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INTRODUCTION
A. I think the saying is basically true: we are either going forward,standing still or falling behind.
1. That saying is true for churches
2. The problem is that it is very easy to become complacent and comfortable (the prelude to standing still)
3. Once we stand still, everyone passes us by and we begin to fall behind
B. Phil 3:13-14
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (NKJ)
1. Paul believed in moving ahead
2. It is the only way to avoid stagnation and failure
C. As a church, we need to think about what it takes to move ahead
1. Each Sunday morning in October, I will address a different issue involved in moving forward as a church
2. We must never be satisfied with the past or believe that what we are doing in the present is all that we can or should do
3. To achieve all that God will give us opportunity to do, we must be ready to move forward to meet the challenges of the future
D. Today: Challenges to accept
1. I don't intend to list a lot of specific things to do
2. I do intend to list many of the different kind of things we can do
3. We just need to decide that the challenges before us are there because God wants us to do something about them
I. ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD
A. Some verses we need to focus on
1. Matt 5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and
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