Mighty Men: What are men fighting for? Part 1 of 2

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1. On the sixth day God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26. “Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.” Gen 2:15.

From this partial account of creation we learn some valuable things about the nature of man in his purest form. Man was created in God’s image and he was given stewardship or management of God’s creation. Can you imagine? God created paradise in the Garden and left an entire world of wild and untamed land outside of it for Adam to rule over. In simple terms God instructs Adam, “You are in charge…Go conquer it.” (Shay Standard Version).

Man was made to work even in a world without sin. This implies that man is meant to be active not idle. Adam was a man of action, that’s the way he was created. He was in charge of the animals of the land, the birds of the sky, all the creatures of the deep, the garden cultivation and the most awe inspiring creation of all…woman. God gave Adam this incredible job to do and he was adequately equipped to satisfy his job description. Think about the joy you find in fulfilling a job description. Have you ever faced a job that you knew would be a monster accomplishment if you completed the task well? As a man I treasure the feeling of that kind of accomplishment. The satisfaction of a job well done is directly linked to the way God wired us as men.

God created man to conquer the greatest job description ever written. God gave Adam a healthy drive and desire to work, to accomplish the task the Lord had put before him. However, Adam and Eve were disobedient thus sin entered the world (Gen 3:6). Along with sin came the curse that follows disobedience (Gen 3:17-19). Here is where our nature spins out of control. Prior to the fall God gave us a task of stewardship, which he placed within man’s grasp. Man forfeited his rule over the world to Satan (Heb 2:5-9) and yet the desire/instinct to rule remains. Stewardship is now out of our grasp. This broken eggshell of man’s former self is trying to hold everything together yet man in all his efforts cannot succeed. Creation "wars" against us. The conception of original sin gave birth to “the fight” in the lives of men.

So where does that leave us? What do we do with this nature? Check out Part 2 tomorrow...

K2 Musical Episode 2

Here's Episode #2 fellas...Hilarious! Creating the video skits at Kanakuk K2 is one of my favorite things to do. I especially love Don Ford's character "Jack Bauer". I love his line, "Thanks for asking Miss McBlobbins. I just finished my third tour in Rwanda. I had to ingest four pints of viper venom just to save Alaska from nuclear implosion. One time my heart stopped because of nuclear shockwaves but, ya know what, I resuscitated myself with the nearest sledgehammer." Don Ford is the man.

Later Dudes

Go Bears...

We all have a team that we root for on Saturdays and Sundays. I love the Bears. I love Mike Ditka. I love the Super Bowl Shuffle. The spirit of my entire Sunday is dictated by the performance of the Bears. However, I know some Cowboy fans whose whole week is whacked out upon a loss on Sunday and Packer fans are even worse! We get so wound up kickoff sets us off on an emotional rollercoaster-and men claim women to be emotional basket cases. Why? Do you play for the Packers? No, well do you know anybody who plays for the Packers? No, well were you born in Green Bay? No, well then who says they are your team? You Packers fans have problems.                                                               

I was born in Aledo, IL. I guess that makes me a Bears fan. That and the fact that I just have the desire to conquer someone or something and the Bears are the vehicle I have chosen to do so.

The Bears are tied up with the Eagles 14-14 in the 2nd quarter. I am an emotional basket case. We are better, thats all I know. 

(The Bears just scored...We're better!)

3 Sports Tri-Hard

It was race day. I couldn't have asked for a better day to do my first Half-Iron distance triathlon and to top it off I had a dozen of my best friends show up to cheer me on for the huge race that was ahead of me. During my warm-ups I tried to stay focused and do what I always do-visualize all the training that got me to that point. The summer before this race I had one of the most incredible opportunities to work at K-2 as a counselor and triathlete coach. So when it came time to think about my training a lot of my thinking was about the time I spent inside the Kanakuk gates. I thought about not only the physical training, but emotional, mental, and SPIRITUAL training that came along with it. Being pushed to my upmost limits was something that Kamp got me used to so this race was going to be nothing out of the ordinary.

The last call for my wave in the swim came over the PA system so I zipped up my wet-suit and waded my way into the 73 degree water-much better than the Table Rock Lake during third term. During Kamp we had done some open water swims in the lake with the triathlete specialty, but nothing this far. While at K-wet I remember swimming across the cove and back with my Cabin 12 boys, but still, this was 1.2 miles and I didn't have a life jacket like I did at Kamp. The starting gun interrupted my worries so I said a quick prayer and dove in the water.

GAME ON.

I found a rhythm, got mauled by a few people, and before I knew it I was done with the swim portion in 45 minutes and was jumping on my bike. 1.2 Miles down-69.1 to go no sweat right?The 56 mile bike loomed ahead of me and I knew it would take me around 3 hours to finish so I focused my mind on other things than the lactic acid build up that was going on in my legs-or as we triathletes like to call it strawberry milk! Once again I thought about Kamp and the people I met there. All the awesome Kampers, Counselors, and Leadership guys that displayed more toughness everyday than any race could simulate. The mental toughness that not only is displayed in sports, but in every day situations that challenge our integrity as Christian men. At Kamp I saw kamper after kamper learn what it takes to be "set apart" as Christian leaders and that the small compromises we make are really the things that hurt us the most. This same idea became evident in my race because my pace started to gradually slow and as the running portion came closer I was hitting what we distance guys like to call "the wall."

It was a big one too.

I came to my 2nd transition and jumped off my bike, threw on my hat and running shoes and took off for my half marathon run-13.1 miles to go.

I finished my cycling portion in 3 hours or so and had thought about Kamp for the majority of the time so my brain was moving onto new things. My thoughts gradually just started turning into prayers and as each mile became more miserable than the last I was eventually in constant communication with God.

During Kamp I remembered Hunter Lee talking in our Bible Study about how sometimes we can be selfish with our prayers. That instead of asking for the Lord's Will to be done NO MATTER WHAT we ask for safety and security instead. I applied his wisdom to my prayers during that race and asked God that no matter what His name be glorified today and not me. That He get the credit for this and not me because without him I wouldn't even have air in my lungs. Genesis 2:7

My race was almost over. I had the last mile left and it couldn't come any sooner. My goal time was 7 hours and I looked down at my watch and saw I was going to finish well before 6 hours. Then came the part of the race that made me realize why God had called me to do this.

You see, there was about 1,000 people in attendance to watch the race that day and they all lined the .1 smile span of the "finishing run." Athletes would come in to finish their race and the crowd would cheer them on and the announcer would read the athlete's "bio form," where we were asked questions like "Who are you, where are you from, why are you here, and what are your goals for the race." I forgot what I put for the last question until the announcer read it out loud in front of a VERY secular crowd of 1,000 people.

I wrote that my goal for this race was not to win or even finish, but my MAIN goal was to glorify and worship God with the ability He has given me. When I crossed the finish line I was glad I had sun-glasses on because tears started to fill up my eyes. My friends swarmed me and the race officials threw a big, gold medal around my neck and a T-Shirt that read FINISHER on the back. It was one of the happiest moments in my life and words only take away from it.

Guys, when you think about ways God can use you for His kingdom NEVER put a box around His capabilities. I went into a half-ironman triathlon thinking it would be a race for ME, but after 1,000 possible non-believers heard a 30 second testimony about my faith I knew it was God using that race to glorify His Kingdom. Some people feel it's trivial to say God would use sports for his Kingdom. My question isn't what God can use, but what can't he use? Nothing. He can use us in ANY way we just have to strengthen ourselves and make ourselves available to Him when he calls us. Guys, I pray you're sharpening yourselves DAILY in his WORD so when the time comes for him to call upon you you're ready. We are the tools His hands use and sharpened tools are much more effective than dull ones. I love you all, grace and peace.

Philippians 1:9-11

Catch that Wave

Hey fellas, I know a bunch of you have asked for "Catch the Wave" since it's not on iTunes. Well, I don't have the ability to hand out Mp3's but I made this awesome video of LeCrae. Actually it's not that awesome, it's just a picture of LeCrae that you can look at for 3 minutes or so. Enjoy homeboy!

Shay

Jared Kolter: Polar Bear Plunge

Ok Guys, You have to check out the latest video on Joe White's facebook. Joe, Don, Jared and I farkeled to see who would have to swim from the K2 Dock to KWet in our last K2 Guys meeting. And the results are in...Jared Kolter is the loser!! Problem is (for him) that the water temp is dropping with everyday that goes by my friends. So I have had our photography department working all day on a digital creation of what Jared's experience will probably be like...

Mighty Men: Assurance of Salvation

This Monday we looked at a few verses in Ephesians.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast."

As Christians it is easy to become accustomed to Christian language and forget our terminology is often a mystery to outsiders. In fact, many times we can't define our own terminology. I love asking college students to define grace. More often than not they know what grace is however they have difficulty defining it. Simply put, grace is this: receiving something we don't deserve. Parents I challenge you to engage your boys in a conversation about grace. And guys I challenge you to engage your friends in a conversation about grace. Our understanding of this single term is pivotal to our faith!

We also looked at Ephesians 1:13-14, "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance".

There are so many times that we doubt our faith. I have often doubted my destination after this life. Knowing this verse offers us the assurance of our salvation. Mark these two in your Bible!

There's your weekly Mighty Man update!!

Tough Question 3: Do you think God has everything happen for a reason or is He in control of everything but somethings happen by coincidence?

"Hey thanks so much for the blog info, i have one question though. Do you think God has everything happen for a reason or he is in control of everything but something’s happen by coincidence ??? or do you think something different? It came up in my small group discussion the other day and a lot of people were going different ways with it."
Thanks
Dan Tobik

Thanks for the question Dan. This is a tough question with a simple answer.
Isaiah 45:6-7 says this, "That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord and there is no other, The One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these."

God is the creator of all things. In fact He knew you before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:3). In Luke 12:7 Jesus says that God knows the number of hairs on your head! God knows all, sees all, hears all because He is in control. God is sovereign, meaning that He is in control of ALL things.

Great question Dan...Keep them coming!!

K2 Musical Episode 1

Tough Question 2: How can I know and love a God I'm not sure exists? Is there really a God?

This is a tough question. It is safe to say that men have been asking this question since the beginning of time. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God set eternity in our heart. God has installed an eternal vacuum in our heart which causes us to seek Him. Without one true God and this call on our hearts I wonder if religion would even exist?

Allow me to answer our question from 2 angles. First of all God has revealed himself to us through creation (Romans 1:20). The Bible says that God has made his presence known through creation so that every man is without excuse.

Two weekends ago we were in Colorado for the father/son retreat. As we drove through Wolf Creek Pass I was caught up in complete awe of our surroundings. I was blown away by the grandeur of the mountains, the depths of the valleys and the sheer rock faces cascading into sparkling trout streams...breath taking. It was the most beautiful artwork I have ever seen, artwork of a master artist. Psalm 19:1 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God". Every watch has a watchmaker, every building has a builder, every sculpture has a sculptor and every creation has a Creator.

Secondly, God has given man a universal sense of right and wrong. Chuck Colson tells a story in his book, Answers For Your Kids Questions, about Irina Ratushinskaya. Irina was a "Soviet dissident imprisoned for five years in Gulag...Her autobiographical Grey Is The Color of Hope details her life and imprisonment.”
Here is a quote from Colson's book, "Irina's parents and schoolteachers were atheists. When Irina was nine years old, after listening to atheistic teaching from her teachers and her family, she figured, My parents told me there aren't any ghosts. They told me there aren't any goblins. They only told me those things once, though. They tell me there isn't a God every week. There must be a God. In other words, if there weren't something to it, they wouldn't be fighting so hard against it."

One of the greatest minds of the 20th century was a man named C.S. Lewis. He was a devote atheist and set out to prove that Christianity was false. As a result of his research C.S. Lewis gave his life to Jesus. In his book, Mere Christianity Lewis argues that man has been given a universal sense of right and wrong. This is a theory worth testing. Quiz any five year old with a series of questions asking them what the right thing to do is in each situation.

Biology, genetics and psychology don't have a good answer for the source of our conscience. As Christians we know that God created us in His image (Genesis 1:26) and He instilled our instincts of right and wrong.
.

Anybody else land locked?

I grew up in the Midwest. Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, regardless of the move I was surrounded by cornfields. Most Midwest boys pour their lives into football, basketball and wrestling. I followed the majority for most of my teenage years. However, there was always something deep inside me needing something...more EXTREME!

We experimented with different things to fulfill this longing. We chained up old car hoods to farm trucks and pulled each other through the country side during snow covered months. One summer we built ourselves a demolition derby car that endured months of brutal test drives only to survive 30 seconds in the actual derby. We even rode cows in an attempt to produce our own rodeo. All attempts, though gnarly, weren't meeting that burning desire within.

When I graduated from Iowa State I moved to Hermosa Beach, CA. There, my buddy, Jimbo and I dedicated ourselves to the gnarliest of all sports...surfing. Yeah dude, it was awesome. Though every local could see we were "corn bred" it didn't matter, we were living the dream.

As life would have it the good Lord moved me to Branson, MO. And ever since then I have missed the waves. Ashley and I have been fortunate enough to surf in Maui, the Outer Banks and Bali, Indonesia in the last couple years but it’s just never enough.

A couple of days ago my friend Bernard Bourque invited me to go wake surfing with him. I happened to have the afternoon off and jumped on the chance. The dock bro's at K2 wake surf all the time and I have even taken a ride or two. But Bernard took me out on this sweet Mastercraft weighted down with "fat sacs" and kickin up a killer wake. Anyway long story short...I am now a wake surf junkie. For all you dudes who are landlocked, let's get gnarly.

Enjoy Life

Hey guys sometimes I think we just need to lighten up and enjoy life. Stock Market, gas prices, upcoming election, companies going under...take some time to unwind. This video might help.

Tough Question 1: How do I deal with the death of a friend?

This summer I had the opportunity to walk through this painful reality with a number of kids and counselors at K2. A world without God looks at death in fear and finality. The secular world offers grief counseling. And while processing through our feelings during time of loss is important we desire something more. Open ended questions and a shoulder to cry on is only half the battle. The men I held this summer were looking for guidance. They needed answers that offered hope and encouragement.

See how two men of faith answer this question:

"Of all men, we (Christians) hope most of death; yet nothing will reconcile us to-well, its unnaturalness. We know that we're not made for it; we know how it crept into our destiny as an intruder; and we know Who defeated it. Because our Lord is risen we know that on one level it is an enemy already disarmed; but because we know that the natural level also is God's creation we cannot cease to fight against the death which mars it." -C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock

"And this is where Christian parents can help. Show your kids from the Bible that death is not the end (John 14:2-3), and point them to the truth about the eternal life that Jesus Christ gives. When Jesus went to Bethany after his friend Lazarus died, he wept over the loss. But then he offered words of hope to Lazarus's grieving sisters: "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me...will live again. They are given life for believing in me and will never perish." (John 11:25-26)...If your kids are faced with the death of a friend or other person close to them, encourage them to search out the hope that only faith in Christ can provide."
-Chuck Colson, Answers to your Kids' Questions

K2 Musical Trailer

Hey fellas, here is the K2 Musical Trailer...Episode #1 comes out next week!

shay

Dream Big

This morning we had an awesome bible study with the 7th grade Mighty Men. It has been so good to get back into the regular schedule of things. These guys are my pride and joy. This morning we looked at Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared beforehand for us to do."

I believe that our dreams are way to small. For so long I viewed our biblical examples as extaordinary men or superhero's of the faith. And while that is true my perspective was scued because of my lack of faith. In other words, I thought God moved through them more mightily than he ever would through me or any other modern day man for that matter. The truth is that they were men with a nature just like our own (James 5:17).

In high school I dreamed of working as a Game Warden. When I shared this dream with my agriculture teacher he told me there weren't many jobs in that field and that I should look into something with more opportunity. 10 years later I have a degree in Environmental Horticulture that I do absolutely nothing with (other than pull weeds during work week at Kamp)!

My point is this: God has specifically designed each one of us to "do work" on His behalf. And last time I checked the work he has illustrated in His Word is mighty. So if you have a dream that you can accomplish on your own...dream bigger. The work that God prepares requires His assistance...so our dreams have to BIG.

Coming Soon...K2 Musical!

You have asked for it...well here it is!!! Well, not quite yet. This summer we did a video skit called K2 Musical and in less than a week you will be able to relive the memories here. Stay Tuned...

K-Colorado Father/Son Reteat

Here is a picture of Garet West and myself after braving the "rapids" of K-Colorado this weekend at the Father-Son retreat. We had 31 one father/son pairs join us for a "celebration of manhood". We enjoyed flyfishing, river rafting, rock climbing, mountain biking and the high ropes course all while connecting with our Magnificant Creator. One of my favorite sites of the weekend was father and son, hand in hand, in prayer...what a blessing.