John 13:35

"Most men know a lost of people by name or acquaintance. Conversations with these individuals are light, brief and nonthreatening. Even in the church, very few men have close friends. For the most part, men are spiritually fed but relationally bankrupt....Men are looking for spiritual brothers who will become genuine friends. In spite of many stereotypes, most men desire to draw near to people who will encourage, exhort and love them. Out of brotherly love grows hope. That is what Jesus means when he says, 'By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.' John 13:35"


There have been a couple of conversations going about getting a group of guys together on weekday mornings to meet over coffee or breakfast. Let me know if that's of interest and I'll see if we can work out the logistics of time and place.

Saturday morning

Just a quick reminder here guys... prayer breakfast starts at church at 8 am on Saturday.

Also, still looking for comments to Deaon's remarks. Any takers?

Praying for Pastor Ted

I asked for volunteers on Sunday morning to plan to pray for Pastor Ted during the month of December. Currently we have about 15 guys who receive the Blog 10:24 content via email and if each of us cover a couple of days then we will have no difficulty filling the month.

Currently the following Dec dates are obligated:

Dec 1 - Anthony Newman
Dec 2 - Eric Putterman
Dec 3 - Kevin Brust
Dec 4 and 5 - Steve Johnson
Dec 6 and 7 - David Dimmich
Dec 8 - Harold Morris
Dec 9 - Anthony Newman
Dec 10 - Eric Putterman
Dec 11 - 12 Eric Holt
Dec 13 - 14 Mark Balschweid
Dec 15 - 16 Joe Wetli
Dec 17 - Kevin Brust

All dates after Dec 17 remain available. Feel free to drop me an note if you'd like to be added to the rotation.

I'll be asking Pastor Ted if there are specific topics or issues for which we can pray-- but I'm equally inclined to leave it as an open invitation for you to pray freely.

If possible, please post a comment on the day you've agreed to pray for Pastor that affirms you've fulfilled your pledge. Add a fave scripture verse. Share what God has put on your heart for your Pastor. Whatever note you leave, I expect Ted will be encouraged to know that the men in the church are praying especially for him!

Prayer revisited

During our Bible Study hour last Sunday we spent some time talking about prayer. I appreciated your willingness to put those principles into practice and spend the time prior to the worship service to address a wide variety of needs.

A couple of excellent thoughts came from our discussion including adopting a spirit of prayer as we go throughout the day. Easy to say, hard to do. I'm encouraged by the gifting God has given you to wear that mantle of faithful, daily conversation. Equally encouraging was the practice shared by another of leaving early for work to allow time for prayer and devotional over a cup of coffee and breakfast. Whatever it takes to find the time to bend your knee before your Lord and Savior.

Thanks, too, for the comment made that for 35 years it has been a process of finding one's own way in prayer. The appeal for mentoring was memorable. Thanks for sharing from the heart.

I'm grateful for the many ways each of you demonstrate your commitment to your Lord and Savior. Keep fighting to find the time to spend in prayer!

One final thought for tonight: If you have not reviewed Deaon's recent comment, take a look. He asks a number of excellent questions and I invite you to add your own thoughts in reply.

Successful men's ministry: Identity

Continuing last Wednesday's thoughts from the chapter by Dan Erickson and Dan Schaffer titled "Modern Man in Contemporary Culture", they suggest successful men's ministry includes elements of identity, friendship, God's calling, discipline, marraige and family skills, and stewardship. The thought for today is on identity...

Identity

God has placed into each man a longing to be significant, a need to feel that his life counts. Countless men feel inadequate and insecure, no matter how much talent they possess. A man needs to learn how to find his identity in Christ. And every man needs a sense of purpose. Without a godly purpose in his life, a man is left to measure his significance and his success by what he owns, what he achieves, and what he controls. The problem with finding his self-worth in his position, possessions, or power is that if he loses his job, his house, or his influence, a man also loses his self-respect.