Iron Sharpens Iron: Equipping Men for Leadership in the Home
The sound of more than 1000 fathers and sons singing worship songs was inspiring to say the least. The only thing that would come close to this was the sound of laughter throughout the day signaling that the men were in a safe place having a great time.
Men were jammed into the auditorium, hungry to be challenged from the Word of God. The break-out seminars were interactive and designed to equip men to be better fathers, sons and men of God. They came from miles around to the Albany, NY, conference–many expressing, “This is my first time,” while others proudly declared, “This is my sixth Iron Sharpens Iron Conference.”
It was exciting to see fathers and sons sitting side-by-side, singing, talking and soaking up the challenges from the speakers. You got the idea that this was a defining moment for many of them. Some came to get direction and some came just to be encouraged.
I taught a break-out seminar titled “Man-Up: Family Devotions for Real Men,” and I was amazed at the dialogue and response to the session. I heard comments like:
- “I prayed that there would be a specific seminar on how to lead family devotions and I was excited to see my prayers had been answered. “
- “Thank you for teaching this session. I needed this so badly.”
- “I am leaving with more than a “hope so” feeling. I am leaving with a plan.”
But perhaps the most poignant moment of the day came when a man raised his hand with a question. I acknowledged him and waited for him to speak. I admit I was not ready for this one, “What do you do if your spouse is 100% against anything spiritual and resents your efforts to teach the Bible to your children?” The room was silent for a brief time before I addressed his question. Then I asked someone to pray for him and his family; it was a precious (yes, I said precious in the context of a men’s conference).
Helping men to grow and be transparent is a special gift, and I think Iron Sharpens Iron has created an environment where both of these are accomplished. Oh, by the way, they are expecting to minister to over 60,000 fathers and sons this year in their conferences.
Click the link below to download a free booklet full of practical ideas for family devotions.
