The Power of Four

Pastor Tony issues a challenge to join the Power of Four!  You don't want to miss this episode - based in science on how you can:

• Control alcohol abuse 
• Reduce sexual sins
• Eliminate Pornography consumption
• Kick your gambling addiction

If  you are surprised that  reading your Bible can do all this, then listen to the data and the promises that are in the Bible!

This is a must listen!

Sources:
Center for Bible Engagement: Understanding the Bible Engagement Challenge: Scientific Evidence for the Power of 4  

Youtube video with Zander Crauwcamp

Restoration Place Tallahassee


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Transcript

Podcast Intro: 0:01

Welcome to all the king's men, a ministry podcast of the Men's Ministry of restoration place Tallahassee, warning listeners to this podcast will hear authentic life changing stories from men who know Jesus and have experienced his work in their life. Be prepared to be impacted by their stories and relationship with Jesus. Here's your host, Pastor Tony Tolson.

Tony Tolson: 0:24

Good afternoon. Good day, everyone. Thank you again for joining me for today's podcast. I'm just so thankful that you chosen to join us today. There's so many other things that you could be doing. And I want to thank all those of you that are faithful and you've been joining us regularly. You've been sharing you've been liking you've been subscribing and I want to thank you for that. We've received about twice what the average podcast launches. When it first launches, most podcasts get, you know, somewhere around 150 downloads or listens. We've been doubled that in our first month. And we're about to end our second month. So I want to thank you for that. If you've missed any, make sure you go back and you listen, there's a lot of important things that we've been talking about here on all the king's men. And as you know, this podcast is a ministry podcast of our men's group here at restoration place. But it is not exclusive to only man in that God's word applies to us all. And so I want to make sure that if you are a woman or a child or teenager, and you've been listening, we want to make sure that you know that you're welcome. But we focus a lot of our attention on what men need to do, and today is no different. So today, we're going to talk a lot about what men need to do in order to overcome some of the challenges that we have. I don't have a guest with me today, primarily because the topic is so important that it's going to have one solution. And that solution we all know but first I want to identify a problem. There's a disgraced pastor, Mark Driscoll, who is the pastor of Mars Hill, no longer the pastor of Mars Hill, but he he, in one of his sermons, drew out a very, very important thing about men. And we need to make sure that we're paying attention to this, I want to share this with you right now. So that you can, you can kind of get context for where we're going today. This is a sermon at Mars Hill.

Mark Driscoll (via recording): 2:25

God wants you to be his sons. God wants you to follow by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the example of Jesus and in the example of John, I don't care if you buy a truck, and you could play some video games and rock out on your guitar, I don't really care. But the issue is when those are prevalent, predominant to predominate in your life. Some of you guys would argue with me it's not a sin. No, but sometimes it's just stupid. You work one part time job so you can play more guitar. That's dumb. That's really really dumb. Somebody who's known as sin, neither is eating your lawnmower. It's just dumb. just dumb, just doesn't do anything. See men you were to be creators and cultivators. If you want to image God, Your God is a creator and a cultivator. You create a marriage and you cultivate that woman, you create a child with her and you cultivate that child, you create a new family legacy for generations and you cultivate it, you create a business and you cultivate it, you create a ministry and you cultivate it. You want to be a man, your Creator and a cultivator. You're a producer, not a consumer. You're a giver, not a taker, you bring life, not death, you're not looking for the path of least resistance, you're looking for the path of greatest glory to God. You take it like John did. And ultimately what I want for you men is to be filled with the Holy Spirit like John, and I want you to be fathers like Zachariah, who are filled with the Spirit. And I want you to marry women like Elizabeth, who are filled with the Spirit. I want you women to be filled with the Spirit like Elizabeth. And I want you to love and serve one another and God like Zechariah and Elizabeth did. And then I want you to give birth to children who are filled with the Spirit and serve Jesus, like John did not want your life to be one of production, not just consumption, one of fruitfulness and faithfulness and not foolishness.

Tony Tolson: 4:20

So here we are, with a very, very clear understanding of the problem that we face as men. I think there's been a time in the last 20 years where we as men have kind of lost our way not all of us. But I think there's definitely a sense that we as men aren't stepping up to the plate like we ought to, I'm happy to say a restoration place. I don't see a lot of that I see a lot of godly, effective men who are single and married who are leading their lives and leading their careers and leading their ministries very effectively. But I do think it's important that we understand that God has an expectation of us as create writers and cultivators and I totally agree with Mark on this point. There's a whole bunch of things that we could say that are contrary to very much contrary to things that Mark has done, or said, and some of his his past. But when it comes to understanding the importance of the role of men, and the role of men who are believers, in our society, in our churches and our families, there's only one authority and that's the word of God, I want to take you to another interesting perspective today, we as men struggle, there's a lot of things that we struggle with, there's a lot of anxiety today, there's a lot of depression today. There's a lot of problems that we don't know how to deal with today. And I think there's a solution to this. And you guys know that the word of God is the solution for all things. But I think it's really, really important to understand, understand this important fact. There are significant correlation to reading the Bible, and being productive, happy and healthy. So I want to introduce this. Today, there's a study with the Center for biblical engagement. And you can look this up in which he talks about or the Center for biblical engagement talks about all that they found in a study that they did. And I want you to, I want you to listen to that here right now. And we'll come back and talk about it. There was

Zander Crauwcamp (via Youtube): 6:32

a recent study by the Center for Bible engagement, where they polled 40,000 general population in the US from eight to 80, they discovered something that actually became kind of the profound discovery of the entire study and we're in the Scripture four times a week it something radically happened feeling lonely drops 30% Wow. And four times a week and four times a week and Okay, anger issues, drop 32% bitterness and relationships, marriage, a relationship with your kids, and so on. Drops 40% alcoholism drops 57%, feeling spiritually stagnant. You know, if there was one area, when I'm talking with people that that they'll be honest about is they just feel spiritually stagnant. ask them the question how much time you spend in Scripture, if they're in the Scripture four times a week or more, it dropped 60%. Wow,

Tony Tolson: 7:27

think about that. Alcoholism drops around 60%, just by being in the Bible four times a week. That's just crazy, right? When I heard these numbers, it was just amazing. To me, it was amazing to me, because I'm a guy who, who I believe in science, because I believe in data. And I believe that God created us in a certain way to be somewhat predictable in our behavior. Although all of us think that we're unique, we're really not that unique. And I really am encouraged by this data. And I want to talk about that for the next few minutes. And then I'm going to open up the word we're going to talk just a little bit about some things that the word has to say 70% are not engaged in the Bible. I think that's really interesting. So when you when you think about this, when the when folks are reading the Bible, the power of four, we're going to call this the power of four, four days a week listening or reading the Bible. 57% lower odds of getting drunk sex outside of marriage 68% Lower, pornography goes down 61% Gambling goes down. 74% listen to that. But positive the power four is evident when we consider that for some of these behaviors, examine there is no statistical difference between Christians who read the Bible two to three days a week, and those who do not engage scripture at all, or only once a week. It is the power is in four days a week, guys, listen to that. If you had issues in your life that you knew, could get better by doing something four days a week, for as little as 15 to 30 minutes. Would you not do it? Would you not take that 15 to 30 minutes a day and do it. This is not something that you're going to have to sweat, you're not gonna have to go outside, you're not gonna have to run you don't have to buy new shoes. You don't have to do anything. If you've got a phone and you're listening to this podcast, you've probably got a smartphone or some type of electronic device, you can access the Bible. It is going to preserve you in many ways spiritually, physically, emotionally, and relationally. And listen to this. Not only are those things decreased, but sharing faith with others goes up 228% discipling others goes up 231% memorizing Scripture obviously is going to go up if you're reading scripture 407%. But only 30% of believers are doing this four days a week, we can infer, based on this study that 30% of Christians, according to this study, have healthier lives, which means 70% of professing believers today are unhealthy. I want you to, I want that to sink in for just a minute. 70% of us are unhealthy. So we're running on on a hamster wheel of life. And we're wondering why life doesn't get better. And I'm telling you today that the data shows not just the word of God, which, and I want to talk about that. We're going to talk about some scriptures here, we're going to mention those the data shows with science that if you just do it four days a week, you'll get healthier. The odds are, you will win more effectively with less trauma, less drama, less issues, if you just read or listen to the Word of God. That's an amazing thing to me. I've known that all my life because preachers have said it. But now I've got scientific evidence that was done with with all these folks, all of these folks, it was 40,000 individuals were part of this study. Hebrews chapter four, verse 12, says For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing soul and spirit joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. The Word of God is living, and it's active. So, every day, I take a handful of pills, most of those pills are supplements and vitamins. Because when I put those things in, they are living and active in my body, they do nothing on my nightstand. Nothing. But if I want them to be living and active in my body, and I want them to divide out the things that need to be pushed out and to make healthier that things had to be made healthy, I have to swallow that I have to ingest it. The same is true with the Word of God, guys, if you want your marriage to be healthy, if you want your family to be preserved. If you want to not deal with the temptation of fornication, single guys in adultery, marry guys get in the Word of God, the the numbers are here that adultery and sex outside of marriage goes down 68% If you will just invest some time with the Lord, read or listen to His word, if you get on the YouVersion app. And we're creating a custom page on that for restoration place and specifically for our men right now. And I'm going to be announcing that here in the next few days. We're gonna put plans out there where you can do this, and we can engage with each other on that same platform. But here's what I'm saying to you. If you'll just do that. If we'll hold each other accountable, we will be healthier men. Not only that, our churches will be healthier, our families will be healthier, our communities will be healthier. James chapter one, verse 21, says therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Isaiah 5511. So is my word that goes out from my mouth, it will not return to me empty. But we'll accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. We just fail to tap into that power regularly. And here's what I'm saying to you today. And this is probably the shortest podcast that we're going to have. I want you to commit to four days a week of reading or listening to the Word. We all have to drive places. We all have to take showers or bathe. We all have to wind down at the end of the day or start our day or take a lunch. There are times every day that you can spend 15 to 30 minutes reading and engaging the word, especially when it sits on the device that most of us won't leave home without and that's going to be our phones. When we plug into the power we have security. So today I want to challenge you. I want to encourage you that it will make a difference in your lives. If you will just take the time to commit to it, commit to it. So in the coming days, I'll be pushing it on our Facebook page, all the king's men Facebook page, the information about how you can sign up and get part of that YouVersion family so that we can push out various Bible reading tools so that you can get plugged into the power. But when we, when we pastor Ledford, and I do counseling and other things, we hear a lot of people who are fighting with the same thing year over year, day after day, month after month. And it is so sad to us. Because we know that there's a better way. But it's going to take some discipline. Some of us are not good at this. And let me tell you something, it takes some discipline to make change in your life. And when you heard Mark Driscoll earlier, he was talking about how men are laying down on the job, so to speak, he was saying that, that men are being raised by our wives, because we come to them as babies, we don't come to them as men, we don't come to them as creators and cultivators, we chase, we get, we lay down, not all of us. And I'm and I know that's not true for everyone. But we need to be creators and cultivators, in our in our lives, we need people to look to us, as sources of hope, sources of truth, sources of stability, where that comes from, we know where that comes from, from the Lord from the word. But I will tell you today that we as men need to step up and need to do more, to be the men that God called us to be. That doesn't mean we're better than women doesn't mean that we're when we rank men and women that women sit under us, that's not at all when I'm saying what I am saying is, we are created for a particular purpose. And that purpose, not so different than women. But slightly different in that God's gonna hold us accountable for what we create and cultivate. And I want you to be found faithful. So this is a very, very important message to you, to your boys, to your children, to your wives, to your friends, to your parents, to your co workers, we all need to be plugged in to the source of power, which is the word of God. And today, I want to challenge you to take the plunge, make the commitment to do it differently. One thing I learned about finances is that if I live differently today, like no one else, I can live tomorrow like no one else. In other words, if I live frugally today, when I can afford to live less frugally so that I can save money for my retirement, I'll live my retirement years, like other people can't do because they didn't do that. They didn't put their money away early. They spent it all along the way. I'm not saying I'm going to retire rich because I'm not. But I will tell you that I do what I can to do that. It's a discipline. You need to be disciplined in every area of your life, man. But it needs to start here. If you don't start here, it won't matter. The rest of it won't matter. Because the source of your strength, the source of your power is in the word and in the spirit. And so today, pick up this commitment. Make it to the Lord, not to you, not to me, but to the Lord, that you want to get to know him better. That the Word of God will become integrated in your speech in your mind, it will flow out of your mouth as as sentences that don't even sound like scripture, but they are total scripture. This is what happens when you embed the Word of God into your life. It is life changing for you in life changing for all others because as the word said, it does not come back empty. According to Isaiah chapter 55. It will accomplish the desire that God had for it. And so today, this is the day of change this the day that you get healthy. This is the day that your family begins to see you in a different light and this is the day that I am excited to say I'm joining you on this journey of fresh and new. So we are not alone. We stand together we stand in accountability. We will all grow when we engage with the One who created us and He will help us to grow into the person that he created us to be. Well guys, thank Thank you so much for joining me today on all the king's men. And again, please be sure to share, listen to the, to the podcast that you've missed if there's such incredible content, I've got some great things coming over the next few weeks. And I want to be sure that you don't miss that. So make sure you're subscribing and liking, commenting Facebook page or on the various podcast platforms, make sure you're engaged and reach out to someone who might need to hear this today. So again, thank you for joining us. Have a great time and we'll see you next time.

Podcast Outro: 20:37

Thank you for joining us today on all the king's men. Please share, subscribe and like the podcast anytime you care to contact Pastor Tony email Tony at my rpt.org He would love to connect with you. On behalf of Pastor Tony and all of us at restoration place. Have a great week and we will see you next time.