The Titus Ten: Foundations for Godly Manhood

by J. Josh Smith

Everything in a man’s life hinges on the kind of man he is.
 
Yet, none of us is naturally a godly man. That's something we have to learn, pursue, and cultivate. We need a manual to help us.
 
This book is a manual for becoming the kind of man God intends for you to be, and leading other men to do the same. Taking ten qualities from the Apostle Paul's short letter to his mentee Titus, The Titus Ten  will help you grow in your understanding of the gospel, your identity, your character, your doctrine, and more. Each chapter includes questions for reflection and discussion, to both process the way the Lord is growing you, and read in a group with other men. As you grow in these areas of your life, you'll become the kind of man God desires to use in your family, your church, and the world.

 

Genres: Christian, Theology, Faith, Discipleship, Christian Living, Spirituality, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

Published October 4, 2022

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 qualities of a biblical man extracted from Paul’s pastoral letter to Titus.

1. Dominion
Every man must rule in 4 dominions: flesh, church, home, and work (in that order).

“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

(Did not realize it states explicitly in the Bible that a man must provide for his family.)

2. Gospel
A man must know the true gospel, not false ones. Titus corrected a lot of these men in Crete. Identify today where there are gaps in our knowledge and examine the Word there.

““Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock… And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭24‬, ‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Chilling reality: great was the fall of it.
Don’t build on unstable things in your life, and don’t just be part of the “crowd” that listens to Jesus out of curiosity but doesn’t act. Be a disciple that put His words into action.

You must first accept: you can’t be a godly man without acknowledging you alone are a godless man, enslaved to sin apart from God.

3. Identity
You cannot be who you’re meant to be unless you’re solidly rooted in your identity in Christ. To be a good son u must know the Son of Man; to be a good father u must know how loved u are by the Father. To be a good friend u must know Jesus’ friendship for u. Otherwise, u will fall into comparison and coveting what others have if ur insecure in ur identity. Ideally u get to know God in all his characteristics and aspects of your life so u can reflect that in ur life to others too.

4. Assignment

Identity = being (who u are), fixed
vs.
Assignment = doing (what u do), can change

Example: Paul
- identity: servant of God
- assignment: apostleship

5. Authority

6. Character
It’s not the actions that make a man a “man”, but the character. Conduct is the offspring of character.

Conduct = what you do, external, outward expression, fruit born on tree
vs.
Character = who you are, internal, state of heart, root of tree

7. Doctrine

8. Mission

9. Zeal
You can’t be lukewarm. It’s a sin. God will spit out those who are neither hot nor cold. So be zealous - passionate about the Lord - and repent. Have a burning longing for Jesus. We should be disgusted by our indifference and half-heartedness.

“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Don’t just pray about being filled with the Spirit. Do what Paul said with being “drunk” with Spirit (Eph 5)– you must drink it. Come drink from the living water. Be in His Word.

10. Investment
Find godly mentors who see the potential in you and will invest in you. This can simply be thru weekly lunches. ask questions. seek wisdom. be honest.

Then also be a godly man who serves as a role model for the next generation, and invests in them. Deposit what was deposited to you.

[Wesley Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I read it with a group of about ten men.

The book discussed how Titus has a set of instructions/commands that every Godly man should follow. The title of each chapter explains these instructions.
1. Dominion
2. Gospel
3. Identity
4. Assignments
5. Authority
6. Character
7. Doctrine
8. Mission
9. Zeal
10. Investments

There were a few things that my study did not fully agree with but most of that could probably be blamed on poor word choice.

I would recommend this book to you if you happen to be a man. Otherwise I would not recommend this book to you.

[Judah Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite a nice book with some good thoughts- but I think I enjoyed the group I read it with more than the content of the book. It was a very practical guide, however, to biblical manhood as seen in the book of Titus. It covers ten aspects of it. I think we agreed with most of what was said, although there were a few points we didn’t entirely agree with the author. But even those merely served as fodder for good conversations and searching of the scriptures.
Overall- an enjoyable book, and quite encouraging! An excellent way to bring together a group of men!

[Jack McBride · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was pleasantly surprised by this book! Great exhortation to biblical manhood drawn from Paul's Epistle to Titus. I was a little hesitant with some of the implications made in the Mission & Zeal chapters, but overall a solid read. Hope to read through it again soon

[Kade Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the foundations of a Godly man through the book of Titus. It’s encouraging to see topics pulled from scripture, not the other way around. This is a great discipleship tool that I have used and plan to use in the future. A few of my favorite notes:
- Husbands: go home and work
- The amazing thing about the Gospel is that a child can believe it and a theologian can never mine the depths of it
- Be quick to humbly repent when you are wrong
- Men without a mission are dangerous to themselves and everyone around them

[Raul Filea · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book! Even though I grew up in a healthy Christian family and in a hood church, this book brought more light into my life. It is amazing to learn so many things about manhood from such a short letter (to Titus).

This book is great to read in a study group and I believe it will help lots of men to discover true manhood as God intended it to be.

[Jacob Prince · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book and it’s principles. I appreciate the way he speaks of manhood and it not be uber cheesy. I know he mentions it’s not a commentary on Titus, but I wish it had a little more from it.

[Filip Sekkelsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Gleaned many things from this that I think will help me continue to grow, even though I read it alone, against his recommendations. The experience would have been even better in a group setting, for which this book is very recommendable.

[Mark Roeser · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars. A 10 chapter review of Titus. There are a few things in the beginning, such as putting church before your family that I disagree with. The biggest problem however is that this is 10 Christian principals for men to build a foundation. Like most books for “ men”, these are Christian values, not just Christian men.

[Dave Bakker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will add this book to my list of books to revisit. So many great lessons here that we all need to listen to

[Ryan Boyce · Rating 1 out of 5]

It has recently come to my attention that my average rating on GoodReads is 3.6 which means on average I'm rating books too positively. This is a great book to make an example of.

The Titus Ten is sort of the theory portion of a devotional series for Christian men loosely based on the Paul's instructions in his letter to Titus in the New Testament. The book is accompanied by a daily devotional journal and a series of videos each corresponding to a chapter, designed to be spread over the course of a week. I followed the suggested reading plan for about two weeks, but I found that it wasn't very stimulating, and eventually just opted to read it like a normal book.

I thought the first chapter started strong and every now and then I encountered an idea that resonated, but on balance the book was predictable and uninspired. Titus is not a very long book in the New Testament, so the author radically extrapolates by filling in with standard evangelical doctrine. Textually, I think that a lot of his claims are not based on Titus, but come rather from a smorgasbord of Bible verses cherry picked for emphasis. While that might be misleading, the worse crime is that the author does not weave them into any tapestry worth viewing. If you have spent an hour in a church service, you have heard 90% of what this book has to offer.

While the book is not ~good~, I appreciate what the author is trying to do. I can imagine how difficult it is to write to a diverse group of men in a way that is simple enough to not lose anyone, but insightful enough to give them something. Likely, Smith is counting on men's group leaders to flesh out the discussion to turn it into something useful. If I were running a men's group though, I think I would just start with the book of Titus.

[Patrick Dabrowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book with a lot of application; it just read as amateurish. There was some stream of consciousness, and some meandering thoughts, along with some absolute, assertive statements that could be misconstrued without diving further into their intent to try to understand what the author may have been trying to say. I read this book, as it states early on as it is intended: with a group of men who met weekly to discuss various chapters. Overall, there are some outstanding truths to take away and apply. However, this is not a straight-up study of the book of Titus with straightforward applications. Instead, it is an evolution of what Paul was trying to tell Titus, and subsequently men in the modern church, about how to lead in the church, in our families, and in our personal lives. Because it is biblically based there is a lot of truth to take away and apply. But, based on the writing, and my group's overall response, it may not be as effective as it could have been.

[Tom Burkholder · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book The Titus Ten, author J Josh Smith, encourages men to be Godly men and rise up to lead. He writes: “It is destroying men, families, churches, and communities at an alarming rate. It is the epidemic of passivity. It isn’t new. It has been around since the creation of man. It’s what infected Adam when he stood by and allowed the Serpent to deceive Eve. Sin came into the world while Adam watched and did nothing. And it seems from that moment on, the enemy knew he could wreak havoc on the world if he could just get men to be passive.”
Smith also writes: “Godly men don’t do what is easy; they do what is right.”
This was a good book and I would recommend it. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Michael Guzman · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author needs to read and remember Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..."

The author states we are in a "side-by-side relationship" with God. He also refers to his experience of falling in love with Jesus and sees Jesus as a lover. This is the new age American Christian concept of a homoerotic love with God that did not exist in the 2,000 year history of the church until a few decades ago. People are elevating themselves to the same level of God to say we could ever be "side-by-side" with God. So many Christian songs could replace the name Jesus with "baby" or "my girl" and you would think it was a love song. This homoerotic, feminine view of God needs to stop. It's what is driving so many men away from church.

[Jack Darida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul sent Titus to Crete because the church there was immature and struggling. He didn't send a letter to Crete. He sent a leader. Titus was encouraged by Paul to establish godly leaders for the church. This book is written to modern men in the spirit of Paul's letter to Titus. The church needs strong leadership. Smith highlights the characteristics of godly leadership that are needed by today's church and today's families. I led a group of men through the content of this book over breakfasts together. It was a good time of discussion. Although the book is titled, The Titus Ten, there were some times we chuckled because the chapters were light on any content from Titus. I believe this is a helpful study for Christian men to share in small discussion groups.

[Phillip Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

God gave men the role of protecting and providing; they are leaders. The meaning of godly leadership has been skewed over the years and we need to return to it. The Titus Ten lays out how men are called to live. Using the book of Titus, J. Josh Smith presents simple ways that men can follow God and fulfill His will for them.

The book is set up so that it can be read by an individual, but it is meant to be part of a group study. My church is in the beginning stages of starting a mentoring program and I hope to be able to use this book to help with that.

I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so I really liked this book. Like a lot! A great book that I would love to have my men read. And I probably will. But here is my beef about this book. It is not really about the book of Titus. And that’s a problem for me. I wanted to use this as the source of my men’s Bible study this fall, I would get ideas for topics and themes as I taught through Titus with my men. Only one problem…this book loosely, very very loosely starts with Titus and then goes from there. CAVEAT: this does not mean that this book is not great, because it is, just not what I wanted. So sadly I can’t use this book the way I wanted but I will use it some other way soon. Just not in my Bible study.

[Matt McElreath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book to create, as the subtitle says, a foundation for godly manhood.

I really enjoyed three specific chapters:
Chapter 1: Dominion- Explaining the four domains where a man needs to exercise dominion- flesh, church, family, and work. Dominion meaning to take responsibility, care for, lead, cultivate.

Chapters 4-5: Identity & Assignments- Identity in Christ keeps us from comparing/coveting/competing. A right identity shouldn't change, whereas your god-given assignments may change over time. If we make our assignments our identity, we will eventually have an identity crisis when our assignments change.

Great reminders and a book I'd encourage every man to read.

[Geoff Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Today is the day for the man, where is the man for the day?"

This was one of the concluding challenges left by the author. Having recently read the small epistle of James, the challenge to be a "doer" of the Word was given substance through 10 direct challenges to men.

Men who read this book will encounter the Scriptural commands of God to men in their context, and will be motivated to walk one more tiny step in "the right direction."

This is a book from a teacher understanding the message of Biblical grace, to those who want to become wise in living. It is a book to be savored, and ideally to be read at least annually for the rest of your life. Men, use it as a compass to keep you from "being deceived by the deceitfulness of sin", and "to encourage one another, while we yet have the time!"

[Matt Connors · Rating 5 out of 5]

Titus Ten is a great read with incredibly practical insight and clear, usable takeaways. It doesn’t just stay in theory—it consistently points you toward real-life application for ministry, leadership, and church life. I appreciated how grounded and actionable the content was, making it easy to reflect on and immediately implement. This book is especially important for any pastor or church staff member to read, but it would also benefit anyone serious about biblical leadership and healthy church culture. Highly recommended.

[Gerald Thomson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book on the role of men in regards to ourselves, the Church, our families and our work. There is also a wonderful emphasis on our identity compared to our assignments. Smith asks men to focus first on who they are in relationship to God, as a slave, a son, a friend and a lover, and then to focus on what God has called them to do. Highly recommend this book. I went through it with a group of men and it produced some very interesting discussion.

[Rafik Farouk · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Titus Ten by Art Rainer and Bryan Chapell is a practical and profound guide for men striving to live with biblical integrity and purpose. Drawing from the example of Titus in the New Testament, this book lays out ten timeless character qualities every man should cultivate—like faithfulness, humility, and leadership. Clear, relatable, and actionable, it’s a must-read for any man ready to grow spiritually and lead with strength and grace. Perfect for young men and mentors alike.

[Joy E Whitsel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a chore to get through. I read it alongside my husband for his men’s Bible study, and we were not impressed. It was very repetitive, and while the author had some good points, he said the same thing using different combinations of words over and over again. The tone also felt somewhat condemning for those who were failing to live up to the ideals expressed. It seemed to be short on grace. I

[Adam Kareus · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good general call for men to be men and haing 10 foundations which are true and vital. It would be a good book for a group of men to work through (as it is intended). The only problem is that while it says all the foundations are found in Titus (which is true) it is using the source material of that book loosely.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

An investment in living

A book for the ages. If I could recommend only one book (other than the Bible) to any man who feels called of God to plant a church this book would be it. Practical, insightful and critical to growing a healthy church that can impact both the community and the world for Christ. As the men of a church go, so goes the church.

[Taylor Lassiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on Biblical Manhood. Glad discussion questions were included in the original book rather than a separate guide. I would have liked more exegesis and connection to the book of Titus in the later chapters, but overall solid. Worth adding to church leadership training.

[Matthew Zirkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty solid! Keeps nice and close to the Source Material, most do’s/don’t’s were echoes of Scripture itself. I thought his chapter on Zeal was a bit spotty, but I can’t argue the principles he draws from Titus. Would recommend for a group of dudes!

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, I would consider an introductory or basic guide to discipleship. I certainly got to learn a lot more about the frequently overlooked man Titus in the Bible because of this book.

[Tim Franks · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent work for men seeking to have zeal for the Lord in their daily lives. So much deeper than most books on this subject. Would highly recommend this work for men’s ministry and discipleship for men in the local church.

[Brody DiPascal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to read and review each week with a small group of men. The chapters are not too long and very manageable for anyone to read at least one chapter a week. It is applicable to all men regardless of their spiritual maturity.