Brethren, hear this with your whole heart. We are not saved by glancing at Christ. We are saved, kept, guided, and strengthened by fixing our gaze upon Him.
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” is not a motto for a mug. It is the map for your soul, the compass for your steps, and the courage in your storm. He authored your faith. He will finish it. That is Hebrews 12:2, and that is your lifeline.
Friends, we choose our horizon. If we fix our eyes on the world, we will live by its moods, chase its noise, and fear its shadows. If we fix our eyes on Christ, we will live by His word, rest in His love, and rise by His power. “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” is not a suggestion. It is Colossians 3:2 calling us to a higher allegiance.
Praise be to God, the cross still draws. Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me”. That is John 12:32. His crucifixion is not only a past event. It is a present magnet. Lift Him up in your mind. Lift Him up in your home. Lift Him up in your battles. He will draw your wandering heart again.
Thank You, Lord, that storms do not dethrone the Savior. When Peter sank, he cried, “Lord, save me”. Jesus caught him. That is Matthew 14:30 to 31. You may feel the wind, but He still holds the waters. You may feel the fear, but He still holds your hand.
Praise the Lord, there is light for every face that looks to Him. “They looked unto him, and were lightened”. That is Psalm 34:5. Shame loses its grip where His gaze is welcomed.
Church, our ability is not the point. Christ’s strength is. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”. That is Philippians 4:13. Do not brag about your grit. Boast in His grace.
Beloved, measure your life by the eternal, not the immediate. “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen”. That is 2 Corinthians 4:18. The unseen is not imaginary. It is everlasting.
Rejoice, your name is written above. “Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven”. That is Luke 10:20. Your identity is not a mood. It is a record.
Hold fast. We have a Great High Priest. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God”. That is Hebrews 4:14. You are represented. You are remembered. You are heard.
Love Him whom you have not seen, and keep believing. “Ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory”. That is 1 Peter 1:8. The world cannot explain this joy. It can only witness it.
So I call you, today. Lift your eyes. Lift your heart. Lift your hopes. Look unto Jesus. Keep looking unto Jesus. Return to looking unto Jesus. This is our way. This is our worship. This is our witness.
1) Looking Unto Jesus: Author And Finisher
Text: Hebrews 12:2
Brethren, the race is real. The weight is heavy. The witnesses surround. The Lord does not tell you to try harder first. He tells you to look higher. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” is the rhythm of a holy life.
He started the story. He writes the middle. He signs the last line. Will you stare at your weakness, or will you set your eyes on the One who for the joy set before Him endured the cross? Run your lap with your eyes on the Lord. That is where courage grows and sins lose their charm.
Everyday picture: A child on a balance beam walks steadier when eyes are fixed on a point ahead. You will, too.
Questions to carry: Where is your gaze when you wake? Where is it when you worry? Where is it when you work?
2) Lifted Up To Draw Us In
Text: John 12:32
Friends, the cross is God’s invitation. People are drawn, not by clever speeches, but by a crucified and risen Christ. Lift Him up in your conversations, your parenting, your private thoughts.
Thank You, Lord, that Your cross still calls prodigals home, still humbles the proud, still heals the guilty. You are not beyond the pull of Calvary. Bring your burden to the tree, and let the draw of His love carry you back to hope.
Everyday picture: A lighthouse does not chase ships. It shines, and ships come. Lift the Light.
Heart-check: What am I lifting higher this week, my anxieties or my Redeemer?
3) Set Your Affection Above
Text: Colossians 3:2
Praise be to God, eternity is not a future hobby. It is a present priority. Choose your diet of thoughts. Choose your horizon of hopes. Choose your treasure. Markets swing. Moods swing. Christ does not. Set your affection above, and watch your choices change on earth. This is not denial of duty. This is clarity for duty.
Everyday picture: Aim the camera right, and the whole frame becomes beautiful. Aim your mind right, and the day follows.
Practice: Begin each morning by one deliberate look upward in prayer and Scripture before one look outward at tasks.
4) Lord, Save Me In The Storm
Text: Matthew 14:30 to 31
Brethren, fear is loud, but Jesus is Lord. Peter walked on water while looking at Christ, then sank when he looked at the wind. He cried, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately stretched forth His hand. Storms teach this sacred reflex. Do not analyze the waves first. Cry out to the Savior. He is nearer than the spray on your face.
Everyday picture: When the room spins, fix your eyes on something steady. Fix your soul on Someone steady.
Call: Speak His name out loud in your next panic. Let your mouth help your heart.
5) Faces Lightened, Shame Lifted
Text: Psalm 34:5
Friends, shame is heavy. But “They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.” Bring Him your stained past, your recent stumble, your nameless ache. Look long. Look honest. Look hopeful. His light does not humiliate. His light heals.
Everyday picture: Morning sun does not scold the night. It replaces it.
Prayer: Praise the Lord who turns downcast faces into testimonies.
6) Strength For All Things
Text: Philippians 4:13
Thank You, Lord. Christ in you is strength for the thing in front of you. Not the imaginary future, but the assignment at hand. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” All things He commands. All things He appoints. All things this day requires. Trade self-reliance for Christ-reliance. Weakness becomes a doorway, not a dead end.
Everyday picture: A branch bears weight by staying in the vine, not by flexing.
Step: Whisper, before any task, “Through Christ.”
7) See The Unseen
Text: 2 Corinthians 4:18
Brethren, you are not crazy for living by promises you cannot see. You are Christian. The seen is temporary. The unseen is eternal. Look beyond the surface. Let invisible realities rule visible reactions. Heaven’s timeline will steady your today.
Everyday picture: Roots are unseen, yet they hold the tree. Let unseen truth hold you.
Resolve: Judge no day by the headlines alone. Judge it by the Word.
8) Rejoice In Heaven’s Record
Text: Luke 10:20
Friends, it is fine to celebrate wins, but Jesus reorders your joy. “Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” Your worth is not graded by likes, sales, or applause. Your name is written where thieves cannot reach and rust cannot touch. Rejoice there. Return there often. Rest there tonight.
Everyday picture: A passport grants calm in a crowded border. Your citizenship is in heaven.
Habit: When praised or criticized, say to your heart, “My name is kept in heaven.”
9) Hold Fast. We Have A High Priest.
Text: Hebrews 4:14
Praise be to God, you are not alone in the throne room. Jesus the Son of God has passed into the heavens. He bears your name before the Father. He knows your frame. He understands your tears. Hold fast your profession. Grip the confession tighter than the fear.
Everyday picture: A lawyer speaks for you in court. Your High Priest speaks for you in heaven.
Action: Come boldly to the throne of grace. Do not delay another hour.
10) Joy Unspeakable, Full Of Glory
Text: 1 Peter 1:8
Brethren, love Him though you have not seen Him. Believe Him though your eyes are tired. And then watch what happens. “Ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” This is not hype. This is holiness warming the heart. It will not always be loud, but it will be real.
Everyday picture: A spring under the sand keeps the orchard green. Let grace keep you glad.
Song of the soul: Thank You, Lord, for a joy no circumstance can confiscate.
A HOLY RHYTHM YOU CAN LIVE
- Look to Jesus daily. Hebrews 12:2
- Lift Jesus openly. John 12:32
- Set your affection above. Colossians 3:2
- Cry to Him in storms. Matthew 14:30 to 31
- Shine with unashamed faces. Psalm 34:5
- Do the day through Christ. Philippians 4:13
- Value the unseen. 2 Corinthians 4:18
- Rejoice in heaven’s record. Luke 10:20
- Hold fast under His priesthood. Hebrews 4:14
- Love and believe into unspeakable joy. 1 Peter 1:8
PASTORAL APPEAL
Brethren, the crossroads is here. Will you look at your fear, or will you look at your Lord? Will you be ruled by what is seen, or ruled by what is promised? Praise the Lord, there is grace for a new habit of heart today. Thank You, Lord, for catching sinking saints, for lightening dark faces, for writing shaky names in heaven with steady love.
Choose your gaze. Choose your King. Look unto Jesus. Keep looking unto Jesus. And when you forget, look again. He is not tired of being your focus. He is worthy of being your focus.
Now lift your eyes, and live.
Call to Action: The Question That Demands an AnswerIn Acts 2:37 Peter and the Apostles were asked the question – What Shall We do? And in Acts 2:38 Peter answered, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Do you understand this? After hearing the gospel and believing, they asked what should would do. The answer hasn’t changed friend, Peter clearly gave the answer. The question for you today is, Have you receieved the Holy Spirit Since you believed? If you’re ready to take that step, or you want to learn more about what it means to be born again of water and Spirit, visit: Come, and let the Spirit make you new. |
