“Walking The Talk”

I was having a conversation with a gentleman just this past week who told me that as much as he hated to say it, he was really getting disheartened by the lack of genuineness among the men in his church. He said the more he thought about it, the more he saw it among the “Christian” men he knew and associated with. He told me that as much as he would like not to admit it, it made him not want to go to church. He said he could see why more men are not “stepping up” in the way they should because despite what many “men of the church” speak from their mouths there is very little observable difference between the actions of men inside and outside of the church. No matter how many times I get hit with that reality baseball bat, it still hurts. Our actions speak much louder than our words. And, if I am real and honest with my own self assessment, I must admit that I am as guilty as anyone. Question to self: Is there enough evidence in my actions to substantiate my claim of being a follower of Christ? Too often, the answer breaks my heart.

Challenge: It doesn’t matter where we are, who we are, or what we are, a lack of genuineness puts a barrier between us and those around us. For men of God, if we are going to heed Christ’s commandment of “making disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19) and reach generations of men where they are and impact them for Christ, there has to be a distinct and consistent difference between us and men of the world. Talking the talk but not walking the walk hurts our testimony more than if we said nothing at all. This is true for men of any age. This week, we need to take a long and hard look in the mirror. We must be honest with who we see and ask ourselves, “If someone said something about me, either way, would there be enough evidence to convict me?”

Prayer: Lord, please help me be honest with myself and more importantly, honest with You. You already know me better than I know myself…and You love me unconditionally and call me your own. I pray that You, who are Absolute Truth, shines through me in all that I say and do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jeff is the founder and lead servant of Servant Warrior® Ministries, a Real…Radical…Relentless…Relevant movement to reach guys, 5 to 105, where they are, and share with them the love and life changing Message of Jesus Christ, and inspire and empower them to be who God has created and called them to be.

Check out the new initiative from  Servant Warrior® Ministries: 

Meet people where they are…Love’em like Jesus would…Rock the rafters…Change the world… www.servantwarriorministries.org

Today’s Fighting Man

Wow…I can’t believe it is already November. Fall is in full swing. Turkeys are feeling extremely uneasy. The anticipation of dressing and gravy, sweet potato soufflé (which, by the way, I only get at Thanksgiving and Christmas…despite my tantrums), and honey baked ham is almost too much to bear.  With 3 NFL games on the slate this year: Lions vs Packers, Cowboys vs Raiders, and Steelers vs Ravens, we stay true to tradition and will once again have lots of football on Thanksgiving Day. College football rivalries are at their peak…and the BCS wraps up its less than glorious tenure. November brings a bit more awareness of the blessings in our lives…which despite your circumstances, I guarantee you can fill up multiple pages with all the blessings you’ve received. And, each Veterans Day (Nov 11), we make a point to thank and honor those men and women who have served their country, past and present, in our Armed Forces. For all who have served and who are currently serving, and your families, Thank You, today and every day, so very much.

Last but certainly not least…November also brings about the annual birthday celebration (Nov 10) of the greatest and deadliest fighting force the world has ever seen…The United States Marine Corps! The proof of the greatness: Marines are God’s choice to guard Heaven’s streets. Amen!

Happy 238th Birthday to all Marines, both on and off active duty. Semper Fi. Oorah!

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Now that I have alienated a good number of you…sorry…let’s get to it. When we hear the term “Fighting Man”, many images come to mind. I bet that if I sat down with 100 men and asked them to describe that image by using a person they know, actor or character from a book, movie, etc..and we meshed them all together, no doubt we would end up with a shirtless, gruff voiced, indestructible gladiator type universal soldier clad in armor – both of the muscular and man-made persuasion, bandoliers, rifles & machine guns strapped across his back, an assortment of knives strategically placed for easy deployment, chewing on a cigar, and sporting a quiet, lone wolf countenance as well as the scars and battle wounds from far too many enemy encounters. Wow! What an image. At some time in our lives, I think it is safe to say, we have all aspired and/or pretended to be that guy. I know I did…and have.

But I am here to present the true Fighting Man of today. He stands head and shoulders above the image we created earlier and with abilities, strength, and talents that far exceed anything we or Hollywood could ever dream up. Want to see him? This is going to blow your mind.

Ready?….Drum roll please…louder….build up…louder…….crowd goes crazy… flash/explosion…big screen lights up… and…Insert picture of YOU here.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Come on, Searcy.  Be serious. I’m an ordinary guy…and certainly no warrior.” I can hear some of you now…“Jeff, I can’t stand the woods…guns…sports…war movies…or anything like that, So, I guess I’m about as far from being a warrior as they come, huh?”

From others of you, I’d hear…“Yeah, I’m a man’s man. I play sports. I like to tackle the woods now and then. I do my fair share of guy stuff…to include a fight or two back in the day (Maybe even yesterday for some of us). But a warrior…nope. Especially not in the sense you’re talking about…’cause When I look in the mirror, I don’t see Superman, Rambo, John Wayne, or even Private Ryan for that matter. I see…well… me. Tough guy? Yeah, you betcha. Or at least I like to think so. But, a warrior? Nah.”

Time to change how you view the man in the mirror, Gentlemen. Think I’m kidding? I couldn’t be more serious. If we don’t see ourselves as the fighting men we have been called to be, Satan, his henchmen, and the world will wreak havoc in the lives of our friends…our families…others around us…those very lives we have been entrusted to lead, protect and serve. And when I say families, I’m not just talking about the wife and kids type. It’s for you single guys, too. In fact, you may even have a tougher job. But that’s the subject of another discussion.

We are at war, Gents. We are at war against the world and, as God’s Word tells us in Ephesians, at war against the “devil’s schemes…against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:11b-12 NIV). I don’t know about you, but I have yet to see a bullet that can take out an “evil spirit in the heavenly realms”. In fact, I have no doubt that in my own strength I lose that fight, mano e mano, against a ‘power of the dark world’.  These battles rage constantly. And whether we choose to accept it or not, we are smack in the middle of it…taking bullet after bullet and punch after punch. We have a choice. Either we take a place on the wall and stand and fight…or we stick our head in the sand and hope the battle passes. Far be it for me to provide a reality check but if you stick your head in the sand during a fire fight, you get shot in the south end of your north bound direction. In all seriousness, you have to ask yourself a question: Are you relying on your own strength or on a source of strength that never tires or fades? If I might make a tactical suggestion: check your heart.

Hey, you…Fighting Man…isn’t it cool that God looks at the heart of a man, and not his outer appearance (1Sam 16:7)…and certainly not his strength or ability. God works through those who are willing and available. Some words of wisdom that I’ve always hung on to are, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog.”  Remember Gideon, (aka “Mighty Warrior” – a moniker that, by the way, was given by God himself), the least of the least tribe of Israel who took 300 men and wiped out a few hundred thousand Midianites…with trumpets and jars? (Judges 6-7) Gideon’s strength was not in his physique but in his faithfulness and in his heart.  Just as in Gideon, and in that dog in the fight, the fight inside a servant warrior is a heart filled with Jesus Christ: The Name above all names; the Savior of the World; the Lion of Judah; ‘the Rider, called Faithful and True, riding a white horse and dressed in a white robe dipped in blood, His name is the Word of God, with the armies of heaven following Him’ (Rev 19). Now that is truly the Ultimate Warrior.

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Question: If I could offer you a way to guarantee victory in the inevitable battle of life and death, would you take it?

Well, I can. Ask Jesus Christ into your heart and receive the gift of eternal life (John 3:16). He’s standing at the door knocking. (Rev 3:20) All you have to do is open it. And if you’re not sure how the whole thing goes down…email me or shoot me a call. I’d love to talk with you about it. It’s easier than you think. And, it requires absolutely nothing for you to do except…well…give Him you…exactly how you are. No cleaning or squaring away necessary here. He made you…He knows you better than you know you…and He loves you exactly the way you are. Now that’s awesome.

Make sure to check out ServantWarriorMinistries.org and ServantWarriorRadio.com each Tuesday for the Blade Side of Christian Music and Talk. Until next time, keep it Real…Radical…Relentless…Relevant…& Armor Up!