Run
for the Crown
Text
Hebrews 12 : 12, 13
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be
turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. {straight: or, even}
Hebrew 12: 1, 2
1 Seeing, therefore, that there
is on every side of us such a throng of witnesses, let us also lay aside
everything that hinders us, and the sin that clings about us, and run with
patient endurance the race that lies before us,
2 our eyes fixed upon Jesus,
the Leader and perfect Example of our faith, who, for the joy that lay before
him, endured the cross, heedless of its shame, and now 'has taken his seat at
the right hand' of the throne of God.
Take a U Turn
Philippians 3:8
More than that, I count everything as loss, for the sake of the exceeding value
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. And for his sake I have lost
everything, and count it as refuse, if I may but gain Christ and be found in
union with him;
Hebrews 11
8 It was faith that enabled Abraham to obey the Call that he
received, and to set out for the place which he was afterwards to obtain as his
own; and he set out not knowing where he was going.
9 It was faith that made him go to live as an emigrant in the
Promised Land--as in a strange country--living there in tents with Isaac and
Jacob, who shared the promise with him.
10 For he was looking for the City with the sure foundations, whose
architect and builder is God.
11 Again, it was faith that enabled Sarah to conceive (though she was
past the age for child-bearing), because she felt sure that he who had given
her the promise would not fail her.
12 And so from one man--and that when his powers were dead--there
sprang a people as numerous 'as the stars in the heavens or the countless
grains of sand upon the shore.'
13 All these died sustained by faith. They did not obtain the
promised blessings, but they saw them from a distance and welcomed the sight,
and they acknowledged themselves to be only aliens and strangers on the earth.
14 Those who speak thus show plainly that they are seeking their
fatherland.
15 If
they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they could have found
opportunities to return.
16 But
no, they were longing for a better, a heavenly, land! And therefore God was not
ashamed to be called their God; indeed he had already prepared them a city.
Discipline Yourself
1 Corinthians 9
24 Do not you know that on a
race-course, though all run, yet only one wins the prize? Run in such a way
that you may win.
25 Every athlete exercises
self-restraint in everything; they, indeed, for a crown that fades, we for one
that is unfading.
26 I, therefore, run with no
uncertain aim. I box-not like a man hitting the air.
27 No, I bruise my body and
make it my slave, lest I, who have called others to the contest, should myself
be rejected.
Hebrews 12
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be
turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. {straight: or, even}
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man
shall see the Lord:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any
root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
{fail...; or, fall from}
Set An Aim
Hebrew 12: 2 our
eyes fixed upon Jesus, the Leader and perfect Example of our faith, who, for
the joy that lay before him, endured the cross, heedless of its shame, and now
'has taken his seat at the right hand' of the throne of God.
1 Corinthians 9
24 Do not you know that on a race-course, though all run, yet only
one wins the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
25 Every athlete exercises self-restraint in everything; they,
indeed, for a crown that fades, we for one that is unfading.
26 I, therefore, run with no uncertain aim. I box-not
like a man hitting the air.
27 No, I bruise my body and make it my slave, lest I, who have called
others to the contest, should myself be rejected.
Mark 7
24 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and
Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could
not be hid.
25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit,
heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by
nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her
daughter. {Greek: or, Gentile}
27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it
is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
28 And she answered and said unto
him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.
29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is
gone out of thy daughter.
30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out,
and her daughter laid upon the bed.
Start Running
Look at those who stand testimony to victory
Learn from them
Get encouraged from them
Receive strength from your master
Run for your life
Hebrew 12: 1,2
1 Seeing, therefore, that there
is on every side of us such a throng of witnesses, let us also lay aside
everything that hinders us, and the sin that clings about us, and run with
patient endurance the race that lies before us,
2 our eyes fixed upon Jesus,
the Leader and perfect Example of our faith, who, for the joy that lay before
him, endured the cross, heedless of its shame, and now 'has taken his seat at
the right hand' of the throne of God.
Faith Life is
Different From Sports
It not finishing first, but it is
finishing the race
All those who finish the game are winners – receive crown
Do not stop before finishing
Stopping is the only failure
You may be slow
Still you are not a failure
Do you feel too tired to run the race
Crawl to the finishing point
Finishing is success
Stopping is the only failure
Do not take rest
Rest is devil’s trick
Rest will lead to backslide
Do not compromise
Compromise is devil’s trick
Finish the race
Crawl to Success
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