The Real Win By Colt McCoy and Matt Carter

About the book: Prepare for a paradigm-shifting view of biblical manhood.

Every man wants to succeed. But for so many, life seems to get in the way. We all have friends—good men, followers of Christ even—who start out well but before long, they’re failing at relationships, bending ethical standards, or driving themselves so hard at work they’re losing the hearts of their wife and kids.

In The Real Win, Colt McCoy and Matt Carter wrestle deeply and personally with this challenge, then deliver down-to-earth, biblical answers.

Review: The Real Win by Colt McCoy and Matt Carter is an excellent book for men of all walks of life. Young men could read this book to help them prepare for life. Adult men can find advice and help for every area and stage of their lives. The book covers topics that have to do with the home, the workplace, personal character, and leaving a worthy legacy behind. Any man seeking to better himself will find guidance through this book.

The beginning of the book introduces these two authors to us. Colt McCoy is currently the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. Matt Carter is the pastor of Austin Stone Community Church. Both of these men offer wide perspectives from their very different lives. The premise of this book has to do with the fact that often we see men who are successful according to the world’s standards, but then fail in areas of life that we all consider to be valuable: marriage, family, integrity, etc. The main source for these problems is one of idolatry.

The next section of the book deals with the home. The authors give eight sin traps that men are prone to fall into and how to avoid them. They proceed to show how the husband/wife relationship is second in importance to our relationships with our wives. Men must understand how to love their wives. Finally, the authors explain the father’s role as spiritual leader within the home. The man must make sure his relationship with God is right, then lead his wife in her relationship to God, and finally see that his children have a right relationship to God.

The next section of the book explains the man’s role in the workplace. The authors present several idols that many men place before God in their desire to be successful at work. They encourage men to follow the principles of God’s Word in conducting business. This attitude starts when we realize that God has sovereignty placed us in our work, so He is our true “boss.’ We should work in an excellent way so as to please Him in all we do. This will also dictate our relationships with co-workers of the opposite sex.

The final section of the book centers on personal character. The authors explain why we face trials and what our attitude and outlook should be as we go through trials. They also demonstrate what it means to leave a legacy of whole-hearted service to the Lord. We can do this as we live a life that obviously shows what God is doing in our hearts, remaining faithful to our wives and families, and by being courageous to fulfill the calling that God has placed on each of our lives.

This book was wonderful and easy to read. The end of the book also includes a study guide that goes along with each chapter of the book. So, this book would be great for a person to read alone, or for a group of men to study and encourage each other together. (Critique by Bobby Lyles)

Read an Excerpt DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy of The Real Win was provided by the book review program of Multnomah in exchange for our honest review. Opinions expressed are solely those of the reviewer. No compensation was received for this review.