Diligence – adjective
1. constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything: a diligent student.
2. done or pursued with persevering attention; painstaking: a diligent search of the files.

Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the “faith” chapter; but I’d like to submit that it should also be referred to as the diligence chapter. Each of the men and women listed within chapter 11 were diligent in their relationship with God. Out of the depth of relationship, the faith they exercised in obeying God’s call on their lives led to great things for the kingdom of God. Another thing to remember is that guys like Noah, Abraham, and the others weren’t perfect – they had struggles and hardships just like us. But, they were persistent and pressed on in their relationship to God and followed through with what He asked of them.

Are we modeling the examples of diligence and faith that are shown in Hebrews 11? Are we pursuing the things of God? Do we desire to please Him in our thoughts, words, and actions on a daily basis? I have always liked Micah 6:8 which says, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

This should be our call to action everyday. Every day.

We’re all diligently pursuing something. We’re working hard for a promotion. We’re focused on achieving a certain weight when we step on the scales. We’re saving up for that ideal vacation. The list goes on and on… All of these pursuits are noble and really, there’s nothing wrong with them at all. But does our list start with the diligent pursuit of the things God desires from us? Better yet, are we pursuing all of the other things on our list in a manner that will bring glory and honor to God during the process and when we actually achieve those goals?

I pray that these questions and the scriptures used have caused you to do some contemplation and perhaps some fine-tuning to what is ultimately important to diligently pursue in life. I pray that the goal of the Apostle Paul will be ours as well:

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:12-14

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:9-14

In the first installment, we covered two of the four major characteristics of a life that is pleasing to God (bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God).

Let’s jump right in and cover the remaining characteristics.

Being Strengthened – This phrase conjures up lots of different mental pictures for me. But, the one I immediately think of first is the weight room in my old high school football fieldhouse. I spent many hours there strengthening my body in order to go out and do battle on football fields scattered across North Texas. Many hours were spent in that hot (and sometimes stinky) fieldhouse with the rest of my team pumping iron. In retrospect, it was a pretty awesome place to be – in a room full of weight lifting equipment with my teammates who shared a similar goal. We were unified in our determination to be the strongest, most intimidating football team in our division. That common goal drove us to be strengthened and to drive each other to higher weight lifting goals. On the walls of our fieldhouse, we had “clubs” for weight lifting classes. We had the 1000 pound club, 1500 pound club, and the 2000 pound club. These represented the combination of one’s bench press, leg press, and squat maximums. We were all driven to have our names listed in the top club. I think about those days, think about those guys, and the encouragement and drive we instilled in each other over a game – just a game.

I often find myself then analyzing life and wondering why I don’t have that same drive and determination in being strengthened in my spiritual life. Why do I fail to execute that same determination? Why can’t I consistently see progress and growth in my walk with Christ? Most often, the answer that comes back to me is the simple fact that I’m trying to do it all on my own. Unlike those days in the fieldhouse where I was surrounded by like-minded teammates, I’m trying to make progress in my spiritual strength training in a solo fashion. I need consistent fellowship and time with other believers who will spur me on, encourage me, and keep me accountable to the goals I have set for my spiritual growth. Does this resonate with you? Have you experienced this same situation? I know I’m not alone! So, in the case of being strengthened in your relationship with Jesus, I encourage you to enlist the help of some teammates. Find a few other guys who truly desire to dig deeper into God’s Word and make an impact upon the world. Join forces and get that strength training underway!

Giving Thanks – Think about when you were a young boy – what were two things that your parents always reminded you to say when you went over to a friend or relative’s house? “Be sure to say please and thank you!” If you’re a parent, you’ve followed suit and reminded your children to do the same thing hundreds, if not thousands of times while training them. Giving thanks, being thankful, saying thank you – should be the natural response of true gratefulness, not just a curt, expected polite response. As I mature in my walk with Christ, I find myself more and more astounded by the grace, mercy, and sacrifice that God has lavished upon my family and me. Giving thanks over the years has become much easier and much more frequent. The more time I spend in God’s Word (being strengthened and growing in the knowledge of God), the more I find myself naturally offering my thanks back to Him for what He’s done for me. Can the same be said of you? Do you find yourself amazed at how God blesses and sustains you? In spite of difficult circumstances at times, do you find yourself thankful? I hope your answer is a resounding “yes”.

My hope and the goal of Men’s Ministry Catalyst is that you will be encouraged to focus on these 4 principles that reflect an attitude that pleases God.

When it comes to exercising good judgment in making decisions, many of us struggle and find it difficult. From daily decisions to those that hold potential life-changing consequences, we need to look to Bible as our guide for making decisions that ultimately honor God.

Together, we’ll uncover five truths that will help us improve our decision making skills. So, let’s get started.

1. You aren’t in control. “To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the proper answer of the tongue.” Proverbs 16:1 (NIV) First and foremost, we need to acknowledge Who is truly in control of everything. In spite of the difficulty many of us have in acknowledging that we aren’t in charge, we should take comfort in knowing that God is infinitely more capable and qualified in this area than we are. Seeking out His counsel should motivate us to get into His Word and develop a more consistent prayer life as well.
2. Take it to God in prayer. Godly decision-making is covered in prayer. Have you sincerely prayed about it? “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and He will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5 (NIV) We need to initiate conversation with God about whatever the pending decision may be – if we want guidance, we need to ask for it.
3. Seek wise counsel. “In the multitude of counselors there is wisdom.” Psalm 11:14 (KJV) Sometimes our emotions may cloud our ability to hear God’s voice. It’s important to seek out godly, mature counsel from others in the body of Christ that can offer objective, unbiased opinions that flow from their own deep relationships with God.
4. Godly decisions are confirmed by peace. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6 (NASB) Godly peace is the assurance that you are pleasing to the Father. Peace allows you to put your head on the pillow at night knowing… all is well (remember point #1).
5. Give the glory to God. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Cor 10:31 (NIV) Regardless of the outcome of your pending decision (large or small), it’s important to realize that in everything we need to glorify God. Whether God chooses to bless the pending decision or steer your course in a different direction, we need to be willing to honor and glorify our Heavenly Father.

“My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young—a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.” Psalm 84:2-4

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:9-14

The Apostle Paul give us some ideas on what a life that pleases God looks like throughout many of his books. We’re going to focus on four characteristics found in verses 10-12 that constitute a life pleasing to the Lord. They are: “bearing fruit”; “growing in the knowledge of God”; “being strengthened”; and “giving joyful thanks”. Let’s look at them more closely, reflect on our personal situations, and do some assessment.

Bearing Fruit – What does “bearing fruit” mean? Most of us immediately think of a fruit tree – perhaps an apple or peach tree. It’s an accurate picture for what we’re discussing. If a tree that’s designed to bear fruit doesn’t – what use is it? I suppose you could cut it up and use it for firewood. Christ is speaking about our role in bearing spiritual fruit for His kingdom. Christ actually chose us specifically for this task, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit” John 15:16. At this point, many folks tend to narrow their focus to simply saving souls, or doing something that leads to saving souls (such as preaching the gospel). We cannot save anyone – Christ alone saves. I believe that it’s a two-fold process. We’re called to bear the fruit of the Spirit, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” Gal. 5:22-23. In pursuing those qualities, which manifest themselves more and more as we dive deeper into relationship with God, the lives we lead, the actions we display to others, and the words we speak will present us with opportunities to introduce the people around us to Jesus Christ and give us the ability to fulfill the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20. Is the fruit of the Spirit visible through you?

Growing in the Knowledge of God – A life that pleases God is the one that “keeps on growing in the knowledge of God” – continually seeking to know God better. Let’s be clear here. Growing in the knowledge of God isn’t the same as trying to learn how to get more from God. Our focus shouldn’t be how to get God to meet our needs, answer our prayers, and solve our problems. Growing in the knowledge of God isn’t simply trying to figure out how to “use God” to our own advantage.

Another important thing to remember is that growing in the knowledge of God is not the same as learning more facts about God. Warren Wiersbe writes,

“In my pastoral ministry, I have met people who have become intoxicated with “studying the deeper truths of the Bible.” Usually they have been given a book or introduced to some teacher’s tapes. Before long, they get so smart they become dumb! The “deeper truths” they discover only detour them from practical Christian living. Instead of getting burning hearts of devotion to Christ (Luke 24:32), they get big heads and start creating problems in their homes and churches.”

Facts don’t lead to relationship. God desires relationship with each one of us. We should desire to read His Word so that we get to know Him in a deeper, more intimate way – strengthening our relationship with Him. Think about when you met your wife (or fiancée/girlfriend). Your primary goal in life at that time was to spend time with her. You wanted to know everything you could about her, her past, her family, her desires, her goals, the list goes on and on! God wants us to pursue Him in that same fashion. He wants us to yearn to discover everything about Him. Are you spending time in God’s Word? Do you even desire to dive into His Word?

I encourage you to take some time out of your hectic, fast-paced schedule and reflect a little while on these points and the questions. Be honest – if possible, discuss it with another brother and be vulnerable. Yes, be vulnerable! Discuss the areas where you’re failing and ask for prayer and assistance in those areas. We’ll work our way through the last two points (Being Strengthened and Giving Thanks) in part two of this series.

Assessment in one form or another often impacts life and motivates change:

• Has a cholesterol or blood pressure check ever led to changes in your eating habits, exercise routine, or lifestyle?
• Have you ever looked down at the scale and made a decision to start watching what you eat?
• Did a poor grade on a test or research paper ever motivate you to work harder in a particular class?
• Have you ever glanced down at your car’s speedometer and quickly eased off the accelerator once you realized how fast you were driving?

Looking at the list above, anyone can tell you that a balanced diet, good study habits, and safe driving are the right choices to make in these situations. Unfortunately, head knowledge doesn’t always directly correlate with our behavior. Various types of assessment provide excellent feedback and are often the very thing needed to increase awareness and motivate behavior change. Now, all of these examples are personal. But, the same concept applies to ministry.

You’ve worked hard with your pastor and men’s council to build a men’s ministry, organized your team, created a master calendar, launched programs, and initiated several small groups that seem to be well received and spark interest within the group of men in your ministry. But, are you missing something? Is there a particular aspect of operations or organization that has been overlooked?

This is an important time to do some assessment of the ministry. It’s important to do some self-assessment with your council members and it’s important to glean feedback from the men in your group.

If you have ever attended an event that was sponsored by Men’s Ministry Catalyst, you know that we believe in gathering feedback and letting folks have the opportunity to provide their assessment of a particular event. Giving the guys that attend your men’s ministry activities the opportunity to provide you with their opinion, reactions, suggestions, and ideas is valuable on many different fronts.

“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.” Proverbs 18:15

Offering your guys the ability to provide feedback and give you their assessment of a particular event or program accomplishes several things:

• It shows guys that you’re interested in what they have to say, what they think, and that you’re open to their ideas or suggestions.
• It also displays that you’re willing to implement beneficial changes if needed.
• Assessments spur conversation and discussion to occur within your men’s council, which in turn usually yields new ideas, a fresh approach, or a positive change.

Often times, as ministry leaders, we get wrapped up in specific details and tasks that cause us to “run with blinders on” and we fail to identify issues, problems, or missing elements. Allowing your men to provide feedback through an assessment tool is a great way to identify missing or problematic pieces.

Men’s Ministry Catalyst has several feedback and assessment forms that are available in the online toolbox on our website. These sample forms are in a downloadable format that is easy for you to modify and customize for your events and ministry. To learn how to gain access to these tools and the rest of our men’s ministry library, please call us at 208-762-9216 or use the Contact Us form here on our website. We look forward to speaking with you soon!

As most of you already know, keeping the peace, being a peacemaker, and maintaining a selfless attitude with people is difficult and trying at times. We have all experienced the pain and frustration of being immersed in a situation that seems impossible to resolve. God’s Word focuses quite a bit of attention on peace and being a peacemaker. We know that the Bible says, “peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:18) and we also know that “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). But, what does it take to be a peacemaker? How do we successfully navigate through the myriad of relationships that we deal with on a daily basis effectively and resolve conflicts, offenses, and issues in a peaceful manner?

The following is taken from Peacemaker Ministries. It’s a great, biblically based approach to conflict resolution. MMC believes that this approach is one that we should all learn and implement into our daily “operations manual”.

“Even when you manage to resolve personal offenses through confession and forgiveness, you may still need to deal with substantive issues, which may involve money, property, or the exercise of certain rights. These issues should not be swept under the carpet or automatically passed to a higher authority. Instead, they should be negotiated in a biblically faithful manner.

As a general rule, you should try to negotiate substantive issues in a cooperative manner rather than a competitive manner. In other words, instead of aggressively pursuing your own interests and letting others look out for themselves, you should deliberately look for solutions that are beneficial to everyone involved.

As the Apostle Paul put it, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4; see Matt. 22:39; 1 Cor. 13:5; Matt. 7:12).

A biblical approach to negotiation may be summarized in five basic steps, which we refer to as the PAUSE Principle:

• Prepare (pray, get the facts, seek godly counsel, develop options)
• Affirm relationships (show genuine concern and respect for others)
• Understand interests (identify others’ concerns, desires, needs, limitations, or fears)
• Search for creative solutions (prayerful brainstorming)
• Evaluate options objectively and reasonably (evaluate, don’t argue)

If you have never used this approach to negotiation before, it will take time and practice (and sometimes advice from others) to become proficient at it. But it is well worth the effort, because learning the PAUSE principle will help you not only to resolve your present dispute but also to negotiate more effectively in all areas of your life.”

As you already know technology isn’t slowing down one bit. The myriad of smartphones, iPads, and other tablet devices that are flooding the market right now is staggering. In the fourth quarter of 2011 Apple sold over 37 million iPhones. Amazing.

With the massive surge in smartphone use and tablet use, people are using more and more mobile apps (applications). Have you seen folks in your church with tablets and smartphones? Do you see people reading scripture off of their phone in a Bible study or Sunday school class? It’s becoming more and more prevalent.

So, what are the best apps to use in ministry? What are the apps that you, as a men’s ministry leader, can recommend to your guys? What are the apps that will help them in their walk with God? Which apps are good for you to incorporate into your ministry?

Here are a few of the top apps that we have found to be useful and effective with men:

• Go Tandem – “The life the Bible talks about is possible. The person you want to be is attainable. The journey you want to take is waiting. And you don’t have to do any of it alone. You can goTandem.” GoTandem offers multiple ways to receive daily messages filled with the Bible. Receive a phone call, text, or email. You set the schedule and what you want to receive. GoTandem is a great way to receive encouraging Scripture throughout the day – just when you need it. It’s a multi-platform app (Android, Apple, etc.). Check out their video on how it works and then check out their promotional video. I think you’ll enjoy meeting Dave.

• Logos Bible Software – We have featured Logos in the newsletter and blog several times. Logos has created several Bible study apps that we think are awesome. Logos apps are also multi-platform. Please review them here: Biblia, Proclaim, and Mobile Apps from Logos

• YouVersion – Perhaps the best Bible app out there. It contains over 200 versions of the Bible (includes multiple languages). It also contains over 200 Bible reading plans, such as the One Year Bible. For tablet users, it also offers you the ability to write notes about passages, your pastor’s sermon, etc. YouVersion is available for multiple platforms too. The best place to check out this app is probably their Facebook page.

• K-LOVE Radio – Enjoy Christian music? Need the sound of uplifting, Christ-focused music playing while you work? Then this may be the app for you. K-LOVE’s app plays commercial free contemporary Christian music. At the moment, it looks like this is just an iPhone, iPad, iPod compatible app. Please visit their website to find out if they offer it for other platforms.

• Bible Lock Screens - “The idea for Bible Lock Screens started when I thought about how the Apple iPhone gives you the opportunity to add a background to your lock screen. The lock screen appears for about eight seconds and is the first thing you see when you use your iPhone. Eight seconds is a lot of time to be looking at something random. Why not use a background with Scripture on it!” Currently, Bible Lock Screens is an iPhone, iPad, and iPod only app. Looks to be a great way to keep God’s Word in front of you and may be helpful in memorizing new verses too.

These are a “few of our favorite things” in the mobile apps world. There are hundreds, if not thousands of other apps out there that may be more applicable to your men’s group, church, and ministry situation. Do you have a particular app that you use frequently and find useful in your Christian walk? Please let us know! We would enjoy hearing from you and sharing your input with our other readers.

It was an exciting day as we prayed with them and helped them plan and execute exciting ways to help the men in their churches grow spiritually into the Christian leaders that their families, church, and communities desperately need. It was also a great networking event for these Bay Area pastors and ministry leaders, who all desire to impact the men within their churches with the gospel of Christ and motivate their men to become a spiritual powerful for Christ throughout the Bay Area and beyond.

Here’s what Dr. Grassi had to say of the workshop, “Last week after meeting with the men’s pastors and leaders in the Bay Area I can tell you that their questions and hearts represent many leaders we have spoken to who now have a burden for inspiring, encouraging, and equipping their men to become warriors for Jesus. To help these leaders we are continuing to develop conferences, workshops, messages, and resources that equip men to lead. To be effective in this country of many cultures we have now modified our website so that the user can select between English, Spanish, or Chinese—and we will soon be adding Korean. Praise God! “

Would you like to connect with other leaders in your area who are also trying to reach men? Please visit our website to find out the dates, locations, and how to register for one of our next workshops. Be sure to check out the dates and locations for upcoming Iron Sharpens Iron Conferences too.

I hope over the course of the last three articles in this series that you have come to realize the power of your words. My goal has been to challenge, encourage, and inspire you to speak words of truth, words of life, and words of encouragement into the lives of others. I hope you have determined in your heart to be a person of pure speech—a person who seeks to build others up with your words, rather than destroy them. I hope that you have determined in your heart to allow God to speak to you, to offer you His words – that you will seek, on a regular basis, to find a quiet place, a solitary place where God can speak His truth into your hearts. To wrap up this series, I want to discuss the most important words of all for us to hear – the Word of God. Let’s look at Colossians 3:5-17 and learn how the Word of God helps us live peaceful lives that reflect the character and nature of Christ at work within us.

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” – Col 3:5-17

In the loud, busy world that we live in, we must find the time and we must find a place where we listen to the still, small voice of God. Jesus even told us to go into our room or our closet, shut the door and pray. We need the quiet, we need the solitude – our souls need nurturing in the quiet places of life. God speaks in many ways – He speaks in and through our times of prayer, God speaks in and through our circumstances – guiding us and revealing Himself to us by His Spirit, God speaks in and through His Body, the Church – this is one of the avenues God has chosen to reveal Himself to us. Then God speaks to us through His revealed Word. What a privilege it is for us to hold this in our hands! What a joy it is to be nurtured by His Word, to have insight given to us about Jesus Christ, to discover our need for a Savior and our way to salvation in Jesus Christ – all revealed to us in His Word! The Word of God is consistent with the character and nature of God, and when we seek to hear God’s voice speaking to us, we always come back to what place to make sure it’s really from Him? We come back to His Word!

This passage in Colossians talks a lot about some things we need to embrace and some things we need to rid ourselves of in order to live for Christ. Put to death the sinful, earthly, fleshly nature – the nature that only thinks of me – the nature that is self-indulgent and self-centered. Put it to death, execute it, and crucify it! Get rid of sexual immorality, lust, greed, idolatry, FILTHY LANGUAGE FROM YOUR LIPS, and all the stuff that comes from the old, sinful nature! In Christ, there’s no place for anger, rage, malice, slander, and lying – those are not the character qualities of someone who is being transformed by God’s compassion and grace in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Warren Wiersbe tells of a pastor who had a parishioner come to him and challenge him when he preached a sermon about the sins of the saints. The parishioner said he should be preaching about sin to unbelievers. He said, “Sin in the life of a believer is different from sin in the lives of other people. The pastor agreed and said, “You’re right…it’s worse!” He goes on to say, that we as believers have become so accustomed to anger, critical attitudes, lying, and coarse humor amongst ourselves that we are no longer convicted or upset over these sins. He says, “We would be shocked to see a church member commit some sensual or sexual sin, but we will watch him lose his temper in a business meeting and call it, “righteous indignation.” We need to change our thinking – we need to change our clothes.

In Christ, we have a new wardrobe, and we clothe ourselves with what? With compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. In Christ, we bear with one another and extend forgiveness toward one another. We don’t harbor bitterness or hold grudges. The Love of Christ is to be our identifying mark – and we strive for it. Why? Because we understand that it is only by His love that our own sins are forgiven. It’s only because of His love that we can be reconciled to God. We learn to live in peace, we learn to be at peace regardless of the temporary circumstances of this life, and we live with grateful hearts.

I want for us all to realize something very important here. We cannot accomplish any of the things in verses 5-15 unless we, by the Spirit and power of God, can put into action verse 16. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” This is absolutely critical! Let me talk to you about this verse. “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly…” That word “dwell” is a critical word. We could translate it, “Let the Word of Christ take up residence within…Let the Word of Christ move in.” Have you allowed the Word to move into your heart and life? If the answer is no, then what has taken up residence in your heart? Anger? Rage? Malice? Filthy language? Lies? Sexual immorality? Evil desires? If Jesus is not reigning as King of your heart then who is? If we are to be the people God wants us to be – if you really want to live the kind of life described in verses 5-15 – if you want to get rid of that stuff…and embrace compassion, humility, gentleness, and patience – you will just be spinning your wheels and attempting another “Self-help” program unless you let the Word of Christ move into – take up residence in your heart and life. Apart form the Word taking up residence in your heart you are just making a worthy attempt to be a nice person. God doesn’t just want to make you into a nice person. He wants to transform you completely from the inside out! He wants His Word – His incarnate Word, Jesus, who is revealed to us in His written Word, to transform you completely. Are you willing to allow the Gospel, the good news, the Word of God to penetrate your heart? Are you willing to remove all of the junk from your life and allow the Word to take up residence in your heart? Let me ask you one more time…what have you allowed to take up residence in your heart? Are you willing to allow the word of God to penetrate into the recesses of your heart and soul and take up residence and transform your life?

The indwelling presence of God’s word manifests itself in a couple of different ways. As brothers and sisters in Christ, the indwelling presence of the Word gives us, as disciples of Christ, the desire and ability to teach and admonish one another. Without the indwelling presence of the Word, none of us are really qualified to teach or admonish one another. The word admonish means to caution, to advise, to counsel. You can’t encourage unless you are also willing to admonish—the two go hand in hand. Teaching others the principles of God’s Word, REQUIRES that the Word itself is dwelling within us! We must allow God’s Word to make itself at home in our hearts and minds.

Another manifestation of the indwelling presence of the Word is in our worship! Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs – not just hymns, not just psalms, and not just spiritual songs – in every form we seek to edify the Body of Christ and offer our gratitude to God. Our hearts are to sing of the grace of God, we sing to one another, we sing to Him, we give glory to the God who has and is transforming our hearts. What is His Word to you today? Have you surrendered to Him? Are you allowing His Word to transform your heart? Are His words changing your words? I trust that you will allow the Word of God to penetrate your heart and that you will allow the Word to move in and change your life!

— Mark McWhorter is the senior pastor of the Post Falls Church of the Nazarene in Post Falls, ID. Learn more about his church at pfnazarene.org and follow him on twitter at twitter.com/revmcwhorter.

One of the things that great leaders do well is delegate. As a leader for your group, it’s important to establish some ground rules for yourself as you screen, select, and empower men within your ministry or group in order to ensure programs, events, and the operation of your ministry to men is successful.

Here are a few things to consider implementing that will help you get more men involved in the overall ministry and function of your group.

1. Clearly list your needs – large and small. Remember, some guys have more time than others to commit. List all of your needs.
2. Be clear with your job descriptions, talents needed, time involvement necessary. Let guys know what you expect of them. Write a job description of each task and the skills required. Define the time required, with some flexibility built in, and what their budget is for expenses (if they need to purchase items).
3. Target strengths, not just availability. Just because someone has loads of time to give to a specific project doesn’t mean that the job will get done well. Take time to ensure you have the best person for each role.
4. Follow up. Consistent contact with the guys you have in leadership positions will keep the wheels of progress moving. It will also help you identify potential problem areas so that you have the time and ability to intervene and assist with a workable solution.
5. Take advantage of technology. The days of simply using clipboard signup sheets and legal pads is a thing of the past. Use your church’s website, create a Facebook page, or use one of the many free organizational apps available to organize and manage your leaders. Through the use of these tools, you will keep yourself better organized and save yourself time as well. Google Apps is full of great organization tools, project management tools, and more.
6. Encourage & Thank. Remember to encourage these guys frequently and thank them too – they’re willingly giving up their time to help out!

These are just a few things to keep in mind as you start planning, organizing, and mobilizing your men’s ministry for 2012 and beyond. This is certainly not a comprehensive “how to” list – just some suggestions.

Do you have additional tips that are effective for you in your church or organization when it comes to working with other men in leadership roles? Please feel free to pass them along and share them with our other readers. Thanks!