A Kinder and Gentler Eight

The mission of F3 is to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for the invigoration of male community leadership.

Conditions: an amazing breezy morning, great temps for a run

FNGs: none

COP:  just a lot of chatter

The Thang:

It’s 5:00. Let’s run.

As Mack has to leave early right now due to some Navy PT, YHC offered up the choice of running the big loop or running the figure eight so he could stay close to the AO. After a little more chatter, all PAX decide to hang around the AO and run the figure 8.

This run is not to be confused with the Creek favorite, the Hateful 8. No burpees were done although some PAX did what I would consider sprinting.

45 minutes later, we convened (minus Mack and TKO) back in the parking lot.

Mary: none

Numberama: 8

Namerama: Snowden, Stalker, Goober, Training Wheels, Olaf, Mack, TKO, Urkel

Pledge and COT

Announcements: P200 sign-ups to come, don’t miss Snowden’s Q next Thursday

Devo: The Three Lies Men Believe About Themselves

Based on the book Believe It: My Journey of Success, Failure and Overcoming the Odds by Nick Foles.

Foles shares the story of how he went from being the starting QB for the Rams, 2 years removed from being a Pro Bowl QB to being told he had been traded after consecutive loses. He no longer enjoyed the game he once loved and decided to give up the game. But he didn’t act on it and another two years later he finds himself as the reigning Super Bowl MVP. So what changed and what can we learn from him? Stop believing these three things about yourself.

1. I am what I do – It’s how we define ourselves as men. What do you do? I’m a… Why is this a dangerous lie? You become only as good as your last performance. Have a good day? I’m a winner. Have a bad day? I must be a loser. It wasn’t until he realized his identity came from Christ that he once again began to enjoy the game. It was no longer a way of acheiving his self-worth.
2. I am what others say about me – Similar to the first, the danger here is that you become only as good as the last thing someone said about you. And then you put on that mask and become the poser. If you put your value in what others say, you turn yourself into what they want you to be instead of being what God designed you to be. It leaves us a shell of what we should be.
3. I am what I have – Our value is defined by our possessions: a big house, a nice car, a big truck, a beautiful family, the boat and on and on and on. What’s the problem here? those things can be gone at a moment’s notice. And when they’re gone, it leaves us feeling worthless because we have nothing. (Olaf added talents to this list as well).

What Nick came to realize is that all of these are lies and do not define him as a man. He’s loved unconditionally by the God that created him. That’s what makes him valuable. As men we need to come to the same realization.