On October 16th, 1555 Latimer, while being burned alive at the stake for his faith along with Nicholas Ridley at Oxford, England, turned to Ridley and said, "Play the man master Ridley.  We shall this day light such a candle by God's grace in England as I trust shall never be put out."

Whether you feel like a real man or not, by God's grace you can fulfill the mission of one.  You were designed for bold impact.  You can bravely sacrifice in the face of the most challenging circumstances.  You can pray for God to save and redeem our society.  You can witness to those who don't know Christ.  You can love your wife and children with powerful humility.  You can forgive, overcome, persevere, resist, triumph. 

My brothers, will you this day, "play the man" in such a way as to light a fire of awakening and revolution in whatever way you can.  This is the best of what it means to be a man.

(for your fire teams - note: the grease pencil to record your activity is located in the box outside the men's ministry office door)