Leaderhip Training - Mark

At the beginning of the year, God challenged our small group of men to seek Him through daily Bible reading.

• Challenged us to blog for accountability
• Challenged us to attend Saturday morning breakfast @ 6:00am to filter the men from the boys
• We made a conscious choice not to become a ladies tea party
• Something must have resonated with your soul to become part of our group

Satan knows that a group of men daily seeking God is a huge threat to his world. Satan has been attacking on every front:

• Health
• Marriage
• Resentment
• Selfishness
• Unforgiveness

We seek the keys to the kingdom:

• Spiritual gifts (discernment / wisdom / healing / casting out deamons)
• Wealth and provision

God has freely given out the keys before, but his chosen men have failed every time.

• Saul -Failed to follow God wholeheartedly by killing all of the Amalekites.
  
• David - Committed adultery with Bathsheeba and had her husband murdered.
  
• Solomon - Was seduced by the pagan gods of his wives, and he failed to worship God wholeheartedly.

God has decided that we must be trained prior being given the keys to the kingdom:

• We must learn to hear His voice. (John 10:27 "My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me")
• Commit to daily seek / walk with Him
• Must demonstrate obedience

The Word is Living:

• Simply attending church or a small group is being force fed.
• You can read the entire Bible without discernment and obtain nothing
  
• The Holy Spirit makes the Word come alive
• God has a Rhema word (specific word) for us each day
• It is my job to find that word and research it
• By seeking Him first thing in the morning, I trust God to make the rest of my day more efficient (Tithing of my time)

Surrounded by Counsel:

• Advocate - A peer with the ability to speak into your life. Someone that loves you enough to tell you when you are messing up. We need these advocates for accountability.
  
• Discipleship - We need a mentor to disciple us, and we must disciple others. (Matthew 28:19 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.")

Closing Questions:

• What is stopping you from daily seeking God by reading His word?
• Are you man enough to admit that your reason is an excuse?
• Who is your advocate? Who loves you enough to tell you the trust?
• Who is discipling you?
• Who are you discipling?