Seventh Day Baptist
Christian Education Council
PO BOX 1678
Janesville, WI 53547
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
(ESV)
—Philippians 3:7-14
by: Kay Samuels.
I am a runner. Every day before I run, I set myself a goal, and I usually meet it. But there is one run that I have not yet attained—that of doing a marathon. And that is because I have not set the goal. Paul talks about the goal of a higher calling in Christ Jesus. That higher calling is to be like Jesus. To get to that place we must let go of the past hurts and mistakes. We cannot move ahead while carrying the past; it weighs us down. Let go of anger, bitterness, hurt, and unforgiveness so you can finish strong as you run the race set before you.