T.D. Jakes, bishop of The Potter’s House, has argued that many cultural and family struggles stem from what he calls a breakdown of God’s created order between men and women. In a sermon titled “Real Men Pour In,” Jakes said men are meant to be givers, not receivers, and warned that modern society is “raising up women to be men.”
“Real men are not a deficit,” Jakes said. “Real men are an asset. They pour in.”
Pointing to the Genesis creation account, Jakes claimed sin entered the world because Adam allowed Eve to lead him, breaking what he described as the divine order. “We were not designed to receive from women,” Jakes said, arguing that Adam’s decision to “eat out of his wife’s hand” represented a reversal of God’s design.
Jakes extended that argument to modern marriage, suggesting a man’s sense of purpose is undermined when he is no longer needed as a provider or leader. While acknowledging women’s independence and success, he said relationships suffer when men are treated as dispensable rather than invited to “pour in.”
Addressing women directly, Jakes warned against overcompensating for pain caused by men, arguing that toughness and self-sufficiency are often celebrated at the expense of femininity and family stability. “Insist for better out of me rather than replacing me,” he said.
