Men’s Breakfast 10-18-25

8:00am

Prayer

Breakfast - Catch up on the summer months. Get to know each other at your table.

8:30am

Time to Share

Good Morning Gentlemen, welcome to our Men’s Breakfast this month.

For those that do not know me, I’m Joe Vivian, Associate Pastor for Children and Families here at Eastern Hills.

Thank you Steve, Jake and Luke for breakfast this morning. Thank you Aaron for the set up this morning.

Men, last month was amazing with all that you did to remove the fence in the back playground. We did it all in less than 30 minutes!! You all are amazing.

Next month we will be doing landscaping in the areas in front of the church office.

Let’s get started:

Two months ago, in August, we kicked off our Men’s Ministry Breakfasts with a Theme or Focus of Growing a Transformed Heart for Jesus Christ. We took time and looked at John 3:16 and John 3:21.

John 3:16 is Salvation and thus John 3:21 is the beginning of Sanctification.

I stated that a Genuine eagerness and commitment towards Heart Transformation by the Holy Spirit will foster lasting change, thus sanctification will occur in the heart and life of that follower of Jesus Christ.

We will now journey through 7 principles of a Godly Man, a Transformed Heart.

Prayer: To strengthen your relationship with God

Persona (who you really are): Discover this truth through your relationship with Christ

Purity: To maintain an unbroken relationship with God as your Lord & Savior

Purpose: To discover what God is calling you towards under His guidance and love

Priorities: This brings focus so as to live out your purpose

Perseverance: To learn to push yourself to never give up in your sanctification

Power: Unleash the strength of Christ in you. Transformed Heart

This morning will be a focus on Prayer. I did have every intention onm also speaking about our Persona, our Character and Attitude that we have that displays and reflects our Identidy in Christ; however, I realize that if I did, it would feel like we were drinking out of a firehydrant this morning. Instead, Aaron Ward will take us on that teaching next month. Let’s buckle up this morning as we build a foundation of prayer as men of God.

Turn to James chapter 4 with me right now.

To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing. —MARTIN LUTHER

James 4:2 CSB

2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask.

If you struggle to make prayer a significant part of your life, know you aren’t alone. Most men doubt the power of prayer, or they are bored by the thought of sitting still and talking to someone they can’t see.

This morning has the possibility of changing your life. It really does if prayer is something you feel you must do instead of something you get to do.

You’re a man, so if something is important to you, then you will do it. If you’re serious about creating a transformed heart, then you must be serious about being a man of prayer. Starting this morning.

Men, only through prayer can we discover, experience, and achieve God’s purpose for our lives. Prayer is one of the most important things we can do. But from years of experience in family and marriage ministry, I can tell you that prayer is not something men do naturally.

It’s often not their go-to play when the chips are down; it isn’t their go-to when life is good either.

I have talked to a lot of people who are mad at God. They have a problem or situation they want God to change, and He hasn’t yet done what they wanted Him to do. So they rant and rave about the situation, and they blame God for not helping them. The funny thing is that when I ask them if they have prayed about their problem, often these same people look at me with a dumbfounded expression and tell me no. True…

Most people want things and will go to extreme measures in order to get them. They quarrel, fight, and even kill, as the Bible says, but they never take the time to pray and ask God for help.

We have two choices to make whenever we face circumstances in our lives: we can either face our problems with our own strength and ability, or we can turn to God in prayer so we can face our problems with His strength and ability. The choice is really up to us.

Choosing to look for God’s strength in prayer is just the first step. After we choose to be a man of prayer, we then need to learn some important lessons. We have to learn to invest effort in something that doesn’t come naturally to us, and we have to learn humility in the process.

I love Jesus’ teaching in the upper room in John 15.

John 15:1–11 “1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples. 9 “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”

How are you abiding, staying connected to Jesus? Look at verses 10 and 11 again.

John 15:10–11 “10 If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”

See men, we instead of practiving humility we resort to making correction and fixing things ourselves.

In general, men are doers-fixers, not talkers, and the simplest definition of prayer is talking to God. God has wired us to get things done, and we resist sitting around running our mouths when we could be doing something much more “productive.” However, in order to pray we must learn how to spend time talking to God.

It requires us to admit that we need God’s help, which is humbling. Most people I know resist humility.

But in God’s eyes, humility is not optional. We must learn humility or we will be taught humility the hard way.

James writes, “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6).

A great definition of grace is God’s empowering strength for us to do what He called us to do and to be what He has called us to be.

The Bible is clear when it comes to receiving grace. If we want that kind of strength in our lives, then we’ve got to get over ourselves and be humble.

So what is humility anyway? The Bible gives a straight answer:

Romans 12:3 CSB

3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.

Humble people don’t try to impress others or themselves by showing off. They see themselves clearly, as people whose best quality is their faith in God, and they shut up about the rest. Isn’t that counter-cultural to everything we are taught?

Here’s what Jesus taught during the sermon on the mount.

Matthew 5:43–46 “43 “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?”

That’s humility my friends. Humility grounds us to pray for others: those we envy, those we are angry towards, and those who have broken our trust.

The reality is that it takes more strength to be humble than it does to brag. Any guy can shoot his mouth off and act like he’s the man; anyone can be arrogant and try to do things solo.

It’s harder to be humble and ask for God’s help. So be tough, suck it up, and be a man. Be humble before God.

Now, let’s land this plane on Prayer…Real prayer is not passive. It is the way we aggressively take hold of what God has for us. Praying is action, and it is where true victory is really won. Humbly coming before God, praising His for Who He is and all He has done for us, admitting our sins and asking for forgiveness, giving thanks for His Grace and Mercy, and reaching out and making supplication for those around you and for you.

Jesus shared with His disciples when they asked how to pray.

Matthew 6:5–15 “5 “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him. 9 “Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 14 “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. 15 But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.”

Learning to Pray

Let me now share some truths for each of us to strengthen and increase our prayer life:

Be Ready To Pray All The Time: 1 Thess 5:16-18

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 CSB

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Live in a state of praise for all that God has already done as well as what He will do. Think of the blessings.

If I can’t heap praise on the one who gave me life, then I need to conduct a strong examination of who I really am and what I really believe.

Prayer Requests: Keep a list of your prayer requests

This brings focus to what’s on your heart and in time it will give you the opportunity to see how God answered that prayer. As a father, you can share this with your spouse and children, if applicable and age appropriate.

Pray in the moment: Continual be ready to thank God for what He is doing in your life as well as taking time to stop and pray for those who ask for prayer as well as those who He lays on your heart to pray for.

Set A Clock: Set a deliberate time for prayer each day

Make this a habit, not out of a task to be done, but as a time to spend time with your Heavenly Father.

Pray Through Scripture: As you spend time in His Word, if there is a verse or a passage that God lays heavy on your heart, stop and pray through it as you begin to own it, to apply it into your life.

Transformed men don’t stay stuck in discouragement; they turn their problems into prayers and watch God accomplish exactly what God sees necessary for your life to be accomplished.

Jeremiah 29:12–13 “12 You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.

Here’s an application towards all that i just shared:

During a season of uncertainty, such as financial struggles or health concerns, gather your household for a special prayer night once a week. Share each person's concerns openly and take turns praying for one another’s needs. This not only builds unity but also reinforces the truth that you’re not facing these challenges alone. Bring out a Bible, read a passage that encourages you, and let that scripture guide your prayers.

Prayer is also hard work…

One reason men avoid it is because they perceive prayer as passive, but when men deliberately engage in times of prayer, they find out that it’s hard work, and many of them give up.

Becoming a man of prayer will not happen by accident. It takes training. Just as an athlete works on a physical challenge, prayer is a spiritual challenge that takes much effort.

Even though it is hard, it is well worth it. The recipe for spiritual victory always includes prayer. As men, we face a constant flow of demands, problems, and crisis situations. So we have a choice to make: we can tackle these problems in our own strength, or we can pray for God’s help. Just like the plates of pasta a runner eats before a marathon, prayer is our fuel to keep going. By establishing a discipline of prayer, you can bring God into every situation you pray about.

On your own, you are limited.

Prayer invites God’s constant presence and infinite power to bear on your problems. It is also a key part of a growing and transformed heart for Jesus Christ.

Think on this: Is there someone in your life you really want to learn from? If you could meet with that person every day, for as long as you would like, would you do it? Of course you would. In the same way, you can spend whatever time you wish with the Creator of the universe. The question is, why don’t you?

Philippians 4:4–9 “4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. 9 Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Men, after this morning is done, make a plan to meet with God. Meet with Him and give Him praise for Who He is, seek forgiveness, thank Him for all that He has done and present your requests to Him. Spend time in His word, learn from Him and know Him. Either begin today or continue Transforming Your Heart more in the Image of Christ.

Let’s Pray.