Zona Men’s Retreat: Fight ‘The Good Fight’

Reject passivity, take responsibility, lead courageously and look to the greater reward. These four pillars train men to fight the good fight mentioned in 1 Timothy 6:12.

On May 1-3, 370 men from 28 churches spread throughout Arizona attended the Zona Men’s Retreat. This 10th annual event was held at Young Life’s Lost Canyon Camp outside of Williams.
This year’s speaker was Jeremiah Semmler, pastor of CityView Church in Phoenix and associational mission strategist for Thrive Network. Semmler’s messages drew heavily on what he learned while working out.

He joined Hard Knocks Gym in north central Phoenix about a year before the event. His coach, Farid, is a professional boxer in the World Boxing Association. In their sessions, Semmler learned a lot about himself as a man, a leader and a dad. Those lessons were used by God to prepare him to challenge the men at the retreat to fight the good fight.

1 Timothy 6:12 was the launching ground for a weekend filled with biblical training in being the man God wants you to be. Beginning on the first night, Semmler taught the men how passivity is an act of cowardice that is robbing them of their potential and robbing God of the new creation He intends for them to become.

There is no sideline in spiritual warfare, he said. It is impossible to be casual, comfortable or convenient in any war.

In the Saturday morning session, Semmler told about the need for consistent training, because every believer is going to be in a fight, he said. Serving Jesus is a good fight and a fight worth fighting. It is a fight worth the effort and intentionality required to win.

Most battles are lost because of inconsistent training, Semmler said, not a lack of skill, not a lack of desire and not the wrong training — but training applied inconsistently.

Saturday afternoon, the men were free to use the recreational opportunities at the camp, which included adventurous fun such as archery tag, a zip line and a giant swing. Also included were water slides, a game room and several types of playing fields. Many men simply enjoyed being in the spectacular beauty of the camp and its surrounding mountains.

Saturday evening, the session focused on knowing the enemy. The devil is real, and he is always watching for the opportunity to attack, Semmler said. He will probe for weaknesses and when the attack comes, he will not fight fair. Remembering that he is already defeated is a key to the battle.

Sunday morning at the final session, the men were trained in the remaining three pillars. Accepting responsibility, leading courageously and looking to the greater reward were discussed. The men were sent off with a blessing, along with a warning about the likelihood of a spiritual attack right after the mountaintop experience.

Zona Men is always encouraging, uplifting and fun. Yet, when the men leave, they will often testify to the best part being cabin time. These small group sessions take place after each session with the key speaker. Those discussions lead to a deep honesty, camaraderie, accountability and genuine growth.

All of these events strengthened the men. The goal of the retreat is to strengthen the churches by strengthening the men of the church. Churches get stronger when the men get stronger.

Charles W. Short is senior pastor of Grand Community Baptist Church in Surprise.