Keep moving forward7/6/2023 ![]() One way to make sure that you’re following God’s plan instead of selfish desire is to look at how those goals fit the character and purposes of God Himself. What passions has God placed deep in your heart? What are the desires that would fit the character of God? These goals mirrored God’s goals for you and are part of his plan. We’re talking about the kind of goals that come from the calling of God. The big idea here is that the kinds of goals were talking about are not just normal things that we’d like to accomplish in life. Keeping that goal in view keeps us from becoming complacent. Having a God-given goal gives us the motivation to keep moving forward. It’s great to remember and to be thankful for all that God has done, but we can’t stop pressing on because we are enamored with the past. We can get caught up in all that God has done for us in the past and get complacent on moving forward in our lives as well. He had seen the hand of God move in a mighty way but he looks at those things and he doesn’t want to just live in the past. He’d come from being a killer of Christians to a planter of churches. He hasn’t grasped it yet but he says – but this one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. We must begin to act on the core beliefs that we possess and press toward the goal that God has given us. He is intentionally moving toward his God-given goal. ![]() Paul says that he’s not quite there yet, but he’s continually pushing forward. ![]() This leads down a road of all kinds of judgmental thinking. It’s dangerous to begin to believe that we have somehow attained a higher status than others. We’re on a journey of faith and we’re constantly growing. We are all sinners and once we put our faith and trust in Christ for salvation we don’t immediately become these super Christians. So, let’s dig into this and see how Paul viewed his ultimate goal in life and how we can develop this same mentality.īeginning in verse 12, he makes sure that we understand that he has not attained perfection. We can have a firm grip on our purpose and the meaning of our lives. When our goal for our lives matches God’s goal for our lives, it is powerful. God has a plan for each and every one of us and we will find the most satisfaction in life when we begin to live out that plan. 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.” Paul had a clear view of his goal because he had a clear view of his call. In Philippians 3 12 through 14, he says this “not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. If we have a complete answer to this defining question, it can really clarify how we should act and respond to the situations in which we find ourselves.įor Paul, the answer to this question is crystal clear. Not understanding what our goal is can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction. For others, if we’re honest, our current goals don’t line up with the beliefs that we say we have. What is your ultimate goal in life? What are you moving toward every day? This is a question that we should spend some time with. Today we’re gonna talk about pressing toward the goal. Hey everybody! I hope you’re having a great week and welcome to another Bible study as we continue to unpack the book of Philippians. Philippians 3: 12-14 Bible Study - Keep Pressing Forward - Pastor David VanAtter Commentary on Philippians 3:12-14 ![]()
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