F3 Knoxville

“What we do with our dash matters”

THE SCENE:   50ish and clear.  Perfect for a beatdown.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Phelps
  • RFTS/LIH
  • Finkle swings
  • Willy Mays Hays
  • Merkins
  • Down/Up dog
  • Quick mosey

THA THANG:

11s at the hill.  Star jacks, up the hill, derkins

 

Mosey to the field

Starting in the endzone – 10 burpees, 10 merkins, 10 (4-ct) LBCs.

Sprint to the other endzone and decrease rep count by one – 9 burpees, 9 merkins, and 9 LBCs

Repeat until you finish 1 burpee (10 rounds).

 

Mosey to the 50-yard line.  Guantanamo

 

Mosey to the 20-yard line:

  • 5 monkey humpers
  • 4 shoulder taps
  • 3 diamond merkins
  • 2 donkey kicks
  • 1 broad jump
  • Repeat until you get to the endzone.

Jelly Legs:  30 second Al Gore, 30 squats, sprint.  20 second Al Gore, 20 squats, sprint.  10 seconds Al Gore, 10 squats, sprint.

Bear crawl

MARY:

Mary – PAX choice

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

Me and 9 of the best men I know.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

The inspiration for the Word came from Caveman.  Last time I led at Shamrock, I talked in the BOM about legacy.  Living in such a way that we leave the legacy that we want to leave.  After the workout, he made the comment, “What we do with our ‘dash’ matters….”.  What was he talking about?  He meant, that one day your body will be ash and there will be a tombstone with your name on it.  It will have the day you were born and the day that you died – and in between, there will be a DASH.  That dash represents today, this week, this year.  You are living that DASH.  What we do with our ‘dash’ matters.

  • Are you doing your utmost to use your precious few years wisely?
  • Perhaps there is a hatchet that needs to be buried
  • Perhaps there is a neglected relationship that needs investment.
  • Perhaps there is a bad habit you need to put to death
  • Perhaps there is a good habit you need to build into your lifestyle
  • Are you using your precious few years wisely?

Psalm 39:4-5, “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.”

Psalm 90:12, “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.”

MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Howl

THE SCENE:  Cool, moist, dark
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Phelps
  • LIH
  • Moroccan Nightclub
  • Werewolves
  • O.A.T. Planks
  • Doubletap squats

THA THANG:

Mosey to King College lot for “Toss O’ War”.  Form 2 teams for a competition.  There are two lines of cones separated by 200’, and a 20# medicine ball in the middle.  Perform exercise at your cones, sprint to the ball, and throw it as far as you can toward the other team.  You cannot touch the ball while it is in the air, but once it hits the ground you can stop it.  Play for 5 minutes, then call a winner.  Exercises were;

  1. 25 Carolina dry docks
  2. 30 O.A.T. Planks (15 each side)
  3. 25 4-count flutter kicks
  4. 20 Iron Mikes
  5. 40 Merkins
  6. 20 Doubletap squats
  7. 20 mountain climbers
  8. 35 LBCs
  9. 15 Shoulder taps (4 ct)
  10. 30 Imp lunges (15 each side)
  11. 25 Star Jacks
  12. 15 Donkey Kicks

Mosey to AWW Hill for “Wolves Hunt the Rabbit”.  There are 14 trees going up the hill.  One PAX – the “rabbit” – starts at tree #5 and does 2 burpees per tree, then sprints to the next.  The rest of the PAX – the “wolf pack” start at tree #1 and does 1 burpee per tree and sprint to the next.  Will the wolves catch the rabbit?

Mosey to the steps to nowhere.  One PAX names a core exercise, then sprints to the top of the steps and back.  Continue until all PAX have gone.

2 rounds of Howling Monkeys.  Run back down.

Run back for another round of Toss O’ War.

MARY:

2 minutes left – dealers choice

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

Me and 15 of the best men I know

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Wolves are both fierce and tenderhearted.  We should be as well.

  • “The righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).
  • “Blessed is the one who remains steadfast under trial” (James 1:12).
  • “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

When life requires it of you, be ready to spring into action with zealousness – fierceness – intensity! You should be alert, vigilant, fearsomely protective, fiercely loyal to your pack…   Continue to be strong in the ways that count.

But simultaneously

be soft in the ways that count.

  • Be tenderhearted with your loved ones (Ephesians 4:32).
  • Show humility.  Have sympathy for those less fortunate.  (1 Peter 3:8)
  • Avoid arguing.  Speak evil of no one.  Be gentle and courteous (Titus 3:2)

Be approachable and relatable for your kids – and be patient with them.  Show affection and make yourself emotionally available to your wife – pamper her.

To be a wolf is to be a fearsome warrior, but it is also to be tender nurturer.  You are called to be both.

MOLESKIN:

Prayers for Wanderer and his father, Solomon

Prayers for Data

Prayers for Booster and his family

Hat tip to Levi Lusko

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Dynamite

THE SCENE:   31 and clear
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  
WARM-O-RAMA:
 

  • Projectivators
  • Cherry pickers
  • RFTS / LIH
  • Merkins
  • Imp Lunges
  • OAT Planks
  • Doubletap Squats
  • Mosey

THA THANG:

10 stations laid out in a 2×5 grid.  Perform exercises, alternating between sprint and bear crawl to get from one station to the next.  Exercises were;

  • 25 Carolina dry docks
  • 30 monkey humpers
  • 25 4-count flutter kicks
  • 20 Iron Mikes
  • 40 Merkins
  • 20 Doubletap squats
  • 20 mountain climbers
  • 35 LBCs
  • 15 Shoulder taps (4 ct)
  • 30 Imp lunges (15 each side)

Short mosey.

B.O.M.B.S.  P1 runs a loop while P2 does exercises.  Switchero.

  • 50        Burpees
  • 100      O.A.T. Planks
  • 150      Merkins
  • 200      BBS
  • 250      Squats

Get home!

MARY:

One minute left – Betty called burpees

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

Me and 10 of the best men I know

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

The Word this morning was about “legacy”.

We started by wishing a very happy birthday to Alfred Nobel, who was born Oct 21, 1833 – he would be 189 years old if he were still with us today.  You’ll know his name from the prestigious prizes given for advances in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, and Peace – but are you familiar with how he made his fortune?  He was a prolific inventor – and held 355 patents.  His most famous and most lucrative invention was dynamite.

In F3, we call fitness “The Magnet” – it is probably why you came out here in the first place.  We call the fellowship “The Glue” – it is probably why you keep coming out here.  And the faith, we call “The Dynamite”.  Faith is what fills the hole of purposelessness in your life.  Faith is a belief is something bigger than yourself that compels you to live for others above yourself.  “Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” – Martin Luther

There is a story about Alfred Nobel that goes like this…  When his brother died, a French newspaper mistakenly ran the obituary for Alfred.  The article was an unflattering account of his life – how he made his fortune selling armaments – saying he “found ways to kill more people faster than ever before” and summarized his passing with “the merchant of death is dead”.  Nobel read that and was appalled at the idea that he would be remembered in this way.  He wanted to leave a positive legacy in the world.  So, in his last will and testament he left nearly all of his vast fortune to establish a trust and institution which would annually recognize those who “conferred the greatest benefit to humankind”.

Here’s the question and application…  One day, your body will be ashes – and the memories and impressions that you leave on those who remain will be your legacy.  What is it going to be?  If you could, like Nobel, somehow read your own obituary, what would it say?  Would it be;

Unflattering?  “He was difficult to know, difficult to love, a slave to his vices…”

Neutral?  “He mostly pursued his own interests and comfort.  He lived an unremarkable existence

Or would your obituary describe the life of a high-impact man?  For generations, will your descendants tell stories of how they were blessed by your life?

Your best bet for leaving that positive legacy is NOT your job or position.  It is certainly not any THING that you will leave.  It’s NOT even the love you have for your family.  Your best bet for being a blessing to your family and leaving a positive legacy is…your dynamite – your faith.  “The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.” – Billy Graham.  “…Character”: A life lived with deep integrity will leave an enduring legacy.  “The righteous man walks with integrity, and his children are blessed after him.” Proverbs 20:7.  “…and Faith”: A life exhibiting faith in good times and bad will leave an enduring legacy.

Read Psalm 112 and think more on a meaningful legacy.  It tells us, “the generation of the upright will be blessed” and “the righteous…will be remembered forever”.  The Psalm goes on to describe a memorable man, a man who will leave a legacy of greatness.

  • He lives a righteous and blameless life (Verse 4)
  • When others disappoint him or don’t meet his expectations, that man…gives them grace (Verse 4).
  • When others wrong him, that man…shows mercy (Verse 4).
  • With his time and money, that man…is generous (Verses 5 and 9)
  • That man…loves justice (Verse 5)
  • That man…is not afraid of the future because he trusts in the Lord (Verses 7-8)
  • To those who are less fortunate than him, that man…shows compassion (Verse 4)
  • That man…fears the Lord (Verse 1)

That’s a description of a man that I would certainly tell stories about long after he were gone.

MOLESKIN:

Psalm 112

1 Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!

2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice.

6 For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever.

7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.

8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.

9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor.

10 The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish!

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

F3 tent at the Oak Ridge Halloween event – Oct 27 6:00-8:00 PM

Brolympics Nov 5

Hot Pursuit

THE SCENE:   31 and clear
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Skipped for you bunch of veterans
WARM-O-RAMA:
 

  • Michael Phelps
  • RFTS / LIH
  • Growing arm circles
  • Imperial walkers
  • Squats
  • Down/up dogg
  • Merkins
  • Mosey to the pool wall for 10 wall-ups

THA THANG:

Mosey to the playground;
Max pull-ups
Partner-up:  Max sit-ups in 1 minute

Mosey to the bell
Max merkins in 1 minute
1.5 miles for time

MARY:

Max burpees in 5 minutes

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

Me and 9 of the best men I know

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Once upon a time, I was dating a real hottie – the whole package; legs…hair…figure…smart…her sense of humor…  Incredibly – she seemed into me as well.  It was 18 years ago yesterday that we shared our first kiss on the patio of the Student Union at Oklahoma State.

I was crazy about that 19-year-old girl…and I did crazy things because of how I felt about her.  Like the time I drove to Houston just to spend a few hours with her – then turned around and drove back.  Or the time I tipped a mariachi band the entire contents of my wallet – a few hundred dollars – to play some songs at our table.

Back then, I was crazy about that young woman – who is now my wife.  I was nuts about her and was pursuing her to be my wife (mission accomplished!).

The Word we talked about this morning was “pursuit”.  We looked at two passages in Genesis.

First, in Genesis 2, God creates Adam – then Eve.  Adam writes this impromptu poetry about his wife saying, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”.  Scripture then says, this is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.  We often hear this passage read during marriage ceremonies…

and is united to his wife…”  Some other translations say “hold fast to his wife” or “bonds with his wife” – the Hebrew word there is from the root word dabaq.  That word is used 54 times in the Torah – often in the context of a CHASE.  In other context, the same word is translated “in hot pursuit” (1 Samuel 14), and “pursued hard after” (Judges 20).

When I was enamored with that young woman, “debaq” could have described our relationship – I was in hot pursuit!

There is another story of pursuit later in Genesis – this time in Chapter 29.

Jacob was looking for a wife – he meets and falls head over heels for Rachael.  He makes a deal with Rachael’s father to work for him for seven years in exchange for his daughter.  He does – he works for seven years and at the end of those years, Laban pulls a fast one and gives Jacob his other daughter, Leah.  Jacob complains “no, I’m supposed to marry Rachael” – and Laban agrees to give him Rachael as well – in exchange for another seven years of work.  And here’s the thing… Jacob gets Rachael – then continues to work for her after he already had her as his wife.

How amazing would our marriages be if we continued to work for our wives after we’d already married them?  What if we continued to be in hot pursuit of our spouse, like we were when we were dating?  If you want your marriage to THRIVE, pursue her like that again.  Pursue her mind.  Pursue her heart.  Pursue her spirit. 

If you are scrambling for ideas – here are some tips from the internet (written by a woman, so I suppose they are expert tips 😊)

  1. Write her a special note
  2. Plan some quality time with her and let her know in advance
  3. Tell her how you feel about her. Compliment her. You can never compliment her too much
  4. Tell her often that you love her or that you miss her
  5. Text her when you are thinking about her.

But also, men, nobody should know better than YOU how to pursue your wife.  You should be the world’s foremost expert on that.  Ending with a quote from John Piper…

“Don’t marry so you can stop pursuing women. Marry so you can perfect the pursuit of ONE woman for a lifetime.”

MOLESKIN:

  • I’d love to hear how you pursue your wife’s heart today – drop it in Slack or DM me!
  • SKEWER – you crushed your spring scores today, brother.  Nice work!
  • Everyone made improvements – good work all around!
  • Hat tip to my lovely wife for being the inspiration for this Word
  • Hat tip to Craig Groeschel for the Hebrew background info
  • Hat tip to Shanti Landon for the pro tips above

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • Oak Ridge Halloween party – next Thursday evening!  Bring your kiddos to trick or treat.  Come staff the F3 tent!
  • Brolympics Nov 5

Now THAT’S Impressive

THE SCENE:  High 40s and clear.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:

OYO

THA THANG:

IPC Week 4!

  1. 100 Gas Pumpers
  2. 50 Jump Rope
  3. 1 mile run
  4. 25 Hello Dollies
  5. 25 Burpees
  6. 50 Jump Rope
  7. 400-meter run
  8. 25 Hand Release Merkins
  9. 25 V-Ups
  10. 50 Jump Rope
  11. 400-meter run
  12. 25 Leg Raises
  13. 25 Jungle Boi Squats
  14. 50 Jump Rope
  15. 400-meter run
  16. 25 4-count flutter kicks
  17. 25 Bonnie Blairs (hard way)
  18. 50 Jump Rope
  19. 400-meter run
  20. 100 Big Boy Sit-ups
  21. 50 Jump Rope
  22. 1 mile run

MARY:

Fagettabowtit.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

Me and 13 of the best men I know

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

You finished Week 4 of the Iron PAX Challenge!  Impressive!  You ran 3 miles and completed 700 reps of exercises!  Very impressive!

You know what I find MORE impressive?

  • All 14 of you set an alarm to go off this morning. You got yourself out of bed and came out here knowing what we were planning to do.  Your determination is impressive. 
  • At one time, each one of you came out here in the dark, without knowing another man, and decided to give it a go. If you were like me, your first day kicked your butt – but you came back.  Your resolve is impressive.
  • Many of you have done this for months or years on end. Continually subjecting yourself to these trials to become an increasingly better version of yourself – and to challenge your brothers out here to do the same.  Your consistency is impressive. 
  • Many of you lead Qs. You lead five to ten other men in exercises, a thought, and a prayer.  It might be uncomfortable and intimidating, but you do it because you know that you get better at leading by practicing leading.  Your leadership is impressive.
  • When you lead, several of you have shared from the heart – your struggles, your challenges, your setbacks – you’ve been transparent in this ball of man. That takes real courage.  We may impress each other with our strengths, but we relate to each other through our weaknesses.  Your transparency is so impressive. 

Iron sharpens iron and that’s what we are doing out here.  Each and every one of you made a commitment to be here.  I watch you getting stronger and faster, building your endurance, building your toughness, growing your faith, growing as leaders, and challenging the rest of us to do the same.  That is so impressive and I’m grateful for you men.

Throughout scripture, Jesus was impressed by people on several occasions.  What was it that impressed Him?  Not material things…  Not power…

Jesus is impressed by humility.

  • He said, “Whoever humbles himself like child…is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mathew 18:4).
  • The Canaanite woman who said “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table” impressed Jesus (Matthew 15:27).
  • About the sinful tax collector who beat his chest and prayed, “God, be merciful to me a sinner”, Jesus said he left justified (Luke 18:14).

Jesus is impressed by faith.

  • The centurion in Capernaum who pleaded, “just say the word, and my servant will be healed…” – impressed Jesus (Matthew 8:10)
  • About the blind beggar near Jericho, Jesus said, “Your faith has made you well.” (Luke 18:42).
  • All over Scripture we read about Jesus in heaven sitting at the right hand of God. In Mathew, Mark, Luke, John, Hebrews, Colossians, Revelation… And then there is a description in Acts 7.  Stephen, just before he is killed for his faith, looks to heaven and sees Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  You know what literally gets Jesus on His feet?  Persistent faith.

Maybe we could train ourselves to be impressed by the same – faith and humility. 

MOLESKIN:

I wish I could say it as elegantly as he did… Ocho mentioned after the BOM that faith and humility are hand-in-hand with each other.

I’m impressed by Ocho for coming out these last couple of months and showing real progress in his fitness.  You’ve showed grit, brother!

Likewise, I’m impressed by Papa Lock for making time in his crazy schedule to post several times a week – he too is making steady progress.  Stick with it – and you’ll be unrecognizable in a year!

I’m impressed by Skewer for leading Qs – each one better than the last – and for courageously sharing his struggles during some of his BOMs.

I’m impressed by Slappy for posting today – despite his injuries – and gutting it out through the entire IPC.  GRIT.

I’m impressed by Borg for being able to run circles around me at 59 years old – and for continuing to demonstrate that age is just a number.

I’m impressed by Rocket for his long-term steadiness and tenacity to work through obstacles and keep getting stronger

I’m impressed by Boy George for nearly completing his insane race last weekend

I’m impressed by Erector for conceiving this merry band of misfits – and for being a machine out there today.

I’m impressed by Bobbitt, who has been with us for a little over a year and has totally transformed his fitness level – and emerged as one of the region’s best AOQs.

I’m impressed by Tuba for the steadfastness he demonstrates in his life and his parenting – and for wearing shorts even in the dead of winter

I’m impressed by 3-Peat for his resolve to show up over and over again – not listening to the devil on his shoulder telling him to sleep in today

I’m impressed by Oh Brother for posting with us just days after moving to town – and coming back out two days in a row now

I’m impressed by Mathlete for leading this group well and challenging us all to accelerate our fitness, fellowship, and faith.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • Today – Shovel flag handoff at the Asylum PM
  • Oct 8 – 2.0 Workout
  • Oct 27: Halloween event in Oak Ridge
  • Nov 5: Brolympics at the Asylum
  • Dec 10: Oak Ridge Christmas parade