Restoring Your Soul; click here to listen

The heart of every man craves a great adventure.

Life doesn't usually feel that way.

Jesus speaks of narrow gates wide roads masculine journey is filled with many twist and turns, so how do we keep from losing heart trying to find a way when life feels more like a losing battle than something worth dying for, grab your gear, request your band of brothers will serve as the guides we call masculine journey masculine journey starts here now New Year's Eve 2016. It's hard to believe were there already is. Not even New Year's Eve. Even it's just plain old New Year's Eve and so as we look on the master journey for New Year's Eve 2016.

One of the thoughts that we would like to kick around his what is worth dying for, you know, when you look at your know you really like Erica Martha.

That's a great question and in your life when you look at 2017. Is there some causes there something in your life that you have that kind of sense of wow that is worth dying for, and tonight's topic is actually restoring your soul say it but it's an interesting thing I think that we find in the Christian life in order to live. We gotta do what gotta die right and Vinnie, if you've experienced that on all sorts of levels over 85 and killing your actually that's true. I have been killing myself not yet. It's the kind of a tough subject because of me. I believe the 2017 28 thing I like the goal at least 2030 and on keep on talking to and have to be talking to him for me to get the 2030 was without him. I couldn't get the revisit one of our last week's heroes George Bailey and you might remember that he kinda died in order to come to this point I please God let me live again and Jim Graham is with us tonight, as is Jim Ricky. James and we got Dennis and we have any exams along the weather.

As you can imagine this New Year's Eve we want to send out ratings to Sam but this whole idea of dying in order to live Jesus used at all over the place today. You did, it's something that is alien to most of us was admitting I would need take a knife and stab yourself hard every day but you do have to put other is the reason you're living as opposed to living for yourself. That's what Jesus was speaking to Jim when we are getting ready for the shower. Jim Ricky now was Jim Graham, just to keep Jim straight. You recall the story we were talking about this restoration of the heart were God gave you a sense of peace but in almost a real sense you were dying before you got there. Oh, absolutely.

Was an event that happened in college I'm.

Needless to say I wasn't walking with the Lord or was really aware what it meant to be saved.

At that time I was seven or it was a rough rough week for me.

I was flunking out of school. I mean desperately flunking as an try to pull down a 4050 hour week job. My parents drop me financially want to surprise my girlfriend and she said she had to study for final. I didn't realize biology was one of her subjects, though it was a roughly and I went home and went my apartment in took a loaded shotgun and sat down the kitchen floor and was it really ended all, and that evening I cried out to God that night and said in my really that bad. I didn't get the answer I thought it was going to get in and get beat up and get the well yeah probably. But God audibly answered me and said everything is going to be all right. And then I had this incredible sense of peace come over me. So in a sense I died on the floor that kitchen that night Elise what the old Jim was, and I thought I'd lost my mind related, I thought I thought the rent sticking in a padded room next morning. I was afraid of telling I did reach out to a very trusted friend and he panicked and came and collected all my weapons was likely actually quite bite my friend whose it was not familiar with firearms at the top. Watching him walk out of my apartment complex with his armful was very entertaining but you know and at that point, you know I had died to myself and literally had to place my life in God's past interesting thing I was mentioning the guys and I restudy in Jeremiah this week and I noted that the Hebrew word for obey.

Obedience was that same picture of a piece of grass, a piece of grass coming up out of the ground like when God said that the grass of the field come up that that is the same thing. The grass is obeying it's doing what it's supposed to do, but it's it's died like the piece we Jesus talked about in order to obey and come up towards the light and one of the people you talk to the rescue missions they Dennis they told you the same thing that obedience is a big part of restoration yet that's exactly what he said. I asked couple guys when he's been to a boot camp of ours recently said what just restoration of your heart mean to you and he said very quickly. Obedience to God.

That's that's how my heart gets restored because of got all the stuff that is going on when I become obedient in Christ appellee said, you know, if you love me and you will you will obey my commands so you have this other clip from Sam sent the clip and none of us have seen the movie clip you probably can say Robby ever seen that movie anyway so it's all okay but when you hear the story. This guy that is screaming about his problem. His soul has been stolen, of all things and and he's out in this life is not good for him. As you can tell, probably from hearing his voice and is seeking that restoration, and the sounds of lust you have another anything you want to add that dentist before we play the snow.

I think that's good. Okay give me something like God and 47 years old. If I live to be 60 I'd have to live through another 13 years standing as I have nothing to do justly in a different way, this is passed on the way life is well benefits well, it spoke to me because it you know when I first heard that it reminded me a lot of myself not too long ago reminded me of being in a place where I was in my early 50s going if I had this much more time to live. What is it that I do with my life and as he can to be the same as it has been because I don't see any future and that I don't see anywhere to go with that and in less than two years got his totally turn that around where it's been shown me through this process of transformation that of going through that he in fact had a plan all along a plan to enable me to help others plan to be able to reach out to people and share my own story, but at the time I can remember being in a basement apartment I speak about that basement apartment every once in a while.

Not too long ago if years back where I was asking the same questions. What do I do if I had this much more time. What is that I do because I can't keep on living in the past and that question what's worth dying for, and what is it that you have in your life that's worth dying for, and Jim Graham now going back to the gym.

You made a fascinating statement that you learn from black to be.

Yes, that working on. Usually we way to the second segment to bring out of the depression but worse since Sam is not here go for right God clearly told us in the 23rd Psalm that he was can help us out here he was, live down in green pastures. He is gonna restore a soul and how that process looks for you in 2017 is kind of what were going after Jim gave us amazing insight with this one little phrase that I think speaks tremendous volumes to many of us have lived 60 years and the God don't really feel for that guy whining about the but I am here with Benny who inspires me. I could go another 18 years. But what and let me set it up a little bit during that time in my life was when I was truly on. As we call on fire for the Lord was going to divinity school hours reading the Bible all the early 90s and I was taking actually at this point I think I was leaving, and experiencing God group and God really hit me with something Henry said, and it is the world tells you don't just stand there do something, but often God says don't just do something, stand there, we need to stop and have that time with God to be restored sees the one that does the restoration, pride, and in the in the 23rd Psalm is weird talking about a minute ago, David is instructing us that the Lord's a shepherd and utilizes down in green pastures. Any he sets us beside still waters. And many of us can picture right. Almost immediately, where he restores my soul. Now for Jim that's on the kitchen floor because that's where he was in the still waters was a sink, but dishwasher actually but in your case. Many it. It's direct yeah that's the my family came from Europe Italy actually Sicily from the time Coulter ripped and as a kid I would sit around the table and listen to them talking about their town.

Beretta growing up. That's all I heard speak the language.

Find out about the still waters doing 27 plan. Some of this restoration ever different that a movie clip anyway. Magic tomorrow Tom cruises got what Scientology you cannot not stay tuned for this next segment radios list are supported very thankful for every dollar but I wanted to take a moment to share a really easy way to support use Amazon to purchase things you need to do smile.amazon.com Charity contribution site and from there slick good heart ministries and Amazon will donate 5% of your purchase, donate or watch a video on how to do this the radio that's messenger the radio large salmon mask I talked about ways you can help support Willie smiled at him was on is information that Facebook.com where we can get PO Box 552 7285 will all in the knee as I will swing to green pastures that for me that that little music bumper that you disturbed something I found a few days ago and that can take me there. Often times is music and just hearing this guy who I really had her before talk about speaking to God and asking him to restore his heart. You know I get that not everyone gets this, but I get those little chills when I hear piece of music like that that I know that God's in the room Holy Spirit working with me and he's drawing me closer to him.

That's my green pasture which gets to the issue of what we can do in 2017 to turn back towards God move closer and union to him.

What can we do the plan. Some of that. Do you have something in your life that's correct and relive any continue on taking us and Italy will when I received got all Sicily ads not set out the boot part.

This is the really Sicily.

When I got out of the cab immediately. Just looking.

I was in the square very small town since I've been I told my wife I since I have been and I realized almost instantaneously that because they will always talk and when I was a kid about the ripped. I knew as much as they did and they lived there like told my wife and I told my kids that's home when I pass on I just feel like I'm going to be restored by God and where I came from and that was this little town today.

I gave them kind of hope still listen to million take me back there and just throw my issues all over the mountain with my first wife who we always want to go to Sicily and Cedartown, but she passed away and 97 and mix our ashes and just throw soul over the mountain and thumping sound kind of stupid, but not to me it sounded stupid to my daughter when I told her what I want to do is you don't understand. You really don't understand because if you feel God in that place that's exactly right dance of home. This restoration of our soul. Now transition a bit more. This is the mass from Germany and the one thing that the guy sitting at this table understand is that we are at war and this movie called Edge of tomorrow. Has this theme of lived.

I am repeating this, like the Armageddon version of Groundhog Day because Tom Cruise is in this situation where he has to relive every day. But he has to die in order to get reset in order to train on what it is that he needs to do in order to defeat this monster that take over the world and so as you listen to this clip understand that he has to be trained in the girl that's helping them in order for him to continue on his training whenever he gets hurt. She shoots him so he'll die so that he can be read continue on in this training so when she's saying you know you look like you broke your leg like a good good for Tom but I want to listen to list a couple other things that he says that have profound wisdom.

I think there's one point Mary where he says I'm not a soldier is talking to the woman and she goes in the soldier euro weapon and in it. Then he says I need to be equipped.

Well, there's the question for us. The masculine journey are we equipped to be a weapon to advance the kingdom of God and what is that look like in your life and what are you planning to do in 2017 to get equipped and to be a weapon and to reset in order to do I turn to God and ask him to equip you because you're in a war yet. I mean maybe eating experiences in Christmas and I just say and it sounded a bit like this is clip music was first sent the longer I talk going to reset yet dying to live is taken on a whole new sense of meaning that particular movie there from Tom Cruise but you saw the whole movie. Jim and and there's a profound spiritual stuff in there that I honestly in my spiritual life did not understand the war that I was in the midst of and what the masculine journey has done for me and our boot camp experience.

Whatever is orange me to engage the enemy and to do something about getting our brains beat every single I will love the analogy there with our Christian walk for small world weapons in the hands of God. And if you've never died, yourself, you're probably a nurse distal time you have over like Tom to the movie over and over over each time he was more dangerous.

I will give you the end of the movie but I don't like Tom Cruise is particularly as a person, but he's made some sensational movies. This was a great one, but ultimately he does get through every obstacle, but it is by dying frequently as we heard that clip and that's just the tip of the iceberg. What we heard some of the way that John Eldridge puts it, is that we are in the midst of this unbelievable love story, but instead in the midst of this battle and so being equipped and being the warriors that we are, for the kingdom of God. But we have a certain amount of beauty that we need to take in getting back to that whole idea of restore my soul. And here is David and this guy was equipped okay I'm was equipped five stones and you're in bad trouble and then you he was equipped, but he was the guy. It was sitting by the still waters.

And he was the guy who is getting us his soul restored because he had experience that and what it what are your plans this year to go someplace and do something to reengage God.

While I think from a standpoint of those guys can live in a quite sure aware surrender if you will, and often I can go back to boot camp in problem my favorite clips of boot camp is the clip where there are at war and that the guy gal yells. If you want to live get off the beach and I think it needs to happen in every man's life is that you know we were all created for something God created us to do something and as men we we need to get up off the couch and I don't get off the beach, stop staring television set, flipping through channels and find it what it is, God has called us to do find what it is, as Jim says, you know, sometimes it's just a matter of spending time with God.

No good you not to find God an episode of NCIS. Sorry, just not there.

But spend some time with God. I think that's where you know many of us. I fail on a daily basis is Fars get into God's word every morning should Jim and Dennis as you enter into this battle doesn't not get bloodier. I mean you not, that was a fascinating thing to me as I walked with these guys in the masculine training whenever I mean the battle becomes more intense and the more equipped you got a B because the more you've upset the enemy, the more he's coming after the more you got a target on your back and oh my word. It starts coming at you. Yeah I just had actually I just had some of that happened recently around December and the Christmas season where we are at II since with some things some things a lot of things been going on some things with my schooling. Some things with doing some additional things in my life and it didn't it didn't hit me to about a week ago that I was under attack.

I was under heavy attack. All my beliefs were being questioned. There were people getting my face questioning what was going on with me. There lots of decisions to make lots of things going on and there were times where I sat down I thought okay Lord I thought once we got a little closer.

This like this would just move along rather smoothly and then it just struck me that it this is this is exactly what's going on that I was in the nova war and I put myself on that battlefield so expected and turning door are warrior. You know, in his 80s.

Vinny I know that the and and it's a comfort. Obviously, all of us sitting here to know that this old man was blind when it gets dark. He starts playing right and he's not bringing the kingdom of God through spiritual warfare in his own way, every single night and morning and morning and you know but you know those things are how we do battle that's exactly right. I actually look: waking up with God's gracious to me and bless midst to wake up to talk to him and see what he wants from me for that day and he tells me and sometimes it's a hard thing to put in any case, I did the lien with God and listen to what he says. You may not realize it will.

I have had an experience my own daughter that read every script time to get in well next week okay that way with happy new year to you in 2017. Hey, put on plans to attend the boot camp and how to get a little bit more clip and have the still time to be with God, he can go to mass concerning radio.org camp is coming up April 6 through the ninth special price going on right now give a present to somebody want to have that. Thank you for