Real Men Challenge

I DO solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for … my children.

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 NIV

Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. Colossians 3:21 NIV

In a world that is very much under the influence of external forces and voices, parents and fathers will have a much harder job to be the biggest influence in their children’s lives. Consider the internet, music, movies and social media and suddenly the voices of Mum and Dad can potentially be a mere murmur in a very loud world.

So in the Internet world, I turned to … the internet for these great tips.

1. Pray Together. The most important thing you can do is to pray as a family. Oddly, this is one thing that is rarely done, but is really easy to add into your daily routine and it will really help you to appreciate the blessings God has given your family as well as help everyone understand the importance of praying for others who are in need.
2. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. This sounds easy but can be hard at times. Yes even when you are driving you need to respect others and be a good example to your family. You especially should teach them to respect each other.
3. Show Compassion.. Teach your family by leading by example and really sympathize and be respectful of the feelings of others. Make an effort to help people that are in need maybe by volunteering as a family at the local soup kitchen for the homeless or similar causes.
4. Moral Compass. Be sure to supply your family with a moral compass so they are sure to know right from wrong. Point out examples on a regular basis and make sure that everyone understands what is right and wrong and how they can apply that to their daily lives.
5. Work Hard. Many people don’t have a good example of someone with a strong work ethic when they are growing up. Display a good work ethic and make sure that everyone in the family always does their best on whatever project they are working on (homework, yardwork, or even housework).
6. Eat Together. Given the busy lives that we all lead, it’s rare for families to sit down and eat a meal together. This is really an important time where you can enjoy each other’s fellowship and find out about what is going on in the lives of your loved ones.
7. Discipline. Well this one is really not aas hard as what everyone makes it out to be. This doesn’t mean physically punish your family members, it means to make sure they understand the consequences for negative behaviors (lose a privilige, etc.). DON’T reward or ignore bad behavior unless you want to see more of it!
8. Unconditional Love. Make sure everyone in the family knows that they are loved regardless of what they may do or say. One of the most important elements of a strong family unit is the feeling of pure, unconditional love.
9. I’m Sorry. Those are two words that don’t always roll off of our lips, but they are almost magical in their power. If you do something wrong and need to be forgiven model a sincere apology and encourage everyone in the family to do the same.
10. You be their Role Model. Don’t make your family look to professional athletes and celebrities as role models, YOU be their role model.

http://www.davidmccracken.org/

1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

We need people like this today. The world needs people like this. The Church needs people like this. Will you be one of these people? For many, there needs to come a militancy about our faith and life. Cruising is not ok. Complacency is not ok. Compromise is not ok.

There needs to be a sense of urgency and passion. Life is too important – our life and other people’s lives that our life is destined to impact and change.

We have an enemy who is roaming around looking for people to lead astray. He comes to steal, kill and destroy. He is subtle and he is powerful. He is dangerous…

…and therefore we need to be on our guard. We need to be walking in close relationship with God. We need to know and recognise God’s voice. We need to know His Word deep in our hearts. We need to be in relationship with good godly people who encourage us forward. We need to be on guard…and we need to stand firm in the faith. We need to stay anchored to truth. We need to be in regular fellowship with those who profess and walk in the truth. We need to go to God when challenges come. We need to keep our confidence in God and not in outcomes.

It’s time to be strong. It’s time to be faithful. It’s time to be people of courage.

Steve McCracken – David McCracken Ministries

I DO solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for…   my wife

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

It is one of the most quoted scriptures at weddings. It speaks of the purest form of love, a love that demonstrates itself in its selflessness.

In a Christian context, the Resolution uses some interesting words … take full responsibility for my wife. To many, they might attribute this to a bygone era when women were treated as second class citizens, almost property, totally under the dominion and control of the man. Instead, the Christian directives to the husband is a demanding one. Consider some of the following:

He who finds a wife finds what is good. (Proverbs 18:22)

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs 12:18)

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. (Proverbs 29:11)

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and blameless.

In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church — for we are members of His body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:25-33)

Courageous the Movie has left a lasting impression on the men in our church who have seen it. A key part of the movie was the concept of “The Resolution”. This is the first of the articles that will explore each part of The Resolution and what it means for men.

The Resolution – Part 1
I DO solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself:

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 1 Corinthians 13:11 NIV

Taking responsibility for yourself and taking accountability for your actions is often an undervalued personal virtue in the modern world. The scripture talks about us putting the childhood away. Part of a childlike approach to life is to deny guilt and to blame others. A Resolution Man will be both honest with themselves and others as well as being prepared to put right the things that have done wrong. The other part of being a man and not a child is about becoming responsible for themselves in terms of employment, self care and self growth.

The final part of this passage is about our thinking. Childlike thinking is often selfish, short term and often takes little consideration for the consequences of their actions. Resolution Men are thoughtful, considerate and measured as they embark on the journey of life. That does not mean they are not willing to be innovators, explorers and capable of feats of daring. It simply means that men will act and think in a new level of maturity and responsibility.

Good luck men with Part 1 of the Resolution. Let me know how you are travelling or have any ideas or thoughts that we can talk about as we all seek to grow as men of God.

Neil Stott