SPEAKER_00 0:00

Men. Welcome to the most important podcast that you'll hear in a long time. It's the Men's Leadership Community Podcast, and it starts now.

SPEAKER_01 0:16

Hey, listen, we're almost at the end of this. Really, it's been the first time since we've shared our 12 best practices, like in one in one consecutive series, right? So I'm excited about that. It's if if you've been a part of the MLC, you've you're familiar with some of these, they just haven't been presented from beginning to end. So you can kind of see the progression of what it looks like to be somebody walking in authentic manhood, right? Um, and so we've this we started the four G's of heroic manhood, and we talked about gospel and we talked about gratitude um um last week, and you know, we knew we weren't gonna get through through it. Um so we, you know, we talked about gospel orientation, um, genuine gratitude, and then ta-da.

SPEAKER_03 1:09

You know, and it's really beautiful about the way that these build into one another. You have a gospel orientation, which immediately leads you to gratitude for all that God's done for you in Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which then gratitude takes you directly to generosity. And it's I I I find it pretty profound that on today, a day of remembrance, you know, and you've already brought it up, generosity and grit are the topic of discussion about authentic, godly biblical manhood today. That real men not only have a gospel orientation and are not only thankful for it, but real men are filled with joy in the generosity that they're they're capable and able to pour out, but then also walking hand in hand with one another with real grit. So I'm excited about these two topics this morning and touching on these.

SPEAKER_01 1:53

Let's talk about uh some definitions here. Andy, how about that? Uh joyful feeling.

SPEAKER_03 2:00

This is one JB already hit on. Like you, you know, we talk about heroic manhood, and I don't think joy is at the top of the list sometimes to talk about talking about authentic manhood in the 21st century, but it is huge. We got a lot of guys walking around angry, a lot of guys that are walking around, you know, uh serious. But how many guys do we have that were talking about, hey, golly, that guy is just filled with joy.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

We should be known for joyful people as joyful people. So joyful, adjective feeling, showing or causing great happiness and delight, feeling joy, a state of great delight, bliss, or pleasure, experiencing deep joy or gladness in your heart.

SPEAKER_03 2:39

Yeah, so the desire to experience it, right?

SPEAKER_01 2:41

Yep, expressing joy, showing happiness through your facial expression, words or action.

SPEAKER_03 2:46

You know, and Jen says that I'm really good at throwing showing a lot of facial expressions, but she'd like to see joy more than the other ones. So I'm working on I'm working on my facial expressions and showing more joy because I guess that you can read my emotions through my face. Does anybody else have that problem as a man?

SPEAKER_01 3:04

Rest arresting angry face uh syndrome, is that what you have? Causing joy, bringing happiness to others through words and actions.

SPEAKER_03 3:14

And I think the third one is a key one, Obi, that oftentimes we leave out when we're talking about joy. Oftentimes we're thinking just individually and self-centeredly about the joy that we're we're feeling or experiencing. But a key component of true joy is the fact that you're actually bringing happiness to others through your words and actions. And then that brings more joy into your life as you're bringing more joy into others. God created it to be reciprocal that way.

SPEAKER_01 3:39

Yeah, you know, there's something that I practice and it really does help me. And if you haven't done this, I encourage you to do it because it is transformative. When I'm feeling, when I'm feeling down, Andy, when I'm feeling, um I always encourage somebody else. Text messaging is the easiest way. I send out, I encourage somebody else. And that really does. We we were meant to pour out words. And we're gonna expand on that on that just a little bit. But that's just something if if you've ever if you struggle with that where you're just feeling grumpy, you're feeling meant, reach out and text and encourage a couple of people. It's life-changing. It really is.

SPEAKER_03 4:14

Send joyful, encouraging words to others and see what it does to you.

SPEAKER_01 4:17

Yeah, amen. Yeah, that's right. Uh, let's talk about generosity, the noun. It's a nobility of spirit and character filled with the qualities of courage, strength, richness, gentleness, kindness, and fairness that is open-handed and other-oriented.

SPEAKER_03 4:33

Wow. Does that not sound a little bit like the second half of Galatians 5 and the fruits of the spirit? Like generosity has the same description as the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5.

SPEAKER_01 4:43

Man, that's almost intentional, Andy. Yeah. Right? Um, the virtue of giving good things to others freely and abundantly, abundantly, the quality of being kind, understanding, and ready to give freely of one's money, time, or resources without expecting anything in return.

SPEAKER_03 5:02

Yeah, and that's the that that's the kicker right there is there's no uh return on investment that we're looking for. We're simply being generous because God is so generous, and that God is alive in you, and that generosity is now flowing out through you to others because God's alive in you in Christ.

SPEAKER_01 5:18

I I love, I love this. The generosity part, you know, and he always talks about this that as believers, we should be open-handed with everything that the Lord has given us. There's something beautiful about that. Everything that you've given, that you've been giving, everything has been given to you with the purpose of you being open-handed with it. It's not yours. It wasn't yours to begin with. Um, generosity comes from a mindset of abundance rather than scarcity that blesses others with a variety of good things, such as money, possessions, time, attention, aid, encouraging, emotion availability, and more.

SPEAKER_03 5:58

Yeah, so it's a broad spectrum of things that you can be generous with. It's not just, oh, I gave money.

SPEAKER_01 6:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:04

It's a broad spectrum of the generosity of what God has blessed you with and who you are, your personality, and what you're capable of, your gifts, your skill set that you can now bless others with.

SPEAKER_01 6:14

Well, let's say what the Bible says about that, ain't he? It might have a one or two. Uh Proverbs 11, 23 to 28. Um, the desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath. One person gives freely, yet gains even more. Another withholds unduly, but comes to prop poverty.

SPEAKER_03 6:36

And on that, you know, one person gives freely and gains even more. I think, you know, we read that in a worldly way. Like if you hear the prosperity gospel, the prosperity gospel says, be generous, and the Lord is going to bless you with even more stuff than you gave away. That's not what this means. This means one person gives freely and yet gains even more. And we want to be very specific. What do you gain? You gain more of who God designed you to be. That's what you gain. You gain more Christ-likeness. You gain more of the human creature and the way that you're moving through the world in the way that God designed it, because he designed us to be generous. So when you give freely, guess what you gain? More of actually being truly human. That's what you gain. So we want to be very clear. This isn't about, man, I'm going to make sure that I sit down and I tally up what I'm giving away, Obi, and then I'm going to multiply that by 10 and ask God, when's it coming?

SPEAKER_01 7:29

I Andy, listen, I grew up listening to this. I mean, there was even a song that says, you know, la frenda, la ofrenda del Señor, si tú le das un peso, él te da dos. It means this is what we sang during offering. The offering, the offering, the offering of the Lord, if you give him uh a peso, he will give you back two. So I mean who would want to do that, right?

SPEAKER_03 7:52

But we want to be straightforward. What do we always gain when we're actually living according to God's design? More of what he designed us to live as, more of his children, more of what it means to be human, you know. So that's not a very popular uh, you know, that one doesn't sell as much in the world as one peso and you get two back.

SPEAKER_01 8:15

Um continuing on to 25, Proverbs 25, 11, 25. A generous person will prosper. And I love this right here. This is one of one of my favorites. Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. People who curse the one who hoars grain, people curse the one who hoars grain, but they pray God's blessing on the one who is willing to sell.

SPEAKER_03 8:35

Yeah, so that's a huge one. Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

SPEAKER_01 8:39

Yeah, whoever that yeah, who whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to the one who searches for it. Those who trust in the riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

SPEAKER_03 8:53

Yeah, you know, I was talking with Sam. We're we're we, you know, continuing it the the change in our relationship, father and son. And I said, Sam, it doesn't it doesn't harm you in any way to be generous and kind, filled with gratitude and and and pouring that out on others. I said, but it will hurt you immensely in innumerable ways if you are not.

SPEAKER_01 9:15

Amen. That is true. Yeah. Um, let's continue and see what Mr. JC Penney has to say about it. The JC Penny. The JC Penny. Uh, how can we expect our children to know and experience the joy of giving unless we teach them that the greater pleasure in life lies in the art of giving rather than receiving? It's almost like he's quoting somewhere with somebody in the Bible that says something about it.

SPEAKER_03 9:44

I think he got that pretty directly from Paul.

SPEAKER_01 9:47

It sounds like it.

SPEAKER_03 9:49

In the book of Acts. So there might be a verse that goes with this, Obi. But this is here, here you have like one of the world's first greatest, you know, uh businessmen in the retail area, right? Uh, but he was raising his entire family as he was amassing a fortune and growing a business on how much of it that they needed to be constantly giving to others. So very open-handed, even as he became a wealthy businessman, very open-handed with it in teaching his family, which is the first line of discipleship, my children have to see me being generous with what I have, so that I might raise children that are actually generous. And that's a huge one for authentic manhood in the 21st century. Do our children, do our wives, do our families see us as generous men? Joyfully generous, open-handed, and other oriented, so that they might grow in that themselves and maybe pass that on to the third generation.

SPEAKER_01 10:41

Yeah, I think you said that I like the phrase joyfully generous. Because there's a difference. There is a difference, yeah, huge difference.

SPEAKER_03 10:50

Begrudgingly generous does not look good, sound good, feel good. Uh, it's not a story that you want to share with others. No.

SPEAKER_01 10:57

Yeah. Acts 20, 32, 34. Now commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

SPEAKER_03 11:32

And that's the Apostle Paul saying those words, and this is the same guy last week that had we learned from OE that had said, I've learned to be content in all circumstances.

SPEAKER_02 11:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:44

You can kind of see these things connecting with one another. Gratitude and generosity go hand in hand.

SPEAKER_01 11:49

Well, Andy, did you know that generosity it's a learned character trait? Um, and it involves both attitude and action.

SPEAKER_03 11:58

Yeah, because generosity is no longer a part of our fallen, broken humanity. Ever since the fall, generosity is not like the first move. So this is now one that we learn through scripture. We learn through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit transforming us daily. That's sanctification. The Holy Spirit transforming us, and a part of our sanctification is actually learning the character trait of generosity that the Holy Spirit wants us to live out in attitude and action.

SPEAKER_01 12:24

Yeah, you know, and if you need evidence of that, you know, if you've ever had babies, nobody taught my son how to assault somebody because he wanted uh more my French fries, right? So it is learned.

SPEAKER_03 12:39

Uh there are stories when I was growing up at the dinner table of uh me and my mom and dad and my sister sitting down at the dinner table, and I I ate so slow, they would, I mean, they all got mad. So as they all finished their dinner, some of them would still be hungry. And there was a story we were having steak one night, and uh, you know, my dad was like, Well, if you're not gonna finish that, this is how this is how ingrained and broken the sinfulness is of wanting to hold something to ourselves. My dad reached across the table to get the rest of my steak, and I without thought, okay, sinful reaction, I stabbed him in the hand with my fork, and then I looked up and I was terrified because his eyes now caught mine, and I was like, What did you just do?

SPEAKER_01 13:27

That's that's Andy's wickedness coming in without even thinking about it.

SPEAKER_03 13:31

Yeah, that's why I I learned that here, here, I did learn that night. That was the last time I ever did that to my dad. I bet you did.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

Well, first John 3, 16 to 30 through 20 um reads, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother in need, but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in them? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth.

SPEAKER_03 14:06

You know, and that's the key if you take a look at that. We're not capable of this on our own. So it all begins with what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. Now that is the one who's alive in us, transforming the way that we are living in the world with others. So it comes from Christ and now it lives its way out. So with actions and in truth. Can you imagine if Jesus would have just shown up and said, Well, I love you all. I'm sorry you're the in this predicament, but I I'm not really going to do anything about it. But I do care about you. And didn't get on the cross, didn't rise from the empty tomb, but that is the one who's alive in us, is the one who did something about it.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

Andy, this reminds me a lot. Uh, there was a point where I was I was in a church where we were, you know, I was in the Spanish ministry, and we really always got kind of shoved to the corner just as a pet project, you know, kind of like one of those look at what we do, look at look how we take care of the the poor Latino community, right? Um, and so I voiced, we got a new pastor and I voiced my concern. I was like, and one of the one of the older elders were there from before the times, uh, and was like, we just I told them we've I I feel like, you know, we're just that, just the side thing that, you know, and one of the one of the elders said, listen, I know we don't show our appreciation. I know we don't show our love to y'all. I know we don't, we may not express it, we may not come by, but the love is there.

SPEAKER_03 15:35

Try try that on your wife today, and any of you men, try that, try that on your gal and see how that goes. I don't show it to you or address it to you, but it is there.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

I promise you. Uh trust me, bro. So the the the point of that, Andy, is that generosity isn't is intentional. There's an intentionality about it, the work, uh, something that does not happen on its own. It's not a random idea, it's not a haphazard behavior. In its mature form, it's a basic personal orientation towards life with others in the world that aims at enhancing the true well-being of others.

SPEAKER_03 16:15

And this is a key one right here. Where else in the world do you get a definition of authentic manhood in the 21st century that sounds like this? But this is it. This is what the scripture says it is, is what Jesus says it is. So, a true authentic manhood, a heroic manhood living in the 21st century, look at this as a definition. An intentionally generous man, knowing that it's not a random idea, haphazard behavior, rather in his mature form. See, now we're talking about mature men, right? That has a basic personal orientation toward life with others in the world that aims at enhancing their well-being. Now, all of a sudden, we come off this, you know, series of whole life wellness, and we're talking about growing in our maturity of our whole life wellness. And what are we supposed to do with that, Obi? We're supposed to now enhance the well-being of others because our well-being has been enhanced by God. Now that's a mature heroic manhood.

SPEAKER_01 17:11

Yeah. That is. Uh John 3, 16-21 says, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Everybody knows this one. Um, they seldom go the next few. Uh, for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only son. This is the verdict. Light has come into the world, but people love darkness instead of light, because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

SPEAKER_03 18:04

You know, and John 3 16 is known as the gospel in a gut nutshell, but very rarely do we think about it as this is God's generosity poured out on us in a nutshell. All right, through his son Jesus Christ. And I love what it says at the end. Then those who live by the truth, that's the truth of Jesus Christ, they come into the light, and then everything that they've done is is is being done in the sight of God, because now what God has done on our behalf is being done through us for others. So you see this generosity in a nutshell comes to us through Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_01 18:33

And then it expands outward. And you know what's crazy? Um that you know, generosity, it has not been long since it's it's it hasn't been that long since it's been viewed as a normal trait of ordinary or all of all people, everybody around us, but rather one expected to be practiced by those of quite higher quality or greater goodness. Thus it properly calls any given person to a higher standard of living. Yeah, calls all of us.

SPEAKER_03 19:05

If if you were known back in the day as a generous man, you were then also considered a virtuous man because generosity was one of the great virtues. But now we've kind of turned it into this uh mundane everybody should you know be generous, everyone should be kind. Uh, but we don't talk about it insofar as this being a higher standard of living that we're called to in Jesus Christ. Virtuous living.

SPEAKER_01 19:30

Yes. Yeah, it's yeah, it's it's something that's expected of us, you know, the moment that we become believers, the moment that that Jesus Christ transforms our lives and grace has been extended to us. Now all of a sudden it should transform us.

SPEAKER_03 19:45

It will transform it should look different because it's coming from the work of the Holy Spirit in us. It shouldn't look like ordinary, mundane, everyday kind of, oh well, maybe I'll go help some people today. It should be the Holy Spirit transforming us into a higher standard of living, filled with joy for the opportunity to go out and enhance the well-being of others.

SPEAKER_01 20:07

Five ten five through eight. Um in regards to generosity from the man himself, JC, um these twelve Jesus sent out.

SPEAKER_02 20:22

I'm glad you pointed that out because we just we just had we just talked about JC Penny.

SPEAKER_03 20:28

I know you were trying to be hip and cool, but I wanted to make sure that we knew the reference.

SPEAKER_01 20:32

So you know, Andy, uh, you know, this is further proof that just the Lord didn't quite, you know, give that with give that gene with me. Uh anyway. Um these you still work it. These twelve Jesus these twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions. Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans, go rather to the lost sheep of Israel as you go, proclaim this message. The kingdom of heaven has come near, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received. Freely give.

SPEAKER_03 21:08

And in that list, look real quick where it says, if you give away ten pesos, you're gonna get twenty in return. So nowhere in this list of freely you have received, freely give, uh, is there even monetary giving? But look at what it is. It's freely you have received health, wellness, eternal life. You've been cleansed from the inside out, right? These are the gifts that we've been given now that we are to freely give to others is helping them in all these different areas of life.

SPEAKER_01 21:40

Yeah, and there is a reason why. You know, there I mean, there is a reason why. Um gratitude without generosity turns to greed.

SPEAKER_03 21:50

Yeah. Wow. This is one of our MLC drops, you know, Mike drops, you know, is gratitude without generosity leads to greed. It tightens the grip of your hand on something. Thing instead of being open-handed. And uh we've talked several times about the Dead Sea in different respects. And Jay, I know Jeff Pressler has talked about it several times too. Uh, but here's a a beautiful geographical definition of greed found in the Dead Sea. Something really good, salt, which is supposed to preserve, give flavor, all these things, something that's supposed to be good, uh, but when there's too much of it and it has no outlet, it's a problem, Obi. Oh man.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

Well, so that there are some, we're not just talking about that. We, you know, about what it means to not be generous, but there are there are some things, there are some practical things, there are some spiritual things that take place when when we practice being generous, joyfully generous. Um, generosity places our lives within the broader context of hospitality, love, and charity. Uh, generosity frees us from attachment to money and possessions and makes possible the good use of these external gifts from God on behalf of others.

SPEAKER_03 23:07

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 23:08

Generosity is key to being conform to Jesus, whose nature is self-giving goodness.

SPEAKER_03 23:14

Authentic manhood, right there. Why are you talking about generosity with authentic manhood? Because generosity is key to being conform to the image and likeness of Jesus Christ, whose very nature is self-giving goodness. Uh-huh. The ultimate heroic man who ever walked the face of the earth.

SPEAKER_01 23:32

Generosity leads us into an abundant life filled with joy, freedom, and purpose.

SPEAKER_03 23:39

And there's your return on investment right there. Look at that.

SPEAKER_01 23:42

Yeah, and there's not an asterisk. I looked, I zoomed in. There's there's no asterisk that it also says money, money is there's no small print Bitcoin account waiting for you. There isn't. And you know, Andy, I I come across contact with people that you know who whose sole purpose in life is is is hoarding money. Yeah. It is. Um, and there is a difference between somebody whose God is money and somebody who who gives freely, even out of what they don't have. There's a joy um that is found in one of those, and it's not the one that hoards, I promise you.

SPEAKER_03 24:26

And and you know, and just remember, and in none of this are we saying that there that that having money or wealth is is sinful uh or bad. Jesus himself says money isn't the issue, it's the love of money.

SPEAKER_01 24:38

Yeah, I think people get that one, but they misquote that one all the time, Andy.

SPEAKER_03 24:42

And we're gonna talk about you know, in next week, we're gonna talk about new Nehemiah. Uh, and all of this flows again naturally into the next step of you know, the journey that we have of the 12 best practices. Nehemiah was abundantly blessed by God with wealth insofar as money, products, and all these things. But look at what Nehemiah does with it. He's very open-handed with it in order to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, to rebuild the walls, to rebuild the temple. So here's a man that's blessed with great wealth, but he leverages it for good.

SPEAKER_01 25:12

Well, yeah, and you know, just like some of our anonymous brothers here in the MLC, that the Lord has blessed in that manner, you know, that come retreat time, they said, Hey, this is I want to give these scholarships, you know, so that others may have an opportunity to come if money is an issue. And so, and and and I love that. I love that our men are not just listening, but they are also practicing what we're talking about. So if that's something that you struggle with, you know, here's here's some keys to practise generosity. Um, imitating Jesus Christ, we're called to respond in gratitude to God's love by loving God and one another.

SPEAKER_03 25:52

It's just the natural response. It is. Flows with gratitude, it flows out of gratitude.

SPEAKER_01 25:58

Yep. In acts of generosity, we seek to do good towards others in ways that emulate the good that Jesus has done and is doing for us.

SPEAKER_03 26:08

Yeah, we just saw that in Jesus' own words to his disciples when he sent them out. Here's what I brought to you. Now go take that to others.

SPEAKER_01 26:15

Yeah, and that was that's imitating Jesus Christ. And so now then we have the practicing, practicing the art of the open hand, which you guys always hear me talking about this. This is a prayer of mine. This is what I was just talking about, where our lives are transformed and God gives us everything that we have to be open-handed with all our resources. Generosity is not simply a virtue of individuals, but a corporate responsibility and reality that needs to be practiced in community with one another, sharing our gifts, time, and talents.

SPEAKER_03 26:48

So you're telling me another definition of authentic heroic manhood in the 21st century is being part of a community that's generous together. Yes. This is not about the lone wolf muscling himself up to be generous out there all alone. This is about the truth of God giving us a community to be generous within and to let that generosity flow out of that community.

SPEAKER_01 27:10

And to try to outdo one another in generous acts and kindness.

SPEAKER_03 27:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:15

That's beautiful. First John 4, 7 through 21 says, Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love. This is how God showed us his love among us. He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love. Not that we loved God, but that he loved us and hence his son, sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us. He has given us of his spirit. And we have seen and testified that the Father has sent his son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment. In this world, we are like Jesus. There is no fear and love.

SPEAKER_03 28:42

Right there, look at that. There it is right there. In this world, we are like Jesus. There is no greater definition of authentic heroic manhood than that line right there.

SPEAKER_01 28:54

Yeah. I was I was excited to go into the next one. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. And then it continues. We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates his brother is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother whom they have seen cannot love God whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command. Anyone who loves God must also love their brother.

SPEAKER_03 29:30

What a powerful set of verses right there on authentic manhood. And it's all about the love that God's poured out on us in Christ, and now that that love of Jesus Christ pours out through us to others.

unknown 29:41

It does.

SPEAKER_03 29:42

Yeah. So and you I love that where it said, and we've been given of his spirit, right? Because you hear about, well, that guy's got a generous spirit. Well, where do you think that generous generosity came from? It came from the spirit, you know, and we're all filled with that generous spirit, the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_01 29:55

Yeah, it's transformative and it it always flows outward. Right. I I I we talk about a church about you know just attending church and becoming spiritually obese where you're just consuming and consuming and not pouring outward. I don't want to be like that.

SPEAKER_03 30:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:12

So that's that's that's joyful generosity.

SPEAKER_03 30:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:17

And a little bit about grit. Let's talk about a little bit about grit. A little bit about godly grit. Godly grit.

SPEAKER_02 30:24

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 30:25

There we go. Some key terms here. Godly, living in a way that obeys and respects and reflects the character, love, and moral standards of God. Obedient to God, conforming to the laws, wishes, and commands of God.

SPEAKER_03 30:39

So that we might live according to his design. Not so that we might be beaten down and, you know, slaves that have been whipped into submission. But the purpose and the reason that God wants us to be obedient to him and to his word is because then we become more fully human and living more according to his original design before sin and brokenness came into the world.

SPEAKER_01 30:59

Yeah. Devout and pious, showing deep religious reverence, faith, and a commitment to moral living.

SPEAKER_03 31:06

Which is slipping away more and more in our Western culture and around the world every day. So heroic manhood is living according to a moral code that comes from God's word, right? And we we are going to do a series coming up after the retreat on critical thinking. And what hopefully we're going to grow in is being able to see all the slippery slopes around us that are all moral, there's these moral slippery slopes. Well, this little thing up here isn't too bad. But then that little thing leads to this bigger thing, which leads to this bigger thing. And at the very bottom of it is something abhorrent that we're like, well, I didn't know it was going to go there. But this is why we encourage each other with a moral code that comes from God's word and committing to living to that with one another so that we don't slip.

SPEAKER_01 31:54

Amen. Yeah. Divine coming directly from or relating to God.

SPEAKER_03 32:01

Yeah. So there's no other definition of grit than the one that comes from God and His Word.

SPEAKER_01 32:07

Yeah. Ephesians 4 32 and 5 and 2 says, Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, is a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

SPEAKER_03 32:29

So godly grit, right? There's a good depth of grit of it right there. Just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, our grit comes from that and imitates that.

SPEAKER_01 32:38

Yep. So here we go. Grit. Grit. Yeah, this is a good one. The power of courage, passion, and perseverance of effort over a long time in order to achieve meaningful goals. That comes from kind of like a uh what what is it? It's not an acronym, it's a anyway.

SPEAKER_03 32:59

I don't don't know where you're going with that. Sorry.

SPEAKER_01 33:02

Yeah, the the grit we make kind of made a oh yeah, I forget what it's called. Yeah, I think it's an acronym. Guts, inner strength, courage, and compassion, uh, resilience, the capacity to withstand adversity, overcome obstacles, and remain optimistic and confident.

SPEAKER_03 33:20

And boy, is that one that we're struggling with in the world today? Resilience. Resilience, right? What we we we have grown in the normalization of victimhood, right? Why me? This is unfair to me. I didn't deserve this. Somebody, you know, instead of growing in our resilience.

SPEAKER_01 33:37

Yeah. And then tenacity, persistent striving for excellence towards long-term goals, and the endurance to see it through. Yeah, it is. Yeah. So what does godly grit entail, Andy?

SPEAKER_03 33:54

Well, yeah, the power of courage, passion, and perseverance of effort over a long period of time in order to achieve meaningful goals that have lasting impact. So I I thought of this the other when I was looking at the again the other day, uh, and getting ready for this morning. I said, this is also a great description of heroic parenting. Over a long period of time. A long time. And sometimes you don't see the results until a long time later.

SPEAKER_01 34:25

Yeah, so in John 16, 32 to 33, Jesus talked about the necessity of grit. Um, a time is coming, and in fact, has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone, yet I am not alone, for my father is with me. I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take greater courage or have grit. I have overcome the word.

SPEAKER_03 34:53

Yeah, and this is Jesus' description to his disciples of what he is you know giving them and going to indwell them with in his Holy Spirit to live through sinful and broken times, not to escape them, but to have grit in the midst of them. So I think that's a huge thing that we miss. And especially the again, the prosperity gospel, uh, a great connection. Prosperity gospel says if I have Jesus, I shouldn't have any more troubles, I shouldn't have any more problems, everything should be okay. My return on investment should be this smooth, comfortable, secure life. And yet Jesus is saying, No, I'm giving you grit to live in the midst of, you know, what do we call that before? The suck. You know, here's the grit to live in the midst of the suck.

SPEAKER_01 35:37

So here's a here's a cool term for you guys. Uh splexna. Splonzna.

SPEAKER_03 35:43

You got close. There we go. Okay, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:46

The inward parts of the body, the bowels, the guts.

SPEAKER_03 35:49

Yeah. Where manhood, this is where we say where manhood resides. Yeah. Right? The inward parts of the body, the bowels, the deep guts. This is the Greek word for where true authentic manhood really, really resides.

SPEAKER_01 36:03

Yep. In the ancient world, it was the the seat, the source of the center of the inner man's love and compassion, the place in him where he felt with and could be disturbed and moved by his emotional intelligence.

SPEAKER_03 36:17

Now look at that. That's pretty big. So, what are you talking about when we get to grit is we're talking about that place deep down in our gut that can be disturbed to actually act. Right? So, this is kind of pretty cool thinking now about grit is I've been disturbed in my bowels to go do something about the thing that's disturbed me.

SPEAKER_01 36:37

Yeah. But Jesus said, Remain in me, as I remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing.

SPEAKER_03 36:59

But this is a pretty huge one. Jesus says, Yes, but you gotta have my guts.

SPEAKER_02 37:03

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 37:04

So it's not this lone wolf, man yourself up, build yourself up with great grit and great guts. It's are you filled with the gut and the grits of Jesus Christ?

SPEAKER_01 37:13

Yep. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my father's glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you these, I have told you this, so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

SPEAKER_03 37:53

Now look at this once again. Now all of a sudden, joy and grit, joy and guts are connected intimately to one another. That if we have the guts and the grit of Jesus within us, we will also have joy in the midst of the suck.

SPEAKER_01 38:06

Yeah. My command is this love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.

SPEAKER_03 38:17

Which is exactly what Jesus has done. Uh, and that is what's alive in us. Yeah, pretty cool stuff.

SPEAKER_01 38:23

Yeah, let's hear what let's hear what John Connoloy says about true grit. Uh the nature of humanity, its essence, is to feel another's pain as one's own, and to act to take that pain away. There is nobility and compassion, a beauty and empathy, a grace in forgiveness.

SPEAKER_03 38:45

Yeah, and I love that right there. Uh, you know, this is the essence to feel another's pain, to be disturbed by what we see happening in another's life, and and to suffer alongside of them, but to act in such a way to take that pain away. Amen. So, really, really great. So, disturbed to act. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:02

Yeah. Matthew 9, 35, 38 kind of goes along with that. Um, Jesus went through all the towns and villages teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had splackna splunkna on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.

SPEAKER_03 39:26

Now he said, in your English translation, it says, and he had compassion on them, but it's the Greek word splunkna.

SPEAKER_01 39:32

Splunkna. There we go. Then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send the workers out uh into his harvest field.

SPEAKER_03 39:46

So Jesus is disturbed in his guts and has splonchna, he has gut compassion on them, and then does something about it, sends out the disciples. Yeah. Sends out you and me. So he's been disturbed in his bowels, feeling compassion over broken, sinful humanity, and sends men like us out.

SPEAKER_01 40:06

Yeah. Um, which again, we're called to action, right?

SPEAKER_03 40:09

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 40:10

So here's some key components to compassionate grit, to suffer with others in their suffering. It is the emotional intelligence that motivates and moves us to relieve that suffering. It aims at enhancing the true well-being of those who move we suffer of those with whom we suffer in an intentional way.

SPEAKER_03 40:29

Yeah, so to be careful about the intentionality of what can I do as I walk with this person in their suffering? What can I do about it?

SPEAKER_01 40:36

Yeah, and I love this taking out of Mark. Um, a man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, if you're willing, you can make me clean. Jesus was inwardly disturbed and moved with compassion. He reached out his hand and touched the man. I am willing, he said, Be clean. Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.

SPEAKER_03 40:59

Yeah. So we see that he was inwardly moved and disturbed and then moved to do something about it.

SPEAKER_01 41:06

Yeah. So here's some key components to practice compassionate grit.

SPEAKER_03 41:11

Yeah. We're wrapping up right here, guys. We only have about one or two slides left.

SPEAKER_01 41:15

Yep, yep. We need your grit for the next two minutes. Um share the good news of Jesus with others. Um, lead, guide, and care for and protect those without a leader, heal the sick and feed the hungry, reach out and touch the untouchables, forgive sinners and restore the broken hearted. So over time, this is out of John Wortburg.

SPEAKER_03 41:42

Um he says over time theologian and author. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:46

Yep. Over time, grit is what separate what separates fruitful lives from aimlessness.

SPEAKER_03 41:53

Yeah, I love that. So grit has intentionality and direction.

SPEAKER_01 41:57

Here we go. And we're gonna close out with Hebrews 10 36. You gotta have grit so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.

SPEAKER_03 42:08

Yeah, absolutely. Awesome. Thanks, Obi. Can you wrap us up with a prayer, brother?

SPEAKER_01 42:12

Absolutely. Lord, we thank you so much for the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the redemptive power of your grace. And we're so grateful that you don't just call us um to live a life of cru, speeding down the uh up the highway to heaven. You transform our hearts, you move, move our, remove our sins, and now call us to be men who are transformed by the power of Jesus, the gospel of Jesus Christ, who are moved into action. We are compelled to put those, to put our words into action, to put your words into action, to live a life that is defined by joy, by generosity, by open-handedness with all the resources that you have given us. I pray that you stir our hearts, that you move our guts and compel us to be men of action, to be men who are known as givers, who are known as encouragers, who are known as men who stand up for what is right. We love you, and we ask that you work in our hearts, and we pray that you extend um your reach out through us in whatever way is possible. We love you, and it's in your name we pray.

SPEAKER_00 43:30

Amen. Thanks for joining and listening. We hope that you were truly blessed. Now you can join the live call every Friday morning at 7 a.m. Central Standard Time, and please bring a friend. And to learn more about the MLC, visit our website at the MLC. Have a great day.