For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12

When I was a kid, I attended a private school where we would do “sword drills”, racing to see who could find a book/chapter/verse in the Bible announced by the teacher. In retrospect it was fun, but I’m not sure about fruitful, as I learned to beat other kids in my pride but didn’t pay much attention to the words I was frantically flipping pages to find. It also made finding and reading the verses something you did quickly and – certainly in my case – without much thought for the text or its application.

As we launch into a long sermon series on Sundays in 2009, delving into 1 and 2 Peter, it is equally important that we teach our men a good habit that involves more than listening to a preacher, taking the initiative and stabbing at the tough meat of a text like good spiritual soldiers hungry for truth. Many men read their Bibles, but how do you get the MOST out of it, studying the Bible for all it’s worth? This Wednesday at Mars Hill Lake City, the men of the campus will gather to tangle with text… not to conquer the material, but rather to better be mastered BY it.

What does it mean to be a spiritual swordsman? How can every man do an inductive Bible study and be tested and tempered by the Word of God both in personal and group investigation? How can we wield the Word of God in such a way that it pierces our hearts and makes us more like Jesus, humble but armed with a powerful message of justice and grace that we can confidently stand as godly men? Join the men of Mars Hill this Wednesday at 6.30pm to begin the quest for growth in study and discipleship.

Building up Biblical Men for Battle, “REAL MEN” is a gathering of testosterone and teaching, tempering and testimony, connecting and commissioning.  Mars Hill Church in Lake City gathers men monthly to get real as we hear from pastors and panels about life in this city, surviving and thriving as image-bearers and agents of transformation for Jesus, our hero and king.