In the light of last Sunday's strong challenge from Hosea 4-5 for us men to boldly take up the mantle of responsible, spiritual leadership in the church and family, consider two opportunities:1. 4:6 challenged us to deepen our knowledge of spiritual truth. For some of you guys, that means working hard to become a reader of the best books - books which really challenge your mind and help you fully grasp biblical truth. Let me commend to you the best book I read in preparation for my Hosea series: Love Divine and Unfailing by Michael Barrett. It is not a traditional, text by text commentary. Rather, it is a thematic and theological overview of Hosea which helps explain the covenantal connection between Israel's sin and God's grace. Barrett also helpfully explains how Christ is front and center in Hosea. It is not a long book, but it is rich and beneficial. I think this book could give us men the tools we need to most helpfully explain and apply Hosea to our families and/or small groups.
2. Taking spiritual responsibility for the women and children in our lives also means that when leadership needs are present in the church, it should be us men rising up and taking our places at the front of the line to serve. Among other places of service, that should be true for children's Sunday School. Out of our six classes planned for this fall, we only have teachers for three; and out of the eight teachers or helpers who will be dedicating their time to teaching, only one is a man. I'm thankful for the women leading our children, but where are the men? Guys, it's time to rise up, take responsibility and lead to the glory of God. If you're interested, please contact Wade Talley at wade.talley@med.und.edu or 721-2757.
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