Church of God LifeBuilders

I’m teaching a new series at The Man in the Mirror Bible Study here in Orlando called Hanging Out With Jesus. The men really seem to like it. The current message is "Jesus: The First Thirty Years."

I put together what I thought was a pretty funny list of questions about the "unknown" Jesus.

• Did his boyhood friends tease him? If so, did he use his powers against them?
• What kind of games did he play? Did he ever lose?
• Did he ever get a spanking?
• When he scraped a knee did he cry? Did he heal himself?
• When he sat for SATs did he get a perfect score?
• Did he date? Can you imagine your daughter dating Jesus? (That would be like dating Tim Tebow).
• What did people make of him remaining a bachelor?
• Did his workmanship put the other carpenters out of business?
• Did he ever bang his thumb with a hammer and, if so, did he yell his own name?

Yours for changed lives,

Patrick Morley, PhD

Man in the Mirror

¿Alguna vez se ha preguntado cómo puede conocer a Dios de un modo personal y disfrutar un tiempo de calidad con él? ¿Será posible vivir de la manera en que Él espera y hacer una verdadera diferencia en el mundo? ¿Tendrá éxito en sus negocios? ¿En su familia? ¿Sabe cómo llenarse del Espíritu Santo? ¿Cómo reconoce y resiste a la tentación y el pecado? ¿Cómo sabe cuáles son sus dones y cómo debe utilizarlos? ¿Por qué es importante rendir cuentas? Fundamentos de los Edificadores de Vida es un curso de discipulado para hombres que les ayuda a tratar con estos asuntos y mucho más. Ya sea como un estudio individual o grupal, es un libro indispensable para usted y para todo hombre que anhele andar más de cerca e íntimamente con el Señor.

Para obtener más información, visite la página del producto.

Teach your men about anger. Anger is a gender issue. As many as 3,000,000 women a year are physically abused by their husbands or boyfriends (2% per year). Of all the people incarcerated, 93% are male. Men commit suicide 300% more often than women. Depression has been described as "frozen rage."

To have an angry spirit is to be easily provoked to anger. Ecclesiastes 7:9 says:

"Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools."

Most men with an angry spirit have not been fathered (or mothered) well.

Personally, when teaching on anger in 2007, I felt compelled to write a letter to my adult children. In that letter I confessed that I had "an angry spirit" when they were growing up and asked their forgiveness. By God’s grace, he has healed me of an angry spirit, and my children readily extended forgiveness. I had to work this out with my wife too. Professional Christian counseling was a big help. Tell your men that their pride may make it hard to humble themselves and ask forgiveness. But the joy of reconciliation and wholeness is well worth it.

Patrick Morley, Ph.D.

Man in the Mirror

The current information on the Regional LifeBuilders conferences is as follows:

• General Information: Dates, venues and accomodations
• Specific Conference Information
  • Los Angeles, CA (April 5, 2008)
  • Louisville, KY (April 11-12, 2008)
  • Baltimore, MD (April 11-12, 2008)
  • Atlanta, GA (April 18-19, 2008)

Further information and registration can be found here.

When I ask pastors and lay leaders, "What is a disciple?" they often don’t have a ready answer. In fact, one time I was part of a panel talking about discipleship and someone from the audience asked, "Exactly what do you mean when you say ‘disciple’?" The panelists started shuffling their papers. Since I am a one trick pony and this is my trick, I fielded the question. Here’s what I said:

We all know that the Greek word, mathetes, means a "learner" or "pupil." When applied to the early Christians, the term "disciple" came to mean someone who had declared a personal allegiance to the teachings and person of Jesus.

Here’s a good working definition:

A disciple is someone called to live in Christ, equipped to live like Christ, and sent to live for Christ.

First, a disciple is someone who is called to profess faith in Jesus Christ (this is the "evangelism" piece). Second, they are equipped in an ongoing process of spiritual growth and transformation (this is the "teaching" piece). Third, they are sent to abide in Christ, love, and serve (this is the "go" piece). So the disciple is in Christ, like Christ, and for Christ.

An outline of this is shown below:

• TEXT  -  CALL  -   EQUIP  -  SEND

• Mt 28:18-20 -   Baptize in name of Father, Son, Spirit   -   Teach to obey   -  Go and make disciples
• Luke 6:47  -  Comes to me  -  Hears my words   -  Puts them into practice
• 2 Ti 3:15-17  -  Salvation through faith in Christ Jesus  -  Teach, rebuke, correct, train to thoroughly equip  -  For every good work
• Isaiah 6:7-8   -  Guilt taken away and sin atoned for  -  Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?
• Acts 26:20   -  Repent and turn to God  -  Prove repentance by deeds
• Eph 2:8-10  -  Saved by grace through faith  -  To do good works
• Mat 13:37-38  -  Love God with all heart, soul, mind  -  Love neighbor as yourself
• John 3:3   -  Must be born again
• Mat 7:24   -   Hear my words   -  Put into practice
• 2 Ti 2:2   -  Truths you heard me teach  -  Teach to trustworthy people to teach others
• John 13:34-35  -  All men know my disciples if you love one another (Rom 13:7) (Luke 7:12)
• John 8:31-31   - If abide in my teaching really my disciples
• John 15:9  - Bear much fruit showing self to be my disciples
• Luke 7:12   -  Do to others what would want done to you. Sums up law and prophets.
• Gen 1:27-28  -  Be fruitful, fill, subdue, and rule over Creation (Psa 8:6-8)

 Calling, equipping, and sending are the "trinity" of making disciples. They form the learning process that forges men into passionate followers of Jesus. Isn’t that what we all want?

Discipleship is not merely having the right information–although that is important. It includes everything that moves men along toward spiritual maturity. That could be a sermon, an encouraging or inspiring word in the hall, getting a cup of coffee together, a Sunday school lesson, a home Bible study, a small group experience, teaching Sunday school, volunteering to work in the homeless shelter, leading someone to Christ, or setting up chairs for the mission conference. Anything that calls, equips, or sends.

On the other hand, if what you are doing doesn’t call, equip, or send someone is it really even worth the effort?

Yours for changed lives,

Patrick Morley, Ph.D.

Man in the Mirror

Resurrection Breakfast promotional ad material is now available.  Just click on the ad you want below and the pdf file will download.

Click here to view and order Resurrection Breakfast resources.

The International Lay Ministries Board of Directors honors exemplary Church of God laymen through a biennial induction ceremony to the Hall of Christian Excellence.  Established in 1986, the Hall now has 370 inductees who are dedicated and gifted laypersons from around the world.  Their names are prominently displayed in the Church Ministries Center in the Church of God International Offices complex.  Mr. Harold Woods, Board Chairman, says, This is the highest honor we can bestow upon the great laymen of the Church of God and it is a fitting way to perpetuate their memory.  Some of the outstanding men who have passed away have been inducted posthumously.

Each layman elected is presented with a beautiful individual plaque and his name is engraved on a gold-embossed plate which is then added on an attractive wall-sized plaque with all of the other recipients.  Also, each person who receives this award is featured in the General Assembly News.

If you are a Pastor or other leader in the Church of God and know of a layman who is eligible for this award, you can download the following documents for more information and an application form:

• Criteria for Being Inducted into the Hall of Christian Excellence
• Recommendation Form

Please also note the following in submitting nominations:

1. Any layman is eligible (state lay board members, men’s ministry officers, etc.; also, men previously nominated but not inducted can be resubmitted).
2. Up to three names can be submitted from each state (duplicate form or ask for more).  A recommendation letter from the Church of God state or region is also necessary for consideration for nomination.
3. Qualifications should be listed on the Recommendation Form.
4. If possible, the recipient should attend the International Laity and Pastors Luncheon on August 8, during the 2008 General Assembly.
5. Laymen can be inducted posthumously (if there is a qualified layman who has gone on to Glory, he can still be considered for induction).

All applications must be received by February 27, 2008.

Note: women are also eligible for induction into the Hall of Christian excellence.  For information on nomination of women, visit the Church of God Women’s Ministries site.

Much has been made about the "men problem."

You can hear about it on Oprah. You can read about it in Time. You can watch the destruction it creates with Dr. Phil.

School teachers can barely educate for lack of it. Social services are overwhelmed because of it. Employers are stumped by it. Law enforcement feels the brunt of it. The penal system is full of it. Politicians don’t know what to do with it. Candidates avoid it. 

Academics have assembled alarming statistics to prove it. Health care professionals make convincing reports to document the human cost of it. Cable shows rant at it. Talk radio has all the answers for it. Movies glamorize it. Television commercials mock it.

Divorce courts are at capacity because of it. Once promising families have been ripped apart by it. Women soak their pillows with tears as a result of it. Children grow up in poverty as a consequence of it. Teenagers experiment with drugs and sex to cope with it. 

Everyone is concerned about it. Many address the consequences of it. A lot of money gets spent to treat the symptoms of it.

We open teenage pregnancy centers, establish substance abuse centers, increase budgets for social services, build homes for battered women, authorize more jail space, put extra beds in our homeless shelters, increase the number of law enforcement officers, and fit our schools with metal detectors to deal with it. 

Yet very few people are doing anything that will change the root of it.

It is among the most pervasive social, economic, political, and spiritual problems of all time. 

And we have the solution. It’s not easy. It’s not glamorous. It won’t win you awards. It’s hard to fund. Yet, as we begin 2008, can you think of any cause that has more potential to build Christ’s kingdom than discipling men?

Someone has well said, "Until you find a cause worth dying for, you will not have a cause worth living for." Discipling men is such a cause. It’s the right thing to do. Let’s each prayerfully ask God to give us renewed passion, determination, and wisdom to disciple men as we begin 2008. 

Good things are happening. It’s going to be a great year.

Yours for changed lives,
 

Patrick Morley, Ph.D.

Man in the Mirror