The year 2016 is upon us. What will it bring? Will there be special celebrations for you? Will you earn special awards and achievements? What will it be? How will you live it?

Paul provides us with 5 special words for facing our futures and daily living. But before we look at those 5 special words, let’s look at two thoughts.

Thought #1 – Ephesians 2:

⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast.

¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Jesus, Who saved you by grace, is in control, has a good plan for your life and is developing you

 What does it mean to you that Jesus Christ has complete control?

What does it mean to you that Jesus Christ has a good plan for your life?

What does it mean to you that Jesus Christ is developing you? He is your life coach.

 Thought #2 – Hebrews 13:

⁵Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you. Live accordingly!

 What does it mean to you that Jesus Christ will never leave you?

What does it mean to you that Jesus Christ will never forsake you?

Paul’s 5 words – faith which works by love

Galatians 5:¹Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

²Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

³For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

⁴Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

⁵For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

⁶For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Faith = substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen

Love =God is love

It was a Sunday afternoon, January 1956, when these 5 missionaries trying to share the gospel with the Aucas in Ecuador sang this song, not knowing they would each cross over their finish lines, into the physical presence of Jesus Christ, due to martyrdom, later that day;  Jim Elliott, Nate Saint, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian.

We Rest on Thee – Edith Cherry, 1895

We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
We go not forth alone against the foe;
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,
We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.

Yes, in Thy Name, O Captain of salvation!
In Thy dear Name, all other names above;
Jesus our Righteousness, our sure Foundation,
Our Prince of glory and our King of love.

We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling,And needing more each day Thy grace to know:
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
“We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.”

We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
Thine is the battle, Thine shall be the praise;
When passing through the gates of pearly splendor,
Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days.

Hebrews 12:¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God

Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you with an everlasting, unconditional love; has uniquely designed and created only one you; has a good plan for your life; runs with you; and will accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with your focus on His mission: to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti