Download Episode 13 Study Questions and then share, listen, and discuss in a one-on-one conversation or with a group of men.
APPLICATION
- Have you observed men who have struggled with anger, anxiety, or other challenges following retirement? Share an example with your group.
- Of the three ways men typically steward their energy (deploying it positively, squandering, or deploying it negatively), which do you think is the most common? Which do you see evidence of in your own life?
- Where are you currently serving? Are you intentionally putting yourself in situations outside your comfort zone that expose you to people who are different from you?
- If you are currently working, what are some practical steps you can take to begin preparing for a retirement focused on discipling others? If you are currently retired, in what ways are you stewarding your time and energy to honor God and serve others?
KEY POINTS
- Paul and his wife entered retirement in their fifties and moved to the Greenville area. They quickly became involved at Grace and began thinking about how they wanted to spend their retirement years. Paul noticed how the lives of many of his Christian role models seemed to take a downward turn when they entered retirement. They often became self-indulgent, angry, bitter, and anxious. Paul knew he wanted to take a different approach. He began to ask himself the question, “How do I structure my retirement to disciple people?”
- With this question in mind, Paul created a personal mission statement: Please God, serve others. Taken from the principles outlined in Matthew 22:37–39, this life motto helped Paul steward his energy towards pleasing God and serving others. The concept of stewardship—active and responsible management of God’s creation for God’s purposes—served as a guide in Paul’s life. He identified three different ways men steward this energy:
- Deploying it positively: seeking to honor God, actively using the gifts he has given
- Squandering: a form of passivity, seeking comfort, no real plan or direction
- Deploying it negatively: defaulting to anger, anxiety, bitterness, self-soothing, sexual sin, or anything that distracts from pleasing God and serving others
- Paul’s desire to steward his time and energy wisely, and his involvement in a discipleship-focused church, opened the door for him to serve in a number of ministries. From acting as a guardian ad litem and mentor to foster children to serving in the Jump Start prison ministry, as well as his involvement in the Bridges for a Brighter Tomorrow college mentoring program, Paul stepped outside his comfort zone and interacted with people in the margins who needed to see the love of Christ.
- While it is important to find opportunities to serve and steward energy wisely, activity by itself is not the goal. Activity should always lead to greater devotion. Paul saw this principle firsthand through his experiences. The more he humbled himself and stepped outside of his comfort zone, the closer he felt to God and the more he was able to see God at work in his life.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37–39
RESOURCES
Money Matters is a class that helps participants renew their mindset concerning personal finance, become good and faithful stewards of the resources God has given them, and bring God glory through their money as well as their lives. https://gracechurchsc.org/moneymatters.
If you know a man that would benefit from hearing this episode, share it with him. Having intentional conversations around these principles is a great way to disciple and help others move towards Christ.
Have questions or want us to discuss a topic? Email us at: menatgrace@gracechurchsc.org.
