Ephesians It Is

Sometimes we think a study will be great for a particular group. Then, when it is all ready to go something just doesn't seem to fit. This is what happened with the Leaning into a Hail of Bullets Study that the Tuesday Night Grind Crew was about to embark on. It seemed like each section was calling out to us. Like we needed this study to dig deeper into what God is calling us to be.

After praying about it and considering how this study might not get us deeper into God's Word, I shared with the guys that it just didn't feel right. I believe that our group of men need to be grounded in God's Word, not some book that might dabble in a few bible verses here and there.

With much discussion and allowing everyone to be heard, we decided to scrap that study and get back to a bible based study. We will be jumping head first into Ephesians and using the Bible and the Holy Spirit as our main guide. We will be taking a chapter per week, pre-reading it and coming ready to discuss God's Word, His plan for our life in Christ and how to apply it into our daily lives.

I am so excited about this study - you do not even know! Please come ready to discuss Chapter 1 of Ephesians with us on Tuesday, December 30th (6:45pm) at Its A Grind in Murrieta. Email me (whowantsitmore@gmail.com) for more information.

Stay Strong

One of the Best Days Ever

Last Sunday we spent some time in Julian in the snow. It couldn't have been much of a better day. With clear blue sky and the sun shining on us at about 50 degrees, the snow never felt better. As we made our way through William Heise Park, we came to a dead end. The snow had completely covered the roads through the back end of the campground so they were closed. We were the first to arrive at this spot and quickly parked, unloaded and made a sloping downhill run of about 50 yards. With a few two person rubberized sleds, a plastic sled and a snowboard, we enjoyed the spot all to ourselves for about an hour until the next group arrived.

We started discussing how we might survive if we were to get stuck out here and immediately thought of Bear Grylls. I decided to try my luck at building an igloo...and with a really good snowpack going was able to create this little bad boy...not bad for a novice!

We also came across this guy that some other group had built and immediately acted like he was ours. Isn't it funny how adopt stuff as ours so quickly. This was very well done, must have been soe East Coasters, cause this guy was built to last ... or so they hoped. He actually didn't make it through the day. Dillon and I decided that tackling him like a crushing blow from a few Charger lineman or linebackers will put on poor Jay Cutler this weekend - seemed like more fun. So the snowman turned into a tacking dummy...and let's just say he didn't take it very well.

We also got a few chances on the snowboard. I took the bindings off so it was little slippery, but we had a great time. I hope that you all get a chance to get to the snow for your own snow day. It sure is nice to enjoy and then come back home to beautiful weather and get warm.

Merry Christmas from the face planter!

Are you...

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
(Psalm 1:1-3, NIV)

How 'bout them apples? Is the blessedness of God not awe-inspiring enough for us to get all fired up about? What is going on with us? How soon we forget how blessed we are! Stay in the pocket of His presence my friends and be encouraged by how blessed we are to be called to a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Galatians RECAP

Thanks for another great night guys! It is so awesome to have a group like this, where men can meet together and openly discuss our desires to walk with Christ. He has provided all that we can ever need. His example to us of how we should be living in this world without being of this world should have priority in all that we do. I pray (for me and you) that we would continue to hold Paul's message to the Galatians tightly -- that nothing else needs to be added to the Gospel. As Chapter 5 tells us "it is for freedom that Christ has set us free". With that simple statement from verse one, Paul goes on to remind us that we should "Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery". I pray that this will be true for us daily.



Let's continue to seek after Him as our only example and pray for one another daily to be built into His image and that He will be our stength.



Most of you have seen that I sign off with "stay strong", which I attribute to one of my favorite verses - Galations 6:9-10. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."



The Tuesday night group will be embarking on a new study, one which will challenge who we are as men versus who we should be in Christ. It will test our ability to see how little compromises against His will put us in harm's way. I am really excited about growing closer to Christ through this study, not only in my daily walk with Him, but in my relationship with my brothers, family and with those who need to here the Gospel according to Him.



Leaning into a Hail of Bullets will showcase a few of the temptations that we face as men in our daily lives. We will be taking on challenging subjects that threaten our jobs, marriages / relationships, and family. If you have ever been stopped in your tracks by one of these thoughts: If I change just one number on my tax return...the hotel bill doesn't list movies by name...if she keeps looking at me like that... -- you need to join us!



Tuesday night is for getting real. The atmosphere is open to share or not, the guys are real guys, with real struggles, in real situations. We come together to provide a secure environment to challenge each other, to encourage one another and to pray for each other.



Stay Stong, my brothers.

you can find more information about the study here:
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=836908&event=1025SBF%7C10791%7C1025#curr

Quick Bio
A freelance writer with three decades in youth ministry, Tim McLaughlin has his hands in many cool projects a as contributor, co-author or author: ~ Creative Bible Lessons in Galatians & Philippians (Youth Specialties) ~ The student devotional Fed Up (Transit/Thomas Nelson)~ Most of the books in the Real-Life Stuff for Men series (NavPress)~ Contributor, Mission: Africa (Thomas Nelson).

Like some of you, I am hooked on The Office. It is a zany comedy on CBS that focuses on a small paper company, Dunder-Mifflin, and the staff of one Regional Manager, Michael Scott. The show cracks me up, not because it is just flat out funny to me, but I can see many parallels to the office that I work in.

I did however start noticing some rips on Christianity. And, as subtle as the are attempting to be - it is really starting to bother me. Each episode has a multitude of story lines and things that go on during the day with different characters. The past few weeks has focused on a storyline between a supposed Christian character (Angela), who is engaged to be married to one person (Andy), while have an affair with another (Dwight).

If that is not bad enough, the office Christmas party is set to an Arabian Nights theme and Phyllis, the party chairperson, walks around the office and has Angela take down all the decorations that do not match the theme. The first to go is Angela's nativity scene that is on her desk. Phyllis says that she can keep a few camels, one of the wiseman and then shoves the rest of it in a drawer of Angela's desk. Angela's response in one of anger at the fact that Baby Jesus was tossed into a desk. So, she is more angry at the fact that Phyllis threw a wooden baby Jesus into a desk drawer than her own sin of having an affair.

These are chips at Christianity. It is ok to be a Christian and have an affair, but don't mess with my nativity scene! I know it is just a show, but the portrayal of "the Christian" continues to be one of great hypocrisy. This episode just struck me for some reason and I started seeing all the shots taken on Christianity. So, Christians are not different or called to be set apart, we just wallow in the same garbage as everyone else AND have a chip on our shoulder that we are saved...that was the message that I received.

We need to stop fooling ourselves that God can be lead around. He is not something that we can control. He is the creator and Savior! For while we are yet sinners, Christ died for us.

What's Your Hidden Immunity Idol?

I am big fan of Survivor. I love watching people try and outwit, outplay and outlast each other. This week's episode featured many different strategies and themes that really hooked me in. It also go me thinking about some hidden immunity idols that I play on a day to day basis in my job and in my life. Most importantly, it got me thinking about how important it is to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Not just an understanding of who He is and what He did for me, but a real relationship with Him - based on love.

In the workings of the NOBAG tribe, one dude, Kenny, claims to be directing the game. This reminds me how often I believe that I am directing my own game. I control this or that and only I can get me, or us, out of whatever jam we are in. Then something else happens, something completely out of my control, and I am stymied by the fact that I cannot control it. Kenny realized this week, as another player, Sugar, gave up her immunity idol to Matty and completely changed Kenny's game - for the worse. Does Kenny have a hidden immunity idol to change the game back in his favor? No. Do we? Yes.

Unfortunatley for me, I often play Jesus as a hidden immunity idol - instead of using Him first, I use my own, often frustrating ways, to solve complex issues that sometimes do not work out for the best. Then, I remember that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".

We should be wearing our immunity idol, JESUS, out in the open and sharing it with all who we come in contact. This is a struggle for most of us because the world demands that we act according to it and that we are our own best savior. I am continually switching my mindset to rely on Christ and not of my own good works, lest I can boast.

Stay Strong

Pancakes & Bowling = Good Times

Hope you are getting up tomorrow morning bright and squirrely (sp?) to hang out with those guys at Lambs at the Men's Breakfast ... should be full of good time hanging out, eating and listening to Steve Soloman break it down for us.





If you see this guy -->


sitting next to you, I would have to advise you to run. I do not have a clue who he is and by the looks of things, he would like nothing more than to hang out in his london calling shirt, sipping coffee and eating these huge pancakes all day. Well, now that I think about it that is not a bad call, its a tough call, but not a bad call!


The tough part of that call (hanging out eating pancakes in your london calling shirt and sipping coffee all day) is that there is more to Saturday than the men's breakfast. What more could there be?

How about a little bowling with the family after those hotcakes and hot topics? Come out and support the youth by sliding over to Cal Oaks Bowling Center between 9am - 11am and grab a lane or two. I believe it is a whopping $5 per person for two hours of bowling and ALL proceeds go to the youth programs at Lamb's.



Not too much better representation of the ultimate bowling team, than the W's...Roy Munsen and Ernie McCracken beware.


Stay strong

How Are You Living Out Your Faith?

To live out your faith requires sacrifice. It’s the sacrifice of time, wealth, self-indulgence, and safety. Charles Swindoll sums it up well.

The world needs men:

who cannot be bought;

whose word is their bond;

who put character above wealth;

who possess opinions and a will;

who are larger than their vocations;

who do not hesitate to take chances;

who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;

who will be as honest in small things as in great things;

who will make no compromise with wrong;

whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;

who will not say they do it “because everybody else does it”;

who are true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity;

who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;

who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;

who can say “no” with emphasis, although all the rest of the world says “yes.”

Man up, stay strong and live in the pocket of His presence...

What's in Your Relationship?

Great message by Pastor Ryan this past weekend. Has me thinking a lot about the state of my relationship and those around me. Not just my own, but those of the people I work with and also those of us at Lambs. The reason the message hit home for me, is that I believe strongly in what he said. The three things that are NOT present in unhealthy relationships:

• GRACE: do you give your wife enough grace? Yeah, you were at work all day, but she was most likely at her own job and then did about 85% around the house and took/takes care of the kids most of the time. How many times have you said thank you? Do you think that all the stuff you see cleaned up, put away and prepared was done by itself?
• TRUTH: this does not mean being brutally honest in a way that tears someone down. This means are you who you say you are? Are you living a lifestyle of truth or are you just showing outward stuff so that people think you are something that you are not? Who are you? Are you living a Christ-like walk?
• HUMILITY: do you admit when you make mistakes? do you have a really good picture of yourself? Have you ever taken a step back and seen yourself through someone else's eyes? We need to get over ourselves - we are not that great. Putting our spouse and children before us is what is required to be a loving and caring person, you know the Spiritual Leader of the household -- have you done that lately? or ever?

Strong words, I Know, but sometimes it is these messages that we receive loud and clear that help continue to give us perspective, God's perspective, on how we should be living. I challenge and encourage you to make a change today in one of these areas and discuss it with your spouse. They can really help get us back on track. I know that I need a dose of all three!

Stay Strong