Adult Bible Study Online

A focus in life

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Lesson text: Philippians 3:7-16
By: Leo Hartshorn
Email: cleohart@aol.com

When I was in seminary, I used to do a daily four-mile run around a point that extended into the San Francisco Bay. I can’t even imagine doing that today! The road I ran twisted and turned around the outline of land jutting into the bay. I knew when I was near my goal of four miles when I came to a steep hill that I had to traverse in order to finish my run. It took a lot of willpower, sweat, straining, and great exertion of physical energy to make it over the hill and back to my apartment on the seminary campus. I had to focus on the goal of making it to the end of my run. I was racing against no one, and no prize awaited me. With so much time spent in my head with constant seminary studies, I had a larger goal than getting to the end of the four miles—staying healthy.

Paul uses the metaphor of running a race to speak to the Philippian believers about a larger goal than bodily exercise or winning a physical race. He talks to them about a race to know and become more like Christ. He hopes to achieve his goal through his own calling to be an apostle to the Gentiles. Though he has not turned the final corner or faced his last steep hill, Paul strains toward that goal like a runner exerting all his energy to reach the end of a run.

We are all runners in a race. We are not running against anyone as if to beat them to the finish line. And we have not reached the end of the race. The road ahead has more twists and turns. We have not reached the final hill we must traverse to reach our goal. So we still have time left to exert our energies, correct our course when we take a wrong turn, and keep our eyes on the road ahead before we reach the final goal of Christlikeness. We are all runners in a race. And in this race a prize awaits us!

How is living a life of faith like running a race?
What exercises do you practice to stay spiritually healthy?
What particular “track” has God called you to run? What is your calling?

What is the preferred biblical translation of your class to use with Adult Bible Study? ABS teachers are invited to respond to the ABS Survey.

This message relates to the Adult Bible Study. For additional information on Adult Bible Study or Adult Bible Study Teacher, send email to info@mpn.net. To order either publication call Mennonite Publishing Network at 1 800 245-7894.