THE SCENE:
Clear, 31 Degrees, Nice crescent moon
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
1. Cherry Pickers (x5) 2. SSH (x20), 3. BACF (x10) 4. BACB (x10), 5. Merkins (10 OYO), 6. Tempo Squats – (x10),
THA-THANG:
Mosey to the guardrail. Do 31 Dips. Football Mosey (Run and Pass duos with drops to do 2 Burpees) around Career Path Way to CMU pile. Grab CMU and do 31 Curls.
Circle back around to the far east lot (next to the big duck pond). Regroup at the curb. Bear crawl to the first line and back to start as 1st exercise, mosey to 2nd line for 2nd exercise, back to start, etc. (see below)
- Bear Crawl to 1st line and back
2. SSH (x31)
3. Squats (x31)
4. Merkins (x31)
5. Heels to Heaven (x31)
6. Iron Mikes (x31)
7. Carolina Dry Docks (x31)
8. Freddie Mercury’s (x31)
9. Monkey Humpers (x31)
Mosey back to COT. Sty called out American Hammers.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
7 HIMS including 3 RUSH
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Contending for the Faith
A few years ago I attended a worldview conference at my church. During that weekend, I listened to a Christian apologist and radio show host named Greg Koukl. An apologist is defined as a person who offers an argument in defense of something controversial. In this case the controversy would be Christianity.
The weekend was centered around gaining an understanding of the Gospel and helping Christians think more clearly about why they believe what they believe. There were sessions about the types of challenges Christians face, how we can respond gracefully, and how we can challenge others to think more critically about their own worldviews. I loved it! I am a truth seeker. Always a believer, but at that time I was still really struggling with my own faith and what it meant for my life. I needed purpose and understanding.
Recently, I found an article by Mr. Koukl that reminded me of this Timothy theme, which is central to a men’s group I’m in (The Good Fight), but also sounded a warning and a challenge (which we also do here). Jude v3 says “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.”
First of all, Jude points to a specific message and content, the “faith once for all handed down”— which is the foundation of “our common salvation.” Second is the recommendation to “contend earnestly” for that faith—to proclaim it, guard it, and defend it. And then, Jude reminds us that it has been “handed down” to the saints—passed on from the disciples to the next generation in the church.
Here is why those three elements of Jude’s council are critical for you and me right now. We are engaged in a cultural and theological fight. The attack is coming from many directions. Atheists are tearing down God’s Truth and the integrity of our authority base, The Bible. Our children our under attack. The moral rulebook is being rewritten; Right has become wrong, and wrong is right. It’s clearly seen! These challenges are coming from not only our culture but even in some Christian denominations, the Gospel is seen as a message of hate.
2 Timothy was Paul’s spiritual last will and testament. It was the last thing he ever wrote. He was very clear and to the point in addressing the challenges for that day and practically to the ones we face today. Second Timothy gives the answer to our question about guarding the gospel, because that is the book’s theme, found explicitly in chapter 1, verse 14: “Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” That message is absolutely vital to each one of us today because he tells us exactly what it looks like in any century to “contend earnestly for the faith”.
The early church was under a great attack in that culture. Christians were falsely accused and tortured (and still today in some places). Paul’s response and message was simple…
“You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:14–17)
Simply put, Paul tells Timothy to guard the gospel by continuing in the truth already revealed. When all else fails, read—and follow—the directions. But, there’s more…
In the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, American runners suffered a humiliating defeat in the 4 X 100 relay. In the anchor leg, Darvis Patton handed the baton to Tyson Gay, but Gay never got it. In the middle of the handoff, they dropped the baton.
Tyson Gay was our best sprinter. We had the fastest team. It didn’t matter. They dropped the baton, so we lost the race. In fact, we never even finished that race.
Paul told Timothy, “If anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules” (2:5). In other words, Paul said, “Timothy, you cannot drop the baton.” And we cannot drop the baton, either. If we do, we lose.
As Husbands, Fathers, Sons, Brothers, Co-workers…we do 2 things; We continue in the things handed down and second, we pass the baton.
If we disregard Paul’s solution, we should not be surprised when we remain children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming (Eph. 4:14).
If we don’t pass the baton, we should not be surprised when we will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have our ears tickled, we accumulate for ourselves teachers in accordance with our own desires, and turn away our ears from the truth, and turn aside to myths (2 Tim. 4:3–4).
If we are to survive the current spiritual onslaught, we 1) Guard the gospel by continuing in the truth already revealed then 2) we pass the baton. Proclaim the truth faithfully, guard it diligently, and pass it on carefully.
MOLESKIN:
Praying for Cosmo’s mother as she enters hospice care.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Low low temps for Friday! Be smart and safe out there and Happy Christmas to All!!
