Can you find your Joy no matter what happens?
How bad do the circumstances of life have to be for you to turn your back on God?
Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NLT)
Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength!
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
able to tread upon the heights.
Entering into Christ’s Joy: (Hebrews 12:1, 2) (NIV)
Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning the shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
· Throwing off hindrances and sin
o A hindrance is anything that weighs you down and slows you down.
o Sin slows us down and distracts us from the race….
o What is the sin that “so easily entangles” YOU?
· Run with Perseverance
o He wants us to run with a commitment to finish through His power and receive the prize.
o Like Christ endured the Cross we need to endure our “cross”.
o God loves us and went to the Cross willingly for us!
o “You won’t understand the Cross until you see it against the backdrop of man’s sin.”
· Fix Your Eyes of Jesus
o Don’t look at the world, CNN, politics……lock your eyes on Him!
o Watch Him….contemplate Him……feel His amazing Love for you!
o Tune out everything else and focus on His face til the end of the Race.
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