S2:E2 Mens Ministry, Part 2 - Bob Beltz

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I, I would say if I was wanting to start a men's ministry in our church, if I was wanting help as a man to get myself off the island of isolation and begin f- unfearfully or courageously connecting with other men, with people in the congregation who are definitely going through the same thing, they just ...

They're not willing to admit it because I'm not willing to admit it from the pulpit.

And somehow, without telling a list of, laundry list of all your struggles and sins, there's gotta be a way for the man in the pulpit to begin being a little more open and honest, to begin being a little more transparent and real, and then you're gonna see an awakening from the people in the church that are going through these same things.

And it will actually endear you to the congregation.

And if the leaders do not embrace this idea of, of authenticity and vulnerability ...

It, you see, strength can come from weakness.

We don't think that.

Society doesn't teach that.

Paul says that in 2 Timothy or 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.

You know, when I'm weak, then I'm strong.

It's because of His strength, His power, His grace.

And, and Paul, Paul was courageous enough to talk in Romans 7, "Hey, I don't have it all together.

Sometimes I'm not doing what I wanna do, and I'm doing what I don't wanna do, or not doing what I should do." So Paul is our, one of our examples, as well as Christ, that, that be real.

Don't be afraid to be real.

If people can't accept that, it might be their problem, not yours.

Instead, we go around kinda acting like everything's okay, and all that does is ...

You see, for the man, when, when we're not able to be real, we live in isolation, and that's when Satan has his playground, when things are private, hidden, and in isolation.

And a lot of these things can be brought out in a men's ministry in generalities.

We don't have to go into specifics, but we can be very aware of the insurgence against us of Satan in trying to derail us from being the Godly man.

So we gotta, like, not only look to our example, Jesus, but we gotta, like, be willing to admit the enemy, Satan, and how he's fiercely pursuing us.

I would say I would begin with fasting and maybe prayer.

I mean, maybe I would begin with prayer and perhaps fasting.

Like, God, th- this, like, private closet kinda prayer where, "God, help me.

I, I'm desperate for you.