Message for Men

If you are a man I have a message for you. In a culture that says you're not wanted, you're not needed, get out of the way, you don't matter, I want to read a quote to you from John Steinbeck—a short story he wrote called, “The Flight” from a series of short stories called, “The Long Valley.” This is a son asking his mother about his older brother. 

“Did Pepe come to be a man today?” Mama said wisely, “A boy gets to be a man when a man is needed. Remember this thing: I have known boys forty years old because there was no need for a man.” 

Let me say to you today you are needed. You are wanted. You are called by God. First, you are wanted by God. Second, you are needed by the church and by the larger culture around you. Please don't give up. If you're tempted to give up—just smoke marijuana, play video games, drink—just give up, don't do it. Please don't do it! Because you are needed! And let me say this, Jesus is calling you like he called his twelve disciples so long ago, when he said, “Come and follow me.” If you hear that call take it and do it. It's your destiny, it's what you were destined for before time began, and I hope you hear that call. If you're interested we have something called The Summit House. If you're stuck as a man and you don't know why, and you want to move forward, we by the grace of Christ can help you get unstuck; and he through his community can help you move forward in the ways that God has destined you to, I really believe that. I hope this encourages you today in your walk with Christ.

• Mitch Senti