Ancient Greek Legend<\/b><\/p>\n
An ancient Greek legend tells of the Sphinx that terrorized the city of Thebes. This ferocious creature\u2014part lion and part human\u2014positioned himself on the main road leading in and out of the city. To anyone wishing to gain entrance to the city of Thebes, the Sphinx would pose a riddle. If they gave the correct answer, they would be allowed to pass. If not, the Sphinx would devour them. The riddle was simply this: \u201cWhat walks on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon and on three legs in the evening?\u201d For months, no traveler could successfully solve the riddle, and all those who attempted perished.<\/p>\n
Enter the hero Oedipus. When he journeyed to Thebes and encountered the Sphinx, he boldly declared the answer. \u201cMan,\u201d he said. \u201cin the early days of his life he crawls on all fours, at the apex of his youth and vigor he walks on two legs, and in the twilight of old age he must walk with the use of a stick.\u201d<\/p>\n
Man has always been a riddle, and the solution to the complexity of humanity has not been so easily solved as the Sphinx\u2019s conundrum. Modern business experts observe, for example, that successful corporations must balance only three components: ideas, things, and people. But successfully dealing with people\u2014whether employees or customers\u2014will easily occupy 80 percent of your time, energy and resources.<\/p>\n
Daniel Lockwood, Multnomah Message, September 1997<\/p>\n
American Men: Most Pagan on Earth<\/b><\/p>\n
GLENDALE, CA (EP) – American men are among the world\u2019s \u201cmost pagan,\u201d according to pollster George Barna. A study reported in The Barna Report, his newsletter, found that the church has little or no influence on many American men.<\/p>\n
About one in three American men claims to be a born-again Christian, but only 28 percent attend church on any given weekend. Other forms of religious activity\u2014including Bible reading, Sunday school attendance, and giving time or money to a church\u2014have all declined among American since 1991.<\/p>\n
Barna also found that even men who claim to be Christians often hold unorthodox beliefs that are at odds with biblical Christianity. For instance, 28 percent deny that Jesus was physically raised from the dead, while 27 percent say He committed sins. Surprisingly, 55 percent of self-identified Christian men agreed that all people \u201cexperience the same outcome after death, regardless of their way into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barna found that less than half of Christian men believe that there are absolute moral truths (47 percent) or that the Bible and religion should be primary influences on moral thinking (40 percent).<\/p>\n
To reverse this trend, Barna says churches must provide a male-friendly environment, including opportunities to interact with other men, practical Bible teaching, and real-world solutions to personal problems.<\/p>\n
Northwest Christian Journal May 1997<\/p>\n
You\u2019re Just Out of Date<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re just out of date,\u201d said young pastor Bate To one of our faithful old preachers Who had tarried for years in travail and tears The gospel to poor sinful creatures.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou still preach on Hades, and shock cultured ladies With your barbarous doctrine of blood! You\u2019re so far behind you will never catch up\u2014 You\u2019re a flat tire stuck in the mud!\u201d<\/p>\n
For some little while, a bit of a smile Enlightened the old preacher\u2019s face. Being made the butt of ridicule\u2019s cut Did not ruffle his sweetness and grace.<\/p>\n
Then he returned to young Bate, so suave and sedate. \u201cCatch up, did my ears hear you say? \u201cWhy, I couldn\u2019t succeed if I doubled my speed, \u201cMy friend, I\u2019m not going your way!\u201d<\/p>\n
Source unknown<\/p>\n
I Wish I Were\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n
\u2022 honest enough to admit all my shortcomings;<\/p>\n
\u2022 brilliant enough to accept flattery without it making me arrogant;<\/p>\n
\u2022 tall enough to tower above deceit;<\/p>\n
\u2022 strong enough to treasure love;<\/p>\n
\u2022 brave enough to welcome criticism;<\/p>\n
\u2022 compassionate enough to understand human frailties;<\/p>\n
\u2022 wise enough to recognize my mistakes;<\/p>\n
\u2022 humble enough to appreciate greatness;<\/p>\n
\u2022 staunch enough to stand by my friends;<\/p>\n
\u2022 human enough to be thoughtful of my neighbor; and<\/p>\n
\u2022 righteous enough to be devoted to the love of God.<\/p>\n
– Gordon H. Taggart<\/p>\n
New Man, July\/August 1994, p. 13<\/p>\n
Men Are Different<\/b><\/p>\n
Why do men have such difficulty connecting in significant relationships?<\/p>\n
\u2022 Men are self-reliant.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Men don\u2019t feel.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Men don\u2019t touch.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Men don\u2019t need fellowship.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Men see life as a puzzle.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Men are too macho.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Men are very competitive.<\/p>\n
Source unknown<\/p>\n
Quotes<\/b><\/p>\n
\u2022 Men do not know who they are as men. Rather, they define themselves by what they do, who they know, or by what they own. – Alexander Mitserlisch, counselor<\/p>\n
\u2022 Men have an aversion to showing\/sharing emotions except during contact sports. – Anon<\/p>\n
\u2022 Epperson\u2019s Law. When a man says it\u2019s a silly, childish game, it\u2019s probably something his wife can beat him at. – Don Epperson, quoted by Bill Gold in Washington Post, Reader\u2019s Digest, January, 1980<\/p>\n
\u2022 The male\u2019s inability to ask directions is genetic. That\u2019s the reason why it takes 500,000,000 sperm to fertilize one egg. None would bother to stop and ask directions.<\/p>\n
\u2022 My need to dominate and shock comes from losing my mother and then being very attached to my father and then losing my father to my stepmother. – Madonna<\/p>\n
Statistics<\/b><\/p>\n
1. Men commit suicide at 4 times the rate of women.<\/p>\n
2. Men between 18 and 29 suffer alcohol dependency at 3 times the rate of women of the same age.<\/p>\n
3. More than 2\/3\u2019s of all alcoholics are men; 50% more men are regular users of illicit drugs than women.<\/p>\n
4. Life expectancy for men is 10% shorter than for women; the incidence of stress-related illness, such as heart disease and certain cancers, remains inordinately high among men.<\/p>\n
5. More than 80% of America\u2019s homeless are men.<\/p>\n
From Men\u2019s Ministry Leadership Seminar, Promise Keepers, 1993, p. 5<\/p>\n
Marks of a Secure Man<\/b><\/p>\n
Let\u2019s admit it\u2014all of us have twinges of insecurity about ourselves. But it is possible to grow toward being a totally secure man, says Larry Titus, president of the Men Reaching Men ministry in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
According to Larry, a totally secure man:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Does not need to tear down others to build up himself.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Considers inner convictions more the mark of a man than outer toughness.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Finds talented people an inspiration, not a threat.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Knws how to take the garbage he was dealt in life and recycle it into energy.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Forgives people who may never have the courage to apologize.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Lives his private life as if it were public.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Considers people more important than projects and plans.<\/p>\n
New Man, November\/December, 1994, p. 12<\/p>\n
Speaking Words<\/b><\/p>\n
Astronaut Michael Collins, speaking at a banquet, quoted the estimate that the average man speaks 25,000 words a day and the average woman 30,000. Then he added: \u201cUnfortunately, when I come home each day I\u2019ve spoken my 25,000\u2014and my wife hasn\u2019t started her 30,000.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sports Illustrated<\/p>\n
The Average Male Is\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n
\u2022 Is 5\u2019 9\u201d tall and 173 pounds.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Is married, 1.8 years older than his wife and would marry her again.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Has not completed college.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Earns $28,605 per year.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Prefers showering to taking a bath.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Spends about 7.2 hours a week eating.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Does not know his cholesterol count, but it\u2019s 211.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Watches 26 hours and 44 minutes of TV a week.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Takes out the garbage in his household.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Prefers white underwear to colored.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Cries about once a month\u2014one fourth as much as Jane Doe.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Falls in love an average of six times during his life.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Eats his corn on the cob in circles, not straight across, and prefers his steak medium.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Can\u2019t whistle by inserting his fingers in his mouth.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Prefers that his toilet tissue unwind over, rather than under, the spool.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Has sex 2.55 times a week.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Daydreams mostly about sex.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Thinks he looks okay in the nude.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Will not stop to ask for directions when he\u2019s in the car.<\/p>\n
Men\u2019s Health, quoted in Parade Magazine, 12\u201329-91, p. 5<\/p>\n
Major Needs<\/b><\/p>\n
Major Needs of Women<\/p>\n
1. Affection,<\/p>\n
2. Conversation,<\/p>\n
3. Honesty and openness,<\/p>\n
4. support,<\/p>\n
5. Family commitment.<\/p>\n
Major Needs of Men<\/p>\n
1. Sexual fulfillment,<\/p>\n
2. Recreational companionship,<\/p>\n
3. An attractive spouse,<\/p>\n
4. Domestic support,<\/p>\n
5. Admiration.<\/p>\n
His Needs, Her Needs, quoted in C. Swindoll, The Grace Awakening, Word, 1990, p. 256<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ancient Greek Legend An ancient Greek legend tells of the Sphinx that terrorized the city of Thebes. This ferocious creature\u2014part lion and part human\u2014positioned himself on the main road leading in and out of the city. To anyone wishing to gain entrance to the city of Thebes, the Sphinx would pose a riddle. If they … Continue reading “Male, Man, Men”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=945"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/945\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}