First a disclaimer: my close friend and weekly accountability partner is the founder and president of this ministry. That is the last shred of disavowal that you will hear from me in the next few days. Jeff Knapp and I first met and became friends (contrary to the belief of some that it was our follicle similitude) when he was a volunteer in Perimeter Church’s Student Ministry where our kids were (and are) participants. Clearly God had/has gifted Jeff with a unique ability to connect with students. Now that I know him, I know that it’s not all natural; but it is all a calling on his life to connect with people because people matter to God. He works hard at it.
In the next few days I want to allow the stories of the young men of IRON and FIRE Ministries to strike a chord in your heart. These guys are not actors. These guys are not all from the same circumstances. These guys are not reading scripts. These guys certainly have walked different paths. The one thing they all have in common is a life-on-life encounter with my friend Jeff (and others) that has helped them understand the impact of the gospel of Jesus in real time. You will get that as you listen to their stories.
I’m asking you to do 4 simple things in the days that follow…
- listen… to every word of their stories
- pray… ask God what you can do
- visit… the IRON and FIRE website
- do… something based on what you hear
So, today is an introduction. Take your time. This list is not necessarily in order of importance or chronology. Maybe a good first step is just to get on their website and hear the heartbeat of what IRON and FIRE is about. I promise you that these next few days will give you hope that God is still able to change the lives of those who are willing to listen.
re:THINK 
I went to the website and read the vision of Iron and Fire and the stories of the young men posted there. There is a lot of truth in the statement that very few father-figures are investing in the next generation. This rings true not only for young men but ladies, too. Just as a boy needs his Father to show him how to “be a man”, girls also need their Fathers just as desperately. Mothers should be held to the same standards. God designed procreation to occur between a man and a woman…two people, two parents, both with equal importance in their childrens’ lives. When one lacks, whether it be Mom or Dad, the child suffers in some way. Kids grow up with a void, incessantly seeking to fulfill it. It’s not a conscious hunt, but an innate one that yearns and hungers for something. They usually end up going from one “fix” to another, whether it be promiscuity, drugs, alcohol, poor friends, dysfunctional relationships, etc. Some will be fortunate enough to realize that God is there, waiting to fill that void. All they have to do is surrender to Him. Some never realize this and go on living a life that’s full of emptiness, fumbling from one bad situation to another. I think that it’s important that we recognize this epidemic and offer ourselves as that Father-figure or Mother-figure to those who do not have it. Sometimes all a young person needs is for that one person to step in and show them the truth. I have been feeling an urge lately to find out how to get more involved in this. I was once a wandering young lady looking for love in all of the proverbial wrong places. I know what it’s like to subconsciously hunt and seek to fill a void that parents leave. I have a story. I have traveled down a path that was scary and dangerous, but by the Grace of God, He saw greater purpose for my life. I want to get involved. I want to share with young people that they don’t have to go down that road. It’s a dead end. Praise The Lord that these young men have found truth and peace in their lives. In a week filled with horrible news, this warms my heart.