THE SCENE: 72 and clear. Perfect for an IPC beatdown.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Skipped.
WARM-O-RAMA: Warmup OYO while we talk through the workout.
THA THANG: IPC Week 2
MARY: None
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA: 23 of the best men I know
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
We remembered this morning, the 2,977 lives which were taken 19 years ago in New York City, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. That number incudes 343 firefighters and 60 police officers who worked desperately to evacuate 25,000 people from the World Trade Center buildings before they collapsed. Those lost were not just our countrymen – citizens of 78 different nations died in those tragedies. It was a solemn day for the world.
After we mourned our dead, our challenge was to learn and apply lessons from that tragic day. The events of Sept 11 exposed vulnerabilities in the national systems which protect us. The Department of Homeland Security was created and charged with preventing future terror attacks – and the FBI has cataloged at least 42 major domestic terrorist attacks which were prevented in the nineteen years since 9/11. In February 2003, a year and a half after the Sept 11 attacks, the White House released a report titled, “The National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Key Assets”. Airports, interstates, powerplants, bridges – can you imagine a nation without them? No, they are critical infrastructure – and they are vulnerable. After the crisis that we went through, federal leadership recognized that we must dramatically improve how we protect these important assets from disaster and sabotage.
Let’s talk an application to your life, a specific challenge to think about, and a plea…
- The Application: Think about your personal “critical infrastructure”. I’m not talking about your house… I’m talking about your mind, your heart, your eyes, and your mouth. These are essential to your vitality. Can you imagine your life without them? No – and they are vulnerable! We must dramatically improve how we protect these important assets from disaster and sabotage.
- The Challenge: What do you need to do to better protect your critical infrastructure? Which one of these resonates with you? Maybe you’re like me and they ALL hit home…
- Your Mind: Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things”. What are you filling your mind with? What do you think about day in and day out? How do you allow your thoughts to persist – constructive or destructive? What changes are needed for you to better protect your mind?
- Your Heart: Proverbs 4:23 “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.” What do you spend your energy, time, and treasure on? What are you devoting yourself to? Is that thing or cause worthy of your heart? What changes are needed for you to better protect your heart?
- Your Eyes: Matthew 6:22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light”. Do you feel full of light? What do you watch for leisure? Murder, adultery, pride – these are things that our God hates. Are you consuming them as entertainment? Do you gulp through your eyes fake pictures of fake naked women and fill your body with that counterfeit romance? What changes are needed for you to better protect your eyes?
- Your Mouth: Proverbs 13:3 “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin”. Proverbs 15:4, “Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” Do the words that come out of your mouth bring life and sweetness to a conversation? Are you careful with your tongue – or do you wield that powerful weapon like a fool? What changes are needed for you to better protect your mouth?
- The Plea: DON’T WAIT UNTIL DISASTER HITS BEFORE YOU EVALUATE YOUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND MAKE THE NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS. Don’t wait until you’ve been gut punched before you protect your mind, heart, eyes, and mouth. Don’t wait until your marriage is falling apart before you finally admit that consuming pornography is mental adultery – and it has a very real and terrible impact on your relationship with the most important woman in your life. Don’t wait until your kids are grown, gone, and want nothing to do with you before you realize that you were foolish with your tongue and that the destructive words you spoke over them brought death to that relationship. Don’t wait until you are laying on a bed one day breathing your last, to look back with regret and realize that you spent your thoughts and gave your heart to things which have no significance in eternity.
Evaluate your critical infrastructure and make the needed changes. Break habits and start habits today.
MOLESKIN:
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Valley Church is launching this Sunday – 5:00 pm at HVA. See Booster for details.