Uncracking the MYSTERY of why Men are Attracted to Women!

I'm sure many of you opened up this blog post assuming that it would be about how men are visually oriented individuals and that God has created women in such a way that they are pleasing and attractive to men.

While this IS correct I believe that it is INCOMPLETE!

While physical attraction is important if you want a deeper and more meaningful relationship with the women in your life it must go beyond your physical attraction or physical appreciation of them.

Seriously, think, on a deeper level why are men attracted to women?

I believe that God has wired into the heartbeat of women a sense of mystery, awe, and dare I say unpredictability.

As a man I enjoy facts and issues that are fairly black and white. In fact, my whole life is built around fairly predictable patterns. I enjoy analyzing and coming up with models for life.

In general, women do not behave or think this way. There is a sense of mystery and unpredictability  that men find incomprehensible and worth exploring.

For example, if I am sitting on the couch with my wife and I jokingly poke her in the side ten times I will receive ten different responses! If she jokingly pokes me in the side ten times she knows she will receive one basic response almost every time.

This is one of the biggest reasons that I am attracted to my wife. I enjoy studying and trying to figure her out (which I never will fully do). God's created men for adventure and exploration and the inner workings of women perfectly stimulate this desire within a man.

Women instinctively know that men are attracted to this mysterious nature. They can use this knowledge to impact men in a sinful or Godly way.

A woman can be mysterious in a seductive, deceptive, or manipulative way.

Proverbs 7:10, 21-23 - "Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life."

A woman can be mysterious by focusing a man's attention to her exterior beauty.

I Peter 5:3 - "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes."

A woman can by mysterious by how she follows Jesus (which looks different than what God calls men to do).

I Peter 5:4 - "Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight."

Proverbs 31:30 - Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

There is something about that mysterious and unpredictable nature in a woman that is irresistible to a man because it does not make sense and therefore creates a sense of awe and wonder. God's created it that way....and I'm sure glad He did as it forces me to want to explore and know my wife more and more each day!

Song of Solomon 7:4 (MSG) - "Your eyes are wells of light, deep with mystery. Quintessentially feminine!"

God's Hope is MORE THAN Human Hope!

Our church's theme this year is entitled: More Than. We want to be a church that is known for being more than ordinary people because we have the power of the Spirit of God within our lives.

I had the opportunity to preach on Sunday concerning the topic of hope. God's hope is more than human hope!

Here are some things to keep in mind when it comes to HOPE

"When you say that a situation or a person is hopeless, you are slamming the door in the face of God." God is a God of hope. Your situation or anyone else's situation is never hopeless with God!

When we misplace hope we will fall short of the goal line every time! We will run harder, farther, and longer in life if our hope and goal is on Jesus Christ!

There are three types of hope as seen in this passage: I Corinthians 15:32.

"If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die."

The first type of hope is MISPLACED HOPE!

If you are a gladiator type of figure and risk your entire life based on human hopes of fame, infamy, and glory it will amount to nothing. Most misplaced hope lies within ourselves instead of God.

Proverbs 11:7
Hopes placed in mortals die with them, all the promise of their power comes to nothing.

The second type of hope is LOST or NO HOPE!

If God is not real than there is nothing after death. If that is the case than why not eat, drink, and be merry because all there is to life is to get as much pleasure out of it before we die. This is a sad and unfulfilling way to live.

The third type of hope is GODLY HOPE!

With Godly hope we can have certainty about our future. No other hope gives us this assurance. Godly hope is not blind hope as some suggest because we have evidence of it's veracity (Read the rest of I Corinthians 15)!

Proverbs 13:12
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."

God can use the small seeds of hope in our life to produce a tree of life. Just as a tree gives out shade, comfort, and protection so also God can give us rest, comfort, and protection if we place our hope in Him!

All HE is asking is that we plant small seeds of faith and hope in Him! Have you claimed THIS HOPE today?

We gave people in our services opportunities to rise and be prayed for so they'd be emboldened to claim God's hope EVERY day!

ReBOOT Retreat Recap

I love events that force people to live and to do life together (even if it's just for a weekend)!

 

This past weekend we sent a group of teenagers and adults to our first ever Reboot retreat at the JJ Resort in Michigan. Shawn Mcbride was our guest speaker.

 

We had a great time and saw God move amongst our teenagers!

 

Here's why Reboot was impactful and memorable:

 

1. We had 4 students make decisions to follow Jesus!

2. Our students really 'clicked' relationally and grew together as a group. Deep and meaningful relationships were forged.

3. We got buy-in from our teenagers that went. This was THEIR event as opposed to joining up with another group.

4. Shawn Mcbride did one of the BEST jobs as a retreat speaker that I have seen. He challenged our teenagers to 'reboot and go against the current' to make 2015 the best year ever!

5. Our Talent Show was not only fun but some hidden talent was exposed (especially vocally) in which I can tap into later. Leaders are talent scouts and I found some new talent to develop!

6. Our praise band, led by Jeremy Byng, did an excellent job of making their worship sets connect with our teenagers.

7. Indoor water park in winter, need I say more?

8. Hearing from a student: "This was the best weekend ever" is encouraging, especially because this weekend connected that student to Jesus!

9. Ministry is happening even after the event. I am receiving and hearing messages of students and leaders praying and doing ministry long after the event 'officially' was over. This is the mark of a truly great event.

10. The stage was set for a better Reboot Retreat next year. Momentum was gained and an anticipation earned by those who have gone to come and bring a friend next year!

 

Great group of teens and leaders!

May this be our heart and expression of worship every day!

 Our band was awesome!

 



4 students made a decision for Jesus!

We ended our retreat with prayer! It started AND ended with PRAYER!

How to Move from GOOD to GREAT!

Everyone at a young age aspires to be great. No child that I know has dreams of becoming a drunk or homeless or abusive. Instead, children aspire to be police officers or professional athletes or firemen.

 

But when we as humans arrive in our adolescence and adulthood it becomes easy for us to be ok with mediocrity. We become content with being good and not great.

 

During a slow lull in my PhD studies I finally had the time to read the book, Good to Great, by Jim Collins. For anyone who is a leadership guru or who wants to develop principles to help them grow in their abilities this book is a must read.

 

This book was written from the framework that it studied organizations and companies that went from good to great and sustained their efficiency for the long haul.

 

Here are some principles that will help us move from Good to Great:

 

1. Look for or become a Level 5 leader. This type of leader becomes great through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. "Be more of a plow horse than a show horse."

2. Focus on recruiting the right people first even before giving a compelling vision. The most important aspect to leading is getting the right people on the right seat on the right bus. You will love what you do, largely because, you love who you do it with.

3. You must confront the brutal facts of where you are heading, but never give up faith that you will get to your point of destination. It's like someone who knows they need to lose weight but rationalizes how they don't look that bad or that they will lose the weight later. It's important to confront the facts no matter how brutal they are!

4. Adhere to the Hedgehog concept. A hedgehog is not a fancy animal but it is effective at protecting itself and moving in the right direction. In being a leader one must focus on what we can be the best at, what we are passionate about, and what drives our 'economic' engine.

5. There is a culture of discipline. If you hire and recruit the right people this problem vanishes.

6. Do not be afraid to use technology to accelerate your cause. Just make sure to realize that snazzy technology won't motivate people, your vision will.

7. Do things that reinforce your purpose and cause momentum. Eventually success will breed success and others will want to join a cause that works!

 

Just curious, why do you believe people stop striving to be great within their lives?

Of these principles mentioned which one is hardest for you to do?



 

Short List of Words 'Older' People Should Use Wisely OR Get Weird Looks From A Younger Generation

Words have meaning.

Depending on culture, context, and generational experiences the same word can have a different meaning.

Therefore, it's wise for people of all ages (especially those who are older) to study the current context and meaning of words. As a youth pastor, this is important otherwise I will unintentionally say a word that has a different meaning to students than when I grew up and I will forever be mocked for not knowing it's teeny earthy meaning.

Here is a short list of words that older generations should KNOW:
1. Sick - To teenagers this refers to something that is awesome and has NO bearing on their health.
2. Cell - To teenagers this refers to their phones and is NOT part of their human anatomy.
3. Thongs - To teenagers this refers to ladies underwear NOT flip flops.
4. Mad - To teenagers this refers to if something is 'a lot' or 'very' something and is NOT always an emotion. "That person has mad skills."
5. Tool - to teenagers this term refers to someone who is an idiot and is NOT always referring to a piece of equipment.
6. Basic - To teenagers this refers to someone that does things that are unsophisticated and vanilla. The opposite of being basic is being a hipster.
7. Totes - To teenagers this is short for 'totally' and is used most frequently by adolescent girls. It does NOT refer to plastic storage cases.
8. Grill - To teenagers this refers to staying out of their business or out of their face. This does NOT refer to how much they love outdoor barbeques.
9. Slay - To teenagers this refers to succeeding at something. This does NOT mean they are out to attack others.
10. Perky - To teenagers this refers to a sexual state of arousal. One should definitely know the meaning of this word before sharing it with young people!

 

How many of these words did you know their teenage meaning?

 

What other words are there that have different meanings to different generations?

(Yes, I know gay is another one but try to be more original).