F3 Knoxville

Up, Down, and Around

THE SCENE:

Few clouds, 39 Degrees and dry

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

WARM-O-RAMA:
1. Cherry Pickers (x5), 2. BACF (x10) 3. BACB (x10), 4. SSH (x20), 5. Mountain Climbers – (40 on your own), 6. Toe Merkins (30 OYO)

THA-THANG:

Mosey to the coupon pile with 3 stops for Mary (Boxcutters, Freddie Mercury’s, Flutter kicks).

At the coupon pile, grab a CMU (for some exercises). Will start with 10 burpees and then run a lap around the Physical Plant building. Will lap after each exercise group, so after first lap you will do 20 OHP, lap, etc.

(10) Burpees

(20) OHP

(30) Curls

(40) SSH

(50) Squats

(40) second plank

(30) Tricep Press

(20) Merkins

(10) Upright Rows

Mosey back to COT with 3 stops for (Bear Crawls, Scissor kicks, Imperial Walkers)

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

19 HIMS including RUSH

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Thankful to be back after a week + absence. I went to Nashville for a few days to visit my parents. Thought I had avoided the local school bug being gone but it turned out that I caught a case of the flu anyway. It was a very mild case but I did have fever on and off for two days. I worked from home and recovered over the weekend.

While away and as we move into a time of Thanksgiving, I thought about how fortunate I was to have a job that allowed me some flexibility while I was sick. I was thankful to have loving parents to visit, thankful for my kids, and my close friends here in Knoxville. I’m also thankful for the men continuing to lead and encourage here at F3.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10

In 1st Thessalonians, Chapter 1, Paul is writing to the church there in Thessalonica and gives thanks to them for their work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in times of great suffering and persecution. They became examples and encouragement for other Christians in the area and they did this with the “joy of the Holy Spirit”. Paul was thanking God for them. At the end of the chapter, Paul says “you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

In many ways, you guys today are encouraging others with how YOU lead and serve. And I want to thank God for each one of you. You are being an example and positive influence to me and those around you. That makes a difference and it deserves recognition. So take some time to think about that. Think about and be thankful for how God has chosen you to be his sons and how he has called you out to shine light. Remember that as sons we have already been delivered from the wrath to come. Take that reality into the upcoming holiday season. Keep your eyes on Him and you will not only be more thankful for his blessings, but you will also continue in your blessing of others.

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:

11’s, Diamonds, and Dragons at JUCO

THE SCENE: 35 and clear

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: administered

WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH IC x 20
Cherry Pickers IC x5
Arm Circles Forward and Back IC x 10 each
Merkins IC x10
Squats IC x10
30 Seconds OYO

THA-THANG:
Mosey to Sophomore hill, stop halfway for some Imperial Walkers, and Bernie to the top of hill.

11’s between the trailers and handrail. Perform burpees at trailers and rows at handrail.

Mosey to quad with some Guardrail led flutter kicks on the way

7 of diamonds at the quad, start with 7 and increase by 7 at each corner (7, 14, 21, 28)

  • Round 1 – squats
  • Round 2 – SSHs (single count)
  • Round 3 – flutter kicks (4-count)

Mosey towards the flag and stop in parking lot for Welsh Dragons.

Mosey to the flag

MARY:
10 reps of Freddy Mercury’s IC

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
8 Bootcampers and 8 RUSHers

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

From “The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football” by Jeff Benedict and Armen Ketyian

Kyle Van Noy was a top high school football prospect in the state of Nevada in 2008. He was being recruited by LSU, Nebraska, Oregon, UCLA and twenty others. BYU had attempted to contact him, but he wasn’t interested in playing at a university tied to his church.

On April 29, 2008, BYU head football coach , Bronco Mendenhall, stepped into the pulpit to speak at Kyle’s church in Reno, Nevada. Kyle was forced to go by his parents, but was all ears as Coach Mendenhall spoke of the way geese fly in a V formation and that even if one goose fell out of formation, another goose would wait with him until he either died or was able to rejoin the group. Kyle had never heard anyone speak like that, especially a football coach. His interest was piqued.

Throughout the recruitment process, Coach Mendenhall and Kyle developed a deep friendship. Kyle would sometimes call him for advice in various situations he ran into. Despite their friendship, Mendenhall laid out in detail the requirements of the BYU honor code that would be required if Kyle decided to play football at BYU. Despite offers to Oregon, Colorado, UCLA, and Boise State, Kyle eventually settled on BYU, saying “I wanted to play for a coach who cared more about me as a person than a football player.”

Just a few days from National Signing Day in 2009, Kyle called Coach Mendenhall to tell him he had been arrested for drunk driving. Mendehall’s policy prohibited him from offering scholarships to players who weren’t living in compliance with the honor code. He didn’t make exceptions – not even for the best recruits. Mendenhall offered to help Kyle Van Noy find somewhere else to play, but he was insistent that he wanted to play for BYU.

Mendenhall went to his AD and worked out a deal that Kyle could come to BYU, but he would have to sit out the entire 2009 season and go a full year without violating the honor code. Kyle and signed with BYU.

One month later, Kyle had a run in with the police over alcohol consumption but no charges were brought against him. Coach Mendenhall would not find out, but he decided to fly to Provo and confess in person. As he sat in Coach Mendenhall’s office, he told him, “I need help.” Coach Mendehall responded with the following quote from former BYU president Jeffrey R. Holland: “It is the plain and very sobering truth that before great moments, certainly before great spiritual moments, there can come adversity, opposition, and darkness. Life has some of those moments for us, and occasionally they come just as we are approaching an important decision or a significant step in our life.”

Mendenhall looked Kyle in the eye and told him not to worry about the second incident, “That’s why I gave you the one-year plan”, he told him.

Kyle Van Noy sat out the 2009 season and then played linebacker at BYU from 2010-2013. He earned a myriad of honors throughout his time at BYU and was named the All-Independent Defensive Player of the Year his senior year. Kyle Van Noy was picked by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft and is still in the NFL today after signing with the Los Angeles Chargers in May, 2022.

I don’t where Kyle Van Noy would be if Coach Bronco Mendenhall hadn’t believed in him and given him a second chance. Obviously, he is an immensely gifted athlete that could have thrived on any D1 football roster. However, would he have continued to struggle with things outside of the field like he did in high school? We’ll never know, but the one person who believed in him, Coach Mendenhall, set boundaries and enforced consequences for Kyle’s actions. As a result, he has seen a lot of success in his NFL career that may not have come otherwise.

Who are the people in your life that need you to believe in them? You may not be a head football coach of a national program, but you may be the father of a son who needs to understand what it is to be a man and take responsibility for your actions, what it means to be a true High Impact Man (HIM).

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sign up for Brolympics on Nov. 5 hosted by The Asylum

One Generation Away

THE SCENE: Low 60’s and beautiful
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

25 SSH (4-count)

5 Cherry pickers

10 Tempo Merkins

10 Tempo Squats

10 Flutter Kicks (4-count)

THA-THANG:

Mosey to the coupon pile with a stop for 3 rounds of the Loading Dock up and overs 

Draw a card; do number in reps of:

  • Clubs – Curls
  • Spades – American Hammers
  • Diamonds – Overhead Press
  • Hearts – Raisers
  • After each round, up the stairs to touch the rec center

Mosey to the stadium

11’s – 10 Twinkle toes, 1 squat

Mosey towards the quad 

Burpee Freeze Tag

Mosey to the flag with stop for hello dollies (10 – 4 count) and a lap around the parking lot to help two HIMs finish their IPC.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

We are considering the concept of Family Discipleship this week. Kickflip talked about the power of moments and discipling around milestones in your children’s lives. I was given the less sexy topic of consistent intentionality which goes something like

Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it. – Proverbs 22:6

What is the opposite? If you don’t train your child, you do not know the path he will take. 

How many generations is any family, my family, your family from faithlessness? One

Judges 2:7-12 (abbreviated by Commission) The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the Lord which He had done for Israel. 8 Then Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died. 10 All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel.

11 Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served other gods, 12 and they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers.

This is near and dear to my heart. My parents are first generation Christians. I grew up in a moral household but not a spiritual household. My parents talked about right and wrong but never studied the Bible with me, never quoted the Bible to me. When I went to college, I had my conscience as a guide and it didn’t turn out well for me – Bad company corrupted good morals. They weren’t intentional with my faith so I wasn’t intentional with my faith. 

If you want your son to be a baseball player, you throw the ball with him. If you want your daughter to be a soccer player, you kick the ball with her. If you want your kid to get good grades, you do homework with them. Intentional actions with intentional outcomes. 

Take them to church, but know that that is not enough. Take them to youth group but don’t rely on the youth minister to make them a believer. If you want your child to be a Christian, you open the Bible with them. If you aren’t a strong teacher yet, share thoughts from a devotional. As you mature, begin to give specific lessons or work your way through a book of the Bible explaining to your kids who God is and what he expects from us. 

Intentional actions have intentional outcomes.

Ring Around the Mosey

THE SCENE:

Few clouds, 59 Degrees, 93% Humidity (not 100!!)

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

WARM-O-RAMA:
1. Cherry Pickers (x5), 2. BACF (x10) 3. BACB (x10), 4. Tempo Squats (x10), 5. SSH (x15), 6. Mountain Climbers (x10)

THA-THANG:

Mosey up the Hard Knox hill & grab the guardrail for 25 dips.

Pick up a rock for each hand and 25 Front Claps and 25 OH Claps

25 Merkins OYO.

From that corner we will Lunge Walk to the next short corner and do (5) Burpees. Mosey to the far end and then Bear Crawl to the next short corner. Will then do 5 Burpees, 25 Squats. Mosey to the far end and then Lunge Walk to the next corner. 5 Burpees, 25 Squats, 20 Shoulder Taps, etc. Mosey, repeat…

After each lunge/crawl we add a set:
(5) Burpees,
(25) Squats,
(20) Shoulder Taps,
(15) SSH,
(10) Leg Raises,
(5) more Burpees to end.

6 total exercise stops & 3 full laps around.

Mosey down and east along Hardin Valley Rd. back into the east parking lot. Did some Mary and some Flutter Kicks (x15). Mosey back through the lot to the COT

MARY:
At COT finished off with Hello Dolly (x15), Side crunches (x15) each side, Heels to Heaven (x10), LBC’s (x15)

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

17 HIMS including (1) 2.0, (9) RUSH

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

What is Fellowship? The dictionary defines it as A Community of interest, activity, feeling, or experience.

Sounds kind of shallow by definition but we do need fellowship. We need deeper fellowship. It’s a cornerstone of this group.

I believe it’s true that we also need friendship. We all know men that simply don’t have many friends. They are married, too busy, they just prefer to be alone. If married, your Wife shouldn’t have to carry that stress or burden of being our only friend and we know that isolation is not good for us. (Proverbs 18:1 – Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment).

We need each other!

In John chapter 15, Jesus tells his disciples “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

How can we love someone we don’t know? How can we lay down our life for a friend if we don’t have any friends?

There are lots of lonely men out there and they need friendship. Understand that in Christ you have been saved through faith by grace, and not by anything you did or can do. Nothing. When we realize that, we are free to share with other men who we really are.

I believe God calls men to take the lead, make sacrifices. Look at where we are right now!

There’s little good to be gained without some form of pain.

So take a chance to reach out and get to know someone, even of it means rejection. Maybe make it a goal to learn something new about someone here every morning. That’s where Fellowship leads to real friendship.

MOLESKIN:

Prayer for Butterknife and his family after the passing of his Uncle Kevin. Room Service’s father had some test results that were not positive. Prayers for his treatment going forward. Data and his boys.