The ManCode Teaching Presentation (NIV)

Editor's Notes

• #2: Teaching The ManCode Teacher’s Guide NIV EditionTo be used along side of ‘Teaching The ManCode Presentation’.
• #4: Dennis Swanberg served the local church as a pastor for 23 years. In 1995, he stepped down as church pastor and stepped up to the microphone. Soon, he became “America’s Minister of Encouragement.” Ron Smith is an artist manager, product developer, and business consultant. He has managed Swanberg for more than a decade.
• #6: In a nutshell, The ManCode is all about relationships. Understanding this numerical code can revolutionize your life and give you balance in five key areas in your life.
• #7: The ManCode is 1-3-12-120-3000.
• #8: Codes have always been important. Unless we had broken the codes of our enemies in the first and second World Wars we might not be sitting here today.
• #9: Context : Understand the meaning behind the numbers of The ManCode . Don’t get lost in the specific number! Negotiable vs. non-negotiable: Some of the numbers in The ManCode are literal and “non-negotiable.” Others are figurative and therefore “negotiable.”
• #11: There’s no greater feeling than being #1. We all love it! That’s why we start there with The ManCode . The #1 in The ManCode is God!
• #12: In order to live a balanced successful life every man must have a relationship with his creator. We were created for this. Everything works out from here. Take it away, and we may be fine for a while, but when push comes to shove, we falter. We need Him.
• #13: It has often been said only one person could keep Michael Jordan from averaging 20 points a game. That person was his coach, Dean Smith. Jordan will tell you that together they honed his game while he was being trained by the coach so that when the time was right he would be ready to share his game with the world. Christ is the same. He saves us and prepares us to share our faith with the world.
• #14: Let me explain how these two things play the central issue in a man’s life. ALL of us would probably say we WANT Christ in our lives. Probably the same % would say we NEED a good job to provide for our families. Do you know the difference between a ‘want’ and ‘need’? How do you decide what is important in your life?
• #15: The first commandment (Exodus 20:3) says pretty clearly that we are to put God first. Do you wonder why He made that commandment the first one? Do you think He did it for Himself or because He knew that is what we NEEDED? Imagine your life for a moment if you had put Him first in every decision. How would your life be different? Would you value your wants and needs differently? WE NEED Christ. Everything else is a want! If you truly understand this then all your priorities will shift.
• #16: God has no problems with us wanting things. He even enjoys giving us things or blessing us with them. The problem is when we turn these things into a need or a god. Then we have replaced Him, and we are breaking his commandment and sinning.
• #17: Society encourages you to ignore God or to put him in a box on certain occasions and take him out or down—as it may be—when you have a desire or a want. Society may include your friends and co-workers or even your family. Is this your pattern? Do you put God in a box?
• #19: It is much easier to keep society’s temptations in check if we are in God’s Word and praying. God promises to do this if we will just acknowledge Him. Do you know what acknowledge means? It means ‘to recognize the authority of someone.’ So, let me get this straight, the creator of the universe wants me to recognize His authority and then HE will direct MY paths. Seems pretty simple. When is the last time you really acknowledged Christ?
• #21: As a man, we need direct communication with our most important relationships. God is willing to do this if we will listen and watch for Him.
• #22: Consider Genesis 32 —the story about Jacob's wrestling match with God. I like a God like that. I NEED a God like that. HE WANTS a relationship with ME! The great people who have an impact on my life have been the men who have taken the time to get in my face when I needed it—teachers, coaches, business colleagues, and even some times a Christian brother. However, do you know what I notice these days? Many of us men are wimps and cry babies. We can't take it when hard news is delivered, and we are too weak and childish to deliver it ourselves. You need to know that you serve a God that will love you, meet with you but HE will also wrestle you and break your hip if you are willing to follow Him!
• #23: Do you have an authentic relationship with Christ? Have you asked Him into your heart and to forgive you of your sins? If not, are you willing to consider taking this first critical step? Are you ready to follow Him, let Him direct your path or even wrestle with you to break you of something? This is the biggest decision of your life, bar none. If you haven't done this yet, I strongly urge you to in order to take advantage of what He has for you. I cannot emphasize enough—you can only achieve balance and real meaning in your life if you have a real relationship with Christ.
• #26: The ‘3’ in The ManCode stands for a very close set of comrades that are going to walk with you through your battles, successes and failures in life. The specific number is negotiable in that it could be 3 or it could be 2 or 4. It does need to be a very small group. Even Christ in his darkest hour carved out 3 to take with him to the garden to pray. Although the number is negotiable one thing is not. For a Christ follower this set of 3 men MUST be believers so that the advice they give always comes form a Christ-centered approach.
• #27: Your relationship with your ‘3’ is one of accountability. Accountability is an appropriate concept, but we’ve overused and misused the term a bit in the church. Let’s get something straight. You can’t just be accountable to anyone and everyone. We change accountability partners like we change pants. You need trusted brothers that are attempting to walk with Christ. I am pretty sure that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had been through the “fire” together before they were placed in the furnace.
• #28: Here are 5 rules for being a ‘3’ or deciding who can be a ‘3’ for you. Let’s face it—it is a shame that so few men meet this criteria, even in the church. Remember, your ‘3’ is not necessarily comprised of your best friends. These are trusted men that love you and want to be there for you at ALL times. These men need to and must confront you and you them. And remember, to have a ‘3’ you must be a ‘3’!
• #29: It’s important to note that in order to have a ‘3’, you must BE a ‘3’. Are you a ‘3’? Do you have a ‘3’? If not, why not? Are you trustworthy? Ask others.
• #30: Remember from session one, if we acknowledge Him He will direct our paths. He knows you need ‘3’. He had ‘3’ Himself. Don’t you think He will honor this request? Pray for guidance as you consider your ‘3’. NOTE: Do you see how the ‘1’ and ‘3’ work together to build a foundation for you as you enter into other relationships?
• #33: The bottom line is guys need to hang out and enjoy the company of other guys. Golf, fishing, travel, ball games, eating, drinking coffee, etc. This number is very negotiable (not the concept). You could have 5, 8, 10 or even different sets of ‘12’s from college, high school, current relationships, church life etc. Your ‘12’ is not your ‘3’! It is possible for your ‘3’ to be a part of your ‘12’ but not vital.
• #34: So your ‘12’ are the guys you hang out with—your larger group of “buddies.” These are the guys you spend time with doing the things you enjoy doing.
• #35: Who was the first ‘12’ ever recorded? What did they do together? They traveled, ate, worked, fished, talked together and more.
• #36: Your ‘12’ is not an excuse to abuse other relationships like your spouse, children, work, etc. While we do need this number it is not a reason to go play golf all day every weekend at the expense of other vital areas of your life. You must have BALANCE! And your ‘3’ should be helping you stay accountable with balance.
• #37: Surprisingly, research shows that many men in their 40’s and older admit that they have very few if any friends. Many of these guys check out at a certain point on their relationships. They simply don’t prioritize it any more.
• #38: While all members of your ‘3’ must be believers, your ‘12’ should include men you are investing in to lead to Christ. You must be careful here though and not surround yourself with guys that are going to drag you down. Take inventory of this number, and make sure you have balance here as well.
• #39: Former NBA all-star Charles Barkley loves golf. But he has an infamously terrible swing. Barkley stars in a reality TV show called The Haney Project in which world-renowned golf instructor Hank Haney attempts to fix Barkley’s bad golf habits. During interviews about his golf game and the show, Barkley shared that the thing that pains him the most about his poor golf game is that it keeps him from spending time with his friends. Barkley is unknowingly attesting to the value of his ‘12’—or rather, lamenting that he misses and needs his ‘12’. Yes, many guys love golf. Yet golf is simply a vehicle to enjoying community and connection with friends. Other sports and other activities provide the same opportunity to build meaningful relationships.
• #40: Take a few minutes to write down the names of your ‘12’. How long has it been since you spent time with one, some or all of them? NOTE: While everyone can’t be a ‘3’ to their pastor they can all be a ‘12’!
• #43: ‘ 120’ is taken from Acts 1:15 where we are told that on the day before Pentecost about 120 believers gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem and were touched by the Holy Spirit. This band of believers gave a jump start to the early church.
• #44: Men NEED the church. The church DOES NOT NEED you. The church will make it without you. This certainly doesn’t mean that the church won’t benefit from your help, and it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be a contributing member to your local church. But what it DOES mean is this: If you’re doing things right, you’ll always get more out of a church than you put into it.
• #45: Here are 10 mythical reasons some guys use to NOT go to church...followed by the real reason. As we review these, ask yourself: Do I subscribe to any of these myths?
• #51: I have a hard time with people who keep score in relationships. Have you ever noticed how we keep score on issues with the church? If we don’t get our way we hold the church hostage from our time, talent, and yes, even our tithe.
• #52: It’s very easy to get into a pattern of being very critical of your church—the pastor, the music, the people, the building, the parking lot, and on and on. Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to complain than do something? What are YOU doing to serve within your church? Don’t be part of the problem. Be part of the solution! When you get involved and serve, you will see improvements and have less time to criticize.
• #53: Write down three things you have done for the church in the last 3, 6, 9 or 12 months. Don’t count tithing and attending church. How far do you have to go back to find three things?
• #55: ‘ 3000’ finds its origin in the number of men and women who responded to Peter’s invitation to be baptized on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41). This number signifies the need to reach out to your community and to the world. It reminds us of the miraculous things that can occur when God works in the lives and hearts of His children and His church. Think of all the things that came after Pentecost: churches were built, fellowships were established among believers, mission trips were launched, lives were forever changed, and the Good News was spread far and wide. The echoes of those great victories are still heard around the world today.
• #56: The concept behind ‘3000’ has been confusing for a lot of men over the years. Does it mean World Missions? It could. Does it mean giving to missions? It could. Can it mean working at the local rescue mission? It can. What about helping a single mom? Sure. ‘3000’ is your world around you, and God will lead you where you need to go if you will just acknowledge Him.
• #57: So your ‘3000’ includes the mission field of your local community and the mission field of the world ! THIS is the Great Commission!
• #59: Many men have a hard time knowing if God is leading them to give their time, talent and money to different causes. If this describes you, consider this method of discernment. It is called THE TUG, and here is how it works. When you feel a tug on your heart to get involved with or invest in something, here is how you can always KNOW it is God tugging and leading. If it is from God, it will ALWAYS be about others and not yourself. It’s simple. It doesn’t mean that you are wrong for doing something that is for you or your family. We are simply saying that if you are weighing a decision and you feel a tug at your heart, and it is for you to buy a new car, that tug is probably not from God. However, if you are wrestling with a decision that is going to impact someone else in a way that will bring hope or life, then that is God! He is communicating with you in a very real way, just as He wrestled with Jacob. MOVE!
• #60: One of the simplest verses in the Bible is very powerful:
• #61: Ask yourself: When is the last time I truly gave of myself? Here is the interesting thing about giving. While we are giving ourselves away He is preparing to give us His blessings! In the end, we get far more than we can ever give.
• #62: Let’s review... Hopefully by now you can see how the various numbers in The ManCode work together.
• #63: This is The ManCode !
• #65: Do any of you have any questions or comments about what we’ve talked about today?
• #68: Visit TheManCode.net to download a FREE sample chapter, order the book and workbook and watch a video about The ManCode . Bulk discounts available. Visit TheManCode.net for details.
• #69: If our church is planning a men’s conference or event, we can host The ManCode LIVE , and let Dr. Dennis Swanberg encourage, challenge and equip us with a relevant and timely message. The ManCode LIVE is an event that teaches the principles taught in The ManCode . Watch a sneak preview of The ManCode LIVE at TheManCode.net.