Band of Brothers: Why We Fight with Paul McDonald and Wailer Giles
Coming up on the Men at the Movies podcast, we deal with the episode Why We Fight in our Band of Brothers series. We deal with the ongoing toll of battle and suffering. The temptation is to allow the struggle to cause us to fall away, hate each other, and for our love to grow cold. But when Jacob wrestled with God, he knew dawn was coming. And although he walked away with a limp, he also had a blessing and a new name. Join us as we discover God’s truth in this story.
Quotes
The battle can go on so long that we become the anti-heroes.
We will suffer a great deal as long as we know the significance of that pain.
We can handle obscurity. What we cannot accept is futility.
If they don’t endure Bastogne, they can’t set the prisoners free.
Abraham never saw it, but God did what He promised.
Themes
The ongoing toll of battle and suffering. There is no end in sight.
Falling away
Hating each other
Love grows cold. We check out, turn to lesser loves (alcohol, drugs, porn, work, gambling)-anything to numb the ache and burden of the battle.
Jacob wrestling with God: all night long, walks away with a limp, but also a new identity and a new blessing
Resources
“And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other…and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” - Matthew 24: 10-13 (NLT)
“For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” - Hebrews 12: 2 (NIV)
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” - Hebrews 6:19 (NIV)
“Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.” - Hebrews 6:9-12 (NLT)
“Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.” - Heberews 6: 15 (NLT)
“Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.” - from The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Questions
Where does your love feel cold?
Where are you in danger of falling away?
What things make you the most angry?
Where have you wrestled with God? What was the result?
How are you tempted to check out?
Where have you been handed a grief or struggle that you don’t have a compartment for?
Why do you fight? Why do you get out of bed everyday? What keeps you from giving up hope?
More info
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Edited and mixed by Grayson Foster
Logo and episode templates by Ian Johnston
Audio quotes performed by Britt Mooney, Paul McDonald, and Tim Willard, taken from Epic (written by John Eldredge) and Song of Albion (written by Stephen Lawhead).
Southerly Change performed by Zane Dickinson, used under license from Shutterstock.
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