It's Wide Open Series

I want to talk to the men.

We often preach to the men...messages of how to better care for and understand the women.

But, seldom, if ever, do we give insight to the man's world to women.

* I want you to notice in the text:

"A Blind Man"

* Never in scripture do you hear of a blind woman

* God is always healing a blind man

* This man wasn't healed instantly...

...he needed a second touch

* This story helps us understand that sometimes healing is a process

* I believe that today we have too many blind men

* Men who have lost their way...lost their vision

* Most men don't have a definite vision for their family

* They are just making a living

* The Devil knows if he can see it...

...he can seize it

* This man reminds me of the church man...

„X He gets better...

* But he is still not well...

o Vision is blurred

* Man represents headship in the family

* And there is nothing worse than...

...the head of the house losing his vision

* The enemy is after the man's vision

EXAMPLE: Samson

* The enemy goes hard after the man

* If he can steal man's vision...

* Then the family is under attack

* I guarantee, half the things we've gone through are a result of Dad

„X My dad lost his vision

„X And his kids lost their way

* If men are going to have their vision restored

* We must consider the eyes (I's)

4 I's TO CONSIDER

1. His Intersections

2. His Intercession

3. His Intimacy

4. His Intensity

1. INTERSECTIONS

ƒ{ Defined: A place where 2 or more roads meet

A place of decision

To leave one path and begin another

ƒ{ Men's lives are filled with intersections

ƒ{ A place of decision is sometimes where we live

ƒ{ Decisions about everything:

„X God

„X Business

„X Home

„X Money

„X Marriage

For Me: Building

Staff

Requests

Finances

Ministry

What to order at the restaurant

Kids -- Goals

Etc.

ƒ{ In order to reach our destination we must make right decisions

ƒ{ Men often find themselves at intersections trying to convince everyone they know

where they are going and they're not lost!

ƒ{ Intersections start early in a boy's life

ƒ{ And, women often don't understand...

ƒ{ The pressure men or boys are under

ƒ{ To make the right turn

ƒ{ When he is about 13, he is at a major intersection

ƒ{ She wants him to stay like he was

ƒ{ Momma's little boy

ƒ{ If she was 22 or older when he was born

ƒ{ She is in a stabilizing moment in her life

ƒ{ While he is in the biggest change so far in his life

ƒ{ And, if the father is not there...physically or emotionally...his life has just become even more complicated

ƒ{ The boy used to draw you pictures

ƒ{ And you would praise him

ƒ{ Put it up on the refrigerator

ƒ{ Now, he's too old for that and he is wondering

ƒ{ Now where he will get praise from

EXAMPLE: Men love praise

Or reaction

ƒ{ If you don't react, I won't do it

ƒ{ So, he is now wondering what will get reaction...

„X Sports

„X Drugs

„X Others now respond and react and praise

ƒ{ His reward system is changing

ƒ{ He is changing...intersection

„X Hormones -- armpit hair -- looking in the mirror

„X Looking at girls different

„X Momma used to be the only girl in his life

„X But now he notices Julie

„X And she's got her own praise language

ƒ{ Sometimes Momma doesn't understand this and tries to keep him a little boy

„X He will eventually despise your backseat driving

ƒ{ He is at an intersection...

„X Putting down Lego's

„X Picking up MP3 players

ƒ{ And finds himself stuck in the middle of being too young to be this and too old to be that

ƒ{ Wants to make decisions...

„X But needs you to drive him there

ƒ{ He will go through another intersection

ƒ{ Just like that one in about 35 years

ƒ{ Too young to be old...too old to be young

ƒ{ Trading in toys...

„X Trading station wagon for sports car

„X In order to have clear vision to navigate through all those intersections

ƒ{ We may need God to touch us again

ƒ{ Because with all these decisions

ƒ{ Sometimes things look blurry!

2. INTERCESSION

ƒ{ For years we have told men to pray...

ƒ{ With and for their families

ƒ{ But before I preach that...

ƒ{ Let me preach this...

„X Women and children

„X You should make it a constant prayer for wisdom, protection for the head of your home