Principle #6 - God’s word doesn’t work very well outside of community. 

‍This may be the most important principle of them all.  Possibly because this is the biggest weakness of the church in America.  Relationships.  Relationships are everything.  If you are attempting to follow Jesus all by yourself, you are heading for destruction.

Our men’s movement in East Texas is simply a network of masculine relationships.  We are basically a bunch of small groups scattered throughout our partner churches.  Except these groups are not typical small groups.  They are not Bible studies but they are 100% focused on God’s truth.  We call them SPAR groups.  This stands for Sharpening, Prayer, Affirmation, and Repentance.

The bottom line in these groups of ordinary men:  we love each other enough to ask the painful questions and speak the painful words to each other.  God’s word is spoken, imparted, and lived out, in and through each man.  There is fierce discussion, heartfelt affirmation, and loving rebuke.

The best part is when men bow their heads and pray prayers of surrender, gratitude, confession, and silence.  We listen to God’s voice, write down what we hear, and declare it to each other. 

In a SPAR meeting, God’s word truly comes alive!  And His truth always sets men free.

Principle #7 - Discovering the truth about truth. 

‍There is much debate today about the truth.  What is true about God and what is not?  These discussions can get very entertaining as we weigh the contents of both sides of the argument.  The problem is, the focus is on a piece of data, or information.  And the data has a verse or two that backs up the data.  There is a passionate  pursuit for truth.  And this is good!

But, do we ever stop and consider what is “truth”?  Are we really searching for the “correct information” so that we become more like Christ?  Is truth all about interpreting the Bible in the most accurate way possible?  Is it a healthy goal to have the most correct theology as we can before we die? Not necessarily.

What is TRUTH?  We are all familiar with John 8:32, “And you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.”  This is a powerful promise for us all.  Who does not want to live their lives in freedom?  What does this verse really mean?  Well, it is very simple if you look at the definition of the word truth.  The Greek word for truth in this passage is “leithia”, which means reality.  

Let’s say it again:  And you shall know the reality, and the reality will set you free.  Did you know there is a reality in every person, relationship, and situation on the planet?  And there is One who knows what that reality is every moment in every person, relationship, and situation.  It is God. He has an opinion about everything. And His opinion is always 100% correct.

What is the truth (reality) about the health of your marriage today? God knows.

What is the truth (reality) about the needs of your daughter’s heart? God knows.

What is the truth (reality) about your financial fears? God knows. 

Will you be still, listen to the Holy Spirit within, and get to the bottom of your truth (reality) today? God knows and He wants you to know. Will you listen with an open heart today?

So, let's go back to the title of the article.  Why is it that Bible studies produce little fruit?  Once again, there is a place for this activity in the church.  But if we are honest, we would have to admit that this American church tradition rarely gives participants the opportunity to encounter the living God in an intimate, relational way.  Which means little change, or fruit takes place.

It really is that simple. Bible studies are great at giving believers an opportunity to discuss theological ideas and practical applications. Rarely are you given an opportunity to respond back to God or encounter the life-changing power of repentance. This is not being critical, it is just being honest.

Let’s imagine a 1-hour Bible study on a Tuesday night at your church. Eight men are in attendance. The Bible study leader, Bob, opens by reading Philippians 2. He asks the men to close their eyes and meditate on the passage for 1 minute. Then he reads the passage again. At this point, the leader asks the men to open up their notebooks and spend 7 minutes listening to the Holy Spirit concerning the truths of the passage.

This is the highlight of the evening. God is being given the opportunity to stir up, convict, encourage, and speak clearly his powerful truth to each of the 8 men. One can sense the sacredness of this 7 minutes. When we close our mouths, and open our hearts to God, exciting things happen!

The timer goes off after 7 minutes. The men know what comes next. The leader says, “Now, we will give each man 3 minutes to share what God is saying to you. And I will go first. Bob shares how God is convicting him of selfishness towards his wife when he comes home tired from work in the evening. You can see the pain in Bob’s eyes. But it is not the pain of shame. Bob’s eyes have been opened to what he is missing by not sacrificially loving his wife. 

There is a shift going on in Bob’s heart. He is realizing that his wife needs him in a bigger way than he realized. But more importantly, he is realizing that he has what it takes to love and serve her each evening. Even when he is dead beat tired.

Sam speaks next. He has also had a God encounter during the seven minutes of sacred silence. Sam owns a small business and was impacted by verse 4: not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Sam confesses that he has been seeing his employees as vehicles to help him reach his personal goals. He confesses the sin of greed. Thomas says, “Sam, what action will you take in obedience to what God is saying to you?”

Sam commits to meet with each of his 5 employees and ask them how he can better serve them. You can see a huge weight drop off Sam’s shoulders. Freedom! Peter affirms Sam and tells him he has been inspired to do the same thing with the salesmen that he supervises. Sam freely receives the affirmation, thankful that his journey can help another man.

After 45 minutes have passed, each man has been given the opportunity to share, confess, and declare. God moves in each man’s heart. True repentance, or “a change of mind”, takes place. There is only one way to use the remaining time. The men bow their heads and confidently enter into the transformative place of prayer.

Each man prays a simple, short, child-like prayer, focused on what God just spoke to them. For some it is a prayer of surrender. For others it is a prayer of gratitude. Each man humbles himself and responds to the truth that the Holy Spirit has clearly communicated. It is a holy moment for each man. And all 8 of these men go home with much freedom and a clear vision for how to live and love.

Do you see the potential of men coming together with God’s word? It is earth-shaking what can happen when men get serious about Truth. God is always ready to transform a man’s heart through His word. The question is: Are you hungry for God to interrupt your life and transform you?

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