“Minds are like parachutes—they work best when they are open.” —Rick Warren

Run Your Race With an Open Heart

Our walk with Christ isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. How you finish matters most. Vision is the ability to spot God-given opportunities right where you are and to act on them—trusting that where God guides, He provides. Jesus reminded us that it’s not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick; He came for sinners, not the self-righteous. People won’t care how much we know until they know how much we care, so the first ministry skill is listening. Real fruit multiplies—one believer helping another find Jesus. Christ never asks us to produce beyond what He provides; He does ask us to give all we have, through His power. Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21)

Recover Your First Loves

As kids, we were wired for wonder. Those early passions weren’t accidents. Think back—what made you come alive? Adventure? Building things? Serving? Chances are, the threads are still there. God didn’t overlook your childhood when He crafted your calling. Aim those God-given interests toward His Kingdom and watch joy and purpose converge.

Clarity of Purpose

Are we more worried about what ministry will cost or about how many souls might be saved? A clear purpose not only defines what we do—it defines what we don’t. Where there is no vision, the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18) Jesus gave us two North Stars: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. When we love God with heart, soul, and mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves, people see Jesus in us. Then we’ve earned the relational right to “go and make disciples,” baptizing and teaching everything He commanded. The Holy Spirit empowers and directs; when He’s our compass, we walk in peace and joy. That doesn’t erase conflict—unity without conflict is just artificial harmony—but love sustains us through it. As Mother Teresa said, “I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”

Resilient in the Rough

Hard seasons test and tell our story. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8–9) God can redeem even the moments that betrayed our trust. The more we soak in grace, the more we pour out grace. Where grace is missed, bitterness is born; where grace is embraced, love, acceptance, and forgiveness flourish. God’s power is made perfect in weakness, and His grace is enough—whether or not our prayers are answered the way we hoped. Some of God’s greatest gifts really are unanswered prayers.

We all carry thorns and muddy shoes. Getting dirty is part of following Jesus; being made clean and whole is, too. You don’t need a degree to shoulder someone’s burden or speak life. Even Paul wrestled: I want to do what is good, but I do not… the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. (Romans 7:18–19) When we choose good, sin tries to trip us; if temptation fails, guilt takes its shot. But the cross says we’re not abandoned. Nothing can separate us from Christ’s love. If our sin were too great for His grace, He’d never have saved us. Sometimes the attack you’re under isn’t proof you’re weak—it’s evidence of what God is growing you into.

Set Free to Serve

We crave what we’re denied, and shortcuts look like solutions. But God’s commands protect more than they restrict. Thank God salvation isn’t about what we do, but what Christ already did. Our worth doesn’t come from our work; it comes from whose we are. You were created on purpose for a purpose. Different by design, we belong to one Body, each carrying a grace that reveals who God is. Purpose clarifies life. Gifts point to calling. Everything is from Him, through Him, and for His glory.

We hunt for easy paths, then doubt the simplicity of God’s. Yet walking His way is the only “shortcut” that actually leads to blessing. We’re not guessing in the dark—we have a Helper living inside. If we’re going to fulfill our destiny, we must stay sensitive to His voice.

Led by the Spirit

The Spirit prompts; the Lord speaks. Ignore those holy nudges and we risk missing the assignment. Listen, and He’ll steer you around danger—even reveal what you couldn’t have known. He grants discernment to separate true from false. People are not always who they appear to be, but God will give you eyes to see. He leads, but He won’t drag. When you feel a check in your spirit, don’t plow past it. Unrest isn’t God trying to withhold; it’s God preparing to upgrade. If we let Him lead, He will bring us into a wide-open place of blessing. It’s in Christ that we discover who we are and what we’re living for. God is at work in us, helping us want and do what pleases Him. And best of all—before we knew we needed a Savior, we had one.

Finish Well

Open mind. Soft heart. Clear vision. Listening love. Resilient hope. Servant hands. Spirit-led steps. Run your race like that, and you won’t just finish—you’ll finish well.