This document outlines a message about running the Christian race to finish. It discusses how life presents many obstacles like curves and difficulties, but Christians should be excited to run the race God has laid out. To finish requires making a firm decision, laying down anything that hinders your run, and staying focused on God. Running to finish brings joy despite opposition faced along the way. The message encourages believers to make up their mind to finish the race no matter what through endurance.

1. OUTLINES AND NOTES FOR MESSAGE ON 3/8/15 CALLED
“RUN TO FINISH THE RACE” – “Part 2”
(ECCL. 9:11, ACTS 20:24, 1 COR. 9:24, 2 TIM. 4:7 and HEBREWS 12:1-3)
EASTER SERIES: “RUN CHRISTIAN RUN”
*IN THE MOVIE FORREST GUMP HAS ANOTHER POWERFUL SCENE…THE PART WHERE FORREST
IS ATTACKED AND IS TOLD TO “RUN FORREST RUN”! (PLAY CLIP)
ALTHOUGH THIS IS JUST A SCENE IN A MOVIE IT REMINDS US OF THAT CHOICE WE MAKE IN
LIFE…TO STAND THERE AND HAVE THE DEVIL BEAT US UP WITH THE CHANGES THAT ARE GOING
ON OR CHOOSE TO RUN JESUS WHO SUFFERED AND DIED FOR US AND IS WAITING ON US TO HELP
US AND GUIDE US THROUGH THE DIFFICULTIES THAT WE’RE FACING. AS WE SEE FORREST
RUNNING FOR HOME “HIS SAFE PLACE” SOMETHING AMAZING HAPPENS… HIS RESTRAINTS FALL
OFF, SATAN STOPS PURSUIT AND HE RUNS FREE.
*ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE AS HUMAN BEINGS MUST FACE IS THE FACT THAT LIFE IS A
COURSE THAT WE ALL MUST RUN! LIFE IS FULL OF CURVES, BENDS, STRAIGHTS, DESERTS,
RIVERS, WILDERNESS AND NARROW PASSAGES. THE OBSTACLES THAT CAN POP UP SOMETIMES
OVERWHELM US ON OUR RACE OF LIFE WE ARE RUNNING. ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS
ABOUT LIFE IS ADJUSTING TO THOSE CURVES, BENDS, STRAIGHTS, ETC. AND NARROW PASSAGES
BUT WE ALL MUST LEARN TO DO SO. LIFE HAS NO GUARANTEES AND WE CANNOT LIVE OUR
LIVES THINKING THAT EVERYTHING SHOULD COME EASY. WE ALL MUST UNDERSTAND THAT
LIFE IS HARD AND WE MUST RUN OUR COURSE NO MATTER WHAT WE FACE.
*THE CHRISTIAN SHOULD BE EXCITED ABOUT THE COURSE THAT GOD HAS LAID OUT FOR US TO
RUN! EVEN THOUGH WE RUN INTO OPPOSITION OR OBSTACLES ALONG THE WAY, WE STILL
SHOULD BE HAPPY AND FULL OF JOY THAT WE ARE RUNNING THIS RACE OF LIFE FOR HIM.
SOMETIMES IT IS EASY TO GET CAUGHT UP IN RUNNING THE RACE SELFISHLY AND THIS CREATES
POOR VISION OF THE COURSE IN FRONT OF US. WHEN WE BEGIN TO RUN A SELFISH RACE WE OPEN
OURSELVES UP FOR FAILURE. WHEN OUR RACE IS BEING RUN FOR NOTHING BUT OUR PLEASURE,
IT WON’T BE LONG UNTIL WE QUIT RUNNING BECAUSE LIFE’S RACE IS NOT ALL PLEASURABLE.
WE MUST FOCUS OURSELVES ON THE COURSE IN FRONT OF US AND RUNNING OUR RACE FOR GOD
BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN RUN WITH JOY. (ACTS 20:24) TEACHES US THAT
NOTHING MATERIAL SHOULD MATTER TO US OR NOTHING MATERIAL SHOULD MOVE US AND WE
SHOULDN’T COUNT OUR LIVES AS SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL, SO THAT WE CAN FINISH THE
RACE WITH JOY! THIS SCRIPTURE TELLS US THAT IN ORDER FOR US TO RUN THE RACE OF LIFE
WITH JOY AND HAPPINESS, WE MUST PRIORITIZE WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN LIFE AND THAT IS
PUTTING SPIRITUAL GROWTH IN FRONT OF ALL THINGS.
*WE MUST RUN THIS RACE OF LIFE WITH ALL OUR HEARTS AND WITH DETERMINATION! (1 COR.
9:24) GIVES US AN EXPLANATION OF THIS TYPE OF LIVING. PAUL SAID TO THE CHURCH AT
CORINTH, “DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN THERE IS A RACE THERE ARE A LOT OF
RUNNERS BUT ONLY ONE RECEIVES THE PRIZE? SO WE SHOULD RUN OUR RACE AS THOUGH WE
ARE RUNNING TO WIN THAT PRIZE.” RUNNING OUR RACE WITHOUT STOPPING OR TURNING
AROUND OR QUITING IS A VITAL PART OF BECOMING WHAT GOD WANTS US TO BE. RUNNING THE
RACE OF LIFE WITH PURPOSE AND DETERMINATION WILL BRING US TO A LIFE FILLED WITH JOY.
GOD IS PLEASED WITH US WHEN WE STAY THE COURSE AND NEVER WAIVER OR TURN BACK.
*THIS RACE IS NOT AGAINST TIME OR COMPETITION! (Eccl. 9:11)”The race is not for the swift!”
*THIS RACE IS A RACE OF ENDURANCE! (MARK 13:13 SAYS, “He that endures to the end shall be saved!”)
[ENDURANCE: To hold up under suffering, to put up with or to bear, to stand through pain, to go on for a long
time, to outlast things and remain standing.]

2. *IT’S NOT ABOUT WINNING IT’S ABOUT FINISHING! *IT’S NOT ABOUT HOW FAST YOU
RUN! *IT’S ABOUT RUNNING AND NOT STOPPING/RUNNING TO FINISH!
WE MUST RUN WHEN EVEN WHEN WE’RE TIRED AND WEARY! (1 Corinthians 10:13)
WE MUST RUN EVEN WHEN WE WANT TO QUIT! (Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Job, Jonah etc.)
WE MUST FOLLOW THE COURSE JESUS PREPARED FOR US! (He has cleared a path for us.)
*THINGS WE MUST DO TO ENDURE AND FINISH OUR RACE!
(Let’s read Hebrews 12:1-3 to help us understand finishing the race of endurance!)
#1) WE MUST DECIDE TO HAVE A MADE UP MIND! Paul reminds all of us that there is a race to run and
endurance will be a key. We see that Joshua chose to have a made up mind! He spoke to the children of Israel
about making up their minds about who they were going to serve. Joshua had made up his mind a long time
ago that he was going to run the race God had prepared for him no matter what. Joshua faced many battles
just like we do today, but he had a made up mind that encouraged him to endure all those battles. Joshua led
the Israelites into many battles, faced many obstacles on his race but kept his made up mind in tact and used
it as a weapon. When Joshua spoke to all of Israel he challenged them with these words, “Choose whom you
will serve, as for me and my house we will serve the Lord!” This exemplifies Joshua’s made up mind and
teaches us that in order to endure we must decide to have a made up mind to serve the Lord.
#2) WE MUST BE WILLING TO LAY DOWN EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS OUR RUN! After we have
made up our minds to serve God and run this race for Him, we must look at what hinders us from running
our race. There is nothing worse than trying to run a race of distance with a lot of extra weight and excess
baggage. The things that weigh us down or slow us down and cause us to be burdened need to be thrown off
or taken off. The things in our lives that hinder our run for God must be laid down. We must be willing to
sacrifice those things that hold us down or weight us down and make our run more difficult. The problem
with most Christians today they want to run the race and carry everything and everybody with them as they
run. Jesus warns us over and over again about the dangers of focusing on life and holding on to the things of
this life to the point of prioritizing them over Him. Dangerous to run with too much weight!
#3) WE MUST STAY FOCUSED ON GOD and RUN WITH PURPOSE! (1 COR. 9:24-27) It is next to
impossible for a runner to run smoothly and accurately when he/she gets off the designed course. If we have
a course to run and we get off that course it will be most difficult to finish. The key to running life’s race is
not how fast, how far or even how smooth we run but whether or not we finish. It’s not about time or beauty
of how we run but it’s all about enduring to the finish line. In order to be encouraged when we get tired or
we face obstacles that seem to slow us down to a crawl, we must keep our eyes focused on Christ who
showed us we can finish our race. Staying focused on God will keep our minds off the pain and suffering we
face on this race we can be encouraged to finish. There will be no awards given for those who finish the
fastest or finish the prettiest, our award will come because we endured and finished period. He whose mind
is stayed upon the Lord will prevail in all things. We stay focused on God by praying and reading or hearing
God’s word.
*2 Timothy 4:7 speaks loudly about enduring to the end. Paul says, “I’ve been poured out like a drink offering,
I’ve fought a good fight, I’ve finished this race, I’ve kept the faith, now there is in store for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord will award me at the finish line in glory.”
QUESTIONS: How are you running this race of life? (Hoping you finish? Praying you can do it?)
Will you make up your mind to RUN TO FINISH THIS RACE NO MATTER WHAT?