C&MA Men Living the Adventure

A man had been struggling with temptation from an earlier lifestyle and was burdened by his perceived inability to communicate with God. After praying with his pastor, he realized that Satan was the source of his problems. He told Satan to “take a hike.” Within a day he was giving testimony to a joy and a love for God that he had not experienced in many months.

One of our men had been out of work for several months. Due to his background, he had difficulty getting employment. He prayed about the situation with several brothers-in-Christ on a Wednesday evening. Unknown to him, a member of the congregation arranged for him to fill an opening. He began work the following Monday on a job for which he had not applied nor interviewed.

News
C&MA Men National Leadership Team to meet in Dallas, TX, January 26-28, 2007. The meeting will be held at the Comfort Inn DFW Airport , 4940 W. Airport Freeway, Irving, Texas. We will have dinner together on Friday at 5:30 PM. The annual meeting will begin at 7:00 PM. The Friday evening agenda includes reports from the National Coordinators, review of a proposed constitutional amendment, review progress on the Alliance Construction Team, and a report on the 2006 C&MA Men's Ministry National Survey. There will also be opportunities for recommendations on how best the national team can assist district coordinators. Saturday will be devoted to preparing district coordinators to assist churches in getting small groups started. There will be a fellowship event Saturday evening. Sunday morning we will worship together and close allowing departing flights to be scheduled after 11 AM.

C&MA Men's Ministry will cover the cost of rooms and meals. Districts are asked to cover the cost of transportation to Dallas. For additional information or questions, contact the ministry through e-mail at cmamensministry@hotmail.com or by calling Len Ruffner at 336-247-0152. Make sure your district is represented.

Telling the Haggard Truth (Article by Andy Comiskey). In addressing the Haggard crisis, let me begin with a confession. I have two problems.

My first problem: I have been captivated by the power of Jesus' mercy and truth. This sets me squarely in a fight with my culture concerning boundaries for sexual expression. Because of Jesus and His clear upholding of heterosexual marriage as the sole context for sex, in thought and deeds, I live in an ongoing tension with the world around me (read more)

Desert Stream Ministries. Desert Stream is a local, national, and international ministry proclaiming the transforming power of Jesus Christ. All of our efforts are fueled by our confidence that Jesus Christ is the only hope for a world struggling under the weight of sexual and relational brokenness and the resulting destruction.

The main goal of Desert Stream Ministries is to equip lay people in the local church to run any one of a variety of small groups that minister support and healing for the broken. These groups include and eight-week open evangelical format, one for 18-25 year-olds, support for sexual addicts, and Living Waters, an in depth and inclusive discipleship program. (Ministry/Website of the Month)

2007 Iron Sharpens Iron National Men's Conferences. There will be 24 one-day men's conferences held in 24 locations throughout the US in 2007. Join with other men in your region for a full day of worship, resources, encouragement, fellowship and 16 different seminars specific to men. Each conference features two nationally known keynote speakers. Bookmark the following site http://www.ironsharpensiron.net. Information on each conference will be posted as it becomes available.

Infusion: 90 Daily Doses of Wisdom, Truth and Encouragement by Boyd Bailey. This 192-page devotional book is written with warmth and sincerity. Learning true wisdom is not fast and furious, but steady and consistent. Infusion will spark a new level of understanding about God's eternal wisdom. If you take daily time to pursue the wisdom in this collection, God will use it to affect every part of your life and relationships. Published by Wisdom Hunters, LLC, 2006. Go to www.wisdomhunters.com to order.

Research Findings on Program Failure and Success (Article by Patrick Morely, PhD). One of the top problems in men's discipleship ministry is the leader quit rate. A staggering number of well-intentioned, capable leaders have started men's ministries, but been unable to sustain them. Why is that? and what can we do about it?

To address this problem, I've been studying scholarly literature on how to implement and sustain effective programs. Many of the leaders we work with say they have wasted 5, 10, or more years on programs that didn't produce the fruit they expected. Unless we take a research-based approach to men's discipleship, we may bet the next 5 or 10 years of our ministry on a hunch. That doesn't sound very smart. (Article of the Month)

Join the No Man Left Behind Conference Team!. Host Teams forming in the following cities for 2007:

To join a host team or begin one in your area, call Jim Angelakos at 800.929.2536, or by email.

Reboot (with 1 Samuel 17:47 , Part III)
The Spiritual Warrior: "Fear Not... and he will give all of you into our hands.”

This day the LORD will hand you over to me … How could David proclaim “This day...” and “Today...” David is specific. How did he know?

David seems to remove himself from the confrontation. He sees Goliath as already defeated, all that is left is for him to finish the job. David stands by his God: his God v. sword, spear and javelin. He compares Goliath’s weapons with the God of Israel. He fights on the basis of the name of the Lord – leaving open to God the method of dealing with the enemy. David is consistent in his thinking and message since arriving at the camp. He comes in the name of the Lord; in the authority of the Lord. David used an uncommon weapon to defeat Goliath: the name of the Lord.

The battle is the LORD'S. Bravado: an attitude usually displayed when confronting a challenge that can easily be brought down or when one knows he has the upper hand. It is also displayed behind the frontline when the reality of the situation is not apparent. Goliath displays bravado. David displays boldness and confidence.

David was not a grand strategist. Yet his decisions and actions reflect the thinking of a grand strategist. He is unswayed by Goliath's charges and insults. He holds firmly to the truth. He understands that Goliath was not messing with him. Rather, he was messing with God. The world has chosen not to engage the enemy. We are left with David and Goliath.

David did not take Goliath's verbal attack personally. He understood Goliath was attacking the Lord and the Lord could take care of himself.

Do we approach our battles in the “name of the Lord?” Do we stand firm in the face of insults? Are we able to deflect charges, challenges, and insults onto the Lord? Do we respond as if we are engaged in a personal battle?

We have one mouth and two ears.
Maybe God wants us to spend twice as much time listening during our quiet time!