Manly Minute - October 27th

I WALKED ON WATER!

by Sean Griffith

²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

Peter eventually begins to sink when he takes his eyes off Jesus, but remember, HE WALKED ON WATER! No one else besides Jesus ever walked on water. Now talk about bragging rights.  

Although there are multiple aspects we could discuss on this event, I want to focus on what happened just before he stepped out of the boat.  Once Peter recognized it was Jesus, he said, “tell me to come on the water.”  Before acting, he was asking!  

How often we do “act”, and then “ask”, expecting the Lord’s approval and blessing?  I don’t believe it’s necessary to ask for heavenly guidance when picking out your socks or choosing your toothpaste, but it is wise to habitually seek the Lord for many decisions, BEFORE acting.  Does the Lord want you to accept that job that takes you away from the church body?  Is the timing right on that new purchase?  How should I respond to the offense I encountered yesterday?  Should I go out with this cutie without knowing where she stands spiritually?  Should I go on that spiritual retreat or spend time with my family this weekend?

There are many decisions we make everyday with no clear answers; however, the more we get into the rhythm of asking the Lord, the more we recognize His voice, and thereby know how to act appropriately.  I’m thankful when God gives a clear “yes”, “no” or “wait”, yet when He seems silent, I’m at peace making the best possible decision with the information I have because I sincerely sought out His wisdom.  

Manly Minute - October 20th

ROD AND STAFF

by Sean Griffith

This week I was strongly encouraged as I attended a prayer conference in the Poconos for our district churches (NY & NJ).    As I was reading Psalm 23 while overlooking the beautiful fall leaves that grace the tops of the of the Pocono mountains, I read these familiar words in verse 4, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me: Your rod and your staff , they comfort me. " 

It  is easy to believe these words while sipping a cup of hot coffee overlooking the tops of the mountains, but it is a whole different story when we find ourselves in the dark valley below.  There are times the Lord may call us to walk through a valley, but we are unwilling to follow.  Only when we walk closely with Jesus we willingly follow Him into the valley of the shadow of death.  Did you catch that?  We are “following” Him into this place and therefore He is with us!  Are there places the Lord is calling you to follow, but fear, anxiety or selfishness (a big one for me) keep you from following?  As the men of Sojourn, it is imperative that we be men who willingly follow Jesus wherever He may lead, even the valleys at times.  Our job is simply to stay close to Him and as we do this we are able to say the words of Psalm 23:4 with confidence, "I fear no evil, for you are with me; Your Rod and your staff, they comfort me."                                                                                                                                                                   

There are many valleys in our culture that need Godly men to follow Jesus into them.  Let us have ears to hear and eyes to see where Jesus is leading and without hesitation follow!   Remember, we are walking "through" the valley, not camping and will therefore come out on the other side!  

Manly Minute - October 13th

ATTITUDE

by Sean Griffith

People are more likely to follow your example than your words.   Our attitude and actions towards something has far reaching effects, and if we are not careful they can be negative ones that infect others.   Of course on the flip side we have the wonderful opportunity to infect others positively.  Although this principle can be applied to all areas of life, I feel it is especially important when it comes to our attitude and actions toward the church.  Ask yourself this, “what do I want my family's attitudes and actions to be towards church?”  Then consider, do your attitude and actions reflect your answer?  

Here is my answer in short:   I want them to love, pray and care for the imperfect people (yes, even the difficult ones) God has placed in our lives.  I want them to be excited about Sunday mornings and meeting with God and their spiritual family. Because the church is such a high priority to Jesus, I want it to be for our family. I want them to see it as a life-giving place where we get energized and built up.  Most of all, I want them to love the church!

The really cool part is that as we live out this example, it infects us as well!  

Ephesians 5:25-26

 ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing^[a^] her by the washing with water through the word,

Manly Minute - October 6th

INSIGHT

by Sean Griffith

Where am I getting my knowledge and depth of insight?  Is it from Jerry Seinfeld or David Letterman?  Does it come from reality T.V. or the news channel?  Although I admit that those Care Bears have some good insight (remember I have three young girls), none of the above are adequate. My primary source ought to be the Word of God and experience lived out.

Paul prays that Philippians church’s love would, “abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you my be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ...”(1:9).

Word of God

Don’t read, don’t grow.  Don’t know how to make that any clearer or simpler.  We must know what Godly wisdom is before we can live it out, and God has given us an amazing tool to gain such wisdom.   Our family and churches need men of Godly depth, insight and discernment.  You don’t have to be a scholar to appreciate the practical wisdom we read about in the Proverbs, or the clear sayings of Jesus in the gospels, or the many instructions Paul gives in his letters to the churches.  Combine the reading of the Word with prayer and you are sure to gain Godly discernment and insight.  

Experience

As much as reading the Word is helpful, experiencing it is even more effective!  Experience comes from living out the truth we are learning.  When we see the effects of living this way, we gain the type of valuable experience that is not forgotten.  Our culture is desperate for answers, do we have the insight they need?  

Let’s begin today and watch how the Lord uses what we are learning through His word and our experiences of living them out!