Play the Man by Mark Batterson
Week 2: Chapter 1 — Virtue 1: Tough Love
Read Chapter 1 of Play the Man by Mark Batterson.
Previewing Week 2 of Play the Man
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 10-week guide when you’re ready.
The first virtue Batterson unpacks is tough love — the kind that blesses and disciplines, protects and pursues. Consider this week what it truly means to love the people in your life well.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Batterson describes "tough love" as a combination of tenderness and tenacity — a love that is neither soft nor harsh but strong. How does that description square with the models of love you grew up with, particularly from father figures?
2.Batterson uses the image of a father blessing his children as a central act of manhood. What does a genuine blessing — spoken, intentional, personal — look like in practice? Did you receive that kind of blessing from your own father or a father figure?
3.The chapter addresses the danger of passive fathering — men who are physically present but emotionally or spiritually absent. In what areas of your relationships are you most tempted toward passivity?
a.What does passivity cost the people who depend on you?
b.What would it look like this week to take one step toward active, intentional love?