Consistent Living

Galatians 6:9
9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Obviously I chose Galatians 6:9, but there are a lot to choose from above.

Think about anything in life. It could be a job, a relationship, it could be the Wildcats or Jayhawks, it could the Chiefs or the Broncos, any of those.

They are all and we are all in the same situation. Keep doing well, keep fighting the good fight, keep being consistent, keep sewing good seeds … all of it.

There will be a time for all of us to harvest one way or another. Make good decisions, take care of the “little” things and have a successful harvest.

Make it a great day in the trenches. Be exceptional at being you.

Love,

Yancey

Family Friday 9/30: Hang In There

Good morning, men!

Yesterday, I found out through an email from a 3rd party that I was losing my 2nd largest account at work.

I’m not sure how many of you that read this are in sales, or have ever been involved in commission based work…but those are a gut punch you can’t really describe or understand unless you have experienced it first hand.

After spending the afternoon sort of numb, I came home to a wife that was happy to see me, three healthy kids, and a beautiful neighborhood. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I am blessed beyond what I deserve.

2022 has been a tough year at the Runyan house. Through the tears, pain, and struggle has come this really strange and deep trust in God and his plan for our life.

If you are facing troubles…hang in there. Don’t give up. Turn to Jesus, and ask for His will to be done in your life. Trust that He is working all things for your good.

Have a blessed day, men!

M.I.T.T. ~ Runyan

Self-Centerdness

Proverbs 13:10 KJV — Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

Do you know what pride really is? Its self centerness. Its saying that the only realy important thing in the world right now is me, and so whatever I need is above all else. Here’s whats crazy, as Andrew Womack quotes “pride isn’t just thinking you are better than everyone else, its self centerdness. Its like having a stick with arrogance on one side and low self esteem on the other side. Those are opposite expressions of the same thing, but they are both on the stick.”

Full transparency, when I went to Bible study last night and read the title for the study which was obviously “Self Centerdness”; I just knew it was going to justify some of the thoughts and feelings that I had toward some other people in my life that I felt were behaving this way. Hahahah! Instead God says nope! Its actually your pride and your self centerdness that isn’t able to stop you from letting people rub you the wrong way. You have no control over others, but you do have control of how you respond to others and situations. Another bit of advice from the great Theologian Denzel Washington (isn’t that funny?) ” do not let the culture tell you that you should only be thinking about yourself. Just remember you now live in a time where the most popular picture to take is a selfie. When in all actuality serving and giving to others will make you feel much better than anything. You don’t need to post everything on social media, if its important it will be found out through humility.”

If we are supposed to truly imitate Christ, then pride is not an option. He prayed for, healed, fed, washed the feet of, ate with, showed mercy and grace toward, preached to, educated, and especially LOVED the ones who would betray him (and He knew it the whole time, and sadly enough we havethe same characteristics as them).

Father, would you teach us to love the same way you do. Would you help us recognize our own pride and self centerdness. Sho it to us in the places that we don’t even recognize its there. Make us vessel for you, one that has the ability to overcome offenses and give us the faith to control ourselves and not worry about controlling others. Lord, you are good in every way, and we thank you for your presence in our lives. Amen

with love,

dlp

M.I.T.T.

Seeing Him Work

It was a great week for me to personally see the Lord working. This last week I had a friend who I hadn’t spoken with in about a month ask if they could have a last minute reservation to stay at our house. He’s a preacher, and through our conversation found out he is going through a burn out phase.

Why he was coming was to pick up a trailer load of wood, what he didn’t know was the guy that was selling him the wood, lives a stones throw from my house. Also as part of staying with us, he and his family went to Church with us. The message had parts of it that felt as though they were tailored to what he was needing to hear.

I know I have not done this story justice as there is a lot of back story that I can’t add, but Jesus used a guy selling firewood 200+ miles away as a conduit to get him a message, and get the possibilities of Church resources they have been needed.

It was amazing to sit back and see Jesus working right before my eyes!

ZB

Touch the Heart First

Pastors, great advice in the photo above.

This quote is in the book I’m reading. John C. Maxwell is a Christian and was a pastor before taking on his current endeavors.

So many examples of Jesus touching the heart before asking for the hand. The adulterous woman who as about to be stoned who was told to go and sin no more comes to mind, as does the woman at the well. there are many others.

When we work to be men in the trenches, fighting the good fight, it would benefit us to take this approach. People won’t follow if we bash them over the head with condemning scripture. They might listen if we show love and care in not only our words, but our actions, as well.

Kindness, grace, love … those are some of the best approaches.

Lets touch the heart before we ask for the hand; and in reality, if we touch the heart, we may not even have to ask.

Make it a great week in the trenches. Be exceptional at being you.

Love,

Yancey

If We Are Ready, We Don’t Have to Get Ready

Amos 7:14-15
14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. 15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

A lot of different directions this verse could go.

First, we need to do our jobs with what is in front of us. He took care of the sheep and the fig trees because that was his task at hand.

From there, be ready for what’s next. Could be a different job, could be a change in life at home, could be a lot of different things. Stay ready.

Another way to stay ready is if or when we might encounter someone and have a conversation about our faith or being saved or any other topic about Jesus. If we have an answer to another person’s question, then we might be what keeps them or gets them to the faith. Be prepared.

Stay ready so we don’t have to get ready.

Make it a great day in the trenches. Be exceptional at being you.

Love,

Yancey

Fullness of Joy in His Presence

Psalm 16 (ESV): “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭16:1-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.16.1-11.ESV

Lord I pray this passage for all the men on the message. May every man experience your presence fully Lord. May we humble ourselves, and take refuge in you. You are our strength; we have no good apart from you. To my fellow men on this message, my brothers in Christ, you are saints in the land. Help us Lord every day chose you as our portion and cup. To say in confident faith:

• that the lines have fallen for us in pleasant places
• indeed we have a beautiful inheritance.
• Bless the Lord who gives us counsel, in the night also our heart instructs us.
• That we will set the Lord always before us, because he is at our right hand we will not be shaken
• Because of this our hearts will be glad and our whole being rejoice and our flesh will dwell secure
• For you will not abandon our souls,
• You make known to us the path of life
• IN YOUR PRESENCE THERE IS FULLNESS OF JOY; AT YOUR RIGHT HAND ARE PLEASURES FOREVERMORE

Family Friday 9/23: Impact of a Father

Good morning, men. To piggyback off of what Dustin wrote yesterday, I was thinking a lot about my dad yesterday. It would have been his birthday and he has been gone for 5 years now.

I hear from the pulpit all the time that we misconstrue God’s fatherly love because we haven’t seen it mirrored to us from our earthly fathers. Those stats from Dustin’s post absolutely support that statement.

For all of us here that had present, loving Dad’s…be thankful today. For those who didn’t, pray that God will use you to break that generational sin in your family.

Have a blessed day, and go out there and be the best dad you can be today!

M.I.T.T. ~ Runyan

The Importance of Fathers

This is not a new topic, but on the Manly Message I feel its extremely important to continue to remind one another about. The devastation caused by a fatherless home is staggering. God created order intentionally so that we could protect and provide for our families. I understand circumstances can be difficult in some cases, but continue to make all efforts to lead your family.

John 5:19
Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.

I also know, some men on the message impact children that do not have Fathers in the home. What a great ministry, one where you get to help lead fatherless children to God.

with love, dlp

M.I.T.T.