Running the Race Every Day
Have you been watching the Olympics?
Are you enjoying them?
There have been good stories and bad from the Olympics - has there been any specific stories or events that has caught your attention?
Maybe one of the lowest points of the olympics was in The Badminton women’s doubles competition.
Four pairs of players deliberately played to lose. They served into the net, hit long or wide and wasted time.
And Team GB have actually proved that we are able to win at some sports - Cycling / Tennis / Rowing or Jesscia Ennis - winning the Heptathlon.
They trained hard and were rewarded for their efforts.
And then there is the guy who is not part of Team GB but everyone seems to love - Usain Bolt.
Now there is a guy who can run.
Bolt won Gold in both the 100 metres and 200 metres.
And after his 200 metre race he said “I want to thank GOD for everything he has done for me cause without him none of this would be possible.”
Usain Bolt - the fastest man on the planet - is a Christian and he makes no secret of the fact: he prays before every race.
And after every victory, he thanks God.
Because He knows that he could train every moment of every day but without God He has nothing.
Bolt may have won the Gold but God has first place, in His life.
Does God have first place in your life?
Every day or just for a couple of hours on a Sunday?
God is not an after thought.
God is meant to be our focus, our purpose, our reason, the centre of our life.
Is God your focus?
Is serving God in love your main purpose?
Is God the centre of your life?
Do you allow the Holy Spirit to work in you and through you Every Day?
“I want to thank GOD for everything he has done for me cause without him none of this would be possible.”
What did God enable you to do this week that would have been impossible without His help, His presence, His blessing?
Isaiah 26:12 reminds us “Lord, you will grant us peace; all we have accomplished is really from you.”
The Message puts it this way “God, order a peaceful and whole life for us because everything we’ve done, you’ve done for us.”
This morning what can you thank God for?
You may not have won a medal in an Olympic competition but Every Day God was with you.
Every Day there should be something that happens in your life that causes you to be thankful.
Every Day God is with you.
Every Day God is enabling you.
Every Day God is blessing you.
Every Day God loves you!
Every Day you have a reason to thank God.
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This month in our Fresh Fire Series we are considering the Holy Spirit in Every Day living.
There are some things that are essential to everyday living and there are some things that are not.
Often we can start a day with the best intentions.
We decide, today is the day I will pray more,
or, today is the day I will read my Bible more.
or, today is the day I will praise God more.
or, today is the day I will show my love for God by serving others in some way....
We start the day with the best intentions,
and then we find it’s time for bed
and we did’nt actually spend any time doing what we could have done.
Sometimes life gets in the way,
and sometimes we let life get in the way
sometime we make sure that life gets in the way,
then we have an excuse for not doing what we know God wanted us to do.
We can try and do stuff in our own strength,
or we can allow the Holy Spirit to empower us to do stuff in the strength of the Lord.
We can choose to do things our way or we can do things God’s way.
We know God’s way is the right way,
we know that God’s way is the best way.
But...
But, often we would rather do it our way.
Friends the truth is we should desire to follow God’s way every day.
To seek His will, to seek His glory.
To serve Him in faith and love.
And to acknowledge that without Him we would not be able to do what He enables us to do.
Everything we’ve done, you’ve done for us.
Does it mean that we don’t try each day? No.
Does that mean we just sit back and relax? No.
Does it mean that we just become spectators? No.
It means we acknowledge the One who enables us to endure.
The One who enables us to persevere.
The One who enables us to succeed.
The One who is greater and stronger and wiser than we could ever pretend or aspire to be.
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In Hebrews 12:1 The Apostle Paul said we are to “Run with endurance the race that God has set before you” (Hebrews 12:1)
God has a race for you to run every day!
God has given us a choice in how we run the race.
We have a choice between mediocrity & excellence.
Every day we have a choice between trying to achieve in our own efforts or in the power of the Spirit.
God has given each of us a race to run.
This race begins, not when you are physically born, but when you are born again - when you accept Jesus as your personal saviour.
When you acknowledge that you need Jesus Christ and the free gift of salvation and forgiveness that only He can give you.
“Run with endurance the race that God has set before you”
Your race will be different than mine—but it will always require you show and share God’s love.
To show and share His love with those who don’t know Him and those who have also placed their trust in Him.
Your race involves a unique role God has given you to influence others for Christ and your race requires endurance.
Your Every Day Race is not a 100m or 200m sprint. Your race is a marathon—not a sprint.
Your race begins the moment you receive Jesus as Saviour and Lord, and lasts until Christ returns or calls you home to eternity.
Your race may have parts where there is a perfect level track.
There may be many places where you are handed refreshment.
There may be many places where you hear words of encouragement.
Places where you hear words of comfort.
Places where you find it easy to just place one foot in front of the other and press on.
Maybe Places where you can feel a gentle healing rain cooling and comforting you.
And there are times when your race seems far from perfect.
Your race may feel full of hurdles, or like a steeple-chase, filled with obstacles,
Your race may include opposition from people who aren’t in the race and don’t want you to be in the race.
Perhaps right now your race feels more like a muddy cross- country run - every step squelches -
you may even stumble, slip or fall.
But God is with you on your race - you do not need to run it alone.
You do not need to try and achieve in your efforts.
Success comes not from how fast you start the race, but how you run in the power of the Spirit Every Day.
Are you willing to run the race every day?
Will you allow God to help you?
Will you allow the Holy Spirit to empower you every day?
Your prize will not be a gold medal - your prize will be the knowledge that you have been part of something bigger than yourself.
You have an opportunity to accomplish something
that will bring glory to God.
Will there be struggles? Yes
Will there be obstacles to overcome? Yes
But God is with you on your race - you do not need to run it alone.
And if you stumble or fall God is there to pick you up and carry you through.
Are you ready to run the race Every Day are you ready to “Run with endurance the race that God has set before you”
