Make An IMPACT

Making a lasting IMPACT on men can create a sustaining movement of men prepared and equipped for effective ministry. There is an epidemic that continues to plague churches all over the country; men are falling into sexual sin and almost inactive in ministry. In addition, statics say, that over 50% of pastors are addicted to pornography. Why? We have pacified men with sporting events, dinners and feel good seminars. As a result, men have perfected talking to one another on the surface all the while walking as a dead man in the spirit. This is counterproductive to the male psyche, which looks for challenge and an opportunity to conquer. Therefore the best topics to minister to men are those that challenge them to do as God said in 1 Peter 1:16, “Be ye holy as I am holy.”

Men have to be challenged and impacted by specific characteristics. Those characteristics can be found in the very letters of the word IMPACT.

Integrity: Teach men the importance of walking in righteousness even when no one is looking. It is during the times of temptation he has to hold himself accountable and chose integrity rather than compromise. Integrity is feed by a strong desire to consistently please God regardless of the situation.

Maturity: Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I thought as a child, I spoke as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” Men have to be challenged to move forward in their development of Christ and spiritual disciplines, responsibility to family, associates and ministry. A man’s development in these areas are key indicators of maturity.

Purity: The need to walk in total purity must be taught throughout the development of a man from boyhood to adulthood. Men who walk in purity have to have a mission to intervene in the lives of men of all ages and challenge them to guard their hearts and minds from the spirit of perversion. Purity requires us to know how men function when it comes to sexuality and how to guard our eyes and heart with all diligence. Men are stimulated sexually by touch and sight. Therefore, men have to be taught how to monitor what they watch on television, the internet and how to relate with females without entering into compromising situations.

Accountability: Men who feel that they are held accountable by their brother tend to maintain integrity better than a brother who is a loner. We are our brothers’ keeper and overseer as we journey through this very tempting world. To hold a brother accountable means, I will tell you the truth about you even when you are wrong. This may be hard and difficult, but it will preserve the soul of our brothers.

Character: Who are you as a man? Are you punctual, thorough, honest, can people count of you? These and so many more attributes defines a man’s character. Character is a man’s profile sheet. It is the letter that the Apostle Paul says is read by all men. We have to be sure that the letter our lives present is commensurate with our proclamation to be men of God.

Trustworthiness: Do you tell the truth or do you flatter people with your words that have no works to support them? Men are big on trust. If a brother does not trust his friend, he will only relate to him on the surface. Again, just sports talk and the weather. However, if a brother knows that his friend is trustworthy, he will open up to him about some of his most frightening experiences. For those brothers who have brothers who trust you, never break their trust. This could break the spirit of the man and leave him wounded as prey for the enemy. Let’s walk in truth even when it hurts.

This is a season of healing and ministering to men who have been wounded and injured by the enemy. Some may have been self-inflicted wounds and others a direct attack by the enemy. Regardless of the source of the wound, men can still make an IMPACT in their own lives and the lives of the next generation of men.