Men’s Ministry Ideas

As the words filled the air, Michael couldn’t believe they were coming out of his mouth. The cold jail bars were the only things that separated him from his son. “Drugs? Are you serious?” Harsh words, hurtful words came billowing out like the black smoke from a diesel engine. Have you ever found yourself in a similar position? Dealing with a rebellious child or having a serious argument with your spouse? Maybe it’s not drugs, infidelity or anything else equally serious but communicating with our family and helping them make good decisions is an art. It requires motivation.

In between my living room and kitchen is a statue of my father-in-law, Grant Teaff. It is a replica of the one outside of Baylor University’s stadium. The pedestal is inscribed with two words: The Believer. That was the name given to the statue because Coach Teaff was famous for making his teams believe they could win.

Like soldiers returning from battle, all of us bring injuries, memories and enemies back to our relationships that can sabotage our lives. We are walking wounded with battle scars, broken hearts, and snake-bitten minds. Unfortunately, these wounds are not badges of honor either. When the right buttons are pushed, a cascade of emotions, conflicts and behaviors are ejected onto our relationships, homes and our work.

The arch-enemy, Satan, wants us to dwell on these wounds, relive and recycle them driving us to drink, or some other self-medicating distraction. The longer we live without healing, the longer the enemy can strangle our futures, hopes and dreams as well as destroy our ability to realize God’s abundant life in the present.