Premium Essay

Five Reasons Christians Fail to Finish the Course

In:

Submitted By mikealfie
Words 723
Pages 3
Five Reasons Christians Fail to Finish the Course
Scripture Passage: Luke 14:25-33
Five Reasons Christians Fail to Finish the Course by David F. Reagan
Introduction: The Christian life is pictured in the Bible as a race to run; a course to finish. The Apostle Paul was determined to finish his course with joy and the ministry which he had received of the Lord (Acts 20:24). Shortly before his death, he could give this testimony: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Notice, he had finished his course.
Each of you needs to consider two very important truths. 1) God has a course for you. 2) God wants you to finish your course. How wonderful to realize that God has a specific plan for our life and that He will help us find and complete that plan. Yet, most Christians do not finish their course. They hardly even try.
Our passage in Luke 14:28-30 speaks of one who intends to build a tower. Building this tower is like running your race and finishing your course. Yet, there are many pitfalls. The tower may never get built. By looking at the necessary ingredients for building this tower, we can see why so many people fail. Here are five reasons Christians fail to finish their course. I. NO PURPOSE (Luke 14:28); Nothing can begin until someone is at least “intending to build” a tower. Intent points to a purpose; a desire to accomplish. First, you must have this purpose. A. This Purpose Must Be For God – Not For Self (Proverbs 23:4-5 ;Jeremiah 45:5; Luke 22:24-26) B. This Purpose Must Be From God (Acts 9:6;Colossians 1:1, 9) 1. Purpose follows salvation (Ephesians 2:8-10) 2. 2. Caleb wanted his mountain (Joshua 14:12) I. NO PLAN (Luke 14:28); The man who intends to build must now be the one who “counteth the cost.” He surveys the situation; calculates the requirements; makes his

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Slaying the Giants

...in the land of the giants. This giant comes in so many forms. Fear has gripped us all at some point in our lives. Thousands are affected daily in some type of fear or another. But fear is a common part of the fabric of living. Fear gives us burst of strength and speed when we need and is a good thing in a survival instinct situation. When fear becomes negative it then becomes a phobia. This is when fear and reason does match up. When fear becomes ill rational, it becomes a shackle that bind us and put us into bondage. This bondage will keep us from the routine things in life of working, playing, living and serving God. There are so many varieties of fears. This is a listing of six general categories that we face in fear: poverty, criticism, loss of love, illness, old age and death. When we read the bible we can see that those living in biblical times often were tormented by the same fears that we face today. It would seem that Christians would not have the same challenges with fear as the unbeliever instead the fears are the same. Fear does five major things in God’s will for us. It disregards His plans, distorts His purpose, discourages His people, disbelieves His promises and disobeys His principles. In the passage of Deuteronomy 1:19-21, we...

Words: 6806 - Pages: 28

Free Essay

Herbert Hoover

...PROCEEDINGS of the 3rd Christian Engineering Education Conference June 23-25, 1999 at the JAARS Facility of Wycliffe Bible Translators Waxhaw, North Carolina The Mission of Christian College Engineering Programs for Y2K and Beyond Preface THE FIRST CHRISTIAN ENGINEERING EDUCATION CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN 1992 AT CALVIN COLLEGE IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN. SEVERAL YEARS LATER, TTHE SECOND CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN 1996 AT MESSIAH COLLEGE, IN GRANTHAM, PENNSYLVANIA. THE 1999 CHRISTIAN ENGINEERING EDUCATION CONFERENCE BROUGHT TOGETHER A DIVERSE GROUP OF DEDICATED CHRISTIAN ENGINEERS. IT WAS A DISTINCT PLEASURE TO HEAR THE WONDERFUL WAYS GOD IS WORKING IN THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND SCHOOLS REPRESENTED AT OUR MEETING. THE JUNGLE AVIATION AND RADIO SERVICE (JAARS) FACILITY OF WYCLIFFE WAS A FANTASTIC LOCATION FOR OUR CONFERENCE, AND WE ARE VERY THANKFUL TO OUR GRACIOUS HOSTS. A SPECIAL THANKS GOES TO CAROL WEAVER, THE JAARS CONFERENCE COORDINATOR. The goal of these conferences is to glorify God, to foster community among Christian engineering educators, and to encourage and challenge each other in our work of kingdom building. Abraham Kuyper, one of the great thinkers within the Reformed tradition of Christianity, has said that there is not one square centimeter of the creation that is not claimed by Christ. As Christian engineering educators of whatever tradition, we seek to stake that claim in our discipline, exploring how...

Words: 29247 - Pages: 117

Free Essay

Klllkjl

...coast. Long-distance swimming was not new to her; she had been the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. The water was numbing cold that day. The fog was so thick she could hardly see the boats in her party. Several times sharks had to be driven away with rifle fire. She swam more than fifteen hours before she asked to be taken out of the water. Her trainer tried to encourage her to swim on since they were so close to land, but when Florence looked, all she saw was fog. So she quit . . . only one-half mile from her goal. Later she said, “I’m not excusing myself, but if I could have seen the land, I might have made it.” It wasn’t the cold or fear or exhaustion that caused Florence Chadwick to fail – it was the fog. Many times we too fail, not because we’re afraid or because of the peer pressure or because of anything other than the fact that we lose sight of the goal. Maybe that’s why Paul said, “I press on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14). Two months after her failure, Florence Chadwick walked off the same beach into the same channel and swam the distance, setting a new speed record, because she could see the land, she kept her goal in sight. SUMMARY In order for us to be successful this school year, we need to have some goals set, too. Over the next couple of days we will be evaluating four aspects of our lives at school – social, mental, physical, and spiritual – and set goals for each one...

Words: 3674 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Nike

...Pastor Ken Raggio Starting Out Alone We all begin as a solo act. We stand alone in the social scheme of things. We have birth relationships - father, mother, sisters, brothers. But in the course of maturing, we generally desire the companionship of additional people. We develop casual relationships through contacts we have in the various segments of society - our neighborhood, our school, our workplace, our church - to name a few. We often carry our casual relationships further as we experience positive and desirable interactions with others. Acquaintances become friendships. We endear ourselves to others with whom we find meaningful compatibilities. "Qualifying" Friendships Every person faces a vastly different challenge when it comes to forming meaningful relationships with others. Some people are extroverted, which means they are socially interactive. They are able to express themselves to others, or make conversation easily, which, over a period of time, creates a large pool of acquaintances from which friendships can be formed. As a rule, an extrovert is likely to have a larger number of prospects from which to choose a friend. On the other hand, an introvert generally lives a more isolated lifestyle, communicating with fewer people. It would stand to reason that the introvert might have fewer choices when it comes to selecting a friend. These personality differences do not necessarily indicate that the introvert is less interested in having friends...

Words: 9831 - Pages: 40

Free Essay

Metacognitive Strategies

...Chapter I THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING Introduction “You cannot teach what you do not know, you cannot give what you do not have.” Iris(2015) It has been relatively believed that one cannot give what he does not have. As a matter of possession, knowledge must have a deeper sense of ownership. According to Iris (2015), the teacher helps the students to learn the things that are very essential. He cannot be a teacher if there are a lot of things that he does not know and does not have enough knowledge and skills are needed to be a teacher. He must be ready enough and very skillful so that he will be able to do the job as a teacher. It is not just about lecturing basic knowledge with the students, it is about touching each student’s life to be a better person. Teachers are the lights that lead the students in the right path, letting them discover what they want and guide them to know the important things in life. According to Rahman (2011), teaching can be learned with different levels of competence. The teachers play a key role in the educational process. The teachers influence the future personal, social and economic lives of people. The demands on them are significant and these can be met only by creating a scientifically based profession, which is supported by a body of theoretical and practical knowledge. In the 21st century, all fields of life have experienced changes due to knowledge and information explosion. Teacher Education sub sector has also experienced new...

Words: 15767 - Pages: 64

Premium Essay

Race to Success

...life yet he became the 16th president of the United States of America (USA) in 1860. Sir Isaac Newton in his bid to develop the fluorescent bulb failed 5,000 times but did not give up until the last attempt that he discovered the secret and was able to produce the fluorescent bulb. What if he had given up along the way? He wouldn’t have emerged a conqueror in the face of brainstorming challenges. What about Sir Edmund Hillary? Who attempted climbing Mount Everest and lost one of his team and returned to London as a failure. But he said “Mount Everest, you have defeated me, but I will return and defeat you because you can’t get any bigger and I CAN”. Many are the secrets you will discover as you read through this book. Whether you are a Christian or not the book will help you understand more about your life, lead you on how to engage in a race that leads to success, even if you are involved in one already it will assist you, tells you the way forward and make you think like a winner and perform like a winner. Indeed, this book is loaded with gins for winners and exposes you to setting of lofty and attainable goals, how to work towards them with determination, persistence and never quitting until you achieve them ALL. So, I recommend this book for the passionate youths, the weak-willed students, success driven parents and the...

Words: 12773 - Pages: 52

Premium Essay

Police

...BELHAVEN UNIVERSITY Jackson, Mississippi A CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES FOUNDED IN 1883 CATALOGUE 2014-2015 EFFECTIVE JUNE 1, 2014 Directory of Communication Mailing Address: Belhaven University 1500 Peachtree St. Jackson, MS 39202 Belhaven University 535 Chestnut St. Suite 100 Chattanooga, TN 37402 Belhaven University 7111 South Crest Parkway Southaven, MS 38671 Belhaven University – LeFleur 4780 I-55 North Suite 125 Jackson, MS 39211 Belhaven University 15115 Park Row Suite 175 Houston, TX 77084 Belhaven University Online 1500 Peachtree St. Box 279 Jackson, MS 39202 Belhaven University 1790 Kirby Parkway Suite 100 Memphis, TN 38138 Belhaven University 4151 Ashford Dunwoody Rd. Suite 130 Atlanta, GA 30319 Belhaven University 5200 Vineland Rd. Suite 100 Orlando, FL 32811 Traditional Admission Adult and Graduate Studies Admission – Jackson Atlanta Chattanooga Desoto Houston Memphis Orlando Alumni Relations/Development Belhaven Fax Business Office Campus Operations Integrated Marketing Registrar Student Life Security Student Financial Planning Student Development Online Admission Online Student Services (601) 968-5940 or (800) 960-5940 (601) 968-5988 or Fax (601) 352-7640 (404) 425-5590 or Fax (404) 425-5869 (423) 265-7784 or Fax (423) 265-2703 (622) 469-5387 (281) 579-9977 or Fax (281) 579-0275 (901) 896-0184 or Fax (901) 888-0771 (407) 804-1424 or Fax (407) 367-3333 (601) 968-5980 (601) 968-9998 (601) 968-5901 (601) 968-5904 (601) 968-5930 (601) 968-5922...

Words: 151104 - Pages: 605

Premium Essay

50 Shades of Grey

...First published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop, 2011 Copyright © E L James, 2011 The right of E L James to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part maybe reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The Writer’s Coffee Shop (Australia) PO Box 2013 Hornsby Westfield NSW 1635 (USA) PO Box 2116 Waxahachie TX 75168 Paperback ISBN-978-1-61213-028-6 E-book ISBN-978-1-61213-029-3 A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the US Congress Library. Cover image by: © Papuga2006 | Dreamstime.com Cover design by: Jennifer McGuire www.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/ejames E L James is a TV executive, wife, and mother of two, based in West London. Since early childhood, she dreamt of writing stories that readers would fall in love with, but put those dreams on hold to focus on her family and her career. She finally plucked up the courage to put pen to paper with her first novel, Fifty Shades of Grey. E L James is currently working on the sequel...

Words: 151445 - Pages: 606

Premium Essay

Peace Child Sumary

...Peace Child Don Richardson Online Information For the online version of BookRags' Peace Child Premium Study Guide, including complete copyright information, please visit: http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-peace-child/ Copyright Information ©2000-2007 BookRags, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The following sections of this BookRags Premium Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources. ©1998-2002; ©2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design® and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license. The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". © 1994-2005, by Walton Beacham. The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". © 1994-2005, by Walton Beacham. All other sections in...

Words: 14138 - Pages: 57

Premium Essay

Relationships

...[pic] Christian Relationships Unit 1: Worship 1. Preliminary concerns 1.1. Misconceptions about worship The first popular misconception is that ‘worship is singing’. We treat ‘worship’ and ‘singing praises’ as synonymous terms. We speak as if they are the same thing. To reduce worship to singing is to dilute the biblical concept of worship in a way that is grossly irresponsible. It reduces the richness of biblical worship to one of its components. Yet when many Christians today commonly speak about worship, they mean nothing more than ‘singing’. |When you think or speak of worship, do you automatically associate it with ‘singing worship songs’? Is this the common usage| |in your church? If so, how do you think this fault crept into your vocabulary? | | | There are probably many ways this misconception has crept into our language and our thought. One key factor is that we have tended to label Christian music as ‘worship’, and we often call the person who leads the singing in our churches ‘the worship leader’. Unfortunately, this has caused us to equate worship with singing. A second misconception is that ‘worship is something we do on special occasions’. Worship is what we do when we gather with God’s people. The activities that make...

Words: 60316 - Pages: 242

Premium Essay

Paying College Athletes

...The Controversy of Payment to College Athletes Michael H. Rubin University of Maryland Baltimore County Abstract The benefits of allowing college athletes to accept regulated payments are examined through surveys’ and facts. Several possible techniques and systems that can help aid student-athletes’ through the rest of their college career and life are discussed. This topic addresses anyone who is involved or interested in college athletics and aims to end the exploitation of NCAA athletes. It will be proven that the majority of the student body, players and several coaches all agree in the payment of some form to student- athletes’. The University and the NCAA are worried about losing revenue and tainting the NCAA’s name. Throughout this study, many issues are addressed, involving the pros and cons of allowing student athletes to receive their share of the large amount of revenue received. Included are interviews from college level players and professional level players, as well as a survey of an unbiased group of college students. All of this research emphasizes that these athletes deserve to take a small share of this multi-billion dollar industry. Keywords: university, college, athlete, compensation, corruption, payment, student, NCAA, money, sports, salary The Controversy of Payment to College Athletes In several recent events, there has been a reoccurring trend in college athletics involving student athletes being paid money or given other incentives to...

Words: 3451 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Deresky Experiential Exercise Chapter 8

..., Lakeside, Oregon “Your book stirred me to tears and drove me to prayer!” —Miss J.S., Towson, Maryland “I have read Revolution in World Missions twice, and now I am more convinced than ever that investing in national missionaries and Bridge of Hope children will yield better returns than silver or gold. Thank you for waking me up, Brother K.P.” —Mr. K.G., Calgary, Alberta “I read your book and think it is one of the most dynamic, down-to-earth books that I have ever read. I want to give a copy to our pastor, each board member and selected other people at our church.” —Mr. P.W., Santa Margarita, California “K.P. Yohannan’s book draws the Church back to the very heart of what Christ has called us to do. I would urge every Christian, and especially every pastor, to read this book with a humble heart before the Lord. I’m reading it through again, and it’s still a heart-stirring blessing.” —Pastor M.W., Worthing, England “We have been challenged and convicted by Revolution in World Missions. We believe that our Lord Jesus is offering us the chance to share in His work in Asia—a chance we don’t want to miss!” —Mr. and Mrs. M.D., Pacifica, California “We both read K.P.’s book and were very moved to change part of our lifestyle to further the Gospel. I hope we can do more as we get braver!” —Mr. and Mrs. D.F., Los Alamos, New Mexico “I am currently reading Revolution in World Missions and am blown away by what I read. My wife and I have been longing for ...

Words: 62016 - Pages: 249

Free Essay

Fifty Shades

...First published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop, 2011 Copyright © E L James, 2011 The right of E L James to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The Writer’s Coffee Shop (Australia) PO Box 2013 Hornsby Westfield NSW 1635 (USA) PO Box 2116 Waxahachie TX 75168 Paperback ISBN-978-1-61213-058-3 E-book ISBN-978-1-61213-059-0 A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the US Congress Library. Cover image by: E. Spek Cover design by: Jennifer McGuire www.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/ejames E L James is a TV executive, wife, and mother of two, based in West London. Since early childhood, she dreamt of writing stories that readers would fall in love with, but put those dreams on hold to focus on her family and her career. She finally plucked up the courage to put pen to paper with her first novel, Fifty Shades of Grey. E L James is currently working on the sequel to Fifty Shades Darker and a new...

Words: 160421 - Pages: 642

Premium Essay

The Purpose Driven Life

...We want to hear from you. Please send your comments about this book to us in care of the address below. Thank you. ZONDERVAN GRAND RAPIDS. MICHIGAN 49530 USA W W W. Z O N D E R V A N. C O M ZONDERVAN'" The Purpose-Driven° Life Copyright © 2002 by Rick Warren This title is also available as a Zondervan audio product. Visit www. zondervan.com/audiopages for more information. Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Warren, Richard, 1954 The purpose-driven life : what on earth am I here for? / Rick Warren. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN: 0-310-20571-9 1. Christian life. I. Title. BV4501.3 .W37 2002 248.4 - dc21 2002011471 CIP This edition printed on acid-free paper. The Scripture versions cited in this book are identified in appendix 3, which hereby becomes a part of this copyright page. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other-except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Illustrations by Michael Halbert, Copyright © 2002 Michael Halbert Interior design by Jim Dobbs, Mary Deschenes, Julie Head Printed in the United States of America This book is dedicated to you. Before you were born, God planned this moment in your life. It is no accident that...

Words: 86024 - Pages: 345

Premium Essay

Rerere

...We want to hear from you. Please send your comments about this book to us in care of the address below. Thank you. ZONDERVAN GRAND RAPIDS. MICHIGAN 49530 USA W W W. Z O N D E R V A N. C O M ZONDERVAN'" The Purpose-Driven° Life Copyright © 2002 by Rick Warren This title is also available as a Zondervan audio product. Visit www. zondervan.com/audiopages for more information. Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Warren, Richard, 1954 The purpose-driven life : what on earth am I here for? / Rick Warren. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN: 0-310-20571-9 1. Christian life. I. Title. BV4501.3 .W37 2002 248.4 - dc21 2002011471 CIP This edition printed on acid-free paper. The Scripture versions cited in this book are identified in appendix 3, which hereby becomes a part of this copyright page. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other-except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Illustrations by Michael Halbert, Copyright © 2002 Michael Halbert Interior design by Jim Dobbs, Mary Deschenes, Julie Head Printed in the United States of America This book is dedicated to you. Before you were born, God planned this moment in your life. It is no accident that...

Words: 86024 - Pages: 345