Where are you today? What are your struggles? Problems with relationships? Problems with finances? Do you like to be in control? Do you like to make the decisions and be in charge?

What do you feel when you encounter those things not in your control?

Is it hard for you to entrust yourself and your circumstances to God?

In this series we will look at Biblical reasons you and I can trust God with the details of our lives. In today’s session we examine God’s design and creation of you and me and His specific purpose for each of our lives.

On the 6^th day

Genesis 1:²⁶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. ²⁷So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. ²⁸And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. ²⁹And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. ³⁰And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. ³¹And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

David’s words 10^th century B.C.

Psalm 8:³ When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; ⁴What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? ⁵For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. ⁶Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: ⁷All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; ⁸The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

What do these words matter to you?

Do you see reasons to entrust your life and your circumstances to God?

Isaiah’s words 8^th century B.C.

Isaiah 26:¹² LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.

What do these words matter to you?

Do you see reasons to entrust your life and your circumstances to God?

God’s words 7^th century B.C.

Jeremiah 1:⁴ Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, ⁵Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

What do these words matter to you?

Do you see reasons to entrust your life and your circumstances to God?

Paul’s words 60 A.D.

Ephesians 2:⁸ For 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.

What do these words matter to you?

Do you see reasons to entrust your life and your circumstances to God?

Philippians 1:⁶ Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

What do these words matter to you?

Do you see reasons to entrust your life and your circumstances to God?

Our focus – 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, ²Looking 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. ³For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Our challenge – 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