Men’s Fraternity

Wednesdays, starting Sept 17th from 6:00-7:30 am at Highland Ridge, 1601 Old Russellville Pike in Clarksville.  For more information, contact Ryan Bosler at 931-801-8562

In the modern workplace, information is the power to help employees have the motivation to succeed and reach the vision of an organization.  Unfortunately this is missing in many organizations today.  Information in the form of the company’s goals, future plans, and the mindset of executive leadership is what fuels a sense of ownership and encourages a team spirit. 

Today’s “information age” workforces, especially those who have entered within the last ten years, want to be a part of something that has lasting value.  In order to insure this value is met, they feel a need to understand why they are doing what they are asked to do.  They want to feel they can contribute to shaping the company’s path.  They want to participate in the planning of the organizations future. 

The boss who says or thinks “Because I said so” will not be as successful in today’s culture. 

In my leadership experience there are two kinds of leaders.   Every leader has followers or they wouldn’t be able to lead, but among leaders there are those who are willing to lead leaders and those who will only lead followers.  Sadly I have witnessed many pastors who fall into “follower only” category, refusing to allow leaders to develop in the church.   Their fear of losing control or being upstaged causes them to keep laypeople from becoming leaders within the church.

That’s not to say that we don’t need to lead followers, because of course we do.  Some of the best workers in an organization and in the church are those who care nothing about leadership.  Plus, it’s hard to be a good leader until one learns to follow.  At some point, however, those with the propensity towards leadership in any organization will want an opportunity to lead. 

When those who are in the position of followers begin to lead the real leadership skills of the person at the top of the organization are tested.  The leader of leaders allows other leaders to develop in the organization, gives them freedom to dream and gives new leaders a sense of ownership in their area of responsibility.  They recognize that as leaders develop the entire organization advances and everyone wins.  The leader of followers, on the other hand, tries to keep followers from ever becoming leaders. 

It’s easier to lead only followers.  They will do what is requested of them, they are loyal and not usually as critical.  Every organization needs followers.  If someone remains a follower, however, they aren’t usually interested in taking the organization to the next level.  They wait for leaders to do that. 

Reversely, when a person is stifled from realizing their full potential as a leader they will eventually either leave the organization or cause problems within the organization.  I have especially seen this take place in the church. The organization as a whole suffers because they are limited to the level of success which can be realized by the intimidated top leader who refuses to let other leaders develop.   If an organization allows people a chance to lead the organization’s potential for growth increases immensely.

Decide for yourself.  Do you want to lead leaders or only lead followers?  Personally, I prefer to lead leaders. 

In today’s message we looked in Luke 5 at the story where Jesus called His first disciples.  He asked them to trust Him by faith, even though they were in their own time of uncertainty. They were fishermen who had caught no fish.  In their culture…no fish…meant they didn’t get paid that day.  Who could know if there would be fish tomorrow?  Could this have been a week with no fish?  Having been self-employed I know what it’s like to face the uncertainty of cash flow. Still, in the midst of their uncertainty, Jesus called them to their greatest show of obedience.  Because of their willingness to face the unknown and walk by faith, God used them in incredible ways to launch His Kingdom.

We considered 5 principles about times of uncertainty in our own life from this story. 

1. Times of uncertainty will come.  They are a part of life.

2. The fact that uncertainty causes you to question or be afraid doesn’t upset God.  God’s plan is not diverted because of our periods of doubt. 

3. Faith that is developed through uncertainty produces some of God’s greatest work.

4. In spite of uncertainty ultimately we need to have faith. 

5. Uncertainty is not a call to give up.  It’s a call to surrender more of ourselves to Christ. 

To hear this message, go to our podcast site and listen to: What To Do During Uncertain Times.

Would you take this money?  

One of the high school students in our church sent me this video link of the church in Long Island that recently had $3 million placed in the offering plate. The only dilemma for some is that the money was actually a winning lottery ticket. 

What would you do? 

Plus, do you know if anyone in our church has one of these tickets? 

A college girl from our church sent me a text the other night saying she was struggling spiritually to find her place.  She spent the summer interning at a church doing inner-city ministry.  Coming home has caused her to face the struggle of trying to know what God wants her to do.  She thought she had her life figured out, but now she thinks God wants more from her.  Her relationship with God feels tough and awkward right now.    

It reminded me of a principle God has taught me over the years that is incredibly important for all believers to understand.  After a period of spiritual highs there will most always be a period of spiritual lows. 

It even happened to Jesus.  Consider His baptism experience:   As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:10-11)  This was certainly a high point for Jesus. 

What happened next?    At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. (Mark 1:12-13) 

The spiritual highs are awesome!  We need them.  They make us more aware of God’s presence and glory in our life.  Just don’t be surprised if the spiritual lows follow.  (That process can, if we allow it to, make us more aware of God’s presence also.) 

Even before I had children the Lord began to stir in my heart a strong desire to raise godly children. When I found myself with two boys of my own I began to realize the difficulty in completing that task. The Lord began to lead me towards developing a plan for my fathering. I had a plan for my business, a plan for my ministry activity, even a plan for my civic responsibilities, but I didn’t have a plan for my parenting. 

Working with my wife, I began to visualize the type of men we were hoping God would shape in our boys. Then, once we had a vision, we started to set goals and make plans to realize the dream. If we want our boys to be honest, for instance, then we must create situations which gave them the opportunity to make a choice between honesty and dishonesty. Then we walk through that learning experience with them, applying grace or discipline where needed. Each year we re-evaluate their individual needs in the area of spiritual and social maturity. 

At the age of 12, I began a yearlong study with each boy on what it means to be a godly man. We discussed things like moral purity, sex, and commitment in marriage, and commitment to Christ. It wasn’t the first time we discussed these issues, but we were more definite in our effort to answer some of the deeper questions of life. 

When each boy turned 13, he and I went out of town for a night and day. We began our time by each of us writing out answers to a series of questions that I had developed, all relating to manhood. After the “test”, the boy was allowed to pick an activity for the evening. One boy picked a steak dinner and the other decided he wanted to attend a baseball game. When we returned to the hotel we began to answer the questions.  Our overall intent for the time was to answer one question, “what does it mean to be a man?”

Returning home my wife was prepared for us to host a few carefully selected couples who had been influential in our lives or the lives of the boys. Each was given an assignment to write a letter to our son expressing what they believe it means to be a man, specifically a man of God. After dinner, we all gathered in our living room and each couple read their letter to our son. We ended the event with a prayer commissioning the boy to Biblical manhood. At this point there was not a dry eye in the room. 

These years of preparation have provided fruit that has lasted through their teen years.  As Jeremy turns 20 today I know that he is prepared to be a man.  Don’t misunderstand me.  My boys are not perfect, and they will surely make mistakes in life, but I am confident they have an understanding of what it means to godly men. I am trying to model those principles for them in my own life, and continuing to disciple them in the ways of Christ. I recognize the importance of passing along the legacy of Christ to my children and I realize that this will not happen by accident. It will require a vision, some goals, and proper planning and implementation. As spiritual leader in my home, I know it is my responsibility to see that this is implemented. 

I need to share my heart with you about a ministry God continues to bring to me. 

For a couple years I’ve owned the domain name hurtingpastors.org.  Right now it points to the online ministry I’ve had for years called Mustard Seed Ministry.   The decision to purchase this domain, however, was out of a desire to help those who struggle in the ministry; which from my experience is most of us at some point in our career.  Pastors and ministers struggle with burnout, temptations, finances, relationships, conflict, and often just from being in unhealthy church or ministry environments.  Sometimes their pain is mild, but many times the struggles are major and at risk is one of God’s servants.  The Kingdom suffers because the equippers of the saints are unhealthy.  I want to help. 

Pastors who are hurting may need financial advice, counseling, rest, accountability, career advice, wisdom, re-energizing and encouragement and sometimes even correction in a loving way.  When they receive guidance and strength they are able to better serve the Kingdom of God and God gets the glory. 

As with many of the ministries I have been involved with, when you have a passion for something or God places something on your heart, you tend to find opportunities to use the skills God has given you.   It seems like every week I run across another hurting pastor.  The time to act is now. 

Well, with the help of my good friend Tony Hill, who just happens to share my heart in this area of helping pastors, we’ve decided to take another look at this domain name. Over the next few weeks and months we’ll be adding resources to the site and re-launch it.  If you have ideas or know of resources, please let me know.  You can comment here or email me at ron.edmondson@gmail.com. 

This morning on the radio we looked at Psalm 119.  I love the heart of the Psalmist. It seems from reading that he has had a taste of the goodness of God and of following His ways and he is vowing to never walk apart from a life of devotion to God again.   That’s the heart I seek.     

Look at the words of the Psalmist and see his passion. 

Psalms 119:33-38

Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.

Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.

Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.

Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.

 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;

preserve my life according to your word.  

Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared.  

(NIV…emphasis mine)

Yet the Psalmist had apparently lived long enough to know himself.  He would make a vow, but then normalcy would set in again and, if not careful, he’d be right back to living to please himself again.  He dreaded that return to the mundane Christian experience.   

Continue to look at his words:

Verse 39-40

Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good.

How I long for your precepts!  Preserve my life in your righteousness. (NIV….emphasis mine)

It reminds me of what happened to Jonah in the belly of a fish.  He cried out to God with a heavy realization of what truly is valuable in life:

Jonah 2:8

“Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.  (NIV….emphasis mine)

God, help me today not to sacrifice your grace for the seemingly glamorous temporary pleasures and trappings of this world. 

Our community group is going through Purpose Driven Life.  For some of us this is a refresher and for others it is the first time.  (Interestingly, everyone in the group owned a copy of the book, but not everyone had read it.)  Last night we considered week two.  As a supplement to the book, I asked these questions.  We had lots of good discussions and I’m still pondering my answers. 

1. What does it mean “to please God”? 

    Do you believe your life brings God pleasure? 

2. How do you feel about the statement: Worship is not for your benefit? 

3. What is something your children do that makes you smile?  

    Would you rather have your children’s time or a plaque for the wall? 

    Do you want your children to trust you? 

    How do you think these the answers to these questions translate to your relationship with God?

4. If it’s true God smiles when we trust Him completely, is He smiling now about your trust in Him? 

    Where are you struggling/need to trust Him more? 

    Where are you struggling/need to obey Him more? 

5. What is one fear/worry/burden you need to surrender to God? 

6. What is the greatest barrier you have to prayer?

7. Have you weathered a time when God seemed distant?

      What did you do? 

8. How has your relationship with God changed over the years?

Spend some time considering these questions and your own answers to them.