Pastor Neli spoke about the apostle Paul
Whose letters are read by Christians all
As a leader, Paul was the "marathon man"
From his experience, learn we all can
Per Philippians 3, verses thirteen and fourteen
"Forget what is behind" and focus on the prize unseen
And from 1 Corinthians 9 verse twenty four
We read about the prize some more
About self-control we read through verse twenty seven
So that we can get the everlasting prize in heaven
Paul used the metaphor of a long running race
His endurance allowed him to sustain his pace
He also drew a parallel to a boxing match
The prize is what the winner does snatch
Pastor then ran through five symptoms of decline
That keep us from pleasing our God divine
He used the first five letters of the alphabet
In order that we might remember, not forget
The first is Arrogance, per Proverbs 16:18
Which so often leads to a fall, we do glean
The second is being Blind to what God does see
A good reminder comes from Romans 12 verse 3
And if we want to understand this concept more
Read the 18th verse of 2 Corinthians chapter four
The third word of concern is Comparison
Even the disciples argued about who was number one
But wanting recognition for how we live
Is in God's eyes the wrong motive
The fourth is to Deny warning signs
Even if we have to read between the lines
Exhaustion is the fifth and last symptom
Embracing burdens not ours is rather dumb
For that leads to being both physically tired and weary
Of the latter (being away from God) we should be leery
Pastor then said since God has chosen for us a lane
He will give us the tools to succeed and stay sane
Pastor then gave us clues as to how to endure
Using the next five letters, just to be sure
The first is that we must Face the facts
Look at the real data without being lax
The second is that we must Go the distance
Enduring the process with persistence
The third was Humility and its true worth
For the meek shall inherit the earth
The fourth is to Inspire yourself in God
Remembering God's promises as we plod
For as per Romans chapter ten verse seventeen
God's word inspires us, much more than caffeine
The fifth (and most important) is that Jesus is our prize
Even if we have yet to see him with our own eyes
In conclusion, Pastor said that it is never too late
To say "I won't give up" and to start with a clean slate
For us, God has done so much and never gives up
So we should run the race and drink from his cup
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