12 HIM showed up for the early morning beatdown, 37°
Warmup:
25 SSH
11 Michael Phelps
25 Windmills
25 Mountain Climbers
25 Cherry Pickers
Bolt 45 set
The Thang:
Mosey to Food Lion Parking lot
Crawl Bear from one light to the next
25 Burpees
Bear Crawl Back
3rd F Leadership Nuggets:
1) Servant Leadership: Jesus was our ultimate example of servant leadership. Whether we are leading a business, a sports team, a church, a class, a or squadron, we are all in a leadership position. Servant leadership is all about making the goals clear and then doing whatever it takes to serve those around us to help THEM accomplish THEIR goals. They don’t work for us or serve us, we serve them. Good leaders must first become good servants. Give your Power away!
2) Team work: Jesus engaged a team of 12 to accomplish his mission. I remember the story of this man lost on a country road in his pickup truck and found himself on the road and into the ditch. He walked to a nearby farm to ask for help. The farmer pointed to his old decrepit mule and said Ole Worwick can pull you out. The man, with doubt, accepted the offer. The farmer hitched Ole Warwick to the man’s pick up truck and said “pull Fred, pull Jack, pull Ted, Pull Warwick” And Ole Warwick pulled the truck right out of the ditch with no problem. The man asked in amazement, “why did you call out all of those names?” The farmer said with a grin on his face, “you see, Ole Warwick is blind and as long as he believes he is part of a team he will pull just about anything!” Teamwork is a powerful tool, just see what the 12 disciples were able to accomplish in such a short period of time. A group can accomplish things which the cumulative individuals of the group could never bring about. Such is the case with this amazing group of HIM!
15 HIM beat the fartsack in the rain: Gump, Bovine, Quattro, Leatherman, Vanilla, Chairman, Beeker, Waterfall, Ruxpin, Chattahoochee, Chappie, Fireplex, Streüdel, Wildwing, Doubtfire
Warmup:
25 SSH IC
25 Cherry Pickers IC
25 Windmills IC
20 Triple Bears IC
30 Sumo Squat Jump OYO
Mosey to HOB
The Thang:
Dragon Crawl from one light pole to the next
25 Burpees
3rd F :Be the Buffalo: When storms brew on the Colorado plains, they typically move in from the west, many times building in strength and intensity as they travel eastward. Cattle and buffalo share the plains as their home, but their response to the impending storms is very different. Cattle will attempt to avoid the storms by running away from them. They scatter and run with the storm for a longer period of time, increasing panic in the herd as well as the chance of injury. Buffalo, however, will gather together, turn, and run directly into the storm, thereby reducing the duration of time in danger and increasing their chances of emerging unscathed on the other side. By nature, most people want to avoid confrontation. Like the buffalo, the best relationships are the ones that encourage each other to continually turn headfirst into the issues. So much of the health of our relationships is riding on our ability to confront each other well!
Bolt 48’s IC (4 Count) – 16 squats to halfway down. 16 squats halfway to full down. 16 full squats.
Windmills – 24 IC
Jiminy Crickets – 8 OYO
Mosey .5 miles to “Oh Hill No” by way of the Black “Mamba” Snake Run
The Thang
The Super Sheldon Cooper Mamba Style. Inch worm or “Mamba Slither” up the hill, run down and complete 8 Burpees, 8 Squats, 8 Merkins & 8 Big Boys. Plank for the 6. Dragon Crawl up the hill, run down and complete 8 Burpees, 8 Squats, 8 Merkins & 8 Big Boys. Plank for the 6. Crawl Bear up the hill, Bear Crawl down and complete 8 Burpees, 8 Squats, 8 Merkins & 8 Big Boys. Plank for the 6. I had a few more “Mamba Hill Slithers” planned had time allowed. Break for the F3 message. See Message Below….
Mosey .5 miles back to CHOP by way of the Black “Mamba” Snake Run
F3 Message 01/30/20
CP CURRENT PAGE: VOICES | TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020
Kobe Bryant’s death reminds us life is not fair
By Greg Laurie, CP Contributor (The Christian Post)
I could hardly believe the news this weekend: Kobe Bryant, the LA Lakers basketball superstar, had died in a helicopter accident near Los Angeles. Eight other people, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, also perished in the crash.
How could a champion like Kobe, so vibrant and full of life, suddenly leave us?
Kobe Bryant was among the very best to play in the NBA. He played 20 seasons with the LA Lakers, won 5 championship rings and finished with 33,643 career points. At 41 years old, he was a living and breathing legend that even other NBA stars were star-struck by.
He even picked his own nickname, “Black Mamba,” after the fastest lethal snake in the world — and passed it on to his daughter Gianna, a budding basketball star, whom he called “Mambacita.”
The truth is, the vast majority of us didn’t know Kobe personally. Maybe we went to one of his games, but that was the extent of our relationship with him. Yet his death somehow has touched millions of Americans deeply. I believe it’s because it suddenly jolted us to the reality that life is not fair.
Why are people like Kobe and his daughter and the other passengers aboard that fateful flight taken while others will wake up tomorrow to face a new day?
There are no easy explanations, but here are three things we should keep in mind as we reflect on Kobe’s passing:
1. Life Is Precious
I have a smartwatch. Periodically, I will get a message on it that simply says, “Breathe.” Funny thing is, I was breathing already, but it’s reminding me of something that I should never take for granted.
Every day is a gift. Every single heartbeat and every breath you take is a blessing. Don’t take it for granted. And don’t take your health or your family for granted either.
The Bible reminds us, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom” (Psalm 90:12 NLT).
Kobe was a very successful man with many beautiful things, but I am certain he would have traded it all for one more precious day of life. He was not given that choice.
2. Don’t Ask ‘Why?’ — Ask ‘Who?’
I remember the day 11 years ago when my wife and I heard the devastating news that our son Christopher had died in an automobile accident on his way to work. It was as if all the air was sucked out of the room and time stood still. I felt as though if words could kill you, I could have died on the spot that day.
In my time of pain and darkness, I called out to God, and He was there for me. The Bible says He is “the God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3).
Sometimes things happen in life that are unfair, and we will never get a satisfying answer for why they happened. At times such as these, I have learned that the right question to ask is not “Why?” but “Who?” Who do you turn to at a time like this?
You turn to God and ask Him for the strength you need to go on another day. And you cry and mourn.
The Bible says, “Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15 NLT). Many people wept with us when our son Christopher died. Right now, Kobe’s family needs support and love.
We need to remember to pray for Kobe’s wife, Vanessa, and his children, Natalia, Bianka, and Capri. Kobe is also survived by his father Joe and his mother Pam. I cannot imagine the devastation they are all feeling over the loss of both Kobe and Gianna. We must also remember to pray for the families of the seven others who died as well. Their names are:
● John Altobelli, 56, Orange Coast College head baseball coach
● Kerri Altobelli, John’s wife
● Alyssa Altobelli, John and Kerri’s daughter, who was Gianna’s basketball teammate
● Sarah Chester
● Payton Chester, Sarah’s daughter and another basketball teammate
● Christina Mauser, girls basketball coach at Mamba Sports Academy
● Ara Zobayan, pilot
3. We Must Prepare
Death isn’t a respecter of people. It doesn’t care if you are rich or poor; religious or not; famous, infamous or unknown; or even the great Kobe Bryant, who had vast resources and money at his disposal. It knocks at every door, and sadly one day it will knock at your door and mine.
But death is not the end. The Bible talks about an afterlife — a concept even many people who are nonreligious believe in. Jesus spoke about it.
He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25-26).
It’s because of this hope of eternity that followers of Jesus do not “grieve like people who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). If we believe in and follow Jesus, we can rest assured that death will not get the final word but we will be in Heaven with Him.
Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Mountain Climbers – 20 IC
Windmills – 15 IC
Dips – 20 IC
The Thang
Mosey to County Building Steps. Each PAX crosses the steps without skipping any steps.
Mosey to Armory steps and completes Aiken legs – 20 squats, 20 box jumps, 20 lunges (10 each Leg), 20 split Jacks (10 each Leg). The twist is that each PAX will take each step up and each step down with both feet hitting each step before performing each individual exercise of Aiken legs.
Mosey to Library and complete the Burp & Merk – Burpee with ascending merkins up to 10. Each PAX will Bear Crawl to each parking space and complete a Burpee with a hand release merkin. Bear Crawl to the next space and complete a Burpee with two hand release merkins. Continue until completing a Burpee with ten hand release merkins.
Mosey to School and complete the bottom feeder/deconstructed toy soldier set exercise. Crab walk to first sidewalk and complete 60 LBC’s. Crab walk to second sidewalk and complete 40 E2K’s to one side. Crab walk to third sidewalk and complete 40 E2K’s to the other side. Crab walk to fourth sidewalk and complete 20 big boy sit-ups. Karaoke back to the starting point switching directions at the halfway point.
F3 Message – See below
Mosey back to Aegis. PAX completed @.9 mile for the workout
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayer.
F3 Message 01/18/20
Source: Bible.org
Excerpts From Lesson 23: Going The Distance ( 1 Timothy 6:11,12)
Question: What do diets, exercise programs, marriage, and the Christian life have in common? Answer: It’s fairly easy and even fun to begin, but it’s not so easy to hang in over the long haul. Eugene Peterson, in his book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction (IVP, pp. 1112), writes,
One aspect of world that I have been able to identify as harmful to Christians is the assumption that anything worthwhile can be acquired at once. We assume that if something can be done at all, it can be done quickly and efficiently. Our attention spans have been conditioned by thirty-second commercials. Our sense of reality has been flattened by thirty-page abridgments.
It is not difficult in such a world to get a person interested in the message of the gospel; it is terrifically difficult to sustain the interest. Millions of people in our culture make decisions for Christ, but there is a dreadful attrition rate. Many claim to be born again, but the evidence for mature Christian discipleship is slim. In our kind of culture anything, even news about God, can be sold if it is packaged freshly; but when it loses its novelty, it goes on the garbage heap. There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness.
The Christian life is not a hundred-yard dash; it’s a marathon, a “long obedience in the same direction.” Starting well is easy; finishing well is another matter. We all will encounter numerous hindrances. But, like Bunyan’s Christian, those whose burden has been lifted at Calvary will persevere.
In the final section of this letter, Paul tells Timothy and us how to go the distance. Timothy found himself in a difficult situation that was seemingly not suited for his timid personality. He had to confront the false teachers who had arisen among the Ephesian leaders by refuting their errors and by teaching the truth. No doubt he was catching flak from many in the church who had been led astray by these men and their errors. So Paul, like a coach at half time in a rough game, reminds Timothy of the game plan and challenges him to hang in there, even though it’s not easy. He gives four commands in verses 11 & 12 that are pillars for perseverance: Flee; pursue; fight; and, take hold:
To persevere, a man of God will flee worldliness, pursue godliness, fight for the faith, and take hold of eternal life.
The Greek text of verse 11 begins with the emphatic contrast, “But you, O man of God, flee these things.” In contrast to the false teachers and those who follow them in their love of money, you must run in the opposite direction. The title, “man of God” is used in the Old Testament of men like Moses, Samuel, Elijah, David, and a few prophets. It means a man who belongs wholly to God, who follows God’s Word in every aspect of life. A man of God has a certain dignity and aura about him so that when you’re with him, you sense the presence of God, because his life is so entwined with God. There’s no greater title that any Christian can covet for himself or herself than to be called a man or woman of God.
But it doesn’t happen automatically! “Some (v. 10) … but you (v. 11)”! To be a man or woman of God, you must resolve to stand against the tide. You must flee worldliness, pursue godliness, fight for the faith, and take hold of eternal life.
1. To persevere, a man of God will flee worldliness.
(When I say “man of God,” forgive me for not being politically correct, but I’m including women.) Right off we’re struck by the irony of what Paul commands Timothy: “But you, O man of God, flee!” You would expect, “But you, O man of God, stand firm,” or “fight.” Real men don’t flee, do they? Can you imagine a football coach saying, “Listen, team, the men on the other team are big and tough. When they come at you, I want you to turn tail and flee!” You don’t win by fleeing, do you?
But Paul knew that there are times when the way to victory is to flee, not to fight. We’re commanded to flee immorality (1 Cor. 6:18), idolatry (1 Cor. 10:14), youthful lusts (2 Tim. 2:22) and, here, to flee the love of money and false doctrine; but, James 4:7 tells us to resist the devil and he will flee from us. So we need to know when to fight and when to flee.
All the commands to flee can be summed up by saying, “Flee worldliness,” what John calls “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:16). The lust of the flesh refers to the strong desires to gratify ourselves by living by feelings rather than by obedience to God. The lust of the eyes refers to the desire to increase pleasure by acquiring things and outward status rather than by developing godly character. The boastful pride of life refers to self-centered living that focuses on this life in disregard of God and eternity.
Satan used these three avenues to tempt Eve. Scripture says that she “saw that the tree was good for food” (Gen. 3:6)–it would satisfy the desires of her taste (appealing to “the lust of the flesh”). Also, “it was a delight to her eyes”–it looked good outwardly (an appeal to “the lust of the eyes”). And, “the tree was desirable to make one wise”–she wouldn’t need to rely on God’s wisdom any more if she had her own (it appealed to “the boastful pride of life”).
Each of these temptations is a differently veiled form of exalting self: the lust of the flesh, to gratify self; the lust of the eyes, to enhance self, both in one’s own eyes and in the eyes of others; and, the boastful pride of life, to increase reliance on self and decrease the need to depend totally on God. The false teachers, whose doctrine and way of life Timothy was to flee, were into self. They were puffed up with pride (6:4); they didn’t submit to Scripture, but rather used it to promote their own selfish views, but without holding to its truth (6:4-5); they were into religion for personal gain, not for godliness (6:5).
I am ashamed to say that earlier in my ministry, I promoted some of false teaching on self-esteem that has flooded the church. God graciously opened my eyes to it, in part, through my reading of John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. The entire work is edifying, but he has two wonderful chapters that would get us back on track if we would read and follow them: “The Sum of the Christian Life: The Denial of Ourselves”; and, “Bearing the Cross, a Part of Self-Denial” (Book III, Chapters VII & VIII). To quote him briefly,
There is no other remedy than to tear out from our inward parts this most deadly pestilence of love of strife and love of self, even as it is plucked out by Scriptural teaching…. Let us, then unremittingly examining our faults, call ourselves back to humility” (ed. by John T. McNeill, translated by Ford Lewis Battles [Eerdmans] III:VII:4).
Whenever a teaching appeals to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes or the boastful pride of life, we need to take off as fast as we can in the opposite direction. To persevere in the Christian life, the man of God must flee worldliness, especially the love w1111ofcz money that simply furthers the love of self.
2. To persevere, a man of God will pursue godliness.
We aren’t just to run from worldliness, but also to run to these six character qualities. The word “pursue” is sometimes translated “persecute”; it has the nuance of eagerly going after something. It implies effort, diligence, and determination. In other words, you won’t accidentally attain these qualities by hanging around church buildings long enough. You’ve got to go after them deliberately over the long haul.
A. PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS:
Here the word refers to conformity to the standards of God’s Word. When we trust in Christ as Savior, God declares us righteous in our standing before Him based upon the atoning sacrifice of His Son. It is a judicial action in which God puts our sin on Christ and He credits Christ’s righteousness to our account. This is called “justification”; as Paul argues in Romans 3 & 4, it is by faith, not by works.
But, having been justified (declared righteous) by faith, the Christian must then pursue a life of righteousness. As John states, “Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; … By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:7-8a, 10).
Obviously, Christians sin (1 John 1:8, 10). But the pursuit of the Christian is not toward sin, but toward righteousness. During a Monday night football game, an announcer observed that the Chicago Bears’ running back, Walter Payton, had accumulated over nine miles in career rushing yardage. The other announcer remarked, “Yeah, and that’s with somebody knocking him down every 4.6 yards!” A Christian may get knocked down by sin every few yards, but he gets up and keeps moving toward righteousness. It’s his pursuit.
B. PURSUE GODLINESS:
The word is closely related to righteousness. It has the nuance of reverence or awe in God’s presence. A godly person lives with an awareness of God’s holy presence, and so he fears God and flees from sin. As we saw in 4:7-8, we must discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness. You won’t roll out of bed some morning and find out that you magically attained it overnight. You won’t get it by going to a spiritual conference or having some emotional experience. You have to diligently discipline yourself to pursue godliness.
C. PURSUE FAITH:
Some commentators understand it to mean “faithfulness,” that dependability which is a fruit of the Spirit and should be present in every believer (Gal. 5:22). But it also can refer to the trust in God that consciously relies on Him in every situation of life. As Hebrews 11, the great chapter on faith, shows, men and women of faith believe the promises of God and live in light of them, even in the face of not receiving what is promised, because they trust that God will fulfill His sure word in heaven if not in this life (Heb. 11:13-16).
Again, you need to pursue faith. You don’t wake up some morning with vigorous faith any more than a guy with bulging muscles went to bed one night as a 98-pound weakling and woke up looking like Mr. America! How do you pursue faith? By trusting God in the frustrations, irritations, and trials that He sends your way. You deliberately humble yourself under God’s sovereign hand and cast all your anxieties on Him through prayer, knowing that in spite of how it may seem, He does care for you (1 Pet. 5:6-7).
Instead of learning to trust God with the little trials, many Christians grumble and chafe under them. They flatter themselves into thinking that if a major trial ever hits, they’ll trust God then. But it’s the small irritations that God uses to build our faith as we submit to Him and seek Him each day. We need to pursue faith in our daily circumstances.
D. PURSUE LOVE:
We often have the mistaken notion that love just flows effortlessly. If we have to work at it, it must not be love. But why would the Bible so often command us to love one another if it didn’t require diligent effort? In our day of self-focused Christianity we’re being told that we must learn to love ourselves before we can love God and others. But the Bible assumes that we all love ourselves quite well. The command to love our neighbor as ourselves is built on that premise. Calvin notes,
And obviously, since men were born in such a state that they are all too much inclined to self-love–and, however much they deviate from truth, they still keep self-love–there was no need of a law that would increase or rather enkindle this already excessive love. Hence it is very clear that we keep the commandments not by loving ourselves but by loving God and neighbor; that he lives the best and holiest life who lives and strives for himself as little as he can, and that no one lives in a worse or more evil manner than he who lives and strives for himself alone, and thinks about and seeks only his own advantage (II:VIII:54).
E. PURSUE PERSEVERANCE:
The word is not “patience” (KJV, putting up with difficult people), but perseverance or steadfastness, which means bearing up under difficult circumstances. We only can pursue perseverance by daily trusting in God as we hope in the promise of His coming and the blessings we will enjoy throughout eternity with Him.
F. PURSUE GENTLENESS:
The word doesn’t mean meekness in the sense of weakness. Timid Timothy wouldn’t need to pursue that quality, since he seemed to have plenty of it! Rather, it means strength under control. The root word was used of Alexander’s horse, a mighty and powerful animal, but completely broken, responsive to its master’s commands. As the very next word shows, a gentle man must fight. But he doesn’t fight for his own way, out of self-will, but for God’s way in submission to God’s will.
To persevere, the man of God must flee worldliness and pursue godliness as expressed in these six qualities: righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
3. To persevere, a man of God will fight for the faith.
The Greek reads, “the faith,” meaning the Christian faith as revealed in the truth of God’s Word. As we’ve seen, sound doctrine is essential for sound Christian living. So Satan attacks sound doctrine, often with subtle errors and truth out of balance. So the Christian must, in the words of Jude 3, “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”
The history of the Christian church consists of repeated battles where the enemy introduces destructive heresies, those heresies are confronted, and the truth is clarified and proclaimed. That’s what Paul is doing in First Timothy. Many other New Testament letters have the same polemic thrust. The great church councils and creeds, while not carrying Scriptural authority, were attempts to correct false teaching and to set forth sound teaching. The Reformation consisted of godly men like Luther and Calvin combatting the corruption and false doctrine that had permeated the Roman Catholic church and setting forth the great truths of Scripture.
In every age, there are peace-lovers who promote unity, love, and tolerance as the chief Christian virtues. They say that we shouldn’t attack false teachers or expose their errors. If you dare to say you’re right and someone else is wrong, they accuse you of pride. So in the name of humility, we’re supposed to tolerate every kind of error!
But, as J. Gresham Machen, who stood valiantly for the truth earlier in this century, observed, not only was Paul a great fighter, but also all the great men God has used down through the centuries: Tertullian fought Marcion; Athanasius fought the Arians; Augustine fought Pelagius; and Luther and Calvin fought the popes. He concludes rightly, “It is impossible to be a true soldier of Jesus Christ and not fight” (cited in Fundamentalist Journal [3/83], p. 34). To persevere, we must flee worldliness; pursue godliness; and, fight the good fight of the faith. Finally,
4. To persevere, a man of God will take hold of eternal life.
You may be saying, “I thought Timothy already had eternal life. Why does Paul tell him to take hold of it?” To grasp Paul’s thought, we must note three aspects of the Christian experience set forth in this verse:
First, God calls us to salvation or the obtaining of eternal life. Salvation never begins with man, but with God. We all were dead in our transgressions, not only unable to call on God, but hostile and opposed to God, objects of His wrath (Eph. 2:1-3). If you have eternal life today, it is not because you first decided to call upon God, but because God, being rich in mercy, first called you and imparted eternal life to you as His free gift, according to His sovereign purpose (Eph. 2:4-10).
Second, we respond to God’s call and His imparting life to us by faith. Faith is a matter of the heart, but it is expressed outwardly through a public confession in baptism. Paul reminds Timothy of when he “made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses,” a reference to his baptism.
Third, we take hold of the eternal life God has graciously imparted to us. This refers to the process of laying hold of that for which we were laid hold of by Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:12). God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3), but we must take hold of those blessings, first by discovering them in God’s Word, and then by implementing them in daily life through faith.
Conclusion
Mario Cuomo, governor of New York, tells of a time when he was especially discouraged during a political campaign: “I couldn’t help wondering what Poppa would have said if I told him I was tired or–God forbid–discouraged. A thousand pictures flashed through my mind, but one scene came sharply into view.”
The Cuomo family had just moved into a new house, their first house with some trees. One tree, a great blue spruce, stood about 40 feet tall. But one night, less than a week after they moved in, they came home in a terrible storm to find that tree fallen, its roots pulled almost entirely from the ground. The family was dejected as they stood looking at this fallen giant. But Poppa, who stood barely five feet six, was determined. He declared, “Okay, we gonna push ‘im up!”
“What are you talking about, Poppa? the roots are out of the ground!” “Shut up, we gonna push ‘im up!” You couldn’t say no to him, so they got a rope and stood, pushing and pulling in the rain, and eventually got that great tree back in the hole, and then propped and staked upright again. Poppa declared, “Don’t worry, he’s gonna grow again.”
Cuomo reports that if you were to drive past that house today, you would see a straight, 65-foot blue spruce, pointing up to the heavens, with no hint that it once had its nose on the asphalt (cited in Leadership [Winter, 1993], p. 49).
Maybe as a Christian, like that tree in the storm, you’re fallen and discouraged. God wants you to stand upright again and to sink down roots so that you can weather the storms ahead. The roots that you need to persevere are to flee worldliness, to pursue godliness, to fight for the faith, and to take hold of the eternal life to which He has called you. Easy? No! Fleeing, pursuing, fighting, and taking hold all imply hardship and effort. But with Paul, Timothy, and many others who have gone before, God will give you strength to go the distance as you seek to obey His Word.
Copyright 1994, Steven J. Cole, All Rights Reserved.
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Playboys 10 count each leg (to keep the sniper off our back)
Pretzel Merkins 7 each arm IC (once called Yoga-bare Merkin)
the Thang:
Mosey around the block (because what’s a block party without it!)
Grab a pair of coupons, meet at the edge of parking lot
Coupon crawl across grass to first cone, plank for 6
10 Abyss Blerkin
Coupon crawl to second cone, plank for 6
20 incline Bigboys holding 1 block
Coupon crawl to next cone plank for 6
30 Block presses
Coupon crawl to sidewalk
Colt 45s IC single count
Gather at Skreet light for 3rd F
Exodus 17: 8-16
Read devotional from Turning Point Ministries:
In today’s reading, we find the nation of Israel engaged in combat with the Amalekites. While Joshua led the troops, Moses went up onto a hill overlooking the battlefield and, in an attitude of prayer, observed the action. The Lord gave the Israelites success as long as Moses’ arms were raised, but whenever he lowered them, the enemy gained the advantage. So Aaron and Hur helped him to maintain the posture that assured victory.
This historical account teaches an important lesson for every believer: Life’s battles are won or lost in the place of prayer. We may think that conflicts are decided on the battlefield, but victory depends on children of God coming before their Father and seeking His face. It is not the size of our army or the strength of our opponents’ forces that ultimately determines the outcome. When we spend time alone with God, we will be equipped by the One who knows the end from the beginning and understands the reality of all circumstances, regardless of appearances.
God foresees every snare and temptation of Satan just as He discerns what people are thinking and plotting. So it is wise to trust His battle plan instead of our own instincts—and we can do so with confidence that we will not suffer defeat.
Faith will allow you to keep your eyes focused on the Lord, even in the midst of frightening circumstances. When you acknowledge Him as the source of everything you need, your sense of direction will become clear. No matter what enemy is facing you, God will reveal what needs to be done.
Wosey Double-time back to the coupon magazine to re-stack coupons
Bolt 42’s IC (4 Count) – 14 squats to halfway down. 14 squats halfway to full down. 14 full squats.
Cherry Pickers – 14 IC
The Thang
Explanation of the directive God gave Joshua in regard to the wall of Jericho and the importance He placed on the number seven(7). PAX conquered Jericho on this gloom in F3 fashion thanks to a phone call from Quattro planting a seed for a beatdown and quoting the verses from Joshua 6:4-5, 20-21 (NKJV). Round #1 – Karaoke around the circle switching directions at halfway and complete 7 hand release merkins. Round #2 – Nur around the circle and complete 21 LBC’s. Round #3 – side shuffle around the circle switching directions halfway and complete Aiken legs – 7 squats, 7 box jumps, 7 lunges (7 each leg), 7 split jacks (7 each leg). Round # 4 – high knees around the circle and complete ATM’s – 7 alternating “merkin” shoulder taps (Thanks Chappie), 7 tempo merkins, and 7 fast merkins. Round #5 – Lieutenant Dan around the circle and complete four count mountain climbers. Round #6 – Toy soldier march around the circle and complete a set of 7’s. 1 big boy, 1 merkin, 2 big boys, 2 merkins ascending up to 7 big boys, 7 merkins. Round #7 – mosey around the circle 7 times and complete ascending Burp & Merk’s up to 7 merkins at the bottom of each burpee. The twist for the entire beatdown is that we are going to repeat each of the previous exercises before starting the next lap around the circle.
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
F3 Message 12/21/19
The parable here this morning is that the Satanic group is trying to fortify or maintain a wall right here in Sussex County that will serve to block opportunities for the salvation of souls through the love of Christ Jesus. It is our duty as men of God to make sure those walls are reduced to rubble through our prayers, our witness, our testimonies, so that every child of God has the opportunity to choose a relationship with our Savior and not be held captive to any stronghold that the enemy may present. Faith in God can overcome and tear down any walls that Satan attempts to use to block the path that ultimately leads to the place that is already prepared for us in heaven. A place that was already bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. Listen for that still small voice or for that blaring trumpet, but always be ready when the Lord asks you to step out of your comfort zone. Somebody’s life may count on it, maybe your own…
Question: “What should we learn from the walls of Jericho falling down?”
Answer: The story of the walls of Jericho falling down, recorded in Joshua 6:1–27, is one that vividly demonstrates the miraculous power of God. But more than that, the utter destruction of Jericho teaches us several grand truths regarding God’s grace and our salvation.
The people of Israel had just crossed over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan (Joshua 3:14–17). This was the land of milk and honey God had promised to Abraham over 500 years earlier (Deuteronomy 6:3, 32:49). After spending forty difficult years wandering in the desert of Sinai, the people of Israel were now on the eastern banks of the Jordan. Their challenge: take the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. However, their first obstacle was the city of Jericho (Joshua 6:1), an unconquerable, walled city. Excavations there reveal that its fortifications featured a stone wall 11 feet high and 14 feet wide. At its top was a smooth stone slope, angling upward at 35 degrees for 35 feet, where it joined massive stone walls that towered even higher. It was virtually impregnable.
In ancient warfare such cities were either taken by assault or surrounded and the people starved into submission. Its invaders might try to weaken the stone walls with fire or by tunneling, or they might simply heap up a mountain of earth to serve as a ramp. Each of these methods of assault took weeks or months, and the attacking force usually suffered heavy losses. However, the strategy to conquer the city of Jericho was unique in two ways. First, the strategy was laid out by God Himself, and, second, the strategy was a seemingly foolish plan. God simply told Joshua to have the people to march silently around Jericho for six days, and then, after seven circuits on the seventh day, to shout.
Though it seemed foolish, Joshua followed God’s instructions to the letter. When the people did finally shout, the massive walls collapsed instantly, and Israel won an easy victory. In fact, God had given the city of Jericho to them before they even began to march around its walls (Joshua 6:2, 16). It was when the people of God, by faith, followed the commands of God that the walls of Jericho fell down (Joshua 6:20).
The apostle Paul assures us, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). The description of the complete obliteration of Jericho was recorded in Scripture in order to teach us several lessons. Most important is that obedience, even when God’s commands seem foolish, brings victory. When we are faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, we must learn that our Jericho victories are won only when our faithful obedience to God is complete (Hebrews 5:9; 1 John 2:3; 5:3).
There are other key lessons we should learn from this story. First, there is a vast difference between God’s way and the way of man (Isaiah 55:8–9). Though militarily it was irrational to assault Jericho in the manner it was done, we must never question God’s purpose or instructions. We must have faith that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do (Hebrews 10:23; 11:1).
Second, the power of God is supernatural, beyond our comprehension (Psalm 18:13–15; Daniel 4:35; Job 38:4–6). The walls of Jericho fell, and they fell instantly. The walls collapsed by the sheer power of God.
Third, there is an uncompromising relationship between the grace of God and our faith and obedience to Him. Scripture says, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days” (Hebrews 11:30). Although their faith had frequently failed in the past, in this instance the children of Israel believed and trusted God and His promises. As they were saved by faith, so we are today saved by faith (Romans 5:1; John 3:16–18). Yet faith must be evidenced by obedience. The children of Israel had faith, they obeyed, and the walls of Jericho fell “by faith” after they were circled for seven straight days. Saving faith impels us to obey God (Matthew 7:24–29; Hebrews 5:8–9; 1 John 2:3–5).
In addition, the story tells us that God keeps His promises (Joshua 6:2, 20). The walls of Jericho fell because God said they would. God’s promises to us today are just as certain. They are just as unswerving. They are exceedingly great and wonderfully precious (Hebrews 6:11–18; 10:36; Colossians 3:24).
Finally, we should learn that faith without works is dead (James 2:26). It is not enough to say, “I believe God,” and then live in an ungodly manner. If we truly believe God, our desire is to obey God. Our faith is put to work. We make every effort to do exactly what God says and keep His commandments. Joshua and the Israelites carried out the commands of God and conquered Jericho. God gave them victory over an enemy that was trying to keep them out of the Promised Land. So it is with us today: if we have true faith, we are compelled to obey God, and God gives us victory over the enemies that we face throughout life. Obedience is the clear evidence of faith. Our faith is the evidence to others that we truly believe in Him. We can conquer and be victorious through life by faith, a faith that obeys the God who gives us that faith as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8–9).
Joshua 6 New International Version (NIV)
6 Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”
6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” 7 And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord.”
8 When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. 9 The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 10 But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” 11 So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there.
12 Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding. 14 So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
15 On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. 16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! 17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted[a] to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. 18 But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”
20 When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. 21 They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.
22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.” 23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.
24 Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house. 25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.
26 At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho:
“At the cost of his firstborn son he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.”
27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.
12 men braved the 16 degrees for a 12 days of Christmas beatdown. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Warm up – IC
SSH- 15
Arm circles – 15 fwd. 15 back.
Squats – 15
Cherry picker- 15
Imperial Walker- 15
The Thang-
Mosey around block and come back to CHOP. ParkingLot
For 12 days of Christmas …(do in format of the timeless classic Christmas song )
1- side shuffles from pole to pole and mosey back to start for 1-6 , lt Dan back for 7-12..
2- burpees 1
3- hand release merkins 2,1
4- side straddle hop IC 3, 2,1
5- tricep dips- 4,3,2,1
6- mountain climbers ….5,4,3,2,1
Break for 3rd F
7- American hammers ….
8- good form merkins …
9- little baby crunches ….
10- alternating lunges ….
11- big boy sit ups ….
12- deep squats …
A little surprise for round 12….. we finished with 12 of EACH exercise
Name A Rama
COT
3rd F-
Duty Is Yours, Results Are God’s
By Jason Benham, Jul 10, 2019
John Quincy Adams once said, after losing case after case after case in a seemingly hopeless cause to set the slaves free, “Duty is mine, results are God’s.”
This sums up what every person should believe concerning the thing God wants them to do. We can’t focus on results, otherwise we’ll deal at the level of the mind and not the heart – we’ll try to figure out how to make the thing happen, when God wants us to just put our faith in Him and trust Him with our hearts.
A statement from the Apostle Paul in Acts 20:22 echoes this – “And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there….”
Check this out:
“And now I am on my way to building this business, not knowing how it’s going to turn out.”
“And now I am going to have another baby, not knowing how I’m going to feed her.”
“And now I am going to tell the truth, not knowing if it’s going to cost my job.”
“And now I am going to expose the lie, not knowing what’s going to happen to my reputation.”
“And now I am going to stand and fight, not knowing if I will win or lose.”
See how this works – all we have to do is our duty, the one given to us by God. Let Him handle the rest. He’ll take care of the results.
When you keep your focus on God you will continue to operate at the level of the heart, which is where faith is found. You can trust Him, you don’t ever have to worry about the results.
Complete in descending order from 11- each of the following: Dips, Squats, Merkins, and Big Boys. After each set mosey around the middle circle of the parking lot. 10, 9, 8, 7… you get the idea.
The Thang – 12 Days of Christmas or Doce dias de Navidad to keep with the “Quattro” theme…..:)…. Exercise set courtesy of Quattro’s M….
Each exercise was completed and repeated in descending order just as the Twelve days of Christmas Song would be sung. You get the idea. After reaching the eighth exercise, we took a break for the third F provided by Quattro….see F3 Message below…. Once the beatdown resumed, we jumped to the twelfth exercise and worked our way down to #1 after-which we jogged our block back to the pile.
1– 30 sec Plank with a run around the Church before adding the next exercise on the list of twelve.
2 – 4 count Mountain Climbers
3 – Overhead block presses
4 – Glute Bridges
5 – Burpees
6 – Donkey kicks
7 – Split jacks
8 – 4 count SSH
9 – Curtsy lunges
10 – Block swings
11 – Full motion squats
12 – Block dead-lifts
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Prayers were offered for multiple needs within the attending PAX, but please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
F3 Message – Quattro
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Prayers were offered for multiple needs within the attending PAX, but please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
The Twelve Days of Christmas – True Meaning Behind the Lyrics
Ace Collins – from crosswalk.com
To many people, the lyrics of the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” seem strange beyond belief. The odd carol’s words might make one think it is a novelty song, in the vein of “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” or “My Favorite Things.” Though a host of modern internet sites and some magazine articles have tried to reduce “The Twelve Days of Christmas” to a little more than a silly Christmas carol, most scholars of the Catholic Church deem it a very important surviving example of a time when that denomination used codes to disguise their teachings. Originally a poem written by Catholic clerics, this song was transformed into a carol at a time when celebrating the twelve days of Christmas was one of the most important holiday customs. By understanding the meaning the clerics chose the twelve days as wrapping for their poem, the full impact of the tradition of the twelve days of Christmas can be understood.
The 12 Days of Christmas – True Meaning
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . a partridge in a pear tree.
The partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on the first day of Christmas. Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge, the only bird that will die to protect its young.
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . two turtledoves.
These twin birds represent the Old and New Testaments. So in this gift, the singer finds the complete story of Judeo-Christian faith and God’s plan for the world. The doves are the biblical roadmap that is available to everyone.
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . three French hens.
These birds represent faith, hope, and love. This gift hearkens back to 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter written by the apostle Paul.
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . four calling birds.
One of the easiest facets of the song’s code to figure out, these fowl are the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . five gold rings.
The gift of the rings represents the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch.
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . six geese a-laying.
These lyrics can be traced back to the first story found in the Bible. Each egg is a day in creation, a time when the world was “hatched” or formed by God.
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . seven swans a-swimming.
It would take someone quite familiar with the Bible to identify this gift. Hidden in the code are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and compassion. As swans are one of the most beautiful and graceful creatures on earth, they would seem to be a perfect symbol for the spiritual gifts.
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . eight maids a-milking.
As Christ came to save even the lowest of the low, this gift represents the ones who would receive his word and accept his grace. Being a milkmaid was about the worst job one could have in England during this period; this code conveyed that Jesus cared as much about servants as he did those of royal blood. The eight who were blessed included the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . nine ladies dancing.
These nine dancers were really the gifts known as the fruit of the Spirit. The fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . ten lords a-leaping.
This is probably the easiest gift to understand. As lords were judges and in charge of the law, this code for the Ten Commandments was fairly straightforward to Catholics.
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . eleven pipers piping.
This is almost a trick question, as most think of the disciples in terms of a dozen. But when Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide, there were only eleven men who carried out the gospel message.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . twelve drummers drumming.
The final gift is tied directly to the Catholic Church. The drummers are the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed. “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.”
The Context & History Behind “The 12 Days of Christmas”
Teaching the Catholic faith was outlawed in sixteenth-century England. Those who instructed their children in Catholicism could be drawn and quartered. Thus, the church went underground. To hide the important and illegal elements of their teaching, clerics composed poems that seemed sill to most people. But these verses were veiled works that taught the church’s most important tenets. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is said to be one of these teaching tools.
Most people today believe that the twelve days of Christmas start on December 12th or 13th and run through Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. But in fact, the first day of Christmas is December 25th and the final day is January 5th. Thus, for hundreds of years the Christmas holidays didn’t begin until Christmas Eve and didn’t end until Epiphany.
Why were these twelve days important? These dozen days were tied to more than just the teaching of the Catholic Church. A host of other denominations also celebrated the twelve days of Christmas. Some denominations celebrated Christmas in January and began to count the twelve days then. But whenever they began, the counting of the days became an important facet of each holiday season. Even in the Dark Ages, in some Eastern European churches, the twelve days of Christmas meant attending daily church services. For Christians who lived during this extremely difficult age, the twelve days were a time of rededication and renewal. It was also a period when small, simple, and usually symbolic gifts of faith were given to children. Thus, in both coded poems and public worship, the twelve days were considered a holy period.
For many Christians today, even the recognition of the twelve days of Christmas has been lost . . . for two reasons. The first is that when Epiphany lost out to Christmas as the day of giving gifts, many simply quit celebrating the twelve-day observance. The other reason is based more on the change in the fabric of culture than on overlooking the Christian holiday of Epiphany.
In ancient times, when most societies were rural, few people worked in the dead of winter. It was a time when many were spending long, dark days inside their homes, looking forward to winter’s chill giving way to the spring thaw. So devoting a dozen days to prayer, reflection, and attending church was not a huge undertaking. Yet with the coming of the Industrial Age and the regular year-round work schedules it brought, finding time to continue the activities that had been traditionally associated with the twelve days of Christmas became all but impossible for most people.
So the passing of the twelve-days custom probably had as much to do with “progress” as with anything else. As fewer and fewer churches and families participated in the tradition, it was all but lost. Yet in the obscure poem that was later turned into a popular carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” live on. And the twelve days described are actually a wonderful and complete picture of the Christian faith.
The “true love” mentioned in the song is not a sweetheart but the Catholic Church’s code for God. The person who receives the gifts represents anyone who has accepted Christ as the Son of God and as Savior. And each of the gifts portrays an important facet of the story of true faith.
So, just a silly song? On the surface maybe, but in reality, a refreshing reminder of the essential elements of Christian faith. The twelve days of Christmas may no longer be a widely recognized holiday tradition, but the days were an important bridge that connected persecuted believers of the past with the whole story of God’s plan. In the complicated world of today, a trip back to the not-so-distant past when Christians celebrated the twelve days of Christmas would only enhance the meaning of Christmas for everyone.
Ace Collins is the writer of more than sixty books, including several bestsellers: Stories behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas, Stories behind the Great Traditions of Christmas, The Cathedrals, and Lassie: A Dog’s Life. Based in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, he continues to publish several new titles each year. Ace has appeared on scores of television shows, including CBS This Morning, NBC Nightly News, CNN, Good Morning America, MSNBC, and Entertainment Tonight.
This article is part of our larger Christmas and Advent resource library centered around the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ!
