Grounded

Growing up as a boy these days isn’t easy and being a father isn’t any easier. The church has, all too often, forgotten how to properly instruct men, young and old, about the ultimate goal of a man. In this day and age when men are getting mixed signals from their culture, their family and even their church it is important for them to know who they are, who they are to God and to be able to live confidently. Byron Yawn learned many of his lessons the wrong way and now with two boys of his own, he is extremely passionate about his responsibility as a father to disciple them to be able to understand God’s plan for their lives.  Today we cut through all the nonsense and get down to the nitty-gritty of what a Godly man looks like and what God expects of his male children in this world. This episode of Grounded is what every man wishes his father had told him.

Byron (a.k.a. “Boo”) was raised in the deep south—Mississippi to be exact. Through the faithful witness of his newly converted parents, he came to Christ as a teenager. God’s grace transformed Byron’s life. What was once an aimless, hopeless, rebellious teenager became a monument of God’s mercy and love.

After his conversion, Byron was mentored and discipled by some faithful men who endowed him with a love for the local church, a commitment to a reformed faith, and a passion for the Gospel. He became a permanent fixture in the ministries of the church body. From the very beginning of his walk, he had a burning desire to make God’s Word known to His people. Byron would tell you “being there when God works in a heart” is still the greatest thrill of his life.   It did not take long before church leaders recognized God’s hand in his life. With their guidance and encouragement, Byron pursued training for the ministry and graduated from the Master’s Seminary in 1996. From there he took an associate pastor position at a Bible Church in Texas. As God would have it, one of Byron’s main responsibilities was Men’s Ministry. This emphasis would radically change his perspective on ministry and the local church. Men’s ministry, he soon discovered, was not just another ministry the church provided, but was central to the church’s mission (2 Timothy 2:2). Since that time Byron has been discipling leaders in the church as he seeks to bless others with the same experiences which shaped his own life in Christ. His aim is to multiply himself in other men like the church depends upon it.

Byron and his wife Robin grew up down the street from each other. They were high school sweethearts and had the special blessing of coming to faith during the same period of their lives. Their marriage has been about the Gospel from the very beginning. They have three children; Lauren, Wade and Blake. They arrived at Community Bible Church in early 2001. During their ten years they have seen the church flourish under a continuing commitment to expository preaching.

Today, the basic commitments of Byron’s ministry still guide everything he does. The tremendous pressure upon today’s pastor to stay “relevant” leads many pastors to adopt the latest evangelical fad. Byron’s heart is to stay basic. In his own words, “The most relevant aspect of our message will never make sense to the world. The Cross is an offensive thing. The Cross is the only thing.”