The Heart of a Warrior: Before You Can Become the Warrior, You Must Become the Beloved Son

by Michael Thompson

What if you could live with Nothing to Hide, Nothing to Prove, and Nothing to Fear?In The Heart of a Warrior, Michael Thompson invites men into the discovery and exploration of the foundation of masculinity. Sonship. A beloved son is an oriented man who knows who he is, where he is and the good God is up to in his life. Before You Can Become the Warrior, You Must Become the Beloved Son

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 20, 2015

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Damian Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it depends on where you are with your Christian journey…if you have never read a John Eldredge book or have been explained our freedom in Christ, then this is a 5-star book.

[Jason Baskerville · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were some good moments in the first part of this book about personal and spiritual growth. I appreciated that the author realized and communicated the importance of quiet and stillness in the process of becoming a more mature believer. Some good questions were asked and, undoubtedly, there will be people who will develop a deeper walk as they read through the suggestions. I think that the sections that offered insight about understanding who we are as beloved sons has the most to offer.

"Loving a Woman" Chapter: Cliche and without depth; disappointing - those were the words that I came up with to describe this chapter. It feels like a trope. I asked my wife to read it, wondering if it was really this way, or if I was just imagining it. We had a lively and fruitful conversation about how women are portrayed in this chapter. We wondered what his wife would think about if she read it - or, more importantly, what she might add that is missing. It feels like it was written by a man in a room without the input of women and with only Evangelical resources upon which to draw. There was no room for or mention of strength, friendship, partnership, belonging and worthiness, no definition of beauty or what it meant to not find fulfillment through anything other than romance and offering beauty to the world. The book took traditional "feminine" qualities and reinforced that they were for the woman to offer, with no place in the catalogue of the Warrior man, thereby perpetuating another trope of how a man needs to show up in the world. The book would be better off without this chapter.

I have never been a fan of the warrior trope in present-day Christianity. It feels isolating, and does not feel in line with my own strengths. There were bits and pieces that I could pick out with some use, but most of the Warrior section felt very shallow. I feel a little as though the Christian Warrior is a bandwagon presently, and I am not inclined to embark for the ride. So, if it's meaningful for your, I hope you find something that is of use within this section of the book. I'll be over here, not being painted with a broad brush.

[Rick Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really covered a lot of ground well. The masculine journey well articulated. If you like John Eldredge, you will like this

[Joseph Mize · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years ago I read Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. The question he posed that is on every boy's heart, "Do I have what it takes," then the core desires of a man's heart being a battle to fight, beauty to rescue, and adventure to live were all key factors in waking me up from the religious slumber in which I had grown up. That book and attending Ransomed Heart events helped usher me into a relationship with God and a thirst for His Living Word for which I had never known.

Fast forward several years, something seemed missing in my story of restoration and getting my heart back in the masculine image of God. Enter The Heart of a Warrior. Michael Thompson's focus on rebuilding one's foundation as the beloved son was the missing piece. I had been rebuilding a house on a foundation that knew of sonship, but had yet to feel the fullness of the Father's love for me as a beloved son. Thompson's focus on belovedness and becoming an oriented man with nothing to hide, nothing to prove, and nothing to fear were truly the foundational game changers God used to take the awakening I had received with the help of Wild at Heart and usher in a whole new level of understanding of who and what God meant when he created me. Now I'm getting to grow up in the Kingdom as a beloved son. A process which has been a generational game changer as well since I'm a father of four. The true fruit of this message of belovedness will be seen in my kids.

The message of the beloved son has been integral in my heart's story and I'm so very thankful God has used this book, and the Zoweh events to reveal and draw me nearer to Him. I now buy as many Heart of a Warrior books as I can and pass them out like candy. This message of belovedness is beginning to resonate with family and friends with whom I've shared. I highly recommend getting this book in the format that is best for you and the Heart of a Warrior journal which is a great companion resource. Really, it's a foundational game changer for the Christian man.

[Richard Clinton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was first introduced to The Heart of a Warrior in 2017 after coming across the YouVersion bible plan.  It was a time in my life, when I was starting to lead men into recovering their hearts, after the Lord met me and began a huge work a couple of years prior.  After a reading through it a couple of times, and then in the summer of 2018, taking it more intentional and working through the Journaling workbook along side of it, it has continued to open my eyes, not only to what walking as a Beloved Son really means, but more so to the training and orientation that God is continuing to bring me on. As much as I love my church family, there is still something that is not being captured that a man desperately needs.  Over these last few years, The Heart of a Warrior has become a continued reorientation tool for me and men that I walk with.  Jesus asked me in 2015 if I would follow and trust him into the unknown.  Not knowing what that would be like, I still said yes, out of pure faith.  This last year, He has continued to walk me into more unknowns and even more challenging times. Things my wife and I never saw coming.  It's been a season, where I have been more desperate for God and The Heart of a Warrior has been a great tool in my arsenal to help keep me orientated in the training that is ongoing.  God has continued to Father me in more and deeper ways and I don't think I would be as oriented to it, without this book and the ministry that is Zoweh.  I'm reminded that the Gospel is all about restoration and that process of restoration continues through the ongoing training, even through the hardest times that will face in life.  It has also helped to continue to equip me with the weapons needed to continue my own journey of helping men recover their hearts and seeking deeper union with God, thereby compelling them to lead their own families into more with God.

[Patrick O'Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not read a better book for men regarding their search for significance and meaning, understanding our place in the cosmos, and helping to guide men through understanding the broken places in their lives. Heart of a Warrior comes from personal experience, biblical understanding and a desire to see men thrive in their relationships. If you are a male, I cannot recommend a book more highly. If you are a woman with any man in your life, I would strongly encourage you to read it as well.

[Randal Conner]

This book was an absolute game-changing for me and my walk with God. It helped to understand why I use to do certain things and acted a particular way towards everyone. The one who totally saw a difference was my wife. The one person in the world who know me the best saw a vast difference in how I dealt with her and issues in our lives. I would suggest this book to any man looking to change the outcome of their actions.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good, that if I had the money, I would buy one for every man and boy in my church. I have already loaned this book to another man in my church, as well as my son. Not only the reading in the book but I also did the workbook that came along with the book. I recommend getting both the book and the and the workbook. You will learn a lot about yourself. Where you are and where you are going.

[Chase · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really hard read, not something that came easy for me. I found a lot of the author’s opinions kind of out there. Very old school mentality. While it did have its sections I found interesting and intriguing, I found myself questioning what this author was thinking and what kind of oddball he was. I would not recommend.

[Shayn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this fir a men's Bible fellowship. I'm not a fan of literature that seperates people based on gender. It is not a badass book, and for what it is it is decently written.

If you're looking for a starting point to talk about masculinity in the church, this book can be that.

[Octavio · Rating 5 out of 5]

To become a prayer warrior discover how much God loves you

The author guides you to discover how much God loves you and wants to heal your heart and show your mission and purpose of your life.

You have to read this book.

[Matt Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t hate it, but it’s a pretty forgettable book. Good if you want an encouraging, go-get-em message

[Cindy French · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I have ever read. Truly life-changing.

[Fred Leland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspirational book for people searching for significance in their lives.

[Mason E Searle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really brings out the concept of what it means to be a Beloved son. Makes the real aspect of it a reality. He blends a lot of John Eldredge material into his and expands on ideas in a new way. Excellent read.

[Tim McNamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Thompson opens the good news up to men who have been told they are sinners saved by grace and reminds them how God sees them. Beloved Sons of the King. Refreshingly good news for those in and out of the Kingdom.

[Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

We read this in our men's group. It is a little bit hard to follow--like maybe it is transcripts from the author's teaching. Several of our guys we put off by references to New Age authors. Author could do some revising and make a really inspirational book.