Men let’s take these three words as points of focus for us this year – Truth, Power and Purpose.

Truth. The early gold miners quickly learned that not everything that looked like gold actually was. If they weren’t sure what they had found was genuine they developed tests like scratching it on a white ceramic dish. True gold left a yellow streak. Men we need to equip ourselves to be discerning. In First Thessalonians 5.21-22 Paul tells us to “test everything; hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” We are not told to judge

other peoples thoughts and motives – that’s God’s business – but we are called to discriminate and judge good from evil, right from wrong, truth and error.

So what is truth? Paul says again to the Thessalonians “stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.” (2 Thess 2.15). He is urging them and us blokes, to use the written Word of God, the Bible, as the only reliable “ceramic dish” to determine truth.

How often do you open the covers of this amazing book? How regularly do you expose yourself to the very words of God, the instrument of the Holy Spirit? Men, for us to live a life of integrity and lead in His Power and for His Purposes we need to grow in our knowledge of Him who has saved us.