The Keys to Finishing Well

The Keys to Finishing Well

God has given us the keys to the Kingdom.

What hearts are you unlocking?

 Do you know what item is most commonly

found in a junk drawer?

Flashlights? Screws? Dead Batteries? Chinese food menu?

The answer is old keys.

A few weeks ago we got rid of old keys

we thought we had no longer needed.

Now we only have 44 old keys

in our junk drawer.

WOW!

So many locks we don’t use.

Are they important?

I guess so.

Some are spare keys and others for luggage.

We have a lot of locks

that we have not opened or closed

in a long time.

As I counted the keys,

the ones that caught my attention

were the luggage keys.

I love to use those keys

but we did not get to use them this year.

As I think about how many keys we have,

I wonder how many keys God has given us.

He said, He would give us the keys to the kingdom.

How many of those keys never were used in 2014.

Each key opens the door for

righteousness, peace and joy.

How many treasures never got opened

because they are kept in a junk drawer.

God has given you keys to the hearts of others

so His righteousness, peace and joy

can enter into their lives.

So how many keys will you use in 2015?

 Scripture Reading

Matthew 16:13-20 NIV

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi,

he asked his disciples,

"Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 

14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist;

others say Elijah; and still others,

Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

15 "But what about you?"

he asked.

"Who do you say I am?" 

16 Simon Peter answered,

"You are the Christ,

the Son of the living God."

17 Jesus replied,

"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah,

for this was not revealed to you by man,

but by my Father in heaven.

18 And I tell you that you are Peter,

and on this rock I will build my church,

and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  

19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;

whatever you bind on earth

will be bound in heaven,

and whatever you loose on earth

will be loosed in heaven."

Romans 14:17-20 NIV

17 For the kingdom of God

is not a matter of eating and drinking,

but of righteousness, peace and joy

in the Holy Spirit,

18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way

is pleasing to God and approved by men.

19 Let us therefore make every effort

to do what leads to peace

and to mutual edification.

To Finishing Well You Need to “Let go” and “Press on”

To Finishing Well

You Need to

“Let go” and “Press on”

 

  

2015 is a new year. 

It is time to do some house cleaning.

Time to get rid of the stuff

that keeps us from a better life.

I am a saver –

I don’t have one junk drawer,

I have lots of them.

If I think I can use something in the future,

 I hang on to it.

As a result,

I don’t have any room

and no matter how hard I try,

 junk drawers never look good.

 I think all of us have

some junk drawers.

Things that we won’t let go of.

It is almost 2015

and I wonder if there are some things

you and I need to make room for.

Maybe it is spending more time in prayer

or getting a better understanding of God’s Word.

Maybe you need to get involved

in a small group of Christians

to help develop your spiritual growth.

Maybe it’s a healthier lifestyle,

financial freedom, or more family time.

You have probably wanted

these things for a while,

but you have to let go

of a junk drawer.

Most things we want are just out of reach

There are two ways to approach it…

Grow longer arms.

If I could only grow longer arms

I could have my cake and eat it, too.

Means we can’t grow longer arms,

we have to let go with one hand

so our other hand

can reach hold of the prize.

Maybe your junk drawer has

some sentimental attachment to it.

It could be a good memory,

or a bad memory…

 But it is taking up room

and keeping you from reaching out

and building a life of dreams.

What kept me from

my goal in 2014?

Am I ready to let it go

in order to reach the prize?

Scripture Reading

Philippians 3:12-14 NIV

12 Not that I have already obtained all this,

or have already been made perfect,

but I press on to take hold of that

for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

13 Brothers, I do not consider myself

yet to have taken hold of it.

But one thing I do:

Forgetting what is behind

and straining toward what is ahead,

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize

for which God has called me

heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Three S’s To Finishing Well

Three S’s

To Finishing Well

Many turn to the Bible to help them survive.

But God’s Word also teaches us

how to be Successful and Significant.

 

There are times in life

when we feel the best we can do is “Survive.”

In that moment,

we only care about getting what

we need for that day.

Survival is a basic instinct

that helps us when life is threatened.

 

There are people who live a life of survival;

 they have a difficult time thinking about the importance

of more than getting through the day.

The Bible tells us

“not to worry about tomorrow.”

Those who worry about tomorrow

will stay in survival mode.

The second “S” is Success. 

A person who embraces success

will make plans for their future.

Worry does not stop them from planting seeds

as they deal with the struggles of today.

A successful person will allow hope to energize them.

Where the Survivalist hopes

to get what he needs today –

 

The Successful person

will make sacrifices today

for a better tomorrow.

Worry, insecurity and idleness

keeps a person in survival mode –

Hope and productivity

aid the successful person.

All of us need to know how

to survive and be successful.

The third “S” is the goal – Significance

 

Significance comes when we live a life

that makes a Kingdom of God difference.

Significant people don’t “just get by”

and they don’t plan “to live happily ever after.”

Significant people change the world.

Their focus is not their today,

it is not their plans for tomorrow,

it is the effects they have on others.

Survival and Success should be stepping stones

not hindrances to Significance.      

Scripture Reading

Matthew 6:28-34 NIV

28 "And why do you worry about clothes?

See how the lilies of the field grow.

They do not labor or spin.

29 Yet I tell you that not

even Solomon in all his splendor

was dressed like one of these.

30 If that is how God clothes

the grass of the field,

which is here today and

tomorrow is thrown into the fire,

will he not much more clothe you,

O you of little faith?

31 So do not worry, saying,

'What shall we eat?'

or 'What shall we drink?'

or 'What shall we wear?'

32 For the pagans run after all these things,

and your heavenly Father knows

that you need them.

33 But seek first his kingdom

and his righteousness,

and all these things

will be given to you as well.

34 Therefore do not worry

about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will worry

about itself.

Each day has enough trouble

of its own.