F3 Knoxville

[virtuous-leadership-school] The King must be Carefully Tended

AO: virtuous-leadership-school
Q: Borg
PAX: Mermaid, Otis, Spinner, Spellcheck
FNGs: None
COUNT: 5
WARMUP: Hot Coffee and opening prayer.
Everyone went thru the material before the meeting!
THE THANG: How are we preparing effectively with exercise.
The reason we maintain our exercise is outside of ourself.
Something about physical exercise makes you self-aware.
Tunnel vision is a key ability to stay on mission, but it obviously has a downside. Sometimes, men need other men to tell them when they need to step out of their tunnel.
– Personal stories leading into the topic of exercise.
– Importance of stretching, rest and recovery.
– Discussion of the term “fallow” and its importance to well tended productivity.
– Balance of activities.
– Atrophy.
– Fixes like orthotics can be helpful but can also cause weakness if over used.
– How does a man train all that needs to be trained?
– Sleep and trying to maintain an F3 schedule amidst life and night owl M’s
– Seasons for different levels of activity
– Fasting

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
March 3 – Quacken 6 year anniversary
March 7 – Lost Pearl AO Kickoff (Clinton)
March 28 – Escape From Haw Ridge – be sure to sign up early!
April 26 – Leadership School and CSAUP
May 17 – Hardship Hill

COT: Matt 16:24. Jesus lays out the plan chronologically to be able to stay on mission .
1. Train/deny yourself.
2. Work on getting the hard thing done.
the purpose
3. Stay focused on the purpose

Phone a friend

AO: shamruck
Q: Eliza
PAX: Honeydew, Trojan, Mermaid, Eliza, Dumpster Dive
FNGs: None
COUNT: 5
Reverse route to Catholic and back.

Check on a brother. You never know when they’re in need.

[genesis-ruck] Supreme Court Circuit Work

AO: genesis-ruck
Q: Steam
PAX: Mermaid, Single (Ryan Chambers), Unibráu (Nick Robinson)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 4
WARMUP
– Carry sandbags to the Supreme Court

THE THANG
Supreme Court Circuit
– First 2 courts of the Supreme Court
– Equipment: battle rope, 60lb sand ball, 2 45lb Jerry cans, 1 60lb sandbag, 2 40lb sandbags

Stations / Xs
1. Battle Rope — L side of L net Carry
1. Rock the ropes in up/down, side2side, or cross body
1. 40lb Sandbags — R side of L net
1. 40lb suitcase carry deadlift squats
1. 45lb Jerry Cans — middle of 2 courts
1. Suite case carry Jerry Cans around both courts (start/stop at the baseline)
1. 60lb sandbag — L side of R net
1. Alternate between curls and chest presses
1. 60lb Sandball — R side of R net
1. Carry from baseline to net
2. 1 burpee on the sandball
3. Toss over the net
4. Carry to baseline
5. 1 burpee on the sandball

Execution
– Each man starts at a different station
– 2 minutes of work
– In between rounds: run up to the top of Moto Hill and back
– Move to the next station

MARY
– Carry all the sandbags and battle ropes back to the cards
– Cherry Pickers

ANNOUNCEMENTS
– Check your email + the announcements channel for upcoming events around the region

COT

One of my favorite songs – and using AI to understand it better and with more context. Here’s a summary from the NotebookLM tool:
“This text is a hymn, expressing deep religious devotion and gratitude.”” It implores God to inspire praise and highlights the singer’s reliance on divine assistance. “”The hymn recounts a spiritual journey of redemption, where Jesus saves the speaker from danger and sin.”” It anticipates a future reunion with God and the speaker’s desire to be bound to God’s love. “”The speaker acknowledges a tendency to stray and asks for divine commitment and steadfastness.”
Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing Song
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Here’s my heart
Oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
___________________________

Google Gemini re-write with more modern terms:
I owe so much to your amazing grace, Every single day. Your kindness, like a chain, Keeps my restless heart close to you.
I know I’m likely to stray, Lord, Likely to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, take it and make it yours, Make it ready for heaven above.
Yes, here’s my heart, Take it and make it yours, Make it ready for heaven above.

“Okay, here is a briefing document summarizing the themes and key ideas from the provided hymn lyrics:””
“”Briefing Document: Analysis of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”””
“”Source:”” Excerpts from “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”””
“”Date:”” October 26, 2023 (Based on Request Date)””
“”Summary:”” The provided lyrics from the hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” express deep gratitude for God’s grace, a recognition of human fallibility, and a yearning for eternal life in God’s presence. The hymn uses rich imagery and metaphors to convey themes of redemption, unwavering faith, and the transformative power of divine love.””
“”Main Themes and Key Ideas:”- Gratitude for Divine Grace and Blessings: The hymn begins with a direct invocation to God as the source of all blessings, establishing gratitude as a central theme. The lines “Come Thou fount of every blessing / Tune my heart to sing Thy grace” clearly demonstrate this. The repeated mention of “grace” throughout the song emphasizes its foundational role.
– Redemption and Salvation through Jesus Christ: The hymn explicitly references Jesus’s sacrifice and its redemptive power. The lines “Jesus sought me when a stranger / Wandering from the fold of God / He to rescue me from danger / Interposed His precious blood” illustrate the belief that Jesus’s death saves humanity from sin and separation from God. The phrase “(Precious blood)” reiterates the importance of this sacrifice.
– Human Fallibility and the Tendency to Wander: The hymn acknowledges the inherent human weakness and propensity to stray from God. The lines “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it / Prone to leave the God I love” are a confession of this inherent inclination. The speaker recognizes their own tendency to wander and seeks God’s help in remaining faithful.
– The Power of Faith and Dependence on God: The speaker acknowledges dependence on God through faith and reliance on His strength. The lines “Here I raise my Ebenezer / Here by Thy great help I’ve come / And I hope by Thy good pleasure / Safely to arrive at home” reference the Old Testament practice of raising a stone as a memorial to God’s help. The speaker hopes to reach “home” (heaven) through God’s pleasure.
– Yearning for Eternal Life and Union with God: The hymn expresses a strong desire to be in God’s presence in the afterlife. “Oh, that day when freed from sinning / I shall see Thy lovely face / Clothed then in blood washed linen / How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace” demonstrates the anticipation of a future where the speaker is cleansed from sin and can behold God’s face. The longing for a heavenly home is reinforced in the lines “Come my Lord, no longer tarry / Take my ransomed soul away / Send Thine angels now to carry / Me to realms of endless days.”
– Commitment and Consecration: The final stanza is a plea for God to take control of the speaker’s heart and seal it for His purposes. “Here’s my heart, oh take and seal it / Seal it for Thy courts above” is an act of surrender and dedication, signifying a desire to be fully devoted to God.
– The Binding Power of God’s Goodness: The line “Let Thy goodness like a fetter / Bind my wandering heart to Thee” suggests that God’s goodness is so compelling and overwhelming that it can act as a “fetter” (a chain or restraint), preventing the speaker from straying. This isn’t a negative constraint, but a loving and protective one.
“Conclusion:””
“”“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” is a powerful expression of Christian faith, emphasizing gratitude, redemption, human fallibility, and the longing for eternal life. Its enduring appeal lies in its honest acknowledgement of human weakness coupled with its unwavering belief in God’s boundless grace and love. The hymn calls for a heart attuned to God’s grace, a recognition of Christ’s saving power, and a commitment to remain faithful despite the inclination to wander.”

[virtuous-leadership-school] Do some Daily Pills look Red, but aren’t?

AO: virtuous-leadership-school
Q: Borg
PAX: Spinner, Otis, Mermaid, Spellcheck
FNGs: None
COUNT: 5
WARMUP: Coffee, talk and opening prayer.

THE THANG:
– Be aware of Daily Pills that look red, but aren’t. You need trusted men around to tell you when your daily decision to do something is off mission. Maybe it looks red to you, but it may be the Daily Black Pill (DBP) – trying to stay active enough to avoid worries, despair and even depression. The DBP house crumbles, eventually.
– Habits eliminate many decisions and the practice of discretion in executing those habits – but can be good or bad. Is your DRP developing the right habits?
– Prov 25:28. Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks discretion.
– Does choice usually lead to the Blue Pill as the QSource says?
– Once you decide on a mission/goal, then a lot of choices are eliminated.
– Denying yourself is the first step in the process of becoming a virtuous leader.
– Is the lack of self discipline a slippery slope?
– Shame – How do you talk to yourself?
– Do you choose the “phariseeic” principle over the person/relationship? Which is better?
– Bricklaying – Peter jumped right in. Paul spent many years, after his conversion, preparing.
– Do you have men who will tell you if you are laying the right bricks?

COT: Prayer.

Hearts and Farts

AO: shamrock
Q: Stitch
PAX: Mermaid, slappy, Dumpster Dive (Brad Burnette), Crawlspace, Swimmies (Nathan Chesney), Squatter, Voodoo
FNGs: None
COUNT: 8
WARMUP:
Grady Corns
Hairy Rockettes
Hallelujahs
SSH
Mountain Climbers
20 Merkins

THE THANG:
Mosey to Coupon pile. Grab a CMU.

25 Curls
25 OHP
25 Dips
50 Bench press
REPEAT

Mosey to the football field.

25 Mountain Climbers
25 Shoulder Taps
25 2 Ct Freddy Mercury’s
50 LBCs
REPEAT

Last 15 mins – 50 yd line Ultimate LED Frisbee. Team 1 (Stitch, Slappy, Swimmies, Crawlspace) takes the victory 6-4.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: March 7th – New AO launch in Clinton.
March 28 – Escape from Haw Ridge

COT:
I recently discovered this devotional book called The New City Catechism which is introduced by Tim Keller. If you know me, you know that I have a thirst for truth and knowledge, especially when it comes to the things of God and reality. Also, you know that I’m 50 and in order to pay respect to this old brain of mine, I have to keep it in working condition. That brings me to…

Catechisms. What are they?

Catechisms are statements of faith written in the form of questions and answers. Derived from the greek word katechein which means ‘to teach orally or to instruct by word of mouth”.

This book has 52 questions and answers, for 52 weeks of the year. It’s based on and adapted from some old reformation-era catechisms, which used to be very common to practice for Christian growth and training. They are divided into 3 parts: 1) God, creation and fall, law, 2) Christ, redemption, grace and 3) Spirit, restoration, growing in grace.

For example:

Q: What is our only hope in life and death?
A: That we are not our own but belong, body and soul, both in life and death, to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ.

Q: How can we be saved?
A: Only by faith in Jesus Christ and in his substitutionary atoning death on the cross; so even though we are guilty of having disobeyed God and are still inclined to all evil, nevertheless, God, without any merit of our own but only by pure grace, imputes to us the perfect righteousness of Christ when we repent and believe in him.

So, if you are a believer why not memorize some truths and solidify the foundations of your beliefs today? Memorize the new catechisms!