Real Men of Jesus Continued Week 1

Each week, after the sermon I'll have a follow up blog to consider and respond to, hopefully keeping our mission of becoming Real Men of Jesus in the forefront of our minds.

To hear the full sermon leading into this, go here: http://www.mysumc.podbean.org

Today's - Read Luke 22:54-62 - Peter's betrayal of Jesus

The night before I preached I read the focus scripture passage again, just for one last bit of inspiration that God might want to give to me, and as God always does, there it was.

I'd been focusing on Peter denying Jesus, the shame involved in that, and how we do that all the time, but what I failed to focus on the first 100 times I'd read the passage was that even though Peter kept denying that he knew anything about Jesus...other people recognized that he was a Real Man of Jesus.

That says something. To think that I could go out into the street and flat out say, "I hate the TCU Horned Frogs!" and no one would believe me would be quite a testament to my loyalty and love for my alma mater. What if all men lived and worked this way? A way in which no one would ever believe you didn't love Jesus and seek to follow him in all things.

Translate that to what we talked about Sunday morning. What in your life screams, "I don't love, respect or honor my wife and kids?" Is it the magazines you read, the jokes you make, the schedule you keep?

I believe a Real Man of Jesus follows through on his commitment to love his wife and kids before all others, respecting them, loving them and showing them the utmost devotion in all aspects of his life...yes...even when they're not around. I've heard the blowing off steam excuse before, and there's a lot more healthier ways of doing that, AND ways that don't let your wife know you still want to sew your wild oats.

Live life on purpose. Live life so that no one would ever, ever believe that Jesus and your family were not the two most important things in your life at all times. No matter how hard you try to deny it.