I really dislike road signs. Well, some of them anyway. In general I understand that they are there to guide drivers, maintain traffic flow, and prevent collisions. I particularly dislike “left turn on arrow only” and “no right turn on red” signs because I feel they take away my decision making power to drive my car as I best see fit. I mean, after all, I’m intelligent enough to make wise decisions! So, stop telling me what to do!

Then there’s the age-old yield sign. It means to stop, if necessary, and give way to cross traffic. Some drivers seem to be confused by it and always stop, others run right through it without so much as a glance to the left and right. Still others approach the intersection slowly, and if clear, proceed on their way, arriving safely at
their destination. However, failure to yield to traffic, and to obey signs like the ones I mentioned, can result in catastrophic consequences.

Life is the same way. If I make decisions based solely from my intelligence, perspective, feelings, and what I see as best, I am on the road to catastrophe. I may think I am intelligent and wise enough to see the big picture and all the angles so as to avoid relational, familial, and spiritual collisions, but I am not GOD. If I choose to live life by worldly road signs rather than by yielding to the will of my wise, omnipotent, sovereign King, I will end up crashing and burning in life just like I would in a car by ignoring road signs.

After Christ fed five thousand people from a boy’s lunch, he told the throng following him that he came, not to do his will, but the will of the One who sent him. When Jesus was tempted in the desert by Satan, he rested fully on the Word of his Father and did not yield. In preparation for his mind-boggling act of love on the cross, the apostle Paul tells us about Christ’s kenosis – his emptying himself of all his prerogatives as Deity to be found in fashion as a man, even to the point of death on a cross, a humiliating death reserved for criminals and those considered as the dregs of society. Even though Jesus was blameless, and he had the power to overcome all of his earthly circumstances, he yielded fully to his Father’s will and died for us.

How do we as men, as clay pots with all our imperfections, then, yield to our Father’s will as Christ did? During the course of every hour of our lives we take every thought captive to Christ. We daily put on the full armor of God so we can stand firm against Satan’s schemes. We understand and trust that none of the temptations we face are uncommon to us, and that God always provides the way of escape. We resist the devil and he flees from us. We learn to be content in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. And, we trust in the LORD with all our hearts, refusing to lean on our own understanding of things.

What’s the point of yielding? For Christ, he received his Father’s reward and favor. God has seated him at His right hand in heaven for all eternity. For us, yielding our hearts and minds daily to the will of God sanctifies us, renews our minds, gives us hearts of flesh rather than stone, and gives us a joyful, abundant life. Ultimately, God will reward us with glorification, whereby we are removed forever from the presence of sin. We will see Christ as he really is, and, our bodies will become like his body: perfect.

Until that day, brothers, let us be like Paul, who counted all things as loss, as rubbish, for the surpassing value of knowing Christ. We owe it to ourselves, to each other, and most of all, to the One who died for us.

There seem to be two types of paths Christian men find themselves walking, and it hit me recently that each of these paths has a name: survive and thrive. If they were being honest, most guys would admit they’re walking down the first path. They’ve been saved. Go to church most Sundays. Maybe look forward to Heaven, but just as likely not. This is the default path. The safe path. But certainly not the path our dreams tell us we were made to walk. Factors such as shame, unforgiveness, apathy, busyness, or simply lack of vision keep them on this path to simply survive. It’s a coast to the finish with little fanfare, little impact, little risk. And it’s killing men’s hearts. The Enemy will do his best to keep us here because he fears the other path: thrive.

Thrive is the rarified path of the Christian man’s walk. Most don’t dare tread here, but it is the path that unleashes a man into his true design. Unlike the path of survival, to thrive is risky. We’re familiar with the concept of the comfort zone. To thrive is to live outside the comfort zone. And it’s worth it. When we thrive, we grow in confidence, integrity, and character as God the Father speaks affirmation into our hearts and brings us back to wholeness.

So as followers of Christ, how do we get from surviving to thriving? From personal experience, a vital component to thriving is a deep fellowship with other brothers. I walked the survive path for the first 20 years of my Christian walk. The transition into my own thrive path came only when I was willing to release my burdens into a trusted group of men.

As I read Pastor Michael Slater’s book, “The Stretcher,” I am reminded that even Christ needed friends. We see Him in the Garden of Gethsemane with a deep desire for their companionship during His darkest hours. Who are we to think we can walk alone when even Christ needed friends?

Mike Slater will be taking us into a challenging place at Awaken the Giant II as he teaches us about the concept of stretcher bearing. There are times when we need to tend to another’s stretcher. And there are times when we need to be carried. Who are the stretcher bearers in your life?

I was mountain biking with some good friends recently near Morro Bay. The weather was perfect with just enough crisp air at the start of the ride to encourage a harder pace. We usually stop mid-ride to relax and pray, and this time was no different. We settled into a comfortable huddle on top of Black Mountain, which is comprised of mostly exposed boulders. As a father and son hiked past our group, we overheard the boy searching for one of the permanent brass benchmarks that reside on top of this hill.

Searching for benchmarks. We need the solidity of benchmarks in our lives, don’t we? Those people you know will be there when the bad news blindsides you. When your plans are failing and you’ve exhausted all your own ideas. Or when just need some clear, cutting wisdom. If you’re blessed, you may have a handful of people that fall into the rare category of a benchmark.

A benchmark in my life is Gary Holcomb. I first heard about and then met Gary during my time in the Pure Desire program. The most significant events often occur without us even being aware of their significance. And so it was with my first meeting with Gary, and I thank God He allowed our paths to intersect. Gary has been many things to me, personally. He’s been an example of how to live in total surrender to Christ, how to face my toughest addictions, how to live in the grace that God has freely given me, and how to be a friend.

We are privileged to have Gary Holcomb not only as Vice President of Central Coast Men’s Ministry, but also as a speaker at Awaken the Giant for the second year in a row. As master of ceremonies, Gary will be the “grand weaver” of ATG2, tying the event together and sharing from his heart. If you heard him speak last year, you know what to expect. On October 9th we will be impacted.

I’d guess most of you can’t recall exactly when the phrase “a leopard can’t change its spots” leeched its way into your vernacular, but it’s time you question the truth you may have assigned to it. My pastor recently commented on this phrase during a sermon, the bottom line being if the church actually believes this, we might as well lock the doors and stop wasting everyone’s time. But you need to know this is not the truth.

In fact, the core of the Bible speaks to the opposite. We can be free of our spots. The apostle Paul said in Romans 12:2: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Transformed. From your spots. And in this case, Paul is talking about a process when he says “renewing.”

Do you have “spots” you’ve been led to believe can never be changed or reconciled? This is a lie that Hell perpetuates to keep you in bondage. Take heart, change will happen if you allow Christ to begin His healing work in your life.

At one time, one of my nastiest spots I thought might never go away was an addiction to pornography. But God is faithful and through a program called Pure Desire, I regained my footing. As Paul mentioned, this recovery to healthy ground is a process. God continues to refine my thought life and sexual addiction is no longer a stronghold in my life. It does not haunt me and does not define me. This leopard has changed his spots.

I am thrilled to have Dr. Ted Roberts, author of Pure Desire and head of Pure Desire Ministries International, speaking at ATG2 this year. Ted is a superstar in the recovery world. I know he will rock your mind and heart, whatever spots you may have.

Even with the excitement of the upcoming ATG2 event rising, I still carry a burden that has become especially poignant during the planning of the first and second Awaken the Giant conferences. What I continue to find is the struggle for vitality in so many men’s ministries across our Central Coast (and from what I’ve since learned, across the country). I know I am not alone in this realization as I speak with others involved in this important ministry. The soul of men’s ministry cannot be found among breakfasts, barbecues, and ball games.

Please don’t misunderstand: Activities like these are an important part of what a healthy men’s ministry should offer. But they cannot become the sole remnant of what men need to be doing outside of Sunday service. Even now, my church–which I love dearly–is going through some challenging transition times with our men’s ministry. But I don’t write to discourage but to challenge. We, as individual men and as ministires, simply need to be honest with where we are now, where we need to be, and then be deliberate in prayer and planning about the transition.

I believe this is where Awaken the Giant can serve as an important men’s ministry tool, challenging the men of the Central Coast to become awake, aware, and ready to grow deeper. And the event provides the opportunity for men’s small-group development back at the church level. We have developed an easy-to-use tool called “Flight Plans” which, with the help of local churches and men’s ministries, will allow each man attending to get connected into his own small group. We will have detailed information on the Flight Plans project soon on our Web site. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact us for more information.

Men, we can be a giant for God. It is in this amazing place called the Central Coast we have the privilege of living. Let’s continue to complete this picture of “amazing” and rise up as men of God. Fully awake. Fully alive.

Hope to see you at ATG2!