The problem is in the sentence
In Scripture, an account is a report, and the one who gives it is always the one who was trusted. The steward turns in his books. The servant tells his master what he did with the talents. “Each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).
No brother can watch you, motivate you, or catch you. But once you go first, he can ask, listen, tell you the truth, refuse to flatter you, and make sure you never carry it alone.
Whether the struggle is a screen late at night, one drink too many, money hidden from a wife, or a lie that seemed too small to matter, the account works the same way. For the man in Christ, it is not a threat. It is the way out of hiding.
This book will help you
- Stop handing your obedience to someone else and own your own load
- Know what your brothers can and cannot do for you
- Recognize the oldest excuse in the world, and the modern forms it takes
- Give a simple four-question account every week, before anyone asks
- Build a small brotherhood, in a living room or on a thirty-minute call, where men walk in the light
Includes reflection questions for every chapter, a weekly self-report, questions for group leaders, a brotherhood covenant, and a ten-week study guide for men's groups.
Three parts, ten chapters
Each chapter has a free companion page here: a short article, a practice for the week, and questions to talk over.
Part One: The Reversal
- 1Hold Me AccountableThe phrase hands another man a job he cannot do and builds in an excuse.Galatians 6:4–5
- 2The Word ItselfTo give account is stewardship language. The steward renders the report.Luke 16:1–2; Romans 14:12
- 3The Oldest ExcuseBlame-shifting is the original outsourcing of ownership.Genesis 3:8–13
Part Two: What Brothers Are For
- 4Bear Your Own LoadOwnership can't be handed off. The man who tests his own work has nothing to hide behind.Galatians 6:4–5; Ezekiel 18
- 5Bear One Another's BurdensWhat a brother can do: ask, listen, tell the truth, refuse to flatter, and keep me from carrying it alone.Galatians 6:1–2; Ecclesiastes 4:9–12; Hebrews 3:13
- 6Faithful WoundsBrothers and shepherds do pursue, but even Nathan could not repent for David.2 Samuel 12; Proverbs 27:6; Hebrews 13:17
Part Three: The Practice
- 7The Silence That WastesConcealment is not neutral. It costs the body, the conscience, and the fellowship.Psalm 32:1–5; Proverbs 28:13
- 8First to SpeakSelf-reporting is the purest form of accountability: the man who walks in the light reports before he is asked.James 5:16; 1 John 1:5–9
- 9The Final AccountEvery man will give one report that can't be edited. The man who has been reporting all along has nothing to dread.Romans 14:10–12; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 4:13
- 10A Brotherhood of AccountBuilding a group where men give account: rhythm, questions, covenant, and what to do when a man stops reporting.Acts 2:42–47; Ecclesiastes 4:9–12
Built to be read together
The back of the book has a weekly self-report, questions for group leaders, a brotherhood covenant, and a ten-week study guide. Three or four men in a kitchen is enough to start.
About the author
Mark Sentell is the Founding Pastor of Living Faith Church. By day he works in business, and by night he volunteers. He has sat in a lot of men's circles, and he has been the man who asked to be held accountable.
More about Mark →