Manspeak

By: Travis Evans

They say that a cluttered desk is a sign of genius. Well, I say that a cluttered desk is a sign of laziness and a sign of an ineffective man. Organization promotes faithfulness to completing tasks that need accomplishing. Organization takes work and discipline.

Get a planner. Organization starts with your own life. PLAN! Whether it’s paper or electronic, pre-made or self-made, use a planner. Keep track of events and tasks. Stay on top of important dates and times. Find a planner that suites your needs best. I recommend Palm because they range in price to fit your budget, are very portable, and are multi-functional.

Straighten that desk! As the workplace of the modern-day warrior, the desk has become a catch-all in our offices and homes. Papers, CD’s, pens and pencils, food, and the “I don’t know what that is” are scattered, along with so many other things, all over. I dare say that the average desk has 10% of usable work space.

How can you straighten your desk? For the papers, invest in folders (and a filing cabinet or bookshelf if need be). Also, properly label your folders. For the CD’s, buy a CD rack or tower. I have several CD’s that I use often, so I have a small CD rack on my desk (this does take up space but is justified by the ease of getting the CD’s I use most often). For the pens and pencils (and paper clips, scissors, etc.), buy or use a container to keep them in. If any items are not a part of getting work done, throw them away or get them off of the desk.

Clean your ride. The car or truck is our 3rd home. We drive it; we eat in it; we take stuff in and out of it; and we sometimes work out of it. Things that remain in a car too long seem to disappear. If it is supposed to be in a car, have a way of storing it. Keep things in the glove-box to a minimal. If it is not supposed to be in a car, get it out.

Put things where they belong. No matter where you are or what you are doing, things should have a place where they belong and should remain there unless in use, especially at home. Use bins, shelves, boxes, racks, or whatever it takes to create places for items to “live.”

By Walt Alexander

Yesterday, as I was reading 2 Peter 2, I was provoked by what Peter wrote about sin. Peter is writing to the church, warning them of false teachers and prophets. In explaining them, he tells the due judgment of the unrighteous (sinful).

Here’s what Peter taught me about sin:
1. Sin is the result of a sinful nature (v.12).
Just as sin in these false teachers and prophets is a result of their sinful nature, I am a sinner. This fact is unavoidable. Psalm 51:5 says, “in sin did my mother conceive me.” No one taught me to sin. I am a sinner by birth. Remember kids. Who taught them to not share their toys? Or who taught them to hit their sister or brother? Matter of fact, who taught me not to share my bread or coffee? No one. Indeed, it is our instinct to sin. We are driven about by our sinful desires and cravings.

2. Sin carries ignorance and deception (v.12).
These false teachers and prophets were blaspheming (speaking evil) about things they did not know. They were ignorant and deceived. They lacked knowledge of their evilness. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful and beyond cure, who can understand it?” So, my heart is deceitful. I must assume ignorance and not assume that I understand or have arrived at a sufficient understanding of my sinfulness.

This means I must not assume innocence after a conflict with a friend. I must question my motives and carefully investigate my heart by the light of the Holy Spirit.

3. Sin promises pleasure and delivers temporary pleasure (v.13).
Isn’t this true? Don’t you get some deceitful satisfaction in disobeying your conscience or in responding sinfully? That is because sin promises and delivers temporary pleasure. There is temporary pleasure in sex before marraige, lust, bitterness, slander, white lies, etc. But this pleasure is deadly.

This is quite sobering in considering seemingly good things. Sin is not merely in desiring inherently sinful things but in prizing perfectly good things too much. This means we must search all lives for good things that we love too much, like iBooks, iPods, cars, clothes, food, pleasing men, etc. These things are not inherently sinful, but they, like sinful things, compete with our passion for and satisfaction in God.

4. Sin is insatiable (“always needing more and impossible to satisfy”).
Just as these false teachers and prophets were never satisfied, my sinful cravings will never be satisfied. One of the biggest lies of temptation is: you will be satisfied. It promises that if you just give it this last thing, then it will be satisfied and the craving will be no more. Wrong. Sin will constantly be craving for more and more and more. It will never cease.

In fact, John Owen says that the more you give in to sin, or to a sinful craving, the more strength it has. The more you treasure up, the more treasure there is.

How are you doing?
Do you tend to respond to a post like this, saying, “That’s not for me”?
Do you think that’s not for me?
Do you think, “I am doing well right now in that area…I don’t need that”?

If that’s you, you are not alone. I often struggle with an accurate view of temptation. I often think I am not that bad off. Or I think, “God won’t care about this. This is just normal.”

Sin is unavoidable, serious, deadly, deceitful, and insatiable. It must be seriously considered and continually killed. As John Owen challenges us, “Be killing sin, or it be killing you.”

by Jonathan Oldacre

I think the other guys are on a planning retreat for VFC; hence no Kevin-Shipp-’mandomness’ today!

However, here’s an article by Dr. Mohler on a new ministry called “GodMen.” It’s true that we can’t ignore the clarion call of Scripture to be men of God, but these guys seem to advocate a more, as Mohler puts it, adolescent view of masculinity than a biblical one. You can read the full article here.

Any thoughts guys?

by Jonathan Oldacre

I came across this sermon by John Piper a couple of weeks ago and I thought this excerpt might serve you men (you can watch Dr. Piper preach it on video here as well):

“Strength for Men in the Gospel

Men, boys, what about you? What do you dream of when you dream of being strong? That you can someday hold an Altoids tin and look “curiously strong”? Or to be the best player in a sport? Or to be the most shrewd stock broker and wield the power of money? Or to be educated and read Atlantic Monthly and listen to NPR and drop obscure names in cocktail conversations?

No. Only a fool wants fading power. Only a fool wants power that gives out just when you need it most. I’ll tell you the kind of power God is able to give you through the gospel. It’s the power to lead your wife and family in devotions; the power to say a simple word of truth when highly educated, secular, elitist complexity is all around you; the power to stand your ground and say no to a sinful behavior when everyone else is calling you weak; the power to press on against all obstacles in a cause of justice and mercy and truth when you feel that you have no more motivation.

Strength for All in the Gospel

God is able to strengthen all of you—men and women—with a kind of inner strength of soul through faith in Christ that makes you stronger in a wheelchair than ten thousand moral jellyfish drifting on two legs with the current of modern culture. What we want is the kind of strength that will be here when we are paralyzed and can only answer questions with our eyelids. And we know where it comes from: ‘Now to him who is able to strengthen you . . . be glory forevermore.’”

Amen! Let’s be strengthened by the gospel so that we won’t be “moral jellyfish drifting on two legs with the current of modern culture.”

Have a great week enjoying God!

by Travis Maples

 Here’s Ligon Duncan at Together for the Gospel.  Also for those interested in further reading into the subject of Calvinism and evangelism, Iain Murray wrote a great book you might want to read called Spurgeon V. Hyper-Calvinism: The Battle for Gospel Preaching.

by Mike Plewniak

A Godly Man Prizes Christ!

This is what we are all about as godly men. To lead is to point people towards Christ. To serve is to follow the example of Christ. To witness is to tell people about Christ. To be a Christian is to be in Christ. I would say that to prize Christ is not only a characteristic of a godly man, but a necessity. If you do not prize Christ, where are you leading people, why are you serving, what are you telling them about?

Christ is our Prophet, Priest, and King. Christ is the beginning and the end. Christ is the lion and the lamb who was slaughtered for our sins. Christ is the pearl of greatest price. Christ is the treasure in the field (go sell everything you have and get that field)! Christ is our righteousness. Christ is the answer to our greatest problem (sin) and our only hope.

Watson says this about him: “Christ has a pre-eminence above all other kings for majesty; he has the highest throne, the richest crown, the largest dominions, and the longest possession” (p. 46).

To prize him is to see his value, to honor him, worship him, and live for him. Paul says in 1 Cor. 2:2 — “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” and in Philippians 3:8 — “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Is there anything in your life that you prize more than Christ? Are you a “proud nominal Christian” who does “not lay the whole stress of their salvation upon Christ, but would mingle their dross with his gold, their duties with his merits” (p. 49)? Can you live without him? If so, you are deceived and not a godly man.

Watson says that we cannot overprize Christ. You cannot worship him too much. You cannot give up enough for him. You can never thank him enough for what He has done for you. “We cannot raise our esteem of Christ high enough; he is beyond all value” (p. 54).

“As we would prove to the world that we have the impress of godliness on us, let us be prizers of Jesus Christ, he is elect, precious. Christ is the wonder of beauty…so there is nothing in Christ but what is precious. His name is precious, his virtue precious, his blood precious — more precious than the world” (p. 53).

For next week: Sections 8 and 9, pages 55-67.

By Walt Alexander

The past few weeks we have briefly studied self-control. We talked first of where we lacked self-control, where we were being controlled by our passions. Then, we talked last week about self-control with our relationship with God, mainly on how to deny ourselves in order to enjoy God. Finally,  in light of Mike’s provoking message from Psalm 90 last week, I wanted offer a insights on time management. Much of time management is self-control. It is making decisions based on priorities, not upon our oceanic feelings (like, “Do I feel like reading for class today?”) or upon the millions of unurgent demands (like, “Should I go ahead and take six precious hours of time to organize my sock drawer or should I read a worthwhile book?”).

That said, our context is Christmas break. In a few short days or a week, you will be out of class for about a month. This time can either be well spent or can fade into the abyss of nothingness (like most of my breaks were/are). So, how can we redeem this break? How can be productive?

Here are a few thoughts:

Remember the days are evil. They are evil because they past so quickly. Like grass, though fresh in the morning, we fade with the evening. Our time here is limited. Therefore, let us strive to count every day as an opportunity to glorify God.  This is our wisdom, to number our days (Ps. 90:14, Eph. 5:15-16). Remember that this break will be wasted day by day if you don’t stop it!

Read, Read, Read. Spend much time reading and communing with God. Have a plan to read and study a particular book of the Bible over the break (like Phillipians, Ephesians, James or something). Regards of the book, plan a book to read. And read it! “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). If you aside time to meet with God, he will meet with you.

Also, take home a book to read over the break. Take a book that will fuel your passion for God and for the gospel. Try The Gospel For Real Life by Jerry Bridges, or Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper, or The Enemy Within by Kris Lunguard, or The Pleasures of God by John Piper, or Sex Is Not The Problem (Lust Is) by Joshua Harris or Living The Cross-Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney. These books have greatly challenged me and provoked me over the years.

Expect temptation to meet you at home. Though you may have had an incredible semester enjoying the gospel and enjoying rich fellowhsip with God, your old temptations are waiting at home for you. In fact, they are happy because you probably don’t even think they exist anymore. This is a monumental mistake. They still exist and still have massive power. In fact, Peter reminds us, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pt. 5:8).

So, flee temptation. If you struggled with certain sin patterns when you were in high school, avoid those situations completely. Get accountability. Find two or three friends before you leave and ask them to keep you accountable. Have them each call you several times a week (or a day) to check up. This is not weakness. This is true strength - humility exhibited in opening up oneself to others and begging for the help of others.

Pursue servanthood. Serve at home. Do not go home waiting to be serve. Find something that needs to be done and do it! Serve your mother. Take down the Christmas tree, make wassel, cook breakfast for the family, serve your dad coffee in bed, get the paper for the family, go to the grocery store, clean the house, etc. This is a privilege! You get to serve your family with joy and gratefulness for how they serve!

Pursue fellowship. If your siblings and/or parents are Christians, initiate biblical fellowship with them. Or if they aren’t, find a friend to fellowship with. Ask them what they are reading? Ask them about their prayer life? Ask them about their goals in their walk with God?

Men, I think its time we talk about the importance of Man Dates. I
know you might be thinking, “What in the world are you talking
about?!”  All men who love the church and desire to cultivate deep,
genuine, and meaningful relationships with other men in the church go
on man dates.  Since this has become a phenomenon, and an important
one I might add, I think its time we brought some clarity, definition
and purpose to man dates.

Man Date – setting aside a substantial period of time with one other
guy to hang out, talk and encourage one another in our life together
with the Lord.

To speak boldly, we need man dates.  Maybe it would be a regular
thing, like spending time with an accountability partner.  Or maybe it
would be once a month with one of your closer dudes.  But whatever the
frequency and activity, we as men need to spend focused time together
with limited superficial conversation and activity and really build
into each other’s lives and share the lives we now have because of
Jesus Christ together.  We need to be sharpened and strengthened by
other men.

Last night, I went on a man date with my good buddy Daniel.  We had a
blast and over all I was encouraged and provoked to love God more.
So, go call a dude and kick it!  If you have any great ideas or
thoughts concerning man dates, let me hear them!

By Jonathan Oldacre

“Ok, I got up on time, got my Bible, got my journal, got my pen, roommates are being quiet for once (heh-heh, I’m always up before those losers!), can’t think of any sins I need to confess, feeling pretty encouraged, I have exactly 30 minutes…yes, God is definitely going to meet with me this morning!”

Have you ever thought like this? If so, you’re not alone! I think many of us can often approach God in the mornings with a big basket full of our performance and then expect him to dish out grace based on that performance. Is that right? Can we obligate God?

If we really want to play the “x amount of things I do right = x amount of grace I get” game, let’s remember one very important detail: God is holy, and He requires perfect sinless obedience in order to dispense rewards of grace. Now that raises the bar a little! I’m sure we’ve all read in Romans 3 that “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one,” but do we apply this to our devotional life? Are you aware that any grace you receive in your time with God is a blood bought gift you didn’t merit?

Because of Jesus’ perfect righteousness and death on the cross in your place, there is a way for God to reward you for what you haven’t done this morning! For all those who trust in Christ, God looks to the perfect merit of His Son in order to determine how much grace He will dispense. The good news: CHRIST IS PERFECT IN HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND MERIT! How much grace does that merit for you this morning? RICHES: BAGS AND BAGS OF LAVISH UNENDING GRACE!

“So what is God looking for in my time with Him?”

I beleive God is looking for two things:

1. He looks to see if you’re trusting in the Substitute He’s provided; Jesus Christ. God blesses you on the basis of Christ’s merit alone. About the Savior, God says “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Due to the gracious initiative of God that united you to Christ through His death on the cross, God sees you clothed in the very righteousness of the One with whom He is “well pleased.” Based on that, do you think God wants to bless your time with Him? OF COURSE HE DOES!

2. Based on the grace God has already given in Christ, He is also looking for humble dependence

“But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2)

Do you want to draw the gaze of God this morning? Then humble yourself and tremble at His Word. He’s looking for need, not merit, because Christ already has the merit covered. The Lord is just looking to pour out mercy this morning, and the question is, ‘Will you humble yourself and receive it?’

Men, let’s humble ourselves, let’s tremble at His Word, let’s depend on Christ alone for our righteous standing before God, and let’s come thirsty all the days of our life to the One who loves to pour out grace!

Have a great week enjoying God!