Anthony Fisher

30Mar

Look At Your Life Through Heaven’s Eyes

March 30, 2020 Anthony Fisher 159

Yesterday, I spent the evening watching an animated movie I enjoyed as a young adult man. The movie was “The Prince of Egypt”. The movie came out 22 years ago when I was 24 years of age. It’s a timeless movie. A movie for the ages. If you haven’t seen it, I would encourage you to do so.

The movie is about the life of Moses: his childbirth, living in pharaoh’s palace, his killing of an Egyptian man, meeting his wife Zipporah, meeting his father-in-law Jethro, living in the desert, sheep herding, experiencing God in the burning bush, and his triumphant exodus leading the Children of Israel out of Egypt. The movie is far from being biblically accurate, but the theme of the movie does a decent job giving the viewers a small glimpse of Moses’s life as a young man living in Pharaoh’s courts with privilege and power and the shift that takes place when learning about identity, adulthood, manhood and leadership. I’m so glad I took time to revisit the movie because there were a few key areas that really spoke to me as a man.

As I watched the movie I began to reflect on my life at the age of 24. My reflection caused me to ask questions such as “what was I doing at the age of 24?”. “What was going on in my life at the age of 24?”. And “what were my feelings at the age of 24?”. As I thought about these questions, I began to feel an appreciation of how far I’ve come in 20 years in seeing my life from a different set of eyes. A different set of eyes do to my own journey as a man and experiencing a few wilderness experiences of my own.

When I was 24 years of age, I was three years out of college. I was already married for 2 years raising my firstborn while my wife was pregnant with our second child. My occupation during this time was a full-time high school teacher at my alma mater Maranatha High School. It was also during this time that I was a cross country, basketball and track & field coach. In addition to being a new husband, new father, and taking on responsibilities as a teacher and coach, I was also going to school full time in pursuit of my Master’s degree. To say it nicely, life was not fun. It was difficult, overwhelming, and extremely tiresome. I was on the grind trying to manage life as best as I could, while also trying to get ahead financially because that’s what a good, respectable and hard working man, husband and father does, right? It was the first time in my life that I didn’t experience peace and joy in my life as a young adult man and I knew that something had to change. Eventually that “something” did change and you can read about it here, but prior to experiencing God on a different level, life was difficult and I wasn’t sure if I could live up to my own expectations for myself and culture around me.

In the Prince of Egypt movie, there is a 4-minute stretch that spoke to me yesterday that I want to share with you. This 4-minute stretch helps us see our lives as men differently if we allow it to. Why does it speak to me? Because often times as men, we believe that our identity, value and manhood is wrapped up in our jobs and our ability to make money. Don’t get me wrong, our jobs and ability to make money are important things to have and accomplish for sure, but is your brand, identity and manhood solely made-up of these things or is there something more? I believe you were created for so much more than you realize. More than the uncomfortable situation you are experiencing today because of lack in your life. God didn’t make you so that you would be employable, find a job, work and make money. He made you so that you may know Him, love Him, live with Him, and glorify Him. He wants to be in relationship and partnership with you. You must understand that with God’s help, the man you are today is not the man you will be tomorrow. The man I was 24 years ago is not the man I am today. We grow and mature in time. We are His creation and His Spirit lives within us. Not only does His Spirit live within us, but so does His breath of life. Think about it, you and I wouldn’t be living today if it wasn’t God’s own breath breathing life into your frame. His very breath is what sustains your ability to do what you do; and that includes work or not work. Praise God for that.

Here’s another thing to think about. As men we often have a tendency to put our abilities, our jobs, people, and money on pedestals. Anything we put on a pedestal has the potential to become an idol in your life. An idol is anything that takes your eyes off God. An idol is the very thing that replaces God in our life. What are your idols today that have no true power or authority in your life that need to be smashed and buried?

Moses knew much about serving idols under the dominion of Pharaoh. He knew about the Egyptian gods and no doubt worshipped them. But in due-season, at the proper time, and in an instant by God’s sovereign hand, Moses’s life changed when he encountered the one and only true God that called him by name when he encountered the bush that wasn’t consumed by fire. God told Moses that He is “I AM WHO I AM”. In my feeble attempt to simplify the magnitude of God’s name will not do God justice, but what God is saying to Moses and He is saying to us is that God is the source of everything. He is everything we need and everything our heart truly desires. When we decide to truly see Him for who He is, our knowledge, fellowship and rest in Him becomes sweeter than anything we can ever desire outside of Him. That’s the kind of God we serve. That’s the kind of God I serve.

As men, we need to have the right perspective of our life. We need to look at our life through heavens eyes. We need to look at our life through a lens of eternity and not through a lens of our own expectations or the expectations of culture and others.

In this YouTube video below, listen to the sounds and words of this beautifully crafted song. For it was created and meant for you in this season of your life and for the rest of your life.

Remember to look at your life through heavens eyes.

28Mar

The secret to leading, inspiring and impacting Your family

March 28, 2020 Anthony Fisher 132

How do you lead, inspire, and impact your family? Here’s a tip for you that has worked in my life.

Take one day out of the month for one hour, open up the Word of God and teach in front of your family. Have your wife and each of your children read a scripture. Teach your wife and your kids and ask thought-provoking questions about what they just read and what you taught.

After your Bible study, have a conversation with your family. Ask each of your kids about their life, work, school, home life, relationships, fears, concerns, dreams, and goals. Do the same for your wife. It’s important you lead and be an example to your wife and children. They need you to speak. Be sure to listen to your family’s responses and be present at all times.

After the family conversation, pray as a family. Each member of your family is to take time to pray. Encourage them and affirm them while they are praying. As the man, close in prayer and be sure to address the thoughts of your wife, your kids and yourself.

When you’re done, get up from your seat and intentionally give each one a kiss and a hug and tell them that you love them.

This is the secret to leading, inspiring, and impacting your family.

God will honor your obedience today. Do this consistently. Know that in God’s time, your relationships with your family members will change for the good. If you live in a hostile environment, be patient. God has some work to do.

22Mar

I was laid off from work. Now what?

March 22, 2020 Anthony Fisher 142

Have you ever been laid off from work? I have. Do you recall how it made you feel? Maybe you’ve been laid off more than once and you’ve chalked it up as just a part of life that you’ve become accustomed to. Maybe you’re a contractor and do contract work from time-to-time and you’ve never been able to ground yourself into some level of consistent employment. If you’ve experienced a lay-off or have found yourself doing intermittent work, I can now say that I know what it feels like.

In 2016 I was laid off from my place of employment and it was something that absolutely caught me by surprise. The unexpected shock and awe of the experience was something I couldn’t explain, yet it was something real and somewhat surreal. I couldn’t believe it was happening and I really didn’t know how I felt about it. My first thought to myself was what did I do to deserve this? My second thought to myself was what do I do now? But the third thought to myself was “God is in control and He’s preparing me for the next level”.

Once I was able to ground myself after the initial shock of it all, I immediately began to look at the situation as God’s providence rather than internalize the situation thinking that someone was out to get me which could cause expressions of anger, frustration, pity and blame. I recall feeling a peace about the situation and was very thankful that God saw fit to move me from one place of perceived stability to a place of wilderness, which ultimately birthed an intimacy with God I never knew before. It was this transition that caused me to see life from a different perspective. A perspective of God’s timing and faithfulness in the midst of an unknown future.

I was nine months unemployed. I never thought that I would be out of work for a considerable amount of time, but there I was, wondering if I would ever find work again. At least work that would be purposeful and allow me to use my gifts and talents. After sending out resume after resume, doors were closed and opportunities scarce. Yet, I knew that I would be okay if I just trusted God that He would open a door according to His will for my life.

During the 9 months of unemployment, I committed myself to a few things. A few things that I’ve always wanted to do, but couldn’t do it in a way that I wanted to because “life” always seemed to get in the way. So what did I want? I wanted to have uninterrupted quality time with God in prayer and the reading of His Word. I also wanted to become sensitive to God’s voice so that when He speaks, I would be able to tune-in to hear what He was saying to me. I simply wanted to go deeper in my relationship with Him. I wanted to experience God in a miraculous way and study His promises for my life. I wanted to know that God was real. Not just from a knowledge standpoint, but from an experiential standpoint, and that’s exactly what happened.

In the midst of my wilderness journey I committed myself to two activities.

Develop an online course Brand Leadership Course dedicated to men
Participate in men’s ministry at my church

In 2012, the Lord spoke to me in a dream. In the dream He told me that He wanted me to “Lift Men Up”. And today that’s exactly what I’m doing through Anthonyfisher.com. God has blessed me with the ability to communicate and connect with men. He’s also given me the ability to use technology and use my expression of design to birth my first online course. Six out of the nine months, I used what God had downloaded in my spirit to create the Brand of Man Leadership Mentorship Course.

I also committed myself to become more involved in the activities of church. In my wilderness season I knew that I needed to be in an environment that offered support, partnership, prayer and strength. I knew there was no better thing to do than to get involved in the men’s ministry at Wildwood Calvary Chapel. It was in my willingness to step out and get involved that God began to work in me. A work in me that not only produced fruit in my life, but also fruit in others. My involvement in the men’s ministry opened doors that only God could open. In six months, I was asked to lead a group of men in prayer and discuss insight from the Word of God. I was also invited to become a prayer elder and teach in the high school ministry. Six months later, I was asked and blessed with the opportunity to teach in the same men’s ministry which I was committed to be involved in. Today, I am one of a few men who teach the Word of God on rotation. I am truly blessed and honored that God is using me in this way. God’s dream for me and message to me to “lift men up” is happening today and I know it’s just the beginning of the work that God wants to continue to do in my life.

As I read the biblical stories of Joseph, Job, Moses, David, Abraham and Paul, I noticed that each of these men experienced the wilderness once or more in their life. And it’s clear that their wilderness experiences caused them to become humbled in the process. They also experienced delays in their promise, which developed spiritual character and dependency upon God for their promises to come to pass, which ultimately God used to shape them in a unique way for the work, purposes and calling they would fulfill in their life.

So what can we learn from losing a job and being in the wilderness? We can learn that God’s grace over our personal grind has more value and life altering implications than we could ever imagine. God is more intentional of His purposes for our lives than a job that can only satisfy minimal needs. We must remember that we serve a God who can open doors that no man can shut and provide in ways that are beyond our understanding. We can learn (with a proper perspective) that when we are stripped of everything; including our idols, conveniences and expectations, God is allowing this shift to take place and our response towards Him should be that of “Yes Lord, here I am. Speak! Your servant is listening”.

Okay, so what do we do?

In your wilderness and dry season of your life, recognize that God does not desire you to live in the desert forever. He desires to teach you a thing or two and wants you to draw closer to Him and become obedient to Him. In your desert, don’t complain about your current status and don’t fall back into something that’s familiar (like the Children of Israel did). Remember, the purpose of the desert is to move you from where you are to where God wants to take you. Surrender your thoughts, ideas, expectations and fears for His guidance, protection, peace and love.

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43: 18-19

21Mar

God Initiates – My personal story experiencing God

March 21, 2020 Anthony Fisher 133

God can use anybody to do His work. He used John the Baptist, a man whose wardrobe consisted of and made of camel’s hair and a leather belt. His diet was locust and wild honey. In the eyes of men, it wouldn’t make sense for this untrained, societal outcast to do what he did. But God placed the Holy Spirit upon John (while he was in his mother’s womb) and a passion for speaking about the Truth of the coming Messiah. What we see through the life of John (and other men that God used in the Bible) is that when God deposits his Spirit in us, and we take hold of the truth of who Jesus is, there should be a passion that exudes out of our lives – a yearning and a hunger expressed in our life for our love of Jesus Christ and his father (our father) Elohim, Jehovah, Yahweh, El Elyon and Adonai.

12Mar

Run you race as to win

March 12, 2020 Anthony Fisher 129

Each of us has a story to tell. Our stories serve as the connection of our past towards our future. Our stories serve as the fuel and potential of our greatest impact to influence those around us. If I had to sum up my life’s story at this point and time of my life, I would have say it feels and looks much like a race. A running race.

I titled this article “Run Your Race as to Win” because I believe too many of us run life’s race to lose. We are in the race physically, but our minds are far from the expectation of competing with purpose and significance.

Realize it or not, you are in a race of life and only you can determine how you will end up at the finish line.

My question to you is:

How are you running your life’s race?

Many people run life’s race without strategy or goals. They simply run here and there without structure or a plan of action to accomplish what they want out of life. Some people have all the talent & natural ability in the world but lack self-confidence to break through the limits of negative thinking. Others run life’s race is if they are on autopilot. They have low expectations and do not expect much of themselves, therefore, handing over their rights and authority to someone else who will ultimately abuse them. And let’s not forget about the individuals who are running someone else’s race. These are individuals who are living life for the sole objective of gaining approval from family, friends, or co-workers. Their identity is wrapped up in what other people think about them. They lack self worth and look upon themselves with no-value. Lastly, there are individuals who have committed themselves to run with passion, with a clear sense of purpose and a road map to accomplish their goals.

My question to you is:

Who’s race are you running?

I believe we must run the race to win. Running the race has to do with an attitude of winning and serves as the framework for your success. As a high school, collegiate, and professional runner for many years, I have learned a few truths about running and how it relates to life. I encourage you to share in this experience with me as I’m confident your experiences may be similar. My goal is to give you a glimpse of what it takes to run your life’s race with success and fulfillment.

Stay in your lane
If you have ever watched the 100meter, 200meter or 400meter races in the Olympics, you may have noticed that there are lanes assigned to each runner. Each lane is defined by white lines that are equally distributed from left to right. The lane you are in represents the area that only you are allowed to run within. If you step outside your lane, you are disqualified and are no longer able to compete or complete the race. So how does this relate to you? Your lane represents your path to your finish line (your future and fulfillment of your purpose). The runner (which is you) represents your gifts and your talents. Only you can run the race according to what you have been given and if you step out or into someone else’s lane, you will be disqualified because you cannot reach the finish line using their gifts or talents. In other words:

“The greatest achievement you will have in your life is when you begin to utilize your God given gifts and abilities”.

You cannot win your race with someone else’s gift or ability.
Don’t look at your competition. Don’t compare yourself with others. When running, the goal is not so much that you are trying to beat the other runners, but you are trying to reach the finish line first. There is a difference! When running a race, you are so focused on sticking to your strategy that your efforts and energies should not be determined by what other people are doing. Running your race is absolutely critical to your success. Have you ever seen a race where a runner gains the lead quickly and shortly after begins to fade back towards the end of the race? Well, that happens for many reasons.

It could be strategic, but often, it’s not. It’s only strategic if the person who starts the race fast can maintain a certain level of speed to complete the race strong. Most runners simply cannot do this. The runner is so excited about running the race and competing with others that their initial strategy of running smart has been thrown out the window. These types of runners are like loose cannons. Their intentions may be good, but their execution is poor. They run too hard the first lap but their training could not sustain a level of consistency.

The race of life should not be about competing with your fellow man, but with yourself. Too many times we compete with others trying to do what they do or get what they have. Once you try to run their race, you will end up in total destruction. I have seen too many people; including myself at times, trying to be like someone else. Trying to be like someone else does two things really well.

It will cause you to forfeit your dreams because you are so focused on becoming someone else. You’ve put someone or something up on a pedestal and have made them your idol and measuring stick for success. That’s a wrong move.
It causes you to disregard, devalue, and not look within your own gifts and talents. This too is a wrong move. So many people look at what they don’t have that they miss out on opportunities that are available to them for which their own uniqueness fits like a hand in glove.

Be prepared to surge
If a runner is so focused on their competition he may allow the other runner to dictate the speed. In long distance running there is a term called “a surge”. A surge is a sudden burst of speed that can last from 10 seconds to one-minute. After the surge, the leader of the pack relaxes to the normal pace again. This can happen 4 or 5 times in a race depending on the event. The purpose of a surge is to not only frustrate your competitor but to tire them out quickly. Surges test and prove one’s conditioning level and strategic awareness within the race. Typically, those who do not run with the surge will be left behind.

There are times in our life where we need to surge. The type of surge that I’m referring to is when you’ve made up your mind that you are going to run the race in a competitive manner. It’s about making a committed decision and making the initiative. Your surge could be as simple as purchasing your first book in order to educate yourself on a certain business franchise or an how-to book that will guide you in starting your own business. It could be a phone call to your spouse saying I’m sorry and that I forgive you that will lead to a reconciliation of your marriage. It could also be something as simple as recognizing within yourself that you are not living to your full potential due to fear or anxiety and are now willing to step out of the boat to live the life you’ve always wanted. Whatever it may be, a surge is a good thing. Your surge may just be the spark you need to get back on your path and fulfill your life’s purpose.

Believe in Yourself
No person can truly run the race to win unless they believe they can. As mentioned above, running the race of life has nothing to do with others, but everything to do with self. Once you master who you are, where you are going and how you are going to get there, the chances of you succeeding are very high. Your success begins and ends with you. When pursuing a goal, (whatever it may be) it requires that you become a self-motivated individual. Self motivation cannot be taught. It must be birthed out of a passion. Self motivators don’t need much of anything to get them excited about pursuing their goal and taking action. They simply are that way because the desire of achieving outweighs the thought of failure.

Believing in yourself requires that you stay focused on the task at hand, but it also requires that you focus on your strengths. We are all born with different gifts and talents and it’s much easier to accomplish the goals we set for ourselves when we operate within our natural abilities. Finding success in what you do well will naturally breed confidence in you. It is this confidence that catapults you to another level of appreciation and success.

Believing in yourself is about attitude. Attitude is like a muscle. It needs to be developed over and over again, and there is always room for growth. Your attitude determines your altitude. Belief in yourself is also about perspective. Individuals who believe in themselves are a different kind of breed. A believer’s perspective is about self-confidence and making the decision that they want the best for themselves. They’ve put aside the negative talk, negative thinking, and the lackluster environment and instead surround themselves with people who are like-minded and are willing to share in their experience.

I encourage you to stay in your lane, do not compare yourself with others, be prepared to make a surge and have confidence in yourself. Do these things and be sure to know that your life race will carry you to the finish line with winning results.

09Mar

Diversity is not a qualifier for division

March 9, 2020 Anthony Fisher 135

Have you ever looked down on someone because they were different than you? Have you ever prejudged someone before you really got to know them? Have you ever thought that you were better than someone because of your status in life? Or maybe you looked down on someone because they came from the wrong side of the tracks or from the wrong neighborhood. Or maybe you decided to not engage and talk with someone because their perspective and worldview in life was drastically different than yours.

Today, we live in a time where the church has become divided. We’ve allowed our preferences and our rationalizations to supercede what the Word of God says as it pertains to how we are to treat others. Over time, we’ve allowed secular ideologies and cultural worldviews to contaminate our thoughts – allowing human logic to reign above divine inspiration and truth.

07Mar

Are you existing or living?

March 7, 2020 Anthony Fisher 129

Are you existing or living? Do you know the difference between the two? Existing means you are here on this earth “drifting”. Drifting means you have no strategy for your life, no plans, no goals, no vision and you are just coasting through life without a purpose or reason for your existence. Living means you approach life with a passion and desire to live life fully. You respect your life and you respect others. You realize each day is special and you choose to live with a call-to-action for your life. Living is what a small percentage of men do. Most men simply exists. We settle in life and for many of us we don’t know how we got to this place in our life.

So what does existing look like? Existing looks like the work you do everyday. Your life is a pattern. It’s the regurgitation of the daily routine you are so accustomed to. It’s the predictable play-by-play of your life without any change-up. You settle for base hits. You’re okay with walks. You’re in the batter’s box, but you strike out more often than not. You no longer can identify who you are on the field of life and hitting a home run (living life) is a concept far from you. You yearn for something different in your life. You yearn for the opportunity to play again – to be in the game and make a difference where difference really matters. You feel stuck, trapped, shackled, paralyzed and incapacitated to break out of the chains of your internal frustration and misery to become who you know you truly are. You’re lost. You’re okay sitting on the bench. You’ve bought into the lie that your job represents who you are. You’ve played the game of trade-offs. You’ve gotten ahead financially, but at what costs? You stay long hours at work and substitute money in exchange for being home on time and spending quality time with your family. You’ve substituted moving up the corporate ladder rather than climbing the ladder in your backyard with your kids. You would rather purchase the new car with the new car small rather than spend time with your kids on the field smelling the fresh cut grass at the park. You are like a pitcher who gets substituted each batter trying to win in life, but winning eludes you. Instead of making strikes, you strike out. Instead of stealing the base, life steals the best out of you. Existing gets you nowhere other than the opportunity to live life safely, but as you anticipate your life on your deathbed you end up having regrets. The should of’s and could of’s of your life were never realized because life was passing you by and you didn’t know how to transition from existing to living.

So what does living look like? Living is the totally opposite of existing. Living is the audacious commitment to yourself to live life in a passionate and purposeful way by exercising your gifts and abilities to the fullest and showcasing them to the world. Living is the commitment to create a body of work with focus and intention so that people know who you are and what you stand for. Living is the understanding and personal conviction that you were placed upon this earth by God to create something, to communicate something, to execute something, to make a difference in someone’s life and to express that commitment in everything you say and do. Living is you not settling for less, but expecting more from yourself. It’s about leading yourself to the potential that lives within you. When you live, you create a strategy for your life. You are intentional about your decisions and you are in the game. You are the quarterback. You are the leader, you call the plays, you direct the routes, you make audibles when necessary. You have coaches and mentors in your life guiding you through the game of life and they help you navigate the pitfalls that so easily entangle men of all ages. When you live, you win and you share that winning experience with others on your team. When you win, you teach other men, your wife and your kids on what it takes to win and you help them through their own problems, challenges and fears. You are the spokesperson for your life because you understand and realize that you are a brand – a unique, special, one-of-the-kind, gifted, talented, blessed man who has great potential to change the world. Living looks like taking the bull by the horns. Living looks like taking the driver’s seat of your own life. Living looks like spending time with your family and investing the best of you in them. Living is a choice. It takes action, a commitment and a response to owning your performance and your results.

Some people believe that your destiny is 100% predetermined and that the Hand of God has 100% control over your life to place you into your destiny regardless of your actions or inactions. I don’t believe that. I think your actions and inactions play a direct role in rather or not your will achieve your destination. If you have identified your life plan, worked that plan, recognize your gifts and talents and work smart and hard, the high probability of you succeeding outweighs than not succeeding. I do believe your destiny (your ultimately place of fulfillment and purpose for living) was divinely selected and entrusted to you by God, but it is still up to you to go after it and achieve it.

So what does success look like to you? Have you defined it for yourself? No one can tell you what success should look to you and no one should paint that picture for you. Only you know what you want and only you can determine the paths and routes you need to take in order to accomplish the success you want. The reality of a man is that we say we want success, but we haven’t defined what success is. We haven’t qualified it and when you don’t know what success looks like for you, you will attract what you may not want simply because you haven’t identified what you want. You can’t hit a target you can’t see and if you aim at nothing you can be sure to hit nothing every time. Aim at target and you will eventually hit it.

I believe that true success is not always about money and as a man I know that can be hard to swallow sometimes. For years I put too much thought about money and became anxious about my salary and I realized in my own self that it was never enough. A little more money would always be helpful and although that may have been true, I’ve come to realize that money isn’t the end all to be all. I know men who are extremely wealthy, but they have no joy in their life. I know men who make lots of money, but they are not fulfilled in the work they do. They are always missing something. I believe that true success is doing what you love to do – doing what you were born to do and being paid well to do it. For me, that gets me excited. It’s like seeing the work I do not as a job, but rather an opportunity to play and be creative and test my own limits. When you love what you do and you do it well and you get paid for it, it’s like hitting the lottery.

So how do you know when you are living and not existing? Glad you asked. You will know you’re living when you notice you are flowing in your gifts and talents and you can’t determine rather you are working hard or playing hard. When your life’s work becomes integrated with who you are and what you do, only then will you know that you’re living an authentic life. That’s when you know you’re living.

Did you know that average employee spends more days at work than sleeping. Did you know that many employees not only work their 8-10 hours per day, but they also bring work home for an additional 2-3 hours. As men, we are constantly working unable to detach ourselves from our jobs. Some of it is our doing and some of it is the expectations from the employer. I know this to be true because I worked 12-13 hour days for years for my job on top of running a design and coaching business all for the sake of bringing in an extra income and thinking that the extra money is a means to financial security. I’m a go-getter and striver by nature and have always been blessed to have work find me, but I also know there were many nights where family activities and husband-to-wife and father-to-children communication opportunities were lost all because of work. My point is two-fold, if you’re not “living” the life you want or doing the work that excites you and brings fulfillment to you, then why are you doing it in the first place? The second point is that as men, we must come to grips with how much time we spend outside of the home. I believe being an example at home is priority #1, but if you’re never home because of work, how can you be an example to your family? How can you teach your kids about life and help them shape their identify from your perspective? Let’s go deeper. I’ve talked to many men and one area of contention in their family life is that their kids are undisciplined, unruly, lazy and don’t respect their authority. I believe respect should be given no matter what. You are their father. You are to set the example, be the leader, set the tone, speak into your kids life, tell them and show them that you care. Tell them you love them. Do what is necessary for them to see your love for them. The problem is that too many of us men are passive. Instead of having purposeful confrontation, we default to lettings things be and allowing the kids to figure things out on their own. This could be why they don’t respect you as a man and why you are struggling trying to get your house in order.

Men, we are living a life of quiet desperation. We assume that our life and the work we do to be a struggle. We have it in our mind, that if we’re not working hard and long, then we’re not working at all. That’s not true. We are suppose to do work that we love. Work that uses our natural gifts and abilities. For crying out loud, that’s why we have them. The very things we want to do in our life are right in front of us and we are missing it. We’ve made the job and work thing too complicated. Let’s simplify the work we do and began to make a difference by way of our personality, gifts and talents.

We live in a society that tells us that working for someone else is the best thing to do if you want to be successful. We live in a society that values money more than meaning and purpose. We live in a society that pushes us to pursue a paycheck rather than looking within ourselves to learn how to create wealth and opportunities for ourselves. We live in a society that promotes spending money on cars, houses and other material possessions rather than using that money towards our kids needs and their education. We live in a society that teaches us to be selfish and compete for what we want rather than working together for the common good.

Living, rather than existing is a decision to be made by you. No one can make that decision for you. You must decide what you value more because no matter who you are or what you do, you are paying the price for something. Listen, we get one shot at this thing called life. Life is meant to be lived – that’s why they call it “life”. If you are not living, I pray that God stirs your heart and begins a process within you to create a vision for your life. I then pray that you would be attentive enough to recognize what you love doing in the marketplace. I pray that your desire for more out of life and what burns within your heart. I pray that the seed of potential with you becomes a spark and that spark into a flame, and that flame into a torch and that torch into a burning call-to-action for your life.

07Mar

The man God uses

March 7, 2020 Anthony Fisher 131

Scripture Focus: Exodus 7: 1-25 (NKJV)

Our scripture for today is going to be Exodus 7. In my study, I have found that God wants to speak to us about three important things. These three things are the foundation of living a Christ-filled life and a Christ- guided life. These three things are what allows you to develop a closer walk and relationship with God as men. The three things are:

For you to know who God is (personally)
For others to know who God is through you
For you to know that God has a purpose for your life and wants to accomplish great things through you by His grace, His will, your obedience and your faith

We are going to look at the life of Moses and learn about why obedience is so important to live a life in which God can use. Obedience and trust is the foundation for everything as a believer in Jesus Christ.

05Mar

God’s work in us

March 5, 2020 Anthony Fisher 127

So what does “working out your your salvation” mean? What does it look like?
In general terms, the phrase “work out” means “to continually work towards something or bring something to completion or fulfillment.” To “work out” means to live life in a way that expresses your desire and commitment towards a particular lifestyle or aim of achievement. Paul is challenging the saints to pursue the “working out” of their faithfulness and obedience to Jesus Christ because he knows that when you become obedient to Jesus, you will take on the brand and essence of Jesus Christ in your life. Paul knows that when you look like Christ in your life, you will become sanctified which simply means to be set apart. You are set apart to fulfill the will and work of God in your life. Paul expresses what it means to “work out” in his own words in Philippians 3:13-14.

21Feb

Family ties. My Father’s business

February 21, 2020 Anthony Fisher 120

I was a kid who grew up in the 80’s. I also grew up as a pastor’s kid. I was a PK. My mom and dad raised my sister and I in a traditional Christian home and we spent a lot of time at church. I sang in the choir, served as an usher, picked up trash, played the drums, visited hospitals to pray for the sick, served communion and ate a lot of free food as members of the church always invited the pastor’s family over for dinner. That was the best part of being a PK 🙂 But growing up as a kid, one of the things my mom and dad always did was take time to train me by spending time reading my bible. I recall when my mother told me that she wanted me to memorize all 66 books of the bible – in order. I had to learn the names of the 12 tribes of Israel and spell them correctly. I had to memorize the Lord’s Prayer (Our father who art in heaven…). I had to memorize Psalm 1 (Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly…) BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I had to learn and memorize Ephesians 6:1. (Children obey your parents…).

Today we are going to talk about family. Our natural family and our spiritual family. Jesus had quite a bit to say about family and it’s important to get a glimpse of what he said and how we should look at family.