THE CROSS MEANS FORGIVENESS

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” – C.S. Lewis

A few days before He went to the cross, Jesus told the disciples what would happen during their final Passover meal. Knowing what lay ahead, Jesus prayed to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane that the cup might pass from Him. He was betrayed by Judas, arrested by religious authorities, and interviewed by the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Without any reason, the crowd demands that He be crucified. First, brutally scourged by the Romans, Jesus is crucified between two criminals as part of a public spectacle. Jesus, dangling there in excruciating pain, says: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing…” (Luke 23:34).

What are you thinking in times of real trouble? You would probably be thinking, “Why is this happening to me?” or “When will this all be over?” But not Jesus. With gasping breaths, Jesus asks His Father for the forgiveness of others. Isaiah 53:12 says, “Because He poured out His soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore the sin of many and makes intercession for the transgressors” (ESV).

He asks His Father to forgive the Roman authorities who scourged Him, mocked Him, and crucified Him. Forgive the Jewish leaders who had a vendetta against Jesus. The request for forgiveness includes the fickle crowd who hailed Him as King when He entered Jerusalem and now were demanding His crucifixion. Forgiveness for the disciples who pledged never to leave His side but disappeared. 

In this statement from the cross, Jesus does not name who He is specifically forgiving. Most people would speculate that Jesus was seeking forgiveness for the Romans who crucified Him and the mob that clamored for it. But rather than seeing Jesus’ request to forgive others, we need to insert our names. This passage isn’t about us being able to forgive others even though that is true. It is about Jesus forgiving us for our sins. We need His forgiveness and grace more than we need anything else.

Can we look at this scene on the cross and understand the depth of His passion, then justify our unwillingness to forgive our neighbor?  As those who have been forgiven much, we owe much, both to our Lord and to our others: “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love” ( Luke 7:47).

Wherever you find yourself today, on the offering or receiving end of forgiveness, you can find wisdom, peace, and the ability to offer or receive this precious gift from the One who paid for and gives ultimate forgiveness, our Lord Jesus.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is forgiveness to you?
  2. Is there power in forgiveness? Why or why not?
  3. What happens if I don’t forgive?

THE POWER OF MOMENTUM

“Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly. Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.” – Acts 9:32-35.

You hear the word momentum used in sports all the time. Teams talk about “getting on a roll.” Announcers routinely talk about the importance of momentum. How much effect does momentum have on our spiritual life?

The Bible uses the words, “going from victory to victory, from strength to strength, from glory to glory, from faith to faith.” This is momentum. The apostle Paul wrote about it in Philippians 3: “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me” (Philippians 3:12).

Sometimes we get stuck. We feel like our spiritual lives are stagnate, stalled, and stale. We often unknowingly and sometimes intentionally apply our spiritual brakes to admire the scenery, take a detour, and catch our breath until it becomes routine. We stop any momentum. We stop progressing. We find ourselves in a routine, hoping the same old spiritual practices will produce new results.

In Acts 9, we read about Peter. This is the Peter who preached at Pentecost, and 3,000 people were saved. This is the Peter who said to the lame man, Acts 3:6: “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” and the lame man rose and entered the temple, “walking and leaping and praising God” (Acts 3:8). This is the Peter who was rebuked for preaching in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18), but continued on preaching, so much so that he filled Jerusalem with the preaching of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead (Acts 5:28).

Peter is a man who is always on the move, encountering all sorts of interesting people in unique situations. During his life, Peter created a lot of spiritual momentum. And you know what a man with spiritual momentum does? He creates spiritual momentum for others. This is precisely what happens in Acts 9. Peter is on the move, so Aeneas becomes a man on the move — both physically and spiritually, which has a snowball effect on others.

Sometimes, something you want to do or see happening stands in front of you like an enormous wall – an enormous task – a barrier that seems too high to get over.   To overcome obstacles in the economy, workplace, society, business, employment, and loneliness, we need to gain momentum to scale over obstacles, hurdles, or walls.

Spiritual momentum means our hearts and minds desire to be more like Jesus Christ. Imitating His love, showing His compassion, exhibiting grace and mercy to others.  It is a natural progression. We first believe in Christ and realize that we belong to Christ. Only then can Christ use us as we become increasingly Christ-like.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What one small thing will you do to create some spiritual momentum today?

LET ME OFF THIS RIDE

“Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.” – Mark 6:45-46.

Have you ever been on a Tilt-A-Whirl? It is a ride that spins around with enough centrifugal force to make you feel as though your stomach will leave your body. As it spins faster and faster, you sit there white-knuckled, holding the center wheel for dear life as your stomach swirls inside your abdomen. Every fiber of your being is shouting, “Stop the ride, I want to get off!”

The Christian journey can seem like that. Sometimes it demands too much. Sometimes, it seems like you are not made for this. Sometimes, you want to say, stop the ride, Lord. I want to get off.

Two stories in the sixth chapter of Mark capture this reality, “The feeding of the five thousand” and “Jesus walks on the water.” For the disciples, this starts out promising enough. Jesus tells them to rest, but that plan got nixed pretty quickly when some unexpected needs arise, in this case thousands of people gather around them. They needed a Shepherd and according to Jesus… food. So, twelve guys delivered food to thousands of people. After this extraordinary event, the disciples probably wanted to kick back and take it all in. No such luck. “Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.”  Mark 6:45-46

Suspend reality momentarily and consider if that was you in the boat. You are sitting there and thinking, “Really, no time to process all this?” You are exhausted, yet Jesus tells you to row a boat while He goes and prays. This may not be so far-fetched when you understand the human element of the disciples in the Gospels. They are not all that different than us. Asked to do all sorts of crazy, tiring tasks with little recognition, did they ever want to get off the ride?

But then the miraculous happens. “Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed, for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in” (Mark 6:51-52).

No one in history has molded our world as much as Jesus. And He still does, every day. There is no way to imagine what this world would be like had He not been born in a stable, had He not given His sermons, had He not died on the cross for our sins.  Without Jesus, there is no peace. No assurance. No true love. There is no eternal hope. In the moments of fatigue, conflict, dry seasons, or the incredibly fruitful but fast-paced seasons, when we run on empty, and our hearts get hard. We don’t always understand, but Jesus is there.

This Christian journey is sometimes scary, but it’s even more scary to think about what the world would be like without Jesus. Without His life among us, without His gift of salvation.

So what would our lives be like if we got off this ride?

Discussion Questions:

  1. What would be the most challenging part of life without Jesus?
  2. What is the hardest part of living for Jesus?
  3. What can we do this week to better live for Jesus?

YOU WILL FAIL FROM TIME TO TIME

“A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.”  Proverbs 28:13 (TLB).

We will fail. We live in difficult times. There are many times that we feel like failures. Whether feeling like a failure in specific areas or in general, we can struggle with getting things right, not doing enough, or failing to have everything together. Failure is so universal we must wonder why more self-help gurus don’t address it. Bookstores overflow with volumes on how to succeed. But you’ll look long before you find a section called “How to Succeed at Failing.” We will fail, but knowing what God says about failure is essential.

Paul says it this way in Romans 7:18-19, “ And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” Paul is saying the struggle with sin is real. We still fall into sin as Christians. We fail to live perfectly because of the sin that dwells in us because of our flesh. “ But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it” (Romans. 7:16-17).

We need to remember that it doesn’t matter what we’ve done, how far we’ve wandered, or how many failures we have experienced. God is always actively pursuing us to bring us back to Himself. He will break every possible barrier to reach you. Today, you can meet with Jesus, bring Him your failures and mistakes, and allow Him to work in your life.  Rick Warren said, “It’s easy to respond poorly to failure. A safe life is a wasted life. God made you for far, far more than the life you let your fears define for you.”  The most important thing about failure is how we respond.

We can respond to failure by trying to learn.  C.S. Lewis said, “Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails forward toward success.” In truth, failure is one of the best places to meet God. Failure can push you closer to a relationship with Jesus and increase your faith. Failure drives you to more profound prayer. It can strengthen our resolve to work harder on behalf of the dreams God has given to us.

Some of you reading this may be looking at the areas where you have experienced failure. You are disappointed and left with some hard questions. Don’t give in to apathy. Don’t give in to the lies that failure wants to tell you. Instead, ask Jesus to turn your hope into action and transform that failure into something amazing.

Failures are fatal only if we fail to learn from them.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How have you seen God turn your mistakes into good? How have you seen him do that in the lives of others?
  2. If you know that God can use anything for good, how does that help you let go of the mistakes of your past?

REAPING MORE THAN YOU SOW

“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” — Galatians 6:7-9.

Have you ever heard someone say, “What goes around comes around?”  Perhaps it was the comment, “You get what you give.” Or maybe someone described how they released positivity into the world so that positive things would happen to them. Such sayings are common, each describing a link between how we behave and what life throws back at us. The culture word for that is karma. Karma teaches that if we engage in good behavior, good things will happen. Engaging in wicked behavior, on the other hand, brings negativity to us. The result of our behavior is unavoidable; we get what we deserve.

The concept of “sowing and reaping” is immensely better than “karma.” Reaping and sowing is all about blessings and consequences. This can work either positively or negatively in your life. If you’re planting seeds of kindness, people will be kind to you. If you forgive others, they will be forgiving of you. If you’re generous, people will show generosity to you.

We want to live in obedience by sowing good things and reaping other good things, but not necessarily in the same field. We can sow in one field and reap in another. Always remember that “…a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.” ( 2 Corinthians 9:6). There is always some reward when you sow. Some rewards are instantaneous and easy to spot. Others take a little more introspection to see, but they are there all the same.

The law of reproduction says that you reap what you sow. But the principle of multiplication says that you also always reap more than you sow.  You don’t get one kernel of corn back when you put one kernel of corn in the ground. You get a cornstalk with multiple ears and hundreds of kernels on each of those ears.

The idea of multiplication works in every area of life. For example, finances.  Regarding our finances, Scripture indicates that the harvest is greater in magnitude and kind. Malachi 3:10 says, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!” When we sow our finances, it produces a harvest greater in kind. To put it differently, sowing to God’s purposes doesn’t just produce more. It produces better.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How have you seen the principle of multiplication active in your life?
  2. What do you expect from your investments? How are you sowing so that you can receive what you want to reap?

FIVE YEARS FROM NOW I AM GOING TO….

“This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.”  – Romans 13: 11-14.

It is very popular for interviewers to ask a job applicant, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” This is not a test of the applicant’s forecasting ability because no interviewer expects job candidates to be able to describe precisely what they will be doing in 1,825 days. The interviewer wants to understand more about the applicant’s career goals and how the position they are seeking fits into their long-range plan. How would you answer that question if someone asked you where you want to be spiritually in five years?

Your answer to a job interview and the spiritual question would be completely different. What matters to the job interviewer and God are entirely different. Pursuing particular accomplishments in life isn’t nearly as important as becoming the person God created you to be. So what part of your life, what habits, what actions need to change for you to be the person God intended you to be? What are the barriers to becoming that person today and in five years?

The trouble is, so many of us have tragically short attention spans. And the stick-with-it-ness is not as strong as it once was. So, we tend to underestimate what we could do in the long term if we just stick with it. Romans 13:11 says, “This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”

We can’t become the person we want to be overnight. It takes time and steady progress. It also takes aligning our priorities around God’s priorities.  As Christians, we must reflect on our lives to consider what factors most determine where we are and where we want to be. Where are you investing most of your time, money, and energy? Which relationships and activities do you devote yourself to every day? Where do you currently place God on your list of priorities? If your relationship with God isn’t your top priority right now, what changes do you need to make to devote yourself to God first?

Let the Holy Spirit and God’s Word guide you as you look ahead to the future. The Holy Spirit wants to guide and teach you how to grow in faith. Growth is not about perfection. It is about trusting the Perfect One—Jesus Christ—in the process.

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6).

Every day is an opportunity to lean into Jesus, experience more of who God is, and discover who you are becoming in Him. Start your next five years now.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you see yourself spiritually in 5 years? 
  2. To get there, what do you have to do differently?  

READ THE BIBLE WITH WONDER

“Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.” – Habakkuk 1:4 (ESV).

Most Christians make a New Year’s resolution to read through the Bible in a year. And maybe 2024 is the year that you finally get past Leviticus. Your success or failure at reading the Bible in a year, or reading it consistently, is whether we see it as another task, an obligation, etc.. If so, you’re likely missing the joy and wonder of  God’s Word.

The Bible is a miraculous, amazing wonderful book. There is nothing else like it. The Bible is the Word of God spoken to humanity, written down over thousands of years, and perfectly preserved from generation to generation. It is a living, ongoing conversation between God-seeking people and a people-seeking God throughout time, culture, and context. We have something solid, timeless, and unchanging in an ever-changing world.

The Bible, beautifully unique and creative in how the story is told through the lenses of multiple authors, maintains a constant theme of God’s love, grace, and plan of redemption for His people. The Bible was written by authors from every walk of life, including kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, shepherds, soldiers, poets, statesmen, scholars, etc.  The Bible is packed with incredible biographies and autobiographies of men and women whose faith has equipped them to overcome inconceivable odds. Even through their mistakes and shortcomings, we can learn and grow in our faith.

 The Bible has one ultimate plan, one ultimate plot, one ultimate champion, and one ultimate King. The Bible is all about Jesus. He is the center of it all. His love was greater than we could ever understand. His compassion for His people was indescribable. The Bible tells us that Jesus came to earth, truly God and truly man, and lived a perfect life; died an atoning death; and rose again a living hope and a new life.    

If you are a fan of X (Twitter) and need nuggets of truth in 240 characters or less, read Proverbs. You will learn valuable truths from the smartest guy to live on earth and be given short, practical advice to apply.

In Hebrews 4:12 it says: “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Those words written thousands of years ago can so powerfully change our lives today.

The Bible is more wonderful than we know.  It is a unique and precious gift.  And it isn’t fragile.  This living, ongoing conversation between God-seeking people and a people-seeking God throughout time, culture, and context isn’t afraid of your questions or concerns.  It welcomes them.  It is a wonder.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your studying/reading style? Is it effective in reading the Bible?
  2. What does it mean to read the Bible with expectation?  What in your mind is a critical reading of the Bible?

WHAT DOES SURRENDERING TO GOD MEAN?

“The man or woman who is wholly or joyously surrendered to Christ can’t make a wrong choice – any choice will be the right one.” – A. W. Tozer

Most Christians have asked,” What does it mean to surrender to God? How do we surrender to God in all things? The good stuff, the bad, the difficult, and the scary things?

Surrender is throughout Scripture. Abraham steps out in faith to surrender his one and only son. It is a heart-wrenching story. It is a powerful story. Abraham is asked to sacrifice (literally sacrifice) his one and only son, born to him in his old age. And Abraham obeys the Lord. He walks his son up the mountain with everything required to make a burnt offering except the sacrifice. God has asked him to sacrifice his son on the altar. And just as Abraham is about to do what any parent cannot imagine doing, an angel calls to Abraham: He said, “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son” (Genesis 22:12)

Can you picture any greater surrender than this? An exact representation of the sacrifice God made for us in Jesus Christ’s death. Jesus lived a life of total surrender to the Lord. All that He did was what God directed Him to do. “I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will” (John 5:30). Jesus died on that cross. This is the ultimate act of surrender.

Surrender isn’t about giving up; it’s about giving in to the One who knows best for us, to the One who knows us most and has a good plan.  Surrender is the only real way to experience His peace.

But we will never be perfect at surrendering to God’s will. While we may never be excellent at surrendering to God and letting go of control, we can be better at it. Giving God control and letting things go is not easy. Here are some ways that may help you relinquish control. First, talk to God:  God wants to spend time with you. Spend time talking to Him. Talk openly and freely about everything. Let Him know you’re struggling to let go of control and invite Him to help you. Read the Bible: When you read scripture, you get to know God. It only makes sense that the more you know someone, the more you learn about their character. Trusting God and surrendering our lives when we know Him is easier.

God’s plan will always be better. No matter how much you try to control your life, God’s will is what you should strive for. That means giving Him full control of our lives because He knows exactly what He is doing. Give God the keys and surrender to His will.

God is patiently waiting for you to surrender control to Him.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is an area of your life that you know you need to surrender to God?
  2. What might you be giving up if you surrender that area to God?
  3. Do you believe that surrendering to God could benefit you? How?

LEARNING FROM OUR MISTAKES

“A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.”  Proverbs 28:13 (TLB).

To help avoid future financial mistakes, such as those in 1929 and 2008 that brought down the world’s economy, the Library of Mistakes was founded in Edinburgh, Scotland. It features a collection of more than two thousand books that are designed to educate the next generation of economists. The curators believe that learning from prior mistakes is the only way to build a strong economy.

Mistakes are inevitable. There’s no sugar-coating or sidestepping it; they’re inescapable. In life, if there’s one thing that is certain, apart from death and taxes, it’s that no matter how hard you try or how noble your intentions may be, you’re going to make mistakes.

Have you made a king-sized blunder or two? Of course, you have. But here’s the big question: have you used your mistakes as stumbling blocks or stepping stones? The answer to this question will impact every aspect of your life. Past mistakes should not hold you back. Because even if you’ve made a colossal blunder, God isn’t finished with you yet—in fact, He’s probably just getting started.

There is no success without making mistakes. If you’re not making any mistakes, you’re not growing. It would help if you learned that it’s okay to make mistakes and fail as long as you take that failure and gain wisdom from it.

Learning from our mistakes means that valuable lessons can be found even in our moments of error and missteps. Making mistakes allows us to avoid a wall and move to another path. The Bible says in Proverbs 28:13 (TLB), “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.” In other words, we get a fresh start.

If we allow God to clean up our mistakes, messes, and mishaps, He will use every bit of it for our good. If we let Him, God will use the results of our mistakes as the foundation upon which He can build a new life.

Sometimes, mistakes tell us that we must move forward in a new direction. We must listen and, more importantly, keep walking, doing, and moving forward.

Your mistakes do not define you. God defines you, and He loves you no matter what. “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love” (Romans 8:38).

Discussion Questions: 

  1. How have you seen God turn your mistakes into good? How have you seen him do that in the lives of others?
  2. If you know that God can use anything for good, how does that help you let go of the mistakes of your past?

HABITS AND TRAINING

“God’s ultimate goal for us, however, is that we be truly conformed to the likeness of His Son in our person as well as in our standing… Jesus did not die just to save us from the penalty of sin, nor even just to make us holy in our standing before God. He died to purify for Himself a people eager to obey Him, a people eager to be transformed into His likeness… This process of gradually conforming us to the likeness of Christ begins at the very moment of our salvation when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and to actually give us a new life in Christ. We call this gradual process progressive sanctification, or growing in holiness, because it truly is a growth process.” — Jerry  Bridges.

Ever wonder why you want to change, but you don’t?  There are powerful truths in scripture to help you change your mindset, life, and habits. Change is often reflected in our New Year Resolutions early in the year. You want to stop overeating, stop smoking, being more healthy. Or maybe you want to start reading your Bible, praying, or serving in the church. You have the best intentions; typically, you fall back into the same old routine and forget about your resolutions. We want habits that are right and good.  This brings you to the question, “How don’t I have those habits?” or ” Why can’t I achieve my goals?  You have been trying…for a long time.

Most Christians have the mentality that trying is good enough.  Because we care, we try.  We try to quit smoking, start praying more, try to love more, try to stop worrying, try to get into better shape.  Trying is not the answer. Training is the answer.

Trying is an attempt to change with minimal commitment.  Trying gives you an out that makes failure less painful. After all, you tried. Training is a devoted commitment driven by a deeper why. Training is a wholehearted commitment to achieve a specific result. There is an immense difference between training and trying to do something. Trying to do something refers to our efforts to do something we have never done before with no particular outcome expected and no particular preparation conducted. Training to do something refers to our efforts to prepare ourselves to do something at which we intend to succeed. So, you can “try” to run a marathon or “train” yourself to run a marathon. The former refers to an unprepared attempt to complete a 26.2-mile run without expecting to succeed. The latter refers to a systematic process of mentally and physically preparing to complete a 26.2-mile run successfully.

When you’re trying, you might show up and have hope.  Training gives you a game plan and a strategy; when you’re trying, you can give up when the first bump in the road comes because it seems the goal is too hard. When you are training, you don’t act according to your feelings.  You act according to your commitment. “Train yourself to be Godly” (1 Timothy 4:7).  “So I run with purpose in every step.  I am not just shadowboxing.  I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should”  (1 Corinthians 9:26-27).

A Jujitsu fighter doesn’t win by trying to fight.  They win by training to fight.  They are not winning because they beat someone.  They are winning because they trained their body to win.  You will start being successful in reaching your goals when you start training today.  Stop trying.  With God’s help and a plan, start training today.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the difference between trying and training?
  2. What are some of the challenges and benefits of training? Do you enjoy seasons of training? Why or why not?