2014 is only a few days young and I don't want to be a victim of insanity- doing the same things and expecting different results- this year will be different!
Below is an outline/challenge I composed for myself and for some of my close brothers. Obviously certain things may not apply to all, but my hope and prayer is that it will serve as an example for others as they continue to seek God in their own personal lives. Christian men are under attack daily; it's time to be real and authentic.
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(1 Corinthians 16:13) - Be on your
guard stand firm in the faith be men of courage be strong
Authority + Leadership = Integrity
Authority-
Ability to make decisions based on what’s right, not based on the influence of
other people.
Leadership-
Pulling out of people what has been impressed upon them.
--Timotheus Pope, Men’s Time,
Impact Break Free 2013.
Integrity-
Derived from the Latin root- integer meaning WHOLE- A person who is whole is
undivided. A man of integrity is the same man in public as he is in private.
“Integrity
Trumps Hypocrisy and Complacency”
Authority in Action (Daniel Chapter 1)
1) Decision
(vs. 8-10)
2) Challenge/Accountability
(vs. 11-14)
3) Results
(vs. 15)
4) Influence/Impact
(vs. 16)
5) Spiritual
Growth/God’s Blessing (vs. 17)
Leadership in Action (Paul’s Leadership to Timothy- 2 Timothy Ch. 2
[Whole Book])
Runs from
Iniquity:
(2 Tim. 2:19)
Fights for Purity:
(2 Tim. 2:20-22).
Reject Passivity (Numbers 13)
1)
Remove my “BUT” from the analysis (vs. 27-28).
2)
Regain a proper image of myself (vs. 33)
3)
Remember what God has said (vs. 1-2).
--Pastor Brian Edmonds, 12/30/13, Impact Break Free 2013
(vs. 30-32)- Despite what others were saying, Caleb
rejected passivity and fear by ultimately trusting God.
Purity
Ø Job 31:1-4; 9-12 (Lust)
Ø Psalm 119:37 (Porn)
Turn my eyes from worthless things,
and give me life through your word.
Ø 1 Corinthians 6:12 (Porn)
You say, "I am allowed to do
anything"- but not everything is good for you. And even though "I am
allowed to do anything," I must not become a slave to anything.
Ø 1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other
sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins
against his own body.
Ø 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
For this is the will of God, your sanctification:
that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to
control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the
Gentiles who do not know God;
Respect for Women
1 Tim. 5:2-
“Treat older women as you would your mother,
and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters.”
Guarding my heart/not moving ahead of God in regards to relationships
“I want my heart so protected by God, that I don’t have
to wonder or worry whether it is guarded or not.”
Proverbs 4:23-
Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.
Philippians 4:6-7-
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Accountability
James
5:16- Confess your sins to each other and
pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous
person has great power and wonderful results.
Proverbs 27:17- As iron sharpens
iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.
Truly “Breaking Free” in 2014
“Jesus as God’s general contractor, is looking at our lives…There are some things deeply and fundamentally wrong with us. But fortunately, He has not come to bring mere aesthetic changes, but systemic restoration.”
-Pastor Eric Mason, Manhood Restored, 42.
We must not seek
to change surface level issues by what type of job we have, the leadership positions
we have, or popularity that we receive. We must not let accomplishments hinder
us from confronting the deeper issues within us. WE must be willing to take a
look at the deeper level issues on our lives. For example, porn addiction was
the surface level issue for me, but wanting acceptance and finding my identity
was the real deep level issue. Once I became aware of the deeper level
(acceptance), the surface level (porn, addiction) diminished.
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my
heart; test me, and know my thoughts.
Point out anything in me that
offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
6 Month Challenge!
1) Read at least 3 books
Example:
Manhood Restored, Eric Mason (Currently Reading)
Kingdom Man, Tony Evans
Surfing for God: Discovering the Divine Desire Beneath Sexual Struggle,
Michael John Cusick (Great Book!!)
Boundaries in Dating, Henry Cloud and John Townsend
No More Excuses, Tony Evans
Relationships: A Mess Worth Making, Timothy S. Lane and Paul David
Tripp
Explicit Gospel, Matt Chandler
Desiring God, John Piper
**The books
should complement your time
in the WORD, not substitute
it!
2) Ask the Lord what things may be hindering
you from seeking Him to your fullest; ask for the grace to refrain from those things
while you are seeking Him more.
My example:
Staying away from dating or relationships. Work toward strengthening
friendships rather than pursuing relationships. Working toward getting out of
comfort zones, rather than finding comfort in relationships.
Other examples:
Staying away from Entertainment
that isn’t edifying
Staying away from certain
friends
Staying away from certain
environments
3) Meeting Regularly for Prayer, Discussion, Etc!
3) Meeting Regularly for Prayer, Discussion, Etc!
