morningstarmen

What to do when you don't know what to do. Managing Previously made choices.

The choices you make are the life you have. Maybe you should re-read that. That's essentially true for you if you are over the age of 25.  Up till that time, you may be able to look back across your life and rightfully say that others have predominately influenced where you are. But at some critical point in life, we cross an imaginary line. It's the line of ownership. On one side of the line you may point to others; teachers, parents, coaches, etc and say of them "they made me who I am". To a large extent you'd be correct. But on the other side of that invisible divide, you are the predominate influencer of who you are, where you are, and with whom you share life. From that moment on, whenever that is - and it would certainly be hard to measure - your choices are the thing which has most fashioned the life you live.

So, understanding choice and how to choose well, and how to manage choices already made, really is the substance of your life. Let's dig in and look at that today.

 

What to do when you don't know what to do. Week 1

We've all agonized over making decisions, trying to figure out the best from among many good options. Of course, we've each made some known bad choices. This will probably go badly sooner or later, but I really want this. Yeah, humans are like that. Even ones who claim to follow Jesus. Still, one of the most commonly posed questions is "what is God's will in this situation?". 

After a short overview covering the purpose for men's ministry, we'll take our first look at figuring out what to do when we're confused, perplexed, or merely stuck and without clear best and worst options.

Humility and Forgiveness

Every matter of personal or public morality must pass a test that makes it morally imperative. We often take moral positions.  But do we understand why they are valid? Do we know why they are right? This week we'll look at the values of humility and forgiveness and why they are more than just moral ideas or nice ideas. It's important for each man to know why what he believes works and is the best possible belief.  

Trustworthy in Relationships Review

This week we wrap up our series on the 6 qualities of a man who is trustworthy in relationships. But we're adding two additional qualities we find present in Jesus and which will be essential relational tools if we wish to restore wholeness to broken or frayed relational ties.

Motives, Methods, Objectives and Outcomes...why do you call me good

In the lives of most people subtle shifts occur. They continue doing the same things and from all outward appearances, all is constant. But beneath the visible surface of a man's life can arise small and gradual shifts in the motivation behind a man's activities and desires. Sure, we're still doing the same things we once did, but we no longer do them for the same good or noble reasons we once had. Sometimes we come to God seeking answers we want and He shows us things we'd rather not confront.  In the same way that the creep of motivation takes time, the process of sorting out and returning to our first passions will also take time. Let's look at that this week.

Keeping our Important Relationships Personal

Guest speaker John Heillman shares his story and ways in which important relationships have been personal to him

 

Governed by Love

In this - our 4th part in the series "Trustworthy" we're looking at the role that love plays in mending broken relationships and bringing vibrancy to functional ones. What gets in the way of love? What does love look like in daily relational life? This week's podcast will feel a bit like an buffet of information. Listen along carefully and grab then things which can help you most and add to your repertoire of relationship skills and practices.

Engaged and Committed in Relationships

For the last few weeks we've be considering the qualities and attributes which will help any man to excel in maintaining healthy relationships while also being the same ones which can best facilitate the mending or healing of damaged ones. This week we continue in that pursuit by looking at the quality of covenant commitment in our most important relationships.

 

2016 Big Breakfast

Scott and Glenn at the 2016 Big Breakfast.

Encouragement Looks Like This

If there are times when you feel empty, drained, and don't have the motivation to continue on doing the good thing you believe you've been put here to do...well, that's just not surprising. We all feel that way occasionally. Certainly that's true because life is hard and doing something worthy of the effort is even harder. But it's equally true because most people lack the disciplines and skills of an "encourager". There isn't a one of us who doesn't value encouragement, but fewer seem inclined or disciplined to offer it. Let's take a look at that this week.