A Warrior’s Sword- Part II “The Handle”

The most effective piece of armor to be used against any enemy is the warrior’s sword.  Unfortunately, for most Christians, I would daresay this is the one piece of armor that is rarely used, and if used, used effectively.  Truly, the sword for the Christian Warrior is to be that of  “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  But for most of us, we do not know what this means?

In the last post, A Warrior’s Sword, we opened the discussion by opening Ephesians 6 and discussing the sword as part of the armor.  In spiritual warfare, the enemy is at our doorstep.  For those of us who are Christian Husbands or Christian Fathers, this war is a daily one.  Again, as we explore this passage, we have to remember that when Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians, especially the passage we are discussing, Ephesians 6:10-20, war was a bit more personal.  So let’s start with the first part of the sword, the handle.

The handle is perhaps one of the most important pieces and is the first step in taking hold of this weapon.  The handle is the responsibility on our part to pick up the Word of God and use it.  In essence, this requires each Christian to make time daily to spend in the Bible, training if you will. Here are some helpful hints on how to get started, taken from the American Bible Society:

1.  Select a passage
Some people find it helpful to follow a specific Bible reading plan to guide their reading.  Many Bibles have reading plans included at the back.  The American Bible Society provides a Daily Bible Reading plan that you might want to consider.

Other people want to read through the Bible on their own.  Still others move from one passage to another based on preference, lectionary readings, or Church School lessons.

Any of the above ways to select a passage is fine.  The important thing is not to spend too much—if any—of your reading time in selecting the passage!

2. Read the passage the first time
Read the passage the first time without stopping in order to gain an overall sense of the passage.  Listen to your initial reactions to the text…both positive and negative.

3. Read the passage a second time
As you read, pause from time-to-time and answer questions about the background (or context) of the passage.  You might choose to pause between verses or small groups of verses, between significant events or announcements in the passage, or between any natural break you see as you read.  Below are some types of questions about the context of a passage that you might find helpful as you read.

If you’re like me, you might struggle with this discipline.  Although I usually make valiant efforts at the beginning of a week or the beginning of a season, they usually wain over time due to my own lack of self discipline.  In looking at the training habits of warriors, one of the most vital portions of their training was training with their weapon, sometimes even done daily.  I thought it might be best if we translated some of these warrior activities into applications for grasping the handle of our Christian Sword.

Warrior Activity	Christian Warrior Application
Daily Exercises	Set aside time daily to spend in God’s Word.
Sparred against other warriors to improve their skill	Find an accountability partner to “spar” with.  Perhaps consider adopting the same Bible Reading plan and spend some time daily or even weekly to discuss what Christ has taught you through your training time.
Start small, grow gradually.	Perhaps one of the biggest chances for a warrior to get depressed is to set a lofty goal that cannot be reasonably attained.  If you’re not used to this type of a daily reading, start small by taking one book to complete a quarter or simply start by reading a verse a day.  Beware of trying to conquer the entire book of Leviticus the first week of your training!
Step up to advanced training.	Once you feel more comfortable with your regiment, try increasing your load with applications of Scripture or by looking for additional material to teach you more about the book you’re studying.

These are only a few suggestions, but they could transform this sleeping weapon into one ready for use.  Your challenge for this post: GRAB THE HANDLE!  The next posts will teach you how the other functions of the  Christian Sword.  Be sure to join us!

The Handle

The Guard

The Blade

Join us as we continue to discuss how today’s Christian Men can step up and become the Christian Warrior their family, friends, work, and community need them to be.

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About the Writer:

Trent Cotton has spent a number of years in management and business consulting. After spending some time in the field, he joined the HR department, beginning in recruiting and eventually serving as the Department Head of HR for one of the major lines of business. With such a varied background, he works to bring all of these together to help churches and other Christian organizations incorporate some common business practices into their ministries to enable them to better serve the Kingdom. He currently works for SourcePointe, an HR Outsourcing Agency while continuing to own and operate Christian Management Consulting as a ministry. In his free time, he also writes a lot on Church Development as a Church Consultant.

As a husband and father of three, Trent Cotton has a passion surrounding the role Christian Men are to play in their families, communities, churches and businesses.  This particular blog is dedicated to helping men take back the role that we have lost in society.

Warrior Activity	Christian Warrior Application
Daily Exercises	Set aside time daily to spend in God’s Word.
Sparred against other warriors to improve their skill	Find an accountability partner to “spar” with.  Perhaps consider adopting the same Bible Reading plan and spend some time daily or even weekly to discuss what Christ has taught you through your training time.
Start small, grow gradually.	Perhaps one of the biggest chances for a warrior to get depressed is to set a lofty goal that cannot be reasonably attained.  If you’re not used to this type of a daily reading, start small by taking one book to complete a quarter or simply start by reading a verse a day.  Beware of trying to conquer the entire book of Leviticus the first week of your training!
Step up to advanced training.	Once you feel more comfortable with your regiment, try increasing your load with applications of Scripture or by looking for additional material to teach you more about the book you’re studying.

Scars

Looking in the mirror, I see a scar on my nose between my eyes.  May not be noticeable to many people, but I see it.  It’s fairly small now, but when I was younger, it took up the bridge between my eyes.  When I notice it, I remember the event that brought the scar as if it were yesterday.

Running around the church building during Vacation Bible School, I blacked out for a moment and woke up to find people standing around me asking if I was ok.  Only five, I didn’t think anything of the pain throbbing between my eyes, however, the blood that I saw did change things.  I can vividly remember who was around me, the weather that day, the feeling at the doctors’ office and the feeling of being strapped to a board as they operated on my wound.  Funny how a little scar can bring back such vivid memories isn’t it?

I found it interesting while reading John 20 how Christ showed himself to the disciples upon His resurrection.

John 20:20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

After reading this verse, I began thinking about the pictures of Christ I have seen growing up.  As I thought about it, I can hardly think of one picture where Christ does not bear the wounds of Calvary.  It was the scars Christ bore on His body that made the disciples recognize him.  The scars showed where the nails and spear pierced His body and proved what God had brought him through.

Outside of the scar on my nose, I hold deeper scars, perhaps barely visible, if at all, to those around me.  These are scars from painful decisions I have made in life or the result of wrongs dealt to me.  Regardless of their origin, I still bear them, as do you.  Maybe you choose not to get too close to people around you as the result of a scar left by someone who violated your trust.  Perhaps you have been emotionally abused and those scars prohibit you from taking an type of criticism without putting up a fight.  Regardless of the scar, we can all admit to how deep they run and the lasting effects they have on our everyday lives.

If you’re like me, Satan uses some of these scars to remind me of past mistakes and to deter me from activities Christ may be urging me to get involved with.  Unfortunately, a number of us fall into this silo and never recover from whatever traumatic experience we have had.  We feel remorse, shame, embarrassment and avoid the topic at all costs.  In fact, when the subject begins to head in that direction, we are usually overtaken with anxiety.

Paul, when writing to the early church, made mention of the scars he had for the Gospel and found peace in them.  We too should follow his lead.  Instead of an addiction reminding us of our bad decisions, perhaps we should use them as a witness to prove what Christ has redeemed us from.  Radical thought isn’t it?

Our enemy would rather we focus more on our shortcomings and see these as barriers to witnessing to those around us.  I’d venture to say many Christians fall into this trap and never see the opportunities to minister to those we come into contact with everyday.  I’d venture to say as men, we struggle with this more than women due to our pride.

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.  2 Cr 11:30

Christ isn’t looking for perfection, He’s looking for men who will be willing to bear their scars as a testimony to what Christ can do with someone’s life when they submit to Him and His sovereignty.  What scars do you have that you could use to tell the world Jesus is alive?

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About the Writer:

Trent Cotton has spent a number of years in management and business consulting. After spending some time in the field, he joined the HR department, beginning in recruiting and eventually serving as the Department Head of HR for one of the major lines of business. With such a varied background, he works to bring all of these together to help churches and other Christian organizations incorporate some common business practices into their ministries to enable them to better serve the Kingdom. He currently works for SourcePointe, an HR Outsourcing Agency while continuing to own and operate Christian Management Consulting as a ministry.  In his free time, he also contributes to KingdomBusiness.com as a writer on Christian Leadership.

Confessions of a Converted Catholic: Sanctification

In this series, Confessions of a Converted Catholic, we are exploring some of the basic precepts of Christianity through the eyes of someone who, for the better part of my life, was raised Catholic.  Our first exploration was on the topic of salvation, this time, I thought we would delve into the process of Sanctification.  Again, I would like to state this is not an attack against the Catholic church or meant to provoke hostility.  My desire is for those who either grew up Catholic and are now lost or those who are still practicing Catholics with questions to have some honest conversations about the basic precepts of Christianity.

Noted Bible scholar Jack Hayford, in his excellent book titled: “ Hayford’s Bible Handbook,” defines Sanctification as follows:

“The work of God’s grace by which the believer is separated from sin and becomes dedicated to God’s righteousness. Accomplished by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, sanctification results in holiness, or purification from the guilt and power of sin. Sanctification is instantaneous before God through Christ and progressive before man through obedience to the Holy Spirit and the Word.”

In the most basic definition, Sanctification is the process by which, once saved and committed to Christ, our lives become different, daily in most cases.  In Romans 6, Paul tells the church that we are to be dead to sin, and that we are no longer slaves to our sinful nature, but can receive freedom in Christ.  Sanctification is the process, at times aggressive, that involves the work of the person to obediently conform to the image of Christ by dying daily to their sinful nature and choosing to follow Christ.

Sanctification was taught to me in a way that I could understand it, however, the more I began to study Catholic theology, the more I began to blend my salvation with sanctification.  It was only recently in my faith the understanding of “Sanctification as a result of salvation” really began to sink in.  In most classes I took, sanctification was a process that was labor intensive for me (as it should be), but where I got off track was equating my “denying of self” into “earning my salvation.”  This is completely backwards for many of my Protestant friends to understand as I was growing up.  For me, the way I was taught Sanctification was again, Christ plus the Church or Christ plus the sacraments or Christ plus Fill in the blank.

When I think of how long I carried the unneeded weight of this burden, I immediately begin thanking Christ for what He did for me on the cross, and for what He continues to do in my life.  Sanctification is not the process of becoming blameless or perfect, it is dying to self and conforming to the image of Christ.  To think for years I struggled and often gave up on trying to please Christ and earn salvation through what (looking back I can see) was Sanctification.  Again, the foundation of this gross error in interpretation is to think I can do anything to earn the righteousness of God.

So what is the bottom line if you’re reading this?  For me, the biggest lesson I learned early in my freedom was that Christ paid the price of my salvation, He asks for my obedience.  My obedience to Him and the process He uses in my life to conform to His image is the precept known as Sanctification.  So simple, yet I was lost for 28 years in this.  If you’re lost, thinking you have to earn your salvation through anything other than believing in Christ as the Son of God and your Lord and Savior, please email me directly.  I would love to help answer your questions and show you the freedom Christ bestows on us.

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About the Writer:

Trent Cotton has spent a number of years in management and business consulting. After spending some time in the field, he joined the HR department, beginning in recruiting and eventually serving as the Department Head of HR for one of the major lines of business. With such a varied background, he works to bring all of these together to help churches and other Christian organizations incorporate some common business practices into their ministries to enable them to better serve the Kingdom. He currently works for SourcePointe, an HR Outsourcing Agency while continuing to own and operate Christian Management Consulting as a ministry.

Leading During Turbulent Times- Moses

If there were ever a sign that the Israelite nation should have seen after crossing the Red Sea, I would imagine it should have looked something like this sign!  Granted, they had just witnessed a miracle of miracles and been heroically saved from the grips of their enemy Pharaoh, but the days of true trial were ahead.

In many situations, as a leader, you may identify with Moses.  What would some of the similarities be?  As yourself these questions:

1.  Have you ever been forced to lead a group of people who constantly grumbled and complained about everything?

2. Have you ever led, convinced you were doing God’s will, but couldn’t help fighting the feeling that you were passing around the same mountain?

3.  Did you ever get tired of constantly having to prove your leadership and discernment to a group of people you were leading?  Only to have to do it again?  and again?  and yet again?

Well, if you answered yes to even one of the above, you can identify with Moses.  Let’s not forget that Moses was no spring chicken when God called him to this great task of freedom.  Most 80 year olds today enjoy peaceful retirement, but Moses was told to take off his sandals and put on his walking shoes.  If ever there were a leader who could identify with leading during a turbulent time, it would be Moses.

I could not help but to hear a hint of joy in President Bush’s voice the other night during his congratulatory speech to the new president elect.  If I were in W’s shoes, I cannot say that I would not also be overjoyed with the idea of no longer having to lead a country of grumbling people and constantly live in the state of “never doing anything right.”  In the span of 8 years, Bush has had to lead a country who has witnessed a horrific attack on New York, a Stock Market crash (after 9/11), the burst of mortgage growth and the housing market, the fall of the mortgage industry and housing market, national banks failing left and right, two wars on two different fronts, need I go on?  That list is enough to wear on any leader.  So what are we to do if we find ourselves leading during the most turbulent of times?

If we were to follow Moses, there are a couple of simple ideas to implement for success.

1.  Quiet time with God-  If you were to read of the chronicles of Moses, you would find there are numerous references to Moses ascending to the mountain of God.  In fact, Moses is known as the “friend of God” because of his humility and his focus on God.  For Moses, I would imagine this was one of the habits that kept him on track and not wanting to simply violate one of the commandments and be done with the whole grumbling tribe.  Through his quiet time with God, Moses was able to discern his direction, receive blessing, and get his focus back onto God’s plan.  What a simple habit that most of us look over due to the business we call life.

2.  Persistence with the Plan-  Moses did not know where the Promise Land was exactly, but he did know that God would lead them there.  That is what Moses focused on.  When others were wanting to turn back and give up, Moses stuck to the plan-God’s Providence.

3.  Surround yourself with Godly Council-  Moses sought most of his direction from God, but there were those like Aaron and Joshua who built him up as well.  They were his council of sorts, those who protected him from being so worn by the day to day management of the group.  Surrounding yourself with Godly council will most of the time provide you the little boost you need on those days you feel you do not have any more to give.  Moses sought peace in their presence to just be Moses.  We all need that from time to time.  Also, one important trait of Godly council is that they can recognize when it is time for you to pray and will tell you so.  This is a great thing to have when you are facing battles on every front.  Not only should you have a group that prays for you and pushes you along, it’s good that they take the time to push you to honor the first principle we discussed.

With all of the news about the layoffs, the market crashing, international woes, or even just the fact that your car didn’t start today, it’s good to know that God gave us leaders to look to.  Although they were not perfect, they did seek his heart and were noted in His book.  I believe I am going to try to be more like Moses and honor the three principles above.  Maybe by focussing more on God, I will focus less on what’s going on around me!  That is true Christian Leadership!

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About the Writer:

Trent Cotton has spent a number of years in management and business consulting. After spending some time in the field, he joined the HR department, beginning in recruiting and eventually serving as the Department Head of HR for one of the major lines of business. With such a varied background, he works to bring all of these together to help churches and other Christian organizations incorporate some common business practices into their ministries to enable them to better serve the Kingdom. He currently works for SourcePointe, an HR Outsourcing Agency while continuing to own and operate Christian Management Consulting as a ministry.Technorati tags: christian men, blog carnival.

September 4, 2009 edition of Christ Men Blogcarnival

Bible SEO presents Joseph: Bible Character Study posted at Bible Studies | Bible Study Lessons | Inductive Bible Study Guide.

He was seventeen years old. He was a shepherd. He did not participate in his brothers’ misconducts. In fact, he brought reports of their mischief to his father. He was the favorite of Jacob. Jacob loved him more than all his brothers. Jacob made a coat of many colors for him.  His brothers hated him for this reason and could not even talk with him well.

Who does this describe?  Joseph!  There’s a lot we, as men, could learn from the life of Joseph.  Be sure to check out this great Bible study on this intriguing character!

Rick Schiano presents Let Go, for Mental Peace posted at Ricks Victory Blog.

Letting go in the mental category! Now that’s not quite as simple as the physical category! It’s really easy to retain the negative in life. Let’s face it the whole world lives in the negative. Television is basically negative look at most shows. There’s plenty of murder, sarcastic humor, and sadness. Commercials basically try to motivate the buyer by fear. You need to get the flu shot now or you may die or  get sick with out it. Fear runs rampant in  our society. The news is basically depressing and sad; there is very little good news to be found on the major networks, in the newspapers and on the radio.

Michael Holmes presents How Kanye West taught me about God?s forgiveness posted at Raise Thee Up Blog.

Michael Holmes, one of my personal favorites, is back again!  From Michael: I’ve learned a lot from this whole Kanye West-Taylor Swift incident. I learned about the pride of one superstar and the character of another.  I learned how God can use adversity from my good. I also learned how unforgiving people can be. I mean, everybody knows Kanye messed up. And we all know he’s messed up before. And even though he apologized most of us still want him crucified. Is it any wonder we have trouble believing God can forgive us?

Anthony Delgado presents One on One Time With the Lord posted at eInquisitive | Giving you something productive to think about!.

This post isn’t specific to Christian men, but I find that when my relationship with God suffers, as the man in my household, my entire household suffers. Spiritually leading a family starts with a personal relationship with God.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of christian men using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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About the Writer:

Trent Cotton has spent a number of years in management and business consulting. After spending some time in the field, he joined the HR department, beginning in recruiting and eventually serving as the Department Head of HR for one of the major lines of business. With such a varied background, he works to bring all of these together to help churches and other Christian organizations incorporate some common business practices into their ministries to enable them to better serve the Kingdom. He currently works for SourcePointe, an HR Outsourcing Agency while continuing to own and operate Christian Management Consulting as a ministry.Technorati tags: christian men, blog carnival.

True Understanding of Salvation-Confessions from a Converted Catholic

Growing up, I have the fondest of memories of going to church and learning about God.  My family was and still is one deeply rooted in the Catholic faith.  So, in being a good son, I grew up in the Catholic church and learned as much as I could, starting at a very early age.  As I grew in my faith, my understanding of true salvation was based more in what I could do for God rather than what God did for me through Christ.

Listening to the various songs on my iPod, I came across one that has been one of my favorites from the time I first heard it about two years ago.  The words helped me begin to understand what true salvation was and the title said it all… In Christ Alone!

Growing up, I was taught to be in a constant state of confession, which was not a bad thing at all.  Unfortunately, if not properly governed, one’s constant awareness of sin, without the acknowledgment of salvation in Christ, can become an overwhelming barrier to true relationship with and acknowledgment of our Savior.  I still struggle with the whole concept of salvation in accepting Christ as my Savior, in large part due to this misconstrued idea that I had to earn God’s righteousness and approval.  I knew that I was a sinful person and the weight of falling short in the eyes of God created a pseudo spiritual glass ceiling.  Then I met Paul in Romans 3.

22For there is no distinction:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  Romans 3

Looking over this passage, you could sum it up in Faith + Nothing.  Could it really be that simple?  I remember going to Christ in prayer and trying to argue salvation with all of the theology and rituals I had been taught, but it kept coming back to that simple phrase.  In Christ Alone.

We will continue to explore the subject of salvation in the next posts.  If you are Catholic or were raised Catholic, I’d love to hear your questions and comments.  If you have questions about grace, salvation, or any other Christian doctrine, I would love to have the opportunity to discuss them in future posts.

Finally, if you have never heard the song, I pasted a video with the song and the words set to images from The Passion.  I hope you enjoy.

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About the Writer:

Trent Cotton has spent a number of years in management and business consulting. After spending some time in the field, he joined the HR department, beginning in recruiting and eventually serving as the Department Head of HR for one of the major lines of business. With such a varied background, he works to bring all of these together to help churches and other Christian organizations incorporate some common business practices into their ministries to enable them to better serve the Kingdom. He currently works for SourcePointe, an HR Outsourcing Agency while continuing to own and operate Christian Management Consulting as a ministry.Technorati tags: christian men, blog carnival.

Circumcision Part II

We are continuing our conversation on men’s favorite subject: Circumcision.  (Please understand the sarcasm there!)  Paul, in Romans 2:25-29, deals a lot with circumcision.   Let’s look at Paul’s take on this subject.

25 Circumcision does indeed profit if you keep the Law; but if you habitually transgress the Law, your circumcision is made uncircumcision.  26 So if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be credited to him as [equivalent to] circumcision? 27 Then those who are physically uncircumcised but keep the Law will condemn you who, although you have the code in writing and have circumcision, break the Law.  29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and [true] circumcision is of the heart, a spiritual and not a literal [matter]. His praise is not from men but from God.

The Jews boasted in this sign of their covenant with God.  They acknowledge God’s covenant with them, but did not honor it with their actions.   Interestingly, uncircumcision is defined as the equivalent of being a Gentile (which greatly offended most Jews most likely).  Uncircumcision is also described as a condition in which the corrupt desires rooted in the flesh were not yet extinct.  Paul is addressing those who “appear” to be Christians, yet their lives still show a lot of “fleshy” desires.

Matthew Henry puts it this way: “And restest in the law; that is, they took a pride in this, that they had the law among them, had it in their books, read it in their synagogues. They were mightily puffed up with this privilege, and thought this enough to bring them to heaven, though they did not live, up to the law. To rest in the law, with a rest of complacency and acquiescence, is good; but to rest in it with a rest of pride, and slothfulness, and carnal security, is the ruin of souls.”

Here he describes what true circumcision is, it is not only an outward sign, but an inward transformation.  You can be baptized, but if your life does not show the redemption and transformation, it is as useful as being a circumcised Jew who lives the most evil of lives.  Again, a favorite quote of mine is from DC Talk in their song What if I Stumble!

The leading cause of atheism today  is Christians who acknowledge Christ with their lips, but deny Him with their actions.

William Newell summarizes Romans 2 with “Seven Great Principles of God’s Judgment” that are worth noting:

1. God’s judgment is according to truth (Romans 2:2)
2. God’s judgment is according to accumulated guilt (Romans 2:5)
3. God’s judgment is according to works (Romans 2:6)
4. God’s judgment is without partiality (Romans 2:11)
5. God’s judgment is according to performance, not knowledge (Romans 2:13)
6. God’s judgment reaches the secrets of the heart (Romans 2:16)
7. God’s judgment is according to reality, not religious profession (Romans 2:17-29)

In the next post, we will bring this topic home, not literally of course.  I hope you’ll join me in the next post: Circumcising the Heart.

If you liked this post, please read the previous post and the sequel to this one!

A Difficult Study for Men: Circumcision

Circumcising the Heart!

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About the Writer:

Trent Cotton has spent a number of years in management and business consulting. After spending some time in the field, he joined the HR department, beginning in recruiting and eventually serving as the Department Head of HR for one of the major lines of business. With such a varied background, he works to bring all of these together to help churches and other Christian organizations incorporate some common business practices into their ministries to enable them to better serve the Kingdom. He currently works for SourcePointe, an HR Outsourcing Agency while continuing to own and operate Christian Management Consulting as a ministry. In his free time, he also writes a lot on Church Development as a Church

September Blog Carnival Post: Christian Men Christian Warrior

In an effort to provide some various viewpoints on common topics important to men, we will host a Blog Carnival the first week of every month.  For those who may not know what a “Blog Carnival” is, it is simply a collection of submitted blog posts on a particular topic or forum.

This month, we have a host of topics from personal finance to being a dad to… well, let’s just get started.

Redistribution of Wealth- Is it Biblical?

This post is from Steven Toschlog who works as an accountant in Richmond, Indiana.  Wealth redistribution is a hot political topic these days. Some argue President Obama’s economic policies are essentially moving money from one group of people to another by raising and lower taxes accordingly. The term “wealth redistribution”, equated to socialism by some, could be defined as taking money from the rich and giving it to the middle class or poor. Whether you agree with this definition of wealth redistribution or the use of the term itself, Jesus Himself supports it, but in reverse…. Read more by clicking here.

A Father’s Love

This is post, although relatively short, is a great read for fathers.  Perhaps one of my favorite portions of this post states: “The truly amazing thing is that God loves us even more than we can love our own children.  I often sit and think about how remarkable that really is.  His love for us is unending.  He gave his life on the cross so that we could be free to have a life in heaven with him.”  To continue reading this great article, click here.

Parenting Spiritual Champions

Another post related to Christian Dads is this one from Legacy Dad.  This blog post looks at some real world statistics on parents who have raised Spiritual Champions.-children who are now adults and consider themselves active, saved Christians who are still working on spiritual growth as young adults or parents themselves.  This is a must read for fathers wanting to get some tips for raising their own Christian Warriors.  To enjoy this great read, click here.

Fatherly Guilt

I know I struggle with fatherly guilt.  In this post from Different Frequencies Same Radio, the dynamics of how we, as fathers, spend time with our wives and kids is discussed.  I know any dad would be able to identify with the points in this great article.  Click here to read more.

Joseph-Father of Jesus

Talk about a tough fatherly role… imagine being Joseph, asked to be the fatherly role model for Christ.  No pressure there!  In this post from Bible SEO, there are great points about Joseph’s life and all of us could stand to walk in his footsteps.  This is a great format for male readers… click here to read more.

A Simple Word

I am constantly convicted on my choice and use of words.  In this post from Vida Nueva Christian Ministries, the post goes over some great key points to consider when using words.  I know this will be one I choose to refer back to often, I hope you will too.  Click here to read this great post.

How to Overcome Temptation

Yet another great post from Bible SEO.  The title says enough.  If you like a systematic style of reading and studying God’s word, this blog is a great resource.  Click here to read this particular blog post.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of christian men using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: christian men, blog carnival.

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Subscribe to Christian Men-Christian Warriors by Email

About the Writer:

Trent Cotton has spent a number of years in management and business consulting. After spending some time in the field, he joined the HR department, beginning in recruiting and eventually serving as the Department Head of HR for one of the major lines of business. With such a varied background, he works to bring all of these together to help churches and other Christian organizations incorporate some common business practices into their ministries to enable them to better serve the Kingdom. He currently works for SourcePointe, an HR Outsourcing Agency while continuing to own and operate Christian Management Consulting as a ministry. In his free time, he also writes a lot on Church Development as a Church Consultant.

A Difficult Study for Men: Circumcision

Let’s face it, if you are a part of a men’s Bible Study, the last subject you would expect to have would be one on circumcision.  Unfortunately, when covering a book in the Bible in sequential order, you have to discuss some topics you would normally just skip over.  If you cover any of the epistles, chances are, you will come across the great debate of the time, “circumcision vs. no circumcision.”

Just some information on circumcision for you to consider before we get started.

In Paul’s day, some Rabbis taught that Abraham sat at the entrance of Hell and made certain that none of his circumcised descendants went there. Some Rabbis also taught “God will judge the Gentiles with one measure and the Jews with another” and “All Israelites will have part in the world to come.”  I recently read that circumcision and baptism do about the same thing that a label on a can does. If the outer label doesn’t match with what is on the inside, something is wrong! If there are carrots inside the can, you can put a label says “Peas” but it doesn’t change what is inside the can. Being born again changes what is inside the can, and then you can put the appropriate label on the outside.

So where is the beginning of Circumcision?  Let’s start in Genesis 17:10-14.

10 This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your posterity after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.11 And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a token or sign of the covenant (the promise or pledge) between Me and you.12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male throughout your generations, whether born in [your] house or bought with [your] money from any foreigner not of your offspring.13 He that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money must be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.14 And the male who is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.

This particular passage marks a change and the fathering of the Jewish nation.  God sets apart his people with this covenant through Abraham.

Notice that it is a token or a sign of the covenant, much like a wedding ring or fraternity tattoo.  It marks we are.  The covenant is in the flesh, an everlasting covenant.  God made it known that now part of our bodies is outside of this covenant.   It is no irony that the covenant was made with this particular part of the male body symbolizing a new birth or the birth of a new nation.  Most covenants have something you have to give, it may hurt, this definitely meets the bill on this.

In the English and Romance languages the derivation of the word ‘male’ and ‘masculine’ is derived from the Latin ‘mas’, a root meaning heavy or the strong one, whereas the Hebrew word for male is zachar, which has the same root letters as ‘to remember’.  We are to “remember” our covenant with Christ.

As men, especially today, I think there are a lot of things we need to “remember.”   We will continue this discussion by picking up Paul’s take on the whole subject.  Romans 2:25-29 deals a lot with circumcision.   We will discuss this in the next post : Circumcision Part II.  Hope you will join us for that discussion.

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About the Writer:

Trent Cotton has spent a number of years in management and business consulting. After spending some time in the field, he joined the HR department, beginning in recruiting and eventually serving as the Department Head of HR for one of the major lines of business. With such a varied background, he works to bring all of these together to help churches and other Christian organizations incorporate some common business practices into their ministries to enable them to better serve the Kingdom. He currently works for SourcePointe, an HR Outsourcing Agency while continuing to own and operate Christian Management Consulting as a ministry. In his free time, he also writes a lot on Church Development as a Church Consultant.

Using Chicken Little to Teach Kids about Mistakes

Unfortunately, I am not one of those “perfect Christians” who has never made a major mistake in their lives.  Although I do take great relief in the grace Christ has shown me through his sacrifice for my mistakes, sins, bad decisions, etc, I still find myself struggling with the reminders of my mistakes.  I struggle with how they not only affect me, but how they affect my relationships and my witness.  When I look at my children, I see the same anxiety and pain in their eyes which scares me.

So how do you talk to your children about redemptive grace?  How do you help a child understand that Christ chooses to forgive your sins and not hold them against you?  Who could you give as an example of victory for a child to understand?  Enter in: Chicken Little.

If you have followed any of the posts in the series, “How to teach your kids about Christ, using movies“, you most likely know I really enjoy watching children movies.  Last night, I was watching Chicken Little with my little girl.  (It was Daddy Date Night!)  Though its exact origins are unknown, chances are you have heard the story of Chicken Little, a diminutive fowl who is struck by an acorn and misinterprets the event as indicating that the sky is falling. That fable provides a starting point of sorts for this vastly expanded and reconfigured take. Chicken Little here is an undersized middle school boy (voiced by Zach Braff) who has a large, unflattering reputation to live down following his (widely-believed) misguided panic.

In one of the scenes, the father is driving Chicken Little home and the discussion evolves to what the dad calls Chicken Little’s “Big Mistake.”  It seems as if poor Chicken Little just cannot shake this awful event in his life.  Even if he could forget it, those in his life would not allow him.  Does this sound familiar?

As I mentioned before, I have made numerous mistakes in life and unfortunately, the casualties have not all been mine.  I am often reminded of them while I am in prayer, leading a small group, or doing anything for the Kingdom.  Although this sort of attack should not surprise me, it does still shake me and cause doubt. I was once told by an older lady in the church that when the devil started to remind you of your past, remind him of his future and he’ll quickly shut up.  That does work sometimes, but what about the times it doesn’t?

“But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

2 Corinthians 1:9

I cling to this verse in times of trial over my past.  I have to remind myself of it constantly and repeat it so that I do not do what the enemy wants me to do and simply lay down.  Chicken Little is a great example of how this could work.  Although he too struggled with the mistake he made, he did not let it dictate his current situations.  His mission was to do something great and essentially redeem that event in the minds of others.  There was no doubt in his mind he could do it.  It was simply a matter of when.

So what are the lessons we could use from Chicken Little’s Big Mistake to teach our children?

1.  2 Corinthians 1:9 ~ Another way to teach this verse to children is convey to them that we all need Jesus because of our weaknesses. The old “Yes Jesus Loves Me” song talks of how we are weak be He is strong.  Help your child to understand that Christ does not expect perfection, but obedience and repentance.

2.  Our Past DOES NOT Define Us~ So many times we fall into the trap of who we were and not who we are in Christ.  I wish someone would have taught me that lesson early in my childhood.  Just like Chicken Little, we should not let our “Big Mistake” define our current situations.  If we have sinned, we need to confess and repent, but we should not dwell.  It is Christ’s mercy that defines who we are, not our weaknesses.

3. You should talk about your worries. There is a double lesson here: one for the child and one for the parent.  After watching the movie, I asked myself “How many times do I actually stop to listen to my children’s fears or their thoughts?”  I think all parents are guilty of merely discounting our children’s worries as trivial and moving on with our day.  I am not one who advocates dwelling upon the subject, but I do need to at least address it and discuss it with my children.  If they do not learn about Christ’s mercy from me through my example, where will they learn it?

All in all, we all have mistakes we would like to simply go away.  I am sure Paul would have liked that whole “terrorist” section of his life to go away, but it did not.  I wonder how many times he felt ashamed to be called by the one he persecuted to serve those he once persecuted?  After pondering this thought, it’s no wonder he wrote so much about the redemptive power of Christ’s mercy and grace.  We often write what we have the most experience with.

In our service on Sunday, we had the cardboard testimonies of those who have had major issues in their lives redeemed by Christ.  I thought I would share the message with you.  Watch it by clicking here.

If you would like more in this series, please be sure to check out the other articles in Using Movies to Witness.

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About the Writer:

Trent Cotton has spent a number of years in management and business consulting. After spending some time in the field, he joined the HR department, beginning in recruiting and eventually serving as the Department Head of HR for one of the major lines of business. With such a varied background, he works to bring all of these together to help churches and other Christian organizations incorporate some common business practices into their ministries to enable them to better serve the Kingdom. He currently works for SourcePointe, an HR Outsourcing Agency while continuing to own and operate Christian Management Consulting as a ministry. In his free time, he also writes a lot on Church Development as a Church Consultant.