HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHARONDA(My Oldest Daughter)
“My life is being given as an offering to God, and the time has come for me to leave this life. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:6-7 (NCV)
Today, I want to talk to you about the cost of a “VISION”! Is it worth it? Visionary, purposeful living is not always easy. It not only requires a measure of personal discipline, it also includes real opposition and problems! But I here you still asking, “Is it worth it”? I want to do my best to try to answer that by looking at Second Timothy where Paul finds himself writing while on death row, knowing he will be executed in a few days – its dark and it doesn't seem that the Lord will intervene this time. Now, that will make anybody wonder if “it’s really worth it”. As he looked back across the years, Paul was able to state three indefinable, exciting qualities that had marked his life because of his vision.
Paul identified His Overcoming Spirit - “I have fought the good fight”
Life is a battle. God’s purpose enables you to overcome. The words Paul uses here have the sense of “I did it!” You can sense the finality and the victory in these words. Vision changes a defeated spirit into an overcoming spirit... a fearful spirit into an overcoming spirit… an angry spirit into an overcoming spirit… a compromising spirit into an overcoming spirit.
Paul identified His Staying Power - “I have finished the race”
Life is a marathon. More people's faith has been defeated by the details of everyday living than by the big battles of life. God’s purpose enables you to endure. The key for Paul wasn't being first, it was finishing. For Paul life was not a matter of competition, but of completion! Now, this might sound a bit harsh but if you will receive with the right spirit it will bless and transform you life. Here it is, stop spending so much time trying to beat those around you in the 100 yard dashes and run the race set before you with energy and excitement.
Paul identified His Abundant Life - “I have kept the faith”
Life is a gift. It is a wonderful gift, but challenging one as well. Remember as a child getting that first little puppy. Your parents sat you down and said, “Now you have to walk it, train it, and feed it.” You quickly discovered that the puppy was just a gift but it was a responsibility! The word Paul uses for “kept” relates to the responsibility of a servant left in charge of a household in the absence of his master. Some people are overwhelmed by life and others are overjoyed by life. Vision is both gift and responsibility that should be enjoyed.
Family Discussion Question: What does life feel more like to you right now: a battle, a marathon or a gift?
Today, I want to talk to you about the cost of a “VISION”! Is it worth it? Visionary, purposeful living is not always easy. It not only requires a measure of personal discipline, it also includes real opposition and problems! But I here you still asking, “Is it worth it”? I want to do my best to try to answer that by looking at Second Timothy where Paul finds himself writing while on death row, knowing he will be executed in a few days – its dark and it doesn't seem that the Lord will intervene this time. Now, that will make anybody wonder if “it’s really worth it”. As he looked back across the years, Paul was able to state three indefinable, exciting qualities that had marked his life because of his vision.
Paul identified His Overcoming Spirit - “I have fought the good fight”
Life is a battle. God’s purpose enables you to overcome. The words Paul uses here have the sense of “I did it!” You can sense the finality and the victory in these words. Vision changes a defeated spirit into an overcoming spirit... a fearful spirit into an overcoming spirit… an angry spirit into an overcoming spirit… a compromising spirit into an overcoming spirit.
Paul identified His Staying Power - “I have finished the race”
Life is a marathon. More people's faith has been defeated by the details of everyday living than by the big battles of life. God’s purpose enables you to endure. The key for Paul wasn't being first, it was finishing. For Paul life was not a matter of competition, but of completion! Now, this might sound a bit harsh but if you will receive with the right spirit it will bless and transform you life. Here it is, stop spending so much time trying to beat those around you in the 100 yard dashes and run the race set before you with energy and excitement.
Paul identified His Abundant Life - “I have kept the faith”
Life is a gift. It is a wonderful gift, but challenging one as well. Remember as a child getting that first little puppy. Your parents sat you down and said, “Now you have to walk it, train it, and feed it.” You quickly discovered that the puppy was just a gift but it was a responsibility! The word Paul uses for “kept” relates to the responsibility of a servant left in charge of a household in the absence of his master. Some people are overwhelmed by life and others are overjoyed by life. Vision is both gift and responsibility that should be enjoyed.
Family Discussion Question: What does life feel more like to you right now: a battle, a marathon or a gift?
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