15 PAX and 26º

DISCLAIMER
PRAYER
COP

• Through The Tunnel 10 IC
• Merkins 10 IC
• Side Straddle Hops 20 IC

THE THANG

Get into a line by height. Divide into three groups of 5 or 6. (Note: At start time, we only had 14 so… The biggest guys went with a four-man team.)

• Event 1: Truck Push
  Push my Ford Expedition clockwise, around the Farmer’s Market pavilion AMLAP until time is called. Team should change driver at the top and bottom of each lap, performing a “fire drill” (running around the car two times while saying “woo woo woo”) before continuing. Rinse, repeat.
• Event 2: Log Carry
  Carry the provided log counter-clockwise, around the Farmer’s Market pavilion AMLAP until time is called. Team should perform 10 Overhead Presses at the top and bottom of each lap, then set the log down to perform six jumping side heel clicks while singing, “I’m a lumberjack and I’m OK. I sleep all night and I work all day” before continuing. Pick the log back up. Rinse, repeat.
• Event 3: Build A Wall
  Build a wall in the center of the amphitheater with the provided thirty pound cinder blocks. When complete, celebrate by doing 10 block burpees, singing, “Bob the builder. Can we fix it? Bob the Builder! Yes we can!” in unison once the group is finished. Then, carry the provided blocks from the center of the amphitheater to the top of the stairs, building a new wall, celebrating again with 10 block burpees and a song. Rinse, repeat.

  Note: A Block Burpee is a variation of a burpee with a thirty pound cinder block in hand. Start in a standing position, block held at waist level. Squat and place block on ground. Kick out into a Merkin position with hands on the block and perform one Block Merkin. Kick legs back up underneath your body and stand with block held at waist level and perform two Block Curls. Then, perform four overhead Block Presses. One Block Burpee, complete.

  Note: Teams will rotate between events every 10 minutes. QIC will call time

MARY

• Merkins 10 Count (hold)
• Plank 10 Count (counting by 1/8ths from two to one and 1/4s from one to zero)
• Boat/Canoe 10 IC

CIRCLE OF TRUST
PRAYER
MOLESKIN

What does it mean to be a man?

This Q was inspired a few days ago, when my fifteen year old son and I helped push a stranded truck a couple hundred yards down the road into a parking lot. After pushing the car, we were both breathing heavy and a little sweaty, but we felt great about the opportunity to have helped someone. As we got back to the car, my younger kids were cheering for us and smiling, like we were heroes that had saved the day. They were proud of us, and my fourteen year old daughter said, “Look. We’re inspiring the community.” It was a fun moment, and will be one of my family’s many great memories.

Almost immediately, The Holy Spirit began stirring up the idea of using my strength to serve others, and I was convicted about how often I use my strength (and strengths) not to serve others, but to serve myself and get my way.

The physical, emotional, and mental characteristics of manhood that are hard wired into most of us (strength, size, eagerness to be brave, emotional steadiness, desire to work hard, pride in performance, virility, etc) can be the driving force behind some really good things, but they can also be the areas in which we struggle the most. Strength can be used to defend or intimidate. Virility can motivate us, but it can tempt us to selfishness and perversion. Pride can compel us to work hard, but it can tempt us to hide our weaknesses and wear masks, which keeps us from feeling loved.

You get the idea, and I’m sure all of you know the struggle.

The Bible doesn’t distinguish a whole lot between genders regarding how we should act and what we should say and do. 1 Corinthians 13 (the love chapter) and Galatians 5:22-23 (the fruit of the Spirit) apply to us all, and have been some of the primary things I’ve submitted to, and written in front of my eyes as to how I should live. If you haven’t memorized those already, I recommend it. Man or woman, these characteristics describe how a loving, Spirit-filled person should act, speak, and live.

1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:4-7 – “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.”

Galatians‬ ‭5:22-23‬ – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

There are a few things that the Bible says specifically about men and fathers and husbands — things like: A husband will lay himself down for his wife like Christ laid Himself down for the church. That a good man will provide for his family physically, spiritually, and emotionally, building them up in the faith and training them in the way they should go.

I know this is long, but I wanted to include some additional passages that might help us set our hearts and minds on what the Bible says about manhood, and submit to the Holy Spirit to teach, remind, and help us embody them more and more in our character.

Philippians‬ ‭2:3-8‬ – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”

Matthew 5 – “Blessed are the… Poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger/thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted, the insulted…”

Micah 6:8
“And what does God require of you? To act justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Ephesians‬ ‭4:29-32‬ – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

2 Peter‬ ‭1:5-8‬ – “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In addition, there are passages that define good fathers as good teachers, patient, kind, humble, connected (take them by the hand), gentle, consistent, clear (write the vision, make it plain), and setting an example by doing what is good. Passages about husbands describe things like hard working, a good provider, protector, defender, servant, leader, mature, wise, humble, above reproach, pure, disciplined, faithful, patient, kind, available.

Finally, a husband should love his wife, give ourselves up for her as Christ gave himself for us, not be harsh, and should treat them with respect, as the weaker vessel (don’t expect of her what you expect of yourself). We’re equal in value. Different in kind.

Basically, we need to be whatever our wives and kids need us to be, as long as that doesn’t conflict with who God wants us to be.

The bottom line is this:

To follow Jesus’ lead on manhood means that we will suffer. We will set ourselves aside for the good of our wives, kids, and others. We will die to our own needs, and lay down our lives for them. Period. That’s what Jesus did and that’s what we’re called to do.

Crap.

All of this sets a high bar, so I want to throw one more thing out there so that we’re inspired by our calling, and not shamed by our inability to live up to it perfectly.

Hebrews‬ ‭12:1-2‬ – “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus scorned the shame that others tried to heap on Him. He didn’t defend Himself against it. He didn’t kick their butt. He didn’t refute the charges. He didn’t fight for His rightful position. He took the shame and disrespect and the burden of sin that men piled on Him, and he simply disregarded it. He scorned it.

That’s been a good word for me. When I’m tempted by the voices in my head to say “I deserve this sin” or “They deserve to be punished.” or “I need this” or “They shouldn’t get away with that.” I don’t have to be a slave to anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, or shame. I can simply disregard it. I can not let it stick. It doesn’t have to be a part of who I am.

For I am a created, beloved son of God. What can man do to me? Others’ expectations aren’t the standard. Others’ opinions aren’t the standard. My performance isn’t the standard. God’s standard is the standard, and Jesus already met it on our behalf. If we’ll quit fighting and striving and just receive that, we can be free — free to use our strengths for others’ good and for God’s glory. And man, is that a good place to be.

We are created, beloved, secure, confident, strong sons of God working for an eternal glory that far outweighs any trouble, trial, or burden we will be asked to carry in this life.

So… Let’s get it done, and encourage one another on toward love and good deeds.

I’m praying for you men as I post this. I love, respect, and am inspired by you. You’re all studs.

– – – – –

P.S. Craig Groeschel ends his monthly leadership podcast with this statement, which I’ve tried to take to heart.

People would rather follow someone who is always real than someone who is always right.

Jesus set a high bar — one that none of us can meet. We’re not called to be Jesus. We’re called to follow Him, and lead our families to follow Him as well. We’re sons too, sometimes leading, and sometimes just pointing the way. Often, being honest and humble about our failures is the best way we can do both.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

F3 Kingsport has invited all PAX and all AO’s to a convergence coffeeteria on Saturday, December 2nd at 8:15 at Bob Evans on Boone’s Creek. Come out if you can. It’s good to stay connected to the region and this is a great way to do it.