Being A Man

This Sunday we had a special guest in our church service, David Jesse. David works for Promise Keepers which is an organization committed to challenging men across our nation to get into the Word of God daily and live out their beliefs daily. They hold weekend conferences and I was excited to hear that they were coming back to Washington (Kent-Showare Center) next summer-July 2015. I had the privilege to grab a coffee this week with David and as excited as I was about an event coming to town, I was astounded by the statistics that he gave me. The most staggering being this:

When a child is the first to attend church, 3 1/2% of the families follow.

When a wife/mom is the first to attend church, 17% of the families follow.

When a dad/husband is the first to attend church, 93% of the families follow. 

I think this goes way beyond church attendance. It goes beyond 'strategic planning' for church events. It shows that where a dad/husband leads-the family will follow. If a man wants to lead his family towards God it will happen. If he would rather lead his family towards the treasures of this world he will do so as well. 

Having a wife and 2 girls...ok...stinkin' cute girls-you got me-It's become clear that I'm starting to not just live my life, but I'm steering my family. And so the question becomes 'where' and not 'if'. Where am I bringing my family? 

'These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.' Deuteronomy 6:6-7

I know that as a dad I can love my daughters more. I need to pray for them every single day. I need to prepare myself for the 'dating days' now so that I will not implode when a young man walks through my door. I need to love my wife more. I need to show her that she is loved every single day. So that when disagreements come, there is no doubt that I'm not going anywhere. 

I know that as a man I need to love God more. I need to pray for his direction every single day. I need to reach out to other men around me and pray for them. I need to leave a legacy that didn't drag my family to church but decided that church is more than just a music style, fancy banners and programs. But that church is the body of believers. It's where I have completeness in my devotion to him. 

I realize this is a 'male heavy' blog post, but I want to challenge the ladies to pass this on. If you're married show it to your husband and ask for a response. If you're single, pass it on to your dad, brother, a family friend who needs to be challenged/encouraged. We are in a day where we have to stop being lazy about our faith. Your beliefs will be known by how you live. Not by what you like on Facebook. The vacations of summer are winding down. Let's get back on the battle fields in our  churches. 

-PC

pastorcory@rescuesumner.org

www.rescuesumner.org