Men's Moment: Recent Episodes
Robert Hurst
A weekly quick devo for men, Men’s Moment is intended to challenge and encourage you to follow the Biblical directions of authentic, Christ-centered manhood.
Today’s Men’s Moment marks the end of the beginning. Yes, I know “end of the beginning” is the phrase that Adam Paul Williams used for his song that became so popular (with good reason), but it is also the most appropriate to today’s post.
Have you ever thought about the power of the word “expectation?”
What are your thoughts on “expectations?” We use that word multiple times each day, so much that we are really unaware of when we use it. If we don’t utter it out loud, we certainly use it within the framework of our thought processes.
We'll talk about expectations in today's Men's Moment.
It’s time for men of God to go pick a fight, but we need to pick that fight where it counts - in the prayer realm. We'll unpack that idea in today's Men's Moment.
You say you don’t remember what you said yesterday? That’s alright, because the people you engaged in conversation, whether family, friend, or foe, certainly do. Some will remember more than others, but it is a sure bet they remember something about what you said.
Let's talk about those words you spoke in today's Men's Moment.
Can it happen again? Can the nation be swept with a movement of God’s Spirit that brings about peace, joy, gentleness, kindness, goodness, and the other outcomes of the Spirit?
I believe it can. I believe it must.Let's talk about that in today's Men's Moment.
Why is brotherhood important? Because a friend or acquaintance who is like a “brother” can help you as you move through life, helping you learn to be successful through your challenges, and encouraging you to be the best you can be. But brotherhood does not just “happen.” It must be intentionally cultivated, and that is something that men struggle with today.
Let's talk about brotherhood in today's Men's Moment!
Have you ever heard of George de Mestral? I certainly had not. Whereas I see a problem. George saw an opportunity. Let's see what that was and how it can impact our lives as men in today's Men's Moment.
The title of the article was what first caught my attention.
“America’s First Waterpark Is Now 250 Acres of Abandoned Wasteland, Hits Market for $11 Million,” was the headline. The story talked about a water park, now 60 years old, that was for sale at a price that was over nine times it’s valuation. But that’s not what kept me reading. It was the comment about “guerilla art” that really piqued my interest.
Let's talk about guerilla art in today's Men's Moment.
Have you read chapter 32 in the Biblical book of Exodus. lately? You really ought to go back and take another read soon.
Exodus 32, though recorded thousands of years ago, is in a way a mirror of today’s society, and something we need to be aware of. Let’s do a quick review of the story and how it applies to me in today's Men's Moment.
Do you know what a linchpin is?
I first heard the term “linchpin” as a child. That got me to thinking recently about whether Christian men are ineffective linchpins in today's world. Curious, yet? Listen to today's podcast and let's talk about in Men's Moment.
For over a week, I have wrestled with the words to print regarding the upcoming anniversary of the most fateful day, so far, for these United States, for September 11, 2001, was a turning point for our nation.
Now, we stand at another pivotal time in our nation. What will we do next? Where will we go? What is our future? This is a real issue because we also stand at a spiritual intersection in our nation.
Let's talk about that in today's Men's Moment.
We have all had our share of rough times, whether with our physical health, our financial means, or with family issues. When those times do come, however, it is our choice of how we will respond that makes the difference.
Let's talk about our choices in today's Men's Moment.
There are occasions where I run across a writing from the past that is so pertinent to the challenges of today that I simply must share it. Such is the article that anchors today’s Men’s Moment.Listen. Let God speak. Then act in truth and grace!
Hate is a strong word. Is there anything you hate?
For instance, what foods are such an absolute abomination to you that you work to stay away from them? Can you name a few? Well, join the crowd. Let's have some fun with that as we talk about hate in today's Men's Moment.
Years ago, when I thought I wanted to take up woodworking as a hobby, everything I tried to build was an absolute train wreck. Despite my best free-hand efforts, whatever I was trying to build turned out looking like a piece of deck furniture from a ship wreck! It was pitiful.
Then I learned about patterns, and it changed everything...in woodworking, and in life. Let's talk about that in today's Men's Moment.
So often, as men of God,we find ourselves caught up in telling people everything we think God is against and forget to tell them what He’s for.
So I ask you, are you for the things God’s for?Can you list what those things would be? If so, how do you demonstrate that on a daily basis? Let's talk about that in this week's Men's Moment!
It is time for there to be an end to abortion, and a beginning or renewal of the sanctity of the unborn life.
This week caps our four sessions of discussing several tools you can use to engage the culture in a pro-life discussion. Let's talk about on this week's Men's Moment.
In God we trust.
This is the motto we have etched on every part of our American society from buildings to the very money in our pocket. It is still at the heart of the fabric of our Judaeo-Christian national background. When and who was it that began this reliance on God’s guidance to lead this country?
We'll talk about that in today's Men's Moment.
Here is what should be a very sobering statistic. Since the release of last week’s Men’s Moment, where we introduced tool #2 to discuss abortion, the lives of 16,534 unborn children have been ended by surgical and medical abortions.
That’s 16,534 innocent, unique creations of God that died by the hands of another human being. In light of this, let's continue our discussion on the discussion of abortion in this week's Men's Moment.
Last week, we discussed tool number #1 you can use to discuss the need for life for the unborn with the letter “S”, which stands for SIZE. Today’s tool begins with the letter “L” and stands for “level of development.” Let's talk about this in today's Men's Moment.
Does size really matter?
In the world-view of those wanting to justify abortion of a child, it does. But does it really?
Let's discuss that in today's Men's Moment.
Abortion or Life?
Just that three-word question can create a maelstrom of response from people on either side of the abortion issue. Let's open a discussion about this in today's Men's Moment.
Where is your line in the sand regarding your faith? Where is the point that you say, “Enough, I must take action?” That is the question we started last week’s Men’s Moment with, and one that is even more relevant this week.
Let's take time to continue our discussion on this important topic this week in Men's Moment.
Where is your line in the sand regarding your faith? Where is the point that you say, “Enough, I must take action?”
Let's talk about that in this week's Men's Moment.
Do you have a plan? Do you know what you are going to be doing today? This week? This month? Even this year?
In today's Men's Moment, we talk about planning from a Biblical perspective.
HELP - (Noun) The act of help; aid or assistance; relief or succor.
(Verb) To give or provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need; contributing strength or means to; render assistance to; cooper effectively with; aid; assist.
It’s a safe bet you did not expect to start off this week's Men’s Moment with a vocabulary lesson, and I understand that. It is another safe bet, however, that “helping” is something you may not think a great deal about on a daily basis. I also understand that thought process.
Let's talk about "helping" and "serving" in this episode of Men's Moment.
Do you like to be in charge? The boss man, chief, executive, foreman, master, captain, big gun, head honcho, jefe, numero uno, or whatever title you give yourself?
Deep down, most guys do want to have control and lots of it, and that’s okay up to a point. That's what we talk about in today's Men's Moment.
Familiarity. It’s an interesting word, particularly in how it is subconsciously applied in today’s faith life in churches.
Is is an interesting dichotomy that we work so hard to build relationships in life, and then use that very knowledge, familiarity if you will, to hinder the same relationships we work so hard to build. Let's talk about this in this week's Men's Moment.
Did you feel that?
If not, did you feel that next one? What am I talking about?
Earthquakes, of course. According to one source, there were at least 1,377 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.0 or greater that occurred somewhere in the world just last month. Some are hard to feel while others are not only felt, they cause serious damage. There are a few earthquakes that can change the course of history in an entire region.
What do earthquakes have to do with you? Let's talk about that in this week's Men's Moment.
Guys, let me just get to the bottom line of this week’s Men’s Moment and give you the call to action now. We have a prayer conference in two weeks, and you need to be there.
It starts on Sunday, April 18th, in the morning service, and then again that same night at 6PM. It continues on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights of the next week, starting each night at 6PM. If you want to sign up to feed your family at the church, go to the church website to register, or call the church office and let them know so they can plan the logistics well.
What does it take to convince you of something? For instance, do you really believe the crucifixion story regarding Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection? Or are you feeling perplexed and not quite as sure as you used to be about the Biblical facts presented in the Gospel accounts? Why is it important what you are “convinced” of? Let's discuss this a few moments in today's Men's Moment.
If Jesus were to ride into our town in modern times, where would you be in the crowd? What could tempt you to switch crowds?
I can hear your brain now. “You are not making sense. If Jesus came to town tomorrow, I would call folks to let them know, make certain He had somewhere to stay, talk to the local pastors to see what church He could speak in this Sunday. We might even try to get him in at the college coliseum just so we could fit more people. I would be so excited I couldn't stand it! So why are you asking ‘what could tempt you to switch crowds?’ Nothing would!”
Hmmm. Really? Let’s get real today, look at history in Scripture, and ask some honest questions of ourselves in today's Men's Moment.
Have you ever watched the movie, The Rookie? If not, you should take some time to enjoy this 2002 American sports-drama film. It's based on the true story of Jim Morris, a high school physical science teacher who coaches the school's baseball team.
Through a series of events, Jim Morris ends up getting "the call" to pitch in professional baseball for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Are you ready for "the call" from God? Let's talk about what it takes to be ready in today's Men's Moment.
Research from the Barna Group, a faith-based organization that has carefully and strategically tracked the role of faith in America for decades, describes households that participate in all of several key activities on a weekly basis as being “spiritually vibrant.” Would your household be considered spiritually vibrant? Let's talk about that in this week's Men's Moment.
The words “amazing”, “great” and “awesome” are included on the list of the Most Overused Words and How to Avoid Them. But how does one describe the storms of the last two weeks other than unbelievably awesome in size, scope, intensity, and impact?! A positive outcome from the storms, however, was the response of so many people within the community to help those impacted in some way. Jesus did the very same thing with his disciples. Let's discuss for a few moments on this week's Men's Moment.
Have you ever had an event occur in your life where you later said, “That was a defining moment for me!” Or are you reading (or listening to) this and saying, “Just what is a defining moment?”
The dictionary states that a defining moment is “a point at which the essential nature or character of a person, group, etc., is revealed or identified.” Sounds pretty straight-forward to me. So, what are your defining moments up to this point? Let's check a few.
Let me ask you, when was the last time you thought about the importance of your name? Ever? In Biblical times, names were extremely important as they often “told a story” about the person, their origins, or their heritage. Here is another and better question - what do you want people to think about when they hear your name? Let's talk about this in this issue of Men's Moment.
Let me ask you something. When was the last time you got angry and ended up in an argument? Why? What was so important it could justify a fight with a loved one? Men have a bad habit of expressing many feelings they cannot interpret at the time in the form of anger. Let's talk a bit about that in this Men's Moment.
Over the years, I have learned that everyone is a role model to someone. Right now, someone is watching you. They do it because they believe in you. They are watching how you handle life. Knowing that you will be a role model today, why not work on being the best one you can be?
You don’t know how to appreciate it until it’s gone. I don’t mean personal, will-bending power. I’m talking about just good ole’ electric power. I sometimes wonder if as men, we ignore the true power that is available to us through Christ. Let's explore this thought together in this episode of Men's Moment.
It’s the start of a new year. Have you determined your “one thing” God intends for you? No? Then take a few minutes to listen to this recording of Men's Moment!
Leftovers. After recent festivities, how many leftovers do you have in your refrigerator? Better yet, what are you going to do with them now? The same question needs to be asked about the refrigerator of your life experiences. Are your experiences just leftovers?
Let's explore this together in this Men's Moment.
You’re a shepherd. It’s been a fairly routine night on the hillside near the tiny village of Bethlehem. Pretty, starry, quiet. And then, BAM, an angel appears in the sky, which scares the living daylights out of you. He gives you a message, and then disappears. Now, what are YOU going to do?
The Bible says that, “wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,” seeking Jesus. Quiz question: How many magi (wise men) took the long, arduous trek to see Jesus? Irrespective of the actual number who made the trip, the focal point was why they made the nearly two-year journey to see the Christ child. They believed the prophecy that the Messiah would be born.
If you have heard many stories about the life of shepherds during the time of Jesus’ birth, you probably have been taught that shepherds were the low-life's of that period. You may have been told they were dirty, illiterate, unreliable, and unstable. Digging deeper into scriptures and context, as well as exploring extra-Biblical records, indicates a different picture is probably closer to truth, and it’s one that affects you and me.
Give thanks. That’s what Thanksgiving is supposed to be about.
But how do we give thanks for a year that has been chaotic, upsetting, deadly for some, and life interruptions for all? Let's talk about this together for a few moments in this episode of Men's Moment.
How sophisticated are you? What I mean by my question is, when that little voice inside of you, that voice of the Holy Spirit, tells you that you have done something wrong to someone, how do you react? Listen today as we discuss the spiritual discipline of a clear conscience.
What does repent mean? What is the potential impact of this small word? Let's explore this together for a moment in today's Men's Moment.
How is your memory of Bible scripture going? Think you can do it? Listen to today's podcast and be challenged like never before!
What is spiritual brokenness? Let's take a brief walk into the discussion, the first step to revival.
Prayer. For some men, the very word sends them into mental lock down. Why? What can we do to overcome this and use one of our most effective communication tools? Listen and see!
You gotta admit…it’s been a pretty downer time since at least February of this year, 2020. I mean with the pandemic, sickness, worry, stay-at-home orders, a crazy economy, and more, it has just been tough for some people. You know what you need to do right now? Listen to find out!
Would you agree that we are a nation that is in a predicament? Even you “Polyanna” types must realize that our nation is in trouble. Let's begin the process of discovering how we as men of God can help change this.
What will people say about your life at your funeral? Have you thought about the way you are living today, and the legacy it leaves tomorrow? Let's explore this together for a few moments.
If I asked you to boil the essence of everything you are down into just a few words, could you do it? For that matter, could you come up with a phrase that you want to be known for to those around you? Let's explore for a few moments how we might approach our life descriptive to help guide us.
Have you ever considered the actual definition of the word “band?” I finally looked it up and was surprised to see so many uses and definitions of a word that is used regularly in our culture without our thinking anything of it. And it applies to us men of God in our lives at the church!