On April 20 & 21, 2012, the men from my church attended the 2012 Man Up Men’s Conference in Orlando, FL. The conference featured powerful and insightful messages from Jerry Thorpe & Jim Groves. This is the second post in the series.

The notes may be hard to follow, but feel free to browse them for insights. Especially, check out the “Notes & Quotes” section at the bottom.

If you’re interested in more resources regarding biblical manhood, check out the writings of Robert Lewis. His books Raising Modern-Day Knights, Real Family Values, and Rocking the Roles are especially helpful. Look them up!

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Man Up Men’s Conference

Orlando, FL

Speaker: Jim Groves
Topic: Identity
Text: Romans 6:1-10
Date: April 20, 2012

Outline:

Word Picture: Man-Eating Grizzly Bear

Imagine you’re being chased by a man-eating grizzly bear. As you run away, you come upon a log cabin, and dart inside, locking the door behind you. Now, you’re safe, but you don’t necessarily feel that way.

 

  • Step 1: Truth – You are safe
  • Step 2: Faith – I believe I am safe.
  • Step 3: Works – Live like a safe man. Act like a safe man.
  • Step 4: Feelings – I finally begin to feel safe…sort of.

 

* Replace “safe” with any other truth from the Bible: forgiven, accepted, a saint, Christ’s friend, and the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

 

  • Step 1: Truth – You are accepted
  • Step 2: Faith – I believe I am accepted.
  • Step 3: Works – Live like a safe man. Act like a accepted man.
  • Step 4: Feelings – I finally begin to feel accepted…sort of.

 

* Work through this pattern.

* Focus on the right things you are supposed to do, and you will stop doing the wrong things.

* Focus on your true identity and act that way. Your feelings will catch up.

Notes & Quotes:

 

  • You will live out what you really believe to be your true identity. Not what you say is your true identity.
  • Emotions get in the way of our obedience.
  • Most adultery starts with this feeling: I feel unloved.
  • Hypocrisy is acting differently than you are, not acting differently than you feel. Only Satan defines it as acting differently than you feel. Jesus defines it as the former.