Man to Man

A Recipe for Better Men:

One Part Man + A Whole Lot of God

By Susan L. Cialella

If we women could mix the perfect man in a bowl and bake him like a gingerbread boy, one ingredient would be crucial. A strong relationship with the Lord.

One of the best ways I’ve seen to make a better man of God is to have them connect with one another in small groups. I know my man is better because of the intimate relationships he develops in these small groups.

But what does a small group do for men that makes them so much better?

First, men have the opportunity to share and converse with one another while building a bond, something we women find pretty easy to do.

For example, men become intimately aware of one another’s struggles and support each other during the week through prayer and phone calls.

Secondly, men can give and get feedback for what God’s plan would be for their lives and how the Lord is working miracles.

One Sunday, Michael, my fiancé, came to my house after the men’s group on Sunday morning. I

never saw him so psyched about anything.

He had just spent one hour listening to men talk about the miraculous ways the Lord has been dealing with them. Mike could hardly contain himself. This is how men are encouraged- by hearing His miraculous works.

Finally, men’s groups provide an opportunity for mentoring. I feel that younger generations can benefit from the wisdom and knowledge of the older generations.

I see that my father benefits from the wisdom of older gentlemen in men’s groups. It is the years of experience and the years of experiencing the Lord that give older men the spirit-led wisdom.

Mike has even told me that the insights of the other men have really edified him. He has grown from their wisdom especially since he is the youngest in the group.

So, ladies, if you want a complete man, encourage all the men in your life to get involved with a small men’s group.

Friendship, fellowship, and accountability. That’s what men need.

All of us can remember times when we were ready to throw in the towel out of frustration and discouraged. Then somebody came along at just the right time and said just the right word of encouragement to us.

And we can remember that we decided to hang in there. That word of encouragement was life changing.

Some of you may be experiencing that kind of situation right now. Maybe it’s a marriage or family relationship, your job, or a class you are taking. Nothing seems to be working to your expectations.

Do you know somebody who is struggling and is discouraged and ready to quit?

Sometimes the Lord has put on my heart the need to encourage someone who I didn’t think needed a boost. They looked quite well on the surface.

But I soon found when I reached out, that they were weary, tired, and unsure that they were affecting someone.

It is important that we listen to that inner prodding to encourage.

You might be the difference between a person blossoming in their relationship with the Lord and in their ministry or withdrawing into a depression and sense of inferiority.

You don’t need a seminary degree to be an encourager. Just do it NOW!

Untouchables

As I looked into Bob’s eyes I could see years of pain and bottles of alcohol. His hands were swollen and marked by the heroin injections he had come to rely upon. I wanted to serve God, but I was afraid to touch Bob.

In Jesus’ time, lepers and Samaritans were untouchable. They were considered unclean and unholy. No good Jew would ever associate with such people.

He saved many lives, because he specializes in touching the untouchable- like you and me.

A "good" Christian and a solid disciple must be willing to touch the seemingly untouchable. Touching others with Christ changes lives no matter how untouchable they seem.

So go ahead and dare to touch.

By Arlene Cialella

You have heard the old saying that behind every good man there is a good woman. Well, that’s true.

Women act as encouragers to their husbands and sometimes can help them move forward in the Lord.

I challenge you men to turn to your wives, fiancées, and girl friends for encouragement to grow in the Lord.

And I invite you men to share this newsletter with your women. Reading the newsletter together can really benefit that special relationship you both have.

Women must realize their role in helping men improve. That means not provoking them or nagging them.

Instead, we women should encourage, uplift and above all, love. Remember, a growing man is a supported man.

Anything Worthwhile Is Never Easy

By Gary Pica

There are a lot of people who thing that when you become a Christian your life gets easier. I was that type of person once upon a time.

The fact is that when you become a Christian, life has a tendency to get more complicated. I’ve talked on many occasions about maintenance, what I mean is, once you are a Christian many changes occur that you must maintain.

The first thing that changes is what is inside of you. Changes build character, and change is never easy especially when you were set in your ways and insisted you weren’t going to change.

One year later the changes I have made in myself have been one struggle after another. My emotions were like a roller coaster. Sometime I didn’t even know if I was coming or going.

One thing the Bible teaches is how to have patience. A good example is my wife and our differences.

The challenge has been to balance our differences to not blow up into a fight. We make compromises, but it doesn’t always work.

Maintenance means that even when things are going well, you still have to keep focused. You have to work on keeping it all together. The task is not so easy.

There is always a tug of war between doing things that are good and falling back into the way we were.

Being a Christian is not easy. There is always a struggle going on between righteousness and temptation. But in the end we all know who wins the tug of war.

By His grace, hang in there.

It’s not easy to be a Pastor.

Encourage him. Give him a hug

and do something special for him.

He needs your love.

Let your Pastor know how much you care!