Life Beyond the Summit

Nearing the end of every year, people across the globe look at new personal goals to improve themselves, their circumstances, and the outcome of their efforts. We call these “resolutions.” As a Christ follower, let us be “resolute” in desiring a deeper walk with the Lord in 2023? Every year the Bible outsells other “best selling” materials by as much as five fold.  The bible is reported to be...

In Luke 8:15, Jesus spoke to the need to be patient and persevere in the pursuance and retention of His Word. His Word is both life changing and life giving. This is the “good soil” that Jesus speaks of -- the soil of a man's heart that receives the Word and retains it, and through patience and perseverance produces the crop of His harvest (paraphased). A farmer first prepares the soil, then plant...

Isaiah 9:6 prophetically proclaims "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders, And he will be called -- Wonderful Couselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."   These few short brief words proclaimed by the Prophet Isaiah, could not have better stated what God intended for all of mankind, a gift, one life for another, to brin...

Who does not like to learn a secret?  The word secret itself is shrouded in mystery, intrigue, unknown, uncertainty, wonder, and perhaps even suspense.  It suggests a high level of sensitivity and care in managing information.  Can one be trusted and responsible with the information? In Matthew 13:11, Jesus refers to His words as the “Secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven.” Do we view hi...

What is a “Good Heart?” A “Good Heart” is not self focused. A “Good Heart” is selflish, God seeking, and God glorifying. In Luke 8:14 Jesus tells the parable of seed. He talks about the type of soil that the seed fell upon, stating that only good soil produces a bounty of return. The soil simply rejoices in the harvest that the seed produces. So it is with man, the soil is that of our heart, the s...

For many, Thanksgiving is a time of celebration, allowing us to reflect on who and what we are thankful for, to gather with family and friends, enjoy the tradition of turkey, stuffing, side dishes and deserts. It is a time of laughter and shared appreciation for one another, for our work, and the fruits of its labor. For others, It is a time of sorrow, regret, shame, loneliness and isolation. Stat...

In 2008, at the age of 83, my father lost a short battle with cancer, but not without first leaving an his imprint of love on the heart of my son, his grandson Andrew. It is not everyday that any of us receive the kind of love from another that Andrew received from his grandfather. It was as unconditional as I have ever seen and brought the image of the cross down to earth, for all of those who kn...

Very few of us have been raised in the rich environment of a completely whole family.  Parenting does not come with a training manual and we all fall victim to both the blessings and curses in the process.  I used to say “when I grow up….” Do we ever really grow up?  Or do we simply adjust to the pressures and develop coping mechanisms that allow us to find our way. In the Book of R...

One of the challenges men face, is our willingness to acknowledge our weaknesses and imperfections.  Much of our difficulty in being transparent and vulnerable stems from generations of training to be strong in the face of adversity. We are taught from a young age not to show our emotions, to be determined and courageous, to simply “shake it off” and be a man.  We are raised to be emotio...

We are living in a time when distraction is common and time passes at the speed of light.  In today's world, where couples are often both employed, a 40 hour work week may be considered the minimum requirement. Time is the one item we cannot replace, and yet today's environment fights to occupy it.  Time is necessary in the development of relationships -- the most important being that of...

"American's moral and spiritual decline has reached a critical point.  Unless changes are effected, the point of no return will soon be surpassed.  How can this be true of our great nation?" -- wrote on author addressing the topic of indifference and the decline of the church. Hebrews 10:23-25 reminds believers, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who is promised is...

In Genesis 12:1 the Lord said to Abraham "Leave your country, your people, and your father's household and go to the land I will show you." In verse 2, the Lord said "I will make you a great nation and I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing." Abraham demonstrated two things, a willingness to not retreat with age as well as willingness to remain obedient to the vo...

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith -- "Now faith is the confidence of what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see" (NIV).  Another version replaces the word "assurance" with "conviction."  Verse 2 states "For by it (faith) men of old gained approval." Hebrews 11:6 reminds us -- "... without faith, it is impossible to please God.."  Being "All In" begins by faith. Often referred...

Not only did King David have a strong foundation, but he loved the Lord with all his Heart!! In 1 Samuel 16:7, God instructed Samuel -- "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Any one of the seven brothers of David's had every "appearance" of being great candidat...

While King David struggled under the intense stress and demands of leadership, the time he spent before the Lord, as a young man, would ultimately provide David with a purpose beyond that of human comprehension, reasoning, or self-determination.   David was chosen by God, through the Prophet Samuel.  Despite having seven older sons, who had all the appearances of being prepared to lead,...

Nearly 3,000 years ago, Solomon, the author of the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes, near the end of his own life, wrote of the meaningless nature of life, when lived simply to gain all that this world has to offer.  One commentary reads "...he had it ALL ...and he found it ALL meaningless, useless, irrational, pointless, foolish, and empty -- an exercise in futility."  Solomon is considere...

Life Beyond the Summit – “A Faith Journey Podcast for Men” New Podcast – What does it mean to be “All In?”  -- S2E3 All In?  Am I? Are You? In the 22nd chapter of the Book of Matthew, Jesus addressed the Pharisees, and a series of questions they were asking.  The most important question asked, “What is the greatest commandment in the Law?” ….Jesus’ response came in these words -- “Y...

What is ‘Truth?’ Webster defines truth as it relates to objects, events, facts, or that of a ‘spiritual reality.’ In this context, the truth we speak of is that of a ‘spiritual reality’. In John 8:31-32, Jesus said “if you abide in my word,” two outcomes will result:         1. “…you are truly my disciples,” (Verse 31, conclusion)     &nb...

Welcome back the the Life Beyond the Summit, Faith Journey Podcast for Men.  As of May, 2022, we had completed 35 episcodes, and we appreciate the positive feedback we have received! The challenges of the summer and other circumstances, placed the podcast on a short sabadical, but we are back! As the name podcast name implies, our mission is to encourage men in their faith journey, discussing...

Throughout scripture, we see a reference to nature and its provision for man as a metaphor to that of the provision God desired to be for man.  There were many trees and other living plants in the Garden of Eden, the most recogonized of trees in the the book of Genesis is that of the "Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil."  But Genesis also speaks of the "Tree of Life" (Genesis 2:9), t...

Throughout his public ministry, Jesus used “story” to convey reflective thought and meaning. In John 15:1-11, He uses the illustration of a gardener and the tending of the vines. He refers to Himself at the vine and His Father as the gardner. Given gardenings historic prominence for provision, all who heard this analogy, understood its meaning. Just as then, today, a gardener, prunes the unhealthy...

In Episcode 32, we took at look at Jesus' word in Matthew 6:24 -- "No one can serve two masters.  Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to one and despise the other."  This week we look at the choices we all have to make, with specific reference to Mark 10:17-23.  This story involves a wealthy young man who struggled with a choice between selling al...

In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters…” This specific scripture is an excerpt from the what is referred to as the “Sermon on the Mount.” This is viewed as the most important and instructional presentation made by Jesus. In the chapter and versus leading up to Matt 6:24, Jesus described those who choose to follow Him and a depiction of what their lives will reflect. Living as J...

What is it that causes us to struggle in our faith?  How do we find the balance between our spiritual walk and faith, and the commitment and responsibilities of our natural life?  How do we keep a balanced and proper perspective.   In Proverbs 4:20, the writer states -- "My son, attend to my words, incline your ear to my sayings" -- a commanding proclamation to abide in God's word a...

The book of Hebrews defines faith as the "evidence of things hope for, the conviction (assurance) of things not seen."  Further, scripture tells us that "without faith, it is impossible to please God."  Faith calls us to know God, personally, trusting Him, believing Him, leaning into Him as not just our Savior, but Lord.  We are called to submit to his authority, not because he wish...