This is the Sunday before we start our Mission’s Convention...

  ...so again we continue the series, “Let’s Lose Some Weight.” Hebrews 12:1-3 (NKJV) ^“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” One day while I was biking something happened on the trail that was extremely aggravating, extremely humiliating, and most importantly, extremely motivating. A biker passes me and he is clipping pretty fast as he whizzes by. I had never seen him before or since, but here are his words to me as I am sucking wind. “Are you ever going to pick up the pace?” Let’s look at those words today.

1. Pick up the pace in the area of seeking after God. Wasn’t that what we were trying to encourage all of us to do during the first 21 days of prayer and fasting? Did you take advantage of that time? Did you fast? Did you pray? Did you come out to the week of prayer and earnestly seek God corporately with the rest of us? I can seek Him at home. Okay, did you seek Him at home during that time? Probably not. Paul exhorts us to always pray.1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 (NIV) ^“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire;” The Apostle Paul is saying to all of us, “Are you ever going to pick up the pace?”

2. Pick up the pace in the area of missions. Wow, Pastor Rick, what do you mean? Our church is in the top ten in the state in mission’s giving and in the top fifty in the nation out of over 13,000 churches, that pretty good. Are we giving Him our best? The Book of Malachi gives a strong rebuke to God’s people for one reason, they were giving to God but they were not giving their best. Malachi 1:10 (NCV) “I wish one of you would close the Temple doors so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you and will not accept your gifts,” says the LORD All-Powerful.” “Are you ever going to pick up the pace?”

3. Pick up the pace and get the lead out! Years ago when we went to Kentucky to the horse farms they gave us this information about horse racing in light of “Get the lead out”. I never knew they added lead weights to horses saddles to try to make the race even. In the back stretch of the race, some riders were known to dump their lead weights to reduce the load on their horse and hopefully increase its speed at the end of the race. It looks like we are in the final stretch. We must seek God, increase our missions, and get the lead out. “Are you ever going to pick up the pace?” Come on, Life Church, get the lead out!