Exodus 34:6 says, "I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations" (NLT).
A lot of your men are affected by the "down stream" consequences of their parent’s, grandparent’s, and even great grandparent’s sins. For example, when a man abandons his family, he sets negative forces in motion that will impact his entire family lineage for several generations (at least).
Christ is a Redeemer, and no amount of pain and dysfunction is beyond his reach or interest. Nevertheless, once a cycle of brokenness begins it takes so much more emotional energy and so much more of society’s resources to restore what should have never been broken to begin with.
Teach your men to consider the costs of starting a cycle. Teach your men how to break the cycle. Make it a badge of honor in your church to be a cycle breaker. Make it a point of honor for men to say, "By God’s grace, it stops with me. I am going to set my family line on a whole new course for generations to come."
Yours for changed lives,
Patrick Morley, Ph.D.
Man in the Mirror
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Posted by
dwarrington |
Categories:
LifeBuilders |
Teach Your Men About the Bible
Teach your men how to read, study, and use their Bibles. Spurgeon once lamented that he could find ten men who would die for the Bible for every one who would actually read it.
Teach your men to trust the Bible. Early in his ministry Billy Graham attended a conference with some top seminary professors and intellectuals high up on a mountain in California. They told Mr. Graham their doubts about the Bible and showed him what they called the contradictions in the Bible.
He was young. He had only been out of school for a short while and was having his first experiences in preaching. These men were persuasive, and he began to doubt. Finally, he wandered out into the mountains, found a tree stump, and laid his open Bible on it.
"Oh, Lord," he said, "I do not understand everything in that book, but I accept it by faith as Your Word."
From that time his preaching was marked by a new and God-given authority. Preaching the Scriptures in the power of the Holy Spirit he has seen multiplied thousands turn to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith.
Teach your men:
- The Bible is for now. "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15:4).
- The Bible is truth. "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth" (John 17:17).
- The Bible is without error. "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar" (Proverbs 30:5-6).
- The Bible is effectual. It produces the intended result. "My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).
- The Bible is trustworthy. "The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple" (Psalm 19:7).
Our job as teachers is to explain the Bible, not explain it away. A Great Bible Teacher is not a Great Teacher of the Bible, but the Teacher of a Great Bible. We use Scripture to explain our experience, not our experience to explain Scripture. Without the Bible to guide you, every path not obviously evil will seem obviously worthwhile.
Yours for changed lives,
Patrick Morley, Ph.D.
Man in the Mirror
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Posted by
dwarrington |
Categories:
General News |
Church of God
Division of Church Ministries
Man in the Mirror Ministries