This lyric from an old Dwight Yoakam song comes out of the recesses of my memory from time to time.



"I tell the truth except when I lie"

If we want to become the right kind of dangerous men - dangerous to the darkness, instead of to those we love - we must guard our hearts from deception. Jesus calls Satan “the father of lies” in John 8:44.

The basis of all Satan’s tactics is deceit. 

No doubt, he is trying to run some version of this play in your life right now. The key is to expose the lie with the truth, especially the lies within. 

Flat-out honesty: Sometimes when I say something hurtful to my wife or respond in a tone that is sharp and unkind, I try to cover it up with a lie. She asks, “Why did you say that?” I say, “I didn’t mean it that way.” But I’m lying. Instead of confessing that I was out of line, I blame it on her misinterpretation of my tone. Call it anger, insecurity, or self-preservation, but I’m lying. 

You may think that’s insignificant, but it is a crack in the door that Satan uses to plant his deception inside. 

You don’t want to be the man who says, “I tell the truth except when I lie.” You want to be a man of integrity.

Deception divides. It makes us one man on the outside and another on the inside. This is the root of all kinds of evil in the world: men hiding, lying to themselves and everyone else about their real intentions.

A Prayer To Expose Deception

This month, our focus is on building three core practices that help us combat Drift, Deception, and Distraction.

Here is a simple prayer to add into your week that will help you root out deception.

Lord, you are the way, the truth, and the life. Shine your light on the deception in my life, the lies I have heard from the enemy and the ones I have uttered from my own lips. I confess that I have not been honest. Lord, teach me your way of integrity. Do not let me be deceived; instead, give me discernment through your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Pray, then listen.

Let’s be men of truth, repentance, and integrity!

THIS WEEK’S TOP 3

1. READ: Hebrews 5
2. THINK: Chew on this one. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.” 1 John 1:8
3. ACT: Take 5 minutes today to pray the prayer above and then listen. Write down what God reveals and be bold enough to share it with a trusted man of God or hit reply and share it with me.

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ARE YOU READY TO FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT?

I coach driven visionary Christian men who want to sustain lifelong impact in the world for God’s Kingdom. I show them the way to build an inner framework and razor sharp purpose that supports anything they build and bring into the world on the outside. 

Too many of us have become great at building amazing businesses, ministries and movements but we have neglected our inner life. We are literally imploding under the stress and weight of it all. 

And the cost?

You end up standing at the top of the mountain alone… your marriage in shambles, your kids disconnected, and your relationship with God distant. 

Is there a way to chase what God has put in you and not sacrifice what is most important to you? 

The answer is, absolutely!

But the path seems unclear. 

I want to guide you to transformation. 

Through my coaching program, WHETSTONE, I teach you the Forged Path to becoming a man who is sharpened in every area of his life - soul, heart, mind, strength and mission. 

You are too important to the Kingdom of God to stay on this path to implosion and burnout! 

If this sparks something in you, message me. 

I believe in this process to my core! To get you over the threshold, I want to offer you three 30 minute sharpening sessions free of charge. 

I’ve seen it happen time and again with men just like you! God is doing miracles! He is transforming lives! 

The breakthrough you are longing for is not as far off as you think. It only takes one small action to begin building momentum. 

Reach out and let’s schedule our first call.

aubrey@whetstoneway.com