Transparent Freedom

“A Definition of Manhood“

A man is an adult male

who accepts his masculinity

speaks and acts with maturity

embraces responsibility

functions independently

can lead a family faithfully

and recognizes his accountability

as an image bearer of God.

(From The Resolution for Men, Kendrick and Alcorn)

This Week’s Resource: Courageous

Next Week: Act Manfully: Numbering Your Days

Read Full Post »

Mars Hill Band, “The Sing Team” released these songs recently, check ‘em out here :

http://marshill.bandcamp.com/album/oh-great-is-our-god

I recommend buying the album on that website so that you can burn it onto a CD and blast it in your car.

It makes you wanna praise God with ALL YOUR BEING!

Read Full Post »

John Maxwell closed an event recently with these words:

I’ve been all around the world, seen many cultures, talked to many people, and I’ve seen that many people do not have a relationship with God because they have a wrong picture of God.  Three common misconceptions of God predominate the secular worlds’ thinking:

1. God is on the other side of an insurmountable wall.  They say, “There probably is a God but I’ve never seen Him or touched Him.  And, I never could connect to Him because He must be some awesome, big, huge, Being, and I’m small. 
   This is wrong because God came in the flesh as Jesus Christ so that we could see, touch, talk to Him and walk with Him.  He hung out with people like you and me.  He came in order to be accessible.  You may feel like you can’t get to Him, but He’s extending His hand and desiring a relationship with you.
2. “God is beyond me because I have too much baggage,” others say.  They think they have so much junk and they’ve done too many terrible things for God to be interested in them. 
   The truth is that God’s love for you isn’t diminished because of your filthy state. In fact, what the religious people were most bothered by when Jesus was on earth was that He wasn’t religious enough!  He didn’t distance Himself from the broken, sick, and needy.  He said, “I’m a doctor.  Doctors go to sick people.”  So your sin doesn’t scare God away.  It’s something He wants to heal.
3. Lastly, a lot of people think God is at the other end of a giant ladder.  They think they have to climb a ladder of good works to get to Him. 
   The problem is that we could never be good enough to have a relationship with God and have our sins forgiven.  If we could, Jesus would not have needed to die on the cross. 

So here’s a right view of God: He offers a gift.  He stands at the door of your heart and knocks.  He wants to give you a free gift.  He wants to give you salvation and forgiveness and eternal life, and He wants to have a relationship with you.

Then Maxwell asked everyone to bow their heads to pray.  He told everyone that felt hope in receiving that gift for the first time to pray along with him.  He then asked them to give their card to someone at the door, where they had Bibles waiting.  They would later be contacted by someone to talk about having received that gift.

Whether you agree or disagree with his method, ask yourself this: What’s my method? 

Thirty-three people handed over a business card at the event and claimed to have received salvation.  Pray that they would be truly transformed and live the rest of their lives glorifying God by enjoying His grace.

Please think about the ways that you are currently proclaiming and affirming the gospel.  Maxwell proclaims the gospel in the simple way shared above as often as the Spirit leads (and presumably in other ways too, but this is his “go-to message” for sharing the Truth.)  Maxwell affirms the gospel by modeling a life of values and attitudes that are distinct from those of the world. 

I had lunch today with a 72 year-old missionary, Harry Gamm, who evangelizes in Juarez, Mexico.  He said he uses the Evangelism Explosion method.  He said he’s been teaching evangelism and pursuing the lost for decades, and he’s seen many methods that work; he just likes EE.  He also said that he likes to ask 2 questions: (1) If you died today do you know whether you’d be in heaven or hell?  and (2) If you were standing before God, what would you tell Him about why He should let you into heaven?  Another habit of his is to hand out a little personalized tract with his testimony to people. 

“The most important thing, though, is that you love people.  If you don’t love people, then don’t even try, because you’ll just end up hurting them,” he said.

One more: a mentor told me last week about a business colleague who was asking some genuine questions about God.  He did with this man what a pastor had done with him twelve years ago–he said, “go buy a Bible, something you can read (NIV Study Bible), and start reading John’s gospel.  We’ll meet once a week to talk about it, and you can ask me questions.”  At the end of that gospel, John wrote, “these things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that beliving you may have life in His name.” (20:31)  That’s why this mentor likes to read through John with people who don’t believe.

Maxwell’s 3-wrong views and 1-right view, Evangelism Explosion, 2 questions, tracts, weekly meetings about the gospel of John, Liar-Lunatic-Lord, the Bridge Illustration, and so on…whatever fishing pole you use, GO FISH!  We know that God will put the fish on the hook according to His will. 

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”  Jesus, The Perfect Man, has called us as men to share the Gospel.  Please do not neglect this vital aspect of Bibilcal masculinity.

This Week’s Resource: Answers to Tough Questions

Next Week: Act Manfully: A Definition of Manhood

Read Full Post »

I had the opportunity to eat with Lou Holtz last week, and this was the simple lesson he shared:

1. Do the right thing.
2. Do everything to the best of your ability.
3. Show people you care.

He said that his message is so simple that he feels embarrassed sometimes to get in front of people and share it.  But he’s lived his life by it, and he applies it to every area of life. 

People are always asking three questions:

1. Can I trust you?
2. Are you doing the best you can?
3. Do you care about me?

Those are universal and timeless human questions.  Hence, the three rules to live by: (1) I can trust you if you do the right thing (sidenote: “any questions, check the Bible”); (2) I know you’re doing your best if you are committed to excellence; and (3) I know you care about me if you show it.

This is so simple.  It is fundamental.  And fundamentals lead to success. 

Men, I know you love fundamentals.  Don’t lose sight of these basics.  Do them to the best of your ability every day for the rest of your life.

Bonus Section: Lou on Parenting

• Believe in that young person and let them go through trials and tribulation.
• Make sure the child knows you’re always there for them.
• Correct the performance, not the performer.
• Always compliment other kids on things your kids are able to do.  (e.g. “Pax you have such good manners!”, my son is able to imitate good manners.  NOT: “Emerson you have such pretty eyes.”  My son cannot do anything about his eyes; he will think that I value attractive eyes and feel like I’d be more proud of him if he had prettier eyes.)
• Chores are good.  Get children to participate in the family.  (e.g. As early as age 2, Lou’s kids had the job of putting the spoons on the table at dinner time–a simple tasks that allows the children to participate and play a part in the family.  When the kids would refuse to participate, whatever the chore, then they had “chosen” to accept consequences; there must be consequences.  This is how you can teach them to make good choices.)

This Week’s Resource: Divine Sovereignty: The Fuel of Death-Defying Missions, D. Platt
“This may have been the most powerful missions message I’ve ever heard. I needed to be quiet with God.”
(J. Piper after hearing Platt’s message last week)

Next Week: Act Manfully: Sharing the Gospel

Read Full Post »