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Mount Hope Men’s Ministry
CHALLENGE #6 “Connect” Get to know one person from Church each week. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) NIV From the passage above it is easy to assign a generic meaning, to simply be kind to one another. However, loving someone is to invest yourself with your time and emotions. And as we are familiar referring to one another as brother and sister, an important question begs to be asked. Do we know one another like we know our biological family? In our church at Mt Hope, for example, you may recognize most everyone’s face, you may know half or more people’s names, but how many of your brothers and sisters’ lives do you know the intimate details of? This month’s challenge is designed to help us men “connect” with our brothers in a more meaningful and intimate way. Isn’t it difficult to genuinely love and care about people you don’t know? The more time you spend with a man, the more you get to know him and he you. The better you know each other, a bond forms. And it is inside of those bonds that we are able to truly love one another. It is inside of those bonds that we are able to gladly carry each other’s burdens. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) NIV “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40) NIV Brothers, did you catch what Jesus said there? He said that loving you neighbor is like loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Wow! The kind of love he was talking about is intense. Let’s not miss this important command from Jesus. The command to “love one another” appears at least sixteen times in the New Testament and is the dominant theme woven throughout all of Jesus’ teachings, as well as the apostles. So, what are we supposed to do with this? Since we know it is of immense importance to God that we love one another, let’s get busy loving! And one of first steps we can take toward loving is getting to know one another. Here are a few practical steps we can take: • Since we are men, let's focus on connecting with other men. • The next time you attend church, pick out a man that you have never spent time with, or rarely talk to, and talk to him. • Ask him if he would like to get together for coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner, or perhaps an activity that you may both enjoy. • Make a plan. Set a day and time. • Exchange contact info. • When you get together, ask questions, get to know your brother. • Ask him about his walk with Jesus. • Ask about his family. That’s it. This may be the easiest challenge for most, while for some it may be difficult. For some it may require stepping out of your comfort zone. But for everyone who participates in this challenge, remember this, we are brothers in God’s family and it pleases God to see his sons loving each other.
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Mount Hope Men’s Ministry
CHALLENGE #5 Kindness 1 Act of Kindness Each Day “ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14) NIV Today, we live in a world full of “self.” We live in a culture that teaches us to pursue our own success and comfort. However, the holy scriptures tell us otherwise. So, what does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? Well, it begins with turning our focus away from self, and looking toward our neighbor, brother, sister, co-worker, even toward strangers. In this, the 5th challenge, we will embark on a journey outside of our own needs and wants. We will exercise the unselfish pursuit of loving others through simple acts of kindness. It has become far too easy, even commonplace, to pass by another human being who needs assistance. Why don’t we see it? Why don’t we help? Mostly, it’s because our modern culture has taught us to focus on ourselves – in direct opposition to God’s will. So, let’s change that! Of course, Scripture is our greatest guide. What does God have to say about being kind? “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:12) NIV “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:17-18) NIV “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) NIV No doubt, loving others is not just a command of God, but also aligns us with the very nature of God – for we know that God is love. And if we are truly “in” Jesus, if we truly understand what pleases God, which means loving others, we will naturally want to show it. My encouragement to you is this; don’t pass up any opportunity to be kind to another person whom God has created. Look for someone to help. Look for someone to bless. Let people see God living in you through your kindness. Who knows – someone may take notice and ask you why you are so kind. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) NIV Tips For This Challenge: • Pray that God will give you and show you the opportunities to be kind to others. • Be aware of the people around you every day, those who you may be able to help (a family member, a friend, a co-worker, a stranger). • Take the time to lend a helping hand to someone who may need it. • Have the mindset of being a servant – to help others, even if they don’t ask. • Perhaps you may pay for someone’s lunch. • Offer to cut your neighbor’s grass. • When you help someone, or when you do some act of kindness, smile at them and tell them “God bless you.” • Make it your goal to be a living ambassador of Jesus. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” (2 Corinthians 5:20) NIV Mount Hope Men’s Ministry
CHALLENGE #4 Encourage / Bless Others Every Day If you have been participating in the first three challenges, you may have noticed that all three are more focused on you and how you interact with God. In this, the fourth challenge, we will begin to shift our efforts outward toward those around us. This month we will try and spread blessings to others through words of encouragement. But what does the bible say about encouragement? Why is it important? “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24) NIV “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13) NIV A close look at these two verses reveals some useful insights – all of which are important and relevant to us today. The first thing is that spurring one another on toward love and good deeds is tied together with meeting face to face. Of course, the early church did not have access to email, phones, and text messaging. However, since we do, we should take advantage of it. We have little excuse for not communicating often with so much technology at our disposal. The second thing to note is the importance of encouraging one another. Through encouraging one another we can help others from becoming hardened and losing awareness to sin. Encouraging words are powerful! They can lift us out of tiredness in our spirit. When people recognize God’s character in someone, then point it out to that person, a few simple kind words can completely change someone’s day, week, year, perhaps their life. Encouragement can certainly give a tired person endurance. And we have the power to give that blessing to others. Researchers have discovered that when a person is encouraged, endorphins are released in the brain which immediately elevates mood and can even strengthen the immune system – which helps keep us from getting sick. Wow! Why would we not use the power of our words to help others? “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.” (Romans 15:5) NIV Some Practical Tips:
“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.” (Ephesians 4:29) Words are powerful. So, let’s get busy putting our power to good use! Let’s bless at least one person each day. Mount Hope Men’s Ministry
CHALLENGE #3 Pray, Read, Listen Each Day “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:1-2) NIV In the previous two challenges we practiced reading scripture and praying. Hopefully you have been able to carve out time in your schedule to exercise these basic disciplines. In this, the third challenge, we are going to combine challenge one with challenge two but add in a third discipline, listening to God. Let me first clarify what is meant by “listening” to God. With God all things are possible, so it is not impossible to hear God’s audible voice. However, for this exercise, we will participate in the most common way that God speaks to us. And that is through scripture. God, the Holy Spirit, reveals the truth of his word by conviction. That conviction may come while reading or while contemplating what you have just read. It’s important to first pray that God will speak to you while you read his word. When something begins to grab your attention, stop! and meditate on what you just read. This is a powerful work that the Holy Spirit does for believers. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26) NIV Some bible translations use the word “helper” instead of “advocate.” Rest assured that God has not left us alone to navigate scripture, or our lives, without his help. Challenge number three is where learn to lean on the Holy Spirit’s understanding and not our own. If we train ourselves to do this more and more, imagine the powerful impact it will have on our journey as followers of Jesus. “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”—the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10) NIV Tips & Helpful Advice: Before you read your Bible, pray! Pray for God, the Holy Spirit, to reveal specific things that you need to hear. My advice would be to focus on a single Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Read small passages at a time (a few verses, or a paragraph). Pause. Don’t be in a hurry to keep reading. Stop and think about what you read. In your mind, ask God to show you how it applies to your spiritual life, even to your physical life. If nothing comes to mind right away, re-read the passage with hunger to understand the deeper meaning. Pray again. Press in. Be hungry for God to feed you his truth. Whatever you receive, be thankful. When you are done, say a closing prayer full of gratitude-giving thanks to God for the time you spend together in his word. Encouragement: Trust in God’s timing. His timing is perfect. Exercise your faith that God will reveal what HE wants you to know when the time is right. You are valuable to the God of all creation. You are valuable enough to him that he sacrificed his own son on a cross for you. But he also raised his son from the dead. He will certainly raise us also. In the meantime, we have work to do and we will be more effective in that work if we stay close to him. Stay close by staying in prayer, stay in his word, stay in the Holy Spirit. “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4) NIV Pray to God / Talk to God
5 Times Each Day If regular daily prayer is not your strong suit, don’t worry! This challenge is much easier than you may think. If you eat three meals per day, and you say a prayer of thanks before each meal, then three of your five daily prayers are covered. If you read your bible twice a day, and you pray before you read, then that’s two more. Now you have prayed five times in a single day. You see, this really is an easy challenge. Perhaps start with five prayers per day and try adding more. If you consider talking to God in your thoughts throughout the day, then your daily total becomes irrelevant. The point is to make the effort to talk to God and pray more and more. If you think God doesn’t hear your prayers, consider this: “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoke.” (Matthew 12:36) So, if every empty word will be accounted for, how much more will our prayers be heard? Food for thought. “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:5-7) “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) Aside from praying over meals, and the fact that we are commanded to pray, let me offer some other reasons to pray:
If you want to add more depth to your prayers (highly recommended), and experience more spiritual growth, consider the kinds of prayers you offer to God. The following are some ways in which you can pray and really experience a closeness to God:
Finally, here are some quotes regarding the importance of prayer from some of the great preachers, teachers, and men of God, of the past couple centuries. “Work as if you were to live a hundred years, pray as if you were to die tomorrow.” (Benjamin Franklin) “The great people of the earth today are the people who pray, not those who talk about prayer.” (S.D. Gordon) “To get nations back on their feet, we must first get on our knees.” (Billy Graham) “Work, work, from morning until late at night. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall have to spend the first three hours in prayer.” (Martin Luther) “If the church is to be what it ought to be for the purposes of God, we must train it in the holy art of prayer.” (Charles Spurgeon) “The true believer can no more live without prayer, than without food day by day.” (George Whitefield) Read Scripture
for 30 Minutes Each Day In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, scripture records that: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” As we discussed at the first Saturday morning gathering at Mt Hope, we know that it is through our struggles that we grow. It is by being challenged that we confront our weaknesses and work toward becoming stronger. In this case, we are focused on becoming stronger men of God. Scripture is full of blessings and encouragement as well as commands and warnings. So, let’s not shy away from the more difficult passages, the ones that perhaps make us feel a little uncomfortable. Jesus taught things that were challenging and uncomfortable and so did the apostles as they established the first churches. My encouragement to you is to highlight and take special care to stop and think about those passages. Sometimes, a single verse may seem weighty. “How can anyone obey that command?” or perhaps “that verse doesn’t apply to me.” Whatever you read in scripture, particularly in the New Testament, I challenge you to anticipate the harder things. Be on the lookout for them. Then pray about it. Meditate on it. Discuss those passages with your challenge group. Below is a list of New Testament Books to read, although it is not necessarily a complete and comprehensive list, it will help point you to the parts that will certainly challenge you. Recommended Reading:
Tips & Helpful Advice:
Well, that’s it in a nutshell. The most difficult part of this challenge is setting aside the time to do it. One way to begin getting in the habit of reading your bible is to carry your bible with you everywhere you go – just like your wallet or cellphone. Powerful Quotes: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) “Some people like to read so many Bible chapters every day. I would not dissuade them from the practice, but I would rather lay my soul soak in half a dozen verses all day than rinse my hand in several chapters. Oh, to be bathed in a text of Scripture, and to let it be sucked up in your very soul, till it saturates your heart!” (Charles Spurgeon) “If you are ignorant of God’s Word, you will always be ignorant of God’s will.” (Billy Graham) |
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August 2024
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Jesus said, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, & with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” - Matt. 22:37-39
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