Why do you Believe?

New Heights Men at New Heights Church Message from: Alex Stuart Hey Men,   In light of some research I am doing at the moment, I would love to get your response to the following questions:   1. What person in your life most influenced the way you view/do life? What makes you say that?   2. What action(s) have you participated in that made you feel like more of a man?   3. What book have you read or movie you watched that you feel like had a huge impact/motivating factor for you as a man?   Ok, survey over. Thanks in advance for your responses.   So the men's retreat is right around the corner (sign up at www.newheightschurch.com) and we are going to be running under the theme of Finding Your Place in the Story.  What the heck does that mean, you ask. Well look around and ask yourself what story am I living in? In other words, what shapes my decisions, actions, words, core beliefs. For instance, if you truly believe that Jesus died for the forgiveness of your sins (among other things) then you shouldn't go around beating yourself up over mistakes you have made in the past. Jesus dying on the cross is part of the story you are living in and it has an effect on your life.   Some may call this your worldview if that helps define this concept for you. I like story because when Jesus came, that's how He decided to interact with mankind. He told stories and asked questions because that's the way to get to the deepest parts of us. Stories hold our attention. They convey more than a plot and a climax. As you identify with the characters of a story, you tend to take on their whole belief system.   So, what's the idea of our place in the story? This is where having a worldview is not enough.  A worldview may define your cognitive belief system, but it does not assign you a part in that system, which is one of the core desires of our lives. We want to belong, to make a difference, to have impact. You will never experience this with out first knowing the story you are living in, and then knowing what your place is in that story.   There are places in the story that are common to all of us as Christian men. We are to offer our strength as it is needed.  Others are to be able to rest in our shade as oaks of righteousness.  We are to lead well as Christ leads us. Then there is the individual place we are to fill and this can be defined as our missions, our assignments from God. Weather you know it or not, God has been working in your life since you were born to mold you, train you for that mission, that assignment. Or assignments! Each assignment strengthens us, trains us for the next one also.   So at the men's retreat, we will break down the story we are living in on Friday night, then on Saturday, in the midst of some great activities, we will take some time to look at your individual story and see where God has been leading you.   Come prepared to spend a couple of hours working and playing outside. Which leads to a prayer request, please go ahead and be praying for some good weather that day.   If any of you have some words of encouragement for other men to attend this retreat, based on your experiences at past retreats, please put those in your response to this email and I will send them out on my next email.   I hope to see you there.   In Christ Alex