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- 🏆 Living from victory ... not for it.
🏆 Living from victory ... not for it.
đź“Ł Plus, training and nutrition news plus tips to help you navigate faith and culture
Will Knecht
November 02, 2024
Good morning, friend! With the U.S. election just three days away, we’re all waiting to see who will be victorious and become our next President. Hopefully, we’ll know the victor by the morning of November 6th … but I won’t be holding my breath as that seems highly unlikely.
Regardless of who wins the political battle, we have hope. Why? Because the ultimate battle between life and death was won 2,000 years ago. The Victor has been crowned and He shares the wealth of His triumph with each of us who follow Him.
His name? Jesus, of course. His team? All of us who claim Jesus as our Savior! This week, we learn how to experience and enjoy His victory in our daily lives. Let’s go!
MIND SET
Living from victory … not for it.
An Improbable Comeback
Super Bowl 51 remains unforgettable for my family, especially my middle son - a devoted New England Patriots fan. At our church's watch party in North Carolina, he found himself vastly outnumbered: roughly 148 Atlanta Falcons fans versus just two Patriots supporters, including him.
Despite being outnumbered, my son playfully traded banter with his friends... until the game began. Midway through the 3rd quarter, after their 4th touchdown, the Falcons led 28-3. The odds of a Patriots comeback fell below 0.5%. Everyone except the Patriots players and coaches had written them off.
Before the second half started, with his team down 21-3, Patriots receiver Julian Edelman turned to quarterback Tom Brady and declared, “This is going to be one heck of a story!” Brady responded with a confident smile. Their belief in victory never wavered, even in those bleak moments.
The Patriots went on to achieve the greatest Super Bowl comeback in history, winning 34-28. Their story offers powerful lessons about confidence and victory for Christian men today.
Victory Won
Many Christian men today lack the confidence Edelman and Brady displayed. We often live as if defeated or struggle to win victory through our own strength. We act as though the cross and resurrection never happened.
Jesus' final words before giving up His spirit were clear: “It is finished.”
What did He mean? The battle was finished. Satan was defeated. Sin was defeated. The game was over. Jesus won.
Remember from last week?
“I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
The word “overcome” means to defeat in competition or conflict, to deal with successfully, to prevail over, to surmount. Jesus defeated Satan at the cross, dealt with him, prevailed, and surmounted the enemy's schemes. He emerged victorious!
His Victory = Your Victory
Since Jesus won, we too stand as ultimate victors. But how do we live in this victory daily? Two words from John 16:33 show us how: “in Him.”
Earthly victory doesn't necessarily mean our struggles, pain, despair, and problems disappear. True victory manifests internally - in how we persevere through challenges.
We claim victory over the enemy’s schemes by:
Staying intimately connected to Jesus by reading and thinking about His word
Trusting Him for each decision … even (and especially) when circumstances don’t make sense
Daily surrendering control to the Holy Spirit so His power can flow through us
Choosing to live in a confident belief of the following truth:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
Let's break down the elements of this powerful verse:
We KNOW - confident trust in God’s promises
ALL THINGS - every circumstance, good or bad
GOD works - He acts continuously; we don’t earn victory
For the GOOD - God uses everything for ultimate victory
Those who LOVE HIM - this promise belongs to all believers
True victory means displaying the Spirit’s fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) amid life’s storms: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We can experience peace in turmoil, love through pain, joy in struggle, and deeper intimacy with God through despair.
Our ultimate victory promises an eternal home where pain, tears, and heartache cease. Our bodies will achieve perfection, free from illness (Revelation 21:4). We'll worship face-to-face with God forever.
You are victorious, my brother.
Live confidently in His victory today!
This week’s action plan to make you … better:
Read Romans 8:18, 28-39 and seek to comprehend who you are as a conqueror
Meditate on Revelation 21:1-27 asking God to help you begin to comprehend the hope and eternal victory you’ll enjoy in heaven
Prayerfully surrender your pain and heartache to God. Ask Him to take your burden, comfort you, and give you supernatural peace.
Worship as you listen to the song You’ve Already Won by Shane and Shane
Share what you’ve learned about being a victor in Christ with at least one person … your spouse, a family member or a friend
Would you help us improve the quality of our content and service by taking a two-question survey?
Thank you for your time and for helping us help you be “you … better”.
THIS JUST IN
đź“Ł NEWS FROM AROUND THE WEB đź“Ł
Note that our providing these links does not constitute an endorsement of the writer’s or publisher’s perspective. We try to filter out propaganda but sometimes good information is laced with bias. As with everything you read and watch, process with a critical perspective.
Training
“For physical training is of some value …” 1 Timothy 4:8
Few weight training programs deliver as much benefit for the investment of time and effort as the classic 5 x 5 powerlifting program. This straightforward program requires just three weekly training sessions that should take no more than one hour each to complete. The lifting regime centers on the king of compound joint exercise, the squat, and adds to it the deadlift, bench press, barbell row and overhead press. Stronglifts 5x5 is an updated version of the program that offers a mobile app with instruction and tracking features.
Nutrition
“… your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit …” 1 Corinthians 6:19
One of the many ways God made each of us unique is in our body structure: some of us have lighter frames (ectomorphs), some of us have heavier frames (endomorphs) and some of us fall somewhere in between (mesomorphs). For those with lighter frames, gaining and maintaining muscle mass is a challenge … especially if you have an active lifestyle. One solution to consider is to add weight gaining supplements to your daily nutrition habits. There are a lot of weight gainer products to choose from so here is a helpful review of what to look for before making nutritional investment. Courtesy BarBend
Sleep
“I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.” Psalms 3:5
What do lions, bears, wolves and dolphins have in common? Like you, they all sleep. But, like humans, they approach sleep in different ways based on their differing lifestyles. Take this seven-question quiz to see with which of these apex predators your sleep habits, and overall lifestyle, you match. Courtesy Healthline Media
Relationships
“Two are better than one …” Ecclesiastes 4:9
Among the topics that most commonly bring husbands and wives into conflict, finances fiercely compete with sex and parenting for the top spot. These are challenging topics because talking about them makes us feel vulnerable and exposed to the possibility of rejection. But what if you were to take the initiative to consider biblical principles that could serve as the basis for an ongoing conversation BEFORE a financial crisis visits your relationship? Best-selling Christian author Randy Alcorn surveys five biblical principles on which you and your wife can build a God-glorifying financial foundation. Courtesy DesiringGod.org
Style
“... whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
Guys tend to be more conservative than they should be when it comes to adding color to their wardrobe. Jacob wasn’t afraid to add color to Joseph’s coat, was he? Part of that is because we fear mixing and matching the wrong colors and looking like a clown. But what if you equipped your sense of style with a knowledge of how color works aka color theory? The key is contrast and that is what the color wheel is all about. Take a spin and then take some intelligent risks with your closet this fall. Courtesy Real Men Real Style
Thanks for joining us for MTM 11 and stay tuned for MTM 12 next Saturday morning.
If you found value in what we shared, please share More The Man with family and friends and help us build a community of exceptional men that includes YOU.
Questions? Send a note to Will.
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