Finish Strong #4 (2025.10.12)
In this episode, Scott discusses what it means to finish strong in life by exploring the biblical basis for living with purpose, confidence, and enduring faith. He addresses common questions of significance, such as "Do I matter?" and "Does my work make a difference?" Using references from Jeremiah, Paul, and King David, Scott emphasizes that everyone is intentionally created by God with a distinct purpose and a specific calling that ties into serving others.
Scott breaks down three main ways to approach purposeful living: living with conviction, relying on God's promises, and having the courage to press on despite setbacks or accusations from the past. He encourages listeners to write and regularly update a personal purpose statement, to cling to scriptural promises during times of uncertainty, and to let go of guilt and self-sabotage by trusting in God's forgiveness and continual work.
Download the Insight Sheets Here:
Blank Insight Sheet:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12rvxWE51S7ZMrea6HU_nVLsQL3qSGvbi/view?usp=sharing
Insight Sheet With Answers: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BvHJDxTNfEYW7UqPibyBZhIAFzc_6xfk/view?usp=sharing
Key Topics Discussed:
- The importance of knowing your purpose and who it serves
- Drawing clarity from biblical examples like Jeremiah, Paul, and David
- The value of writing and updating a personal purpose statement
- Relying on God’s promises and identifying key scriptures for your life
- Overcoming guilt, self-doubt, and the enemy’s accusations
- The need for reflection, intention, and practical daily steps
- Viewing all of life’s work as sacred, not secular
- Praying for and receiving steadfastness from God
- Encouragement to press on, no matter the past or present challenges
Transcript
Hi.
Scott Keffer [:If you're looking for greater hope, assurance and confidence through the shifting sands of life, then join me on today's episode as we dig deep into the Bible to discover rock solid truth for life and living from the God of the Bible. I'm your host, Scott Keffer. Hi and welcome to today's episode. As always, for a deeper experience, you can go to the show notes and download the blank insight sheet. Fill in the blanks along with the group. Depending on how you're listening to this, there will be a link to the episode website@beholdingbibletruth.com and a sheet with the answers is included as well. Enjoy today's episode.
Scott Keffer [:Well, I don't know about you, but regularly I will ask myself, do I really matter? Does it really matter? Does, does it matter that I'm here? Do I make a difference? I don't know about you, but if you ask yourself from time to time, what am I doing? Where am I going, what's going on? And have to remind myself to get clarity about it. In order for I don't know what you use Google Maps or Waze or whatever, you need to be really clear about the destination, otherwise it can't help you. But I find even more important that's the key to it. But more importantly is not just where we're going, but why are we going there and who does it matter to? Why are we going there and who does it matter to? And so in the journey to finish strong, to finish well, to endure to the end, you got to get really clear about what am I doing, why am I doing it and who does it matter to? That makes sense. What am I doing, why am I doing it and who does it matter to? And so we're talking about how to live, right? Trusting God to empower you with daily devotion, purposeful living and persevering faith. So you have to live purposeful. Purposeful. I live purposeful with conviction.
Scott Keffer [:Purpose gives me conviction, doesn't it? Purposeful with conviction. So thought about that? It's a law of physics, right? Equal and opposite. For every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. For every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. So to living with purpose is about impact. Impact, right? One object impacts another, hits another, moves it in another direction, right? On a pool table, one ball hits the other, right? The cue ball hits the other and sends it in a new and different direction. And so your purpose is to impact the world. Your purpose is to impact the world.
Scott Keffer [:The striking of one body against another to have effect on another. So I thought about that, right? Because Henry David Thoreau said, most men live a life of quiet desperation because what's the point if there is no God and we're just a series of random. Right. Randomness. Right. Then I have no real purpose. Might as well live in, you know, eat, drink and. And be married.
Scott Keffer [:If there's no purpose. On the other hand, if there is, your purpose is definable. Your purpose is definable. Should be able to define it. So Jeremiah heard from the Lord. It said the word of the Lord, the word of Yahweh said, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. So underline it. I knew you.
Scott Keffer [:And before you were born, I consecrated you. What's it mean to consecrate? Yes. Set apart. Set apart. Set apart with purpose. Because he says, not only did I consecrate you, I have appointed you. What was he appointed? A prophet to the nations. That was his appointment.
Scott Keffer [:So if you go back there and look at this, here are the verbs of the Lord. Yahweh says, I formed you. I knew you. I consecrated you, I appointed you. So walk through that and say, huh? So he says, I. Right? The Lord says, I. Here's a verb. I formed you, then I knew you.
Scott Keffer [:What's next? I consecrated and I appointed, appointed. And there was something he was to do, right? So there was a what and then a who, right? What was he? He was a prophet to the nations, Right? He was a prophet to the nations. Let's see, what about Paul? To me, the very least of all saints, disgrace was given to preach to the Gentiles. The unfathomable riches of Christ. They were able to define it and to say it. I was to preach. Now you would say, well, that's just Jeremiah. Oh, no, that's just Paul.
Scott Keffer [:So here's the question. Did he form you? Did he know you? Did he consecrate you? Did he appoint you for some purpose, for some group? So let that sink in for a minute, that the God of all, the one who spoke into being, by the word of the Lord, the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth, all their hosts. By the breath of his mouth, all their hosts. And Charlie the camera died. The God who formed all that exists formed you. And he knew you and he consecrated you. By the way, when was that? Before the creation of the earth. And he appointed you do for someone.
Scott Keffer [:So he says. Paul says, well, what does that mean? What? What does that mean? For my life to live is Christ, Since D is Gain. Really? Really? Yes. He says, but if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean underline fruitful labor. And I don't know what to choose. I don't know what to choose. So he's saying, huh, I'm hard pressed on both sides. Having the desire to depart, be with Christ, for that's very much better.
Scott Keffer [:Better, huh? To remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. So your purpose has fruitful labor. Your purpose has fruitful labor to it. Your purpose has fruitful labor. So what does this mean? It means if you're still alive, there's still more to be done. If you're still alive, there's still more to be done. If you have breath in your lungs, God still has work for you. You're not just hanging out.
Scott Keffer [:Right. Thank you. So take that in. If you're still alive, there's still work to be done. Sometimes it feels like I just got to get through the day, doesn't it? I just want to push through the week. I just want to get right. We just like push ourselves, right? Just to get through. Just to get through so I can sleep and then wake up again.
Scott Keffer [:But it's a reminder. No matter how young, no matter how old, you're not just here because there's still life in you. You're here because there's purpose. Your purpose has fruitful labor to it. To remain on in the flesh is necessary for someone. He says to remain on the flesh is necessary. You're remaining on in the flesh is necessary for someone. So it's good to know who that's for.
Scott Keffer [:Is that good? To remain on the flesh is more necessary than to go home with the Lord, otherwise he'd call you home. So what does that suggest? We should have a purpose statement, a written purpose statement. And this is scary as it feels like when write out a purpose statement, there's two pieces to it. I'm insignificant, so why would I write out a purpose statement? Write out a purpose statement or I'm afraid to write the wrong thing or wonder if. Or wonder if. Or wonder if. So I put on there the blank is version 1.0, which you get from the software world. They just launch it and it has a whole bunch of bugs.
Scott Keffer [:So they have version 2.0, then version 3.0. So how many can write a bad purpose statement? You've never written one. It doesn't have to be good and it doesn't have to be final. So just write one. It doesn't even have to be right. The Lord Will guide. You have a version 1.0. So I wrote one a long time ago to honor God by knowing Jesus Christ personally, passionately, powerfully, in every area of my life, right? And to challenge and equip.
Scott Keffer [:And originally it was to challenge and equip others. And it became clear it's to challenge and equip adults believers. Adult believers. So when the pastor says, we need help in the children ministry, I don't have to pray. I, I don't have to pray. I don't feel guilty. I don't feel bad. Right? When it's, hey, we're going to go out on an evangelism team, right? I did that before, but that's not my calling.
Scott Keffer [:My calling is adult believers to do this. Challenge and equip adult believers. Mean there are other things going on, but that mission is kind of like James Bond. Wherever you go, whatever you're doing, that kind of runs its way through it. So on a regular basis, we run, we run a business. Takes a bit of our time. I'm not full time in ministry, but we're all full time in ministry because there is no right, certain higher level ministry, ministry just weaves itself through all that we do. So we bring our, we bring our purpose into everything that we do.
Scott Keffer [:All that we do. That make sense. There is no secular and sacred. Here's why, here's why I can say no. I know what my big yes is. That's your purpose. It's a big yes. Did Jesus minister to everybody? Did he heal everybody? He didn't.
Scott Keffer [:He said no to things. He said no to things because he had a big yes. Your purpose statement is your big yes. It gives us the ability to make decisions fast. Right? Make decisions. Long time ago, when I met with Ron and he asked to be an elder, I said, I can't. I have a family and a, and a, and a business and a ministry. I, I have no idea how I could spend that time doing that.
Scott Keffer [:Just very clear, very clear, right? Big yes. What's your big yes? And it can be a big yes. 1.0 allows you to have a 2.0, 3.0, 4.0. So think about it. And the first thing that comes up, But Lord. But Lord, remember me. I'm not able. I can't.
Scott Keffer [:Whatever that is. But Lord. So that's what Jeremiah says. He says, I'm a youth. I'm too young. What Moses say, too old. And I can't. Don't speak.
Scott Keffer [:Lord says to him, do not say I'm a youth. What is I'M the youth for him. It's the reason you can't use me, Lord, maybe you've forgotten, I'm too young. Oh, and I don't have the words, right. And so when God makes your purpose clear, there's a but, Lord. So what's your do not say, what's your. Do not say what's your butt to the Lord. But you don't know my past.
Scott Keffer [:You don't know my present. You don't know my weakness. You don't know my inability. Of course, does he know he wants to say, oh, yeah, I was unclear of that when I called you, when I formed you, knew you, consecrated you and appointed you. Very clear, right? God is very clear about what you're unable to do. And he's really clear about what he's able to do. Because he says, jeremiah, here's why he touched his mouth. He said, I will put my words in your.
Scott Keffer [:Your mouth. So whatever he is calling you to do and who it's for, he will empower you to do that. He will empower you. So you got to be really clear what's my But, Lord, you can't use me. Can't use me. So we live with purpose. Purposeful. So we have conviction.
Scott Keffer [:And there are two components, I think, to that kind of life. The very first thing is purposeful intention. Purposeful intention. Purposeful intention. Lord, teach me to number my days. Boy, if present realities don't remind us, we don't have tomorrow, we don't have this afternoon. You don't know, just don't know, right? We, our days are ordained when as yet, there was none. Which means we live right intentionally.
Scott Keffer [:So he's saying, you can't, man, by the way, you can't. You can't save time. You can't manage time. All you can do is invest your time. All you do, you invest your time. Invest your time. So we live with intention. So one thing to ask at the beginning of the day, beginning of the week, beginning of the month.
Scott Keffer [:One thing, one thing I'll make happen today. One thing I'll make happen today. Most of us, and I teach this in business, have 97 things that we're going to make happen. The old Russian proverb was, if you chase two rabbits, you'll catch neither. So let's have one thing. What's one thing that I will make happen today? One thing I'll make happen this week. The other is to ask me at the end, hey, what's the best thing I made happen today? So that's reflection Purposeful, intention and reflection. Scary to think I'm investing each day at the end of the day saying, hey, how'd it go? How'd it go? I worry if this, if this were.
Scott Keffer [:Because here's the tension. People say, well, if you knew Jesus was coming back this afternoon. Well, if I knew he's come back this afternoon, probably walk up and down the street and be an idiot, right? Say, you better. You better. You better come to Christ. You better come to Christ. Well, I'm not going to do that. You don't know if it's one day or it's the next 20 years.
Scott Keffer [:So we have to do both, don't we? We live with this sense of urgency and yet with the sense of we have to play the long game, too. Got to run the race. Got to run the race. So it requires both attention and reflection, tension and reflection. Live purposeful with conviction. Well, in order to do that. So now I know what I'm to do, right? Why I'm doing it and who it matters to. Then I'll also have to live promiseful.
Scott Keffer [:Promiseful with confidence. Promise full with confidence. Promiseful with confidence. Underline not one word. And then go to the end of the sentence. Underline has failed. Not one word. Joshua at the end of his life said, oh, now that I look backwards.
Scott Keffer [:Hey, not one word of all the good words which you have spoken to us concerning us has failed. So he's saying in God's story, which is at the end of his life, looking back, he's able to say, oh, not one word has failed. Do you think there were days when he would say, hey, Lord, what's up? What about your promise? What about this? What about right where you wonder, is it going to happen? Is God going to be faithful? Will he come true? Will he answer? But he says at the end of his days, not one word. Of all the good words which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. What does that mean? He has words concerning you. He has promises concerning you. Really? Promises for you, promises for me, promises for every believer, promises for us and promises for you. Does that make sense? Not one word.
Scott Keffer [:Of all the good words which the Lord your God spoke concerning you has failed. So you got to think about this. Do you have a life first? You have a verse for the year. You have a verse for your ministry. You have a verse for your family. Do you have a verse? Right. So do you have key life promises? You know, the kind that jump right out of scripture? I've never heard God speak audibly, but I've heard him speak in my soul. The Spirit testifies with our Spirit.
Scott Keffer [:That says that we are children of God. The Spirit will testify. Speak through God's word. Right. So, do you have key life promises? Hear us on the line. Faithful is he who calls you. He will also bring it to pass. Is that a good one? Yeah, dang, like that one.
Scott Keffer [:Far be it from me. For those who honor me, I will honor. Lord says, far be it for me. For those who honor me, I will honor. Right. So my purpose has to do with honoring God, because that was one of the key verses for me. Then he said, record the vision. Record the vision.
Scott Keffer [:Write it on tablets so that those who read it may run. Why? For the vision is yet for an appointed time. Though it tarries, wait for it, for it will certainly come. And that's when followed up with the righteous shall live by faith. What the apostle Paul quotes from Very dear. Write the vision out. Write it on tablets. Who's it for? It's for you and others.
Scott Keffer [:So you know this is the vision. Record it, then you'll read it. Ah, but it tarries. He says it's yet for an appointed time. It's yet for an appointed time. I need to write it out, be able to see it. Record the vision. I love this.
Scott Keffer [:Let the favor of the Lord be upon us. Why confirm for us the work of my hand? The work of my hand. You ever wonder, is your work met like? Right. The labor that you do, there is no secular and sacred. So all the work that you do in around your house, in your business, in your life, in your ministry, it's all the same. It's all sacred. God's Confirm the work of my hands. Love it.
Scott Keffer [:That's a verse for me, very important. Confirm the work. Confirm the work. And by the way, he said, oh, yes, by the way. I'll pray that twice. Yes. Confirm the work. Does my work matter? Does my labor matter? Right.
Scott Keffer [:Does my labor matter? The Lord will accomplish what what concerns me. Thy loving kindness, O Lord, is everlasting. Do not forsake the work of your hands. How many have been fearful the Lord is going to forsake me? He says, your loving kindness, O Lord, is everlasting. Do not forsake work of your hands. These are scriptures that to me are important. Not to him who is able to do what to keep you from stumbling. I stumble all the time.
Scott Keffer [:What he does is keep me from stumbling and falling off over the cliff irreparably. Right. Not to him who is able to keep you from stumbling. And to make you stand in the presence of his glory blameless. How many want to stand in the presence of his glory blameless? How's that going to happen? I know me. I see me, right? He is able. Stand in the presence of his glory blameless with great. You got to be kidding me.
Scott Keffer [:Will that be great joy? To the only God our Father, Through Jesus Christ our Lord be glory, majesty, dominion and authority. Those verses important to me? Yeah, man. Now to Him. Now to Him. What does it mean? It doesn't completely depend on me. In fact, it fully, completely depends on him. Because I'm not able. But he's able.
Scott Keffer [:That's a good promise, huh? I'm not able, but he is able. So you got to think about what are those promises that are just deep? And then I would suggest you write them down. Put them on the wall and write them upon your heart. These words of mine shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on them day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in. For then you will find your way prosperous. Then you will find success. Right? Memorize them so that they're real. And in moments when we're despairing, the Spirit of God brings back the word to you, doesn't he? You go, oh, that's the Lord speaking.
Scott Keffer [:It's the Lord speaking. Give him some words to speak. That's why we memorize, so the Spirit can grab him in moments where I can't look it up, like read my Bible. Does that make sense? So live promiseful. Promiseful. The is that amazing that the God of Gods and the Lord of Lords would make promises to us that he would make promises. And I love that. In Hebrews he says, I swore by myself.
Scott Keffer [:I swore by two unchangeable things. The Lord doesn't need to swear by Himself. So when we say, I'm going to do something, we say, swear to God, right? Swear in the Bible, right? Then the Lord says, don't do that. Just let your yes be. Yes. But in Hebrews, the Lord says, I swore by doing changeable things. In other words, I said, I will do it. And then I swore that I would do it.
Scott Keffer [:Who did he do that for? It says, for you. He doesn't need to do that. He says it every good word. Isn't that amazing? The Lord has promises to you. So what is that all for? You flip over that we could live? Press on full. That's a word, isn't it? Press on full. I just made it up. Hey, in the World where people are making up words all the time.
Scott Keffer [:I just made press on full. With courage. With courage. Press on. Fold. Press on full. Not easy, isn't not easy. There's a zillion reasons to not press on.
Scott Keffer [:Alien reasons. So one of the reasons is related to who I am and what I've done. One of the reasons it's hard to press on is not just out there. The biggest thing is in here, isn't it? Who I am, what I've done. So in order to live press on full, you have to be confessing and letting go of the past. So Proverbs says, a righteous man falls seven times. What does that mean, seven? All the time. Completely, totally, right? Completely, totally.
Scott Keffer [:We fall regularly, yet rises again. Underline, rises again. It's not the fall. That's it. It's the rising again. But it says, the wicked stumble in time of calamity. The wicked stumble, rising again. This is a great picture to me.
Scott Keffer [:Imagine being King David. You plot to carry out the murder you have. You commit adultery, you murder, right? You're one of your best soldiers, right? And the Lord is bringing about a righteous judgment to that right? And he's praying because the child is sick. He's praying because the child is sick. And this child dies. What would you do? Lament. Lament for days, wonder that if the Lord will ever use you again. How many would do that, Lord? You, Lord, can't use me.
Scott Keffer [:I committed adultery. I had somebody murdered. The Lord's done with me. So what did David do when they told him, the child is dead? They said, he's dead. So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself. He was fasting, changed his clothes, he came into the house of the Lord, and he worshiped as a consequence. When he worships, then he came to his own house. And when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate.
Scott Keffer [:Then the servant said to him, what are you doing? What are you doing? And David said, while the child is still alive, I fasted and wept. For I said, who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me that the child may live. But now he's died. Why should I fast? Think about that. Why should I fast? He said, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me. Says, I'll see him again. What? What David did, he got back at it. He got back at it.
Scott Keffer [:And in Psalm 51, he confessed his sin. God created right, forgave him, created him, clean heart, child died. This was after the child dies, he raises himself up, he gets washed and he goes back at. It was no. There was no ch. No changing that. No changing that. And how many are sitting in a pool of despair about something in your past and guilt? So the new covenant is what for? I will forgive their iniquities.
Scott Keffer [:Iniquities and their sins. I the Lord. Yah. God will remember no more. Underline that. He will remember them no more. What does that mean? There is something in our penal system, in our law that reflects this. It's called double jeopardy.
Scott Keffer [:You cannot double get. Where did that come from? Came from the Lord. You, you can't be convicted of the same right where you've been exonerated. You can't. They can't bring it up again and retry you, if you will. I will remember no more. As far as the east is from the west. So if he's remembering them no more, why are you.
Scott Keffer [:He says if he. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins. So Dr. Keller said, when people say, I know God forgives me, but I can't forgive myself, Lord, I can't forgive myself. He says they mean that they failed an idol whose approval is more important to them than God's. Idols function like gods in our lives. And so if we make career or parental approval our God and we fail it, then the idol curses us in our hearts for the rest of our lives. We can't shake the sense of failure.
Scott Keffer [:So the idol can be, oh, I let so and so down. They'll never forget where the idol can be. You right, your own sense soul. What do you need to let go of? From your past and washed by the blood of Christ, you confessed it and the Lord remembers it no more. What do you need to let go of when you say Lord? So what is it? What's in there? Hanging around? The question is, if the Lord doesn't remember it no more, why do you. Well, so which do you struggle with more? Self sabotage or self satisfaction? Self sabotage or self satisfaction? It's good to know yourself. Right? You tend to struggle with more. And here's the thing.
Scott Keffer [:Because he doesn't need it. Don't be the devil's advocate. I'm just being the devil's advocate. Old time phrase. Right. Well, he doesn't need an advocate. What's he doing? Right. It says in Revelation, the power of the kingdom over God and the authority of his price have come.
Scott Keffer [:What happens then? The accuser of our brethren will be thrown down. What does he do? He accuses them before God, day and night. How many have heard his accusations? How many have heard his accusation? He doesn't need your help. Why are you repeating his accusations? He doesn't need an advocate. I know, but I'm living with somebody who's repeating his accusations. Or I know somebody who's repeating his accusations. Right. Just don't be the one.
Scott Keffer [:He doesn't need you to be his advocate. So what is it you put down there? What is it? What does he get you with regularly? What's his accusation? What's his main accusation for you? Write it down. You need to speak it out into the light and say, this is an accusation from Satan, from the devil. And scripture says he is a liar. He is the liar from the beginning. He lies. He lies. So you got to be careful.
Scott Keffer [:What is it? Right? Because he is in opposition, you got purpose. Wouldn't that make sense? Yeah. He wants to hobble you. He wants to disable you. He wants to use accusation to slow you down. He wants to take you out of the game. So you have to take up the shield of faith. Shield of faith.
Scott Keffer [:They say those buggers were about this tall and they were covered with leather. The leather was soaked in oil because the enemy would shoot flaming arrows. And the idea would be to stand behind the shield, not in front of it or beside it. So, number one, the enemy doesn't need your help shooting arrows at yourself. So we would. We would play the arrow game when we were younger. We would. You're supposed to shoot it into the ground or into a tree.
Scott Keffer [:We would shoot it into the air and then see who was brave enough to see that baby come fall into the ground. It's amazing that Ben lives to older me. He. Amazing. Yeah. So the enemy doesn't need your help shooting arrows. And. And we don't want to be standing beside the shield or.
Scott Keffer [:Or in front of the shield, but behind the shield. Behind the shield. Which means by faith, we don't let the accusation through. Don't let the accusation through. And always say, the Lord himself rebuke you. I don't need to rebuke you. I'm not taking on the devil. I'm not.
Scott Keffer [:Right. What's it say? Scripture. Right. He said, hey, Even the archangel Michael said, hey, the Lord rebuke you like tag team. I'm not taking this one, Lord. You take it. You take the accusation, Lord. That's the shield of faith.
Scott Keffer [:Taking up the shield of faith with which you'll be able to extinguish. What? How many? All all the flaming missiles. It's important to know what are the flaming missiles. So he says, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Knowing your toil is not vain in the Lord. Yeah, it's easy to say, isn't it? Yeah. Therefore. Yeah, okay, sure said that's the move.
Scott Keffer [:So what do we need to do? Since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you. What do you pray? What do you pray? We pray that you would be strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience. This is not you alone, it's your. It's not your steadfastness. This is God's power that I can stand firm. So pray, pray, pray to stand firm. And when I think about praying, Scripture says, for those who water will be water, those who water. So he's saying, don't worry about your water.
Scott Keffer [:Water and you'll be watered. The Lord will move through you and you'll be water, your soul will be water. So then I thought, well, if I want that to be true for me, pray it for someone else. Pray it for someone else. For those who pray will have their prayers answered. For those who water will be like watered. So Paul says, I'm praying this for you. So.
Scott Keffer [:So be praying it throughout that you can pray for yourself, that you be strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, for the attaining of all stead and patience. So you pray to stand firm. I can't stand firm. I can't stand firm. When I came to the Lord, I said, I, Lord, I start books, I never finish them. I start models, I never finish them, right? I begin, I just don't end. My biggest fear is I'll begin and not end. So you got to keep me.
Scott Keffer [:That's my one thing prayer, one thing I've asked that I shall seek that I would dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, strengthen with all power his power, his power. The attaining of all steadfast. Pray, Lord, help me to stand firm. And then lastly, be convinced. Be convinced. What should I be convinced of? So he says, do you not know? Have you not heard? I love this. So the Lord's saying this. Hey, by the way, hello.
Scott Keffer [:Do you not know already? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the creators of the ends of the earth, he does not become weary. It's not like I'm tired. It does not become weary, right? Does not become weary, huh? Okay, so it's not that and. Or tired. And his understanding is inscrutable. My plan is beyond scrutinizing. He says, though, right? What does he do? He gives strength to the weary. And to him who lacks might, he increases power.
Scott Keffer [:Though vigorous young men stumble badly. Who's that? You and me. Though vigorous men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord, they shall gain new strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not grow weary. So be convinced. Remember, the Lord says, I love.
Scott Keffer [:When he asks those questions, do you not know? Have you not heard? Hey, did you hear about me? Have you heard about me and what I do? Right? So he's saying, do you not know? But even more hem. You heard what I do. This is what I do. He reminds us. And of course, Paul says, I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor. Nor powers right, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing. Mask nothing outside, inside. Including me.
Scott Keffer [:Including you. I looked in the mirror. I found the enemy. He be me. Right? He be me, nor any other created thing. Will do what? Be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. No separation, no separating, he says. I am convinced.
Scott Keffer [:And one of the other verses, that was the key life verse for me, he says, do not call to mind the former things or ponder the things of the past. Why, behold, I will do something new. I will even make roadways in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. How many have a desert? How many have a wilderness that they're going through? How many will have a wilderness or a desert? So he's saying, don't. Don't call them out in the form things, right? That doesn't mean don't remember his faithfulness. It just say, yeah, but. Yeah, but, yeah, but. He's saying, look forward.
Scott Keffer [:Yeah, but I got a wilderness for it. I'm in a desert. He says, that's what I do. By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth, all their hosts. By faith, we understand that the world was created by the word of God so that what is was made out of nothing, ex nihilo. Out of nothing. The word of the Lord out of nothing. So you're facing nothing, right? There's no.
Scott Keffer [:There's no resources there. He says, that's what I major in. That's what I do. I create something out of nothing. But do not call to mind the former things. So how do we live, Lord, if we're going to finish strong, we have to live purposeful, with conviction. We have to live promiseful, with confidence. We have to live.
Scott Keffer [:Press on full with courage. Be strong and courageous. Do not tremble, nor be dismayed. For the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go. He's with you. He's with you. All right. Write down an insight or an application.
Scott Keffer [:Okay. Who has an insider application line of something you already knew? Something new. Yes. And we all have enough bad examples so we. We all fall into that category, Right. Of what not to do. Right. But not to do.
Scott Keffer [:But you think, right. You've got a creator who creates everything with purpose. So your gifts, your calling. We're going to talk about how to explore that more in the weeks ahead. But you have a clear, definable right. And it has to do with the. What you do and who you do it for. Right.
Scott Keffer [:Who else? I let that person down. I did this. I. You know, whatever that is. Right. Whatever that is. And I remind myself, maybe the Lord was saying, I don't remember it no more. Why are you.
Scott Keffer [:Yeah. And so pray. The Lord gives grace to let it go. The grace to let it go because it's wrapped in guilt. Right. It's wrapped in the sense of right. It results in this deep guilt, and it's debilitating. Guilt is debilitating from doing it.
Scott Keffer [:So you think about David. This helps me. Elaine. Here's David. He had a. He had multiple reasons to be guilty. Multiple reasons to be guilty. But what did he do? He got up and he washed himself.
Scott Keffer [:He stood up, he ate, and he got back at it. Right. I have one. Press on. Yeah, I press on. Yep. Oh, yeah. He had enough in his past to say, who are you? Right.
Scott Keffer [:In fact, not only did he have enough to say that, everyone else was saying that, yeah, that fall, he was a persecutor. He was killing Christians. He was lining them up and putting them in jail. He has no right to speak. Right to speak as an apostle. What? What? So if you don't have a purpose statement, write 1. Version 1.0. If you have.
Scott Keffer [:If you have one, do 2.0, 3.0. Update it. Put it up somewhere. Hang it up. Look at it. Remind yourself, you have been formed by a God of purpose, known by a God of purpose, consecrated by God of purpose and appointed to do. Should know what it is and to who you do it, for what it is and to whom you do it. May the God of all promise.
Scott Keffer [:May he bless you. May he keep you. May he cause his face to shine upon you. May he lift up his countenance and grant you His Shalom, your peace deep in your soul, so you could press on into the purpose that he has for you. May bless you and keep you. Amen.
Scott Keffer [:Thanks for listening. I hope you have greater hope, assurance and confidence in your life and a deeper trust in the God of the Bible and His Son, Jesus Christ. Until next time. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. And may the Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace, His Shalom in your soul and in your life. Until next time. May God bless you and keep you.
Scott Keffer [:It.
