Serve with Us
Events
2023 Theme
The Season Of
Forward Focus
13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)
In the third chapter of his letter to the Church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul uses athletic imagery to illustrate the Christian need for focus. He describes himself similar to a runner who is focused on obtaining a prize or goal. He explains that like the runner who is keenly aware that that a backward glance at ground that has already been covered will surely impede his or her progress in reaching the goal, Paul declares that he forgets what is behind and strains or presses forward to what is ahead, so that he might finish the race and obtain the prize.
Many of us spend too much time looking back and perhaps even looking around. Instead, we must recognize that God is calling us to Forward Focus. As we fix our gaze on what lies ahead, like Paul, we are focused on the goal and the prize to which God is calling us.
In this Season of Forward Focus, we are spending less time in the rear-view mirror and more time looking at and mapping out the road ahead. When we fail to have forward focus, the divine pace that God has ordained for us is often disrupted. The good news is that delay is not denial, and even if it was our actions that led to delay in our lives, we praise God for grace & mercy, which propels us forward, nonetheless. Israel Houghton said:
It's a new season It's a new day Fresh anointing Fresh anointing is flowing my way It's a season of power and prosperity It's a new season coming to me.
Beloved, let’s allow this to be a new season for us, individually and collectively, let’s make this, the Season of Forward Focus.
In Christ,
Pastor Cindy Rudolph