Behold the Man -- a men's conference

On January 28 I enjoyed the fellowship of 900-plus Christian men gathered for a one-day conference at Calvary Fellowship in Mountlake Terrace. In addition to wonderful worship and prayer, the day featured four speakers: Ben Courson, Brian Holman, Mike MacIntosh and rap artist This'l.

From Courson, my notes included a challenge to "do the thing that scares you the most." Satan, he suggested, "often speaks to us through a well-meaning friend." He urged those in his audience to "do that which, without God, is doomed to fail."

From MacIntosh: "A godly man has a heart for Christ; stop at the cross, and give Him your heart;" and "Take it seriously that God is calling you, and has a precise mission for you."

From This'l: Culture tells us that a man is judged to be "successful" based on things like material possessions and sexual prowess. A godly man models his life after Jesus Christ, and is willing to fight for his family, church, community. He wore a shirt bearing the words of one of his songs: "I signed up to die," referencing the decision to "die to self" and live for Jesus.

From Holman, a former professional baseball pitcher: "Never quit. Trust in God. Never give up;" and "Failure is inevitable, but it cannot derail God's plan for your life. It can only test your resolve. Use failure as a fuel. Fear is what stands between a man and an extraordinary life."

To hear each speaker's entire presentation, go to the following:
http://calvaryfellowship.org/audio/tag/Events%7CSeries/NW%20Mens%20Conference%202012#

Renew Your Mind Conference

Pictured above in the yellow sweater is Pastor Wayne Taylor of Calvary Chapel in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. Once again this year, Taylor's church hosted a one-day men's conference. This year's event, held on January 22, featured the theme: "Renew Your Mind."

It was a memorable day, most likely a life-changing day for many in the audience of 1,000.

Paul tells us in Colossians 3:1-4: "...set your heart on things above" and "...set your mind on things above."

In Romans 8:5-6, he reminds us: "Those who live according to the sinful nature (the way of the world) have their minds set on what nature desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of the sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace..."
Finally, in Romans 12:1-2: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world (anti-God), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."

A day-long program featuring four main speakers poses the risk of "overload," and subject matter such as hypocrisy, lust and greed could lead to a sense of deep sorrow, even despair.

But godly men such as those who spoke at the Renew Your Mind conference met those risks head-on by making clear their complete reliance on / allegiance to Jesus Christ. Satan still seeks to devour and kill, but we were reminded again and again that he is defeated and has no power over us. As followers of Christ, we walk out this life as co-heirs in His victory over death, trading our temporary address for an eternal home in Heaven.

Pastor David Guzik, our first speaker, reminded his audience that God is seeking after EVERYONE. Speaker Donny Pauling emphasized: "There is NOTHING you can do to change the fact that God loves you and desires eternal relationship with you." Pastor Raul Ries cautioned: "There are heavy days ahead. DON'T COMPROMISE. Wash your mind daily with the word." And his son Ryan denounced the Christian's inclination to "pose," foolishly attempting to "serve God" in one setting and fleshly desires in another. "I'm afraid the church is raising up pussycats," he said, "when we need WARRIORS and LIONS."

Despite life testimonies that included many ugly chapters, God reminded me repeatedly in the course of the day that He is greater than any power on earth. Regardless of each person's past, God the Father comes running when His prodigal (me!) returns! There is nothing more radical than God's love.

We can renew our minds, Guzik reminded us, in part by making the choice to spend time in God's word, even praying for a greater love for it. We can't stifle fleeting thoughts, he said, but he then quoted Martin Luther regarding how we can respond to those thoughts in a godly manner: "I can't control birds flying over my head. But I can keep them from building nests in my hair!"

Don't live an undecided life. Rebel against the world, against Satan's desire to shove you into the world's mold. Answer the Holy Spirit's call to a place of decision, and choose Christ over self. God alone can renew our minds.