The Book. If you haven't read the beginning of the book, stop right now and click here for the beginning of Chapter 1.
(continued...)
Part 2:
A Different Setting
But men don't belong in church.
As I sit staring ahead, listening to the sermon, pondering the back of the person's head in front of me, while he is pondering the back of the person's head in front of him, I wonder how we got here. I mean, I got here by way of the parking lot. A smiling man in an orange vest, no doubt cautious of the dangers of reckless, late church-goers competing with time on natural grass turf, waved me in.
And I slid into my spot.
So now I'm here.
But, I have to admit, not much more thought was put into it. And I'll add, for the majority of us, not much more will be. We're not lazy, worthless bums or lumps of creamer-fed donut fat, although if we're lucky we rolled through the local donut shop drive thru (without stopping) and filled up on our weekly ration of double chocolate glazed before we arrived. Late.
We're good men. We saved halves of cream cheesed bagels for our wives and iced coffees to get them through the struggles of wriggling the kids to Sunday School.
Oh, yeah. And I almost forgot. I did my manly duty this morning. I picked out the family pew seat.
And I slid into my spot.
Not much more has been asked of me, and if I stick around, I have a feeling probably not much more will be.
You see, I'm in church.
And, like I said, men don't belong in church.
The Dilemma
Now, I don't mean men shouldn't be in church, but that there is no place for them. Not in the current church.
Let me explain. Guys throughout time have longed to fight, to strategize, to lead. To embark. To accept a top secret mission. We dream about jumping in front of bullets or kicking through walls and shooting bad guys who threaten lives of damsels in distress, who in turn fall madly in love with us as we gingerly sweep them off their feet. Without breaking a sweat (or an appendage). And without a post-rampage chiropractic appointment. We want something real. Like that. Well, make-believe real, anyway. Something with action and feet sweeping.
Really, we want an exciting mission that's romantic. Life or death. The stakes raised. The future resting on us.
And that's how we feel about church, too. Give us that kind of call, and we're all in. Set us along the wall with a stack of service bulletins and a hello name tag and we're...unimpressed.
So what does that mean for men? Where does it leave us now?
Well, in the pages that follow, this book will unveil the simple, clear call of God on every man. It will reveal, through his design, that God has a plan, and the patterns we see in nature, the desires that stir deeply in our hearts, he intended to fulfill a crucial purpose. In every man. That means every man has a purpose in the church. It means you do. If true, this will have revolutionary implications.
If man's nature is unique, if he was formed with a specific design--a blueprint, perhaps--of strength, initiative, and leadership at creation, then the church needs to change to match that. Not the other way around. In this culture, we often ask men to change to fit the church. Follow the rules, be quiet, fold your hands, find your pew, and please sit down. Or as I was once asked--if you're going to dance while worshiping, please stand in the back. We don't want you to distract anyone. When I politely mentioned David dancing before the Lord, I was told I would be welcome to find another church.
Well, this isn't a book about dancing. It isn't about styles of worship, the top ten rules of how not to rock the half-submerged boat, or why fitting in is better than standing up. It is a book about men. It is about exactly who we are. But because it's about men, it's also about the church. The two are inseparable; one flows naturally out of the other.
And the only way for the church to meet its true purpose is to fulfill the purpose of every person in it.
To empower them in Christ, as men and as women. That is discipleship.
But where does that leave us now? Unfortunately, as I think you'll see, it's not very far.
(stay tuned tomorrow for more or purchase your copy of the Paperback or Kindle version now!The Mission. Let's check our progress...
Two days done and three days left -- we're on our way! Monday's sales were a combination of Monday and a number of early sales the week before, so Tuesday made improvement. We'll just need to finish with a few strong days to raise $1,000 for orphans.
Consider sharing about Breathing In and Breathing Out: Leader of Men today. I know, I know. You have. But in addition to social media, let's think of a few friends we could personally tell about it.
Word of mouth is the most powerful marketing, because friends trust you in a way they never would an ad or random post.
What would you tell them? I'd tell them it's an inspiring book about empowering men to become leaders of men in their churches and families. It's a perfect $12 Father's Day gift, and the proceeds are donated to orphans. What's not to like? :)
If you haven't bought your copy, head over to Amazon now.
The Gifts. Thank you to everyone who has participated in release week! Be sure to fill out the form below so you're eligible for the daily prizes.
The winner of yesterday's $50.00 gift card for sharing the book with friends was Keith Vinson. Thanks Keith!
There was no winner for the book gift set, so I think we'll just change that division to a surprise gift for RAORing and allow people to choose if they want to participate or not.
Click below if you'd like to be entered for today's $50 gift card to one of your choice: Lowe's, Bass Pro Shop, or Outback Steakhouse.
The success of release week is because of YOU! I'm so grateful you've joined me in spreading a message that will inspire, challenge, and call men on to live boldly for Christ. To be leaders of men.
