What is Paul’s perspective on life?
1. Paul saw his Christian life as a race.
2. Paul says we are to see our Christian life as a race.
3. Paul says that heaven is not a reward for running a good race, but a gift from God. (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8)
4. Paul says that we are running the Christian race for eternal rewards.
a. Perhaps a privileged place of service in eternity. (Matthew 19:27-28)
b. Perhaps a capacity to manifest the Glory of Christ throughout eternity. (Daniel 12:3; Matthew 13:43)
c. Praise from God. (1 Corinthians 4:5)
5. We are all called to run our race.
Follow-up Questions from Sunday:
Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?
Digging Deeper:
1. In Acts 20:22-24; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; and 2 Timothy 4:6-8 the apostle Paul compares the Christian life to running a race. In what ways do you see this being a good analogy? What would you compare the Christian life to?
2. In 2 Timothy 4:7-8 and Phil ippians3:12-14, Paul says he is in the Christian race to win a prize. What do you think is the “prize” of the Christian race?
3. Pastor Frank said last Sunday that we all have a unique race to run that is ours alone–no one can run it for us. What challenges are you experiencing in “your race” right now, in this season in your life?
Taking it home:
Spend some time reflecting on your “Christian race” over the last few years. What challenges have you run past and what are your hardest challenges today? What are you most looking forward to at the finish line?
Prayer:
Pray for God to help you see your life in the light of eternity.