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All right, so we are here to talk
about the faithful life this morning.

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We're talking about the, the fruit of
the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience,

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kindness, goodness, faithfulness.

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Pop quiz, how many more
are there after this one?

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Two!

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Abe, welcome back, Abe.

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We're glad to have you back.

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You made it back from the
land of fruits and nuts.

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Yep, you got it.

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Yeah, so we got two more.

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Gentleness and self control.

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But this morning we're here
to talk about faithfulness.

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This week in preparation for this,
actually last week in preparation

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for this, because I thought
we were meeting last Saturday.

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Um, I was reading about the
Paris Olympics coming up, and

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there's something that the U.

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S.

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team is bringing with them that you
might not think that they would have

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to bring with them to the Olympics.

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They're bringing, Air conditioning units.

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Because Paris, as part of their efforts
to save the world, has decided that

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air conditioning pollutes too much,
and so they're not going to have any

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air conditioning within the Olympic
Village there for their athletes.

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It's also supposed to be
the hottest summer Olympics

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on record in recent memory.

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So, the United States team said, we're
not doing that, so they're bringing their

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own air conditioning units with them.

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Which I, I think is probably a good call.

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So hopefully that pays off, and
we see a few more Americans on

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the podium, uh, in the events.

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But, think about all of
those, those athletes.

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All the preparation, all the
work, all the, the sweat equity.

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All the, the hard work.

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not knowing whether or not this is going
to pay off or succeed mentality that

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goes into becoming an Olympic athlete.

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Uh, there was a family back at our
church in, in California, whose daughter

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was just a superb figure skater.

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Uh, but they have no guarantee
that all of their effort, all of

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their early morning skate, Lessons.

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All of the money that they invest in
this all of the time traveling around

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to these different arenas for these ice
skating tournaments is going to pay off.

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That's her dream is to go to
the Olympics, but there's no

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guarantee that that will happen.

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But the reason all of these athletes
put it in and put in the sweat equity

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is that they want to make Olympics.

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And so what you're gonna watch in in the
coming weeks here, uh, is you're gonna

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watch for some, what's the culmination
of years of hard work payoff for the

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first time you're gonna watch for others?

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The, the last shot that they're
gonna have at being at the top of

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their field, at being, uh, in a, a
position to win an Olympic medal.

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But regardless for any of them, uh,
the journey to get there was a long.

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sometimes arduous pursuit that
led them to where they are now.

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Growing older reminds me of
the fleeting nature of life.

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That all of us are looking at a time in
the future when we're going to be called

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to account for the life that we've lived.

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Much like these athletes are going to
be called to account for the life that

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they've lived when they go to compete.

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What's their life going to look like?

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How are they going to measure up?

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What's that going to be like?

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And I don't know who you want to be in
this room when you hit 80, or if the

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Lord lets you live that long, or 90.

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But what we need to understand,
men, is who we want to be then

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involves who we are right now.

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Uh, just like For those Olympic athletes,
if they want to win a gold medal, it

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involves who they are at 10, 11, 12 years
old and what they're doing at that age.

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All of that pays off when
they're standing on the podium.

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All of that feeds into
what it is at the podium.

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And so if you want to be a faithful
man of God, when you're filling

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the blank years old, you need to
be a faithful man of God right now.

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And all of us have room to grow in that.

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The bottom line is we look at
our passage this morning is this

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faithfulness breeds faithfulness.

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If you want to be faithful start being
faithful Faithfulness breeds faithfulness

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faithful in small things faithful in big
things Those of you who have been involved

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in the military you understand that right?

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Because one of the reasons why they're
so obsessive about the way that you

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make your bed Is because if you are
faithful and doing that Well, there's

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something that's small then you're going
to be faithful in the bigger things as

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they're entrusted to you Our passage
is first corinthians chapter 9 verses

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24 through 27 1 Corinthians 9, verse
24, the Apostle Paul says this, Do you

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not know that in a race all the runners
run, but only one receives the prize?

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He says, So run, that you may obtain it.

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Run, that you may obtain it.

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So Paul's writing this or, or
visiting Corinth around AD 57.

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During this time, there was a
set of games that took place in

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Corinth called the Isthmian Games,
which is really hard to say.

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The Isthmian Games was really kind
of second tier only to the Olympics.

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It was a similar sporting event where
there would have been races, there would

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have been wrestling competitions, there
would have been all kinds of other things.

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So as Paul writes back to Corinth, He's
writing to a group of people that would

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have been very familiar with this imagery.

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This would have been something
that they could hold on to.

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Much like today, in our sports obsessed
culture, we can hold on to this imagery

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as well and understand it and say, Okay,
yeah, in a race, only one is going to win,

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so I need to run as though I might win.

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And so Paul begins his address here by
appealing to his reader's sense of logic.

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His sense of logic, and the reader's
sense of logic is meant to go this way.

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In a race, there are multiple competitors.

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So you think about the Olympics,
you think about the 100 yard dash.

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There's multiple men that
line up on that line.

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And they get in their starting
blocks, and they take their stance.

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So there are multiple competitors.

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Second point he makes, though, is yet,
the reality is in a race, only one of

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all of those is going to win the race.

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And we know that to be true.

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We know that when, in the past,
Usain Bolt lined up for that

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race, He was going to win, right?

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The gun was going to sound
and he was going to blow

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everyone else out of the water.

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So there may have been multiple
men on that line, but there was

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only one that was going to win.

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So Paul's conclusion then, again
logically, is then if you're going

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to be in the race, if you're going to
be in the race of the Christian life,

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run in such a way to be that victor.

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Run in such a way that you
might be the one that wins.

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If you talk to serious runners, they will
let you know that there are different

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running styles that exist out there.

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In fact, if you are a jogger, And
you tell a serious runner that

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you're a runner, buckle up, man.

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You're about to be lectured.

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They're going to talk to you about
how there's, you're not a runner

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cause you don't know what you're
doing and your form's all messed up.

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I've been on that side of
the equation multiple times.

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There are different ways to run.

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Even just think about
Usain Bolt for a second.

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Brought him up a minute ago.

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He was more than just fast.

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There are a lot of people that are
just fast that don't win Olympic gold.

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Usain Bolt had an entire team.

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That their job was to analyze
every single facet of his race.

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Their job was to watch his stride.

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To analyze how he was holding his hands.

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To, to look at his foot
strike on the track.

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To look at the launch
from his starting block.

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To look at where his chest was positioned.

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To consider wind resistance.

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To consider the clothing
that he was wearing.

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The spikes that he had on.

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He had an entire team of people whose sole
purpose was simply to make him faster.

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On top of that, he had an entire
team of people that had a, the job of

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just giving him his training regimen.

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That, that this is what
he was supposed to do.

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This is what he was supposed to eat.

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This is the number of times
he was supposed to run.

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This was how far he was
supposed to run on certain days.

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This is his recovery program.

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This is his weightlifting program.

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All of that went into making Usain
Bolt the athlete that he was.

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All of that went into making Usain
Bolt the fastest man in the world.

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It's not just that he was fast.

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It's that he was faithful in
the pursuit of running well,

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that he might win the race.

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Otherwise, he's just somebody who's fast.

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But Usain Bolt runs in such a way
as to win the race, and that goes

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again, beyond just being fast.

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And so, here's the thing, men.

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God, in writing through Paul, wants us
to live the Christian life that way.

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It's not just about knowing your Bible.

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It's not just about showing up at church.

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It's not just about, having a
general sense of godliness about you.

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That's like just being fast and
taking your spot on the line at the

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starting blocks in the Olympics.

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No, it's about being intentional
about how we're running, being

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focused on how we're running.

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And so if we want to run the
race in such a way as to win,

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it involves two primary things.

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Number one, it involves our
training and discipline in life.

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And then number two, it involves
an abstinence from those things

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that would hinder our performance.

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Usain Bolt is not eating the same
things that I eat, I guarantee it.

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And that's okay, I'm good with that.

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I enjoy the food that I eat.

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I had a spicy chicken sandwich
this morning, it was delicious.

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Usain Bolt didn't, and
that's his loss, not mine.

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But he's going to abstain from
certain things that he knows are

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not going to help him win the race.

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So it's the discipline
and in the abstinence.

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So too in Christianity, we have to train
ourselves from godliness while we abstain

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From the fleshly lusts, as Peter calls
them, which wage war against our soul.

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That's what it looks like to
run so as to win the prize.

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We want to be faithful again.

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Faithfulness breeds faithfulness.

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We have to be faithful to run in
the right way, which starts by

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examining how we're running right now.

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Point number one this morning is this.

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Assess your current relationship with God.

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Assess your current relationship with God.

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Anyone who wants to compete at
the highest level has to start

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by saying, where am I right now?

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Where am I right now?

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I know where I want to be.

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I want to be standing on the podium.

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I want the medal around my neck.

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But first I need to understand where
I'm at right now, so that I know

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what I have to do to get there.

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So the first thing that we
have to do, men, is we want to

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run our race well, faithfully.

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It is to assess where
we're at in that right now.

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As men, society places
certain expectations on us.

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To be protectors, to be providers,
to be leaders, to be teachers.

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God has expectations of us as well.

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Expectations that we need to assess
to see are we fulfilling those?

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Each one of you who are here and who
would say, I'm a follower of Jesus that

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I've surrendered my life to Christ.

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You are responsible for how you're
running your race this morning.

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It's not your wife.

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It's not your kids.

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It's not your spouse.

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It's not your, your boss.

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It's not your neighbors, it's not
the guy that cut you off on the road.

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You are responsible for how you're
running your race this morning.

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You are responsible for the current state
of your walk with Christ this morning.

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That rests with you.

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It's not, well, I'm not doing too well and
it's, it's this person's fault over here.

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It's not, well, I've, I would be
further than I am right now, but, you

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know, I've been really busy at work.

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It's not, you know, I, I wish I was, was
more godly than I am right now, but it's

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just super hard because the environment
that I find myself in on a regular

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basis, there's so many unbelievers there
that it's just hard to be a believer.

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It's nobody's fault where you're at
spiritually other than your own if

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you're dissatisfied with where you're at.

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Just like for me to say, you know what,
I want to win, to go run a marathon.

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Well, if I assess where I'm at right
now to go run a marathon, it's not

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little Debbie's fault that I'm not
ready to go run a marathon, right?

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It's mine.

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I need to have an accurate
understanding of where I'm at

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spiritually and own that for myself.

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I need to own my spiritual standing
and that's going to help me

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understand where I need to get.

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We can't be self deceived into thinking
that we're further along in our

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training regimen than we really are.

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That's not going to help anybody.

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We need to understand where we are,
assess appropriately where we are, and

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figure out where we need to go from there.

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So as we assess our current relationship
with God, some of the things to

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think about for us, some of the
ways that we might not be running

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in the way that God wants us to,
let's think through some of these.

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Our low hanging fruit, right?

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God's Word, the Bible.

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We have at Compass Bible Church something
we refer to as the Daily Bible Reading.

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Now, we call it the Daily Bible Reading
because we think that it's important

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for you to be in the Bible, what?

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Daily, right?

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We don't call it the 3 out of 7
days a week Bible reading program.

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Not just because that's a mouthful, but
because we think that it's important

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and imperative for us as Christian men
to be in God's Word every single day.

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Jesus said, Man shall not live
by bread alone, but on every word

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that comes from the mouth of God.

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So as you assess your current standing
with the Lord, where you're at

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right now in your relationship with
the Lord, where you're at in your

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faithfulness with Him, are you faithful
in just picking up your Bible daily?

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Faithfulness breeds faithfulness.

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Begin there, right?

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How about prayer?

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Again, this is an area, I've shared
this from the pulpit, shared it

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again with you guys this morning.

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This is an area I want to improve on.

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This is an area I want our church,
corporately, to improve on this year.

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That we need to be praying,
and we need to be praying men.

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We need that, that communication
open between us and the Lord.

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And so the question for us as we
assess our current relationship with

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God, how's our prayer life doing?

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Another area to think about
just is, is godliness.

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Godliness in general.

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00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:56,790
Pastor Rod preached a couple weeks
ago from Titus chapter 2 for the

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grace of God, verses 11 and 12.

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The grace of God has appeared, bringing
salvation for all people, training

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us, right, training us to renounce
ungodliness and worldly passions and

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to live self controlled, upright,
godly lives in this present age.

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Man, how are we doing in that?

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What does our current relationship
with the Lord look like as

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far as our godliness, our
holiness, our Christ likeness?

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This whole series that we're in
right now in the Fruit of the

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Spirit from Galatians chapter 5.

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When we look at the Fruit of the
Spirit, as we assess our current

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walk with Christ, how do we see the
Fruit of the Spirit in our life?

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Where do we see it showing up?

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Where do we need to bolster?

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00:13:31,970 --> 00:13:33,130
Where do we need to strengthen that?

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00:13:33,130 --> 00:13:35,440
Where do we need to grow
in the Fruit of the Spirit?

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00:13:37,470 --> 00:13:42,200
You know, church, being there, being
present, uh, I would say in another area

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is, is just generally reading, right?

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Reading outside of, of scripture,
challenging yourself to, to pick up

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00:13:48,570 --> 00:13:52,079
a, a book on theology or a book on
doctrine and, and diving into that.

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Those are all good ways for us to move
forward in our relationship with the Lord.

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00:13:56,190 --> 00:13:57,690
But assess where you're at right now.

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Assess your current, present
relationship with the Lord.

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00:14:00,560 --> 00:14:00,864
Amen.

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00:14:01,355 --> 00:14:02,515
Here's what I know for a fact.

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00:14:02,565 --> 00:14:04,725
I'm sure all of us in this room,
myself included, would tell you

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00:14:04,725 --> 00:14:07,235
that we wish we had made better use
of our time when we were younger.

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00:14:08,295 --> 00:14:10,045
I know that to be true of myself.

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00:14:11,055 --> 00:14:13,745
But there's two things I also know to
be true about everyone in this room.

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00:14:14,385 --> 00:14:17,904
First, yes, we all have regrets
about wasted time, but here's the

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00:14:17,904 --> 00:14:19,114
second thing I know to be true of us.

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00:14:19,404 --> 00:14:22,195
You're not going to regret making the
changes today that you wish you had

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00:14:22,195 --> 00:14:23,235
already made when you were younger.

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00:14:23,925 --> 00:14:26,625
And so as you assess your current
relationship with Christ, this is not

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00:14:26,625 --> 00:14:27,865
meant to be an exercise in discouragement.

301
00:14:29,104 --> 00:14:31,625
Yeah, we may sit there and say,
man, I wish I was further along.

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00:14:32,115 --> 00:14:34,334
And I think again, that's going
to be true of every single person,

303
00:14:34,334 --> 00:14:35,324
myself included in this room.

304
00:14:35,375 --> 00:14:37,395
I think we're going to sit there and
go, man, I wish I was a little bit

305
00:14:37,405 --> 00:14:41,204
further along or maybe for some, a
lot further along than I am right now,

306
00:14:41,875 --> 00:14:43,024
but it's not meant to discourage you.

307
00:14:43,024 --> 00:14:44,974
It's meant to say, okay, so what
do I need to change to get there?

308
00:14:45,974 --> 00:14:46,895
That's what we're talking about.

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00:14:46,895 --> 00:14:48,035
What do I need to do right now?

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00:14:48,035 --> 00:14:50,675
What are some of the small baby steps,
faithfulness, breeds, faithfulness?

311
00:14:50,895 --> 00:14:55,935
What are some of the small things I can
do right now to begin to grow in my faith?

312
00:14:56,860 --> 00:14:59,550
And if you will do that, I promise you,
the other thing I know to be true is

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00:14:59,580 --> 00:15:02,870
no one ever regrets time spent with the
Lord when they're on their deathbed.

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00:15:04,090 --> 00:15:08,149
Plenty of regret about time not spent
with Him, but I, I've never heard of

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00:15:08,150 --> 00:15:11,630
a person dying saying, I wish I hadn't
spent so much time pursuing Christ.

316
00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:16,070
Assess your current
relationship with the Lord.

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00:15:16,450 --> 00:15:17,600
Paul continues in verse 25.

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00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:18,410
He says this.

319
00:15:18,410 --> 00:15:24,200
He says every athlete exercises self
control in all things They do it to

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00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:27,949
receive a perishable wreath, but we
an Imperishable we're gonna have a

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00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:31,439
whole lesson on on self control in the
future But there's a lot of overlap in

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00:15:31,439 --> 00:15:35,160
that and certainly Self control, self
discipline is a key part of faithfulness.

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As we think about being
faithful men of God.

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Again, faithfulness breeds faithfulness.

325
00:15:39,430 --> 00:15:41,719
That's not something that
comes naturally to us.

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It involves self control.

327
00:15:43,420 --> 00:15:44,599
It involves self discipline.

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00:15:44,819 --> 00:15:48,309
Much like an athlete has to have that
as they're getting ready to compete.

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00:15:48,729 --> 00:15:52,370
As you think about, again, everything that
goes into Usain Bolt's training regimen.

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00:15:52,915 --> 00:15:57,905
He's got to have self control to get out
of bed and go do the trials, go do the

331
00:15:57,905 --> 00:15:59,775
training, go run the race, go practice.

332
00:15:59,984 --> 00:16:03,474
He's got to have self control
to put the fork down sometimes.

333
00:16:04,104 --> 00:16:08,175
He's got to have that self discipline
to be able to live differently

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00:16:08,175 --> 00:16:09,434
because of what he's pursuing.

335
00:16:09,435 --> 00:16:12,984
And that bleeds over into
Christianity as well.

336
00:16:13,165 --> 00:16:15,994
No athlete trains without
goals in mind, right?

337
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That's what they're doing.

338
00:16:18,015 --> 00:16:20,515
That's why they're going
to exercise self control.

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00:16:20,814 --> 00:16:21,615
Olympic athletes.

340
00:16:21,615 --> 00:16:22,694
What are they training for?

341
00:16:22,694 --> 00:16:23,265
What are their goals?

342
00:16:23,265 --> 00:16:24,515
Well, first they want to qualify.

343
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That's goal number one.

344
00:16:25,665 --> 00:16:27,245
Well, then after they qualify,
then they're going to think

345
00:16:27,255 --> 00:16:28,184
about what's my next goal.

346
00:16:28,184 --> 00:16:29,685
Well, my next goal is I want to win.

347
00:16:30,125 --> 00:16:31,284
I want a medal, right?

348
00:16:32,055 --> 00:16:35,775
So they're training with these goals and
sometimes these goals are going to move

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00:16:35,805 --> 00:16:39,455
as they move along in their pursuit,
as they move along in their training.

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00:16:39,745 --> 00:16:40,845
Think about a basketball player.

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00:16:40,855 --> 00:16:42,604
A basketball player is
training all the time.

352
00:16:42,604 --> 00:16:42,764
Why?

353
00:16:42,765 --> 00:16:45,895
Well, he wants a better shot
or better ball handling.

354
00:16:46,295 --> 00:16:47,355
A baseball player.

355
00:16:47,355 --> 00:16:49,124
I want a higher batting average.

356
00:16:49,124 --> 00:16:50,705
I want fewer errors in the field.

357
00:16:50,715 --> 00:16:51,275
A golfer.

358
00:16:51,515 --> 00:16:54,085
I want to hit the ball and
have it stay in bounds.

359
00:16:54,315 --> 00:16:55,165
That's a good goal.

360
00:16:55,175 --> 00:16:56,435
That's my goal for this round, right?

361
00:16:57,225 --> 00:16:58,525
And they're going to
practice towards that end.

362
00:16:58,525 --> 00:16:59,765
They're going to train towards that end.

363
00:16:59,765 --> 00:17:01,745
But they're not training aimlessly.

364
00:17:01,755 --> 00:17:03,705
They're training with that goal in mind.

365
00:17:03,705 --> 00:17:04,865
And that's what Paul's talking about here.

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00:17:05,105 --> 00:17:06,655
And he says they're doing it.

367
00:17:06,665 --> 00:17:09,733
They're exercising self control for
a perishable wreath, which we're

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00:17:09,733 --> 00:17:10,835
going to get to in just a second.

369
00:17:11,074 --> 00:17:13,454
But in what areas are they
exercising self control?

370
00:17:13,454 --> 00:17:14,124
What does he say there?

371
00:17:14,444 --> 00:17:16,954
Every athlete exercises
self control in what?

372
00:17:17,954 --> 00:17:18,954
All things.

373
00:17:19,545 --> 00:17:20,253
All things.

374
00:17:20,679 --> 00:17:22,700
Again, faithfulness breeds faithfulness.

375
00:17:22,939 --> 00:17:27,030
Your faithfulness in the small things in
your life, like going out on a Saturday

376
00:17:27,030 --> 00:17:31,919
morning with your lawn mower, after men's
Bible study, and mowing your lawn, because

377
00:17:31,919 --> 00:17:33,169
you need to be faithful to do that.

378
00:17:34,264 --> 00:17:37,125
Or being faithful to say, you know
what, those of you who are married,

379
00:17:37,145 --> 00:17:39,155
I'm going to get a date night on
the counter with my wife because

380
00:17:39,264 --> 00:17:40,975
I need to be faithful to do that.

381
00:17:41,284 --> 00:17:43,665
Or to be faithful to the
expectations your employer has.

382
00:17:43,844 --> 00:17:45,284
I'm going to be faithful to do that.

383
00:17:45,454 --> 00:17:47,794
You know, those may seem like
they're disconnected from

384
00:17:47,794 --> 00:17:49,014
your relationship with Christ.

385
00:17:49,204 --> 00:17:51,774
They're not at all disconnected
with your relationship with Christ.

386
00:17:51,934 --> 00:17:55,594
And that's why every athlete has
to have self control in all things.

387
00:17:55,885 --> 00:17:59,215
Because if we get slack in one
area, man, that's like cancer.

388
00:17:59,460 --> 00:18:00,010
to our growth.

389
00:18:00,020 --> 00:18:02,260
That's like cancer to our
faithfulness because it's going

390
00:18:02,260 --> 00:18:03,910
to bleed over into other areas.

391
00:18:04,170 --> 00:18:08,100
And so we need to be like the athlete
that's focused, that's, that's committed.

392
00:18:08,329 --> 00:18:12,650
That's going to be self controlled, self
disciplined in every area with the goal of

393
00:18:12,659 --> 00:18:14,630
being a more faithful follower of Christ.

394
00:18:15,130 --> 00:18:17,210
Dustin Johnson, a professional golfer.

395
00:18:17,570 --> 00:18:20,100
This is his regimen on a daily basis here.

396
00:18:20,500 --> 00:18:23,240
It says his breakfast is
usually oatmeal and blueberries,

397
00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:24,440
raspberries or strawberries.

398
00:18:24,710 --> 00:18:28,090
It can also be an egg white
omelet, maybe with some quinoa.

399
00:18:28,375 --> 00:18:29,445
Which is, is crazy.

400
00:18:29,445 --> 00:18:34,025
That's, that's, that's out of
bounds there on, on Destin's part.

401
00:18:34,595 --> 00:18:37,775
Before the golf course, he says, I eat
an almond butter and jelly sandwich.

402
00:18:37,775 --> 00:18:38,795
Again, pass on that.

403
00:18:39,055 --> 00:18:41,744
I have a sports drink on the
course, and if I eat out there,

404
00:18:41,744 --> 00:18:42,875
it's usually a protein bar.

405
00:18:42,925 --> 00:18:46,365
After golf, if I have my chef
with me, I have a bowl of quinoa,

406
00:18:46,375 --> 00:18:47,965
veggies, chicken, or fish.

407
00:18:48,165 --> 00:18:49,625
That would be my snack afterwards.

408
00:18:49,625 --> 00:18:53,705
For dinner, it's always fish,
veggies, brown rice, or quinoa.

409
00:18:53,995 --> 00:18:55,184
And you think to yourself, why?

410
00:18:55,355 --> 00:18:57,175
Why would you torture yourself that way?

411
00:18:58,475 --> 00:19:01,544
The answer is because he realizes
that faithfulness in his diet impacts

412
00:19:01,885 --> 00:19:03,054
the product on the golf course.

413
00:19:03,554 --> 00:19:06,925
So does he need to be faithful to hit
the range and hit 200, 300 balls a day

414
00:19:06,925 --> 00:19:08,744
on the range to fine tune his game?

415
00:19:08,914 --> 00:19:09,514
Yes.

416
00:19:10,374 --> 00:19:12,294
But he also needs to be
faithful over here in his diet.

417
00:19:12,334 --> 00:19:13,464
He needs to be faithful in the kitchen.

418
00:19:13,465 --> 00:19:14,925
He needs to be faithful
in what he's eating.

419
00:19:16,324 --> 00:19:17,774
Self control, self discipline.

420
00:19:18,535 --> 00:19:21,435
It's often listed in the New Testament
in association with godliness,

421
00:19:21,475 --> 00:19:22,785
those passages with godliness.

422
00:19:23,335 --> 00:19:26,565
Titus 2, I quoted it earlier, Pastor
Rod preached on it a couple weeks ago.

423
00:19:27,154 --> 00:19:28,435
Self control is in there.

424
00:19:28,465 --> 00:19:29,694
Galatians 5.

425
00:19:29,694 --> 00:19:32,585
Self control, part of the fruit of the
Spirit, part of the pursuit of godliness.

426
00:19:32,925 --> 00:19:36,960
1 Timothy 3, it's supposed to be a
quality, Qualification for an elder.

427
00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:40,200
Same thing in Titus chapter
one, also for, for deacons.

428
00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:43,680
Uh, Titus chapter two, again,
I, I, I mentioned that earlier.

429
00:19:43,770 --> 00:19:47,340
It's mentioned four times there, though,
in those 12 verses, not just in the, the

430
00:19:47,340 --> 00:19:51,000
text that that pastor Rod preached, but
it's mentioned four times in Titus chapter

431
00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:56,445
two, applying to men, women, young women,
old women, old men, young men, and then

432
00:19:56,490 --> 00:19:59,970
in one Peter four, seven, were encouraged
and admonished to be self-controlled

433
00:19:59,970 --> 00:20:03,720
in light of the impending judgment
that's about to come upon the earth.

434
00:20:04,650 --> 00:20:06,770
Self control is imperative to
our faithfulness as Christians.

435
00:20:07,220 --> 00:20:09,390
Self discipline is imperative
to our faithfulness.

436
00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:12,880
You cannot be a faithful man of God
if you are lacking in self control.

437
00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:14,530
It has to be there.

438
00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:17,789
If you want to be faithful, and
running well, and running so as

439
00:20:17,789 --> 00:20:21,009
to win the race, discipline, self
discipline has to be a part of it.

440
00:20:21,790 --> 00:20:23,420
It's just like you don't see
many professional athletes just

441
00:20:23,590 --> 00:20:25,620
gorging themselves on junk food
because they know it's going to

442
00:20:25,620 --> 00:20:26,970
impact the product on the field.

443
00:20:27,390 --> 00:20:31,379
Man, we cannot as believers gorge
ourselves on fleshly junk food of

444
00:20:31,379 --> 00:20:32,610
this world for the same reason.

445
00:20:32,950 --> 00:20:34,940
It's going to impact your
relationship with Christ.

446
00:20:35,149 --> 00:20:37,799
It's going to impact your faithfulness.

447
00:20:38,700 --> 00:20:40,470
But this is not an easy thing, is it?

448
00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:42,560
And so why again do
these athletes do this?

449
00:20:42,570 --> 00:20:43,550
They do it with the goal of what?

450
00:20:43,570 --> 00:20:45,610
Achieving and winning a wreath.

451
00:20:45,610 --> 00:20:46,600
But what kind of a wreath?

452
00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:48,030
A perishable wreath.

453
00:20:48,830 --> 00:20:49,660
A perishable wreath.

454
00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:52,889
In, in ancient times, this was
a wreath made of celery or, or

455
00:20:52,889 --> 00:20:54,240
pine needles or other plants.

456
00:20:54,580 --> 00:20:57,750
It would have dried out and
eventually crumbled and disintegrate.

457
00:20:58,620 --> 00:21:00,249
It would have become fragile.

458
00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:01,889
It would have broken it down.

459
00:21:02,129 --> 00:21:06,299
And so that's, that's what causes all
of these athletes in, in the ancient

460
00:21:06,300 --> 00:21:09,490
Olympics to give up Oreos and peanut
butter ice cream from Tillamook.

461
00:21:10,100 --> 00:21:11,570
Is a perishable wreath.

462
00:21:12,129 --> 00:21:14,959
And yet they put so much worth
there that they were willing to

463
00:21:14,959 --> 00:21:16,990
do all that they did to gain them.

464
00:21:17,315 --> 00:21:18,785
But still, it's, it's perishable.

465
00:21:19,075 --> 00:21:22,195
I want you to think back to the
2016 Summer Olympics for a second.

466
00:21:22,675 --> 00:21:26,185
Summer Olympics, again, the
pinnacle of athletic competition.

467
00:21:26,405 --> 00:21:27,595
The height of the field.

468
00:21:27,805 --> 00:21:32,085
The, the winner of the Olympic medals
is the best in the world at what

469
00:21:32,085 --> 00:21:35,614
they do, more so than, than, than
anyone else that exists out there.

470
00:21:35,845 --> 00:21:37,165
Let me ask you a question, men.

471
00:21:37,805 --> 00:21:40,845
Who remembers who won the 400 meter
race at the 2016 Summer Olympics?

472
00:21:42,655 --> 00:21:43,335
Anybody got that one?

473
00:21:44,985 --> 00:21:47,465
The best 400 meter runner in the world.

474
00:21:49,135 --> 00:21:50,965
Yeah, Wade Van Niekerk.

475
00:21:51,365 --> 00:21:52,274
Wade Van Niekerk.

476
00:21:52,305 --> 00:21:53,165
I know you had that.

477
00:21:53,165 --> 00:21:54,295
I know it was on the tip of your tongue.

478
00:21:54,935 --> 00:21:56,014
But I'll just remind you.

479
00:21:56,044 --> 00:21:57,264
Of course we would remember that though.

480
00:21:57,264 --> 00:21:57,425
Why?

481
00:21:57,425 --> 00:21:59,135
Because he's the best at what he does.

482
00:21:59,155 --> 00:22:00,514
He's the best in the
world at what he does.

483
00:22:00,895 --> 00:22:03,565
How many of you remember who won
the Olympic Marathon in 2016?

484
00:22:04,795 --> 00:22:07,585
This is probably the most famous name of
all of them that maybe you've heard of.

485
00:22:08,504 --> 00:22:09,405
A guy named Eliud Kipchoge.

486
00:22:10,995 --> 00:22:11,535
Eliud Kipchoge.

487
00:22:11,545 --> 00:22:14,945
He, I think, until recently held the
world record in the Olympic Marathon,

488
00:22:15,085 --> 00:22:16,275
or in the marathon in general.

489
00:22:16,965 --> 00:22:21,205
How many of you remember who won, here
we go, women's 100 meter race 2016?

490
00:22:23,245 --> 00:22:24,254
Elaine Thompson.

491
00:22:24,515 --> 00:22:25,315
Elaine Thompson.

492
00:22:25,394 --> 00:22:26,785
I knew that one, didn't, didn't I?

493
00:22:27,334 --> 00:22:28,584
How about the women's shot put?

494
00:22:29,744 --> 00:22:31,135
Anybody got that one in their back pocket?

495
00:22:31,645 --> 00:22:36,475
You don't know the one who is the best
female shot putter in the entire world?

496
00:22:37,380 --> 00:22:40,090
And we're talking about less than
10 years ago, and we've already

497
00:22:40,090 --> 00:22:42,120
forgotten about Michelle Carter.

498
00:22:44,050 --> 00:22:44,960
What's my point in all that?

499
00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:46,070
I think you get it right.

500
00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:51,219
All of the discipline, all of
the training, all of the hard

501
00:22:51,230 --> 00:22:56,220
work for whatever it may have
been, and then they're forgotten.

502
00:22:57,790 --> 00:22:59,040
Their accomplishments are lost.

503
00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:02,100
Their accomplishments don't matter
anymore because nobody outside

504
00:23:02,100 --> 00:23:05,270
of maybe their family remembers.

505
00:23:06,300 --> 00:23:07,260
Nobody remembers.

506
00:23:07,300 --> 00:23:09,460
They do all of this for
a perishable wreath.

507
00:23:09,710 --> 00:23:10,590
Here's the question, men.

508
00:23:10,930 --> 00:23:17,699
How much more should we be pursuing our
relationship with Christ and faithfulness

509
00:23:17,730 --> 00:23:21,339
and self control and discipline in
those regards for what we have in

510
00:23:21,339 --> 00:23:24,149
front of us, which is not perishable?

511
00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:25,909
And that's what Paul says next.

512
00:23:26,110 --> 00:23:28,260
But we, an imperishable.

513
00:23:28,780 --> 00:23:30,250
They're pursuing an imperishable.

514
00:23:30,270 --> 00:23:31,730
They're, they're willing
to, or a perishable.

515
00:23:31,730 --> 00:23:34,180
They're willing to exercise
self control in all things.

516
00:23:34,415 --> 00:23:38,745
For something that fades and for
a podium that nobody's going to

517
00:23:38,754 --> 00:23:40,895
remember within the next decade.

518
00:23:42,195 --> 00:23:44,645
I'm sure if I went even went back
to the 2020 Olympics, we wouldn't

519
00:23:44,664 --> 00:23:45,925
remember those people either.

520
00:23:47,865 --> 00:23:50,904
But we do this or were called
to do this or we should be doing

521
00:23:50,904 --> 00:23:55,694
this because what awaits us is
not Perishable, but imperishable.

522
00:23:55,695 --> 00:23:58,325
Paul says this to Timothy
in 2 Timothy 4, 7 through 8.

523
00:23:58,345 --> 00:24:00,004
He says this towards the end of his life.

524
00:24:00,075 --> 00:24:01,584
I have fought the good fight.

525
00:24:01,794 --> 00:24:02,955
I have finished the race.

526
00:24:03,095 --> 00:24:04,125
I have kept the faith.

527
00:24:04,285 --> 00:24:08,924
Now there is laid up for me the
crown of righteousness, which

528
00:24:08,925 --> 00:24:13,205
the Lord, the righteous judge,
will award to me on that day.

529
00:24:13,205 --> 00:24:17,225
And not only to me, but also to all
who have loved his appearing men.

530
00:24:17,375 --> 00:24:19,299
That's the imperishable
crown that we have.

531
00:24:20,669 --> 00:24:25,740
That's what makes it worth it for us to
say no to the flesh and yes to the spirit.

532
00:24:25,889 --> 00:24:27,330
That's what makes it worth it.

533
00:24:27,340 --> 00:24:28,800
We have this imperishable wreath.

534
00:24:28,820 --> 00:24:33,450
In 1 Peter chapter 1, Peter refers to
our future inheritance as imperishable,

535
00:24:34,070 --> 00:24:36,940
unfading, being kept in heaven for us.

536
00:24:37,399 --> 00:24:40,540
Or 1 Corinthians 15, 52, Paul says
that in the future we're going

537
00:24:40,540 --> 00:24:42,050
to have an imperishable body.

538
00:24:42,050 --> 00:24:42,760
How about that one?

539
00:24:43,300 --> 00:24:45,730
We're going to have our glorified body
and that body is going to be imperishable.

540
00:24:46,139 --> 00:24:48,859
What is sown, perishable, is raised.

541
00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:52,019
Imperishable.

542
00:24:52,020 --> 00:24:55,510
What exactly is it about this imperishable
future that should motivate us?

543
00:24:55,870 --> 00:24:58,190
We don't have time to go there,
but Revelation 21 and 22.

544
00:24:59,900 --> 00:25:01,080
That's what motivates us.

545
00:25:01,970 --> 00:25:04,860
The new heavens and the new earth, where
there's no more sickness, no more sorrow,

546
00:25:04,860 --> 00:25:08,470
no more disease, no more breaking down
of the body, no more creaking bones, no

547
00:25:08,470 --> 00:25:12,610
more exhaustion, no more frustration,
no more angst, no more anxiety.

548
00:25:12,935 --> 00:25:16,445
No more fear, no more concern, no more
weighing, feeling the weight of carrying

549
00:25:16,445 --> 00:25:22,415
the, the responsibilities of your family
on your shoulders and say, man, I don't

550
00:25:22,415 --> 00:25:25,094
know how I'm going to make this work,
but I don't want to let my wife know that

551
00:25:25,094 --> 00:25:28,685
things aren't good right now because I
don't want her to be worried about things.

552
00:25:30,205 --> 00:25:30,695
It's gone.

553
00:25:30,695 --> 00:25:36,185
No more frustration with your boss,
no more losing your job, no more

554
00:25:36,185 --> 00:25:39,045
financial constraints, all of it gone.

555
00:25:40,435 --> 00:25:41,555
But even better than all of that.

556
00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:43,380
is being with Christ.

557
00:25:44,690 --> 00:25:46,400
There's no temple there
because Jesus is there.

558
00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:49,590
We get to be with Him.

559
00:25:49,620 --> 00:25:52,590
That's what makes the Christian
life of sacrifice worth it.

560
00:25:53,230 --> 00:25:55,690
Yes, it's a life that involves
self control and discipline

561
00:25:55,690 --> 00:25:57,279
that the world doesn't require.

562
00:25:57,869 --> 00:25:58,699
But here's the thing, y'all.

563
00:25:58,709 --> 00:26:00,859
If you and I don't have an
eye towards the goal of that

564
00:26:00,890 --> 00:26:03,270
imperishable wreath, we won't last.

565
00:26:04,465 --> 00:26:08,255
And so along those lines, as we're
pursuing faithfulness on a daily

566
00:26:08,255 --> 00:26:11,235
basis, like the Olympic athlete that
says, you know, at first I want to

567
00:26:11,235 --> 00:26:12,465
make sure I qualify for the race.

568
00:26:12,495 --> 00:26:14,315
Then I'm focused on getting better.

569
00:26:14,315 --> 00:26:15,535
And then ultimately I'm going to compete.

570
00:26:15,554 --> 00:26:16,625
I want to win the race.

571
00:26:16,625 --> 00:26:20,544
Men in our pursuit of faithfulness, we
need to have goals as well in the process.

572
00:26:20,544 --> 00:26:25,295
And so our second point this morning
along those lines is this set daily goals

573
00:26:25,615 --> 00:26:32,625
to stay faithful in your walk, set daily
goals to stay faithful in your walk.

574
00:26:35,655 --> 00:26:41,305
The athlete doesn't wake up one day and
go from zero to a million miles an hour.

575
00:26:42,715 --> 00:26:46,894
Nobody wakes up one day and is
like, okay, uh, my goal for next

576
00:26:46,894 --> 00:26:48,315
month is to win the Olympic gold.

577
00:26:49,595 --> 00:26:52,865
There's a, a, a, there's a lot of
goals along the way to get us from

578
00:26:52,865 --> 00:26:54,345
where we're at to where we want to be.

579
00:26:55,375 --> 00:26:58,315
And so likewise, man, in, in our pursuit
of Christlikeness, in our pursuit of

580
00:26:58,315 --> 00:27:00,985
faithfulness, if you say, you know,
when I think about the man of God I

581
00:27:00,995 --> 00:27:05,725
want to be, Okay, what are the goals
that, We need to set for ourselves in

582
00:27:05,725 --> 00:27:08,815
between now and then, and that's why
it's important to set daily goals.

583
00:27:08,965 --> 00:27:11,785
A key to success in Christian life
is to get specific, because how many

584
00:27:11,785 --> 00:27:12,925
times have we said things like this?

585
00:27:12,925 --> 00:27:13,345
Well, yeah.

586
00:27:13,735 --> 00:27:14,065
You know what?

587
00:27:14,065 --> 00:27:15,475
I really wanna grow in my faith.

588
00:27:15,865 --> 00:27:17,965
I, I, I, I wanna read my Bible more.

589
00:27:18,145 --> 00:27:19,615
I wanna be a better Christian.

590
00:27:19,765 --> 00:27:20,845
I wanna pray more.

591
00:27:20,935 --> 00:27:24,565
I wanna work this on this sin,
or get this sin outta my life.

592
00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:26,905
Or, or, or that sin here, right?

593
00:27:26,935 --> 00:27:30,295
These are common phrases, but left
alone, they're not helpful for us.

594
00:27:30,475 --> 00:27:31,885
They suffice in small groups.

595
00:27:32,764 --> 00:27:35,395
And they sound really great on Sunday
mornings when we're having a conversation

596
00:27:35,395 --> 00:27:39,764
with them, but really they're not super
helpful because if I say, you know what?

597
00:27:39,764 --> 00:27:41,375
I want to grow in my faith.

598
00:27:42,274 --> 00:27:42,645
Cool.

599
00:27:42,955 --> 00:27:44,514
What do you mean by that?

600
00:27:45,425 --> 00:27:46,714
How are you going to measure that?

601
00:27:46,715 --> 00:27:49,754
A lot of you come out of the business
world where you talk about smart

602
00:27:49,754 --> 00:27:53,014
goals, having goals that are, I
don't know what the S is specific.

603
00:27:53,024 --> 00:27:53,485
There it is.

604
00:27:53,745 --> 00:27:54,014
Hello.

605
00:27:54,014 --> 00:27:54,955
That's my whole point right now.

606
00:27:55,365 --> 00:27:57,225
Measurable attainable, right?

607
00:27:57,905 --> 00:27:59,225
Are what is our somebody help me out.

608
00:28:00,395 --> 00:28:00,965
Realistic.

609
00:28:00,965 --> 00:28:01,234
Thank you.

610
00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:02,710
And then T.

611
00:28:04,730 --> 00:28:05,060
What?

612
00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:07,040
Time bound, yes.

613
00:28:07,120 --> 00:28:08,510
You guys didn't give me time to say that.

614
00:28:09,390 --> 00:28:09,650
Yeah.

615
00:28:10,460 --> 00:28:12,290
That needs to apply in
our walk with Christ too.

616
00:28:12,970 --> 00:28:15,510
Take that out of the business
world and bring it home with you.

617
00:28:16,310 --> 00:28:16,499
Right?

618
00:28:16,499 --> 00:28:17,909
If you want to say, I want to
grow in my faith, what are your

619
00:28:17,909 --> 00:28:18,939
smart goals to grow in your faith?

620
00:28:19,180 --> 00:28:20,059
What is that going to look like?

621
00:28:20,059 --> 00:28:20,819
How are you going to do that?

622
00:28:21,159 --> 00:28:24,029
Or maybe you're going to say, man,
I really want to read my Bible more.

623
00:28:24,029 --> 00:28:24,579
That's great.

624
00:28:24,579 --> 00:28:25,440
What's your plans to do that?

625
00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:26,000
What are your goals?

626
00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:27,390
What's that going to look like?

627
00:28:27,860 --> 00:28:31,190
Let's get it out of the superficial,
the facade that sounds good.

628
00:28:31,740 --> 00:28:33,900
And let's get down to the nitty
gritty, because if I tell you, man,

629
00:28:33,900 --> 00:28:37,260
I want to run a marathon, you might
be impressed by that on the surface,

630
00:28:37,260 --> 00:28:39,690
but then if I never do anything for
that, that's never going to happen.

631
00:28:40,540 --> 00:28:41,500
I want to read my Bible more.

632
00:28:41,500 --> 00:28:42,109
I want to pray more.

633
00:28:42,110 --> 00:28:42,390
Okay.

634
00:28:42,610 --> 00:28:43,699
What's that look like?

635
00:28:43,700 --> 00:28:44,790
I want to be a better Christian.

636
00:28:45,219 --> 00:28:46,270
How are you going to measure that?

637
00:28:48,300 --> 00:28:50,179
What does it mean to work on that sin?

638
00:28:51,090 --> 00:28:52,660
So let me give you a couple of examples.

639
00:28:52,660 --> 00:28:54,490
Maybe you're going to say, you
know, I don't read my Bible more.

640
00:28:54,490 --> 00:28:56,320
So I'm going to set a timer.

641
00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:58,500
I'm going to set my alarm for
30 minutes earlier every morning

642
00:28:58,500 --> 00:29:01,790
and wake up and spend 30 minutes
in the Bible each morning.

643
00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,939
And I'm going to have my brother in
Christ here in my community group,

644
00:29:04,950 --> 00:29:07,249
in my small group, I'm going to have
him hold me accountable to that.

645
00:29:08,190 --> 00:29:08,340
Okay.

646
00:29:08,389 --> 00:29:09,570
That's, that's better.

647
00:29:09,649 --> 00:29:10,369
Now we're talking.

648
00:29:10,649 --> 00:29:12,830
Now we're setting goals that are
going to move the ball forward in

649
00:29:12,830 --> 00:29:15,010
our pursuit of faithfulness and
our pursuit of Christ likeness.

650
00:29:15,310 --> 00:29:16,560
You go, man, that's hard.

651
00:29:16,950 --> 00:29:17,510
It is hard.

652
00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:21,260
But every athlete exercises self
control and all things to achieve

653
00:29:21,260 --> 00:29:22,720
or to win a perishable wreath.

654
00:29:22,930 --> 00:29:24,220
We're doing this for what again?

655
00:29:25,490 --> 00:29:26,090
What kind of wreath?

656
00:29:26,450 --> 00:29:27,430
An imperishable.

657
00:29:27,589 --> 00:29:31,430
Is that imperishable wreath worth you
losing 30 minutes of sleep each morning

658
00:29:31,589 --> 00:29:32,860
to get 30 minutes of time in the work?

659
00:29:33,775 --> 00:29:34,675
Or maybe it's, you know what?

660
00:29:34,715 --> 00:29:37,515
I'm going to spend 30 minutes
a day this week praying.

661
00:29:37,525 --> 00:29:38,755
And maybe that's not all at once.

662
00:29:38,755 --> 00:29:41,914
Cause maybe that sounds daunting to sit
down and just be quiet before the Lord

663
00:29:41,915 --> 00:29:43,245
and pray before the Lord for 30 minutes.

664
00:29:43,565 --> 00:29:45,875
But maybe you're going to say, I'm
going to set a timer on my phone.

665
00:29:45,875 --> 00:29:46,495
That's going to go off.

666
00:29:46,495 --> 00:29:47,905
I'm going to set a reminder on my phone.

667
00:29:47,905 --> 00:29:50,274
That's going to go off six times a day.

668
00:29:50,275 --> 00:29:53,115
I'm going to spend five minutes a
day, five minutes on each of those

669
00:29:53,115 --> 00:29:54,195
timers praying throughout my day.

670
00:29:54,975 --> 00:29:57,315
At the end of the day, I will have
prayed 30 minutes and maybe right

671
00:29:57,315 --> 00:29:59,835
now I'm praying about two minutes
because I'm praying right before I

672
00:29:59,835 --> 00:30:01,155
eat and right before I go to bed.

673
00:30:02,810 --> 00:30:05,800
That seems like an achievable way
to increase our prayer time, right?

674
00:30:06,270 --> 00:30:09,610
Or maybe it's, you know what, for
sin, maybe it's, you know what, I

675
00:30:09,610 --> 00:30:13,440
know exactly what my triggers are for
that sin, I know where I tend to fall

676
00:30:13,450 --> 00:30:16,820
prey to that sin, so I'm going to put
a plan in place to avoid that place.

677
00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:20,210
I'm going to put a plan in place that I'm
not going to be alone during that time.

678
00:30:20,210 --> 00:30:22,050
I'm not going to pursue
that during that time.

679
00:30:22,380 --> 00:30:24,380
And we get specific with this.

680
00:30:24,580 --> 00:30:25,970
I want to memorize more scripture.

681
00:30:26,140 --> 00:30:26,450
Great.

682
00:30:26,460 --> 00:30:29,815
Okay, so our specific goal is I'm going
to download the Bible Memory app, I'm

683
00:30:29,815 --> 00:30:32,825
going to commit to memorizing the first
chapter of the book of Philippians.

684
00:30:33,005 --> 00:30:35,105
I'm going to ask my brother in Christ
to hold me accountable to that.

685
00:30:35,255 --> 00:30:37,155
I'm going to give myself a
month and a half to do that.

686
00:30:38,075 --> 00:30:42,175
These are specific goals that we
can set that give us some, some

687
00:30:42,215 --> 00:30:44,265
traction in growing in faithfulness.

688
00:30:44,295 --> 00:30:47,935
Otherwise we can desire faithfulness
all we want, but it's like me

689
00:30:47,935 --> 00:30:51,225
desiring to go out and win a marathon
race tomorrow and not training

690
00:30:51,225 --> 00:30:52,665
for it, but just talking about it.

691
00:30:53,495 --> 00:30:56,955
Or maybe I go out and buy the clothes for
it and I buy the, you know, the, the, the.

692
00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:01,310
Drinks and protein supplements to have
while you're out on the race course.

693
00:31:01,310 --> 00:31:04,790
But if I'm not training and setting goals
for myself, I'm never going to get there.

694
00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:09,010
Some of, for some of you men in
the room, the only thing keeping

695
00:31:09,010 --> 00:31:11,520
you from the man of God you want
to be is this point right here.

696
00:31:12,510 --> 00:31:17,030
Is, is not setting these specific,
measurable, achievable goals.

697
00:31:17,950 --> 00:31:19,860
So that you can begin
to gain some traction.

698
00:31:20,030 --> 00:31:21,400
And again, is this hard?

699
00:31:21,450 --> 00:31:21,820
Yes.

700
00:31:21,830 --> 00:31:22,500
Does it cost?

701
00:31:22,550 --> 00:31:22,920
Yes.

702
00:31:22,950 --> 00:31:23,720
Why do we do it?

703
00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:24,600
We do it.

704
00:31:25,405 --> 00:31:28,205
because the imperishable
wreath that awaits us.

705
00:31:29,235 --> 00:31:33,635
There's an undeniable link, though,
between our actions in our profession.

706
00:31:34,095 --> 00:31:35,245
Look down in verse 26.

707
00:31:35,865 --> 00:31:36,385
Paul says this.

708
00:31:36,385 --> 00:31:37,815
So I don't run aimlessly.

709
00:31:37,825 --> 00:31:39,105
By the way, my third point
is my shortest point.

710
00:31:40,365 --> 00:31:41,945
Just to give you guys a
heads up on the front.

711
00:31:41,945 --> 00:31:43,075
I just encourage you a little bit there.

712
00:31:43,605 --> 00:31:45,135
I do not run aimlessly.

713
00:31:45,275 --> 00:31:47,715
I do not box as one beating the air.

714
00:31:47,855 --> 00:31:50,465
But I discipline my body
and keep it under control.

715
00:31:50,465 --> 00:31:53,435
Lest after preaching to others,
I myself should be disqualified.

716
00:31:53,685 --> 00:31:57,595
And so Paul here is basically saying,
I have a purpose behind everything.

717
00:31:57,735 --> 00:32:01,675
And I don't want to disqualify myself
through living a life inconsistent

718
00:32:01,675 --> 00:32:03,215
with the gospel I have preached.

719
00:32:03,285 --> 00:32:04,515
Therefore, what does Paul say?

720
00:32:04,515 --> 00:32:07,435
He says, I'm going to keep
myself under strict discipline.

721
00:32:07,435 --> 00:32:13,985
I'm going to make my body my slave
in order to achieve my goals.

722
00:32:15,245 --> 00:32:18,765
This doesn't sound super appealing.

723
00:32:19,325 --> 00:32:19,645
Right?

724
00:32:20,065 --> 00:32:23,375
Just like the idea of training for a
marathon doesn't sound super appealing.

725
00:32:23,375 --> 00:32:26,435
Just like the idea of, of, of
maybe setting some of these goals,

726
00:32:26,435 --> 00:32:29,315
waking up earlier, so forth and so
on, doesn't sound super appealing.

727
00:32:29,645 --> 00:32:32,285
But man, not only is it going to
pay off in the end, it's going

728
00:32:32,285 --> 00:32:34,015
to pay off in the short term too.

729
00:32:34,065 --> 00:32:35,995
And that's what I want to talk to
you about in this third point here.

730
00:32:36,685 --> 00:32:41,035
As, as we pursue faithfulness,
it's not just about the future.

731
00:32:41,375 --> 00:32:44,065
It's not just about, well,
sacrifice pleasures now so that in

732
00:32:44,065 --> 00:32:45,185
the future things will be great.

733
00:32:46,065 --> 00:32:50,685
If you will pursue godliness and
faithfulness right now, there is a great

734
00:32:50,695 --> 00:32:52,545
benefit that comes to you presently.

735
00:32:52,735 --> 00:32:56,285
In fact, one of the greatest, most
tangible benefits of our faithfulness

736
00:32:56,315 --> 00:32:59,705
is the confidence it instills in
us about our standing with God.

737
00:33:00,625 --> 00:33:05,895
The confidence that you will enjoy
about the destination, so that you

738
00:33:05,895 --> 00:33:08,825
don't have to fear the diagnosis
that might come from the doctor.

739
00:33:08,825 --> 00:33:11,815
You don't have to fear what
might happen with the economy.

740
00:33:11,985 --> 00:33:12,875
You know.

741
00:33:13,335 --> 00:33:17,605
Where you're at, and you know where
your stand if you're faithful and

742
00:33:17,605 --> 00:33:21,655
running your waist, your race, well,
if you're faithful and running in such

743
00:33:21,655 --> 00:33:25,075
a way as to to win the prize, you're
not going to waver in the confidence.

744
00:33:25,075 --> 00:33:26,975
You're going to be like Paul at the
end of his life, saying, You know what?

745
00:33:27,735 --> 00:33:28,585
I fought the good fight.

746
00:33:28,585 --> 00:33:31,595
I finished the race, and now the
crown of righteousness awaits for me.

747
00:33:32,395 --> 00:33:33,615
Don't forget who wrote that.

748
00:33:35,045 --> 00:33:38,555
Paul, who was Saul, who was
murdering Christians, is the one

749
00:33:38,555 --> 00:33:41,435
who wrote at the end of his life,
Man, I fought the good fight.

750
00:33:41,465 --> 00:33:42,245
I finished the race.

751
00:33:43,185 --> 00:33:44,945
Now, I can't wait for the
crown of righteousness.

752
00:33:45,655 --> 00:33:48,605
Be encouraged by that, men, because
there's no one in this room that

753
00:33:48,625 --> 00:33:51,625
it's too late for, for you to
gain that level of confidence in

754
00:33:51,625 --> 00:33:52,595
your relationship with Christ.

755
00:33:53,865 --> 00:33:55,565
The final point I want you to
think about this morning is this.

756
00:33:55,565 --> 00:33:56,795
The call to faithfulness is worth it.

757
00:33:57,475 --> 00:34:00,645
Committing to a life of
faithful self discipline and

758
00:34:00,645 --> 00:34:01,785
obedience to Christ is worth it.

759
00:34:01,795 --> 00:34:03,205
And again, not just for the future.

760
00:34:04,255 --> 00:34:05,985
The future reward, yes, it will come.

761
00:34:05,985 --> 00:34:07,575
And it is what our ultimate goal is.

762
00:34:07,975 --> 00:34:12,085
But in the meantime, there's a, a, a, a
component of the, of our confidence in

763
00:34:12,085 --> 00:34:14,195
Christ that makes it worth it as well.

764
00:34:14,514 --> 00:34:17,045
Point number three this, this
morning is this, enjoy the present

765
00:34:17,045 --> 00:34:18,705
confidence of a faithful life.

766
00:34:21,614 --> 00:34:24,125
Man, I don't know if, if
you struggle in this area.

767
00:34:25,225 --> 00:34:27,145
My, my guess is at least
some in the room do.

768
00:34:27,145 --> 00:34:31,065
You struggle with your, your confidence
in your relationship with Christ.

769
00:34:32,554 --> 00:34:33,965
You doubt.

770
00:34:34,940 --> 00:34:36,670
Maybe you're standing with Christ.

771
00:34:36,699 --> 00:34:37,620
You feel distant.

772
00:34:37,639 --> 00:34:40,719
You feel dry in your walk with Christ.

773
00:34:42,110 --> 00:34:46,280
Many times the answer to that
lies in a deficiency in what we've

774
00:34:46,280 --> 00:34:47,310
been addressing this morning.

775
00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:52,260
The reason you feel that way is
because you haven't been running

776
00:34:52,260 --> 00:34:53,580
in such a way as to win the prize.

777
00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:58,770
If you want to enjoy more confidence
in your walk, look for ways

778
00:34:58,770 --> 00:35:00,050
to increase that faithfulness.

779
00:35:01,500 --> 00:35:05,575
Again, that goes back to our first
point about Honestly, assessing

780
00:35:05,575 --> 00:35:07,415
where you're at right now in
your relationship with Christ.

781
00:35:10,785 --> 00:35:13,285
Your time in the Word, your prayer
life, your memorization of the Word,

782
00:35:13,285 --> 00:35:15,925
your purity, your fellowship with
other believers, and if you will lean

783
00:35:15,925 --> 00:35:18,995
into those things, the confidence
you feel in your relationship with

784
00:35:18,995 --> 00:35:22,185
Christ, the closeness, the intimacy
you feel in your walk with the Lord is

785
00:35:22,185 --> 00:35:25,295
going to go up, by leaps and bounds.

786
00:35:26,685 --> 00:35:29,335
Let me ask you this, when Usain
Bolt was competing on a regular

787
00:35:29,335 --> 00:35:30,990
basis, at the top of his field.

788
00:35:31,230 --> 00:35:33,130
Do you think he woke up in the
morning worried that he wasn't

789
00:35:33,130 --> 00:35:35,270
gonna be able to compete in the
race that he was about to run?

790
00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:39,010
Do you think Usain Bolt woke up
worried that he wasn't gonna be

791
00:35:39,010 --> 00:35:40,130
the fastest one on the track?

792
00:35:42,900 --> 00:35:43,510
Probably not.

793
00:35:44,570 --> 00:35:45,430
How about Scotty Scheffler?

794
00:35:46,300 --> 00:35:48,530
Do you think he goes to sleep
at night, fearful that he's not

795
00:35:48,530 --> 00:35:50,290
gonna be able to play well in
the next tournament that he plays

796
00:35:52,740 --> 00:35:53,650
unless he gets arrested?

797
00:35:56,110 --> 00:35:57,870
My guess is again, probably not.

798
00:35:59,150 --> 00:35:59,600
Why?

799
00:36:01,095 --> 00:36:05,535
Because these men enjoy a confidence
that comes from the faithfulness in

800
00:36:05,535 --> 00:36:08,275
the discipline that they've already
exercised to get themselves to where

801
00:36:08,275 --> 00:36:09,705
they're at at the top of their field.

802
00:36:10,875 --> 00:36:12,715
It doesn't mean that they're
not still disciplined.

803
00:36:13,115 --> 00:36:16,195
They've got to stay disciplined, otherwise
that confidence is going to go away.

804
00:36:16,795 --> 00:36:19,595
But they know because they've been
doing what they're supposed to do

805
00:36:19,595 --> 00:36:21,095
to be the fastest one on the track.

806
00:36:21,095 --> 00:36:22,965
They've been doing what they're
supposed to do to be the

807
00:36:22,975 --> 00:36:24,165
best golfer out on the field.

808
00:36:24,555 --> 00:36:28,245
That, that when they go out there to
compete, there's a confidence that they

809
00:36:28,245 --> 00:36:29,395
have that they're going to be okay.

810
00:36:30,650 --> 00:36:34,530
They're not sitting there worried,
what if I'm not good enough?

811
00:36:35,220 --> 00:36:35,760
Because why?

812
00:36:35,770 --> 00:36:38,770
They know they've worked harder and
sacrificed more and fine tuned their

813
00:36:38,770 --> 00:36:41,810
craft to be at the top of their
respective fields and there's an

814
00:36:41,810 --> 00:36:46,460
abiding confidence in that status that
accompanies that life of faithfulness.

815
00:36:48,810 --> 00:36:52,370
So I meant, this morning,
this third point, just basic

816
00:36:52,810 --> 00:36:54,890
and simple in its concept.

817
00:36:56,325 --> 00:37:00,325
If you commit yourself to that life
and stay committed to that life, your

818
00:37:00,325 --> 00:37:04,015
abiding confidence in your standing
with the Lord is going to continue to

819
00:37:04,035 --> 00:37:06,175
grow more and more and more every day.

820
00:37:07,615 --> 00:37:10,595
If you ever think about somebody in
your life that you look at and say,

821
00:37:10,595 --> 00:37:14,095
man, that, that guy has such a dynamic
relationship with Christ, and you think

822
00:37:14,095 --> 00:37:19,155
to yourself, maybe I, I desire that, I
want that, I long for that relationship

823
00:37:19,155 --> 00:37:21,265
with Christ, that type of relationship.

824
00:37:22,570 --> 00:37:24,810
It doesn't come because he went
to bed at night saying, Lord,

825
00:37:24,810 --> 00:37:26,440
I want to be closer to you.

826
00:37:26,750 --> 00:37:30,350
I pray that you, you just grow me and
my, my closeness to you and close his

827
00:37:30,350 --> 00:37:33,210
eyes and wake up in the morning and
bam, he's, he's on fire for Christ.

828
00:37:34,370 --> 00:37:38,220
And I think sometimes we can fall prey
to the mindset that the solution to our

829
00:37:38,230 --> 00:37:41,820
distance from the Lord is thinking, if I
just pray the right prayer, if I say the

830
00:37:41,820 --> 00:37:46,340
right things, if I, then I'll be close
with the Lord, he'll answer that prayer.

831
00:37:48,020 --> 00:37:50,430
The answer to that prayer
is picking up our Bible.

832
00:37:51,565 --> 00:37:53,905
It's going before him in prayer.

833
00:37:53,935 --> 00:37:56,305
It's spending time with
other believers in Christ.

834
00:37:56,305 --> 00:37:58,745
It's memorizing God's word.

835
00:37:58,755 --> 00:38:03,005
It's, these are the things that the
faithful pursuits, the self control, the

836
00:38:03,015 --> 00:38:06,315
discipline of life that produces that
kind of a relationship with the Lord.

837
00:38:07,275 --> 00:38:09,585
If you look at somebody and say,
how can you be so close to Christ?

838
00:38:09,585 --> 00:38:11,525
How can you have such a strong
relationship with the Lord?

839
00:38:11,525 --> 00:38:16,315
The answer is because they put
in countless hours pursuing

840
00:38:16,425 --> 00:38:17,374
that relationship with the Lord.

841
00:38:18,025 --> 00:38:20,905
They're living the life that,
that, that demonstrates that

842
00:38:20,915 --> 00:38:21,965
faithfulness breeds faithfulness.

843
00:38:23,385 --> 00:38:24,615
And they can't let up on that.

844
00:38:25,225 --> 00:38:28,465
Between now and the time we die, man,
that the bad news is there is no period of

845
00:38:28,465 --> 00:38:29,895
life that we kick it into cruise control.

846
00:38:30,715 --> 00:38:33,715
There's no vacation or sabbatical from
faithfulness in the Christian life.

847
00:38:34,365 --> 00:38:39,475
As soon as you move into that, then
you're going to, you're going to drift.

848
00:38:40,605 --> 00:38:41,515
You're going to slide.

849
00:38:41,515 --> 00:38:44,385
You're going to fall away
from where you've been.

850
00:38:44,385 --> 00:38:46,895
Um, so we have to stay vigilant.

851
00:38:47,785 --> 00:38:50,275
And that's why Paul, as he's writing
to Timothy, uses the language that

852
00:38:50,275 --> 00:38:51,805
he does, it's language of exhaustion.

853
00:38:52,035 --> 00:38:53,365
I have fought the fight.

854
00:38:53,555 --> 00:38:55,005
I have finished the race.

855
00:38:55,325 --> 00:39:00,055
If you think about a, a, a boxer, most
of the time, at least in, unless it's a

856
00:39:00,175 --> 00:39:05,385
first round KO, but if you think of a, of
a, of a boxer that goes multiple rounds,

857
00:39:05,805 --> 00:39:09,345
when that fight ends, he's not like,
let's go, uh, let's go run a marathon.

858
00:39:09,355 --> 00:39:09,785
Let's go.

859
00:39:10,095 --> 00:39:10,925
Let's do this.

860
00:39:10,925 --> 00:39:14,715
Or if you think a guy that
finishes a race, a marathon.

861
00:39:15,670 --> 00:39:16,870
And crosses the finish line.

862
00:39:16,880 --> 00:39:18,980
He's not ready right afterwards
for another one, is he?

863
00:39:19,230 --> 00:39:19,730
What is he?

864
00:39:19,740 --> 00:39:20,650
He's exhausted.

865
00:39:21,910 --> 00:39:24,070
There's a reason why Paul
says that to Timothy.

866
00:39:24,110 --> 00:39:25,130
I fought the fight.

867
00:39:25,460 --> 00:39:26,450
I finished the race.

868
00:39:26,730 --> 00:39:28,300
You can hear the exhaustion.

869
00:39:28,900 --> 00:39:29,250
Why?

870
00:39:29,690 --> 00:39:31,380
Because of what we've
read in this passage.

871
00:39:31,670 --> 00:39:33,120
Because Paul has said, You know what?

872
00:39:33,540 --> 00:39:34,800
I've disciplined my body.

873
00:39:35,010 --> 00:39:37,770
I've made it my slave, lest after
preaching Christ to others, I

874
00:39:37,770 --> 00:39:38,920
myself should be disqualified.

875
00:39:39,260 --> 00:39:40,490
That's a life of exhaustion.

876
00:39:40,650 --> 00:39:41,420
But man, it's worth it.

877
00:39:42,210 --> 00:39:42,780
It's worth it.

878
00:39:44,720 --> 00:39:50,150
There is one way, if I can take
issue with Paul, that the athletic

879
00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:52,040
imagery does fall short for us.

880
00:39:54,210 --> 00:39:56,270
Athletes who compete at the
highest level of the Olympic Games,

881
00:39:56,310 --> 00:39:57,590
they have to qualify themselves.

882
00:39:59,180 --> 00:40:01,280
All of us in this room have
been qualified by somebody else.

883
00:40:02,430 --> 00:40:05,530
We've been qualified for the race
of our Christian life by Christ.

884
00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:08,960
In fact, he's qualified us, he's
put us in the starting blocks, and

885
00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:11,830
there's a guarantee from him that
we are going to finish the race.

886
00:40:12,140 --> 00:40:14,430
But now he's left it to
us and said, run well.

887
00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:16,700
Run well.

888
00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:19,300
Run so as to win the prize.

889
00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:23,560
The thing that I desire for this
room full of men more than anything

890
00:40:23,560 --> 00:40:25,630
is for you to be men who are
faithful to run your race well.

891
00:40:26,660 --> 00:40:30,470
Again, no sabbaticals, no vacations
from running our race, no vacations

892
00:40:30,470 --> 00:40:31,760
from faithfulness to Christ.

893
00:40:32,270 --> 00:40:35,390
Right now, this morning, wherever
you're at in your walk with Christ.

894
00:40:35,855 --> 00:40:39,355
You're there because that's
what your life has produced.

895
00:40:40,045 --> 00:40:42,725
The question is, where do you want to
be and how are we going to get there?

896
00:40:43,375 --> 00:40:43,775
Let's pray.

897
00:40:44,855 --> 00:40:45,765
God, thanks for this morning.

898
00:40:45,765 --> 00:40:46,495
Thanks for your word.

899
00:40:46,785 --> 00:40:47,585
Thanks for these men.

900
00:40:47,835 --> 00:40:52,315
Thanks for the reality that at least
presently we have an hour in front

901
00:40:52,315 --> 00:40:55,885
of us, perhaps maybe even less than
that, but we have right now at least

902
00:40:55,885 --> 00:40:58,855
to even think about, okay, what
are the areas of my life that God,

903
00:40:58,855 --> 00:41:01,680
maybe I just need to to strengthen.

904
00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:04,440
Maybe there's some areas of my
life I need to repent because

905
00:41:04,440 --> 00:41:05,680
there's sin in my life there.

906
00:41:06,290 --> 00:41:09,170
Maybe there's some areas of my
life that I've just neglected and I

907
00:41:09,170 --> 00:41:11,590
need to pick back up and lean into.

908
00:41:12,520 --> 00:41:17,460
God, I just pray that we would be
truthful and honest with ourselves if

909
00:41:17,610 --> 00:41:23,060
not with one another so that we could
get an accurate picture of where we're

910
00:41:23,060 --> 00:41:27,680
at and understand where we want to be and
begin to say, okay, how do we get there?

911
00:41:28,400 --> 00:41:32,590
What does it look like for me to start
running in such a way as to win the prize?

912
00:41:33,270 --> 00:41:36,010
Father, I know that there are men who
are running that way in this room.

913
00:41:36,470 --> 00:41:37,160
Many of them.

914
00:41:38,110 --> 00:41:41,300
And God, for them, I just pray that
you would encourage them to keep going.

915
00:41:42,430 --> 00:41:44,900
That they would get their second
win, their third, fourth, fifth

916
00:41:44,900 --> 00:41:46,260
win, whatever it may be for them.

917
00:41:46,260 --> 00:41:49,580
That they would feel the encouragement
to say, Oh, that's right, I'm

918
00:41:49,590 --> 00:41:51,610
going to press on, I'm going to
keep going because it's worth it.

919
00:41:53,180 --> 00:41:54,400
Lord, faithfulness breeds faithfulness.

920
00:41:54,430 --> 00:41:56,140
Help us to be faithful
men in the small things.

921
00:41:57,410 --> 00:42:01,520
And not let any area slack in
our lives, but realize that

922
00:42:01,520 --> 00:42:02,900
there's significance to all of it.

923
00:42:04,310 --> 00:42:06,230
That everything impacts
our relationship with you.

924
00:42:08,390 --> 00:42:09,470
So God, thank you for this morning.

925
00:42:09,470 --> 00:42:14,690
Thank for your kindness, your patience
with us, to allow us to have moments like

926
00:42:14,690 --> 00:42:19,010
this, to drive a stake in the ground, to
change direction if we need to and to keep

927
00:42:19,010 --> 00:42:20,765
moving forward in our pursuit of Jesus.

928
00:42:22,010 --> 00:42:24,360
So that we will run with endurance,
the race that I said before

929
00:42:24,370 --> 00:42:27,960
is fixing our eyes on him, the
author and perfecter of our faith.

930
00:42:27,990 --> 00:42:31,160
Until you call us home, we
pray this in Jesus name, Amen.

931
00:42:31,600 --> 00:42:31,990
Amen.