Lesson Two: The Uncommon Life
As stories began to emerge from the survivors of the South Tower of the World Trade Center, several mentioned a mysterious young man who stepped out of the smoke and horror to lead them to safety. They did not know who this man was who saved their lives, but this they did remember: Wrapped around his mouth and nose was a red bandanna. For 76 minutes, the man in the red bandanna barked orders, and led people to safety down stairwells. He said, “I found the stairs, follow me and only help who you can.” He carried one woman down fifteen flights of stairs—on his back, while leading others to safety, urged them to keep going down, and then headed back up never to be seen again.
Upstairs, a badly injured woman was sitting on a radiator waiting for help when the man with the red bandanna over his face came running across the room and said, “Follow me. I know the way out. I will lead you to safety.” Then he led several survivors to a stairwell that took them to safety.
Six months later, on March 19, 2002, the body of the man with the red bandanna was found intact alongside firefighters in a makeshift command center in the South Tower lobby buried under 110 stories of rubble.
Slowly the story began to come out. Welles Crowther graduated from Boston College where he played lacrosse, always carrying his trademark red bandanna. In high school Welles was on the hockey team and was the kid who would feed the puck to the lowest-scoring player on the team, hoping to give him his first goal. At sixteen he became a junior volunteer firefighter, following in his dad’s footsteps. After college he joined Sandler O’Neil and Partners and worked on the 104th floor of the South Tower. He always carried change to give to street people. His dream was to become a firefighter or public servant. On Sept. 11, at the age of 24, Welles Crowther became both, and also a hero – “the man in the red bandanna.”
Men, this is what the Uncommon life looks like. When others are going down, you go up, when others are selfish, you are selfless, when others are accumulating, you are giving, when others are conditionally loving, your love is unconditional. In this lesson we will be laying the foundation for what it means to live an uncommon life. What does it look like us to live in the world, but be different from the world? To be Uncommon!
Goals for the Lesson:
● To continue to get to know the men in your group
● To develop a biblical base for what Uncommon means and looks like for the Christian man
Warm Up Question
The strength and effectiveness of a group is measured by the depth of relationships that are developed between the group members. One of the things we will be doing early in the process of starting your group is taking time to get to know one another. To enhance this process we will have a warm up question that allows each member to share more about themselves with the others in the group. Like last week, no one is going to force you to share, but I would encourage you to share as much as you feel comfortable sharing.
Today’s Question is: If you could share a meal with any 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be?
Bible Study:
In our study today we are going to look at a section of scripture that is referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. In this teaching Jesus provides a very practical look at what the Uncommon life looks like. He says we are to be different from the world and difference makers in the world. He says our character, priorities, ambitions, devotion, love, piety, will all be different. Today we are going to examine one part of this section, Matthew 6:19-34.
Each person read through the passage to themselves. Feel free to underline significant points, write out questions, and make notes as you read.
Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendorwas dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Discussion Questions:
What do we learn about God from this passage of scripture?
What do we learn about man from this passage?
What do we learn about living an Uncommon life from this passage?
What is the application for each of you?
Talk by Albert Tate
Listen to the message by Albert Tate that was given at the 2020 No Regrets Men’s Conference. It was the kick-off talk in the morning and provided the biblical base for the day. The talk can be found on the No Regrets ap, under Conference Media/2020 Platform Talks.
In January 2012, Albert and his wife, LaRosa, planted Fellowship Monrovia, a gospel-centered, multi-ethnic and intergenerational church in California. He currently serves as lead pastor. Albert is a gifted and dynamic communicator who presents the gospel to people across the country in academic, retreat and conference settings combining humor and storytelling about God’s amazing grace and love. He also serves on the Board of Trustees at Azusa Pacific University and Fuller Youth Institute. Albert is married to the love of his life, LaRosa, and they have four children.
Notes from Talk
Discussion Questions
- Albert asks us to imagine what it would be like to live in the name of Jesus. Use your imagination and describe for the group a potential situation in which you envision Jesus living in you. Describe the consequences that could radiate out from that situation.
- Albert speaks of avoiding the to -do list mentality that results in an identity based on what you can accomplish on your own. He suggests having a funeral for an area where that frustrating mindset has gripped your behavior: share what you need to have a funeral for. What is it about you that prevents Jesus from establishing your identity?
- Albert warned that one of the most dangerous things you can do is become friendly with something that can kill you. What or who are you friendly with that could kill you?
- Another way to look at living the Uncommon life is to be salt and light in our world. We tend toward the error of doing that in our own strength. The thorn in his flesh that Paul struggled with reminds us to look hard at the things we think inhibit us from ministering well. How did Paul address his thorn in the flesh?
Sharing and Prayer Time
Each man share what has impacted them the most from the study this week, one application they want to make and how the men can pray for them this coming week.
Take time to silently pray for the man on your right and after a few minutes the leader can close the time in prayer.
Next Weeks Assignment
For next week you will be listening to a talk given by Carlos Whittaker at the 2020 No Regrets Men’s Conference. The talk was entitled “Killing the Spider” and can be found on the No Regrets App under Conference Media, 2020 Platform speakers. There is a place for notes in Lesson Three.
Important - The app will not necessarily save your fill-in notes. Please click on “EMAIL” and email this devotional (with your notes) to yourself.