What is a "Real Man?"

Here at Cottonwood Church we have four Guys graduating from High School. Does this make them men? I went online to get a definition for a man. It said a man is a human that isn’t a woman. Great help. Then Google brought me to askmen.com for their advice. Here are some of the traits of a real man according to askmen.com (or at least the ones I felt comfortable printing)…

1 A real man doesn't cry, moan, complain, or get sick…

2 A real man is macho; tough; a real man doesn't show emotions…If spiders scare you, you'll never be a real man.

3. A real man focuses on power, money, and family.

4 A real man keeps his mouth shut. A real man does not reveal more than he has to and doesn't engage in girlie talk about others.

5 A real man would rather die than break his word.

6 A real man doesn't settle for handouts or charity.

7. A real man doesn't have piercings and long hair, and he doesn't shave his chest.

8. A real man knows that, outside of his barber, all his personal hygiene needs must be taken care of by a woman.

9 Any man who doesn't know how to tie a tie should hand in his (manhood) immediately.

The book The Making of a Modern-Day Knight uses the Bible to come up with what could be called “God’s traits of Manhood.” These four traits, clearly found throughout the life of Christ are:

1 A real man rejects passivity

2 A real man accepts responsibility

3 A real man leads courageously and

4 A real man looks to the greater reward

I like God's list better. In I Samuel 25 it’s a woman who demonstrates these traits, while her husband rejects manhood. Do you know any "Real Men?" Tell us about them...

Repent! The end is near!

What a stupid message. That was Jonah’s message – but he hoped for the End. Admit it, you’ve felt the same. Haven’t you known folks where if they died and went to hell, that would really be OK with you? Some people just deserve it (we all do of course, it just seems like they deserve it more) - Hitler, Stalin, your boss, your neighbor.…

Jonah hated the Ninevites, and he had reason. (One form of their entertainment was skinning people alive. Another burning people on poles as street lights – not nice.) Repentance was the last thing he wanted for them. So why did God pick Jonah to preach the message? He obviously didn’t want to go. He would be a lousy messenger. And yet – the result was that he was the preacher of the largest revival in history - more than Moses, more than Paul, more than Jesus.

Maybe God was as concerned about Jonah’s heart as He was about the Ninevites. Repent, the End is near.

What Can I Offer?

The writer of the Psalm asks, “What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me?” Ps 116:12 nlt. In order to answer that question we have to remember what God has done. I’ll start the list; will you help me add to it?

1. He gives me life Job 33:4
2. Daily he pours His love on me Ps 42”8
3. He gives me an inheritance Ps 61:5
4. He gives me power and strength Ps 68:35
5. He comes near me Ps 75:1
6. He is my sun and shield giving me grace and glory Ps 84:11
7. He gives me rest Ps 127:2
8. He gives me secret riches Isa 45:3
9. He gives me the right words at the right time Mt 10:19
10. He gives me a new heart Jer 24:7
11. He made me his child Jn 1:12
12. He gives me victory over sin and death I Cor 15:57
13. He bought my freedom I Ti 2:6
14. He comforts me 2 co 1:4
15. He answers my prayers 2 Co 1:11
16. He gives eternal life Rom 2:7
17. He gives me a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom 2 Pt 1:11
18. He gave His Son Jn 3:16

Damming Debt

1. 43% of Americans spend more than they earn.
2. 70% of those who go to church are upside-down in some debt.
3. Credit card debt per household in the USA is $16,000, averaging $3900 per card.
4. 25% of American families have a negative net worth.
5. If you pay with a credit card, you will spend, on average, 12-18% more than if you used cash.
6. The average car payment is now $464 a month. One third of us owe more on our cars than they are worth. We pay on one car or another for about 40 years. If we invested that $464 a month for 40 years at 10%, we’d have 5.4 million. Nice ride.

God came to set us free from sin, free from ALL bondage. Proverbs 22:7 says, “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” I believe God means exactly what He says. In 1950 the credit card was invented. In 1970 15% of Americans had credit cards. Last year we carried 576 billion cards. We only have 218 million people over 18.

Debt has no love, no sympathy, and no grace. If you fail to pay your debts they will crush you. The root word for debt in the Old Testament is “to deceive, seduce, lead astray.” God has a better plan. Come Sunday, lets get on the path to freedom.

Dan