jfmen.com
jfmen.com
What is God Looking For in a Man?
In First Samuel 16, verse 7, the Bible says, "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'"
In this verse we have a powerful insight showing that God evaluates us very differently than we tend to evaluate ourselves or each other. When comparing King Saul with anointed David, we catch a critical perspective which ought to shape our lives as men.
This Thursday night at our 6:13 program, we have the privilege of having our Senior Pastor, Bryant Wright, teach us from this powerful passage. I know our time together Thursday night will be time well-invested in our lives, our families and our futures.
Please join us at 6:13 for dinner in the Fellowship Hall - the cost is $8 and you may register at this link - 6:13 Online Registration
Or you may join us only for the program in the Student Center North from 7:15-8:30 - no registration required, no cost.
Me? A Revolutionary?
If I could pull off only one thing as a minister to men, it would be this: to help men see themselves as revolutionaries.
Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13) and "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). By their very nature, salt and light change every environment they come into. They influence significantly wherever they go. That's who you are designed to be. Embrace your identity and role in this world as that agent of change and influence.
You're on a mission to change things with the love, truth, power and presence of God through you. Your family, work environment, neighborhood, country club, sports league, the world, whatever - when you are there, you're there as a revolutionary.
To illustrate and inspire, I like to highlight ordinary men, young or old who are living as revolutionaries. At 6:13 we typically include a "Meet a Revolutionary" segment. The link below is to the segment we showed at the last 6:13. If you'll take the time (it's just over 9 minutes), I trust you'll be inspired to live as salt and light.
Enjoy!
Mercy!!
Of the many pictures and images that are tearing my heart this week, this one stands out. Men, please! - as we drive around this week in our nice cars, and go to sleep in our nice houses, let us never forget that we are but dust, completely dependent on the mercy of God every moment of every day. Let us cry out for his mercy every day for ourselves, our families, and our world.
Psalm 103:14-16 "For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer."
Let us never allow ourselves to fall under the delusion of self-sufficiency, thinking we can provide for ourselves in our own strength. The cities we've built could all be rubble tomorrow. Let's live deliberately dependent before circumstances rudely remind us of our utter dependance!
My Fallback
Sometimes it's hard to be a man. The weight of trying to be a godly man can get heavy. Have you ever felt the weight?
"I'm not enough like John Wayne; I'm not enough like Mr. Darcy (you'd have to have seen a serious chick flick to get that reference to male sensitivity).
I'm working too much; I'm not working hard enough.
They need more of me; I don't have any more to give.
I need to pray more; I need to volunteer more.
etc. . . etc. . . etc. . . "
We absolutely want to gain a clear understanding of biblical manhood and pursue it with great gusto, but, there are times we need to fall back on a very reassuring truth. God loves us and remembers our frailty. Just in case there are a few of you out there at a time of stress, striving to be godly men, struggling with guilty feelings about your shortcomings, I want to give you a word from God which I often fall back on. Meditate on what He is saying to you. Rest in Him. Fall back in His arms of grace and know that it's o.k. You're o.k. You're His!
Psalm 103:11-14 "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust."
Psalm 46:10 "He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'"
One translation in place of "Be still" says, "Cease striving". I like these reminders. Whenever I'm feeling the weight of the calling of biblical manhood, I fall back on these words from Him. His Word takes the weight off. I trust you'll let Him do the same for you right now, no matter what you're facing.
"I'm not enough like John Wayne; I'm not enough like Mr. Darcy (you'd have to have seen a serious chick flick to get that reference to male sensitivity).
I'm working too much; I'm not working hard enough.
They need more of me; I don't have any more to give.
I need to pray more; I need to volunteer more.
etc. . . etc. . . etc. . . "
We absolutely want to gain a clear understanding of biblical manhood and pursue it with great gusto, but, there are times we need to fall back on a very reassuring truth. God loves us and remembers our frailty. Just in case there are a few of you out there at a time of stress, striving to be godly men, struggling with guilty feelings about your shortcomings, I want to give you a word from God which I often fall back on. Meditate on what He is saying to you. Rest in Him. Fall back in His arms of grace and know that it's o.k. You're o.k. You're His!
Psalm 103:11-14 "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust."
Psalm 46:10 "He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'"
One translation in place of "Be still" says, "Cease striving". I like these reminders. Whenever I'm feeling the weight of the calling of biblical manhood, I fall back on these words from Him. His Word takes the weight off. I trust you'll let Him do the same for you right now, no matter what you're facing.
Compilation of Video Snipets From Read Thru
Men - the Bible read through was such a huge blessing! I know the Lord used it powerfully to set the stage for the church's solemn assembly Sunday morning as well. We've compiled a montage of clips into three small videos which I've linked to here. Enjoy! The audio quality is poor, but you can reflect on what the Lord did through all of us joining together in an unbroken chain of reading His Word.
Read Through
Read Through
It Is Finished
Just over 78 1/2 hours after we started in Genesis 1:1, the unbroken chain of men reading the Word of God finished Revelation 22:21 at 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning. There were around 15 people present for the finale. What a blessing.
May He continue to cleanse us with the washing with the water of the Word (Eph. 5:25-26) and may we be doers of the Word, not hearers only (James 1:22).
To God be the glory!!!
May He continue to cleanse us with the washing with the water of the Word (Eph. 5:25-26) and may we be doers of the Word, not hearers only (James 1:22).
To God be the glory!!!
11:30 P.M. Saturday
We're in Hebrews chapter 9
10:40 P.M. Saturday
We're just now starting 2 Timothy!
I still think we're looking at a 1:30 a.m. finish.
I'm still loving soaking in the Word - we're going to finish with a flurry!
I still think we're looking at a 1:30 a.m. finish.
I'm still loving soaking in the Word - we're going to finish with a flurry!
9:10 P.M. Saturday
We're in Galatians chapter 4
It's definitely looking like a finish time of 1:30 ish, so if anyone want to make the midnight-1:30 shift, we'll need a few.
It's definitely looking like a finish time of 1:30 ish, so if anyone want to make the midnight-1:30 shift, we'll need a few.