Ironman Week 1 Notes

Summary of the Gathering:

In our first week of Ironman Pat started things off by telling the group, "We aren’t here by accident, God has a plan for us to be here." Over the next 10 weeks we as a group will be focusing on the heart.

To get motivated for the journey a video showing the Ironman competition was shown. Ironman began when a group of Navy Seals started an argument about who was the fittest athlete in 1978, Commander John Collins suggested that the best way to decide would be to combine the Waikiki Rough Water Swim (2.4 miles), the Around Oahu Bike Race (112 miles) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles) ... whoever finished would be a real Ironman.

This Ironman group isn't about training for a physical competition but about becoming real men of Christ. Pat – “I’ve run some marathons before and the hard part wasn’t running it it was training for 18 weeks.”

Brief History:

Pat met with men who were at the point of life where “the wheels were starting to come off”. Realized the need for men to gather in fellowship and asked the question, ‘If you were in a group of guys for a year what would you talk about?”

Pat started to compose a list of things that guys did with him that were life changing, things that he wish people would do with him. He looked at the new things offered for men’s ministry but decided to do what has worked in the past for him.

The first group met at Bob Evans every 2 weeks for 2 years.

The second group of 11 guys for every week for a year.

The third group of 18 guys morning group and night group

In the fourth year a group of 14 guys met in the morning.

Pat Goodman met with Danny O’Brien of Grace Fellowship and they decided to take the Ironmen to the next level. This is the first year the group is open and more than 90 men signed up before the first week.

The Goal:

Ironmen does not allow us to hide, it’s a place to get things on the table. This group asks the question “What if the real us showed up earlier?” In this group men will learn that because of the Gospel we can change, because God is more fond of us than we know.

This is not just a bible study, the bible will be studied but it’s not the only thing we’ll do. Bible studies help us get to know His word but it needs to be applied to our life. Just because we know the Gospel doesn’t mean we live it and know Jesus Christ. Ironman is going to be a bible study and way more.

Some Scripture to Go Deeper

Psalm 39:4-7; Psalm 90:10-12

Activity doesn’t = Wisdom

James 4:13-17 (Our lives are a vapor (The vapor factor), but we boast as if we live forever.

We do not live forever so do we really want to live like X?

What’s the vapor about? Our lives are significant but short.

John 14:12 Jesus brought into life the way things ought to be. Are we going to be the type of people to create that environment…it’s takes courage.

John 4:11-13 Do you believe you can live a different life? The real question is, “Are you ready to?”

Jesus is meant to flow into us, through us and out of us.