Manly Minute - Aug 25th

LOADS

by Sean Griffith

As I continue in some manly projects, I am looking to build an electric attic lift using a winch and a custom built platform.  (I know, I know, sounds very manly doesn’t it.)   This way, heavy or awkward shaped loads are easier to transport to the attic.  Ever have heavy loads or ones not meant to be carried alone?  Often we don’t want to ask for help, so we try and carry it ourselves.  Sometimes through much effort we make it, other times, we damage the load and even worse, we damage ourselves!  

We read in Galatians 6:2 , “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”   Hmmm...asking others to help carry our load seems counter intuitive; however, when we do it we are blessed and so are the ones helping.  Don’t get me wrong, each of us is responsible for carrying the normal loads of life and being responsible for ourselves. Galatians 6:5 says, “for each one should carry their own load.”  However, when you have an oversized load, it’s time to ask for help.  Help may come in the form of praying for one another, asking for insight from those you trust, or often, just unloading some of what you are carrying inside.  Let us continue to carry each other's loads, brothers, as we serve one another and the Sojourn church body.  

  

DISCLAIMER: All above references are meant for spiritual purposes only and not a reference to helping someone move (smile).

Got a Manly Minute thought?  Email Sean.

Manly Minute - Aug 17th

WANTED: Maturing Righteous Men

by Sean Griffith

This week I was taken aback by some of the posts I witnessed on Facebook, not by my unbelieving friends, but by Christians.  Not only was the content highly inappropriate, but it mocked Christian values and God Himself.  I don’t think the post comes from pure evil intent, but rather the absence of spiritual maturity and the lack of pursuing God’s righteousness.  

Our culture is in desperate need of Godly men who continually mature and pursue His righteousness.  The author of Hebrews challenges his readers to grow and to move on from milk to solid food, “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.”(Hebrews 5:13).  

If men are not growing and maturing, they will not be able to discern good from evil.  The author is warning those who are caught in the spin cycle and going nowhere in their faith to wake up or they will be, “...blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming (Eph 4:14).  The lack of this kind of discernment leads men to be shaped by the ungodly culture, rather than them being the much needed spiritual leaders and influencers. 

But listen to these uplifting words in Proverbs 2:7-12

7 He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. 9 Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. 12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse...

This is the life we are called to live!  This is our blessed inheritance as followers of Christ.  Let us feast then on solid food which is, “...for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Heb 5:14)

Manly Minute -Aug 11th

BUILT TO LAST by Sean Griffith                                                                                                                        

I’ve been doing some real manly stuff the past couple of days, building manly shelves.  I notice some similarities to building shelves and building our faith.

First, I had to take time to study how to build shelves and then make a plan for building them.  What resources would I need?   What tools would I need?  Have you ever thought about “how” to build your faith?  What resources and tools would you need?  What plan is going to make your faith grow? If we fail to plan, we plan to fail and that goes for our spiritual lives as well. So take some time to make a plan (or dust off the old one and put it back into action if needed).

Secondly, I notice that it is much more difficult by myself and getting the project done takes longer.  The reality is, we grow better when we are around other believers.  I learn lessons much quicker when I have good Godly men in my life. Men who are willing to help me finish the “project” and who want help with theirs as well. 

Lastly, do it right and do it well. As I finished my first 8ft x 6ft section, I grabbed hold of it and attempted to shake it.  It did not budge, it was built to last.  It felt great to walk on the shelves and not fall through!    When we plan, and do it right and well, we will have a faith that lasts and is solid.  So, the next time you're doing a manly project, consider how it correlates with your faith. 

Have a manly minute thought?  Email Pastor Sean and be a Manly Minute contributor.  

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

1 Thess 5:11 

Manly Minute - Aug 4th

A PATIENT THIRST

by Sean Griffith

Following this week's sermon about being “Satisfied” in Christ, I thought about how when we thirst, water is so precious and satisfying to our body.  It is the same spiritually. When we thirst for Jesus (a.k.a - Living Water), He quenches our spiritual thirst with precious and satisfying fellowship.  Below is an excerpt that I received from someone at Sojourn and I thought it was a perfect piece to pass on.  Within it is a key aspect to getting a good spiritual drink!

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From "Finding Rest - When the Work is Never Done" by Patrick Klingaman

Notice how the promises of Christ contrast with what the world offers.  Christ promises rest, while the world offers endless pursuits and diversions.  Christ teaches us to replace our burdens with His lighter yoke; the world tells us that it is all up to us.  When we follow Christ, we fall in step with a gentle and humble Leader who, during His walk on earth, never appeared to be in a hurry.  When we hop on the world's bandwagon, we find life to be hurried and harsh. 

We live in an impatient world that wants instant satisfaction, yet we serve a patient, enduring, eternal God.  This dramatic contrast makes it easier for us to determine which has the greatest influence on our lives.  According to Tim Kimmel in Little House on the Freeway, hurry and impatience come from the influence of sin:

     Our hurried lifestyle is a result of taking shortcuts in life.  Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, sin has refused to let us rest.  Stripped to its core, sin is "the desire to have it now."  Sin is the enemy of time.  It takes time to be organized.  It takes time to meaningfully communicate.  It takes time to develop intimate friendships.  It takes time to build character in a child.  Warped by sin, our egos look for cheap shortcuts.  Instead, we end up restless and dissatisfied with life.

Restlessness and hurry are by-products of sin, but their real danger is that they preempt reflection and meaningful time with God.  "Be still and know that I am God."  I think the wisdom of that verse is lost on our culture..... 

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Let’s not let this verse, “Be still and know that I am God”, be lost on us men!  Let us not be men of cheap shortcuts; rather, let us be those who reflect and meditate on the Word of God and drink deeply from Him, that we might be filled and ready to be poured out for His sake.