Guest: Gabe Boyd

Men shouldn’t be oblivious, they need to be observant, aware of their surroundings, their position in the world - you are not the center of the universe and everyone else is just revolving around you!!!

Maturity - children see themselves at the center of life, they are “me-centered” - when is that supposed to change, when are we supposed to mature to an “other-centered” world (or even better, a “God-centered” world) where we play an important role in a story that is much larger than ourselves.

Psalm 144:12 - how do you know when God has blessed a nation? David says that your boys will be like well-nurtured plants and your girls will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace. Your young boys will begin to mature - bear fruit - not be a wild, untamed plant that just runs wild. David never said “no” to Adonijah - and Adonijah turned out to be spoiled!

Maturity from boyhood to manhood - walking into a room and having the ability to see a need before you are asked. Boys look for things that affect them, men look for things that affect others.

Do you look for ways to put others first? Do you look for ways to serve others? Are you proactive about making opportunities?

The answer is always “yes.” What’s the question?

Psalm 125 - children are described as arrows in the hands of a warrior. A warrior first shapes those arrows. Men “speak” things into existence, we call things by their name. A warrior next sharpens those arrows. People around us should be better because of our presence. A warrior finally shoots out those arrows into the world. So many young men do not have a “warrior” to shape, sharpen, and then send them out into the world!

Observant - where are the young men around me that need to be trained, discipled, mentored by my life experience, the wisdom God’s given me. The world is better when men act like men - it’s better for society as a whole. How can you help in this process?

Men walk into a room slowly - look around, assess the situation, be aware, pay attention, then engage in action to make the situation better. Self-assessment: how do others feel about you when you walk into a room?

Statistic: more than 20 million children live in a home without the physical presence of a father. One in three American children are growing up in a home without their biological father.

Men, pay attention to this reality - look for opportunities to invest in the lives of younger guys who need an older man to provide wisdom and guidance.

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