“Be watchful—stand firm in the faith—act like men—be strong—Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Cor. 16:13-14 

So what is a man?

1. A man is God focused:
- He loves the Lord God with everything he is and with everything he has—with all his heart – mind – soul – and strength…
- A man who is God focused believes this truth to the very “core of his being”—to the very “depths of his heart”—and he truly loves God
- And his love for God is continually growing—in his thoughts—in his affections—in his motives—in his passions—in his duties—and in every area of his life

2. A man is Marriage focused (loves his wife deeply):
- We are to love as Christ loved the Church—who died and gave Himself for her!!!  First to love and first to forgive

3. A man is family focused (serves his children faithfully):
 - HUGE: Assuming the role of husband and father make a boy into a man… 
 - It is a sad state of affairs these days—most women cannot find Mr. Right—for the most part he doesn’t exist in the world today—so the settle for Mr. Just Alright

4. A man is Gospel focused:
 - Kingdom of God focused
 - Preaches the Gospel passionately—not just with words but with his life
- Time—Talents and Treasure—his time and heart and wallet are in heaven—not on this earth

5. A man is Church focused (ministers in the Church dutifully)

6. He is prayer focused:
 - “If you want to humble a man ask him about his prayer life.”
 - He knows where his strength comes from!!!

7. A man lives in humility

8. A man is a man of the Word:
- Pony Express—Missouri to California…  10 days using 40 men who rode 50 miles each and used 500 horses…  no weapons—small saddle—light cloths… but a full size Bible—
- By contrast—in our day of comfort—ease and convenience—“How often are we found with the Word of God by our side?”

9. A man is others focused—he helps others:
- What is your focus?  Is it squarely and supremely upon yourself?
- A real man gives more than he takes—they are always generous to the point of sacrifice
- He is a man who demonstrates a growing love for other people—by sacrificing himself for others—and laying down his life for their good

10. A man is a magnet:
- People are drawn to him and want what he has—
- They “aspire” to be like him—and they want to be with him and be like him—
- They want to follow Him as he follows Christ—

11. A man is consistent:
 - He does what he says and says what he does…  His yes is yes to his own hurt
 - He shows up on time and can be counted on through thick and thin

12. A man has thick skin and a soft heart:
 - Tough and gentle—tough to handle life—gentle so they can love others—Compassionate—Gracious and Merciful

13. A man has Character:
 - Character is what you are when no one is watching

14. A man is incredibly disciplined: 
 - (UFC)  Super disciplined—men live vicariously through them—imaginary heroes…  they see in them something their not

15. A man is courageous

16. A man repents of his sins and admits his wrongs

17. A man is a risk taker

18. A man keeps himself pure and undefiled from the world

I know that is A LOT. How about asking the Holy Spirit to show you one area to improve on today!

Garrett

P.S. Ladies, this is not a check list to “rate” the men in your life!