Forward
February 21 - March 21
Finish
March 21, 2021 • Gregg Parris • Isaiah 46:4, Psalm 92:12–14, Colossians 4:17, Romans 11:29, Joshua 13:1
Psalm 92:12-14 Tell Archippus: See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord. Colossians 4:17 I. Stay focused till you’re finished. II. Stay resilient about retirement III. Stay connected to your calling The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:29 IV. Stay vigilant after your victories V. Stay ready for redeployment Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him: You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed. Joshua 13:1 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing. Psalm 92:12-14 Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. Isaiah 46:4
Invest
March 14, 2021 • Gregg Parris
Matthew 6:19-21 “The real measure of our wealth is how much we would be worth if we lost all our money.” Anonymous I. Invest in God’s Word Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. Matthew 24:35 A. Study His Word B. Spread His Word II. Invest in God’s Work A. Develop a Personal Ministry B. Devote Yourself to a Local Church III. Invest in God’s Wealth Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19-20 The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. William James
Risk
March 7, 2021 • Gregg Parris • Joshua 14:6–9
Joshua 14:6-9 God will never choose safety for us at the risk of service and significance. I. Risk-Takers Stay Exuberant About Their Lives “Exuberance carries us places we would not otherwise go – across the savannah, to the moon, into the imagination…By its pleasures, exuberance lures us from our common places and quieter moods; and – after the victory, the harvest, the discovery of a new idea or an unfamiliar place – it gives ascendant reason to venture forth all over again.” Psychologist Kay Redfield Jamison II. Risk-Takers Stay Excited About Their Futures The most important thing about us is our future. III. Risk-Takers Stay Enthusiastic About Their Mission IV. Risk-Takers Stay Energized About Their God
Focus
February 28, 2021 • Gregg Parris • Philippians 3:12–14, Acts 13:36, Romans 8:29, James 1:2–4, Psalm 37:23
Philippians 3:12-14 “Luciano, if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.” Father of Luciano Pavarotti “I was blessed with a good voice by God. I think it pleased Him that I decided to devote myself to it. And now I think whether it’s laying bricks, driving a straight nail, writing a book, whatever we choose we should give ourselves to it. Commitment, that’s the key. Choose one chair.” Luciano Pavarotti Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors… Acts 13:36 I. Focus on God’s Purpose. Vs. 12: I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. Romans 8:29 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 II. Focus on God’s Perspective Vs. 13: Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind… “Every cat knows some things need to be buried.” Ruth Bell Graham III. Focus on God’s Plan Vs. 13: …reaching forward to those things which are ahead… The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Psalm 37:23 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book! Psalm 139:16 (TLB) IV. Focus on God’s Prize Vs. 13: …I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Dream
February 21, 2021 • Gregg Parris • Philippians 3:13–14, Proverbs 19:18, 2 Samuel 7:2, 1 Chronicles 28:3, Luke 14:28–31
Philippians 3:13-14 Again, to our text…I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:13-14 “It is a mistake to be always turning back to recover the past. The law for Christian living is not backward, but forward; not for experiences that lie behind, but for doing the will of God, which is always ahead and beckoning us to follow.” F. B. Meyer “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” Hellen Keller Where there is not vision, the people perish. Proverbs 19:18 I. Root your dream in history. II. Reproduce your dream in a picture. See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains. 2 Samuel 7:2 III. Reinforce your dream with determination. You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood. 1 Chronicles 28:3 IV. Reconcile your dream with its cost. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it…Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Luke 14:28-31 V. Release your dream to your legacy. Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service for the temple of the Lord is finished. 1 Chronicles 28:20 Lord, if ever I can do anything for You, just let me know and I’ll do it. Lillian Trasher