Last week at IronWorks, I asked the men to take a moment and write on a 3×5 card something they were thankful for. They turned these cards in along with any prayer requests they had. As I read through the cards, I couldn’t help but notice a spirit of thankfulness also rising up inside of me. Here’s a sampling. Read them slowly and see if it happens to you as well.

Thanks for my wife who keeps everything going for everyone.

I’m thankful for God’s faithfulness, mercy, and provision.

I’m thankful for the bonding and oneness of this group.

I’m thankful for God’s grace and  for the Word.

Thankful for God who guides me, loves me, disciplines me, and forgives me.

I am thankful for the strength that God gives me each day to complete the tasks that I encounter.

I’m thankful that I have a job.

Thanks for God’s grace because His grace is enough. God is good even when life it tough. Note: keep this note and repeat daily.

That last comment has some good advice: Keep and repeat. Write a note of thanks and repeat it daily. With Thanksgiving only five weeks away, what a great way to get in some warm-up practice. I’m passing along their thankfulness in hopes that their gratitude might inspire some of your own.

What would you write on your 3×5 card? Leave a comment below.

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If you live in the Twin Cities, especially the South Metro area, I invite you to be part of the Fall season kickoff of IronWorks. IronWorks is a weekly gathering of men on Friday mornings, or Wednesday evenings, for encouragement from God’s Word and fellowship with one another.

Our Fall series, The Micah Project, will focus on the theme of justice, one of three character traits God requires of us according to Micah 6:8. Pastor Roger Thompson, of Berean Baptist Church, and I alternate teachings on Friday mornings (IronWorks AM), and the sessions are recorded for playback for the Wednesday evening guys (IronWorks PM).

If you’re looking for a little practical encouragement with the guys, I invite you to check out the IronWorks website and schedule. We’d love to see you be part of the kickoff on September 30th and October 5th. Both IronWorks formats meet at Berean Baptist Church in Burnsville, MN.

If you don’t live in the Twin Cities area, or you happen to miss a session, you can catch all the teaching online. Visit the MettleMedia archives to view videos and to download audio and teaching notes.

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The world is watching how we live our lives. One of the clearest evidence of a renewed heart is in how we speak. Jesus said that the “mouth speaks from that which fills the heart” (Matthew 12:34). This is more than just avoiding fowl language. It’s the choice we have between blessing and cursing another. Cursing comes when we pronounce judgment upon another for the purpose of diminishing them. “Set a guard over my mouth,” the psalmist prayed (Psalm 141:3). This 25-minute presentation offers three “mouth guard” principles from the book of James for practicing vigilance over our speech. This message was presented as part of the “Street Cred” series at IronWorks.

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The world is watching how we live our lives. If we profess a belief in Christ and want others to see His power at work within us, we need to live authentically. Living authentically means to live the way we are made. This half-hour presentation suggests the three things we can do to live more authentically based on the book of James. This message was presented as part of the “Street Cred” series at IronWorks.

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Competitive sports reveal athletic prowess. Nothing silences the critics, the doubters, or the trash-talker quite like the demonstration of unequaled skill. Those who do it best practice the fundamentals over and over again so that when they step on the court their play speaks for itself.

So, too, in the game of life. Our words and actions reflect how well we’ve practiced the fundamentals of our faith. Our Sunday morning game-face may quickly fade in the heat of Monday morning’s onslaught. But the world is full of critics, doubters and trash-talkers who are watching how we play the game. Do you have the street-level credibility to stand up to their scrutiny?

Street Cred: Just Show Me is the Winter 2011 IronWorks series kicking off this Friday morning, January 7th and next Wednesday evening, January 12th. Roger Thompson, Sr. Pastor of Berean Baptist Church, and I co-teach at IronWorks, a non-denomination gathering of Twin Cities men for fellowship and the practical application of God’s Word to everyday issues.

If you live in the Twin Cities, especially the south suburbs, we’d love to have you join us for our series kick off on Friday, January 7th at 6:30 a.m. (IronWorks Sunrise) or on Wednesday, January 12th at 5:30 p.m. (IronWorks Sunset). All sessions are held at Berean Baptist Church in Burnsville.

If you can’t make it to an IronWorks live, you can still be a part of the experience because all of the sessions are available on audio and video at the IronWorks website. They’re a great resource for men’s study groups in your church too.

For more information, visit the IronWorks website. When you do, be sure to sign up for email reminders on the home page. Or follow the IronWorks news on Facebook and Twitter.

I look forward to seeing you there.

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In games of sport a team or player is permitted to call time-outs. It’s designed into the game. Great coaches know how to strategically use time-outs to give their team an advantage. Yet, in the game of life, many of us can sometimes feel like calling a time-out is a sign of weakness or admission of defeat. In this half-hour presentation I suggest we have three different kinds of time-outs at our disposal and three clock management strategies we can employ. It’s part of the “Game On! Play Hurt.” series at IronWorks

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