Fri.5.29.15...Prov.16:1-15...Great Plans

It took an incredible amount of planning and included many failed attempts. But on this day, May 29^th, 1953, all those plans paid off. Two men, Sir Edmond Hillary and Tenzing Norgay stood where none had ever stood before- on the top of Mt.Everest (29,029 feet above sea level).

As M. Dunham wrote, "Sir Edmund Hilary was the first person to conquer Mt. Everest. The first time he tried, he failed. He was knighted by the Queen of England, and at the gala occasion, on the wall behind the head table, was a huge picture of Mt. Everest. The people gave him a standing ovation for even daring to attempt the climb. When they ceased applauding, Hilary turned his back to the audience, faced that picture and said, "Mt. Everest, you have defeated me once and you might defeat me again. But I'm coming back again and again, and I'm going to win because you can't get any bigger, Mt. Everest, and I can."

I love that story! It illustrates such determination and diligence. But to accomplish such, plans had to be made to grow bigger than the mountain. For as Sir Edmond Hilary declared, “It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” What do you need to conquer in your life? Where do you want to go in life? Sometimes for young people this can be a mountain sized question in and of itself. "Where do I want to go in life?" As a young person, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life? It was easier to plan my trip to climb mountains in the Rockies, which I did right after graduating from high school, than to make plans for my life. But the advice I would give to young people, and older adults as well, is to make plans to grow bigger spiritually. Work out spiritually. Why? No matter what job you land or marriage and family you have, you will need to grow spiritually, to develop spiritual strength. The training in God’s gym will be incredibly rewarding. “Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” 1 Tim.4:7b-8. 

Have you noticed how men who are serious about getting in shape have a well shaped plan that they follow? They even keep written track of their progress. “How much did I bench press today versus last time?” “Am I following the plans my trainer gave me?” Tragically, most Christians don’t have any such plans to grow spiritually. Yet they are commanded to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” 2 Peter 3:18. But you do have a plan and you are growing. Everyday M-F you are in God’s gym, growing in God’s word and sharing it with others. Every day you are encouraging one another. (Strange how so many Christians don’t work out this muscle of encouragement, when our Trainer has commanded, “encourage one another daily.” Our Trainer knows what’s best for the Body.) And everyday you are diligently keeping track of your progress on the GREAT scoreboard "so that everyone may see your progress" 1 Tim.4:15. You have a work out plan and then you work out that plan. Way to grow!

So many men are living at the bottom of the mountain. They need a plan to get to the top and they need someone who knows how to get there to invite them and help them. Thanks for reaching out to men and inviting them to join you on a very manly climb. (If you're at Midway, see me Sunday at the front for M3 cards.) They will never make it to the top alone because God’s plan requires a team, not solo climbers. I know some very intellectual Christians who are solo acts. They think they are on track, but they are missing the mountain by a mile. The Lord calls us to build up each other as a body and to work together as a team to forcefully advance God's kingdom (Mt.11:12). We are to be like a football team forcefully advancing the ball down the field. We need to follow God's plans to grow and conquer the mountain. No one makes it to the top alone, not even Sir Edmond Hillary.

Read Proverbs 16:1-15 and you’ll note the issue of making plans is mentioned three different times. Good plans don’t demand perfection, but they help you make progress. I'd say most of you are making very good progress.

1.-Some of you have been in M3 since we started 6 months ago with a few joining a bit later. Several more of you joined about three months ago. So this is a good time to have a 3 to 6 month mountain climbing evaluation. No matter when you joined, has the M3 plan for spiritual growth been helping you do just that? If so, share one or two things that you like from your time in M3. (Then keep that in mind to share with other men when you talk with them.) If you wish, please share how M3 or you could be better? (Evaluation for improvement is the practice of champions.) 

2.-Share one verse or phrase that impressed you from our reading in Prov.16:1-15. Then be on the lookout to share it with others.

You are reaching out and it shows; we continue to grow bigger. But we need to make sure that we continue to cover each other and that no man is left behind. I’m thankful for how so many of you have been reaching out to others, and for our Fire Team Captains- Jack, Eddie, Robert, Sam and George. They have been encouraging a lot of people as the scoreboard shows. They will be focusing more of their encouragement on you who are in their fire teams. But of course it’s not all on them. Seek to pray for and often encourage your fellow fire team members. If one of them should go MIA, make sure you contact him. This is your band of brothers. You are your brother’s keeper (keeper: bodyguard, Gen.4:9). As we grow, we will need more Fire Team Captains, so we will be looking for men who are good examples and encouragers to become Captains in Training. This will be easy to see on the Scoreboard, so please keep working out in these GREAT areas for spiritual growth and impact. We need you to be strong. A team and a chain are only as strong as their weakest link. So be strong in the Lord! 

3.-“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love”  Rom.12:10. This is a vital part of God's plan for us. Will you be devoted to your band of brothers in your fire team, pray for and encourage them and contact any that may be MIA on the blog? 

Your fire team members are like your fellow mountain climbers. You only succeed by growing and climbing together.

Perhaps you've already created a "Fire Team" contacts list in your phone. That's a smart thing to do with your smart phone. Reviewing that list often is a good way to remember to pray for them too as you have down time. 

Announcements

I want to warmly welcome our newest team mate, William Dyckman (yes, big brother of Alex:). I got to know William over 10 years ago when he was helping his father teach a boys Sunday school class, so we go back a bit. William was also in NGLs with me last year. He got married just a few weeks ago to Nori who was also in the NGL group. What a great couple! Please warmly welcome William! And thank you Eddie for also reaching out to Will. Very good!

Hey, check out the updated look of our M3 Family Tree. Click the tab at the bottom of our Scoreboard. You'll see new info and color coding, similar to different degrees or colors of belts in Martial Arts. For each man you recruit, you move up to a darker colored belt. And remember, to graduate from Basic Training, you just need to recruit one person and earn your Unstoppable Award Pin.

Speaking of Award Pins, we will be having our next M3 meeting, Sunday June 14th at 11:30 in the break room again. (The accommodations are not quite as nice as Jack's, but there are vending machines:) I look forward to awarding several of you with Unstoppable pins that you've earned for being unstoppable with us on the blog for 4 weeks in a row. There are other honors and important info we will be covering as well, so please guard that hour. Thanks! 

You are a great group of faithful men! If Guillermo or Ed Lake is in your fire team, please give an encouraging word as we missed them on the blog yesterday.