Course Overview
Amid life’s challenges, it is easy for men to withdraw, harden, or respond with frustration. It takes true bravery to be kind, to listen, to empathise, and to use our strength to build up rather than break down. Being Men of Compassion is not a call to become softer men, but Christ-shaped men. Do you have the courage to care? Together, we will reflect on how biblical compassion influences our lives as men in our homes, workplaces, and church.
Through the following 7 Modules, we invite you to reflect deeply, engage honestly, and consider again the kind of men we are called to be. Our prayer is that as you work through these sessions, you would not simply grow in understanding, but that by God’s grace, you would grow in becoming men who reflect the compassion of Christ.
How to use this Course Material
This course and study guide have been produced utilising content from the 2026 Seek Wisdom Men’s Conference, Men of Compassion. While there are many ways to engage with the content of this course, here are some suggested way in which you can study the material or facilitate a study group.
Listening and reflecting by yourself
In this mode the emphasis on learning for yourself. Reflections may be general for biblical perspective and may also be very personal in relation to yourself as a Christian man and your connections with others.
Listening and reflecting with a partner
In this mode the emphasis is on learning together with a trusted person and drawing on each other’s feedback. Reflections may be general for biblical perspective and may be personal in relation to both participants, if both participants are Christian men. Where the partner is the person’s wife, the focus may be on growth in the specific role in the family.
Listening and reflecting as a small group of men
In this mode the emphasis is on learning together, with peers and drawing on each other’s feedback. Reflections will be more general for biblical perspective and personal application will be conducted partly in the group setting and partly individually.
Course Modules
Introduction
Being men of compassion is a biblical call and encouragement, modelled to us by Christ. As an introduction to this course, let’s reflect on Paul’s exhortation in Colossians 3:1–20 to understand what it means to be men of compassion in our home, workplace and church community.
Module 1: Shaped by Compassion
Session Overview
Compassion is at the very heart of who God is and therefore at the heart of who we are called to be. In a world marked by pain, shame, and brokenness, God does not stand at a distance. He draws near. He listens. He enters our suffering through Christ.
As we come to Him honestly and receive His grace, He reshapes us. And in that renewal, we begin to reflect His compassion – learning to listen, to care, and to walk with others in their pain.
Module 2: Redeeming Power
Session Overview
God entrusts power for the care and flourishing of others. Through the image of shepherding, we see that authority is not given for control or self-interest but for protection, guidance, and growth.
Yet power is often misused in subtle ways, through control, harshness, or withdrawal. Christ calls us to redeem it by moving from power over to power under. As we look to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, we learn to use our strength to serve, protect, and pursue others with compassion.
Module 3: Moved by Compassion
Session Overview
We are called to examine our hearts in light of Christ’s compassion and care for His people. While we often resist emotion, justify hardness, or believe we cannot change, the gospel declares something very different. In Jesus, we see a powerful Saviour whose heart is deeply moved by the suffering and helplessness of others. His compassion is not distant or passive. It leads Him to act, to restore, and ultimately to give Himself for sinners.
As we grasp His compassion toward us, our hearts are softened and reshaped, enabling us to move toward others with the same love.
Module 4: Practising Compassion
Session Overview
Our words carry the power of life and death. Yet life-giving words do not begin with speaking better but they begin with listening well. When we fail to listen for the heart, even truthful words can wound rather than heal. God calls us to a deeper kind of listening shaped by humility, compassion, and an awareness of our own need for grace. As we learn to listen as God listens, we become people who speak words that bring hope, healing, and the life-transforming love of Christ to others.
Module 5: A House of Compassion
Session Overview
God’s church is born out of His compassion and it is called to reflect that same compassion in its life together. This is seen most clearly in how we care for one another when sin and weakness are present.
True shepherding does not ignore truth, but it loses sight of the person. In Christ, grace and truth meet perfectly. As we live out of His compassion, we become a people who move toward one another – restoring the fallen, bearing burdens, and building a church marked by humility, care, and love.
Module 6: The Hidden Storm - Case Study Discussion
Session Overview
The panel discussion explored the difficult reality of hidden abuse within a family that appears outwardly faithful and respectable. Through the case of Dan, Dana, and their children, the discussion highlighted the danger of fear, secrecy, misuse of Scripture, and the misuse of power in the home.
The panel called men, office bearers, and church communities to take concerns seriously, look beneath appearances, prioritise safety, seek truth carefully, and respond with both compassion and courage. True care requires wisdom, follow-up, appropriate help, and a willingness to move toward those who are suffering.
Module 7: Undermined Efforts - Case Study Discussion
Session Overview
This panel discussion explores the tension that arises when leadership in the home becomes unclear or contested. The case of Andrew and Annette highlights how insecurity, unmet expectations, and poor communication can lead to frustration and distance. The panel emphasises that true leadership is not about control but about service, listening, and helping others flourish. As husbands grow in their identity in Christ and lead with humility and intentional care, relationships can be strengthened and restored.
Bonus Module: On the Front Lines
Session Overview
Brokenness is not distant. It is present in our communities, our homes, and even within the church. The realities of family and domestic violence reveal how deeply sin distorts relationships, often in ways that remain hidden behind outward normality.
Men are called not to look away, but to live with quiet courage, see clearly, act wisely, and step towards others with humility and Christ-like compassion. True courage is rarely loud or dramatic; rather, it is often expressed in small, faithful acts of care, accountability, and intervention.
Concluding Thoughts
Throughout this study the message has been clear: as men, we need to reflect Christ’s compassionate nature in all areas of our life. Biblical compassion is not weakness, it is strength. The big question is always, what action steps are you going to take to live as a man of compassion?
Case Studies
Dr Reuben Bredenhof has designed a series of 7 case studies to help us reflect on real-life situations and to explore, how we might respond with wisdom and compassion. These are intended to add depth to our conversation, and not simply to provide tick-the-box answers.
As you work through each case, we invite you to engage personally with it. Consider how you might respond as an elder, a friend, a spouse, or a family member. Above all, let Scripture be your anchor as you seek to honour God and to walk alongside those who are struggling, with compassion, care, and kindness.