June 2006 C&MA Men’s E-Newsletter

Impact
During an emphasis on the deeper life, a man wrestled with the concept of Spirit control. A few nights later he lay awake in bed for several hours while the Lord revealed what he had been doing in the man's life. It was an uninterrupted and focused time with God.

What is God doing in your life? Send your testimonies to editor@cmamen.org.

Pray for Men's Ministry on Thursdays

News
'Marriage is for White People.' I grew up in a time when two-parent families were still the norm, in both black and white America. Then, as an adult, I saw divorce become more commonplace, then almost a rite of passage. Today it would appear that many -- particularly in the black community -- have dispensed with marriage altogether. Read more at Marriage.

Life
Covenant Eyes. Covenant Eyes is software that installs on your PC that logs your web surfing, stores the data on our servers, and generates reports that are sent to the accountability partners you choose. “Any filters or security were a joke because… I could disable it. Then, I found Covenant Eyes… I can use my computer without temptation and guilt.” “Covenant Eyes program has really helped to bring me ‘out of the shadows.'” “Literally a life saver… disarms my ability to sneak around." The website/ministry of the month.

Leadership
Lead by Being Real. As leaders, how can we recruit men to follow us and retain them? How did Jesus do that? He frequently said and did things that to us appear counter productive. Why did the disciples follow him? At times he said things to them that were more discouraging than encouraging. Yet, his disciples stayed with him even when the authorities and society strongly opposed him. For more, go to the article of the month.

Help for the Battle – Regional Men's Ministries and Coalitions
Would you like to get connected to a heart-transforming, life-changing network of men's ministry leaders in your area? There are coalitions of like-minded leaders across America who are working to help churches disciple men. Click here to see if there is a network in your area. Know of a network that should be added? Email your information to stephaniecarter@maninthemirror.org.

New Event for Your Men
Rewired: From Performance to Passion
Men are wired for so much more than what the world communicates. Most men are taught to be self-sufficient and learn from an early age that performance equals merit. Guys spend so much time pursuing happiness through things or people that have absolutely no chance of ever giving it to them.

Our goal is to rewire the way men think and help them to escape the performance trap. The REWIRED seminar will help them see Christianity is not about behavior modification, but about heart transformation. This event provides simple truths to help your men build their faith on fertile ground. It will also help you capture the momentum from the event and get men into your long-term discipleship process.

Email Pam Adkins pamadkins@maninthemirror.org for more information about hosting this event in your church.

Coaching for Kingdom Impact
A career is what you're paid for, but a calling is what you're made for. You know what you're hired to do; do you know what you're wired to do? Led by Bob Shank, The Master's Program is the small-group and coaching equivalent of an executive MBA in Kingdom Leadership, serving Christian leaders who want to change their world and build God's kingdom. Check it out at www.mastersprogram.org.

Reboot (with 1 Samuel 17:27-30)
The Enemy: While the enemy does not appear in these verses. He has stirred the pot. He is just sitting back, watching and waiting.²⁸ When Eliab, David oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him … Eliab turned his anger toward David and not the enemy. The enemy is a divider (the name Devil means divider). Eliab became a pawn of the enemy.

The World: ²⁷ They repeated to [David] what they had been saying and told him ”This is what will be done for the man who kills [Goliath].” An indication of their desperation was their willingness to discuss the matter with a youth. The men knew the answer to David's question. They knew they were under the covenant with God but failed to step out with boldness based on that knowledge. How do you see yourself in the face of the enemy?

As noted above, Eliab's anger was directed inward. He had no time for the uninitiated. “Go back home. Tend your flock. Take care of your responsibilities.” There was pent-up frustration and impatience. “What do you know about warfare? Who are you to be inserting yourself into our battle?” Anger and energy are spent on David not the enemy. Eliab saw the battle through worldly eyes. From that perspective, David was clearly among the uninitiated. When the enemy attacks where do we focus our energy? Do we see the battle in worldly or spiritual terms? Do we seek out spiritual counsel? Do we act on that counsel?

The Spiritual Warrior: ³⁰ [David] then turned away … David ignored his brother's insult. He refused to turn it into a personal confrontation. He refused to be distracted by insult. He was more concerned with challenging the mind-set of the men. He was trying to get the men to see the battle from a spiritual perspective. Neither the temporal reward nor the fact that Goliath was uncircumcised was sufficient to motivate the men into battle. What motivates us to take action in spiritual warfare?

"The best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it."
William James

Visit us at www.cmamen.org.

What would you like to see in this newsletter?
editor@cmamen.org.