I. Introduction
A. A. Focusing
B. B. Refocus Theme
1. Over the last few years, our congregation has changed.
2. God has blessed us with new families, ministries, and leaders.
3. When growth like this happens, it is important to revisit the fundamentals. That’s what we’ll do this year.
4. Our theme this year will have a different focus each quarter.
a. Quarter 1: The Foundations of our Faith—What We Believe
b. Quarter 2: The Wonder of Worship—How We Honor God
c. Quarter 3: Work of Service—Living our Faith
d. Quarter 4: Race of Endurance—Growing Together
5. The place to start is with making sure that we are keeping our eyes fixed where they should be—on Jesus.
II. Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus
A. A. Faithful
1. The cloud of witnesses shows us that it is to faithfully follow God.
2. Illustration: The image of a stadium with all the saints of Hebrews 11 cheering us on is what we typically think of, but it’s probably more to be thought of as a self-guided tour of a museum where we are reminded of the challenges each person faced and their faith, which sustained and delivered them.
3. Paul reminds us that we should learn from those who came before us (1 Corinthians 10:11).
4. We want the faith of Abraham in Gen 22, but that was achieved not only through moments of steadfastness but also of failure.
a. We can grow in faith even through our failures.
b. These great men and women of faith show us that following Him is best.
c. These heroes of faith show us that following Him leads to salvation.
5. Throughout Scripture, faithful men and women show us how to fix our eyes on Jesus.
B. B. Faithful
1. Following Jesus allows us to deal with the burden of sin.
2. It is possible to be faithful; it is possible to lay aside the weight of sin so that we live an life.
a. The faithful Christian life is not a sprint; it’s a marathon.
b. There will be the temptation to deviate, but that leads to disqualification.
c. Illustration: In a marathon race, there is usually a part in the course where the half-marathon finishers break off and head back to the finish line. It is so tempting to just follow them instead of running the next 13 miles. The endurance to run the next 13 is just as much mental as it is physical.
3. Throughout Scripture, we are reminded that, even though the faithful who have come before us deviated at times, they always found their way back through faith in God.
C. C. Faithful
1. All of this is possible because of our , Jesus.
2. He is the light, and we want to follow the light.
a. In that light, we have fellowship with Him (1 John 1:5-10).
b. In that light, we learn how love and truth come together.
3. We will look at matters of truth, but we will also examine how our Savior implemented truth with love.
III. Conclusion
A. A. Chains are Gone
1. This year, our goal is to help us refocus on what matters most.
2. Our goal will be to refocus on the foundation of our faith, worship that is offered to God in Spirit and in truth, serving with our talents, and helping one another through life.
B. B. Invitation
Discussion Questions
1. Refocusing Our Vision
The lesson emphasizes that God sometimes corrects our vision and sometimes calls us to refocus it. What are some ways our spiritual vision can become blurry, even when we are active in church life? What practical steps help us intentionally “fix our eyes on Jesus” again?
2. Learning from the Faithful Who Came Before Us
The “cloud of witnesses” is described not as perfect heroes but as faithful people who sometimes failed yet returned to God. How does this understanding encourage you when you struggle or fail in your faith? Which biblical example most helps you see that growth can come even through failure?
3. Running the Race with Endurance
The Christian life is described as a marathon rather than a sprint, with the temptation to deviate from the course. What are some modern-day “shortcuts” or distractions that tempt Christians to veer off course? How does keeping Jesus as our founder and focus help us endure faithfully to the end?