13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

So Paul makes something clear here. He hasn't arrived.

He says, "I do not consider that I have made it my own." This is the apostle Paul. That man who wrote most of the New Testament. The one who planted churches across the known world. The one who saw visions and received revelations and suffered more for the gospel than most of us could imagine. And he's saying... I'm still pursuing. I'm still pressing. I'm not done yet.

Here's what I see in that. If Paul isn't finished, neither are we. And that's actually good news.
You say, Pastor Scott, how is that good news?

Because here's what happens after a season of spiritual intensity. We either get stuck in our success or stuck in our failure, both are traps. Both will stop your forward motion and both will keep you from the prize that's still ahead.

Let me speak to those who succeeded in this season.

You were disciplined. You were faithful. You showed up when it was hard and you pushed through when you wanted to quit and I'm proud of you. I really am.

But here's what Paul would say... don't build your confidence on that. Forget what is behind. Your success in this season is great but it is foundational not finale. If you pause here and admire what you accomplished you'll miss what's still ahead.

Now, let me speak to those who stumbled.

You started strong and faded, you made commitments you couldn't keep, you had every intention of finishing well but life happened and weakness happened and somewhere along the way you fell short.

And the enemy has been whispering. Hasn't he?
He's been telling you that you're disqualified.
That whatever God is doing next isn't for you.
That your failure proves you don't have what it takes.

But here's what Paul would say... forget what is behind. Your failures are good to learn from but they are not your future. Don't let a stumble become a stop.

So here's the emphasis for all of us...keep moving, don't stop.

Paul says there's one thing he does, just one. He forgets what's behind and strains forward to what's ahead. That's a...singular focus, an intentional direction, and THAT's a pursuit!

And can I tell you what's incredible about this? Paul uses the word "straining." That word in the Greek carries the image of a runner leaning forward with everything in them. Arms reaching. Legs driving. Eyes locked on the finish line.

That's not casual or passive. No, that's pursuit.

And then look at verse 16 - this is so important - Paul says, "In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained."

In other words... HOLD THE GROUND!

Don't slide back. Whatever progress you made, guard it. Whatever revelation you received, walk in it. Whatever discipline you developed, maintain it.

Hear me, the goal is not behind you, it's ahead. The prize is not in your past performance, it's in your present pursuit. The call is not downward into comfort, it's upward into Christ.

So forget what's behind. Whether it was success or failure it doesn't define you. Press forward, strain toward what's ahead, hold the ground you've taken and keep your eyes on the prize.

Because right now... today... you have a choice. You can look back or you can look forward. You can dwell on what was or you can pursue what will be.

Choose forward.

Tomorrow we'll look at the heart behind all of this... the people who need what we've found. Because pursuit isn't just personal, it's for others too.

Identify one spiritual discipline you developed during a recent season of growth. Commit to continuing that discipline for the next seven days, even in a smaller form.