Dottie was ill this morning and I suspect that in the last 10 years she has missed my Sunday sermon 3 times.

Dottie & I will be in South Louisiana september 11th and then drive to West Virginia where we will have churches from the 18th through the 25th. So going we are free for Wednesday 14th and returning we will have September 28th and then Sunday October 2nd. If you want to have us going or coming from W. Va. we will be ready.

Phillippians 3:13-14 “I count myself not to have apprehended but this one thing I do is forgetting the things behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”.

The second truth Lee shared was that focus means we have a mind set to the future. In other words we are looking ahead. The scripture above says we are to reach forth. To be honest with you physically I have not been feeling well and the question arises how many of my children will I see grow up and achieve their goals. How far will I be able to go with the vision of the dialysis ministry and the transition of the children we have raised into the leaders of tomorrow.

This is not a pity party it is a reality. As Christians we need to be looking ahead. Live for Jesus in the moment but look at the road you are to travel. Paul could say that he had finished his course because he knew what the final goals were. He reached out to achieve what he was placed on earth to do.

Although Moses did not get to enter the Promised Land he was able to see it. I remember Martin Luther King’s speech when he said “I can see the promised land. I may not get there with you but…”

Do not be satisfied with the present. Always be reaching out to accomplish more.People have told me how wonderful it is that Dottie and I have had the opportunity to minister to over 5000 children. But do you realize there were 250,000 we did not get to minister to? Keep reaching! Refuse to be satisfied!

However I can not look back and neither can you. We cannot undo anything behind us. But we certainly can continue to run the race set before us.

Jim Brown was the greatest running back in history and when asked why he repilied I ran just as hard when I was exhausted as I did when I was fresh. I ran hard when the game started and I was running just as hard when the game was ending”. This is a goal that every Christian should have. No stopping! No slowing down!