THREE KEYS TO MOMENTUM!

CONSISTENT. CONSTANT. CLEAR.

These three elements will help you build a powerful men’s movement in your church. To have a fixed focus, to stay engaged and to have a clear goal.
Men follow leaders who have a sense of where they are going. Focus gives us the space to put our full energy into something. If there is no clear focus, men tend to hold back. In the book “Daring” we talk about it in depth.
To stay engaged is the role of a strong leader…don’t give up, back off or waver in your commitment. Regardless of your own feelings, Proverbs 16 says it is the role of a man to commit his heart to a task, and then the answer comes from God. We commit, he fulfills. Success is the result of constancy of purpose.
Clarity is not a common thing in our world. There are a hundred opinions on every issue, and the obfuscation, manipulation of facts is a trademark of many national discussions. Clarity comes from the Word of God. The Bible provides a clear path for life… your men’s movement must be Bible centered, not fellowship centered. Fellowship is always the byproduct of purpose.

Minister to men where they are at… then take them where they need to go. Work with the men who are in front of you. Don’t look over their heads, looking for the ones you hope will be there. God has always used the man who was overlooked by the world, to do some of the greatest works for the kingdom.

Give your men clear goals that can be reached. Engage them for a 6 week course, or a 3 month study… it has an ending. Then have them do it again. It takes time to make a rugged disciple.
Your ultimate goal should be to get men studying God’s Word with other men. Small groups are the place where men can find the security to share what they are really dealing with.

Whatever you do… just start. It won’t happen until you do that.

Christian Men’s Network is here to help.

Grace/Peace
Paul

DISAPPOINTMENT.

Disappointment in life is not based on where we are, or what we find… it’s based on where we expected to be, or expected to find. The size of the gap between expectation and reality is the degree of disappointment we carry in our hearts. Jesus came to cover the gap! He fills, heals and closes the gap. Fill your life with His life, and yesterday’s disappointment will become the fuel for your tomorrow.

Do not carry last year’s disappointment into this year. Forgive, release, look forward. Looking to the past, carrying your failures, thinking often about disappointments and hurts will narrow your vision, sap your energy and fog your focus.

God is all about new beginnings… the God who lives outside of time, created time so you would have a new year, a new month, a new week… a new day!

Take a moment, meditate on the Word of God;

Revelation 21: 3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” 5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”

Lamentations 3:22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

Romans 5:3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

NOW, get up, get going. Make the phone calls, write the emails, run your business, love your kids, have food with friends… face your future free of the weight of the past, and live today fully alive!

YOUR BEST YEAR!

pc

(photo from Ps. Phil Pringle's early morning prayer)

GUTS - MEN.

Bill Scheer and GUTS church in Tulsa just held their first Maximized Manhood meeting this morning... Pastor Bill wanted to start with his key leaders - then spread the men's movement throughout his church - then, to the region!
Started with 150 strong men! This is going to be epic in Tulsa!

Hearing reports from around the world of same thing happening this week and next...new groups starting - big fresh wind in the sails of the men's movement globally!

Old proverb - "When is the best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago. Second best time? Today." So - maybe you wanted to start something last year, or the year before... don't get down - get started now! It's not difficult... Jason Debus from Phoenix said it best, "Two guys, Two books, Two study manuals - you've got a ministry to men!"

Proud of Bill.
Awesome.
Let's crank it!
paul

Live 2011 under Wide Open Skies!

Love this from 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5 in the Message translation...

4-8But friends, you're not in the dark... You're sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let's not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let's keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we're creatures of Day, let's act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation.

9-11God didn't set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we're awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we're alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you're already doing this; just keep on doing it.

His life is in you - let's take on hell with a furious love of freedom - for everyone.

ALIVE!
pc

Christmas - family.

Christmas is an amazing time of year - friends, family, church, helping others - for us as believers, it is Christmas all year long... the same spirit we sense at this time of year, should fill our hearts throughout the year. Let's make that commitment, it's about Jesus, and He is about people!
A few photos of our family times... then, this blog will move more toward motivational, encouraging teaching in 2011, follow me on twitter at paullouiscole, which will include daily words of encouragement and news... my personal times with friends and family will be on facebook.

I pray 2011 will start full of fire for you!
That His love and grace will cover every step,
and that you will go for the fullness of God with reckless abandon!
Paul

Lions Roar goes Global! Press reports worldwide!

The press reports on Lions Roar are swirling around the world! It was an amazing event - one that put things into motion - Swahili books! New outreach to public schools! Books being printed in Indonesia for entire Pacific nations! And, more! Here's the first press reports...

http://www.prweb.com/releases/Christian_Mens_Network/Lions_Roar_2010/prweb4776544.htm


We'll put more info on line - and, from the past weekend in Argentina - it was stunning! Commissioned 140 men in Buenos Aires... at same time John Arana was in Nicaragua meeting key pastors, setting up next year with over 300 pastors for conference on discipling men in Central America!

go strong.

paul

MOTORCYCLE WRECK

Motorcycle wreck in Oregon Mountains - It was miraculous that I was not hurt worse than I am. I am able to speak/move but moving slowly with bruises and aching over my entire body. I took 25 stitches in my nose and mouth (I'll need plastic surgery in a year or so). I have facial fractures that cannot be mended surgically, so it's a time issue. My shoulders have torn muscles, I have cuts, abrasions and bruises in many other places... but I am fully functioning and operating. No one else was hurt, or involved.

THAT'S a photo of me just after surgery in the emergency room - got up and walked out hour later...

Ed Preston and I, with another friend had spent the afternoon riding up into the Cascade mountains outside Portland. Coming out of the mountains, I went wide on a turn that had a narrow pavement, my front tire caught the tarmac edge and I was propelled into the gravel and a field (this is the only area for many miles I would not have hit a tree or gone off a ledge/cliff!) - as I was slowing from 55mph - I thought I was going to make it - a perpendicular ditch I didn't see grabbed the bike, it stopped suddenly, then flipped, totalling wrecking the bike, I was thrown at around 40mph into the gravel and dirt - face first. The paramedics were sure I had a broken back, limbs, etc. The emergency doctors were certain I must have internal injuries, concussion, skull fractures, etc.
BUT
the ministering angels protected me from all of those things... The surgeon sewed me up, gave me some advil, and that night we went home - the next morning, I spoke at a men's event in Portland, that Sunday at the church.

Praise God for His protection! I pray for that in your family and in your life.
Great Lions Roar coming up!
www.LionsRoar2010.com

grace/peace
paul