Participants: Pr. John Coaxum (Host), Chapin Michael Smith, Dr. Duane Mangum, Jason McCracken
Series Code: CUL
Program Code: CUL000001A
|
00:01 Hi, my name is John Coaxum,
00:02 and welcome to my barbershop "Cuttin' Loose." 00:04 As you know, the barbershop is one of the last places 00:07 where a guy can come and speak freely about his issues. 00:10 Our topic today is "Man Up." 00:13 Come and join us. 00:46 Check this out, man. 00:49 Oh, yeah, man. It's good. 00:50 I'm ready, I'm ready. Thanks, man. 00:52 Looking good man, looking good. 00:53 It's one of my best cuts, man, 00:55 so I'm gonna give this one to you for free. 00:56 As a matter of fact, guys, I know it's late man, 00:58 but I'm...you just sit right here, man. 01:00 I just want to talk to you about something. 01:01 Man, it has been something on my heart lately. 01:04 Man, just about the men in our community. 01:08 It just seems like manhood is changing, 01:10 like we don't have strong leaders anymore, 01:12 like the men aren't setting forth a good example. 01:14 Anybody, you know what I'm talking about, 01:16 have you seen that lately? 01:17 Yeah, recently my grandmother told me, 01:18 she went to the grocery store and she saw a young man, 01:21 who is in there with his pants hanging down, 01:23 and she tried to say something to him. 01:25 He cursed her out, you know. 01:26 So you know, that was really disheartening to her 01:28 to see a young man 01:30 as she was just trying to encourage to pull his pants up, 01:32 but he kinda just went off on her. 01:34 Yeah. 01:36 So Mike, man you are a community chaplain man, 01:37 what are you seeing in the neighborhoods 01:39 all around us, what's going on? 01:40 I think in the community there's just a lot, 01:42 a lack of respect for authority, 01:46 there's this idea that, "I'm my own man, 01:49 and that I have control of my own situation." 01:53 And so as a result of that, 01:55 "I don't need to respect anybody, 01:57 but I'm demanding respect," you know, 01:59 "I have my pants hanging down, I come out of the house," 02:02 you know, "ungroomed," you know, "but I want respect." 02:06 "You know, I don't have my education, 02:08 don't have the things in order, 02:09 whatever issues are going on in my life 02:12 or within the lives of the black man, 02:14 I'm always demanding that someone else respects me." 02:18 So demanding respect but not giving it in the dress, 02:20 pants hanging down and stuff like that. 02:23 I mean, Brother McCracken, man, 02:24 it's good to see you by the way. 02:26 Man, I know you are the director of Enrollment 02:28 at Pine Forge Academy. 02:29 What are you seeing there? 02:31 I know there's a lot of young black boys that go there 02:32 and the surrounding community, what's going on? 02:34 Right, we have a mentorship program at our school 02:37 that we are teaching the young men 02:39 how to respect each other. 02:40 But the issues that we are seeing now 02:43 with young black males, 02:45 is that they don't have any role models. 02:48 And so we have to be their role models, 02:51 everyday, we have to dress a certain way, 02:53 shirt and tie, jackets, pants, 02:56 our shoes have to be shine, why? 02:58 Because we are trying to show them 03:01 that we can help them grow while they are watching us. 03:05 But right now in the black community, 03:07 you don't have role models. 03:09 What are role models in the black community? 03:11 A person standing on the corner? 03:12 A person in a barbershop? 03:14 A person in a church? 03:15 Well, not really. 03:17 A role model is a person that's gonna show 03:19 respect, integrity, and honesty, 03:22 and make sure that they can emulate 03:25 or imitate that particular person. 03:28 Yeah. We have a lot of issues. 03:29 Dr. Mike, you are a clinical counselor, man. 03:32 So I know you are seeing a lot of people 03:33 and you have a lot of wisdom on this. 03:35 Help me out, please. 03:36 Well, I think the reality is, is that we black men, 03:39 young men, they get a lot of their values from television. 03:42 A lot of values from what, the media. 03:45 You know, different streams of urban stuff 03:47 that's coming on, 03:48 where you can kind of treat woman, 03:50 and kind of way you can speak to woman, 03:51 and kind of way, 03:53 so that's where they are getting their model from. 03:54 You know, and I've dealt with young men that, 03:56 you know, they disrespect their moms. 03:58 Because they want to come in their house when they want, 04:00 and they want to do what they want. 04:02 They don't want to have any accountability. 04:03 So you know, they say, 04:04 "listen, let me live my life," 04:06 you know, "I'm seeing so and so on television. 04:07 They do that, you know, they're making a lot of money, 04:10 so why can't I dress like them?" 04:12 Right, you bring up a really good point, 04:14 you know, I'm young, I'm recently married, 04:16 you know, trying to figure out 04:17 what it means to be a man, as well. 04:20 Is the world, is TV, is music, 04:23 are they giving us right examples 04:26 of what a man should be? 04:28 I think they are not. 04:29 I think what the world is trying to tell us is that," 04:31 I want to condition you to be what you should not be, 04:34 but because you are buying into it, 04:37 I'm gonna continue to put it down your throat." 04:39 And so because we are being mislead, 04:41 young black men, older black men, 04:44 you know, they want to be young, 04:45 they are being misled by some of the value system 04:48 that the world has given them. 04:49 And so on the outside they may be a male, 04:52 but on the inside they don't understand 04:54 what God created them to be in His image. 04:57 So hold on a second. 04:58 You are saying, it's possible to be masculine but not a man. 05:01 Yes. Without a doubt. Wow. 05:03 Mike, what are you saying, man? 05:04 TV, movies, man, what is the representation 05:07 that our young men are getting, 05:08 because I mean, you know, they go to the movies 05:09 every weekend, man, 05:11 they are getting most of their influence from the TV screen, 05:13 what's going on there? 05:15 Yeah, I think, for me when you look at media, 05:18 when you look at the image of the black man, 05:20 it's a macho, I'm in control, black man. 05:25 I'm the type of guy 05:27 that in controlling my situation 05:30 I'm not gonna be able to... 05:31 I will not submit to the leading of, 05:35 as Jason said, a mentor. 05:36 The leading of, a mother or a grandmother 05:40 who has experience in life to guide me in the right way. 05:43 And so what TV and media is showing, 05:45 is they are showing a black man as this macho, 05:49 I'm in control... 05:50 A guy doesn't need anybody. 05:52 Right, I don't need anybody. 05:53 Yeah, what's that old saying that says that 05:55 "I'm the captain of my soul." 05:56 And so with me being in charge, 05:58 no one else can tell me what to do, 06:00 they can't tell me how to dress, 06:01 where to go, what to do, 06:03 what time to come into my house, anything. 06:05 And what happens is then that becomes 06:07 a dangerous path towards, "I'm in control. 06:11 I'm demanding respect." 06:13 And when I don't get those things 06:15 then I lash out 06:17 in certain behaviors, that you know, 06:20 that are very dangerous in our community. 06:21 Now we have crime, we have domestic violence, 06:24 we have a list of things 06:25 that the black man begins to lash out 06:28 because he's not getting the respect, 06:31 he's macho, 06:32 and then he wants everyone else to do, like the thing, 06:36 the world revolves around me. 06:39 Okay, now let me challenge you for a minute, man, 06:41 because you know, since I've been growing up, 06:43 in my community, you know, my family, my cousins, 06:45 it's always been passed down to generations, man, 06:47 that to be a man. 06:49 Yeah, you've gotta be strong. 06:50 You gotta be macho. 06:52 And you can't, you know, show your feelings on your sleeve, 06:54 you are not supposed to cry. 06:55 I mean really, if I would, 06:57 you know, fall down and scrape my knee, 06:58 you know, my family would probably 07:00 expect me to get up, 07:02 and be a man, and dry up those tears. 07:03 And I would assume that, 07:05 you know, most young boys or men's families 07:07 would tell them the same thing. 07:09 Is there anything wrong with that 07:10 being macho, being a man? 07:13 Let's see what's Jason says. 07:15 Well, you know, I grew up with black and white TV... 07:19 Okay. I mean, my age is, I'm 60. 07:22 Okay. So I'm the old man here... 07:24 Sure. 07:25 So I grew up in black and white TV. 07:27 So what my image in black and white TV was 07:29 "The Hercules, the Superman." 07:32 But look what happened when I watch television 07:36 and I saw The Little Rascals. 07:38 And Spanky, the Buckwheat, 07:42 the little guy on television right there 07:44 was not my role model. 07:46 So when they said, "You have to be strong, 07:49 you can't cry, you are man." 07:51 I had to keep all of that inside of me, 07:56 and then when I cry, I'm angry, I'm mad. 08:01 Those kinds of emotions are very negative. 08:06 It's okay to cry at a funeral. 08:09 It's okay to cry at a wedding. 08:12 It's okay to cry when you see 08:14 somebody rejoicing in the truth... 08:17 Right. Right. 08:18 But crying is a part of an emotional response. 08:23 But in the black community, if you cry you are not a man. 08:28 Oh, man. That's so true. That's so true. 08:29 Or if you show any emotion, you are not a man... 08:33 Right. Right. Absolutely. You know. Yeah. 08:35 I've got to come back to you, Doc, 08:37 I mean, you are kinda like the resident expert, 08:38 it's just so great that you are here. 08:40 Man, I'm sure that you have counseled some young black men 08:45 or you've been around some young black men 08:46 in your profession, who have not emoted. 08:49 They've been through things in their life, man, 08:51 but they've been taught not to cry. 08:53 And eventually, probably what happens is they implode. 08:55 Is that true? Yeah, men, they do implode. 08:58 I think they get so stressed on the inside, 09:00 they never let it out. 09:02 So it comes out in other ways. 09:03 It comes out in anger. 09:05 It comes out whether they're frustrated. 09:06 The thing about stress is that, stress that's internal, 09:09 it can come out and it can be very volatile. 09:11 It can be like, a forced fire. 09:14 And everybody that's in front of it 09:16 can be the casualty of this thing 09:18 that they've kept inside of them. 09:20 So it's very important 09:21 that they allow themselves to talk about it, 09:24 to find somebody to talk to, because if not, 09:26 the level of anger and the level of stress 09:29 put together can cause people to die. 09:32 Wow. Yeah. 09:33 Absolutely man, crying will increase, man. 09:35 We also revert to social vices man, 09:37 when we haven't emoted, 09:39 when we haven't dealt with the things in our past 09:40 and we are taught not to cry. 09:42 Let me ask this too, may be, 09:43 I don't know if you all feel me on this or not. 09:45 But isn't that kinda funny that, 09:47 guys, or men have kind of 09:49 reverted to a child like behavior? 09:51 In other words, we measure our manhood, 09:54 probably by the toys that we have, 09:55 I heard somebody say the other day. 09:57 You know, if we have a nice car then we are a man. 09:59 If we have a good paying job, that's when we are a man. 10:02 If we've got the nice Jordans on, 10:03 then we are a man. 10:05 Is that true, or do you see that at all? 10:07 I think from...for what I see within the community, 10:11 the acquisition of wealth, 10:13 acquisition of things is an admirable thing, 10:18 you know, but it has to be done 10:19 in the proper order and in the right way. 10:22 So for an example, you can acquire your wealth, 10:25 and acquire the things you want when society says, 10:28 you've earned it. 10:30 You have your degree, 10:31 you've got a job, you have 401(k), 10:33 you are planning for the future, 10:35 you bring children into the world 10:36 at the right time, 10:38 you have a wonderful, you know, family. 10:39 All of those positive things are also part of the community. 10:43 So now our communities are also enhanced. 10:45 When you try to acquire those things through force, 10:49 or skipping a step, 10:50 or taking it from somebody else, 10:53 then you find yourself in that lashing out, 10:56 that the doc is talking about. 10:58 Because I've lost control, 11:00 because I don't have my education, 11:02 because I've lost control 11:03 because I want respect and demand respect, 11:06 then I lash out by trying to, 11:10 by trying to acquire those things the wrong way. 11:14 And so now when I have those things, 11:18 I now demand respect from the wrong people. 11:21 Okay, fair enough, fair enough. 11:23 Director McCracken, what are you 11:25 teaching the young guys at Pine Forge, 11:28 in light of what Mike has said about timing? 11:31 He said, you know, getting success, 11:33 and getting money, having a good job, 11:35 having a nice car, there's nothing wrong with that, 11:36 but timing is important. 11:38 What are you telling them there as they grow up? 11:39 Well, in my class, I prepare the young men for life. 11:44 I'm giving them the indication that, 11:46 first of all, you can't have a nice car, 11:49 you can't have a nice house, 11:51 you can't have these things 11:52 unless you go through the proper channels. 11:54 Number one, you have to have good education, 11:56 and number two, you have to plan for these things, 11:59 because society is telling us 12:00 that you need these things to make you better. 12:03 That's not true. 12:04 What I'm saying is, 12:06 if you're trying to make it in life, 12:08 trying to have a lot of money, 12:09 trying to acquire lot of things, 12:11 your education is very important, 12:13 but you have to plan. 12:14 Five years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, 12:17 but you can't have it on the spot. 12:19 You can't just get a job 12:21 and then you're gonna buy a nice car, 12:22 but you don't have a nice house. 12:24 You can't just have a job and then all of a sudden, 12:26 "Oh, I'm gonna try to buy a house." 12:27 You can't buy a house when you don't have good credit. 12:29 So all of a sudden you gonna say, 12:30 "Oh, well, what I'm going to do?" 12:32 Well, you can't do these things 12:34 unless you follow the business model, 12:38 and I'm teaching them 12:39 a business model in that classroom, 12:41 in order for them to reach these things. 12:43 But here is the secret. 12:44 The secret is not so much acquiring these things, 12:49 the secret is letting God help you get it. 12:52 Wow, and that's a point I really want to go through, 12:54 but I gotta say these to you guys, 12:56 I want to be real for a moment. 12:57 You know, one of the main things 12:59 that young guys are taught, 13:01 that ride of passage, from boyhood to adulthood, 13:04 from young man to man is sex... 13:07 Correct. 13:09 You know, if you are still a virgin by a certain age, 13:12 you are not a man. 13:13 If you haven't slept with the whole bunch of girls, 13:15 then you are not a man. 13:17 How troublesome is that for our society? 13:21 Well, I think our society has built this up, 13:24 to require us to be at a certain level, 13:28 not requiring what we have to sacrifice and give up. 13:31 So what happens when you have a young person, 13:34 that feels that way, 13:35 and they go out in this destructive behavior, 13:37 to have sex. 13:39 Not only are they having sex, 13:41 but they are hurting the next person 13:42 that they are having sex with, 13:43 and they are creating environment where, 13:45 you look for low self esteem, 13:47 you look for manipulation and control, 13:49 'cause most of the times when you are young, 13:51 you don't know what sex is. 13:53 You know, you are just jumping in, and jumping out, 13:55 and so you are not doing it out of care, 13:58 you're doing out... 13:59 I need to fulfill this need, 14:01 or I need to make sure that my boys accept me 14:03 into this fraternity, 14:05 because that's what it really is. 14:06 We are getting accepted into a fraternity 14:08 that later on, down the road, 14:09 teaches us in relationship destructive behavior. 14:12 Sure. Sure. Yeah. 14:14 And as doc pointed out, it's a lashing out again. 14:18 The lashing out of making an impulsive decision, 14:23 because I'm searching for belonging, 14:27 I'm searching for love in the wrong place. 14:30 I'm searching for a connection, 14:33 a relationship, 14:34 and instead of doing it as Elder McCracken said, 14:37 the right time and do the process 14:39 in the right way, 14:41 I skip over the step of courtship, 14:44 I skip over meeting the family, I skip over the dating phase, 14:48 I skip over...man, we need to talk about 14:51 our future together, 14:52 as a young woman or a young man. 14:54 Our education, home ownership, credit, all that's... 14:57 I skip over all those things 14:59 and seek after sex and love, 15:02 with a risky behavior of bringing children 15:05 into the world 15:06 before I'm prepared and then expect everyone else, 15:11 and every other organization, 15:12 everything else to take care of my wrong decision. 15:17 Okay, well, let me put it this way, 15:19 let me ask you guys a few questions, 15:20 you just answer yes or no. 15:21 Help me understand, all right? 15:23 So I can be a virgin and still be a man? 15:26 Yes. Yes. 15:27 I cannot have a job and still be a man? 15:34 Who says yes, who says no? 15:36 I say yes... You say yes. 15:37 I say yes, because if we determined 15:40 whether the person is a man by a job, 15:43 then we are not giving him the opportunity 15:45 to gain those particular skills, 15:47 or to gain the education to get a job. 15:50 But I think it comes it too though, 15:52 we've been branded 15:53 by what society says what we are not. 15:57 And society doesn't tell us what we are first, 15:59 we talk about what we are not, more than what we are. 16:02 And so what happens is that we build this mindset up, 16:06 that because I don't have all these labeling things, 16:09 within the black community. 16:11 We are the perpetrators a lot of times. 16:14 You know, we that are older, we already label our young men, 16:17 we are not giving them a opportunity to say, 16:19 why you don't have this, or can I help you? 16:22 Yeah, I mean, I think you know, 16:23 for me it was a lot of older guys in the community, 16:27 who would kinda say, you haven't had sex yet, 16:29 you haven't done this yet, 16:31 that or the third, it really wasn't my boys, 16:32 because they were, you know, same age as me, not doing. 16:34 There was really, the older guys 16:36 were kinda pushing that. 16:37 But guys, let's transition a minute, 16:39 let me see something here. 16:40 I mean, if the world is giving us no right example 16:43 of what a man is to be, then where do I get it from? 16:47 If I'm a young guy and I'm searching, help me out. 16:49 I know you guys are all Christians, 16:51 so I'm assuming what you are gonna say, but help me. 16:54 Well, I think one of the examples 16:56 in the Bible for me was the Apostle Paul, 16:59 before he became the Apostle Paul, 17:00 we understand that he was well educated, 17:03 but he had a different perspective about being a man, 17:06 about being in power and authority. 17:08 So he persecuted the Christians, 17:10 and so but on that Damascus road journey, 17:13 he met God in a way that he never met God before... 17:16 Knocked him off his course. 17:17 Knocked him off his course, 17:19 which in during those times I heard, 17:20 one brother said to me one time, 17:22 that was really critical, 17:23 When you got knocked off your beaks, 17:25 and so in being that man, he had to humble himself, 17:29 he had to submit himself to a higher power, 17:31 something that was greater than him. 17:32 You know, I think what the problem is, 17:34 when you really become a man, 17:35 you submit yourself to someone that's higher than you. 17:39 And God is the creator God, so when you submit, 17:41 when Paul submitted to him, his whole life changed. 17:44 He had a total different perspective 17:46 on what he should be doing, 17:48 and then, he came into his purpose. 17:50 He started growing in his purpose as a real man. 17:52 So basically, man, what you are saying is that, 17:54 a man is someone who knows how to humble himself, 17:57 who recognizes that really 17:59 he is not in control of anything, 18:00 and he submits himself to a higher power. 18:02 That's what you are saying? Yes. 18:04 Absolutely, good. Well, Mike? 18:05 Yeah, one of the things 18:07 that I want to clear also with doc was that, 18:09 when you look throughout the entire Bible, 18:11 of all the men in the Bible, all the men had flaws, 18:16 all the men had issues, 18:18 you know, they had all kinds of sins and issues 18:20 they were dealing with, and in those things, 18:23 when you realize your flaws, 18:25 and you realize that there 18:26 is a higher standard to live by, 18:28 then you allow those flaws to change 18:31 and affect change in your life. 18:33 In our society, our men live with their flaws 18:38 but do not change. 18:39 They stay in their flaws, 18:42 and when they stay in their flaws, 18:43 it's very dangerous. 18:45 When you say that you are flawed, 18:46 that you have no education, go out and get the education. 18:50 When you say that you had a baby out of wedlock, 18:53 then do what you need to do to make sure that you, 18:55 the woman, and the baby are taken care of. 18:57 But don't stay there, and just say that, 19:00 I'm gonna stand by my situation and hope that things change. 19:03 What you're saying that, really God is the one 19:06 who can help you out of that situation... 19:07 Out of the situation. 19:08 Because it's your own actions 19:10 that got you in the predicament that you are in. 19:12 Well, most guys you know, 19:13 they really don't want to kneel before God. 19:15 And, guys, I mean, feel me 19:16 on this seriously, seriously man. 19:18 Is like so weak, guys see it rather, 19:20 as weak to be standing in church lifting your hands, 19:24 you know, lovey-dovey with Jesus, 19:27 I mean guys don't get down with that. 19:28 So director McCracken, 19:30 I mean, how do we engage a young man 19:34 to fall in love with God 19:36 when everything about church, 19:38 everything about worship, 19:39 seems for lack of a better word, 19:41 I've heard it before, kinda, you know, sissy and weak. 19:43 How do we engage him? 19:45 He has to, first of all, black male has to realize 19:48 that he is living in an hostile environment. 19:52 That hostile environment has the devil, and it has Christ. 19:58 Once he understands that he is living in a world 20:01 that is not in favor of him, then he has to now say, 20:06 I need a higher power to help me. 20:09 Well, when he realizes the higher power is available, 20:13 then he can look at Jesus and the Bible. 20:15 Jesus was homeless. 20:17 People don't realize that... 20:19 Didn't really have a job. 20:20 Jesus didn't have the kind of clothes 20:22 that we have today or the money. 20:24 He was God, He owned everything. 20:26 So He didn't have to worry about that. 20:28 But His mission was to seek and to save. 20:32 When the male realizes that he is going to be saved, 20:38 he has to seek out Jesus first. 20:40 I can tell you this. 20:42 When I went to college, I ran out of money. 20:46 And I ran out of money to the point, 20:48 where I was homeless... 20:49 Wow. I'm a great pathfinder. 20:51 I took my tent, I took my backpack, 20:54 and I went into the woods, and I was homeless. 20:58 The young men told me, 20:59 Jay, come over to the dorm and take your showers. 21:02 So I'd take my showers, but I'd sleep in the tent, 21:05 and I would go out and colport and sell books. 21:08 Come back in that tent and... 21:10 I was homeless. 21:11 But I realized that Jesus was homeless too. 21:14 So hey, if He was homeless I can be homeless. 21:16 But it still made me a man. 21:19 "Man Up" means I'm still a man, because God made me a man. 21:24 And of course, I'm here 35 years later, 21:26 to tell the young men, 21:28 that even though you are depressed, 21:31 you are in a society that hates you, 21:33 there was a God who lived just like you, 21:36 and He wants to save you. 21:38 So looking onto Jesus, the Bible says, 21:42 the author and the finisher of our faith. 21:46 Look to Him first. 21:48 That's the first thing. Number one. 21:50 Look to Him. 21:51 Now He is going to take your faith to another level, 21:56 and He is gonna finish your life. 21:58 Wow. 21:59 So God will handle our lives for us, 22:02 make us into a man, 22:03 make us successful if we follow Him. 22:06 Follow. 22:07 I really wished that we could get 22:09 more young black men to accept that. 22:13 So one of the things 22:14 I want to piggyback off of doc was that, 22:16 we are all called to a purpose. 22:18 I think the issue within our black community 22:20 is that our men don't know 22:22 the reason why they are alive... 22:24 Wow. 22:25 What is their purpose for living? 22:27 Right. 22:28 And how do they progress towards that purpose. 22:30 In that progression, there is a need for education. 22:34 A need for proper grooming. 22:36 A need for making sure that you are making the right decisions 22:39 to progress towards your purpose. 22:41 When you are not within your purpose, 22:44 then you act differently, you make impulsive decisions. 22:48 You do things that are not conducive 22:50 and positive for the community. 22:53 And so a lot of our black men 22:54 simply just don't know what their purpose is? 22:57 And when they realize that their purpose 23:00 really is God ordained, and divine, 23:03 that God has a purpose for them, 23:06 then what happens is they begin to live their purpose, 23:09 not under their own fruition, not under their own guidance, 23:15 but by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, 23:17 and by the guidance of God in their lives. 23:20 Allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell within. 23:22 That's a really humbling thought, man, 23:24 that God has a purpose for each of our lives, 23:28 and we are just not here, you know, breathing in air, 23:31 we are not just existing. 23:33 God allowed us to be born for a purpose. 23:37 If every man in the world had that, 23:38 I believe would have a much better world. 23:40 What do you think? Oh, yes. 23:42 You know, and I also want to say this too. 23:44 You mentioned Jesus, you know Jesus, I mean, 23:47 the epitome of a man who knew what His purpose was. 23:50 Yes, He did. 23:52 I mean following His Father, 23:53 following the direction of the Spirit, 23:55 doing everything, 23:56 and it allowed Him to make all the right choices, 23:59 to stay away from bad people and influences, 24:01 to stay away from relationships. 24:03 Knowing His purpose helped Him a tremendous deal. 24:06 So I want to ask you guys right now, 24:07 you guys are, I would consider 24:09 fairly successful in your careers 24:12 and where you are in life. 24:14 Tell me, just real brief, how did God make you a man. 24:18 I want to start with Jason McCracken. 24:21 How did God make you a man? 24:22 Not your society, not your parents, God. 24:24 I'm gonna give you an illustration. 24:26 Is that okay? Sure. 24:28 When I was in high school, 24:30 I went to a program 24:33 where we can make a vase out of clay. 24:38 So my teacher said, "I want you to go over there 24:40 and pick out a lump of clay." 24:42 So I had to go and dig the clay out. 24:44 I had it in my hand. 24:46 It was just ugly. 24:48 They gave me a wheel, 24:49 the larger wheel at the bottom and a smaller wheel up here. 24:51 So I had to take my feet and kick it. 24:53 She said, "Now what I want you to do 24:55 is throw that lump of clay on top of that wheel 24:58 but make sure you hit the middle." 25:01 So I said, "Okay." 25:02 So boom, I hit it. 25:03 "No" she said, "No, no, no. 25:05 It's wobbling. Take it off." 25:06 So I took a string and pulled it off. 25:09 And I'll start all over again. 25:10 Put water. 25:12 And then I had to rub it 25:13 and I threw it right on the middle. 25:15 I hit the middle and then, 25:17 I had to take my hand, with water 25:20 and tried to make sure it was perfectly in that middle. 25:24 It took a lot of time... 25:26 It was wobbling here and there... 25:28 So finally I was under control. 25:32 Then when it was time to make the vase, 25:35 I dipped my hand in, and bring it up. 25:39 God makes us like that. 25:42 But when it's finished, we pull it off. 25:45 We put in a kiln, that's firing, 25:50 that's taking charge now. 25:52 That's molding that man. 25:56 When he comes out of that kiln, 25:59 he is a man. 26:00 But one other step. 26:02 Puts it back in the kiln, because they have to glaze it. 26:07 That is character. 26:09 When it comes out, it's made. 26:12 So God tests us 26:13 and then He puts us through fire, 26:15 in order to mould us, drape us. 26:16 Makes us. 26:17 After His wheel. Absolutely. 26:19 So real quick just a sentence or two, 26:20 because I got to close the shop in a minute, guys. 26:22 But just tell me real quick, how did God make you a man? 26:24 God made me a man 26:25 because He taught me where to draw life from. 26:27 Sure. I drew it from Him. 26:29 Not from the things I could have in my life, 26:31 not from people, 26:32 the way I drew it from His word. 26:34 Amen. 26:35 That allowed me to become the man I am today. 26:37 Amen. Real quick, Mike. 26:38 For me, God restores. 26:40 Joel 2:25-27. 26:42 Whenever I make my mistakes, 26:44 whatever issues life has thrown at me, 26:46 I thank God that when, what the devil has taken, 26:49 when the locusts have eaten it, 26:51 God says that He will restore that 26:53 which the locusts have eaten. 26:54 All right. Thank you so much. 26:55 God makes us a man. 26:57 That's powerful. 26:59 I got to close the shop, guys, I'll see you next time. 27:01 Thank you. 27:03 The world offers many views, on what manliness is about. 27:07 Physical stature, riches, sexual prowess, 27:10 being strong, or being fearless, 27:13 but Micah 6:8 27:14 seems to indicate three requirements for a true man. 27:17 It says, this is the whole duty of man. 27:20 To do justice, or have integrity. 27:22 To love mercy, to be quick and to forgive, 27:25 and have compassion for others, and to walk humbly with God. 27:29 Or in other words, 27:31 be obedient to the will of God in all areas of life. 27:34 Whatever the world's definition of manhood is, 27:37 it will always fall short of God's ideal. 27:40 Not to mention, that God's standards have eternal value. 27:45 In all areas of your life, 27:47 seek to find whatever God's purpose is for your life. 27:50 And then and only then will you be a true man. 27:54 God wants to make something great out of you, 27:57 don't waste it by not following His plan. |
Revised 2018-05-30