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| The morning came early once again. No outline today or summary of discussion, only a sentence.
"Yes, we are products of our past . . . but we are not prisoners, unless we choose to be." | | |
| Last night after finishing the 6th episode into the first season of LOST I realized that this morning I was supposed to be at the men's study at my church called The Quest for Authentic Manhood at 6 a.m. Had I remembered I wouldn't have watched 2 episodes last night . . . eeeks!
Well, this morning came quick, but rewarding none-the-less. When looking into the face of manhood it's amazing what images come to light. We imagine any number of different faces other than our own. In reality, we ought to see a combination of four specific faces of manhood that together reflect the energy God has given us to be the man He has intended for us to be.
The first of four faces of manhood is The King. This face reflects a righteous energy. This is the face we see on the prophet Nathan as he confronts David of his sin . . . and then we see that same face on King David after he was confronted. This face is characterized by strong convictions, courageous moral choices, a servant spirit and righteous leadership and has a love of doing what is right over comfort. See Proverbs 20:7.
The second of these four faces of manhood is The Warrior. This face reflects a conquering energy and has a "Don't Quit!" mentality and involves a heavy, steady pursuit. It involves initiative, protecting, providing, persevering and fighting for what is right. See I Timothy 6:11-12.
The third of these four faces of manhood is The Lover and reflects a romantic energy. The Apostle Paul through the Holy Spirit elaborates on this in Ephesians 5:25. Charactistics of this face include tenderness, sensitivity, sacrificial care, emotional openness and physical affection.
The fourth and final face of manhood is The Friend. We can't climb the mountain of manhood disconnected from other men. It involves and requires a connecting energy through loyalty, accountability, challenge and fun. See Proverbs 17:17 and 27:17.
"Our world is desperate for the four-face balance of real manhood."
When you look in the mirror . . . what do you see?
**NOTE: This is a summary of my notes. Only portions are my own ideas. | | |
| This morning I woke at 5 a.m. to be at the first of many men's study at my church on The Quest for Authentic Manhood. Looks like it will be a great study. As part of the introduction we reviewed a couple of cool things.
Some basic presuppositions to our journey as men are:
1. Manhood is in a state of confusion. Many men are simply unable to communicate what it means to be a man -- let alone a Man of God.
2. Confused men settle for way less. Instead of catching a vision on who the are meant to be, men tend to settle for less than best.
3. There is no lofty vision of manhood today that is compelling to men. There is nothing out there that grabs us and moves us. We are introduced to a "dufus" mentality of manhood as presented on many television programs and other forms of media.
4. The Bible holds many helpful insights to the above mentioned.
Of course the state of manhood that we find ourselves within did not happen overnight. It has been within the last 100 or so years that we have seen a drastic decline in the practice of true manhood. Much of our current state can be linked to three major historical events or movements.
1. The first is the Industrial Revolution. This time in history changed the family structure dynamically. Dad's began to leave home for the first time in history. Before this time, dad's were at home, working side-by-side with their sons and daughters. But now the son and his dad were separated due to work obligations. A boy was no longer spending time with his father and mom became the guardian in charge of the family. A boy's world was being controlled by the women of that day. Dad became distant.
2. The second event was World War II. This war particularly added to the disconnect of boys to men. Most of the sons of WWII veterans felt torn as their fathers returned from war only to work too much. Dad became disconnected.
3. The Feminism movement brought equality of women to men. This equality isn't bad as it brought equal wages and equal rights. However, over time radical feminism brought gender-oneness. This removed the unique role of manhood.
I'll post more after each session. | | |
| Alright -- last night was one of the coolest nights ever. We went to a charity benefit banquet for a local hospice and over 2,000 people turned out for it. Of course, who wouldn't go, Jeff Foxworthy was the keynote speaker. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time -- the man's cracked up. But his jokes, while funny, was not the most impressive aspect of the evening. All humor aside, the man shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ and emphasized the need for Him. Incredible -- Jeff Foxworthy a born-again Christian. Who said Heaven wasn't gonna be fun? | | |
| Wow--to say it's been a while is an understatement. Sorry about that. Some of you are rather diligent in reminding me of how much of a slacker I've been and to you I say, "thanks".
The summer has been a busy one indeed. Now that we are in Atlanta, things are running at a little different of a pace than that in Dayton. All of you returning to campus this week know what I mean.
God has been speaking to me in many different ways and I am encouraged by Deuteronomy 30:19-20 . . . an Old Testament reminder of the presence and promises of God.
Natalie (wife) took me to a Kenny G concert at an outdoor amphitheater here in Atlanta over the summer and tomorrow night we are going to hear Jeff Foxworthy. We're supposed to have our pictures made with him while we're there. I think that's a hoot.
Drop me a line sometime. | | |
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