Conference Notes

Precarious Masculinity: As men, we are constantly under threat by crucible experiences that either lead us down the Way of Adam (Passivity) or the Way of Cain (Assholism), however in Christ we can follow The Way of the Hero, who surrenders his selfishness in order to be used by God.

Ecclesiastes 4:7-12
There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—a miserable business!

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Seasons of a Man’s Life

Questions a man asks during the transition stages?

Am I good enough? (Perennial)
Pre-Adult: What do I keep from my family of origin?
Novice: Who am I?
Becoming Ones Own Man: How does what I have built (dream) stack up to reality?
Grinding It Out: What’s my significance?
Leaving a Mark: What’s my legacy?
Appraisal: How did I do?
Making Peace: What’s next?

The Splitter

Devil (διαβόλου) means “through-throw”

Spiritual Practice: 5 WHYs

In order to get below the surface of a sin, use the 5 whys that reveal your Heart Idol. Read this article by The Gospel Centered Life

Pray Psalm 139:23-24 and then ask yourself why five times (example)

Luke 22:31-32

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Spiritual Friendships

All men need two types of men in their lives:

“An Elder”–blesses you
“A Brother”–walks alongside you

Pro 17:17–A friend loves at all times but a brother is born for adversity.

Acts 17:26–And God made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, so that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us…

Levels of Community

Jesus experienced the disappointment, rejection, loneliness and abandonment of every level of community we need so that he could become our cornerstone and we may know that we are never alone.

Strong Faith

You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong and sound as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn’t you then first discover how much you really trusted it? –CS Lewis

Spiritual Practice: Sawtooth Life

Review the seasons of your life
Where were places of God’s consolation (highlights) where were points of desolation
Draw your timeline
At those crucible moments, who did God place alongside you? Write their names on the list.

Surrender