Are You at Your Best?
Dan Rodgers
Colossians 1:9-14
INTRODUCTION: Today, March the 30th, I will be celebrating 30 years of preaching God's Word. I have held two pastorates, taught in two Bible colleges and have been a Christian for over 36 years. Over those years, I have had the opportunity and the privilege to minister to many people. I've found that Christians come in a wide variety. Many are gifted and talented. Many are dedicated to the Lord and serious about what they do, others are somewhere in-between...and then, of course, there are those who just seem to drift along.
All Christians have a certain level of commitment--a certain depth of spirituality. On the whole, I would say that most of us are not satisfied with where we are, that we would like to do better--we would like to improve ourselves. With that, I would like to have you consider with me four things I believe will be of help:
I. Accepting the Challenge
II. Examining the Alternatives
III. Developing a Plan
IV. Taking Action
I. ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE
Here is where we start--accepting the challenge to be our best. If a person cannot get beyond this point, then the other three points will matter little.
ILLUSTRATION: Rev. Edwin D. Peterman writes concerning Christ's life and His commitment to God. His discussion has to do with Jesus' statement about His "Baptism by fire," an allusion to His suffering and death on the cross.
"Make no mistake about it. This is radical language. Jesus stands for the fanatical fire and the total immersion of his passionate, incarnational plunge into human existence and his suffering and death for the sake of the world. His utter faithfulness to his Father in heaven does not allow for some easy, middle-of-the-road approach to life and salvation. It requires instead the utmost in passionate self-expenditure."
Let me borrow the last few words of that statement. "His utter faithfulness to His Father in heaven does no ...
Dan Rodgers
Colossians 1:9-14
INTRODUCTION: Today, March the 30th, I will be celebrating 30 years of preaching God's Word. I have held two pastorates, taught in two Bible colleges and have been a Christian for over 36 years. Over those years, I have had the opportunity and the privilege to minister to many people. I've found that Christians come in a wide variety. Many are gifted and talented. Many are dedicated to the Lord and serious about what they do, others are somewhere in-between...and then, of course, there are those who just seem to drift along.
All Christians have a certain level of commitment--a certain depth of spirituality. On the whole, I would say that most of us are not satisfied with where we are, that we would like to do better--we would like to improve ourselves. With that, I would like to have you consider with me four things I believe will be of help:
I. Accepting the Challenge
II. Examining the Alternatives
III. Developing a Plan
IV. Taking Action
I. ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE
Here is where we start--accepting the challenge to be our best. If a person cannot get beyond this point, then the other three points will matter little.
ILLUSTRATION: Rev. Edwin D. Peterman writes concerning Christ's life and His commitment to God. His discussion has to do with Jesus' statement about His "Baptism by fire," an allusion to His suffering and death on the cross.
"Make no mistake about it. This is radical language. Jesus stands for the fanatical fire and the total immersion of his passionate, incarnational plunge into human existence and his suffering and death for the sake of the world. His utter faithfulness to his Father in heaven does not allow for some easy, middle-of-the-road approach to life and salvation. It requires instead the utmost in passionate self-expenditure."
Let me borrow the last few words of that statement. "His utter faithfulness to His Father in heaven does no ...
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