 All praise goes to you my God, for you are my light and my salvation. I thank you that I, therefore, should fear no one, for you alone are the stronghold of my life. When all the world seems to be against me, when evil times appear to be prevailing, my heart will not fear, for you will hide me in your shelter on such days of trouble. I will cast all my cares and anxieties upon you for you will lift me high upon a rock. My thanks to you will turn into joyful songs because you are my God. I praise you my loving Father for your goodness to me and the courage you provide me each and every day. In your name I pray, Amen. (from Psalm 27)
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 from The Visionary Christian, by C.S. Lewis - p. 30
From all my lame defeats and oh! much more From all the victories that I seemed to score; From cleverness shot forth on Thy behalf At which, while angels weep, the audience laugh; From all my proofs of Thy divinity, Thou, who wouldst give no sign, deliver me. Thoughts are but coins. Let me not trust, instead of Thee, their thin-worn image of Thy head. From all my thoughts, even from my thoughts of Thee, O thou fair Silence, fall, and set me free. Lord of the narrow gate and the needle’s eye, Take from me my trumpery lest I die.  This book offers short devotional chapters covering key principles for men who desire to walk the right path of godly manhood.
A godly man knows Christ, has a Christian worldview, lives under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, is aware of the temptations in his life and fights hard against them, desires to grow in his faith, exercises biblical wisdom and discernment, and follows his Lord wherever he may lead. These are the themes that run throughout these devotions. Before making it to this book, these chapters were sent out as devotional emails over the course of a year to encourage and equip men to walk the path of godly manhood. Each of these 52 chapters contains a devotional based on Scripture, questions for reflection and next steps, a prayer, and prayer prompts to help guide you in your prayer life for that week. This devotional can be used for personal time spent with God, as well as a resource for discipling other men, or to use in your small group. You can learn more about it or buy it here, at Lulu.com.  Loving Shepherd of our souls, we give you thanks for your followers in every land and for your grace given them in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thank you for enriching them in all speech and knowledge of you, even as many of them are under persecution for their life and witness for you. We praise you that they are not lacking in any of the gifts needed to serve you and we pray you will sustain them to the end, that they might be found guiltless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his most holy name we pray. Amen. (from 1 Corinthians 1:4-9)
 Gracious Father, we thank you for the baptism of the Lord Jesus. As we read your Word, we remember the ways in which he became like us to be our perfect covenant head. Just as he represented us in life, so too he represented us in his death, resurrection, and ascension. We praise you for his active righteousness, even unto baptism. We know this pleased you for you declared that he was your beloved Son, with whom you were well pleased. Merciful God, thank you for saving us through the person and work of your beloved Son. Move us to live lives of grateful response and joyful obedience all the days of our lives. In Christ’s holy name we pray. Amen. (based on Matthew 3:13-17)
 Several years ago I read Tommy Newberry’s book, Success Is Not An Accident. In the first chapter he asks why some Christians seem to be so allergic to the idea of success. He, along with others I’ve read, (such as John Maxwell), suggests the reason probably has something to do with what people are thinking when they hear the word, “success.”
If you think of success only in terms of worldly definitions, then I join you in your concern. However, biblically understood, success doesn’t have to (and absolutely shouldn’t) be lumped into secular categories of materialistic accumulation, or its baptized cousin, the "health and wealth" gospel. At the end of Chapter One, Newberry asks some basic questions to get the reader thinking about what their definition of success is. I thought the questions were good and worth reflecting upon. (I encourage you to buy his book and work through it as well. At the very least, ask yourself these same questions and think about how you would answer them.) Here was one of the questions that caught my attention... Question: “What does success mean to you? Are you successful now? Do you feel successful? How do you define true success?’ Answer: Success, for me, means faithfully and obediently living each day as the man God created, redeemed, called, and gifted me to be. This is a lifelong pursuit, in which trust in God and dependence upon his Spirit is vital and definitely required. I have found I am more or less consistent based on my walk with the Lord. The closer I am with him, (that is, the more often I am with him, walking with him, talking to him, listening to him, reading his Word, communing with him, etc.), the more successful I am. I can be “successful” or “unsuccessful” in measurable ways with regard to short-term goals and duties. But “ultimate success,” as I said, will be the pursuit of a lifetime. And yet, I suppose I might be considered successful if I continuously and consistently move in the direction of faithfulness to God’s calling in my life. I will never infallibly fulfill it, but moving forward into my calling (and according to my giftedness) is a positive thing. Seeking to obediently fulfill God’s will for my life is a good thing. Eugene Peterson called this sort of thing, “a long obedience in the same direction,” and so it is. There is also the issue of being successful in the various spheres of my life: Personally (that is, spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional, financial, etc.), relationally (i.e., as a husband, a father, friend, neighbor, citizen, etc.), and professionally (as a pastor, in it’s great variety of manifestations). Again, my level of “success” (according to the definition I’ve given) varies from sphere to sphere, better in some areas and needing improvement in others. Jesus said to become great ("successful??") we must become servants. John the Baptist reminds us that Jesus must become greater and we must become lesser. That's moving in the direction of success indeed. Grace and Truth, Dale  I have a good number of "raising sons" sort of books sitting on my bookshelves. While some are better than others, I have appreciated them all and am grateful for the effort being made by the authors to highlight the importance of raising sons in today's world.
As the father of three boys, the topic of raising sons to become godly men is very important to me. It’s more than that… it’s a passion of mine. If only I was better at it. If only I was more faithfully practicing what I’m learning in all the books I’m reading on the subject. If only I was more consistent. Well, like the rest of life, fathering sons is also a journey, one I pray that, by God’s grace, I will become better at traveling. Many, if not most books on the subject, begin by communicating just how rough it is to be a boy (or man) these days. When you realize some of these books were written 15-20 years ago, you appreciate it has not gotten any better for boys or men. Here were three articles written a few years ago by Al Mohler to help make that case.
Other authors, such as Pat Morley, Steve Farrar, and Robert Lewis, who have written extensively on the subject of ministering to men, have all shared the same: Boys are growing up without any real understanding of what it means to be a man. There are even fewer who have an understanding of what biblical manhood is. When the default definition of manhood comes from movies and other forms of the entertainment industry, you know our culture is in trouble. In addition to raising our three sons (and one awesome daughter) with my wife, I was also privileged to lead a small group of middle school boys for a few years. I jumped at the chance because I believe the church, (as a supplement to the home) is where boys have the greatest chance to learn what it means to become a godly man. I thank God for homes, churches, ministries to boys, scouting programs, etc., that are taking seriously the call to help boys navigate their way to manhood from a biblical perspective. Our culture will be lost without such boys who grow to become such men. Where, how, and to whom is God calling you to invest your life in the lives of boys who need your godly influence? Pray about it today and then act on it as soon as possible. They need you. We need you. Grace and Truth, Dale  Character Then Influence
In his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, John Stott reminds his readers that if Matthew 5:3-12 (the Beatitudes) is about a Christian’s character, then Matthew 5:13-16 is about a Christian’s influence in this world. I have always loved the words of Matthew 5:13-16, which describe Christian influence as salt and light. These words of Jesus point us toward the right balance of inward piety and outward action. It’s important to note, Jesus doesn’t tell us to go out and be salt and light. He declares we already are salt and light. As men who have experienced new birth, we are now new creatures in Christ whose character is increasingly reflected in the Beatitudes. To paraphrase the Apostle Peter, we are holy so we should go and be holy. We are to “go be who we already are,” Jesus and Peter teach us. Two Cautions I love this text because it strikes an important connection and balance between inward piety and outward action. The inward and private pursuit of the devotional life, of spiritual introspection and reflection is vital, but if it never moves one forward to “live” the life of Christ in the world then it can become an empty and useless form of asceticism. A person can become quickly self-absorbed in their own stuff if their piety never leaves the prayer closet or Bible study. I hasten to add that, in my opinion, this is not the greatest threat to the church today. Would that more people spent greater time in the prayer closet and Bible study. That leads me to the other side of the coin. As important as outward action (good works) is, if godly character is not undergirding and directing it, then it can become nothing more than the cause de jour. And that can morph into a self-centered, legalistic way for a man to build himself up, and become a judgmental, finger-wagging Pharisee. Not only that, without the knowledge of Christ and the godly character that comes from that relationship, such action can quickly lead to burnout and disillusionment because, to paraphrase Jesus in John 15, the branch was attempting to do all the work without being connected to the vine. Thus, the branch lacked sustenance, power, and direction. The Role of the Church To live as salt and light means disciples of Jesus Christ must exercise the godly influence of the Kingdom of God in the midst of the decay and darkness of the Kingdom of this world. A ministry of discipleship should include educating, equipping, and encouraging followers of Jesus Christ to take up his call to extend his Kingdom into every sphere of their lives as salt and light. It's a both/and proposition: local churches should teach disciples how to build up their own faith and character so they can faithfully live as salt and light. So too should they equip and encourage their members to live out that faithfulness at home with their families, among friends, in the schools, at work, church, in their neighborhoods, communities, city or town, or even in the broader culture or world. A discipleship ministry should focus on both inward piety and outward action. This is how the church can faithfully minister as salt and light in today’s world. Walking Points * What are two ways you are growing in inward piety toward God and in the character of Christ? * What are some ways your inward spiritual growth is showing up as salt and light in the various spheres of your life? * What are three specific ways you can be more intentional about being a “Kingdom influence” where God has placed you? Share those ideas with a friend and pray together. Grace and Truth, Dale  Truth is a very big deal in the Gospel of John. Jesus, in a good number of verses, begins his teachings with phrases like, “I tell you the truth.” In John 14:6, Jesus claims not only to speak the truth, but to actually be truth itself. In our text above Jesus says he came into the world to testify to the truth. Furthermore, he says, if you are on the side of truth you will listen to him.
It’s an incredibly bold move to say you are truth itself and your purpose for coming into the world is to testify to the truth. In fact, it’s downright arrogant, unless your claim is true. And that’s where the rub is. If it is true that Jesus is the truth, (and that he came to testify to the truth), then it would be prudent to listen to what he has to say. In fact, it would be an imperative.  True discipleship is not easy. Often a person's response to tough times and hard teachings reveals their actual motives in following Christ. Christian history is littered with those who could not or would not stay true to the end. But before we cast judgment on them we better take a long, hard look in the mirror and recognize the grace of God that stares back at us. It is only in his strength that we can stand firm. But stand firm we must, for God’s glory and for the good of our world.
While we become new creatures in Christ by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, following Jesus day in and day out is hard. That’s why Jesus said we must first count the cost before we begin our pilgrimage with him. This is an expositional study of key texts of Jesus’ teachings that remind us of what it truly means to follow him. This study is ideal for Bible studies, small groups, one-to-one discipleship, or personal use. You can buy it here, at Lulu.com. |
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