F3 Knoxville

Author: Kick-Flip

Lasting Invigoration

One comment

THE SCENE:  WHAT?  I thought there was supposed to be a THUNDERSTORM!?!?!  It’s super nice!  60 and no rain!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:

Abe Vigoda x 8 IC
Moroccan Nightclub x 8 IC
Mosey to the ducks, Carolina Dry Dock x 10 OYO
Mosey to the flag, Heels 2 Heaven x 15 IC
Fast mosey to the ducks (75%), Merkin x 10 OYO
Fast mosey to the flag (75%), Flutter Kick x 15 IC
Sprint to the ducks, Burpees x 5 OYO

THA THANG:

Mosey to the big parking lot.  Partner up

(Hat tip, Archie!)  Pairs spread out across 6 stations.  At each station there is a “stationary” exercise and a “move” exercise.  First partner does the “stationary” exercise until the second partner does the “move” exercise to the cone and back.

Two minutes each station.  30-second recovery and rotate.

Exercises were;

Station 1:  Bear crawl / Flutter kick
Station 2:  Sprint / Carolina Dry Dock
Station 3:  Broad Jump / Heels 2 Heaven
Station 4:  Sprint / Burpee
Station 5:  Lunge / Merkin
Station 6:  Sprint / Mountain Climber

Performed 9 sets.

Mosey back

MARY:

(Hat tip, Spotter!)  Each person names an exercise and leads 10 reps.  Rotate around x 5 exercises.

Hold plank.  I passed out 12 pieces of paper – each containing a quote from a previous Q at JUCO.  One quote is read aloud.  3 merkins.  Next quote is read…3 Merkins.  Repeat until finished.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

17 strong (+6 Rushers for the CoT)

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

During Mary, I passed out pieces of paper and asked for them to be read aloud (while we plank and Merkin).  On each paper was a quote from a previous Q at JUCO.

      • “When you do wrong by someone, you HAVE TO MAKE IT RIGHT”. – Commission
      • “The process of calling people out by name is BOLD, and it’s powerful to encourage.  We have been called to boldly pray for one another”. – Guardrail
      • “Being thankful is about the mindset of being conscious of what we have and what surrounds us and giving thanks for that as opposed to comparing our lives to others and striving to acquire more and more material objects”. – Mandolin
      • “Let’s strive to be passionate about all that we do. To push ourselves to the next level physically, spiritually, and mentally”.  – Spotter
      • “I come here for the fist bumps”. – Finger Food
      • “What kind of leader are you? Do you go home after a long day and expect to be served? Or are you serving? – Judge Judy
      • “We commit time and discipline to strengthening our physical bodies. How are we strengthening our spirits for the battles we are in?” – Snaggletooth
      • “Put others before yourself and be part of the solution”. – Erector
      • “We should strive to love others like God loves us”. – Booster
      • “To be fighters, we not only have to be physically ready, but mentally as well”. – Sargent Slaughter
      • “I need to set my mind on staying faithful to God’s will and not on my own comfort”. – Archie
      • “You’re here to bear your own load and carry other HIM’s burdens when they can’t, and you let them when you can’t”. – Pool Boy

T-claps for my good friend, Archie, who nagged me about F3 until I finally showed up 8 months ago!  I loved it from Day 1 and have been to almost 100 workouts since!  I love it because it is so much more than a workout (Hat tip, Finger Food).

A few days ago, Waxjob reminded us that F3 has a mission – “to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership”.  Men, this is not just about doing merkins and burpees in the dark – it is about the invigoration of men in our area.  The pump you get from a workout doesn’t last more than a few hours.  Real, life-changing, long-lasting invigoration grows out of these last 5 minutes of our time together (CoT) – when we share wisdom and pray for one-another.

This group is about energizing and revitalizing the man to your left and right (not us, but Christ working in us).  We are about challenging each other and holding each other accountable to a very high standard.  We are about being vulnerable with our own faults and failures, in order to promote growth in others.  We are about pouring into each other’s lives – encouraging one another and allowing yourself to be encouraged, so that we all get better together.  We are about sharing wisdom, a treasure far more precious than rubies (Proverbs 3:15), with each other.

 

Two thoughts about sharing wisdom during the CoT

#1:  Scripture says if you prize wisdom, she will make you great, she will honor you (Proverbs 4:8), add years to your life (Proverbs 9:11) and will bring you strength (Ecclesiastes 7:19) and success (Ecclesiastes 10:10). I think you can expect those returns, only IF YOU ARE APPLYING WHAT YOU HEAR (James 1:22).

Men, what if you were applying the wisdom that we read during our Mary (words that YOU have spoken to this group over the past few weeks)?  What if you selflessly served your loved ones (Judge’s Word), cultivated contentment in your life (Mandolin’s Word), sincerely apologized when you wronged others (Commission’s Word), subjugated your comfort to God’s will (Archie’s Word), prayed for your F3 brothers (Guardrail’s Word), loved others like God loves us (Booster’s Word)…  OH, WHAT A MAN YOU WOULD BE!!!  You would certainly be a High-Impact Man, if you APPLIED what you hear.

#2:  If wisdom will make you great, honored, strong, successful – that sounds like the antidote to a meaningless life.  If you have wisdom to share but you’re keeping it to yourself – man, what’s up with that?  Do you have a word of encouragement for us?  SHARE IT, because we struggle against discouragement every day.  Do you have a word that will cut us deeply and expose the innermost thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12)?  If you lack the courage to speak that word of rebuke, you have stolen peace and joy from us.  If, however, you hearten yourself to speak those uncomfortable words with truth and love, Christ may just use you to rescue your brother from his life of self-centeredness and meaninglessness.  OH, WHAT A MAN YOU WOULD BE!!!

Wisdom – APPLY it, SHARE it.

MOLESKIN:

This Q was a tribute to some of my favorite men on earth.

Hat tips to Archie and Spotter for the workout ideas.

Hat tips galore to those who provided inspiration for the Word; Waxjob, 5K, Archie, Spotter, Mandolin, Finger Food, Commission, Pool Boy, Erector, Snaggletooth, Sargent Slaughter, Guardrail, Booster, Judge Judy.

A note about wisdom… Not every sweet platitude written in script on a shabby chic board in Hobby Lobby is wisdom.  Not every word spoken by someone famous is worth repeating.  “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 26:12).  If you bring “wisdom” that you heard from Oprah to a BOM and it falls flat, don’t be surprised.  It is the Word of God which will cut like a sword (Hebrews 4:12) and which never returns void (Isaiah 55:11).  No such promises if your inspiration is another source. 

Music credits;
Rotate (Finger Food’s new favorite song), Rak-Su
Smack Down, Thousand Foot Crutch
Can’t Be Moved, Jeremy Camp
Fire it Up, Thousand Foot Crutch
Purpose for Pain, Scott Stapp
Lifeline, Thousand Foot Crutch
Feel Invincible, Skillet
Move, Thousand Foot Crutch
Move, Toby Mac
The Resistance, Skillet
Final Countdown, Europe
Freedom yell, Mel Gibson

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Prayers for Mailbox’s wife’s health, Mandolin’s wife’s job, Pool-Boy’s divorce hearing tomorrow, Fast-N-Easy’s family, Judge’s mentoring opportunity, WaxJob’s family

Finished. 2,019

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

We’re going to bid adieu to the decade in the most fitting way I can think of – by doing 2,019 reps of exercises.  With the completion of each 100 reps, blow your horn!  Hang on to your butts, ‘cause here we go!

  • LBAC forward x 8 IC (32)
    LBAC backwards x 8 IC (32)
    Monkey humpers x 9 IC (18)
    Merkins x 9 IC (18)
    100!
  • Motivator from 6 (84)
    Werkins x 16 OYO
    200!
  • Overhead clap x 13 IC (26)
    Squat x 13 IC (26)
    Seal clap x 13 IC (26)
    Iron Mike x 11 OYO (22)
    300!

THA THANG:

With CMUs….

  • Colt 45 (45)
    Kettlebell swing x 15
    Goblet squat x 20
    Upright row x 20
    400!
  • Heavy Freddy x 20 IC (40)
    Tricep extension x 30
    Bent row x 30
    500!
  • Squat thruster x 30
    Derkins x 20
    BBS x 25
    Curls x 25
    600!
  • Lunge w/ CMU x 30
    Pickle pounders x 20
    Lunge w/ CMU x 30
    Pickle pounders x 20
    700!
  • DORA – partner farmer carries CMUs around the island
    100 Merkins
    200 LBC
    300 Squats
    1300!

Mosey to the planters…

  • SSH x 25 IC (50)
    Dips x 40 OYO
    11s (Box jumps + Derkins) (110)
    1500!

Mosey back to the shovel flag…

  • Captain Thor up to 5 (75) …and we’re out of time.

1,575 reps!  You guys crushed it!

 

MARY:

No time

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

8 HIMS

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Traditionally, my wife and I have been totally into making and executing New Year’s resolutions.  We’ve designed complicated, multi-tiered, resolutions and – for the most part – have been pretty good at keeping them.

2019 was different.  We resolved to do just one thing for the year – to prayerfully seek God’s direction for our lives.  I feel that He provided direction that by aligning our hearts on a couple of topics that one year ago today we were a chasm apart.  My wife and I now end 2019 facing in a common direction – we know what we want to define our lives and legacy.

In 2020, we are embarking on yet another theme for the year – and I invite you to do the same.  We plan to spend this year casting vision for this new direction that we are facing and making a plan to get there.  We now share a common goal where we want to bring our family – what things we want to define us for our lifetimes and beyond.  In 2020, we will set out to make a plan; “when” and “how” step-by-step.

Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no VISION, the people perish”

Proverbs 20:5, “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.”

Rosabeth Moss Kanter, director and chair of the Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative, says this, “A vision is not just a picture of what could be; it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more.”

Author and business leader, Joel Barker, has said, “Vision without action is merely a dream.  Action without vision just passes the time.  Vision with action can change the world”. 

“Vision without execution is delusion”.  Thomas Edison

Men, let 2020 be the year that you cast (or re-cast) an incredible vision for your lifetime and beyond.  Don’t live by coincidence or circumstance!  Instead, plan your life’s legacy and execute that plan (be flexible to the Lord’s ways, remembering, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails” Proverbs 19:21)

 

MOLESKIN:

Hey you!  Yes…YOU!  You’re not finished yet!  We said we were doing 2,019 reps and we only got in 1,575.  You owe another 444 reps!  Here’s your homework – get it done before midnight!  When you finish, announce “Happy New Year!” in the GroupMe thread.

25 merkins
1600!

50 LBC
50 Flutter Kicks
1700!

25 side crunch (left)
25 merkins
25 side crunch (right)
25 merkins
1800!

50 SSH
50 shoulder taps (single count)
1900!

25 side crunch (left)
25 merkins
25 side crunch (right)
25 merkins
2000!

19 BURPEES!

2,019!  YEEAAHHH, BABY!

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The Project is expanding!  Thursday?  Saturday?  Bootcamp?  Run?  Weigh-in on GroupMe with your preferences!

Demonstration

THE SCENE:   43 and clear
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Administered 
WARM-O-RAMA:

Abe Vigoda IC x 8
Finkle Swings (demonstration!) OYO
Chinook (demonstration!) IC x 8
Seal squats (demonstration!) IC x 8
Pickle pounders IC x 10
E2K L&R (demonstration!) IC x 6

THA THANG:

Come!  Bring 6 CMUs and mosey to “Aww Hill”.  Q calls out “up”, “down”, or “bernie” and the PAX run up, down, and backerds…

Come!  Mosey to the “Stairway to Nowhere”.  Form two teams for a little competition.

Three at a time from each team will carry CMUs to the top of the steps and back while the rest of the team performs listed exercises in cadence (metronome set to 95 BPM).  Once runners return, start the next exercise while three new men run the steps.  Repeat until one team finishes the list.

List of exercises is;

SSH
Seal squats
Merkins
Hello Dolly
Mountain Climbers
E2K (Right)
Tempo Merkins
E2K (Left)
Iron Mike
6-inch plank
All run to the cone and back
Scorpion Dry Docks (left leg)
Monkey humpers
Scorpion Dry Docks (right leg)
Side crunch L
Side crunch R
Bobby Hurleys
Flutter kicks
Werkins
Pickle pounders
Shoulder taps
All run to the cone and back

Come!  Mosey back to the Shovel Flag

MARY:

Geronimo!

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

33 men counting the Rushers.  2 bugged-out before the pic.

Welcome!  FNG to-be-named (that dude CRUSHED the workout without even breaking a sweat!  I think I even saw him yawning a half-dozen times…)

Glad to have you!  2 from down-range (Chattanooga), “Blindside” and “Laces Out”

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

It’s been said that when leading his army in conquest, Julius Caesar would never tell them “go forward” – instead, he would move first and then tell the army behind him, “Come!”.  This morning, I want to talk about leading by example – and more specifically to those of you who are fathers – about leading your children by your example.

In some ways, your sons and daughters will become what you are – are you being what you want them to be?

In the mid-19th century, J.C. Ryle wrote a book, “Duties of Parents”.  Here are a few nuggets of wisdom from the book;

  • “Train them (your children) remembering continually the influence of your own example”
  • “Instruction, advice, and commands will profit little unless they are backed up by the pattern of your own life”
  • “Your children will never believe you…so long as your actions contradict your counsel”
  • “They will seldom learn habits which they see you despise or walk in paths in which you do not walk yourself”
  • “What they see has a much stronger effect on their minds than what they are told”

Your actions speak much louder than your words.  Are you demonstrating right living?

You must be demonstrating for your sons and daughters, habits which will produce healthy bodies (exercise, eating well…).  More importantly, you must demonstrate habits which promote healthy relationships (trustworthiness, self-control, kindness, vulnerability…).  Most importantly, you must be persistently demonstrating through observable action, habits which promote a healthy soul (charity, prayer, reverence for the Name of God, studying the Word of God…).

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable…excellent…and praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8).  You must fill your own mind with these things – and DEMONSTRATE them to your sons and daughters.

They are observing you, Dad!  Are your behaviors promoting the young men and women that you want them to be?

“The parent who tries to train without setting a good example is building with one hand and pulling down with the other.” – J.C. Ryle

A lot of today’s exercises we did to failure.  Do you ever fail at being the example you want your children to follow?  I wish I could say that I never have setbacks – that I can always tell my sons, “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1) – but that’s not the case.  I fail sometimes, and those failures are counterproductive to my hard work.  Just three days ago, at the end of what had been an incredible and memorable boys-only weekend, I lashed out at my oldest and called him a “stupid ass” (for nearly blinding his little brother by directing a leaf blower right into his face…).  For all the time and energy my wife and I spend building him up and up… with that emotional outburst, I tore some of our hard work down.

“For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:18) – (Hat tip to Anchorman for his Q last week)

Inevitably, you’re going to fail as well.  What then?  Here’s what I did last weekend (after the emotion died down)…  I explained my reaction – I was volcanic at him because he could have very seriously hurt his brother.  I admitted my mistake – which was assuming that he’d done it on purpose for a laugh.  I asked his forgiveness and talked to him about how I could have reacted differently.  He sees me trying hard to be a better father.

DEMONSTRATE right living for your children, men.

 

3 CHALLENGES for today – from easiest to hardest…

#1: Commit this to memory;
Proverbs 20:7 “The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.”

#2:  What is something that you want your kids to do or be that you will START DEMONSTRATING for them?
(For me, it’s reading scripture.  I often read on my phone, but for all my sons know I could be playing Candy Crush…  I need to be more deliberate about outwardly demonstrating that habit – it can be as simple as reading an actual paper Bible, or including them in discussion)

#3:  What is one unhealthy part of you that you do not want your kids to do or be – and you will STOP DEMONSTRATING for them?
(For me, it’s reacting emotionally)

MOLESKIN:

  • Prayers for Guardrail’s family in Chicago, for Gump and his wife as they have a baby today (!), praise for Mailbox’s answered prayers from Monday!
  • Here’s a link to the book I quoted above.  At only 25 pages, it’s a quick read.  Review pages 20-21.  https://chapellibrary.org:8443/pdf/books/dopa.pdf
  • The workout didn’t seem nearly hard enough today.  I’ll be scheming about how to bring more pain next time I’m on Q.
  • If you’re up for it, share in JUCO Group Me about life changes you will make to better demonstrate right living (Answer Challenge 2 and/or 3)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Convergence December 7th!!!!

Break Out!

THE SCENE: 41 and clear
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Administered 
WARM-O-RAMA:

Windmill IC x 8
Seal claps IC x 8
Randys IC x 8
Motivator IC x 8
5 Burpees OYO
10 Dips + 10 Derkins (2 Rounds)

THA-THANG:

Mosey through the woods to the learning center where we will do “The Breakout”.

My phone has a metronome clicking at 55 bpm…  For the next several minutes, you need to keep moving in timing with the metronome.  I’ll call an exercise that is on the board.  No stopping allowed, only switching of exercises.

The board: Numerous index cards are spread about, face down….  Two PAX draw a card, read the exercises, and jailbreak around the lot (about 1/8 mile).  While waiting for the runners, remaining PAX perform exercises called by Q (must be one showing on the board) in timing with the metronome.  When a runner returns, next PAX draws a card, reads, sprints…. Rinse and repeat.

The phone is locked with a 4-digit pin.  Four of the exercise index cards also contain a number.  PAX keep working until they expose all 4 cards with numbers.  Then they must break the code….  Once all four numbers are known, the each returning runner tries to “break the code” and unlock my phone using the numbers.  If you guys are good guessers, we can finish the work in just a few minutes and break outta here!  Then again, there are 24 possible permutations of 4 numbers, so…. we might be here a while….

Code deciphered….1-0-1-8.  Break out!

Mosey to Pollard Hill for 11s (Bodybuilders/CDDs)

MARY:

Side crunches
Xs and Os

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

7 HIMs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

“Because of laziness the roof caves in, and because of negligent hands the house leaks”.  Ecclesiastes 10:18.

Let’s talk about complacency…specifically about complacency in your marriage.  On a scale of 1-to-10, how complacent are you right now about your relationship with your wife?

If it’s been months since you’ve taken your wife on a date, if you are no longer confiding in her, if you are your worst self when you are around her, if the sex has gone cold, if you’re not often giving her your undivided attention, if you are not asking about her feelings and dreams, if you feel distant around her – you’ve become complacent about the most important relationship in your life. Complacency is the subtle and silent enemy of your marriage.

Men tend to be goal-oriented – but your relationship with your wife is a journey that is never complete.  It’s a goal that will never be “finished”.  Don’t settle down, because it’s not a very big step from contentment to complacency.  Comfort, which is a great thing in relationships, can give root to laziness.

If this is you – my challenge to you is to BREAK OUT of the complacency!

It doesn’t have to be extravagant like planning a surprise vacation….  Just be more deliberate and less lazy about the connection you have with your wife.  Ask her more questions.  Mix up the daily routine.  Do something sweet.  Be playful.  Be spontaneous.  Play a game together.  Schedule more sex.  Share a fantasy with her.  Pray with her specifically about her struggles.  Don’t mumble “I love you” out of habit or duty – say it and mean it.  Tell her why you love her, and what you love about her.  Simple things can have a profound impact.

“…The complacency of fools destroys them” (Proverbs 1:32).  My complacency about my marriage cost me a couple of years of what could have been far more intimacy and joy.  At one point, that complacency could have destroyed my marriage.  If you are as deeply and profoundly complacent about your marriage as I have been in the past (I hope you are not!) … winning back her trust and her heart will likely take time and will require a consistent pursuit on your part.  Be courageous and decide today to make that investment, because nearly no other pursuit on this earth is more worth it!

Is your house leaking because of negligence?  Is your roof caving in because of laziness? If contentment has led to complacency, if you have become stagnant in the pursuit of your wife’s heart, if you are taking your marriage for granted….it’s time to shake off the rust and BREAK OUT of that complacency!  This week, do something intentional to strengthen the bond and spark a little delight in your marriage.

MOLESKIN:

Prayers for the traveling Snagg Family

Prayers for Samaritan’s sister-in-law

Good to have Abscess with us!

Hat tip to Abscess for sharing a personal impact/perspective during the CoT – we appreciate you, brother!

Hat tip to my wife for the idea for this week’s Thang.

If you take me up on my challenge to “do something intentional to strengthen the bond and spark a little delight in your marriage”, post about it on the Group Me thread!

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Brolympics

The Sheep and the Lions

THE SCENE:  44 and clear
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:

Abe Vigoda IC x 8
Seal claps IC x 8
Randy IC x 8
Motivator IC x 8
Sprints x 4
Calve raises on the curb while I explain Tha Thang…

THA-THANG:

We going to play a game called “Mutton”.  One PAX is “the sheep” – he wears a flag belt and holds an interval timer (my phone).  The rest of the PAX are “lions”.  Here’s the game;

  • 30 Second Sprint: The Sheep sprints off in whatever direction his chooses… The Lions perform an exercise called by Q (e.g. 3 fairy jacks!), then pursue the Sheep.  If they catch the Sheep, Lions pull his flag off.
  • 10 Second Recovery: If the Sheep was caught, he (alone) starts an exercise of his choice while the Lions recover.  If the Sheep was not caught, he gets to recover along with the Lions.
  • 45 Second Work: All PAX perform exercise of the Sheep’s choice
  • 15 Second Recovery: All PAX recover (and the flag belt is given to another PAX – who becomes the new Sheep…).
  • Repeat…

Stop at the coupon pile to do;

  • Colt 45s
  • Squat thrusters
  • Uneven merkins (one hand on coupon) – is there a name for this?
  • Heavy Freddies
  • Heavy Hammers
  • Hello Dolly

Start “Mutton” again and work our way back to the shovelflag.

MARY:

20 seconds core, 10 seconds merkins….repeat (e.g. LBC, merkin, side crunch, merkin, rosalita, merkin…..)

Repeat for 5 minutes

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

26 HIMs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Proverb from India (hat tip Paramahansa Yogananda).

A pregnant lioness attacked a flock of sheep.  As she sprang on her prey, she gave birth to her cub and then died.  The lion cub grew up in the company of the sheep.  As the sheep ate grass, the cub followed their example.  They bleated; the cub bleated too.  Gradually it grew to be a big beautiful lion but still acted like a sheep.  He had no idea, not even in his dreams, that he was a lion.

One day an old lion passed by and saw this young lion standing with the sheep, acting like a sheep.  So, he gave chase and got ahold of him.  The young sheep-lion said, “Please don’t!  Let me go!”.  But the old lion said, “come with me!” and dragged him to a lake.  He made him gaze into the water and said, “Look at yourself!”  So, the lion who thought he was a sheep looked and for the first time he saw his reflection.  Then he looked at the old lion, and he looked in the water again, and he let out a mighty roar.  He was never a sheep again.

3 Points

1. “The opposite of a man is not a woman; the opposite of a man is a boy” (hat tip Judge Judy). I have three boys at home, and I can tell you that they are often self-centered and short-sighted.  Boys live for gratification and pout when they don’t get their way.  As a high-impact man, you choose not to endlessly chase your own desires, but instead to live sacrificially.  You put the needs and interests of others above your own.  You operate with intentionality and have a consistent positive influence on your community.  You are a high-impact man.

2. If you are in Christ, you are a new creation; the old has gone, the new is here (2 Corinthians 5:15). The old was lust and greed (Colossians 3:5), selfishness, jealousy, envy, and rage (Galatians 5:19-21).  You no longer have a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and sound judgement (2 Timothy 1:7).  You set your hearts and minds on things above (Colossians 3:1-2).  You’ve clothed yourselves with compassion and humility (Colossians 3:12) and the Spirit of God produces in you love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 3:22-23).  You are a new creation.

3. This one applies to every single one of you – every one of you is the old lion in the story. In your life, there are young lions who act like sheep – and who think they are sheep (we call them “Sad Clowns”).  Grown men who live like selfish boys – men who profess Christ, but who follow their flesh instead of the Spirit.  You must pursue and get ahold of that man.  You must be an example of a high-impact man in his life and show him what he was created to be.  You may just give that man his first glance at his “imprisoned splendor” (hat tip Robert Browning).  You may just be the conduit that God uses to rescue that man from his selfishness and meaninglessness, and to call him into a life of service and sacrifice to the glory of God. 

MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • Prayers for PoolBoy’s house to sell quickly
  • Brolympics November 9th