Starting Friday: Men's Fellowship Through Accountability

We’re in week 2 of our new study, “Act Like Men” by James MacDonald.  Recall that the book is divided into five sections, with each of those sections having eight chapters.  Have I lost you yet?

Those five sections are:

-Act Like Men

-Be Watchful

-Stand Firm in the Faith

-Be Strong

-Let All That You Do Be Done in Love

Now if the words of those sections sound familiar, then you’re on the right track with the book’s primary theme that comes to us from scripture:

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  Let all that you do be done in love.”  1 COR 16:13-14

Last week we started out at an easy pace out of the starting blocks.  And we’re picking up our stride a little bit this week……lean forward and pump those arms!

HOMEWORK is to read Chapter 2 and Chapter 3; “A Quality Man” and “Not a Quality Man”, respectively.  These are very short chapters but focus on the questions and reflections at the end of each chapter as those will be the basis for our discussion.

Mike will lead this week.  Gather in the parlor room at the Cornwell Center starting at 7:30 am.  We’ll pick up the pace promptly at 7:45 am.

See you then!

 

Hurricane Michael slowed us down a little bit last week, resulting in our meeting locations being closed.  The power was out, too, so that made matters a little worse.  This week, we’re back on track with plans to “kickoff” our new series, Act Like Men by James MacDonald.  Your homework this week is fairly light….read the book’s Forward, Introduction, and Chapter 1: Acting Like Men.

I’ll have a tentative schedule for this series to share on Friday.  Looking closely at the best way to break up the book.

As always, come regardless if you’ve read ahead of time or even gotten the book!  You’ll also leave more fulfilled through insight and fellowship.  I hope to see you on Friday!

Cornwell Center front parlor room.  Gather starting at 7:30 am.  I’ll introduce our new series starting at 7:45 am.

Peace!

Our meeting location, The Cornwell Center, will be closing early today, 10/11, and will have a delayed opening on Friday, 10/12.  As such, and taking safely into consideration, we are going to cancel this Friday’s FMMF and will introduce the new series NEXT Friday, 10/19.

The streets around Myers Park look like a war zone right now, with fallen down trees and debris.  Please be careful out there!

Prayers for our city and all those impacted by this storm along the Florida Panhandle, as well as Georgia and the Carolinas.

Peace!

Okay, buckle up, men.  We’re at the start of our next study series, “Act Like Men” by James MacDonald.  I don’t have a set schedule, yet….the plan is to see how the first couple of weeks go, and we’ll plan things out after that.  This week, homework is to read the book’s Forward, Introduction and Chapter 1 (Acting Like Men).  Those three sections, albeit a little short in pages, provide an excellent foundation for the book ahead.

This week, Mike leads us using the scripture passage from 1 Corinthians 13: 11 as our backdrop.

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away my childish things.” (KJV)

If you haven’t ordered the book yet, do that at this LINK.  And even if you don’t have the book, show up on Friday!  With what I see as a long series ahead, you’ll still have plenty of time to make that purchase!

See you this Friday, ready to go by 7:45 am at The Cornwell Center.

Alright, alright…..alright!

Peace!

Our series wraps up this week with a lesson on Paul.  Largely regarded by Biblical scholars as the greatest writer of Jesus’ message, Paul is also regarded as one of the most, if not the most, passionate of all of His followers.

“Passion” is a key message in our final chapter.

What drives our passion?  Are we passionate about our Creator or are do we simply, as our author says, carry around our Christian beliefs in a duffel bag, pulling out those beliefs when we need them….and storing them away when we don’t.

There’s a gap for some between a larger God and us.  How can we close that gap?

In this week’s reading you’ll see a story about Andre Agassi, speaking at the hall of fame induction of his wife, Steffi Graf.  In those remarks, Agassi talks about a roof built many years ago, before airplanes were even invented.  Why did the roof-makers not take shortcuts when there was not the ability to stand above the roof?

We’ll discuss those answers and more this week under the context of Paul’s passion.

Also, the author has a wonderful summary of all ten characters at the end of this week’s reading.  We’ll wrap up our book this week using that summary as a guide.

Gather at 7:30 am at The Cornwell Center.  We’ll start the lesson at 7:45 am.  Mike leads us this week.

Peace!

Full disclosure:  Peter is my kind of guy. Didn’t always get things right and sometimes let his emotions lead him to missing the point altogether. But in the end, when the chips were down, Peter comes through.

I also like Paul….but that will be next week’s full disclosure!

For me, the key message this week is on page 140 in the paragraph that starts out “Here’s the good news….”.  Hint, hint….that’s the Plan!  That’s discipleship!

I won’t steal our leader’s thunder but if you read that paragraph then you’re off to a good start!

John Ramey is our leader this week. I checked in with him earlier and he’s rearing to go!

Gather at 7:30 am. Lesson starts at 7:45 am. Cornwell Center.

Come hear about the “rock”!

Peace!

I missed the opportunity last week to title the weekly reminder as “down to the final FOUR (lessons)”….but you get my point.  Three lessons to go including this week:

• SEP 14:  Job:  The principle of suffering for no apparent reason (Rob Miller leading)
• SEP 21:  Peter:  The principle of making disciples (John Ramey leading)
• SEP 28:  Paul:  The principle of a surrendered life (Mike Lenhart leading) + Series Wrap-up

Mark your calendars for the Friday, OCT 5 FMMF Charlotte, where Leadership Ministries, Inc. president, Mark Maynard, will be our guest speaker that morning.  We’ll host Mark at our normal meeting location at the Cornwell Center.

This week, Rob Miller is on tap to lead us.  There’s a storm brewing, literally, off the coast of North Carolina this week, but I think we’ll be safe to meet on Friday morning.  I’m monitoring the conditions and in the event of a cancellation, I’ll post that message on this site.  Please keep our brothers and sisters along the Carolinas’ coastlines in your prayers as they brace for a certain direct hit of the hurricane.

I’ll see you this Friday at our normal time and location…..bring your coffee and umbrellas!

Peace!

 

We’re back this week at Friday Morning Men’s Fellowship (FMMF) Charlotte with the study of Nehemiah.  Chapter 7 in our book, “How God Makes Men“, for those of you following along!

The author’s focus this week is:  The Principle of a Passionate Calling”.

This week, we’ll learn about Nehemiah’s responding to the need of building (or rebuilding, rather) the walls around Jerusalem upon news of the Jews returning after 70 years in exile.  Now, insert your own James Earl Jones voice-over…..”If you build it they will come….”.

But the only difference for Nehemiah was that “they” were already coming!  Yikes!

Mike leads us this week in our discussion.  Come early….like 7:30 am-ish, and have some pre-meeting fellowship with others.  “Fellowship” is in our weekly name…so why not?

Lesson begins at 7:45 am.  See you then!

Peace!

Reminder that FMMF Charlotte will not meet this week.  We’re taking time off with family and friends….

Be safe!

Next week, we’ll dig back into our study of “How God Makes Men” with Chapter 7: Nehemiah….”the principle of passionate calling…”

While you’re without homework this week, take a moment to update your contact information for FMMF.  Information is not shared outside of Leadership Ministries….and you’ll receive timely information from the mother-ship in Atlanta!

LINK for updates

Have a great and safe Labor Day holiday weekend!

Peace!