Team Talk 21 | Page 21

Team Talk The Gentlemen’s Club 7 Reasons Great Men Fall The Deadly Traps Great men are falling off course with God by staggering numbers. With the growing demands of a fast-paced, materialistic culture, many men seek profit, power and dominance, over faith and a relationship with God. Many of these men have gone as far as separating from their families and letting go of their futures in an effort to be pleasured and profited. The good news? There is Grace with God. We have the power to overcome these evils. Here are seven reasons great men fall. Avoid these deadly traps at all costs. Running Towards Materialism We live in a materialistic culture and the “need” for more money, more toys and more things is a lie the Enemy will tell us to make us fall off course with God. Many great men who fall, fall victim to this deception. We think that we’ll be happier and look better to others and to ourselves when we have more things, but the more we run after these things, the more empty we become. As Matthew 6:24 reminds us “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” The Enemy Often Swoops In When We Least Expect Many p eople think that the Enemy always shows up at our points of weakness, but he often comes in at our points of strength. Let’s look at Simon Peter as an example. Prior to the betrayal, he was living a life boldly for Christ. He spoke for Jesus and pledged to always be there for Him. He was confident in his discipleship role, never guessing he would betray Jesus, especially by denying him. The Enemy catches many men off guard in a similar manner. We generally guard ourselves most when it comes to our areas of weakness, but not so much with our areas of strenth. Why? Because we take those areas for granted thinking those aren’t problem areas for us and we stop paying attention all together. The Enemy will catch you when you think you're at your highest point. They Feel They’re Being Judged Contrary to popular belief, there is still a great amount of pressure for men to “be the man” and to perform so they aren’t viewed as failures within their families, by their friends, by their colleages and in their homes. Many men who view things through this kind of pressured lens feel like they’re constantly being watched and judged, and fall into a dark space when they think they’re falling short. At these moments of weakness, the adversary comes in and tries to get men to fall even more off course with God. Our Hypersexual Internet Culture The internet has made it especially easy to view pornography and have affairs. The computer gives many men the comfort of being able to hide. It also puts many men in the space of thinking ‘what they don’t know won’t hurt them.’ The next thing they know, they’re so deep down the rabbit hole, they can’t get themselves out. The Ashley Madison scandal is a great example of what our hypersexual internet culture has opened many men to: temptation, sin, and infidelity. The choices that they believed were innocent destroyed families, homes, and brought shame. Continue….. 21