 2: January 8-14

What is a Tin Soldier? Part II

God has a channel, a current, which will lead us where we are supposed to go, where we were created to go. But instead of allowing the tide to take us, we have been swimming against it. And in the process, we are drowning.—p. 8

REFLECT…

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When I think of following the current of God’s plan I can’t help but think of the book of Jonah. Most think Jonah is just a story about a dude who gets swallowed by a fish. But the story is really about trusting God even when we don’t understand what He is doing.

Here is the gist of the story: God told Jonah to deliver a message to some serious dirtbags, the Ninevites. They were a brutal people who were evil incarnate, the enemies of God’s people, the Israelites. God told Jonah to deliver a message to them because he wanted to save them from destruction.

Now, realize this command was akin to God telling you that he wanted you to go to Afghanistan, post 9/11, after losing someone you were close to in the towers, and commanding you to preach to the Taliban. So naturally, Jonah thinks God’s request is ridiculous, dangerous, and unjust because he doesn’t understand what He is trying to do. So, he runs as far away from Nineveh as he can get. He ends up on a boat with a crew of sailors. Jonah thought he had escaped, but of course, God was aware of his whereabouts. So, the Lord sent a violent storm that threatened all on board this ship. The crew realized Jonah was the reason behind the tempest, so they threw him overboard. Then, a huge fish swallowed him. Three days later, having survived the digestive tract of the giant trout, he found himself in a puddle of fish vomit on a beach. Then, Jonah finally submitted to God, preached to the Ninevites, and they were spared.

You would think Jonah would have gotten the picture after all he went through, but nope, he didn’t. Instead, he became depressed because he didn’t understand the lesson God was trying to teach him. He said to God, I can’t believe you. Do you care anything about justice? To which God replied (this is a paraphrase), The same mercy I have shown you, I showed them.

All Jonah needed to do, from the beginning, was trust His God, and all his pain would have been avoided. Instead, Jonah had to do it the hard way.

We are so much like Jonah it is scary. We are fighting God’s desire to turn us into miraculous vessels of mercy because we don’t trust Him. We are terrified of the consequences of truly living out our faith because we think we won’t like what life will look like on the other side. We think God wants to make us into weak, pathetic servants who allow the bad guys in our lives off the hook. We question His motives, His means, and His commands, thinking our own strategies will lead us to better outcomes. Then we wonder why our lives become a tragic mess.

But we don’t have to do it the hard way.

God has all the facts and sees the bigger picture. Therefore, He can and will guide us where we need to go. Our responsibility as believers is to simply realize we don’t have all the facts and accept that God knows better than we do where we need to end up. When we let go and just allow God’s current to guide us, instead of fighting Him with doubts and questions, we will be amazed where He takes us. And we will avoid so much unnecessary pain.

Think of this like a lazy river. Just relax, man, relax. If God is who He claims to be we don’t need to have every answer to every question. We just need to float and enjoy the ride.

EXAMINE…

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Read Genesis 15:1-7: The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: «Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. But Abram said, O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.» Then the word of the LORD came to him: «This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir. He took him outside and said, Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them. Then he said to him, So shall your offspring be." Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. He also said to him, «I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.»

Why did God choose to bless Abraham? Was it based upon his looks, his family, being a good person, making a good living, being an upstanding citizen, paying his taxes, or something else entirely? What does this say about where our priorities should be as men?

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We live in a place where most people, and especially most men, are skeptics. We don’t believe what we can’t see, feel, or touch. Abraham could not see How God was going to make His plans come to fruition, but he believed Him anyway. Why do you think it is so difficult for us to do this?

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We know God is trustworthy because of the things He has done in the past. He reminds Abraham of all He has done, specifically, in the last line of this passage. What has God done for you in the past? In other words, what are the specific reasons you can trust His character? List them here.

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APPLY…

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Anxiety about the future is something that most of us deal with. There is not a quick fix solution to the uncertainty of what lies ahead because we don’t have all the answers. Your charge, in light of this lesson, is to simply let go of these fears. How can you do this? Verbally announce that you are going to trust God, no matter what, with the forthcoming days. Pray this prayer, and mean it: God, I don’t know what is coming, but I know you will be there when it does. I recognize all you have done for me in the past, and I will not give into fear or hopelessness despite not knowing what lies ahead. I trust you to orchestrate my steps.

Week 3: January 15-21

What is a Tin Soldier? Part III

Who we are will dictate everything else in our lives. Our character will define our careers, our relationships, and our destinies.—p.10

REFLECT…

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We spend so much time and effort worrying about the details of our lives. Who should we marry? How will we pay our bills? How many kids will we have? Where should we live? What career should we pursue? Yet we spend very little time in comparison worrying about the core of who we are…or asking the questions we should be asking: Am I growing in my ability to love? Am I progressing in kindness? Am I maturing in my ability to be patient? Is my life displaying joy? Am I closer to God than I was a year ago?

We have it backwards. So often, we are willing to compromise character for feeling good, distraction, monetary gain, attention, or self-promotion, thinking that these things will bring us contentment. But contentment is ONLY found in…becoming like Christ. We should be compromising our comfort for the sake of character, not vice versa. Then, and only then, will we find that our lives make sense. This is because righteous character = transformed desires, thankfulness, and contentment no matter the circumstance. If you make your character development your chief motivation, and cling to it with all you have, you will find the other details of your life will fall in line.

What is character in the Christian sense? It is relenting to an evolution of the will, want, and motive. It is prioritization of a process of unlearning selfishness, fear, ego, and anger. It is learning to say no to ourselves. It is learning to think about the feelings of someone else, first. It is meaning what we say when we say it. It is a union of the private and public selves. It is class and kindness. It is respect for others. It is careful speech and calculated response. And it is unlearning much of what we have been taught about what being a man truly is.

Most of all, character, in the Christian sense, is not something