How to Finish Stronger Than You Started

When you welcome the Holy Spirit and invite Him in, He will show up. You can’t see the Holy Spirit, but He is always nearer than you think. I don’t know where you are today in your faith, but you can go further. So many people start out living for God, but as time goes by, they waver or fall out of the church. People experience hurt or betrayal or the attraction of the world is so strong that they do not finish the race they started. How we finish matters. There will always be obstacles and temptations but we are overcomers. You are an overcomer. Determine today to finish even stronger than you started.

Key Scripture
Matthew 21:28-32; Galatian 5:7; Luke 15

Key Points

1. Paul warned us about “a great falling away” in the last days. Don’t be one of those who fall away when times get tough. Dig in and determine that you and your house will serve the Lord.

2. God said He will do more in the end times than He has in the latter days. We are in those times, and you need to stay close to Jesus now more than ever.

3. Jesus keeps the best for last. Your best days are ahead of you if you will not fall away, give up, or shrink back.

4. Take inventory of your soul. How are you with the Lord today? Check your prayer life, your time in the Word, and your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

5. There is a great need for workers in the faith today. Are you a helper or just a spectator? You are needed and God has a great plan and purpose for your life. Take your place on the wall and serve Him with the days you have left.

Three Ways You Can Walk Away from God from Luke 15

1. Lost sheep wander away. A little wandering leads to great separation over time. Sheep don’t like being lost and will always seek a way back. If you feel nothing when you are away from the Lord, then your very salvation may be in question. Sheep feel conviction when they are straying, but goats feel nothing. Which are you?

2. The lost son walked away. No one can help you when you walk away on your own. You have to return on your own. But you are welcome home today. Repent and come home.

3. The lost coin. This is when you are near to God’s house and His people, but you are lukewarm and never fully get into God’s house. You are out on your own and cannot be found. You are unclean and therefore can’t be used.

Final Thoughts

We are not the church of “used to be.” We are the church where God is moving today. In the story in Matthew, the first son did not start out well. He refused to do as his father asked. But he quickly felt conviction and decided to do the right thing. Maybe you said no to God at one point, but as long as there is breath in you, there is still time to say yes! The hero of this story is the one who started out all wrong but changed his mind and decided to do the right thing. He ended better than he started, and so can you.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve stumbled, what matters is where you end up. Maybe you used to be a part of a church and even used to volunteer every week, but over time, and for whatever reason, you have drifted away. Today is YOUR day to come home. If something in you yearns to come home, then do it today. End stronger than when you started, because what matters most is how you finish. Finish by walking with God and His people.

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