By Pastor Rachel Brown
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Sermon Text: Philippians 3:7-14
Sermon Theme
The LORD loves you, created you and you are perfect in HIS eyes … draw your strength from him and do not lose heart. Leave your cares and worries at the foot of the cross. Change your perspective to focus outward on others and inward in Christ.
Sermon Outline
Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
The Promise: The LORD loves you, created you and you are perfect in HIS eyes … draw your strength from him and do not lose heart.
“… The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Sam. 16: 7b.
The Hope: Leave your cares and worries at the foot of the cross.… Do not hang on to the the things of the past that bring you down. Yet look ahead to the clean slate, to the beautiful canvas that has yet to be painted, that is the story of your life in CHRIST. Hand in hand the LORD is with you writing that story.
“… Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13b-14
Putting it all into practice: Easier said than done but worry is a huge part of life and yet the LORD tells us not to worry. How does one remove worry from their life? 1. Pray, 2. Trust, 3. Practice not worrying by accepting and living in the present. Do not let what is happening around you pass you by because you were too busy worrying about things you cannot control but rather take hold of what you can control by focusing on reality, grasping truth, accepting what you have been given and thanking God every step of the way.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34
Final Thoughts on Never Giving Up: Change your perspective to focus outward on others and inward in Christ, drawing from His strength to carry on. Focus on others rather than yourself.
"Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good." Romans 12:21
"God does not comfort us to make us comfortable. He comforts us to make us comforters." — Streams in the Desert
“I cried because I had no shoes until I saw a man who had no feet." — Russian proverb
