Needed: Real Men
What’s the greatest need in society? What’s the greatest need in the church? What’s the greatest need in my home? For me to be a man and love and lead my family to Christ. Missing from my generation is men with the courage, boldness, conviction, discipline, and determination to be such a leader. The men in my small group also determined that we’re missing examples of such men. We haven’t been left a legacy of leadership by our fathers. That will be the focus of our discussions @ our monthly Men’s Breakfast this year. How do we lead our families & churches as God wants us to? We’ll be reading together a book by Steve Farrar called Anchor Man. Below is a article from his website, to wet your apetite – “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Leading at home
If a man isn’t a leader anywhere else in his life, he must be a leader at home.
That’s an order that comes straight from the Lord. All believers are called to be salt and light, yet a society without strong male leadership is doomed. I’m not talking about strong male leadership at the capitol building, as important as that may be. Without male leadership in the family, we are one generation away from anarchy in the streets. Much of the turmoil and violence plaguing our society directly results from the absence of a strong male presence in the home.
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New Year’s Resources
A new year brings an opportunity to close a chapter & start a new one. Let me encourage you to do two things: 1) Ask some tough questions about where & who you are. Am I spiritually growing or plateaued? Am I being used by God or taking up space? How can I improve in my areas of weaknesses? Below is a link to some good questions to ask. 2) Start a new habit or pick up an old one that made you more effective for God. A few suggestions: Read the Bible everyday (see Bible Reading Plan link below); pray for five people a day on your church prayer list (God might surprise you and answer! 1 John 5:14-15); Invite one person a week to church; Share the gospel at least once per week.
Do something for God this year & watch yourself grow.
Lane
TEN QUESTIONS TO ASK AT THE START OF A NEW YEAR:
https://lanecorley.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/ten-questions-to-ask-at-the-start-of-a-new-year.pdf
BIBLE READING PLAN:
https://lanecorley.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/bible-reading-plan.pdf
Resolutions
I don’t make resolutions. I like the word re-committment instead. As I’m looking for New Year’s inspiration, I always look at Jonathan Edwards resolutions written in 1723. Worth reading often. Pick out a few for your New Year’s commitment.
THE RESOLUTIONS of Jonathan Edwards
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BEING SENSIBLE THAT I AM UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD’ S HELP, I DO HUMBLY ENTREAT HIM BY HIS GRACE TO ENABLE ME TO KEEP THESE RESOLUTIONS, SO FAR AS THEY ARE AGREEABLE TO HIS WILL, FOR CHRIST’ S SAKE.
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Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.
1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’ s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.
2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new contrivance and invention to promote the aforementioned things.
3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.
4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. July 30.
9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.
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Lane Corley 