Here are a couple of examples of what I mean:

Physical Goals –    Continue to work out 4 – 5 days a week. (Lift, Ride, Run)

                               Find two new guys to add workouts within the Iron Garage.

Relational Goals – Weekly connect with the three young men in my life.

                               Go on a date once a week with Michelle. (wife)

Intellectual Goals – Meet with three leaders who think differently than I do.

                               Read more than 20 books in the year.

I also set goals for Leadership, Spiritual, and Writing, as well as ONE WORD that I will filter every one of these goals through.  For me the ONE WORD this year is COORDINATE. 

But I don’t just set these goals from inside a bubble.  I also ask people that I have a strong relationship with to speak to my goals.  Like I ask my wife, “What are some ways that I can be a better husband in the next year?” I also have to say you don’t have to ask the same question. (This is inevitably what she is going to be thinking.) I also will make sure that there are always relationships that are tied to one of the goals in each section.  It again is not about the goal but the motivation to achieve something better and better means that there is always a relationship involved.  Getting better is not something that is always about me but about the people with me.

Here is what I know to be true we have a lot of MEN today who are not willing or even able to set goals for themselves in the coming year simply because of FEAR.  Fear of not getting to the goal. Again, it’s not always about the goal but about the motivation to accomplish something.  MEN today are not willing or even able to set a goal for themselves in the coming year because of a LACK OF UNDERSTANDING.  No one has told them why they should set GOALS; no one has encouraged them to set a goal other than the person trying to get their money online.  Here if you are reading this, I hope we are considered a friend. SET A GOAL! Do something to motivate yourself for the next year.  MEN today are not willing to or even able to set a goal for themselves in the coming year because of GENERALIZATIONS.  Here is what I mean, “This year I am setting the goal to get healthy.” Great but what does that mean? Less doughnuts, while sitting on the couch watching football, yelling at them to run faster. How about I am going to lose 20 lbs.  I am going to run a 5k. I am going to bench press 225 lbs. at least 5 – 8 times at once. Make it specific, make it attainable, and make it trackable. 

So with that in mind what are some GOALS that you are going to set for yourself in the coming year? What is the ONE WORD that you are going to use to filter some of these goals through? And who are you going to include in the goals that you are going to be setting? Because remember it’s not just about the goal but about the motivation to accomplish something better for you and the people around you.

Week One: 10/01/23

Series: Living Stones (One off)

Title: Looking Back to See Forward

Bible: Joshua 4:1 – 9,

“God’s Past Faithfulness Prepares us for the Future”

Joshua 4:1 – 9 (NLT) When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ² “Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. ³ Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.’ ” ⁴ So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel. ⁵ He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁶ We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ⁷ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.” ⁸ So the men did as Joshua had commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe, just as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped for the night and constructed the memorial there. ⁹ Joshua also set up another pile of twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the place where the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant were standing. And they are there to this day.

Glance Back

Joshua 1: 3 – 6 (NLT) ³ I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you—⁴ from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ ⁵ No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. ⁶ “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.

Stand in the Miracle Middle of Past & Future

Joshua 3:17 (NLT) ¹⁷ Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.

Mark the Miracle of Transition

Personally

Joshua 4:9 (NLT) ⁹ Joshua also set up another pile of twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the place where the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant were standing. And they are there to this day.

Collectively

Joshua 4:21 – 23 (NLT) ²¹ Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ²² Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³ For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over.

1 Corinthians 11: 26 – 28 (NLT) ²⁶ For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again. ²⁷ So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.

Faithfully Face Forward to the Future

Terrified

Hebrews 11:27 (NLT) ²⁷ It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. (Slide)

Inspired

Romans 5:2 (NLT) ² Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

“Pray like you know the answer and trust God with His answer”

1 John 5:13 – 15 (NLT) ¹³ I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. ¹⁴ And we are confident that he hears whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. ¹⁵ And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

The answer can be, “NO”

1 John 3:21 – 22 (NLT) ²¹ Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.²² And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.

Unconfessed sin – Psalm 66:18 (NLT) ¹⁸ If I had not confessed the sin in my heart,

the Lord would not have listened.

Broken Relationships – 1 Peter 3:7 (NLT) ⁷ In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.

Matthew 5:23 – 24 (NLT) ²³ “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, ²⁴ leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

The answer can be, “Grow More”

John 15:7 (NLT) ⁷ But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!

Romans 8:26 – 27 (NLT) ²⁶ And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. ²⁷ And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

The answer can be, “Here you GO!”

Mark 11:24 (NLT) ²⁴ I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.

Mark 10:27 (NLT) ²⁷ Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

1 John 3:21 – 22 (NLT) ²¹ Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. ²² And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.

Week Three: 09/17/23

Series: Praying  

Title: Prayer Pattern

Bible:  Luke 11:1, Matthew 6:5 – 13,

Luke 11: 1 (NLT) Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

Matthew 6:5 – 8 (NLT) ⁵ “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. ⁶ But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. ⁷ “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. ⁸ Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!

Matthew 6:9 – 13 (NLT) ⁹ Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. ¹⁰ May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us today the food we need,¹² and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. ¹³ And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

“Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man’s will done in heaven, but for getting God’s will done in earth.” Missionary Robert Laws

“The Disciples Prayer pattern is to prepare Us for His Will & His Work”

Prayer Opens Us to Praise v.9

Jude 1:24 – 25 (NLT) ²⁴ Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. ²⁵ All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

Prayer Enables Us to See Others v.10

Matthew 6:33 (NLT) ³³ Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

John 3:30 (NLT) ³⁰ He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

Matthew 14:14 (NLT) ¹⁴ Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Prayer Prepares US for the Answer v.11

2 Corinthians 9:7-8 (NLT) ⁷ You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” ⁸ And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

Prayer Frees us to His Will v.12

1 Thessalonians 4:3 – 5 (NLT) ³ God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. ⁴ Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor—⁵ not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.

Romans 12:2 (NLT) ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Prayer Protects Us to do His Work v.13

Colossians 3:23 (NLT) ²³ Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Matthew 6:9 – 13 (NLT) ⁹ Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. ¹⁰ May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us today the food we need, ¹² and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. ¹³ And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

Week Two: 09/10/23

Series: Praying  

Title: Paused Prayer

Bible:  Psalm 32:1-6,

John 14:26 (NLT) ²⁶ But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

 “Paused Prayer Punishes; Repentant Prayer Restores”

Psalm 32:1 – 6 (NLT) ¹ Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! ² Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! ³ When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. ⁴ Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. ⁵ Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. ⁶ Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.

“The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, “O God, forgive me”, or “Help me.” Billy Graham

Show It

1 John 3:19-20 (NLT) ¹⁹ Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. ²⁰ Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

Confess it

1 John 1:9 (NLT) ⁹ But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Let It Go

Psalm 103:12 (NLT) ¹² He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

Run from it

1Corinthians 10:13 (NLT) ¹³ The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

Clarifying Questions:

Head: What do I know now?

Heart: How does this change me?

Hands: What do I do now?