Moving Forward

Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He was fired from his first two jobs for being “non-productive.” As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb.

Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he succeeded.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.

27 publishers rejected Dr. Seuss’s first book.

Babe Ruth is famous for his past home run record, but for decades he also held the record for strikeouts. He hit 714 home runs and struck out 1,330 times in his career (about which he said, “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”).
Even though all these people experienced many failures they all have gone down in history because they didn’t give up, they continued moving forward and didn’t give up.

Franklin D. Roosevelt said “There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still.”

This morning I want to talk to you about three important ways that you can begin moving forward today.

Moving Forward
1. Stretch Your Faith
Romans 1:17:
17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

If you want to grow in the Lord and begin moving forward in your walk with Him.
You need to stretch your faith.

Ex: Stretch Armstrong doll

Perhaps you have a goal to break a bad habit, to lose some weight, or pay off some credit cards.

Whenever we start something we are all gun hole about it.

As time passes we get a little lazy: we get complacent.

We step into a comfort zone and just sit there.

Ex I pray each morning that’s good enough for me. Bible says in 1 Thess 5:17 pray without ceasing. Having a prayful attitude at all times.

I read my bible a few times a week. Psalms 1:2 says mediate on His word day and night..This means spending time reading and thinking about what you read. Its means asking yourself if your lifestyle lines up with His word.

We need to stretch our faith.

Maybe you feel as though you have been coasting, thinking you reached your limits.
Stretch your faith, believe for an increase. Don’t stop half way. Go right up to the top of your mountain. Believe God for more.

2. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Hebrews 11:8:
8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.

Abraham’s life was filled with faith. At Gods command, he left home and went to another land- obeying without question.

He was even willing to sacrifice his own his own son.

Don’t be surprised if God asks you to give up secure, familiar surroundings in order to carry out His will.

It doesn’t take any more effort to stay filled with faith than it takes to develop a negative attitude.

Dare to step out of your comfort zone today.

God has so much more in store.

Keep pursuing and keep believing.

3. Don’t Stop Now

Genesis 11:31:
31 One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there.

Heading out to the promise land Canaan. Terah settled half way, maybe it was the climate, his health or fear but either way he missed out on Gods very best.
When the going gets tough the tough get going, but for most of us the saying goes When the going gets tough, the tough get duct tape.

Don’t settle for where you are at right now in your walk with the Lord.
I want to challenge you today to pull up your stakes, pack your tent, get your belongings, and start moving forward.

You are made for more than good enough.
Enlarge your Vision today!
You may have had a delay, but that’s okay: you can begin again today.