Pressing Toward the Goal

Pressing Toward the Goal

by Janice Tice

Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

 

 

Pressing Toward the Goal

  1. Forget what lies behind. We must go through the steps of forgiveness in order to put the past behind us and live with a clear conscience before God and others,
  2. Ask God for forgiveness (I John 1:9)
  3. Ask others for forgiveness (peace with all men)
  4. Forgive others
  5. Forgive myself

 

  1. Reach forward to what lies ahead
  2. Know what you are reaching for
  3. Plan for what you are reaching for (plan for success)

Once you have started reaching ahead, you will generally notice an opposing force that will try to keep you from your goal. Press against that opposing force of the enemy.

Frances story-

How do I erase the memory?

Don’t focus on erasing, focus on replacing. What good actions can you do when the old crops up? If you have a plan you will prosper.

 

  • Press on toward the goal. Pressing requires the physical exertion of force
Read

1 Cor 9:24-27

Both Bibles
  1. Train-discipline, self-control
  2. Compete for the goal. (v.24-25) You must give everything you have in the race.

Run until it hurts, run until it burns, and run until you cannot physically give any more. God wants all of us. He does not want 10% or 50%. He wants 100% from all of us. He gave His all and we must give our all.

  1. What does that look like?

Exercise, setting goals for yourself (short and long term goals), meet with others to work things through, denying your flesh and living for what the spirit wants for you, living by faith and not by fear, doing it when it is uncomfortable, doing whatever it takes to live for Jesus Christ

  1. (v. 26-27) Watch out for disqualification in the race. Are you practicing what you preach? Are you living what you believe?
  2. Finish the race

Keep your eyes focused on the goal.

Work with your team mates to make the most advance for the Kingdom of God.

Pass the baton to your teammates so they can run with the word of truth. When you look for whom you can pass the truth to, you become a current of generational transfer.

 

 

We want to be women empowering women!

Read together Titus 2:3-5

 

 

 

Message Bible-Matt 13:3-8, 19-23

Need four volunteers

 

Which one are you?

v.19        hears the word-does not understand

  1. 20-21 hears the word-receives with joy-no firm root in himself (character)
  2. 22 hears the word-worry of the world-deceitfulness of riches-

v.23        hears the word-understands the word-bears fruit-30, 60, 100 fold

We need to be women passing the word for 100 fold

 

What about the ones who we help and we keep seeing the word snatched from them?

Help the ones you can, and let the rest go. Don’t feel guilty if they don’t produce a harvest from what you sow. As long as you are sowing good seed, you are not responsible for the soil of some one else’s heart. Just be faithful to look for good fields and stop spending so much of your energy trying to sow on bad soil. Set boundaries in this area. Give God your best. He will show you where to sow your seed.

    

Don’t drop the ball

Matt 13

3-8, 19-23

and

 

Matt 21

28-32

 

 

Don’t hog the ball

Pass the ball for an assist

Cheer on your teammates. Encourage them.

  1. 23

Receive the ball (the truth) from God

Handle the ball well (understand the truth)

Score with the ball (produce a harvest)

We must be willing to pass the ball to the next receiver-the great commission-“Go therefore and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Let us say that God gave a woman revelation on the truth of His word. He showed her how to find joy in the midst of trials. She takes that revelation, applies it to her life by choosing joy. She makes an impact on those around her and is making a score for Jesus. Now she takes that truth and passes it to her friend, her teammate. The teammate receives the truth and scores for Jesus. This is what women empowering women is all about.

 

2 farmers both prayed for rain, but only one prepared his field to receive the rain. Which one do you think had more faith for rain?

Are you preparing your field? Are you sowing your seed in order to reap a harvest? Who is passing you the ball and who are you passing the ball to?

 

  1. Receive the prize- this is our harvest

1 Cor 9:24-27-We receive an imperishable crown