You all Should watch this!

Brian Welch (Former member of the Rock Band KORN) shares his testimony.

http://iamsecond.org/#/seconds/Brian_Welch/

Bible Study Notes for 6/17/09 (Romans 7:1-6)

Here are the notes I put together to guide our discussion tonight.  I encourage you to print them out and think about them.  There is a lot of good material here that can direct you to major changes in your life if you allow it to sink in.

1. What is the Law and why were we bound to it?
2. Why are we released from the Law? – To what end? (V4)
3. What is the fruit talked about in Vs 4 and 5?
   1. Gal 5:22-23
   2. Eph 5:9
4. Why is fruit such a big deal? (1 Cor 9:25)
5. Who is it that produces this fruit in your life?
6. What about the fruit of producing believers in Jesus?
   1. Luke 10:2 (harvest of souls)
7. Are you seeing the people around you come to know Jesus? If not, why?
   1. Is this fruit visible to all in your life?
   2. Are you sharing the gospel?
      1. Hear and understand (Col 1:6)
      2. Do you understand and are you sharing the message of Jesus’ wonderful Grace?
8. Who can you get the fruits of the spirit in your life?
   1. John 15:1-17 (abide in me)
   2. What does abide mean? (remain in, rest)
   3. How do you remain in or rest in Jesus?
      1. His words (V7)
      2. His love (V9, 12)
      3. Obedience (V10, 14)
         1. Information + obedience  = transformation
      4. Joy (V11)
   4. Fellowship with God and other Christians
9. There are 2 enemies of abiding in Jesus, business and laziness.  Which one do you struggle with most?
   1. Plate – How much can you can handle?
   2. Priorities – What are yours? Write them down.
   3. Pruning – What do you need to decrease in your life?
10. Which type of soil are you right now? (Matt 13:1-9, 18-23)
    1. Concrete – seed of gospel has no effect
    2. Shallow soil – shoot up quickly and then fall away
    3. Weedy – Gospel takes root but concerns, hardships, and distractions of the world choke out growth.
    4. Good soil – bear much fruit and many come to know Jesus by your testimony
11. What actions do you need to take to become the 4^th type of soil, good soil?

Practical Guide to Biblical Manhood

Integrity—The Hallmark of a Man

“Our mission is to live for the glory of Jesus every moment of every day no matter the cost or consequence”

Integrity with All Relationships

• Be proactive, not passive. This one is at the heart of everything on this page.  A man doesn’t sit back and wait for others to do what they should.  He acts first and others follow.  This means YOU seek reconciliation in relationships first.  YOU ask questions when you don’t understand.  YOU step up and help when others aren’t. (Prov 4:7, 6:6, 13:4, 18:15, Jer 32:39, Jam 2:7)
• Seek mentorship. It doesn’t matter what you believe, you NEED mentorship.  Manhood is not self taught, it is passed on.  Find a man (or group of men) that are willing to meet with you one-on-one and help you grow in the areas you are week in.  You will have to be willing to be corrected. You have to take the initiative to get this.  Don’t wait for the men to come to you!  (Ps 141:5, Prov 4:10-11, 13:10, 15:22, 17:10, 18:15, 1 Tim 2:1-2, 4:11, Tit 2:6-8,15)
• Seek accountability. We can’t go it alone.  We need brothers to ask the tough questions and keep us honest.  If you know someone is going to ask you this week if you gave into that sin, it is more motivation to keep clear of it.  Again, the action here is in your camp.  You must seek this out from others. (Ecc 4:9-12, Gal 6:1-2, Col 3:16,  Prov 27:17)
• Seek community. If you are isolated and feeling alone you are being passive!  You have brothers who want to be here for you.  Take initiative and be in community.  It doesn’t matter if this is comfortable for you or not.  We are the body of Christ and we are to be unified.  Satan is a lion.  He seeks the week one, separated from the heard.  (Prov 18:1-2, 28:26, Eph 4:1-16, 1 Cor 12:25-27, Gal 6:1-2, 1 Pet 5:8)
• Be humble and teachable.  A real man is not a proud man.  Jesus lowered himself to be a servant. You should welcome criticism because it helps you grow.  A real man can handle it.  If you can’t be taught or react negatively when others point out where you need to grow, you must give up the stronghold of pride.  Seek out criticism.  Ask for it from others.  This will show everyone your heart to grow.  (Eph 4:2, Phil 2:5-11, Prov 11:2, 18:12, 29:23)
• Be confident and lead. Every man by definition is a leader.  God created you to have a specific ministry to your family, within the body of Christ, and out from the body.  Confidence is not the same as pride (if your confidence is based on the Holy Spirit’s work in your heart).  There is a deplorable lack of Godly men in the world today.  Therefore, you should be leading others in many aspects of your life.  Find where God wants you to minister and LEAD! If you lack needed training or discipleship, seek it out.  (John 21:15-17, Prov 18:15)
• Accept responsibility for all your actions and repent. Don’t make excuses.  When it’s your fault, admit it.  Have the attitude of President Truman, “The Buck Stops Here”.  This builds trust.  Don’t be like Adam and passively blame Eve.  (Gen 3:9-12, Ps 32, 2 Sam 12)

Integrity at Work

• Put in 40 hours of work for 40 hours of pay. You’re getting paid to do a job, not goof around. There are of course exceptions; you may be done with one project and have nothing to do until you get your next assignment. But if you’re supposed to be working on something, you shouldn’t be watching March Madness games. (Col 3:22-23)
• Don’t take credit for others’ success. Never take someone’s idea and pitch it as your own. And don’t jump on a wagon at the end of a successful ride that you didn’t contribute to. (Prov 27:2, 1 Tim 5:18)
• Be transparent. Make your deals as transparent as possible. Don’t leave out things that the other party is going to hate you for later when they figure out what they really signed. (Deut 25:15-17)
• Don’t steal supplies. Yeah, the corporation you work for doesn’t pay you enough. And yeah, no one is going to miss that box of paperclips. But it’s still stealing, buddy. (Deut 5:19, Eph 4:28, Tit 2:9-11, Matt 30:13-15)
• Avoid situations where you’ll have a conflict of interest. If you’re caught in something that prevents you from making completely honest decisions, get out. (Jam 3:17, Rom 2:11, 1 Tim 5:21)
• If your company pressures you to make unethical decisions, walk away. It’s not true every man has a price; a man of integrity prizes his character and glorifying God above monetary security. Is it possible to make it in your career field while having true integrity? Yes, but only if you’re the best at what you do. You’ll always need to be a cut above the guys who take shortcuts to get ahead. Remember, it’s not about this life!  (Prov 13:11, Matt 6:24, Col 3:1-2, Phil 3:7-11, 1 Pet 2:19-21, 3:13-17, 4:12-19)

Integrity in Your Romantic Relationships

• Be an open book. Don’t keep secrets from your significant other. Even if the secrets don’t affect her, if she finds out you’ve been keeping stuff from her, it will erode the trust between you. This doesn’t mean if you sinned sexually in previous relationships that you should tell her all the details.  You should be open about your sin, but protect her from as many details as you can. (Prov 12:22, 14:5)
• Make a covenant with your eyes (Job 31:1). Don’t buy the lie that it’s ok to look at women in lust as long as you don’t act on it.  All lust (other than for your wife) is sin. This includes pornography, eyeing women on the street, or even dwelling on risky commercials or revealing magazines.  This is the major hook Satan uses to keep you in bondage.  Break free!  (Matt 5:28)
• Keep boundaries and margin in your life. You don’t walk right up to a steep drop off.  No, the bank might give way and collapse.  Don’t do the same in your life.  Don’t go right up to the place you might be tempted.  Stop several steps back from ever being in a place you might be tempted.  Practical examples are not meeting with women alone, or in intimate settings, if you are married not talking with women on the internet, placing filters on your computer, and never traveling alone with women. (Gen 4:7, Prov 7)
• Avoid emotional adultery. Having integrity in regards to physical adultery is a given. Harder is avoiding emotional adultery, a straying that seems more innocuous at first, but easily leads to the corporeal variety. If you find yourself sharing more of your thoughts and feelings with a female friend or co-worker than you do with your wife, it’s time to take a big step back and repent. (Ecc 4:9-12, Matt 19:4-6, Eph 5:22-33)
• End a relationship when you know it’s over. If you’re dating someone and have reached the point where you know you two don’t have a future together, don’t keep dragging her along because you’re afraid to end things. Break up with her like a man (in person, clear, and considerate). A Christ-following man should only date a girl he honestly feels he may marry (she must be a believer). (2 Cor 6:14-15)
• Treat women as daughters of God and sisters in Christ. Would you act the same way with her if her father was in the room with you?  Well, I assure you. . . He is!  If you don’t you will show her that you care more about pleasure and yourself than serving God.  She is looking to you to lead.  The Word commands husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church.  If you are single you must start living this way now. Chivalry need not be dead in the church.  As Rob Roy says, “Women are the heart of honor – and we cherish and protect it in them.” (Eph 5:25-29, 1 Tim 1:1-2)

Integrity with your Friendships

• Keep your promises. Always, always follow-through with the things you have said you will do. A man’s word is his bond. If you tell your friend that you’ll hang out with him, and then the girl you like invites you over–too bad. You already made other plans. If you commit to being at a church function or being in charge of something, follow through.  If you notice people asking you to promise or calling you to remind you of something, you have failed to gain their trust.  (Matt 5:36)
• Don’t talk smack about other people. Saying something behind someone’s back that you wouldn’t say to their face shows a distinct lack of integrity. No one will trust you then.  (Prov 11:13, 20:19, Jam 3:3-11)
• Be the vault. When friend trusts you with confidential information, lock those secrets away. Nothing erodes a friendship faster then a breach of trust in the secret department. (Prov 11:13)
• Speak up and be real about sin. Confront your Christian brothers with the sin in their lives.  Do it in a loving way and take them to the scripture.  This is not license to be religious and make up rules that aren’t in the bible.  If we don’t address sin, none of us will grow. (Matt 7:3-5, 1 Cor 5:9-13, Rom 14, Gal 6:1-2, Col 3:16, Ps 141:5)
• Seek to build “real” relationships.  A real relationship is not one without conflict, but rather one where conflict is resolved in a Godly manor.  Real men do not run from relationships when conflict comes up.  They face it and work to reconcile it by forgiveness and grace (like Jesus has for us).  Running from relationships is cowardly. (Matt 5:23-24, 18:15-20)

From the film ROB ROY:

Son: Father, will the McGregor’s ever be kings again?

ROB ROY: All men with honor are kings – but not all kings have honor.

SON: What is honor?

ROB ROY: Honor is…what no man can give ye, and no one can take away. Honor is a man’s gift to himself.

SON: Do women have it?

ROB ROY: Women are the heart of honor – and we cherish and protect it in them. You must never mistreat a woman, or malign a man. Or stand by and see another do so.

SON: How do you know if you have it?

ROB ROY: Never worry in the getting of it. It grows in ye and speaks to ye. All you need to do is listen.