Sermon Recap | Apr. 27 Copy

Life often feels like we're running in circles, doing the same things repeatedly without making progress. But God calls us to something greater - to "run with horses" and embrace higher levels of faith, responsibility, and impact.

The concept comes from Jeremiah 12:5, where God challenges Jeremiah: "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?" This was God's way of pushing Jeremiah to think beyond his current situation and see the greater possibilities ahead.

From Philippians 3:12-14, we can learn key principles for advancing spiritually:

• Don't consider yourself to have arrived
• Press in with intentional focus
• Take action - faith requires doing
• Forget past failures and hurts
• Actively reach toward what's ahead

Like the Israelites who circled Mount Seir for 30 years, we often get comfortable with familiar patterns and resist change. This comfort zone becomes a barrier to growth. Signs you might be stuck include:

• Spinning wheels but not progressing
• Ending each year in the same place spiritually
• Refusing to embrace necessary changes
• Holding onto outdated methods and traditions

God often uses unexpected methods to promote us to new levels:

• Sometimes promotion doesn't look like promotion
• Challenges can be opportunities for growth
• What seems like a setback may be setup for advancement
• God may redirect us in surprising ways

Using the example of Gideon's army, there are different levels of commitment:

• The general crowd (32,000)
• The committed but fearful (22,000)
• The brave but undisciplined (9,700)
• The fully devoted (300)

This week, challenge yourself to:

• Identify areas where you've been "circling the mountain" without progress
• Ask yourself:
  • What changes am I resisting out of comfort or fear?
  • Am I satisfied with my current spiritual level?
  • What's holding me back from "running with horses"?
• Take one concrete step toward embracing change and moving to the next level God has for you