A Letter To A Young Man

Dear Young Man,

I've seen you in Church a few times and thought you looked like someone new. I've also seen you at the entrance to the Church, making your way through the crowd and heading to your safe seat location or the other times I would see you throwing out some handshakes to a few men. All of those times you have been alone. With never taking the chance to speak to you, I felt compelled or almost called from the Lord to write you a letter. Trust me when I say this is not my normal pattern, but I've learned to listen when God speaks.

From my occasional glances around the Church crowd, I could tell that you were a man interested in what the preacher was speaking about each day. Clearly much younger than me, I can't help but think of myself when I was younger. To be honest, I probably would not have come to Church and I know I would not have looked as interested. If I was there, I was only there in the physical as my heart was never really in the whole Church thing.

OK, before I lose you and you start wondering why some dude has been watching you, I wanted to challenge you with a few things. I have been through those late teens and early twenties and can remember my cold and hard mind set. I tried to come across strong and confident, but could be broken easily. I was able to fight through many battles to get to where I am today, so hear me out.

My Question: Why do you come come to Church?
In my younger days I mainly went to Church because I simply had to. My earlier years consisted of my parents making me go, my times after that were related to my girlfriend going and the other times I would go out of guilt or a bad conscience. More recently after my marriage, I would go out of duty to my wife. Rarely did I ever go on my own, and those are times and years that I dearly regret. So I ask again, why do you go?

After years of knowing about Christ, the Church and his teachings; it took a thorough beating to get me to truly believe. It took years of struggle to finally believe in the old Bible stories, the amazing people and of course the life of Jesus Christ. I suppose my path in life let me get to this point, but I can't help wonder if things would have been better or different if I would have received a letter like this or if a man of maturity and respect would have grabbed me and shared his life story with me. I like to think I would have listened to him,  but I was very capable of putting on the "good show" without truly living the right life. Confidence is good, but life experience is hard to beat or deny. Again, why do you go?

My Opinion: Why go?
We are all traveling on a path; some paths are easier and some are harder. My suggestion is to stop wondering if Christ is there for you and ACCEPT that he is real and he is there for you. Church is a place of worship, of prayer, of relationship and so much more. Don't just go because you have to or feel guilty. Go because you want to learn! Go because you want to grow spiritually! Say a prayer while you're there for God to speak to you in amazing ways. Take the initiative now and get involved with other wonderful people from the Church. Meet someone new each time you are there.

You'll meet people that are kind and loving.
You'll meet brothers that are going through similar issues.
You could meet the woman of your dreams.
You could meet a best friend.
You could meet Christ and live a fulfilling life, for the rest of your life.

My friend, I pray that this letter meets you with a good heart. All of us together make a family and make the Church. For this reason, I hope to call you my brother some day. What you do with the letter from here is up to you. There is no pressure. Write me back, say hello or just keep living. Keep living for Him!

It will be worth it. I promise.
Your Brother in Christ...
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Do you know a man that might need a letter like this?
Have you ever taken the initiative 
with a brother you had not met before?
Share your thoughts or experience in the comments!

1 look, 2 look, 3 look, More!

I've read the articles about men and their problem with lust, adultery and more. I've experienced the fall myself and have heard of and seen many men fall into dark traps that deal with these issues. But where does it stop? Can it be stopped? And how? 


 The idea with the title is simple. It all starts with that first look. The first look, in my opinion, happens by chance or by the turn of the head. But the web really begins with that second look. Once that second look happens, your web starts to grow. You somehow allow or convince yourself that what is happening is 'suddenly' acceptable. This look is more involved and takes in a lot more information; height, weight, skin, etc. This, of course, allows that greedy third look at her. This may not be at the same moment as the first few looks, but it may happen shortly thereafter or maybe the next day. The third look is intense and convincing. This is the look that causes a married man to question his marriage. This is the look that opens your heart up and allows the little pieces of her to slowly seep in. This is the look that leads to the final stage which is 'more'. More is of course the most dangerous and can cause the most damage. More ends marriages. 'More' makes you do irrational things and makes you loose your typical senses. More is you completely tangled in a large, well built web that is difficult to get out of leads to big problems.


Life is certainly a tangled web that we have to crawl through each day. I always refer back to the enemy, because I truly believe that he inserts that female at the right moment, knowing that we'll be attracted just to test us. Just to see if he can start the process of the 'looks'. Once he can work his way into your heart, the process begins. This is simply a sport to the enemy and he is always looking for new players.


I say all this because I have been there, still fight the battle with the enemy and have found ways to cure it. The curing process is not easy and not always a fast process, but it is a process that needs to start now. It doesn't matter what stage of 'looks' you are on or how deep you are in, you have to begin to heal. The first step to healing is CONFESSION. I know, this is not the first nature of a man to admit that he is or was wrong, but that is the first step. Confession is a two step road. The first one is to find a friend. Find a friend from Church or just a friend that you can trust and open up your heart. Tell him everything that has happened or even fears of what you think will happen and be completely honest. A good friend will not judge at this point, but should aim to simply listen and advise if possible. Maybe you know of someone who has been through these issues and made it through? This would be a great person to talk to. Set up a personal meeting with your pastor and work it out with him. There are a lot of options to consider in this process, but you have to be WILLING to take the first step. The second part is to confess your sins to Christ. None of us are perfect, we all make mistakes and He knows. Ask him for his guidance and assistance and continue to ask him daily. Ransomed Heart, led by John Eldredge, has an awesome Prayer for Sexual Healing. Read this, study it, and pray it each and everyday and watch the amazing power of Christ heal you and your life. 

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"When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. -James 1

MM: The Quality of the Work

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

~Hebrews 6:10~

Having the ability, having the tools and being given the job does not say anything about the work that you can actually do. There is a difference between being new at a job and having done the work for some time. The man who has recently started working in a new career taking on a new project has some mercy. There is an understanding that it will take some time for the beginner to learn the new trade and get use to the tools he is using. I remember when I first started working in construction; there is freshness to it and a desire to want to learn it. I wanted to get better at the type of work and prove myself to everyone that I was capable of the job given to me. It was as though I was extra driven to do a really good job and show everyone. But no matter how hard I could try at the beginning it was very difficult to match the quality of someone who had done the same type of work for years and years. This takes me to my next point about the man who had done the work for years and become comfortable with the work and the final product produced. This type of experience can go one or two ways. The first way is that the man still has a great drive to produce a quality product and is excited to see things completed. This man has found a way to overcome the “comfortableness” of the job and ultimately has not gotten bored with the work. This man truly enjoys what he does and it shows with high quality work. The second man is the man who has done the work for years, but has lost the quality of the work over time. He has become comfortable with producing an “alright” product and ultimately has lost the drive to move forward. He knows the work, he knows what it takes, but he has no real desire left to produce and produce well. So I have to ask, what does this have to do with our walk with Christ? What does this scenario have to do with our relationship with Him that could last years and years?

I remember when I first really felt the power of the Holy Spirit come upon me. It was the most powerful and life-changing thing I have ever felt in my life. It felt as though I was losing everything, but in reality I was gaining everything. Sound familiar “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” Luke 9:24. These are powerful, powerful words that were spoken by Christ himself and they are so true. After that point I had a passion for Christ like I had never had before in my life. I was like the new worker that was learning a new trade, I wanted to learn as much as I could and I wanted everyone to know about my results. The fire was intense and everyone around me could see it and feel it. My pursuit for Christ was of great quality and included reading the Bible, attending Church classes and talking about the subject with friends. This was a time of changing my habits to get more in line with Christ and getting out of my old ways. It included finding desires that God would have for me rather than what the world would have for me. And finally, adjusting the dial on what I allowed to influence me and how much I let it affect me. It was truly a time of high quality pursuit for Christ.

How do I maintain this walk?

How do I keep things interesting and inviting?

How do I maintain my walk with Christ at this level?

How do I become a Maintenance Man?!

I had to ask myself these questions and more. How could I keep myself from becoming the man that had done the work for years and years and lost the desire for it? I know for myself and for a lot of men, this is one of the biggest challenges. I am still young in the faith myself, so in reality I will face this “quality” issue for years to come. I will face the challenges of the Enemy, the temptations of the world and whatever life tries to throw at me.

____________________________________________

Christ has showed me some amazing ways to stay faithful and the ‘Maintenance Man’ series will continue with in depth ideas in the next post.

---Experience---

---Journaling---

---Accountability---

---Desire---

Share some ways you maintain a quality walk with Christ.

MM: The Tools

Being a builder has taught me some very valuable things over the years. One of the main things I have learned is that you need to right tools for the job. As soon as I know what the project is, I start figuring out what materials I will need and what tools it will take to get the job done. The right tools will make all the difference. You need the right ingredients to make delicious food. You need a map to help you get from one place to the next. You need... well you get my point. In order to be a Maintenance Man for Christ, you need to have the right tools and you need to maintain them. God has provided us with so many options and there just waiting for us to grab them and use them. I have come up with a few ideas on some really great tools!

>THE BIBLE
I know that is sounds basic, but the Bible is an amazing tool to help you stay on your path for Christ. You can buy a Bible at the store, you can download apps and you can read it on your Nook or Kindle. The Bible is powerful and available. One of the best things to do is to pray before you read it and see what God might have in store for you. There are multiple programs to make your way through the Bible. The point is to stay in it! Find the time and maintain it!

>PRAYER
I have written about prayer a few times and still agree that this is a wonderful tool that God has given to us. I use to think it had to be military, eyes closed and head bowed. But prayer goes way beyond those things. God wants us to be in a relationship with Him. Just like any good relationship, you should be able to go to your friend anytime and seek help. I came to realize that I can go to Christ anytime I need or want to; when I am walking, when I am playing, when I am working and so on. Use this tool and use it DAILY!

>FRIENDS
If it were not for my friends from Church, I don't think I would still be married. God put's people in our live for a reason. We may not always know or understand that reason, but we have to be faithful. We can not isolate ourselves and think that we can do life on our own. We need to be in relationship. Our friendships on earth are a great reflection of how we should be in relationship with Christ. Friends are willing to help, give up their time, listen to the hard things and pray for you when you are down. Having great friends takes time and patience on both sides, but the rewards are great and worth it. Check in with your friends often!


>CHURCH
Find a Church and get involved! Our Church is a second family to my wife and me. We have met some great people and have made some great friends. Some of the great tools you can find in Church are classes, groups and simply the Sunday message. My wife and I do a marriage class at Church every year now and in between we try to stay involved with something else for the Church. Doing these classes challenges you to stay consistent and keeps you honest. They are great for conversations, discussions and more. Find a Church, use the resources and become a resource. Go weekly and see the fruits!

These are just some quick and easy examples of some of the great tools God has provided us with. Being a Maintenance Man means you are staying active and using the correct tools. I was always told 'If you don't use it, you lose it.' You need to use the tools available to you. The main theme at the end of each point goes back to consistency with the tools. How can we use these tools for The Job Christ gives us?

What are some tools you use to stay active and involved with Christ? Share what has worked for you or something you would like to try!

MM: The Type of Man

What type of man needs to be a Maintenance Man? Anyone? Every man!

No man is ever finished being worked on. No man is ever finished learning new things. Each day is a new opportunity to learn, grow, fail and succeed and so on. We all know this and are aware of this, but how do we take all of those examples and truly learn from them? How do we use these daily things to help us mature and move on? If you haven't been successful in learning from these daily things, than maybe you need to approach life a different way. Maybe instead of trying to tackle these issues by yourself you consider asking for help. You consider finding a way to keep track of some of these things and find a way maintain your knowledge.

A man has to be WILLING. 'Psalm 119:36'

From my personal experience, the most freeing decision I have made is giving my life over to Christ. Doing that allowed me to take the focus off of myself. When the focus is "clearly" on yourself, it is so difficult to see what is going on around you. You have a harder time considering other people's decisions, situations and feelings. There is a simple term for this sickness and it's called selfishness. Selfishness can become a black hole for men. I didn't realize how it was affecting me, until I snapped out of it. Things seemed to get so clear all of a sudden. I was finally willing to give Christ the time He deserved; the time He wanted me to give Him for so long. There was no question, I was willing.

A man has to be OPEN. 'Ezekiel 36:26'
Following Christ for real, for the first time, meant new things. It meant meeting new people, exploring new ideas, changing habits, finding desire and just plain talking to Christ more. A man that finally takes the leap of faith or the man that has had the faith for a while has to stay open to what Christ is doing or may have planned for you. As a new Christian, I knew there would be things that I had never experienced before, but I knew in my heart that I had to keep climbing. A man that has been a Christian for years must still be open to new ideas. He must not get stagnant with his ideas, beliefs and values. He must learn to be open and maintain that trait.

A man must learn DEPENDENCY. 'Exodus 15:2-3'
Being willing has broken your selfishness, being open has helped you adjust to new practices, but a man must learn that giving his life to Christ means a new dependency. It is no longer "me", but Christ in me. It is He who gives me my money, and it is He who makes my path straight, and it is He who provides a way out of temptations, and it is He who died for me. There is no shame, no weakness in being dependent on Christ. For me, it has been one of the strongest moves I have ever made in my life. It made me realize that my dependency on other people gave me no strength compared to Christ's strength.

Maintain. Sustain. Guard. Keep On. Nurture. Manage. Preserve. Save. Retain. Repair. Renew.

Some say it is easier to maintain a bad behavior than it is a good behavior. I say, give me their names and let me meet them. I say, don't let what others say dominate your opinion. I say, go to the sources, go to Christ and ask Him how to maintain. Ask Him how to be a man. And you know what, He will show you. He will give you all the tools you need....

Challenge yourself to be a Maintenance Man for Christ! 

Share some ways on how you maintain your walk!

Maintenance Man: The Series

2011 was an amazing year for myself. February was the month that changed everything, it was the climax of events and it was the month that I said no more. I finally gave Christ everything I had and started out fresh. As hard as some of those events were, they taught me so many things. The power of the enemy, the work he is up to in our lives on a daily basis, and the strength we need to find in order to take out his army of attacks. As I pursued Christ more and more, I needed a way to maintain my walk. I needed a way to challenge myself. Manturity was created in July of 2011 and has been running strong ever since.

As I finished out my blog posts for last year, I put a large emphasis on perseverance and consistency. I related it to New Years resolutions and the daily battles we face while trying to accomplish those goals. During this time period, God brought up some great ideas for future postings. Some were just random post ideas and others were more involved. The one I chose to start out this new year is titled "Maintenance Man: The Series."

What doesn't need maintenance? Anything? Everything needs to be maintained! Our bodies won't stay fit if we don't work them out, our cars won't stay running if we don't fuel them up or change the oil, our houses won't stay clean if we don't clean them. Such simple ideas that we all have to face on a regular basis with all of our worldly possessions and bodies. But what about maintaining our heart, our walk with Christ, our inner man that we consult with daily. How many people stop and think about the importance of this idea. How many people spend more time worrying about maintaining their looks, their status at work, a certain group of people, what their wearing and more. All of these things that have no eternal value are given so much, well, value. We value them, because we can see them. But what about the inside, the heart.

My goal of the series is to break down the idea of a man that maintains, otherwise called a Maintenance Man. Topics will consist of: The type of man; The necessary tools; The job; The quality of work; Never finished and the Bottom Line.

I am looking forward to a great year of blogging and I am excited to see what everyone else has in store for the new year! I hope you find the series interesting and challenging!

A Consistent Man

One of my first thoughts I had after I really gave my life to Christ was 'I need to be consistent'. If I was going to be a true Man of God, I would need to maintain my walk with Him. My main two ideas were consistency and discipline. These are two traits that most people need for their job, their marriage, their kids and so on. But I knew I had to apply it to my walk with God. I had to come up with a way to make it daily and serious. I needed to find a way to separate from the False desires of this world and pursue God. It took a few months of reading books and praying for consistency, when God brought up the idea of Manturity. He presented this to me in such an easy way that it just made too much sense. He provided all the tools and showed me the opportunity for true consistency.

For me, Manturity is my way of reaching out to God everyday. I make it a point to post to Facebook and Twitter everyday, even if it's only one time a day. A few months after I started Manturity, I signed up on Digg and started reading and promoting articles about other Christian men and more. This has become a great learning tool and another way to reach people and spread the good news of how God is working in other peoples lives and around the world. Although I have not been as consistent with Google+, I have found and met a lot of great people on there and they post a wealth of information. I love to see new followers, comments and interaction on the blog and hope to take things to the next level in the new year.

Manturity has been a way to keep my mind on positive things and away from the garbage of society. As much as I hope it helps other people, it is truly a tool that has helped me refocus daily. It has pushed me to find my real desire and write multiple posts about it. God showed has shown me ways to adjust my influence and find my true identity. He continually is providing me with new information and ideas to a point that I have had to start keeping Evernotes so that I do not forget them. As I run into the new year and chase new opportunities and new ideas, I can't wait to see what God has planned. Truly the most important part of all of this consistency is my walk with Him. I know that He is always consistent with me, but the real challenge and goal is to keep Him first and allow Him to Father me.

With a new website planned, an ebook in the works and many new topics. I pray that you have a wonderful new year and are consistent in all that God gives to you.

Happy New Years!

Are you more likely to Love or to Judge? Check out the new post on the Manturity #Blog TWEET THIS!

The Resolution Battle

A new year means new beginnings. Right? Whether you have publicly stated your resolution for the new year or have kept it private, only you know your resolution. Only you know the truth about it and what it really means. It might be a few of the following; to loose a few pounds, to be a better friend, to be a stronger husband, to get more involved with your Church, to spend more time with your family or kids, or pursue a stronger and more real relationship with Christ. Whatever it may be, you have come to realize that you have a goal in mind. From there you have to decide when are you trying to accomplish this goal? Is there a specific time frame you are setting yourself up for or this a year long activity that will take you to your next resolution? Figure our your resolution and apply a time frame to it. Even if it is just a few months to get you started, you have to have a goal that you are working towards. 

“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” 

2 Chronicles 15:7

Figuring out the resolution and coming up with a timeframe or goal in mind, in my opinion, are some of the easier steps in the process. The resolution is most likely something you have been thinking of for awhile and you are ready to attack it head on. The timeframe is set as a goal or a target. The real challenge is the daily battle or what I like to call 'The Resolution Battle'. This is the part of the resolution that you have to face everyday. What does it mean or even look like to accomplish your resolution? What sacrifices are you going to have to make to ultimately achieve success? What habits are you going to have to change? What relationships are going to change? What will be your driving force? I had to ask myself these same questions last year and will continue to ask these questions each year. I had to come to a place where my resolution was not just mere words that I spoke, but would become a daily way of life. This type of situation separates the men from the boys, the immature from the mature and, I believe, someone that is serious about growing up in life. Here are a few ways that can help you beat the daily battle of your resolutions. Try them out, follow them, change them, adjust them, but do not forsake any of them. You have to stay true to yourself during this process, you have to find real perseverance and you have to see the victory in the end.

1) Set up Reminders! One of the best things to do when you come up with your resolution is to define the terms. Write down and figure out the daily things it will take to accomplish your goals. If you have a smart phone, set up a reminder to come up a the end of each month. If you use another type of calendar, go through it and mark reminders for every month of the year. Incorporate your terms of the resolution and why you chose to do it at the time of decision. Remind yourself about the why!

2) Tell a Friend! This could be your wife, your buddy, your parent, sister or brother. Let someone know the conditions of your resolution and have them hold you accountable. Offer them the same option if they also have a resolution. Work together on this process and you will be that much more willing to fight for the resolutions! Make them a part of your monthly reminders!

3) Pray! "You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary." Revelation 2:3. The most powerful thing you can do is pray. Pray that God would help you in your resolution. Pray for a clear direction for your resolution. He may have another course set out for you, but it requires perseverance in other things first. Know that He has a plan for you and pursue Him. Make His presence in your life a daily, living thing.

4) Repeat! Do these things and then do them again. The courage and perseverance it will take to accomplish your resolution will not come easy, but the rewards will great. 

I wish you the best for your resolutions this year and pray that you will succeed in whatever goal you set your mind too. Please share your ideas, thoughts and tips on resolutions!

The seed has been planted, now it's up to you to make it grow!

'The Way of the Wild Heart' Book Review

God is a God of process. One of the best examples of His process is how a boy becomes a man. Author, John Eldredge explores this idea in the fantastic book titled 'The Way of the Wild Heart '. This book is a follow up to the best seller titled 'Wild at Heart '. John breaks down the masculine journey into six stages; boy, cowboy, warrior, lover, king and sage. Each step has is a new and crucial part to the development of a man. One of my favorite quotes comes from early in the book that says this, 'If you want a man, you must begin with the boy'. This statement is so simple, but so very true. The culture today seems to have a bunch of boys in men's bodies. Boys growing up without fathers, fathers that existed only in the physical aspect, and an overall culture that puts men in a lower position than they should be.

Let's take a closer look a the journey. A boy is full of energy and ready to explore. It is a time of true affirmation. It is also a time that he looks to his father and wonders if 'He has what it takes'. From there the boy becomes a cowboy. He has learned a thing or two about life now and takes his game to the next level. He learns to throw a curve ball, drive a car and catch the eye of a young woman. From there he takes on the stage of the warrior. This is when a man finally starts to see his purpose. He may get his college degree, join the military or find the woman of his dreams. He faces the battles of real life, learns discipline and some of the hardships and glories of life. In this time period he also finds the stage of the Lover. This is a time when the warrior is still fully alive, but under more control. He may put a ring on that beautiful woman's finger, he may find a good cause to support or he may take up reading or teaching. These two stages set up the man for one of the most important stages. This is the stage of the King. The time of being a King will be one of the most difficult and most gratifying stages of them all. This is the time of raising a family, coaching a sports team, being on the board at Church and being strong and humble during the process. The King will be tested and challenged thoroughly. And at the end of the stages we get to the Sage. This is not the time to give up on life, but rather a time to minister to the warriors, lovers and especially the Kings. To offer guidance, offer encouragement and remind them of his own path in life. To lead by experience.

This is a very short glimpse of the stages and what they look like. The book goes into great detail and would be a great read for any man or woman. I would highly recommend! You can also check out 'The Way of the Wild Heart' manual that goes along with the book!

What are some ways you have experienced the Masculine Journey?

The Right Connection

One thing that always comes along with the Holidays is decorating. I can honestly say that 'decorating' is really not my thing, but my wonderful wife enjoys it so I do my best to help out. One of my jobs this season was the outside Christmas lights. It doesn't sound like a hard project, but I always seem to mess it up. I take them all out of the box and look them over each year. I have learned from the past that it is a good, no great, practice to plug them all in first to make sure they are all still ticking and I proceed to lay them out. This is always the tricky part for me; I try to make sure that the plugs at the end of each light strand are in the right spot so that I can make The Right Connection. I really felt like I had it figured out so I proceeded to hang around the front of my house and thought they were looking great. When it was all said and done, the hanging process that is; I grabbed the extension cord and went for the power shot. It was at this point that I figured out that my calculations were, well wrong. Let's just say all ends coming together will not work. I had no plug, no prongs. I went through it a few times just to make sure and sure enough, I was out of luck.

Isn't that how it goes sometimes? We think we have gone through all the right steps, only to find out that they were the wrong steps or we didn't properly check before we started in our direction. I ended up taking all the lights down and reworking them correctly. It took me a few minutes, but the payoff is lights, that work. I don't think the lights get the full effect any other way....

How many times a day, a week or throughout the entire year do we try to do something without The Right Connection? Or should I say, how many times do we not include God in our decisions? I use to think that I could only go to God for the big stuff or the hard stuff, but the truth is He wants us to go to Him for each and everything. I came to the point of trying to just have a conversation with God throughout my day. I wanted to make sure I was connected and that what I was doing was being considered properly.  I can think of so many past times that, if I had only asked, things would have turned out differently. God wants to stay in close connection to us. He desires for us to keep a close connection to Him. It's about relationship. Just like the cords could not connect, even after all the work up to that point, we can not connect to God unless we stay in prayer.

Make the right choice, make the right connection and it will help considerably!

Do you agree?

The Character of 'Captain America'

I was finally able to watch the story about 'The First Avenger'. This movie was never really high on my list of movies to go watch, but I had some time one night and gave it a chance. One of my social networking buddies also gave me a nice short review of the movie after he saw it and helped convince me.

Right from the start, it is obvious that Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans) is not your typical superhero. He is by no means physically strong or very appealing. He is always getting tossed around and made fun of by other men his age. He wants to serve his country, but keeps getting denied. There is a catch about Mr. Rogers though, his character.

Steve faced challenge after challenge, but he never gave up. He pursued what he wanted to do with all of his heart. When he finally was allowed to join the military, it was not because of his physical strength but rather his mental strength. He trained with all of the other men, but showed courage in hard times and displayed knowledge when everyone else was fighting. But his training was for something else, something more. A chance to take the mental courage and combine it with the physical strength. A secret project to make a super human or superhero!

If you have seen the movie, you know the rest of the story. But if you have not, I would highly recommend taking some time to watch this movie. As men, we can learn a lot from this example. It is not always the best looking guy that gets the girl and it's not always most physically fit that is most appealing. What really matters is character and the condition of your heart. Captain America showed courage before he even fully understood it. He thought it was just the right thing to do, so he did it. When he became 'super', he was able to stay humble which only made him stronger throughout the rest of the movie.

Hollywood is Hollywood, but in my opinion this was one of the better movies released this year. It shows us that there is always hope and always a way. If you believe in yourself and can stay grounded in the truth, other people will see it, appreciate it and admire it. This story reminds me of the life of Jesus. He was not a glorified super human and He certainly did not have flashy clothes. But he spoke the truth and He spoke from the heart. His character was what people saw and believed in. As He grew older, His miracles made Him a superhero, but as we all know, there are consequences for such actions. There will always be people against you in one way or another, but we have to stay strong. We have to stay firmly rooted in Christ and follow the example that He has given us. It may not always appear to be the best way, but it will be His way.

  Did you get to see the movie? Post a comment and share your thoughts below.

Pier Pressure

Everyday we have to wake up and face the challenges of the day. Amongst the many topics discussed in the Manturity series of Influence, the challenge to stand up to and face other men is inevitable, at least for me. I work in construction, building commercial buildings, and for the most part men are the workers. These are a unique set of men and personalities that I have to deal with on a day to day basis, it's part of earning that paycheck. If there is one thing I learned about a year ago, it's that I do not have to take on their identity. I do not have involve myself in their immature, senseless and revolving conversations or influence. I can make the choice to walk away or stay and be "part of the group". I know that I can not change these men, but I can be mature in my decisions around them.
I like to think of this as the work pier. Work piers were made to for one reason. To get the men and the material to the ship. They were not built for pleasure, they were not build to look pretty, but they were made to get the job done. They were designed for work. And like most of us, we have to walk that work pier everyday. Is it something we want to do? Probably not, but it is something most of us have to do and do the best we can.

2 Chronicles 15:7 'Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak; for your work shall be rewarded.

When I am not at work, I get to enjoy the company of good friends and work colleagues. This is a different group of men that I more less choose to be around. They are friends from Church or friends that are my age at work and men of true strength. This is also a unique set of men. We still have to be careful how our friends  influence us, but hopefully that is happening in a positive way. The conversations are generally more interesting, exciting, funny and clean. I know these men on a deeper level and is a sense, know their heart.
Proverbs 15:13 says 'A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance; but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. These are the men that you can share your high and low points with. These are the men that you put your trust into and depend on, these are men of resolution.
This is what I call the pleasure pier. Pleasure piers are made pretty much the same way the work piers are made, but they are built for comfort, enjoyment and rest. This type of pier might get built in a scenic area or might get built for fishing. Either way they are a shelter, a vacation, a getaway from the craziness of life. After a long day, it's nice to get off the work pier and enjoy some time on the pleasure pier.

Proverbs 18:24 says 'A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. 

Some of us are forced to walk the work pier everyday, but don't forget to walk the pleasure pier also. Jesus is such an amazing example of a good friend and fellow brother amongst His disciples. If we are pursuing to be like Christ everyday, than our friends, attitude and life will show it.

How do you find a balance between the work and pleasure pier?

Culture says "Man Up"?

It's one thing for the culture to notice that there is a problem with men these days, but it's another thing to leave it up to culture to "try" to fix the problem...

I recently started watching a couple new shows on TV that were suppose to portray a "manlier" image. The first show that came to the chopping block was 'Last Man Standing'. I have to say that out of the newer shows this is one of the better ones, but still not overly "manly". The father, Tim Allen, is surrounded by his wife, three daughters and his oldest daughters baby boy. The concept is to show men that they can still be manly amongst all those women. He also wants to show his grandson that he is in charge and that the true man is still alive..
The other show that came out recently is titled 'Man Up'. In my opinion, this show did not hit the bar at all. I don't think it even realized there was a bar to aim for... The show is loaded with immature men in their forties who are trying to grow up. Really? So the show is not about mature men doing the responsible things in life, but rather doing the irresponsible things and trying to learn from them. The show starts with the main characters playing video games and ends with them playing video games. I don't think this is hardly any example of men that are making an attempt to 'Man Up'. The networks know that a manlier image is needed back on television, but who is running the networks? I can't answer this question, but maybe someone could enlighten me with the answer.

I also find it interesting that these shows have come out while a new movie is out in theaters called 'Courageous'. Men that are struggling in life, but come to a Resolution to fix their issues. This is a true example of men becoming responsible men! Television shows are more easily accessible, but they still require an audience that wants dumb people cracking the same old jokes and making no real point. The new shows mentioned above do have some very subtle and sometimes very quick examples of men doing the right, responsible and mature thing, but the majority of the shows are fill and fluff.

So the idea is simple. The world, our family, our friends, our workplace need to see men 'Man Up'. But how that happens and where the influence comes from needs to be managed properly and responsibly. Sure, these shows can be funny and have their moments, but being a man is more than that. It's about growing in maturity, becoming a man of integrity, making the hard decisions and raising kids that know who is in charge and why. Man is ultimately responsible to God. It is the way we were designed from the very beginning. If a man can stay true to his roots, his Father, than his path will be straight and long.

So in short, Man Up! And do it carefully and according to the design God intended.

Book Review: 'The Resolution for Men'

Up for a real challenge? One that could change you for the rest of your life? Are you sure...?

The Resolution for Men is a new book that corresponds to the powerful movie 'Courageous'. Courageous can now be found on Blu Ray and DVD! In the movie, the men come together at the end to sign a Resolution. The Resolution is document in the film that outlines how a man is going to live his life from that point forward. Check out the document here. All of the men come together in a ceremony, agree and sign the Resolution. It is a way of life, an act of courage and a statement to everyone around you that you are different. And if you sign the Resolution with other men, they are your brothers that keep you accountable ( a way of Locking Shields ).

The Resolution for Men takes the document to the next level. There is a chapter for each point, corresponding verses and a challenge at the end of each chapter. The book starts off in true Kendrick brothers form by saying it is not for the weak. It goes on to say that you will be challenged; you will be brought out of your comfort zone and that sacrifices are going to have to be made. On the other side of that it says that the rewards will be great; the impact will be radical and it will be worth it all.

The book continues from there and gets into "why" we need a resolution. The need to get Fathers back and the priceless value they have in their children's lives. One of my favorite chapters early in the book talks about being a "chain breaker". This was a powerful message for me, as I had to make the courageous decision in my family line to break the chains of my past fathers. The way they had done it for years was just not working for me. I didn't feel fulfilled in life, in work and especially in my marriage. It just wasn't working. I finally gave over the chains to God and the weights of all the past mistakes from myself and before were lifted. From there it's a matter of consistency and discipline. It's a matter of figuring out how to live out the life of Christ and do it as a man should. This is where the Resolution plays a crucial role in a mans life. It's not just about saying you want to live a life for Christ, it's about truly living it out everyday! This will take more courage and strength than you have ever experienced, but this time around God is with you.

A quick over view of the chapters goes something like this: Resolve to lead your family, to love your wife, to bless your children, to live with honor, to demonstrate love, to reconcile with your past, to be faithful and to leave a legacy. The Resolution for Men is a powerful challenge for any man to embark upon, but it might just be the most rewarding experience you will ever have. 

I encourage every man to read this book 

and become a Man of Resolution!

Locking Shields!

Achilles stood at the front of his small ship. His small team of strong and courageous warriors worked together to paddle back and forth. His desire and determination had put them well in front of the other thousand ships. Achilles had his eyes set on the sandy shores of Troy. The shore was littered with men ready for battle. They had their weapons ready to fire, they had their fortress protected and strong, they were ready for the attack. Achilles and his men came upon shore and the war began. All of the men jumped out of the ship as fast as they could and hurried to get into a tight group. At this point, they were banded together. Their shields were up and locked together. Achilles gave the signal and they slowly moved forward towards the enemy. Arrows were being shot at them, spears were being thrown, but they continued to move forward. The locking of the shields and tightness of the group kept them protected and strong. Upon the call of Achilles the men dispersed and went into full attack mode on the enemy.

The example above is a great illustration for how we can stay strong and protected in our walk with Christ. Psalms 28:7 says ‘The Lord is my Strength and my Shield.’ Let’s take a look at the main points and break them down for today’s world.

1) Courageous: This was not a group of a thousand men; this was very small group of men that had great strength and courage. We do not need a huge group of men to make a difference in this culture, we need a small group of men that are ready to stand up and fight. Men that are ready to face the influences of culture straight on and say no!

2) Locking Shields: As the men gathered on the shore, they used their shields to protect them (the group) from the enemy. We can use the same tactics today to stand firm in our faith and using the Shield of the Lord to protect us. Brother to brother, man to man, we must put our shields together and the attacks of the enemy will not be able to penetrate.

3) Pressing Forward, Together: With shields locked, the men slowly moved forward towards the enemy and upon the signal dispersed! Whether we are in a group of brothers or off on our own, we must keep our Shield up. This will take true grit and strength, but our life depends on it. Any lowering of the shield during battle could result in a direct blow from the enemy. We know he is waiting and preparing to devour..

Having brothers that also carry the Shield can help a man conquer the negative influences of our culture. It’s not a matter of if the enemy will attack; it’s a matter of when he will attack. Be Battle Ready!

Have you Locked Shields with fellow brothers? 

Can you relate to these main points?

Music and it's Influence

The impact of music is everywhere in this culture. The age of just settling for what the radio played is long gone. The time of waiting for an artist’s new ‘compact disc’ might be remembered, but is quickly fading. The rise of MP3 music files, and many more file types, has made music accessible with great ease. And of course the inventions of the iPods and iPhones have revolutionized the whole process (rest in peace Steve Jobs). The industry has become wildly more popular and shows no signs of slowing down.

Because this is such a huge industry, it has a giant influence on people. Artists are full blown stars, popular songs top the radio charts, and some gain a cult like following. We are influenced by the singers, by the beats and especially by the words.

For example, have you ever had a bad day and put on a song that helps you get through that bad day? I use to like new alternative rock music. It seemed to fit my style and I always liked the beats. What I came to find out was that I liked the words and the singers also. Ever find it interesting how easy it is to memorize the words to a song. Now just imagine reading those same words, do you think they would have the same influence? Interesting….  The more I listened to this type of music, the more I realized the power it had over me. I had to hear certain songs after a long day, I had to hear certain songs when I was feeling down and I had to hear them as quickly as possible. The sooner I could listen, the quicker I would feel better. Strange?

Don’t get me wrong, I love music and listen to it everyday. But I have changed who I listen to and why I listen to it. For the most part I play music that has no words, otherwise known as Electronic or classical. I have found this music to still have a great beat, but I don’t have to worry about the words or the message trying to be expressed. I can have my own agenda in my head and work out my own thoughts. I still listen to music with words on occasion, but it is certainly not my first option.

Control your music, don’t let it control you!

Have you found this to be true? What are your thoughts on the influence of music?

Under the Influence

Music, Media, Television, Culture, Peers, Family, Church, Past, Relationships

What do all of these things have in common? They are the things that influence our lives, our personality, our money, our faith and more. We are constantly ‘Under the Influence’. If we are not aware of these influences and how they are affecting us, they can start to control us. They can dominate us to a point that they begin to shape a new identity in us.

The last series of posts talked about desire. This next series is based on the influences that fight for our desires everyday. God will give us the desires of our heart, but culture will give us the desires of this world. The more you let the small desires of this world influence you, the more you become of the world. Don’t forget, we are to be in the world, but not of the world. I know some things are unavoidable in this culture. If we, as Christians, are to connect with the world, we have to put ourselves into the influences. We have to be aware of the popular music, we have to know what media and society are now saying is “ok” and we have to be alert to what the enemy is up to. This, of course, leaves us wide open for temptation. But we have to be strong and stand up to these forces. Amongst all of the worldly influences, we have to allow Christ to influence us. We have to be intentional with our time, at all times. Careful to not allow the influence of culture today suck us down with it.

Let’s explore the ways we are all influenced.

So what are some ways you are influenced? Good or Bad?

'Beautiful Outlaw'

Have you ever considered the personality of Jesus?

Author, John Eldredge, explores this wonderful idea in his new upcoming book titled

 'Beautiful Outlaw'. You might recognize John Eldredge from his popular men's
 book titled 'Wild at Heart'. 'Wild at Heart' started quite the buzz in world of men's ministry about 10 years ago. He has written several books since then that I have read and highly recommend. 

Eldredge said the following about his new book:

 "Reading the Gospels without knowing the personality of Jesus is like watching television with the sound turned off. The result is a dry, two dimensional person doing strange, undecipherable things".

"John Eldredge removes the religious varnish to help readers discover stunning new insights into the humanity of Jesus. He was accused of breaking the law, keeping bad company, heavy drinking. Of being the devil himself. He was so compelling and dangerous they had to kill him. But others loved him passionately. He had a sense of humor. His generosity was scandalous. His anger made enemies tremble. He'd say the most outrageous things. He was definitely not the Jesus of the stained glass". 

This book will help us understand Jesus in a new way and make our relationship with Him more powerful than ever before. Check it out!

A Resolution for Desire

It's time for resolution! A Resolution for Desire..

September has been a month of researching and discovering more about the word desire. What the word means to us, how to understand it, the pressure of it and its place in relationships. In so many parts of our lives, we can attach the word desire.

But I want to maintain a true desire in all parts of my life. I want to make a resolution to keep my desire in line with God’s plan. So what is a resolution or what does the word mean?

Resolution or Resolve:

- to find an answer to

- to make clear or understandable

- to reach a firm decision about

Psalm 37:4 gives a clear definition on how to find your true desire. How? We must “Delight ourselves in the Lord”. In going back to the definitions, I would say that this is a good answer on how to find desire. The last part of the verse makes things clearer or more understandable by saying “And He (God) will give you the desires of your heart”. So this one verse has helped me find the resolution to desire. And finally, I am able to make a firm decision about my resolution of desire, because God has clearly shown me.

We need to do better than just understanding the word desire; we need to make a resolution to live it out in our lives according to God’s word and design. It’s easy to talk about desire, once you have a better understanding, but we are called to live it out. What an opportunity! The false desires of this world can be so loud sometimes. The enemy knows our hearts and tempts us with things that are passing away. But God has revealed to us our true desires. It’s time to take a step of faith, a leap of courage, and get our desires in line!

Resolve to be a man of true and Godly desire.

Find more resolutions HERE.

The Pressure of Desire

So often I am tempted by my old desires or my false lovers. They come each day in the form of a poke, a nudge or a push. Some attempts by the enemy are stronger than others and some are just a quick memory. The memories of the old desires are still alive and the enemy loves to insert them whenever possible. He comes with comforting lies and soft tones, trying to speak to us in our language. This is the language you use to speak and the enemy knows it very well. He knows what made you fall before and he knows the temptations are still a chance to get us to go back to the old ways, or our old desires.

Take a can of soda for example. If you were to take this can of soda and shake it up, assuming it is caffeinated, the pressure would build inside of the can. If you were to open the can, the contents would come gushing out suddenly and there would be a mess to have to clean up or cover up. Now let’s say you shake that can of soda, but you do not open it. Sure the pressure is still there, but the contents are left inside to settle down.The same is with the temptation of our old desires. The enemy is still around and we are still human. When we are tempted, the pressure will rise and we will have to make a choice. If we make the choice to indulge in the old desire, the contents of our actions will come bursting out! We will be left with some sort of mess to clean up, or even worse we will have the guilt of trying to cover it up. If we can have the courage to stand up and avoid the temptation, the pressure will go away and the contents will calm down.

If we are recognizing our old desires and changing our habits to get our desires more in line with Gods, than we must be strong. We must be able to stand up to the pressure of the enemy, other people and so on. The false desires will tempt us; there is no question about that. But by knowing this type of thing is at work in us, we can be ready. We can have faith that God will provide a way out for us. Proof is in the His words below.

1 Corinthians 10:13: No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.