& GO: NO GOOFIN AROUND
Notes
Transcript
Intro
We’re still talking about this race called life
We have done a lot of work:
got the right shoes on - laced up
stretched - looked at the awesome faith of the great cloud of witnesses
Got in ready position - throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles
And we took off
perseverance - difficulty, delay, failure, opposition, suffering at your own hands or others - it makes us stronger
The race marked out for you - it is unique, important
I have been highlighting part of my race: my desire for children, waiting on God while He also used me to work with so many kids, walking thru trials and trying to trust that God was indeed going to give me the desires of my heart, to finally getting pregnant, a miracle
And now we are running!
Body
And just like a runner we need to run with proper form
Ever see a race where someone takes off all crazy at the beginning, sprinting and flailing to be 1st. What happens?
Check out this video
Don’t be a Goof. Don’t run like Goofy
He ran weird, looked funny, got distracted for sure
Thank God we have a much better instructor than Goofy.
When I was pregnant with Mason, everyone would ask if I thought it was a boy or girl
I had 1 dream - I was holding a baby Goofy
Let’s look at what the Bible says: Scripture
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. 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.
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. 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.
Oberservation:
What do you observe?
Fix eyes on Jesus, pioneer, perfecter, overcomer, winner
Fixing our eyes on Jesus.
What does this mean to you?
I know in other sports it is really important where you fix your eyes.
Skating - spinning - keep eyes focused on an object so you don’t get dizzy
Bowling - I don’t look anywhere except the arrow 1/2 way down the lane that I want to hit
Mahomes - always looking @ Kelce
So what does it look like to fix your eyes on Jesus
don’t get distracted
That friend, girlfriend, career, car isn’t more important than Jesus
You know there are hurdles in front of you, but you keep your eyes up - you know exactly how many steps to take and you have taught your body exactly how to glide over the hurdle - foot straight out, knee bent, back leg extended, and just as quick the front foot goes down to land and then run towards the next. Always keeping eyes up
What is a pioneer?
The 1st - before, made a path
What is a perfecter?
Got it figured out, 100%
And that word Faith…?
The witnesses were good with faith - Jesus is perfect - He is the example to follow the most!
Application:
So How do we apply this to our lives?
How do we keep our eyes on Jesus?
How do we pursue the one who is a pioneer and perfecter of faith?
I finally got the desire of my heart when I had my 1st child. But I realized I had no idea what I was doing.
This was my 1st child, I was a pioneer in this thing called motherhood. Everyone had tips, books, advise, and criticism for me
Something tho had happened to me when I was 7 months pregnant
God spoke to me and said things would be different with this child but He promised all would be okay, that they baby would be healthy.
1st of all He was talking about the birth
labor 36 hrs, something wrong, c-section, beautiful healthy boy
But I also knew God’s words were about more than the birth.
I immediately put down the parenting books, I quit listening to others, & I started praying that God would always show me the best way to love my child, to keep him safe and healthy
I trusted God alone.
Have I done everything right? nope. but I have a goal to keep my eyes on Jesus and trust Him on how to raise my kids.
And what a relief, but also hard. Trusting God with my kids is like a dance, sometimes I just want to take the lead but God created that dance and knows it better than me
He wants to do the same for you. No matter what that dance is: school, home, career.... He wants to be with you and help you. You just need to keep your eyes on Him and trust He knows what He is doing.
Prayer:
Let’s pray