DAILY VIDEO DEVOTIONAL
Today I want to speak to you about your pursuit in the race. In Hebrews, chapter 12, verse 1, we were talking about running with endurance the race God has set before us. Now the Christian life is like a long-distance race, but in that race, we’re pursuing something. What is it we’re pursuing?
In Hebrews, chapter 12, verse 14, it says, “Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” In the Christian life, there’s a pursuit we have. If you don’t understand the pursuit, if you’re not pursuing… That word pursue means you’re going after this one thing. If you’re not going after that one thing, you’ll never make it.
When I ran in the Texas State Senior Games and I ran in the championship, I was running… My pursuit, by the way, was not to win the gold medal (which I ended up winning), but I was pursuing trying to do my best. I remember before I ran I said, “Lord, just help me to run to my full potential. Whatever I come in, it doesn’t matter whether I come in last place or second or first or third. It really doesn’t matter.” Well, when I ran to my full potential, I ended up winning the medal.
Do you know what? I got to thinking about that. In the Christian life, God has called us to a pursuit…pursuing peace with all men and holiness (that’s Christlikeness). When we pursue that and we run to our full potential, when we cross the finish line, he says, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” He gives us a crown of life. He gives us that gold medal. He gives us that medal that says, “You did well, my child.”
You need to pursue. What is it we’re pursuing? You need to get your focus on that. Remember that every day when you wake up. “What is it I’m pursuing today?” Peace with all men. To live in a peaceful manner with all people…Christians, non-Christians, people you like, people you don’t like, people who rub you the wrong way, people you really enjoy being with. Whoever it is, live in peace with all men. Pursue that. Pursue to live that.
Now there will be circumstances, there will be some real challenges you will face as you go throughout life as you meet with people. There will be some times where it will be difficult to do that, but pursue it. Pursue peace with all men.
The second thing: holiness. “…without which no man shall see the Lord.” You need to pursue Christlikeness. There will be all kinds of circumstances you will face in life. There will be some good circumstances, some bad ones. Some hills you’ll climb. You’ll go down some hills. You’ll be on top of the mountain sometimes. You’ll be in the valley. But in every situation, in every circumstance, pursue becoming like Jesus. If you have your eyes fixed on him and the pursuit of his character, becoming more and more and more and more like Jesus, when you cross that finish line, one day God will hand you that crown and say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
14) “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15) To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16) The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17) So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18) But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19) “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20) The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 21) “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 22) “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ 23) “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 24) “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25) So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ 26) “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27) Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28) “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29) For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30) And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ The Sheep and the Goats
Book of the Month
Sammy Tippit told his fiancée, “I can’t promise we’ll be rich, but life won’t be boring.”
Sammy had no idea what an understatement that would become. Beginning in the bars of Baton Rouge and the nightclubs of Chicago, Tippit has shared the news of life-changing faith in Christ all over the world – including in the middle of a revolution in Romania, the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda, and war in Burundi and the Congo.
Sammy’s lifelong adventure has come at a great price. He’s been cursed, threatened, arrested, deported, and blacklisted. He’s also been personally broken, ravaged with illness, and devastated by grief.
Yet he continues to preach to in stadiums, in open fields, and via satellite technology to hundreds of thousands around the globe. For all other books…
About Sammy Tippit Ministries
STM has been providing inspiration and help around the world for nearly 50 years. Sammy Tippit, founder and president, is a world renowned counselor, teacher and evangelist with experience serving and helping people in over 80 countries. Sammy provides materials that help people tackle a broad array of social, societal, psychological and spiritual issues. He is particularly passionate about making materials accessible to other countries around the world. Sammy is married to Debara “Tex” Tippit, and they have two children and five grandchildren.
Sammy Tippit Ministries is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization.
Contact: info@sammytippit.org
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