Heroes
January 28, 2010
Here some statements/quotes/Scriptures from our Tuesday morning Men’s Bible Study. We take all thoughts and directly relate them to men as husbands, fathers, and employees/employers.:
“Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:7 KJV
Firmly rooted means to become stable, be rooted, strengthened with roots and figuratively to be firmly fixed, thoroughly grounded.
The verb suggests stability, nourishment and life derived from contact with Christ.
“BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.
But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.
And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].” Psalm 1:1-3 AMP
Built up indicates the placing of one layer upon another; literally means to build upon, erect a superstructure… for the eternal importance of the correct building “code” and the consequences of utilizing “cheap” building materials.
And established in your faith means to make firm or reliable so as to warrant security and inspire confidence.
Men should inspire confidence in their family and co-workers
The message is clear: be established and keep growing.
As result of the fact that we are rooted and are being continually built up and established, we are to add be abounding with thankfulness.
That means you do not grumble, complain and criticize. You cannot have it both ways. To be thankful means to find something in every situation for which you can genuinely be grateful.
Imagine being given a bowl of sand containing tiny particles of iron, and you are told to remove the iron from the sand. You have two choices. You can pull your fingers through the sand, searching for specks of iron but finding very few. Or you can pull a magnet through the sand and watch it attract countless bits of iron.
Like the fingers in the sand, the grumbling heart finds very few mercies. But as the grateful heart moves through life, it finds countless blessings, just as the magnet finds iron.
Of all the choices we make in life, few affect us more powerfully than our choice between gratitude and grumbling.
Grumbling overlooks blessings, but gratitude finds blessings everywhere—even in dry, sandy places!
Jeff
Heroes
December 15, 2009
Here are a few excerpts, thoughts, quotes, etc. from our Men’s Bible study this morning:
“I say this so that no one can fool you by arguments that seem good, but are false.” Colossians 2:4 NCV
Almost every Bible translations says it a little different, but all very enlightening.
• Some Christians are more affectionate, and less knowing; others are more knowing, and less affectionate; it is well when love and knowledge go and keep pace together.
• While it is true that we must manifest love and approach the Word of God with a non-critical spirit and an open mind, we also must recognize that God’s truth provides absolute boundaries.
• If the target is the truth, there is something alongside it that looks very much like the truth, and these men focus upon that, rather than the truth.
• Professing Christians who hear the Word without obeying it make a serious “spiritual miscalculation”, which causes them to delude themselves.
• Plastic looks like metal. Flowers are made of silk. We are daily touching things that are imitations of the real thing. But imitations have limitations and if you start regarding them as real you are in trouble.
• God’s truth is the best protection against Satan’s lies.
Jeff
A TCOC Christmas
December 12, 2009
Three performances this year: Saturday at 7:00 and Sunday at 9:00 & 11:00. It is also available live online. You can go to the website and tune in: www.thechurchofcorinth.org. Tell your friends and family. If attending, prime seating will go quickly so come early. Parking attendants will be on hand for your convenience.
With so many out of jobs and many facing health concerns, I pray that we will be reminded of “What Christmas Is All About” this year. We may not have much to give monetarily, but what we do have in Christ, we can share with those around us. May love, laughter, and the values of life be brought to the forefront. Renewing relationships and enjoying family and friends should be of utmost important. I pray the reality of hope in Jesus Christ be the message for all of us this Advent season.
Heroes
December 11, 2009
We looked at Colossians 3:2 (“…in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”) in Heroes this past Tuesday morning. I enjoyed the variety of definitions on wisdom cited from several different commentaries and sermons. Hopefully these will be of benefit to you as they were for me:
*The difference between knowledge and wisdom – Knowledge is the understanding of truth, whereas wisdom is the ability to apply what truth has been learned.
*Wisdom is the insight into the true nature of things. Knowledge is the mental possession of powers of perceiving objects, wisdom is the power of right reasoning concerning them and forming right decisions accordingly.
*Wisdom is the ability to judge correctly and to follow the best course of action, based on knowledge and understanding.
*Wisdom is the art of being successful, of forming the correct plan to gain the desired results. Its seat is the heart, the centre of moral and intellectual decision
*Wisdom emphasizes understanding of ultimate things—such as life and death, God and man, righteousness and sin, heaven and hell, eternity and time.
*Wisdom is mental excellence in its highest and fullest sense.
*Wisdom is used frequently in the New Testament to describe the ability to discern and conform to God’s will.
Men’s Groups
November 4, 2009
Both the Monday Night Quarterback group and the Heroes group this week were great! What a great time of study, prayer, fellowship, food and fun. I enjoyed them immensely. For those who have not been attending, they are missing a wonderful time of growth.
On Monday, the key verse to me, which has been playing over and over again in my mind, is: “The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness” (1 Samuel 26:23a NIV). There is so much we can learn from the actions of Saul and David in these passages of 1 Samuel. The difference between the two men, and ultimately impacted their future was a heart issue. David had a heart after God and Saul gave in to tormenting spirits and was led by his emotions. What a difference between trying to do the right thing and doing things right. Righteousness always prevails.
At Heroes, we have been doing a book study on Colossians. The theme is the supremacy of Christ and how He, as the Head of the Church, fulfilled the purpose and plan for which He came. Though tempted and challenged in every way, just as we are, He ‘stepped up to the plate’ and accepted His responsibility. We men, as heads of our homes and other places of influence, must use Christ as our example and step up to our God-given role. “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church” (Colossians 1:24 NIV). NOW, I rejoice… now I get it. The sufferings are not about me, but we suffer because of what and who we stand for. Christ’s afflictions carry on through us as we represent Him as His body, not just as believers, but as the priest of our homes. I take joy in being the ‘buffer’ for my family, rejoicing so that they may have the safest and most positive environment as I can provide.
Great studies, great input, great times!
Own Your Feelings
August 27, 2009
Sometimes when I need to correct, discipline or speak strongly to someone about an issue I get their feelings thrown back in my face. As if anything wrong they have done gets forgiven and forgotten if they can turn their emotions to their benefit. They use their feelings as a weapon or deterrent away from the real issue at hand. And for a while, probably due to societal influence, I was falling for it. I would feel guilty and back down and the problem would never really get addressed properly or effectively. But I have come to learn that this distraction is a deception. People don’t want to own up to the consequences or receive correction about their choices, attitudes and life decisions. I have started responding by teaching people that I am not responsible for their feelings; I am responsible for Pastoring this church to the best of my ability and helping people become who God has created them to become. If their feelings get hurt along the way then so be it. The majority of the time these emotions are self-induced and do not reflect the true nature and intent of the corrector. It is just a diversion; a mere ploy to dodge responsibility. At any rate, hurt feelings is a small price to pay if the result is God’s plan.
Uniqueness
August 19, 2009
This is an old newsletter article I wrote several years ago:
My son makes me proud! He has a tender heart and is a loving big brother. He has many of my characteristics (I only notice the good ones), as well as his mother’s. He was conceived from a mixture of our genes, blood, DNA, etc., but he is not a clone. Jefferson is unique.
Like any kid, Jefferson enjoys sports, play station, and movies. But lately, he has been asking me to play chess with him. I didn’t even know what chess was until at least the sixth grade, much less enjoy playing it. The way he picks up various instruments easily, would rather play with his pet than play football, and would rather stay in class and finish his art work to his specifications instead of going to recess personifies God’s creative uniqueness. Each person is formed in God’s image, born of a man and a woman, into an extraordinary individual.
Many times we don’t appreciate differences if we can’t relate to them. A tendency to not acknowledge the benefits of rare qualities in others lends itself to shortsighted rationalizations and stereotypy. The contributions an individual can make should not be based on similarities alone, but the unique differences innately berthed in all of us by the Creator. “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous–and how well I know it.” Psalm 139:14
Righteousness
July 8, 2009
Our righteous living affects others on so many different levels. For instance: “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16b NIV). In regards to influencing our children, it is the prayers from a righteous heart that are most effective. When it comes to the spiritual covering of my family, I want the most powerful hedge I can muster as the spiritual leader of my home.
Righteousness
July 7, 2009
I was reading morning devotions – to my daughter and her friend who spent the night – the Saturday morning before Father’s Day. (Sheridan loves to be awakened to the sound of my voice – Ha) Since it was the 20th, I turned to Proverbs twenty and began. When I got to verse seven however, I could not go any further. I reread it and pondered it, completely forgetting about the girls who had already dispersed since I had retreated to my own little world. And ‘little’ is the appropriate adjective to describe how I felt. The verse read, “The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him” (Proverbs 20:7 NIV). My righteousness has a direct affect upon how blessed my children will be. Blessed are the children after him… him who? A righteous man; a man who lives a life doing what is right, full of integrity and honesty. ‘Lord help me live a blameless life.’
My kids
May 20, 2009
I can’t believe how much my children have grown lately. I have enjoyed every age, but this is certainly new territory. It is gratifying to see some of the qualities we worked so hard on when they were little actually flowering in their character and personalities. And it is fun to just hang out with them now, have intelligible conversations, and feel like they actually comprehend what is trying to be taught or conveyed.
“The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise.” Proverbs 22:24 NLT
