As you might expect, the 3^rd F theme for the month of July is Liberty.  However, I hope I encourage you to see Liberty, and its presence in your life from a different perspective.  I have had the privilege of sharing Tuesday mornings with several brothers at the Crusade, a 3^rd F study at the Starbucks in Harris Teeter.  Whoopee has been leading a study through a book called “Killing Lions” by John and Sam Eldredge.  An underlying theme in this book is self-identity and purpose in our lives.  To summarize one point in the book, a young man from a foreign country sits in a college class seeking his doctorate. Before arriving in the western world the young man had killed a lion with a spear to protect his village and livestock.  He was regarded as a hero and a leader to his people. Sam comments “I can’t imagine any university final or job interview being very daunting for a man with lion scars across his chest”.

One might suppose that a similar battle faced our founding fathers.  Knowing the battle that may come; the imminent attack of the military might of England, those colonists pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor as they signed their names to the declaration of independence.  When we read of this in history books, do we really grasp the weight of this event?  Do you suppose each signer went home to their families, apprehensive of the decision they had made?  It took months for this declaration to cross the ocean to be read by the King of England.  I can image it could be a feeling akin to knowing that a lion crept outside of the village and could strike at any moment.  What was it that brought these men to the decision that the battle would be worth it?

The key to both situations is this; knowing your Identity.  A man can not know true liberty without knowing who he is and what he stands for.

In the Declaration of independence, a critical line is written: “We hold these truths to be Self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”.  When these men felt the bondage of the King of England, they called on their identity as men equal to each other, and equal even to the King, and later with their reliance on divine providence they clearly communicate who they believe themselves to be, and in whom they put their trust.

Whether the battle you are about to enter is against a Lion, military might, or a personal struggle you must know who you are, and what you are capable of!  In both instances, Life and Liberty hinged on the warrior knowing who he was and what he believed when the weapons were drawn.

Have you even stopped to ask yourself “what do I really believe, and is it worth fighting for?” Do you face the battles in your life knowing who you are and what you believe?

Week 1: Both the cause of liberty and the Gospel of Christ is most often spread through the shedding of blood.  We honor those who sacrificed before us for the freedom we share in our country, but most of all for the freedom we have through faith in Jesus Christ.  YHC shared on the story of David Eubanks and his family as they lend aid to those suffering under the grip of ISIS.  I encourage you to watch this video.  I believe you will see a man who knows who he is, what he is capable of, and in whom he believes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojgZueHW6Tk

Week 2: Who’s your Daddy?  Are you a Son of God?  Do you stand in battle knowing the creator of the world has your back? We will review Romans Chapter 8 and your identity as a Son of God.

Week 3: Liberty, are you free to do whatever you want?  Matthew Kelly, author of “Rediscovering Catholicism” is quoted “Freedom is not the ability to do whatever you want. Freedom is the strength of character to do what is good, true, noble, and right.” We will review Galations 5: and how the church in Galatia put itself back into bondage by straying from faith, and the bondage that could come if they fell into the sinful ways of the world.

Week 4: JJ has the Q for a liberty inspired message straight from coach K,

Week 5: The Ambassador of God  We will review 2nd Corinthians Chapter 5 and how you are reconciled to God and his Ambassador.     Also planned for this week will be an F3 dads fishing outing. Taking suggestions for locations!

Know who you are as a Man, as a Son and Ambassador of God and in the Liberty HE has provided for you.

Post!

Sorry I have been lax in posting this.  Excuses and reasons. . .

It was fitting that Rudolph shared in his 3rd F message on “Many hands make light work” but the message was so much more.  It was real; it as real that every man is often ashamed to ask or accept help.  We want to be able to carry it all and not let others down.  If we need help, we might not be strong enough.  Then life drops a brick on us.  We get an injury or we hit an obstacle and we are forced to humble ourselves and realize that sometimes we need help.  I ended up in my church in Gastonia 16 years ago when God decided to slow me down with an injured ankle.  I was forced to accept help from people I didn’t know and the events were set up to plant me where I belong.

As we all shook off that undeniable feeling that we could not do it without the help of others it was time for tha thang:

Disclaimer, get back on your car and go home.

Warm up: 10 SSH IC, then mosey to the flag pole for the Pledge led by Smalls.

Mosey down the sidewalk and plant it on the wall for some hip slappers called by Whoopee x 15 IC.

Mosey to the Chiropractor parking lot for some plank and some Peter parkers called by someone I can’t remember.  I needed help. I can’t get horizontal and count without the danger of Merlot.

Mosey through the neighborhood and meet up at the intersection for some Goof Ball, 15 IC called By Roscoe (ok, I wasn’t horizontal this time I just like it when others count).

Mosey some more and stopped in front of a nice house for some Monkey Humpers. Maidoff called the Cadence on this one as we jokingly led the moon fest in front of our friends house we are both trying to EH. I asked him Tuesday if he happened to look out his window and unfortunately he had not.

On to the park bench in the median and what do we find, Blocks!  YHC reminded everyone that when your brother is hit with a heavy weight to carry  we must walk with him and help carry the load. Everyone partnered up and we moseyed out to Belvedere with the blocks, trading with each other to share the load.

On Belvedere we found a nice intersection with a grassy median for some Dora 123.  100 overhead press, 200 squat, 300 curls (which I Omaha’d to 200 as it was already past 7:30 and we were 1.5 miles from home with a long way to go to carry the bricks).  Mosey to the jewelry store for some flutter kicks IC.  We wanted to toss the bricks in the bushes but I just couldn’t let our brothers down.  Mosey on to the strip mall formerly known as Showmars.  In honor of carrying the load while life brings your brother to a crawl, we bear crawled the entire length of the awning, crawling 4 posts while the partner carried the brick, then alternating; about 5 times each in all.  At this point it was 7:47 and I realized we never make it back to startex carrying the bricks so we stacked them neatly to the side and moseyed on.  We stopped at the big wall for some peoples chair and air presses, then mosey to the culdesac  and waited for the 6.  Mosey on up the hill past the school and back to startex, with 2 minutes to spare.  Rudolph already had the pain lab on their 6 and someone called for Smalls to call flutter kicks.  Big mistake.  I think he set a record at 62 before calling halt.  I had the final call for an exercise and called burpees, just in time for the bells to toll.

Strong work men.

During the workout I shared of a story I heard on the radio.  A woman who had a stroke in her early 30’s and it took her 2 years to return to a normal semblance of life.  Many of her friends were around here but grew impatient with her slow recovery.  “Oh look, she made lunch, she’s back to normal!”.  If only it were that simple.  Her closest friend became an older woman, more mature, who had also suffered a traumatic brain injury earlier in life.  She had the wisdom and patience to walk through the trial with her.  Our scars are not to remind us of our failures, but to remind us of what we have come through, and to give us credibility to those who we guide through their own battles.

If I could only have known during that time that we would later be grieving the loss of brother Cheech later in the week.  I hope that those in the Nation with their own scars will stand by the family; will walk with them and carry the weight they can’t seem to go any further.  My prayer to the Sky Q is that both mother and children will never be alone in their walk.  That those in Fia and F3 will walk patiently with them and guide them in wisdom.  God be with them.

The theme of June is Iron Sharpens Iron.

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

This age old proverb is as accurate now as it was when written, and is a fundamental to the 3rd F of Faith.  In Freed to Lead, Dredd and OBT recount that “One constant theme in the ball of man is the importance of sharpening each other, as Iron sharpens Iron.  Thus, we often seek help to be better husbands, fathers, sons, uncles, bosses, and employees: all the things that men are called upon to be.  The Third F is a realization that just being those things is hard enough without trying to he them without help.  More than that, it is a surrender to this idea: an insistence upon going it alone is not noble; it is selfish and prideful”.

I need you.  We need each other.  I am a dull Hushpuppy without you.  I hope you have recognized this same need in your brothers.  You sharpen me; you hold me accountable and lift me up when I want to quit.  This month we will hear what is on your heart.  I have asked several Pax to speak and still invite someone to step up for the last Saturday in June!

6/3 Squirt Shared on keeping your garden.  Just as Adam had to tend and keep the garden, we must keep guard or protect our minds, thoughts, eyes, and tongues.

6/10 for the Convergence at the Rotary Pavilion, Roscoe will share on the impact you can have on those around you,

6/17 Rudolph will share on how F3 has moved him, and how “many hands make light work”.

6/24, Who will step up?  YOU have something to share that will make us all better!

Also, each Tuesday at 6am, The Crusade meets for 3rd F study at the Starbucks in the Harris Teeter.  6/6 Whoopee will begin a study in “Killing Lions” by John Eldridge.  Don’t miss it!

Post!, Shield lock with your brothers!  6:30 am Saturdays before

This month we celebrate both Easter, and the Passover.  There are no more important festivals to the Christian Faith than these, even greater than Christmas.  In Exodus Chapter 12, God commanded Moses saying: ²⁴ And ye shall observe this thing as an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. ²⁵ And it shall come to pass, when ye come to the land which the Lord will give you, according as He hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. ²⁶ And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, ‘What mean ye by this service?’ ²⁷ that ye shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’S Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.”  God gave the command to Select a lamb for the house, kill it and spread the blood on the doorway, and then eat the lamb with unleavened bread.  This was a new thing in Religious history.  Many worshiped their gods with sacrifice and idols, but this God promised deliverance through the sacrifice and made good on His promise with the Passover!

In celebrating the Passover with his disciples, Jesus reminded his them of this promise and gave them a new promise.  No longer was the animal to be sacrificed, but now he, the Lamb of God would be the sacrifice to take away all sins.  In Luke 22: Jesus shared the last supper with them:”¹⁹ And He took bread, and gave thanks and broke it and gave it unto them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”²⁰ Likewise also He took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you.”

Again, God brought a New ordinance, yet one that fulfilled the same plan of sacrifice he had already shared through Moses centuries before.  Through the sacrifice of His body and the shedding of His blood, we can now all celebrate the Passover by faith!

During this Passover month, I hope you will be mindful of this sacrifice and the covenant that God made for you through his son. Each week we will meditate on a verse and I hope you will discuss these during Coffeeteria,

Week  1: Isaiah 43:1921st Century King James Version (KJ21) “¹⁹ Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”  

Week 2: Exodus 12:1321st Century King James Version (KJ21) “¹³ And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt.”

Week 3: “Luke 24: 1-8, the Resurrection of Christ: “⁶ He is not here, but is risen!”

Week 4: John1: 12-13 ” ¹² But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to those who believe in His name, ¹³ who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Week 5: Romans 5:8 ESV But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Do these verses give you hope?  How do these verses demonstrate New life to you?

Beginning 4/22 We will begin meeting at 6:30 at the Schiele for 3rd F. Looking forward to Men sharing their heart and their testimonies throughout the summer.  When a #HIM shares in these meetings it does not have to be a scripture or bible lesson, but anything that will lift up his brothers and put the focus on “I am third”.  If it makes your brothers better Men, Husbands and Fathers, you are open to share!  And coming soon, Sargento will be drafting someone to organize 3rd F meetings at the Fighting Yank, and Folsom is encouraged to begin as well.  If you would like to step up, let your sight Q know!