Three Keys to Reaching Your God-Given Goals

Have you set goals for yourself to be a good husband or wife to be successful in your career.

Pastor Paul Shepherd explains the best way to reach those goals. In today's Destin for victory message three keys to reaching your God-given goals. But before he gets started he joined me from a studio in California Pastor were excited about the thank you gift we have for all those who give generously.

First, is not often that were able to share a video message on DVD, but were doing this because I know you feel that get your hopes up is a message that everyone needs to hear and see absolutely. I'm eager to share this Encouraging Word with our listeners. We all know that hope is a premium commodity these days you can find it easily at all. We look around and we see also notes of challenges both in the world at large and also in our personal lives. As a pastor I'm I'm seeing the effects of the vicissitudes of life on my members and and I hear from listeners even in the as they share their praise reports and prayer concerns and it's just a challenging world.

The bottom line is I thought this is a time for me to remind people that we've gotta get our hopes up and we've got to keep him up because paying the heart ache reality is just among us, and we are going to deal with these challenges but I believe God has given us every reason to get our hopes up and keep them up because he is Lord of all, not just the good stuff is Lord of everything that's going on.

And even when chaos surrounds us his plan and purpose will prevail. I constantly remind myself of what we say daily on this broadcast. He who began a good work in us is going to bring it to completion.

So in this message.

People are going to hear me share and I'm going to use case studies from the Scripture how people who face real life challenges such as were all going through, but how they sold the Lord's hand in the midst of it how God brought them out of it, and gave them hope and help even in difficult times, and I hope that people are going to be blessed as they receive this video message well today is the last day of the special offer. The title of the DVD is called get your hopes up, and it's our gift to you this month by request.

Just as our way of saying thanks for your generous gift to Destin for victory call 855-339-5500 or visit Pastor Paul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to Destin for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 and I'll repeat the address it's Destin for victory. Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 of all goals we can set as individuals. The most important goal is what Paul states here, which is to know Christ in a very intimate way that the most important goal you Ever have because of what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 16 verse 26 he said to a man gain the whole world and lose his soul in his book mere Christianity CS Lewis wrote what might be his most famous line aim at heaven and you'll get your name and birth, and you neither on today's Destin for victory. Pastor Paul Shepherd tells you why your best chance of reaching your goals on earth is by drawing closer to the God of heaven. Commit yourself completely to him and you get the rest thrown in.

Stay with us here or listen to the podcast on demand. Pastor Paul.net must join Pastor Paul for today's message three keys to reaching your God-given. Please understand that you can reach is reaching a certain natural plateau. Those could be good goals and that can be a goal that will glorify God bless other people as well as yourself, for you to be a wealthy if that's the Lord will bless. To do that, that's great, but that's not the greatest goal.

You know why because you can't take money which you when you leave. You are going to leave.

No one can say well you got so much money I needed to stay here until I can figure out how to spend it all know you all and check out one of these days. The mortality rate for human beings is 100% what does that mean that mean you're going to that's within me all about.

So check it out only what you get to stay here Jesus comes in your lifetime, there's no guarantee we'll get around and wait for the second coming of the Lord. And so you can't say that a financial goal is the most important because one day you leave here and you leaving your money here to you have never seen a U-Haul follow hers you can't take in which it so that can be the most important goal.

Your career can be the most important goal because one day you leave that career through death or through retirement or whatever it is you're not going to be that in fact our identity should be wrapped up in our jobs, our job should serve the higher purpose of doing God's will, but your job can't be you are because you need to have a life outside of work. You are a person who home leave work and go home alone happy place. Wow. Okay, I finally know what I need to do on the job. I'm not going hold where I can live the life God called me to live outside of earning a living see some people only are making a living and making a life. I would encourage you make sure you make in my life, not just the living, and so it can't be about money could be about job can't be about anything else. Goal the highest goal is the goal of knowing Christ.

Why, because knowing him transcends time when I know Christ.

I know him in this life you will help me through this life you will bless me in this life. Make me a blessing in this life, but when I checked out here. I don't have to worry about a thing, because Jesus is my entry into everlasting life Bible says God so loved the world gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. In fact, technically, when I go to die will go to guy in terms of this earthly existence, but to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord you know Jesus you call guys here on earth you open your eyes in the eternal presence of God's presence.

The Bible says is joy and whose right hand are pleasures forevermore and so so we have every reason to set good goals, but always remember the gold goal.

The most important goal is to know Jesus for your self. And so that is what Paul states here in Philippians chapter 3 but I want to use this passage to talk about how we should think as we set not only that ultimate goal of having an intimate relationship with Christ but set every goal in your life. Every goal that pleases and glorifies God, and there are many of them getting your financial house in order, is one of them getting your career on track to do the will of God is one of them taken good care of your family. Building strong relationships with brothers and sisters.

There are so many good goals for us to set and here I find some patterns by which we can set and reach all kinds of goals, so let me walk you through these principles. There are three of them. Here's number one reaching your God-given goals requires the right assessment of the present the right assessment of the present reaching your God-given goals requires the right assessment of the present look again at the text with me notice the second sentence of verse 12 Paul said not that I have already attained, or am already perfected and then in verse 13 he says brother and I do not count myself to have apprehended. In other words, I want you to notice that he is showing us he has the proper assessment of his life as he writes these words he said I haven't reached the ultimate goal yet not only in terms of knowing Christ on getting to know him, but I had reached the ultimate goal. He says I have not already been. I do not count myself to have apprehended. I want to pause long enough to make sure you understand that the best way to reach good goals is the first know where you are as you pursue. In other words, think of it this way, the best way to arrive at a destination is the first determine where you're coming to it from you all remember the days before GPS don't fall down. But, come all, but all the people with me all remember the days when you will get somewhere you never had been. You had to call somebody who knew you had to consult a map and actual map come on young folk that used to be these things you would pull it out, unfolded, or some is somehow more in these big books and different pages had different sections of in the area.

I remember when I moved to California in 1989 I map my way all the way here I have.

I think it was Rand McNally is one of the company and how I got here and that was the way you identify where you were and where you were trying to go in the best routing for doing that now before GPS. If you didn't have a map and you had to rely on somebody's word and you called him some time to get to your house and I need to know how to get there. What's the first thing they would ask you where are you why because they can't give you generic directions. There's no such thing as generic directions you can try to get your house you can start talking until you know where that come in their coming from the east, where you are. That's one set a direction that they're coming from the West. That's another set of directions coming from the north or the south.

Every direction will determine what the room what the journey is going to look like everybody would be so far as it is in the natural so what is in your life. Overall, if you want to reach some goal for sass president. Where am I right now.

Make sure you have clear what I want to call self awareness will be right back with more of today's destined for Victor message from Pastor Paul Sheppard, senior pastor, destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California listen to the broadcast on demand@pastorpaul.net that's Pastor Paul.net to find a host of great resources that are online store. Everyone has blind spots.

The key to your spiritual vision is allowing God to shed light on that which is his Pastor Paul was arrested today's message three keys to reaching God-given goals. So when it comes to any area of your life before you can set a good goal and begin the journey toward meeting that goal. You need to have an awareness of the current truth so that you know what the journey is going to need to look at. Herein lies the problem.

A lot of people not in this service, but in the service are people who are not self-aware at all who don't have a clue as to the truth about themselves don't know what the truth is about their own trying to tell the truth about themselves to help them get to like you don't know about really don't know what you think they need to be aware of something that doesn't exist in their mind just doesn't exist. Some of you are struggling with self awareness. You are no other people into your inner circle and permission to tell you the truth so you love me right yes do me a favor when you see me clueless when you see me just out of it.

Bring me back to reality people in your life. Do not operate on the basis of alternative facts. We heard that term. I did notice that the term existed until I heard it on TV one day alternative facts on those. Those are points of deception political statement or breach of the true facts are facts. Everything factual is okay right man for we have to make sure we are not operating on the basis of something that takes us away from true. Make sure you walk him in self-awareness.

So when you have your life that need help be where I need help in this area. Some don't realize that doesn't make you a horrible person just means what Paul said you haven't arrived yet you're not perfected yet. You haven't yet, you still have areas of jacked up to mass. That's an alternative word but I love it is in the Paul Sheppard dictionary because hopefully you understand what it means jacked up to mass means there's stuff about me that is not yet as it ought to be have some shoes I have some challenges. That isn't quite where it all to be at least be aware of them because how can you change them, not even aware of them.

Why would you say change when you think you're wonderful already. People who think they are perfect just the way they are change when you look up in the dictionary is granted they are in. I am I don't need help.

I don't need change. I'm fine, just like I am, and they give people problems who try to tell them otherwise you got to be okay with being less than what you're gonna be. I told you before about the lady in New York, testifying in the cost of church in New York that would open up devotional services in those churches you would open the servicing and duty to stand up and start singing a course and then you testify or sometime you just demonstrate testify is one of the church in New York Saints.

I want to let you know that I'm not going to be, but thank God I hate what I used to was now that's some good testify. She is going to be but see this to be able to thank God for the journey so far. In other words, I have made some improvement, you will look back and see not want to my level as it used to be. Some of the beasts all jacked hardly know where to start talking about what was wrong which God's grace and is been coming down you have some jacked up not going down, and we thank God that he blessed us with an awareness so you can see that I'm not where I once was. If you testify like that. Do yourself a favor and build relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ. Some of you will trust with you. Please make sure there are people you have been entrusted with the worst of you. Somebody besides Jesus don't get super spiritual me while the Lord knows don't do that because he knows that's not the issue.

He baptize you by one Spirit into the body of Christ that he brought you in the body so that the body could be connected. And so you need to be connected with people when they ask you, how are you. You do not tell them blessed and highly favored. You don't need to have that is your standard answer for everybody and it's true.

I am in Christ. I'm blessed with every spiritual blessing.

According to the book of Ephesians sure. But when a person who was in your inner circle who is been allowed into the sensitive areas of your life. When they ask you, how are you don't insult them with blessed and highly favored. You need to tell some people this is one of the third worst days of my life. Good. Now we get somewhere. Let's talk about. Let's go through this and you need to have people who you have how to your self to them in the presence of Almighty God. When they asked me a question I know why God brought them into my life. When they asked me a question I will never lie to them. You Christians up to commit because you'd be surprised how quickly your letter last because you want to start the truth, or at least start telling this person the truth and so you have to learn to tell the truth even when I'm not going let you know my business. So sometimes instead of telling a lie. The Bible says don't lie, that's not a practice becoming of those of us who are believers. Amen. So how do I avoid that.

But I don't want to tell this person the truth because they have a mouth that never stops so little I do I know what gossip is standing right here asking me how I'm doing what I do pastor, glad you asked what you do is say what I have some challenges but I'm dealing with them.

I have some folks will pray with me and I'm dealing with. See how I did have some challenges dealing with them. No UK, no Jason, no, you cannot know no some church folk try to put it under the cloak of prayer I will know how to pray for you see some people when they want no really won't know how to pray people when they say they want to know how to play they want some business so that they can go spread it around Obama like you know I'm up you baby raised on the pews and I've seen church gossips that were sometime prior request but gossip sessions been in the low meeting where they go by having request before we pray yeah I want to remember a brother sausage and get through telling you what you spoke to be called praying about. They have spread all this stuff to people who didn't need to know what in many cases because they're not going pray on will do is talk and so we have to know who we are making the truth available to the nonanswer answer and say right to trust you with what they need to be people you have trusted with thank you so much for joining us for today's message three keys to reaching your God-given goal. If you'd like more information about Destin for victory or the DVD were offering is our thank you for your generous gift today.

Be sure to stop by our website pastor Paul.net that's Pastor Paul.net we have some moments that were the thrill of victory, but don't sell it yourself. You also have on the other side of the ledger.

Those moments where you experience the agony of the you did not when you lost big time instead of successes you got some failures that's next time it pastor Paul Shepard's message three keys to reaching your God-given goals. Until then they'll remember he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory