For Men of Faith and Men of Purpose
Reformation of the Heart
A people deserve its leaders -1 If the hearts of men are not governed by God, they will be ruled by tyrants -2 You're gonna serve somebody; it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord -3 Choose today whom you will serve -4 Heaven and earth are called as witnesses against you today; God has set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose the life that you and your offspring may live. -5
[Says the Lord:] "For I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. -6 " I will give you a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. You will be my people, and I will be your God, for you will return to me with all your heart. -7 " Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new -8.
1. Joseph de Maistre 2. William Penn 3. Bob Dillion 4. Joshua 24:15 5. Deuteronomy 30:19
6. Ezekiel 36:26 7.Jeremiah 24:7 8. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Men's Ministry
Quiet Desperation
Henry David Thoreau wrote: "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." These are the men passing by your church, wondering if you have an answer for their silent cries or quiet prayers. These are the men who walk in and out of your church without anyone remembering their names. Never was there a time when men were so isolated and so alone in their struggles. Never before were churches so blind to this need, so content with letting it slip, or so indifferent about this crisis. One out of ten churches have a meaningful men's ministry, which, on average, reaches one out of ten men in their church. The time has come to rethink your priorities and start to get serious about reaching men and connecting them with the body of Christ. The time has come to equip the one sheep you have and go and find the nighty nine lost sheep of the house of Israel wandering in the wilderness
The Men's Ministry Challenge
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1. Start to make the outreach to men in your church and community the single highest calling of your church.
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2. Reach out to men with all possible means. Put up a billboard outside your church inviting young men to your church.
3. Have a manned Men's Welcoming Desk in your lobby every Sunday. Let it welcome every man, give them a name tag, and inform them about your men's ministry groups and activities. 4. Challenge, encourage, and equip ordinary sinful men to start and run small activity groups on a regular basis.
5. Then get each man to be part of at least one of these groups.
6. Build the leadership team around men willing to lead, facilitate, mentor, and participate in these activity groups and events.
7. For once, understand that connecting men, giving them a name(tag), a friend, a tribe, and a place to meet and to speak is much more important than another program or Bible study.
Metanoia
Lost in Translation
Matthew 3:1 and 4:17 in the English Bible read, "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand." The word that has become "Repent" is "Metanioa" in the original Greek. When translated into Latin, the word "metanoia" was initially translated as "Poenitentiam Agite," meaning "do penance," which implies pain and punishment. Later, it was changed to "repent," which still carries but a fraction of the full dynamic and transformational meaning of the word "metanoia." This mistranslation altered and deeply compromised the very entry point and invitation to the Christian message of faith. It is too easy to use the idea of "do penance" or repent as a judgmental rebuke to invoke guilt-driven remorse. This narrow interpretation can easily create a devastating feedback loop of shame, remorse, self-doubt, and a life of perpetual guilt. The true meaning of metanoia is to change the mind you are thinking with and is an invitation to a transformational journey towards a new life in Christ.
Metanoia
John the Baptist and Jesus began their ministries with the same words: "Metanoia, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." (Matthew 3:2 & 4:17).
In the same way that C major is the keynote of Beethoven's Symphony No. 1, Metanoia is the true keynote of the New Testament. It is the fountainhead of a new covenant, a new dispensation of good news. It is a clarion call for profound inner change and spiritual awakening. It is a call not to the little worm, but to the butterfly dormant within us. A call to break through the cocoon of our own small and dark world to become the butterfly or firefly we are meant to be. To become one with the light and to reflect God's glory into the world. Metanoia is about the rebirth of the mind and soul, about the transformational power of the Spirit of God that wants to breathe new life into all that we are, all that we think, and all that we do. It is to ignite the Kingdom of God within us.
Purpose Driven
Talents, Gifts and Purpose
God created you with a general and specific purpose. A general purpose: to love your God and love your neighbor; to be the light and salt of this earth.
But you are also created for a specific, more specialized purpose. This purpose aligns with who you truly are. It calls on you to step far outside your comfort zone. It requires you to reach deep within yourself, into the depths of your being, and into the treasure chambers of your soul. Here, you will discover the unique strain of genius and the arc of brilliance God has entrusted to you. This gift is not yours to keep, but yours to share; it is on loan from God. You are called to shape these priceless treasures and unique talents into a symphony of perfection. To bring them into the light, into the world, and into their fullness; to be a shining light and a living testimony of God’s divine greatness that flows through you.
Purpose
Your purpose is,
to be and to become your true self,
to be, to become the i am within the I AM
to grow strong, strong in the Lord, that is,
to be courageous and to live without fear;
to learn to love truly,
to connect with the people around you,
to serve people with a servant's heart,
to inspire and encourage them to reach their own highest goals;
to pour with excellence and dedication,
your heart's divine gift and sacred talents,
into all your relationships and your daily work, so that it becomes real, meaningful, and productive;
Your purpose is to make a garden in the wilderness, to lay down your life minute by minute and day by day, for the people around you, to bring people closer to God, and to bring the Kingdom of God within arm's reach of all who cross your path.
The Truckers
Highways and Byways
​2 The Kingdom of Heaven is like a king prepared a wedding feast for his Son and 3 sent out servants to call on the wedding guests. But the people would not come. 5 and did not listen, but went away. One went to his farm. One went to his business. 6 The others treated servants badly, and killed them. 8 Then the king said to his servants, "The wedding is ready. But those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Go out on the highways and byways and call all the people you find to come to the wedding." 10 So those servants went out on the roads. They brought all the people they could find, both bad and good people. Then the room was full of people for the wedding. Matthew 22:2..-10
The Trucker’s DOC Bible
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​The Trucker's DOC Bible is a tribute and a salute to all truckers in North America. Their long hours away from home and family are so easily forgotten. They are a special breed of men. They embody the true spirit of dedication and hard work. They traverse countless miles, braving all kinds of weather and challenges, to ensure that our essential goods are delivered. Their unwavering commitment keeps our economy thriving and our communities connected. To all truckers, your tireless efforts and sacrifices are deeply appreciated. Godspeed and thank you for keeping America moving
Prison Bible
Amazing Grace
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Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I'm found;
Was blind, but now I see.
T'was grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fear relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
We have already come.
T'was grace that brought us safe thus far,
And grace will lead us home.
When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.
John Newton (1725–1807)
He Will Set the Captives Free
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1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the humble; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom to the prisoners.
2 To proclaim the year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn. 3 To console the mourners in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. That they may be called oaks of righteousness; a planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. 4 They will rebuild the old ruins. They will restore up the former devastated places. They will restore the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
Isaiah 61:1-4