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“We
are a Christian fellowship that glorifies God through worshiping,
teaching His Word, evangelizing and ministering to the community.”
This Vision Statement is used to guide and remind LH to be a Church
family that is committed to bring glory to our gracious God as we live
out the Great Commandment and Great Commission. As individuals and
corporately, we are given the opportunity to join the Creator of the
Universe, the only True God, our Savior and Lord in reaching others
with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In many ways, this statement is the exact foundation of The Man
Class. We want to help men embrace and be embraced by the gracious
love of God. Jesus, the God-man, demonstrated that love so
sacrificially and completely, as our Savior and role-model. It is the
gospel that needs to so personally impact men that we are excited and
energized more by Christ’s purpose for us than anything else this world
offers. Paul Coughlin, in his powerful book, No More Christian Nice
Guys, captures the essence of the men this class seeks to help
develop. He says, “Purpose will finally enliven your days and bless
your sleep. Hope will grow, and with it daring belief that God, who
deep inside you thought was your greatest critic, is really your
supreme advocate. Your better life will become a living testimony to
his redemptive grace.”
This is an exciting time!
The Man Class will set men free to be the men that God always meant
for them to be, helping them to never settle for being less than God’s
powerful world-changers of faith. In this class, we will face our
hurts, our pride, our fears, our pain, our passivity, our anger, our
loves and how God desires to use all that as a part of His plan. We
will see that if we as men don’t get this right and help women see why
we need to get this right, then we will keep seeing boys grow up to be
older boys rather than Godly men.
Unapologetically, this is a time and a place where all men need to
sacrifice and invest as we join in a worldwide movement to raise up a
generation and class of men that are holy, powerful, responsible and
mighty followers of Jesus Christ. We will learn together as a band of
brothers, fighting together for God’s desire for masculinity. I am
asking the men of Living Hope in Bryan and College Station, New Life
and any other men who you sense have a hunger to risk everything to
find healing, friendship and a renewed passion to impact eternity. Our
wives or future wives, our children or future children and many
generations to come will be better as we are set free to be men likethe
mighty men of the Bible. Do you know a man that needs this training?
Are you such a man? Will you help other men?
When does the class start? It already has. So much of what makes
us men, or at least what we think makes us men, has been taught to us
by other men and women. You have already prayed about this, probably
cried about this and studied this. The feedback, resource suggestions,
questions and frustrations that have been shared, show me that I am
right. Men, what have you learned about being a man? What is a man?
Write it down! Buy a cheap spiral notebook and write down what you
think it takes to be a man and, specifically, a man of God. What you
write down will give great insight into why you are the way you are.
Pray about and study this description. After you do this, list
essential traits of Biblical manhood and real struggles for men. Please
do this!
My research has shown me that much of the problem of men’s ministries
is that they are event focused rather than time focused. While a man
can have a great emotional experience at an event like Promise Keepers,
it will never last without those principles being reinforced and
applied over time. Typically, men need time to change, to truly buy-in
to what God is doing. Most men get stuck in a rut and never see the
need or have modeled before them the way to get out. Perhaps, that’s
you or a man you love. Excitedly, once a man buys-into something, they
generally buy-in with all they have. Their schedule, their checkbook
and their lives change as they are convinced that something is truly
important. Nothing is more important for a man than being a man as God
has made him.
The Man Class returns on Wednesday nights at 8:45 p.m., starting on February 17th. Whether you have taken this class before or not, you are welcome to be a part of this male-bonding ritual that seeks to help boys become men and men to become mighty men for the glory of God. This is an exciting time for married and single men alike as we seek to lead and be the lead lovers and servants of God. There is no need to sign up, but there is a need to prepare if you plan to be a part of this class. Our text will be Six Battles that Every Man Must Win, by Bill Perkins. Read and take notes on the first two chapters in preparation for our first meeting together on February 17th. Start praying now for the spiritual warfare that will break out as you and other men come together to fight for Biblical manhood.
The first three Man Class assignments:
1. Write down your definition of manhood. List some traits of Biblical manhood. Write down struggles common to men. Pray about your responses and your own life.
2. Buy the book and read and take notes on at least the first two chapters before February 17th. Don’t buy
the book and think you can do this on your own. Pray for men!
3. Show up on Wednesday, February 17th at 8:45 p.m., room #200. We will not meet March
17th (Spring Break). Our last class will be April 14th. We will practice and
grow together the rest of our lives.
Let’s all pray together that we will experience God’s true love and be transformed into loving one another in the way He loves and teaches and calls us to love.
Butch
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