Participants: Joshua Nelson (Host), James Brandon, Jeremy Anderson, Kory Douglas, Kyle Scarlett
Series Code: PC
Program Code: PC000050
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00:01 The following program discusses sensitive issues.
00:03 Parents are cautioned that some material 00:05 may be too candid for younger children. 00:39 Hello, and welcome to Pure Choices. 00:41 I'm your host Pastor Joshua Nelson. 00:43 And I'm so excited and glad 00:44 that you decided to join us today 00:46 for another edition of Pure Choices. 00:49 Before we get into our topic 00:50 which is talking about men in purity. 00:52 We're just going to take a quick word of prayer 00:54 and to introduce our panel for today. 00:56 Let's pray. 00:57 Dear heavenly Father, we just thank You so much 00:59 for allowing us to be here, God. 01:02 We just ask that You would guide and lead 01:04 this discussion today. 01:06 In Jesus' name, we pray, amen. 01:08 Amen. 01:09 Well, let's introduce our panel to my left we have, 01:13 James Brandon, 01:14 who is a campus chaplain in Tampa, Florida. 01:17 Across we also have Jeremy Anderson 01:20 who is a Christian author and speaker from ASA, Alabama. 01:23 Next to him is Kyle Scarlett 01:26 who is an Oakwood University theology student, 01:30 they're in Huntsville, Alabama. 01:31 And next to him is Pastor K.P. Douglas 01:34 who is the pastor in Grand Avenue 01:36 in New Life Fellowship in Missouri. 01:38 Excuse me, and I am again Pastor Nelson 01:41 who is a pastor in Marion, in Lake City, South Carolina. 01:44 So we are going to get right into this discussion today. 01:47 And I'm going to start with the Anderson here. 01:50 I was talking about men and purity, 01:53 so just talking a little bit about 01:55 what does it mean to be a man 01:56 because of course the society it seems, 01:59 says that, "To be a man, you know, 02:01 you've got to go and sleep around." 02:02 They want you to have that first night with that lady 02:04 that's made you a man, you know. 02:06 Well, what does it mean now to be a Christian man? 02:09 Just talk to us a little bit about that? 02:11 Well, if we look at the biblical reference 02:12 the Word of God says, "Let us make man in our image." 02:17 And a lot of times we think of our image 02:19 as in the stature of man, the shoulders, 02:22 the biceps, and muscles and all of that. 02:24 But he was actually talking about the character, 02:26 right, the personality of God. 02:28 And so I believe that when God initially made Adam, 02:31 He said, "Let us make man in our image." 02:33 So if we're to be God fearing men, 02:35 we should be reflecting the image of God 02:37 in our character. 02:38 So I think the difference between a worldly man 02:41 is just the man that just wants to give money, 02:43 wants to have women, wants to glorify himself, 02:45 but a godly man is a man that solely lives to glorify God. 02:48 Wow. 02:49 So that's so neat 02:51 because we have to start looking at then 02:52 God's character not just our physique, 02:55 you know, we think that makes us a man. 02:58 Let's talk about that a little more. 03:00 James, go ahead. Absolutely. 03:02 And I think that when we look at the character of God, 03:06 everything about God is love. 03:08 And love gives, love does not take. 03:12 So the word is telling us that we have to take 03:15 that we have to get everything ourselves, 03:16 we have to step over the next man 03:18 and we have to look good. 03:20 And to do that, you know, women are involved 03:22 and we're trying to pump ourselves up that way. 03:25 But the agenda that we should be looking to follow 03:28 as men of God is an agenda that we give, 03:32 and we serve, and we love, 03:34 and we're humble like Christ was humble. 03:37 And then by that we can really reflect the image of God. 03:41 Okay. 03:42 I like that and, you know, 03:43 a lot of times us men talk about love and stuff, 03:45 we kind of think all that's 03:47 being little too mushy and stuff. 03:48 I mean really to be a man it's still about being strong 03:51 and being manly but what we're saying 03:53 you got to put it in the right perspective. 03:56 So, Kyle, talk to us a little bit 03:58 just a little more about men and their purity now, you know. 04:02 What is our duty to be pure as men? 04:05 I believe that our purity is found in our identity in God 04:09 and allowing Him to solidify our being, 04:16 how we act, how we approach things, 04:19 how we say things to people 04:22 and what we go about doing to not to show that we're pure 04:27 but allow God to exude a light from us 04:30 that we don't have to say that we're pure 04:33 but it shows through our actions, right. 04:35 And that comes with subjecting your will 04:41 and your thoughts 04:43 to what God would like you to do 04:45 and that way you 04:49 give of a sense 04:54 that states, "I'm a man of God." 04:57 And with that state 04:59 you don't have to constantly push an agenda of, 05:03 "Oh, here I'm pure look at me. 05:04 Look at me." 05:05 Because people when they see will understand it. 05:09 That's deep, I like that. 05:11 Kory? 05:13 Man, you know, I'm a simple guy, you know, 05:15 and so I just want to maybe some layman terms 05:17 when we talk about the character of God. 05:18 When I talk about being a man being pure, 05:21 I'm thinking about being responsible, 05:23 about being loyal, about being respectful. 05:25 You know, one of my favorite characteristics of God 05:27 is faithfulness, you know, God doesn't change 05:30 and I think when it comes to purity, 05:32 it's all about for me being in a... 05:35 What's the word, persistent. Okay. 05:38 Being, you know, all the time this is what I want to do, 05:41 you know what I'm saying. 05:42 So for me impurity is about just want to go after it 05:45 every day. 05:47 Okay, so let's put this in here now 05:49 because as men we often see this type of man display 05:54 what he's always trying to go out there 05:56 and pursue, and get the women, and do this and do that, 05:59 and it can be a little confusing. 06:01 You know, we see that 06:02 and then there's another like the Christian man 06:03 who is resisting and not doing those things 06:05 and a lot of times we look at the man 06:07 who has all the women and all the girls 06:08 on his on his arm and think, "Man, that guy is powerful." 06:10 You know, so talk to me a little bit about 06:13 the difference between power and being a man. 06:16 Is it more powerful than to say 06:17 I'm a man who can go get a bunch of girls 06:19 or is it more powerful for me to say I'm resisting, I'm not. 06:24 You know, that's a really great question 06:26 and I'll tell you why. 06:27 I believe that it's harder to be the godly man 06:32 that God has called us to be and reserve ourselves, 06:35 you know, to practice some self-denial. 06:37 It's easy to take advantage of women. 06:39 To use our personality, our character, our charisma, 06:42 the ethos that we give off to get 06:44 what we want from women. 06:45 But a godly man, he says, "Look not my will, right, 06:48 follow what Christ did but thy will be done." 06:50 And so we take the power, the influence that we have 06:53 and we use that to build up women. 06:55 That's the challenge, 06:56 and so we have to get to a point 06:57 where we say, you know, 06:59 not what I want but it's all about you. 07:00 And we begin to look at them in the godly eyes, 07:02 and to look at them as the women that they are, 07:05 I think that's when he's able to operate within the realm. 07:07 Yeah. 07:08 I love it and let's really begin now 07:09 to look at the most powerful man of us all, 07:12 Jesus, you know, and what was His lifestyle, 07:15 what would He live a life of doing? 07:16 He was all powerful 07:18 but yet He still humbled Himself 07:20 even to the point of death on the cross, you know. 07:23 The hardest thing for Him to do 07:24 was to not call down all the angels 07:27 to annihilate everybody 07:28 but He resisted that for something greater 07:30 and that's true power, that's true power. 07:33 Someone else go ahead and jump on that. 07:35 Well, you know, we talked about the character of God 07:38 and how important it was 07:39 and I believe just like you're saying 07:40 the most important characteristic 07:42 that God comes down and shows us 07:44 is possible is that of humility. 07:46 You know, and I believe that strength... 07:48 Paul says, "My strength is made perfect in weakness." 07:51 You know, God's strength is perfected in us, 07:53 in weakness, and we will humble ourselves. 07:55 We will find that the kind of strength 07:57 that God is looking for is a strength 07:58 that does not originate in ourselves. 08:00 It's like Jeremy saying, it's easy to be strong 08:03 based on your own little, 08:05 you know, I can say the right things, 08:06 I can do to the right things. 08:08 You know we got the real phrases, 08:09 you know, when we can't resist. 08:10 No doubt. No doubt. Yeah. 08:12 You know, but what we're talking about 08:13 the kind of strength that says 08:14 let me put God's will before my will, 08:16 like, "Should I even... 08:18 God, should I even approach this young lady. 08:19 Is it even Your will that I say anything to this young lady?" 08:22 You know what I'm saying, and so I believe that 08:24 we have to make sure 08:25 that our strength is perfected through weakness, 08:27 through humility. 08:28 Okay. 08:30 So I love that, I mean to be a man 08:31 is about the character of God. 08:33 The image of God is not just His physique 08:34 but it's also His character. 08:36 Talking about power meaning 08:37 not just ability to do work your manhood 08:40 and be all strong and get the girls, 08:42 but really being able to resist and have self-denial. 08:45 So let's be real now, let's talk about this, 08:48 because the reality is 08:50 when I go down just go to the store, 08:52 let's just say I go to Walmart. 08:54 And I'm going to see somebody, 08:55 you know, I'm gonna see some girl that looks fine. 08:57 Let's just be honest and she looks good, 08:59 how do I train my eyes, 09:00 I mean, how do I avoid looking at the things 09:04 and really possess that power to resist? 09:09 I think we have to get to a point 09:11 where we're discipline within our mind. 09:12 Okay. 09:13 You know, I mean look at the root, 09:15 the word disciple and discipline, 09:16 we've got to get to the point 09:17 we're discipline with our minds. 09:19 And something that God gave me about a year ago 09:21 is a quote that I say the battle 09:23 for our salvation starts in our minds. 09:25 And so when have, when we see that sister, 09:27 we have to train our self to say, 09:29 "Listen, that's a beautiful woman 09:30 but as a child of God that's a daughter of God." 09:34 That's not a piece of meat, that's not a one night stand, 09:36 that's not someone I can just have fun with, 09:38 that is God's daughter and then we have to move from it. 09:41 There have been times if we can just be real, 09:42 well, I've been in a grocery store 09:44 and I've seen a woman with the figure 09:46 and I'm looking the other way. 09:47 And some will say, "Ah, it's not that deep." 09:48 No it is that deep. 09:50 So I'm gonna... I'm fleeing from it. 09:51 When you look at the Bible, 09:53 Joseph ran from Potiphar's wife. 09:55 And so we have to get to the point 09:56 where we're discipline within our mind 09:58 and we practice that self-control. 09:59 Okay. 10:01 Now, Kyle, my young brother I'll put you out there, man. 10:04 How hard is that, man, I mean, let's be honest those watching, 10:06 you know, it's tough, right? 10:10 It is tough and like Jeremy said, it's a mindset, 10:13 it's how you approach it, 10:15 and it's allowing God to capture that 10:18 thought of what you physically see 10:20 and what you're attracted to. 10:21 It's allowing the spirit to bind that viewpoint 10:26 that is not pure that is not of things 10:29 that are of the delight under God. 10:31 So what needs to be done is just allow God to, 10:35 as soon as you get that thought here God, 10:37 here's this thought, "It's impure. 10:38 I don't need to be thinking about this 10:40 and here's what it is." 10:41 So I think that's how it goes. 10:43 I think that men in general are very visual. 10:48 We see things and we respond to those things 10:51 to that stimuli. 10:53 But I also know that as far as women goes... 10:58 Men are always aware of women and their bodies 11:02 and whether it is... 11:03 Whether you need to just be aware and be watchful 11:06 and say you look, and okay, you see that, and okay, 11:08 I need to, like you said, focus elsewhere. 11:11 You know, or you know someone what might want to, 11:14 you know, lust after and say okay, 11:16 you know, I saw that and I want to take another look 11:18 and I think that's where the difficulty is 11:20 because when we see that thing, 11:22 we haven't sinned just by seeing that figure 11:26 or what have you, 11:27 but it's by dwelling on that thing 11:29 and taking that second look. 11:30 So once we understand that we're being under attack 11:33 that's not a sin, 11:35 and we just have to really fortify our minds 11:37 like you said just, you know, believe that, 11:39 you know, Christ died for that lustful nature in us 11:43 and ask for that exchange, "God give me a..." 11:46 Yeah, "Give me a pure thought for this lustful thought." 11:49 And then you can overcome sin that way. 11:51 And I really think that power is developed 11:53 from doing something like that 11:55 because as you begin to resist 11:56 those temptations it gets easier 11:58 and you get more power and you continue to do it. 11:59 Absolutely. 12:01 I would even add to that, you know, I believe that 12:03 it begins way before that moment. 12:06 You know, I believe it's something 12:07 that you have to. 12:08 We talked about... 12:10 Jeremy mentioned about discipline, 12:11 I believe that is something you've got to practice. 12:13 You know, we play sports, we play basketball 12:15 and the key to a good jump shot is to do the same thing 12:18 over and over again. 12:20 You know, and so when you go to the gym, 12:21 when all these players go, 12:22 they practice doing it over and over again 12:24 so when the game comes, they do it naturally. 12:27 You know, and it is something to be said about 12:29 temptation in our daily lives. 12:31 Even the smaller things other than just the lust 12:33 and when we talk about the impurities 12:35 not all just about sex and women. 12:37 But, you know, how do you react to those small things 12:39 happened in your life. 12:40 Do you place the small things before God? 12:42 Do you allow God to make your thoughts pure, 12:44 even when it's not something that may be sexual, you know. 12:47 And if we can give our thoughts to God, 12:49 we get into the habit of giving our mind over to God 12:51 in those situations, then when we come to that situation, 12:54 you know, where the young lady walks by, 12:55 it will be a easier thing for us to get over, get pass. 12:58 Okay. 12:59 You know, I think it's important 13:01 that we're filled with the Holy Spirit. 13:03 We have that time in the morning 13:05 before we leave our home, it is important that we say, 13:07 "God, I need You to consecrated me. 13:09 I need You to possess my mind, take complete control, 13:12 control my thoughts, and make me aware." 13:15 And then what happens is we're someone 13:17 and we see a woman and she looks beautiful 13:19 and she's got a figure 13:21 and the carnal flesh within us notices that, 13:23 the Spirit of God will quicken us and say, 13:26 "But that's My daughter right there. 13:28 That's My daughter right there." 13:29 And so then I think at that point 13:31 we need to be obedient to the voice of God 13:32 and recognize the chance for me to look the other way 13:34 and get the victory. 13:36 And that's something deep that you said 13:37 to just about getting up in the morning 13:39 and spending that time with God 13:41 because, you know, a lot of the young brothers out there 13:42 may not really value that. 13:44 You know, and it may not even be a big value to even say, 13:46 I don't want to stop dwelling and looking at this woman. 13:49 But what we're trying to say here, 13:51 you know, is just having 13:52 experienced a lot of these things 13:54 and saying, when you begin to look, 13:56 it takes you down a path that you don't even want to go. 13:59 So let's stop it right there. 14:00 Let's begin with those disciplines, 14:02 getting up in the morning and praying, 14:04 asking for the Spirit to fill your mind 14:06 and allow Him to do that. 14:07 So I want to go a little further now 14:08 and really as we're talking about us being men, 14:11 what is then our responsibility to women as men? 14:15 Go ahead. 14:16 You know and maybe I'm a little anxious 14:17 to answer that question 14:19 but, you know, if we go 14:20 with the biblical model of the man 14:22 being the priest of the home, 14:23 I believe personally that not only is our purity, 14:26 our responsibility, 14:28 but the young woman's purity is also our responsibility. 14:31 I believe that it is up to us to make sure 14:33 that they maintain their purity, 14:35 you know, and so it is about how we see them, 14:37 how we treat them, 14:39 what kind of situations and position 14:40 do we want to put them in. 14:41 You know what I'm saying, 14:43 making sure that we don't do things 14:44 or say things that's going to cause them 14:46 to have thoughts that are impure. 14:49 That's our responsibility as well. 14:50 Jeremy says, you know, it's about treating them 14:52 like daughters of God and that's the truth. 14:54 You know, I don't believe that it starts 14:56 during marriage, I think it starts in our everyday life. 14:59 We should treat those women, as you know, you know, 15:01 this could be my queen, this could be the daughter 15:04 that God has for me and so I have to be responsible 15:07 for making sure that she maintains her purity as well. 15:09 Yeah. 15:10 Okay. 15:12 I think when you focus the mind set on them 15:16 being God given comprehensions of beauty, 15:19 it puts it in perspective what you're doing, 15:23 and what mindset, 15:24 and how you should approach the young lady 15:27 that God has created. 15:28 And not just as a person 15:31 but something that God painted with His own hands, 15:34 you know, formed in His image. 15:37 And it all goes back to the mindset of having 15:40 the Holy Spirit subject, 15:42 you know, subjecting all of that to the Holy Spirit 15:44 and I'm letting him control those thoughts 15:48 and just figuring out how to on a consistent basis 15:53 don't go past that second mark. 15:55 Or for instance, 15:57 when you have the Holy Spirit with you 16:01 that first thought won't even be a thought 16:03 because instantly it'll disappear 16:04 and you'll focus on something else. 16:07 You'd be like, "Thank You, God, this is what You created 16:10 I appreciate it, but I need to move on 16:12 to something different." 16:13 And I think that's how you should go about. 16:15 Okay, all right. 16:16 You know I guess my heart at times gets heavy 16:19 when we have discussions like this 16:20 because I see the vices of the enemy. 16:23 When you watch TV 16:24 you've got the Victoria's Secret commercials, 16:26 you've got the Hanes commercials, 16:28 advertisement of burger 16:29 where they're really advertising something else. 16:31 It's like women nowadays have been degraded 16:33 in such a way and I just believe that 16:35 when we as men rise up to be the God fearing men 16:38 He's called us to be to have dominion 16:40 that cultivates the land and our women, 16:42 and let them know how you have to live 16:44 a life to a higher standard 16:45 really pouring into them and empowering them, 16:48 that's how we're gonna fight this battle here. 16:50 Because that's what we're expecting. 16:51 That's what we're expected to do. 16:52 You know, the commercials, most of those commercials 16:54 are geared towards men, 16:55 you know, we're not having that. 16:57 And really God gave us like that dominion, that protection, 17:00 He now gives us this responsibility 17:03 to not just to grow I guess to nurture 17:07 and what are we doing with that, 17:08 you know, that is where the strength and power 17:10 that we've been given requires a lot of responsibility. 17:14 And we have to continue to uphold that, 17:16 you know, as men. 17:18 Absolutely. 17:19 And I think that, you know, we're kind of focusing on, 17:22 you know, relationships with women 17:24 that we are attracted to and want to pursue that way. 17:27 But I think it starts with just women in general, 17:29 you know, our mothers, our sisters, 17:31 really pouring into them and being those men 17:35 and just helping them to become the women 17:38 that they want to be and that they could be 17:42 in just being that strong male presence. 17:46 And like we said from the beginning 17:47 have an attitude of giving and growing and cultivating 17:51 and that way when it comes to someone 17:53 who we want to pursue, 17:55 we're so used to that and that we treat them like, 17:58 you know, you shouldn't just open the door for someone 18:01 who you're dating, 18:03 you should open door for your mom, for your sister. 18:04 And so chivalry is not dead, huh? 18:06 Chivalry is not dead. 18:07 Let's bring it back. Okay, I like that. 18:09 Now we're talking about this thing of looking at women 18:12 and our responsibility towards them 18:14 but, you know, many of us guys, 18:15 we just see women as things or as trophies. 18:19 Why is that? 18:20 Why do we, I mean, obviously we could talk about, 18:23 you know, what's happening in the media and what not? 18:25 But why do we see them just as trophies or as things? 18:30 I think we're brainwashed, 18:33 you know, by what the media depicts it 18:36 from the music videos to the commercials 18:38 to what you see on TV, to what you see in magazines. 18:40 Think about the last time you went to a grocery store 18:43 and you saw a woman that was kind of heavyset, 18:45 that had short hair just like you got to be super slim 18:48 with really long hair nowadays. 18:50 And so society has painted a picture of what a woman is 18:54 and us men have been trained to like run after that. 18:57 And so I think when we really have the mind of God 18:59 and we see them as the women of God, 19:01 the daughters of God which they are, 19:03 I think we begin to treat them differently, 19:05 they'll begin to take on their role and recognize, 19:07 "Hey, you know, I am a child of God, 19:09 I am a woman of God, you know, I am a woman of virtue." 19:12 That type of thing. 19:13 I believe that when a woman raises up her standards, 19:17 men would naturally step their game up. 19:19 But I think that's for boys. 19:21 I think that we, men of God 19:22 can get to where we can nurture the women 19:24 and let them know, "Hey, your status is here." 19:27 I think that everything else will fall into place. 19:29 We have to take charge, 19:30 we have to take a prominent role 19:32 and start saying that you know as men, 19:33 we are not gonna take this anymore. 19:35 I'm actually glad that he said and, you know, 19:37 this might be a little controversial 19:39 and we don't mind it's pure choices, 19:41 you notice, everything here we're talking about taboo stuff 19:43 but, you know, for young men, 19:45 I believe that some of it 19:47 is on the shoulders of the young women. 19:49 You know, I'm just very real they make it hard, 19:52 they make it hard, you know what I'm saying, 19:55 they make it hard for you. 19:56 You know, I mean, it's the norm in our societies 19:59 to show more flesh, to show more skin, 20:02 you know, and for a brother like myself 20:03 who wants to make pure choices, 20:05 it's hard not to objectify people 20:09 who present themselves as objects. 20:12 You know, and I believe that there's also responsibility 20:14 for that as well 20:16 which of course is the same on our part. 20:17 You know, we also have to present ourselves 20:19 in a certain way, so Jeremy is 100% correct, 20:22 you know, just as if the women want us to raise our standards, 20:25 they've got to raise theirs. 20:26 If we want them to raise their standards, 20:28 we also got to raise our standards. 20:29 We got to let them know, we're not having it, 20:31 we're not just going to go for anything. 20:33 We want virtuous women and not just women 20:35 who are pleasing to the eye. 20:36 Yeah, that's right. 20:38 I mean, and that is true I mean it is hard 20:40 because you see it all the time in every different way. 20:44 And you know what, let's just call for what it is, 20:46 I believe that comes from a broken place, 20:48 I knew a lot of women who are beautiful 20:50 they wear the short skirt, that loud makeup, 20:52 the extra weave 20:54 because they want to present there... 20:55 I mean, let's be honest, they want to, 20:57 they want to look like what they see on TV. 20:59 You know, they've been degraded as a young person, you know, 21:02 they've been molested, 21:03 they're looking for satisfaction, 21:05 they're looking for acceptance. 21:07 And so they think that in order for you to love me, 21:09 in order for you to value me, 21:11 I have to present myself like this. 21:13 And so I think that as long as we're firm 21:15 and we show them the beauty that they have in God, 21:18 they'll recognize that that's the true beauty. 21:19 Yeah. 21:20 And really, it's hard for us 21:22 because as men a lot of us come from various situation 21:25 whether it's a broken home, whether we didn't have a dad 21:27 to see those things in our life, 21:29 or maybe even it was abusive dad, 21:32 or maybe it was a situation where... 21:34 We had a good dad but maybe he didn't talk to us 21:36 about these type of things, you know. 21:37 So a lot of the men out there 21:40 also have a twisted idea of how things should be, 21:42 you know, so what do we say to them, 21:44 you know, as men who have maybe not really arrived yet 21:47 but we are in a place where we kind of, 21:49 kind of see the light, you know. 21:50 What do we say to someone there, 21:51 you know, again what does it mean to be a man, 21:53 and how you view women? 21:57 Yes, so I think that, you know, 21:59 what you would say to them 22:04 would really go back to the foundations, 22:07 back to the basics. 22:09 For someone who has not really 22:12 understood the foundation of being a man, 22:14 it's hard to then start somewhere else 22:17 because wherever you start from there you move forward. 22:22 So if you don't really have a springboard 22:24 or a platform or foundation it's hard too so. 22:27 I just would definitely get back 22:29 to the biblical foundation of being a strong man 22:32 doesn't mean flexing your muscles. 22:37 Like if you're... 22:38 I thought about the example earlier, 22:39 if you can fight and you're a fighter 22:43 and you know you can fight, 22:44 you don't always have to go to someone 22:46 and try to punk somebody, you know what I'm saying. 22:48 The people who are not confident in who they are, 22:51 they go and try to flex their muscles, 22:53 but if you can fight and you know you can, 22:55 you know, you don't have to do that. 22:57 So I think that a lot of people 23:00 who don't really have that foundation of really 23:02 who they are just scrapping and trying to claw 23:06 and grab their identity as a man. 23:08 So it's hard for them to ever get it rolling. 23:10 Yeah, that's deep, yeah. 23:12 You know, to go along with what you're saying there, 23:15 if we, and this is something that's been passed down to me 23:18 as men, God fearing men, 23:19 I think that every God fearing men 23:21 should have two different sets of people in their lives. 23:23 A group of mentors, older God fearing men, 23:28 who they look up to, who they reach out to, 23:30 who they get poured into and can grow with, 23:33 and then have some mentees, 23:34 some people who they can mentor. 23:36 All right. 23:37 So now I'm taking something from a 40 or 50 year old 23:39 and they're mentoring me I'm 30 now 23:41 and so I'm taking what they're giving me. 23:43 And then I'm giving it on to another young man 23:45 maybe in his teens or his 20s 23:47 and I think if we continue with a cycle like that, 23:50 we can start showing and we can begin to infuse 23:53 Godly men attributes within the lives of people today. 23:56 Okay. 23:58 I'm going to get Kyle here because I want to talk to you 23:59 now a little more about, is recreation possible? 24:04 Are you able to now get passed these type of lustful thoughts, 24:07 these type of things? 24:09 Is that even attainable? 24:10 Because in many cases a lot of us just felt like, 24:12 man, we've gone so far down this road, 24:13 how do we really, you know, get ourselves back as men? 24:16 Well, because Jesus died for our sins 24:19 and He took all of those things upon Him, 24:23 I believe it is easy to be recreated, it's... 24:27 Once again goes back to subjection 24:29 and being willing to give God what you have. 24:33 Your lust, your pride, and etcetera 24:38 and is just giving God all of those things 24:40 and saying, "Here God, I don't need this. 24:42 This is not what I want to be and I want to be like You." 24:46 That's, it's being willing to want to be like God, 24:49 you have to accept that and be like, 24:52 "Yes, this is what I want to do." 24:54 And once we get to that point, 24:55 everything else as far as recreation becomes easy 24:58 because we've already given God 25:00 the steering wheel to our recreating of ourselves 25:06 and our identity is found in Him anyway. 25:08 So that's how that would work. 25:09 So now once that recreation has happened 25:11 and once you have developed that newness in you, 25:14 what can a man look forward to now? 25:16 I mean, because now you may feel like 25:18 I'm missing out or losing out all sorts of stuff. 25:19 What does that look like? 25:21 You know, is that a good place to be? 25:22 Oh, yes. 25:24 Let me tell you something, 25:25 it is the good life 'cause that's my testimony. 25:28 Like God recreated me, He restored me, 25:32 I live the life of fornication, promiscuity for years, 25:37 I mean I was captive by the vices of sin, 25:40 and when I got restored and I got re-baptized 25:43 it was a young woman that I was dating 25:44 and we say we're going to this thing right, 25:46 we're going to do this thing pure. 25:47 She ended up getting baptized, 25:48 we grew in our relationship and we eventually got married. 25:51 So we are happy and I'll praise God. 25:54 But what happened is there was a reprogramming of my mind, 25:57 that's where the battle of our salvation is. 25:59 That's where it is, it's not in our hearts, 26:01 it's not in our backbone or arms, it's in our mind. 26:04 And so God sent me to a purification process, 26:07 a painful process 26:08 because I was used to a certain type of lifestyle 26:10 and now all of a sudden I'm stopping there. 26:12 And no masturbation, no fornication, 26:14 like literally it was I was all by the power of God 26:16 just connected with Him solely, 26:18 and He was able to reprogram my mind 26:20 and then blessed me with the wife. 26:22 And so now we are man and woman 26:24 that God naturally intended us to be. 26:26 That's awesome. 26:28 I don't know if I have time, 26:29 I just want to kind of share a verse 26:30 'cause we don't want to make it all about do, do, do, 26:32 and don't just like you said the foundation. 26:33 You know, Paul talks about dying to Christ 26:36 and that, you know, is not just about not handling, 26:38 not tasting, not touching, this is Colossians 2:3 he says, 26:41 "But since you have been raised with Christ 26:44 just keep seeking the things that are above 26:45 where Christ is seated at the right hand of God." 26:48 Recreation is possible 26:50 because Christ is seated at the right hand of God, 26:51 and if we keep our mind focused on that, 26:54 you know, Jesus is interceding for me, 26:56 He is working to recreate me 26:57 and I have to live with that in mind, 26:59 all things are possible. 27:01 You know, and we could be like David 27:02 in every day I'll prayer can be God, 27:04 recreate in me a new heart, 27:05 make a creation week in me. 27:07 You know, step out into nothing and make everything pure, 27:10 you know. 27:12 That's it right there 27:14 and I just want to end with this quote 27:15 from True Education, page 38 it says, 27:18 "The greatest want of the world 27:20 is the want of those men and women, 27:23 who will not be bought or sold. 27:26 Those who in their inmost souls are true and honest, 27:29 those who do not fear to call sin by its right name. 27:33 Those whose conscience is as true to duty 27:36 as the needle to the pole, 27:38 those who will stand for the right 27:40 though the heavens fall." 27:42 And this is what it means to be a man. 27:44 We have to stand for right, we have to do 27:46 what God has called us to be and truly that takes strength, 27:49 it takes power, it takes courage, 27:52 but you know what, it takes Jesus. 27:54 And by His grace we can do it, we could be the men of today. 27:57 Well, that's our program for today, 27:58 remember to make pure choices. |
Revised 2017-10-09