Victory Weekend

06/03/2026

The letters to Timothy were written to a young man, words of wisdom
offered by an older man reflecting back over his own life. Paul encourages the
younger Timothy, who has most of his race still ahead of him, to continue
in what he’s been taught and has come to believe. Stay focused in your faith
because you know those from whom you learned it.

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced
of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you
have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus.
—2 Timothy 3:14–15

06/02/2026

Since our real lives are no longer of this world, we are to get rid of the
old nature: the evils of greed, selfishness, impurity, anger, and disobedience.
We don’t have to look very far to see that if our minds are set on the things
of this world and operate as the world operates, we end up empty and in
despair. Instead, we are to put on our new nature, born of the Holy Spirit,
transforming us to be like Christ. Those who live according to the flesh set
their focus on what the flesh desires; those who follow the Spirit have their
focus on what the Spirit desires. Living according to the old nature is death.
Living according to the Spirit is life and peace.

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the
eternal life to which you were called.
—1 Timothy 6:11–12

06/01/2026

The Bible has a lot to say about focus, and one of the first things we see
is that we must train our focus on the correct realm. Colossians 3:3 tells us we
have died and our lives are now hidden with Christ in God. Our earthly life
has died with Christ. We’ve been raised to new life, a life in the eternal realm.
So, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2).

So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is
temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
—2 Corinthians 4:18 (CSB)

05/31/2026

Whatever the Lord commands you to do, that is your role in furthering
the kingdom and leading people to Christ. This is focus: becoming the dream
of what God wants you to do.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust
in you.
—Isaiah 26:3

05/30/2026

As leaders who want to represent Christ well, we want to be people
of humility, welcoming input from others, open to growth and change,
leaders who model the attitude, “Let’s come together and make this happen.”
Scripture says, “Thanks be to God, who through us diffused the fragrance of
his knowledge in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:14). This is the big picture,
friends, our ultimate goal in whatever we are doing. This is our greatest
purpose, to reflect the good news of Jesus Christ making us His people,
changing us to be like Him, giving us new lives. The Apostle Paul wrote to
the church at Thessalonica that “the word of the Lord is ringing out from you
to people everywhere . . . for wherever we go we find people telling us about
your faith in God” (1 Thessalonians 1:8).

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.
—Colossians 3:16 (NLT)

05/29/2026

I want my ways to be steadfast in obeying Him. I want to always walk in
His ways. How can I be certain I’m doing that and still exhibit the flexibility
necessary to reach out to the unsaved and to live in harmony with sisters and
brothers in Christ? We need to ask for wisdom in knowing when to hold tight
and when to release.

Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walk in his ways!
—Psalm 128:1 (ESV)

05/28/2026

have no better example than Simon Peter and God’s command to him in Acts
10. Peter was a Jew and had lived according to the Jewish laws and traditions
all of his life. He believed this was an essential way to live a godly life. As a
matter of fact, he said to the Lord, “I have never eaten anything impure or
unclean.” But with a vision of many kinds of meats that He commanded
Peter to eat, the Lord was teaching Peter that it was time to change some
of his ideas. Notice the vision appeared to Peter three times before God felt
Peter was ready to jump into His assignment to take the gospel to a Gentile
household. Sometimes, it takes us awhile, too, but the Spirit is persistent.

The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will
advise you and watch over you.”
—Psalm 32:8 (NLT)

05/27/2026

An unwillingness to be flexible and to change may slow God’s work in
us. We have the promise in Philippians 1:6 that the good work He’s begun in
us He will carry on to completion. He is always working on us, changing us
into His image. That is a promise we can hold onto. But we can be stubborn
and resistant to His work within.

And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being
transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this
comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
—2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)

05/26/2026

05/26/2026

If you haven’t already discovered this, following Jesus means you’ll be
going places you never imagined. I’m not saying that you’ll be called to be a
missionary in some remote country, but when we commit to following Jesus,
we’ve got to be open to change. When Jesus called Simon Peter and Andrew
one day as they were fishing, do you suppose they were expecting this or
planned for it? Probably not. Still, “at once they left their nets and followed
him.” They certainly could not have known or even imagined the plans God
had for them as fishers of men. That phrase probably puzzled them on the day
Jesus extended His invitation, but they were decided on one thing: they were
going to follow Jesus. And it changed their lives.

And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
—Mark 1:17 (ESV)