Thursday, October 31, 2013

#MovingForward

This week in Chapter 4 and 5 of Renee Swope's book A Confident Heart, she talks about the pain of our past and moving past the shadow of our doubts.
 
When I was watching football this weekend I kept hearing the sports announcers talk about moving the ball forward and thought about these chapters.
 
Have you ever watched football?



In football the goal in each game is to advance the ball, to keep it #movingforward, to cross the goal line.

A touchdown!



From the kick off to the touchdown, moving the ball forward is what all players work towards. Players spend each day conditioning themselves physically and mentally for game day.  

What is their ultimate goal?

To win games and the chance to play in the Championships at the college level or the Super Bowl at the professional level.

Whether we are fighting.....

past abuse/present abuse
unforgiveness
work issues
doubts
insecurities
friendship issues
divorce/marriage/children/empty nest

.....or just plain stuck.

It's time, as Mandisa's song says to "Press On"... "one foot in front of the other" #movingforward and not looking back.



It's time to give it ALL to God for Him to heal us and direct our steps. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour we become New in Him.


 


 God doesn't want us to stay where we are...

hurting
confused
lost
angry......
 
as Renee Swope wrote on page 68..

 "Brokenhearted. Captive. Prisoner. Darkness.
These words described how I felt for so long. I had been brokenhearted. I had been held captive by fear. I had lived as a prisoner in the darkness of depression. These words were so personal  that I wondered if God had written them just for me."
 
"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and the release from darkness for the prisoners.
To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn." Isaiah 61:1-2


 
Just like in football...it's time to start #movingforward towards that ultimate goal...HEAVEN...and the beautiful Kingdom that awaits us.

Just like football players practice and condition each day so they are prepared for whatever plays come their way... we too as Christians have to condition ourselves to be prepared for whatever life throws our way.

How?

By #movingforward from our past and doubts. By reading the Bible, studying the Bible and having a personal intimate relationship with God each and every day. We have to let go of our past hurts our present doubts and anything holding us back from Him. It was and is so hard to do sometimes but the peace that comes from giving it to God is unbelievable.He will meet us right where we are we only need to reach out to Him.
 
It's time to keep #movingforward and drawing closer to God. Allowing Him to be the lamp unto our feet and the light unto our paths.
 
Jesus is calling, are you going to answer and obey Him by #movingforward?
















10 comments:

  1. You are so right - God Wants us to Move Forward - to not stay stuck in the pains of our past - thank you for a wonderful blog post. Love you Denise.

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  2. Denise, this is a great post! Thank you. I needed to hear this. ~ Marlene OBS FB Small Group Leader

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  3. Wow girl. Love it. Love this comparison. I am not real creative so love it when I see someone who is. Thank you for sharing. Hugs. Debbie W. (OBS Facebook Group Leader)

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  4. I've never thought of the game we play as Christians, with God being the quarterback, tossing us the ball and telling us run towards that goal, towards our ultimate prize! I love the comparison and the way that this study is working in your life! May you continue to be blessed as we progress through Renee's book and on your journey with Christ! - http://www.breething.com

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  5. Love this!! Even when we fumble the ball, we should never give up because our quarterback will surely toss it again. Love your football analogy. There are so many additional lessons to be taken from it if we view our Christian lives that way. Angela Thomas once talked about how people come out in droves to cheer on their favorite teams. They go crazy for their teams!! She threw out the idea of going crazy for our God the same way people do for their teams! Loved that too!

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  6. I love this blog! The goal of the football player is #MovingForward with that ball all the way to the finish line. The opposition tries to stop them. We, as believers, need to know that our opponent can't stop us, if we keep #movingforward knowing that in Christ Jesus we will never lose.

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  7. I loved your post! :)

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  8. I love this, Denise! What a great picture of #MovingForward! Thank you for your encouragement and inspiration today! Love~Shelly (OBS Leadership/Blog Hop Team)

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  9. What a cheerleader for Jesus you are! Great post that is so motivating. Thank you for sharing it and inspiring me to move forward.

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  10. I just love reading your post, you inspire me so much. Let's keep #MovingForward together.

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