Welcome Ephese French SDA,

It is a great honor to be with you today to share the wonderful memories of celebrating the Men’s Ministry Day on April 22, 2017. This page is yours for you to reference any time you want.

Today’s sermon is entitled “The Favor in Your Garden” and is built on the passage of Genesis 39 recounting the story of Joseph in Potiphar’s house. This passage is not traditionally used for Men’s Ministry but holds a lot of value for men these days.

A few points to bring to the fore are the following;

-Men are called to have integrity in all that they do. Work hard and diligently, even when it appears it does not matter

-Temptation will come. It will persist. It will be bold. It will be subtle. It will come in all forms. Run away from temptation

-A man knows when to say yes and when to say no. By definition, wavering on a fence is not part of the process of leadership.

-Integrity can be cultivated and works best the sooner you start applying it. Teach young boys to be men of valor.

Most Men’s Day focus on the married men and the men about to enter marriage. This particular Men’s Day focuses on all men who are working to be pillars of society. Starting with mentoring and role modeling for the boys who will become the next generation of men, to the elder men who have much wisdom to share the coming generations.

The afternoon session focuses on building a Tribe of Men who will work as a team to help one another grow and reach new heights of spiritual and practical leadership. It does take a village to raise a family. It also takes a village to promote leadership in the home. It is a work in progress that takes time, effort, focus, and dedication. Men can team up together and for great networks that moves each family forward and thus move communities and churches forward. These actions build society up and changes the world.

The blog associated with this day is called “When out of the spotlight: Personal Integrity”. This post takes on another dimension of the topic of the day and is in support of the lessons taught in the sermon for the day. It also bridges with the lessons of the round table discussion in the afternoon. What one does to be transparent and authentic plays a huge role in fostering trust in those who deal with you and depend on you.

The value of what you’re like when you think no one is looking plays a huge role in the character you’re building. Many folks act one way at church and quite another when out with friends and coworkers. Keep in mind that God is watching at all times. And, as the blog post points out, these so called secret actions sets up evidence to be uncovered at some point in time. The truth will always manage to surface. Be genuine and there will be nothing to hide.

May God bless you all as you work together as a team to live in integrity. May God bless Pastor Andy L Lagredelle as he leads this church forward in this ever changing world. Let all the CEOs of the various homes in Ephese rise to their calling of leading their favored gardens forward towards heaven as they keep them a slice of heaven on earth.