You see, I am very goal driven. I love goals. I set goals constantly. And, I have successfully completed many amazing goals like:

• Started a video production company
• Wrote a book
• Made a feature film
• Created a reality TV show
• Finished a half Ironman triathlon
• And many other goals

Yet, when I read through that article about no goals, it was oddly appealing to me. And, I wasn’t sure why. What was drawing me to this concept of having no goals?

As I began to think through this idea of having no goals, even as the new year was approaching, I began to understand a bit more about why it was appealing to me.

Goals can be a Difficult Taskmaster

While setting and achieving goals can be very satisfying, they can also be a demanding taskmaster. This may be more about my desire not to fail, but I found that goals are often like a boss with high expectations. Every unfinished goal screams at you to get to work. It can be hard to rest or even enjoy life with those unmet goals looming over you.

Again, this may be more about my personality, but as I look back over my life, goals have been more about pushing me to achieve instead of me reaching to accomplish.

Goals can create a Wrong Focus

This was a big one for me. I realized that goals tend to focus your attention on the destination. In doing so, you miss the journey. Life is so much more important than reaching a goal. Life is about the journey, the moments each and every day that you get to experience with family, friends and co-workers. With your eyes fixed on a goal, you can so easily miss the beauty and joy around you.

Another problem is that we often define ourselves through our goals. For me, it was “I’m a business owner. I’m a filmmaker. I’m an author. I’m an Ironman.” My goals defined me. And once those goals were achieved, where was I going to find my next identity? The cycle was very unsatisfying.

One Goal

What did the Bible say about goals in the everyday life of a believer? Immediately, I thought about Matthew 6:27-34 where Jesus encourages us to not worry about tomorrow, but let today be your focus. Then, I thought about the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:11), “Give us this day our daily bread.” Again, Jesus was encouraging us to let our focus and concern be with today.

Then, I thought about Paul and his writings. He often used athletic events and races as metaphors for living the Christian life. He said things like:

• “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Timothy 4:7).
• “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step” (1 Corinthians 9:24-26a).

It started to become clear. Paul had only one goal: to finish strong. His one goal in life was to run the race set before him and finish well. It became really clear in Hebrews:

“Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (v 12:1a-2b).

That’s the goal! To fix our eyes on Jesus and run with endurance the race God has set before us.

No More Goals, only Milestones

So, do we throw away all our goals and live life day to day? That’s a good question. I don’t really know, but here’s where I’ve landed—I’ve decided to not set any goals like I did before. Instead, I’m going to have milestones.

What’s the difference? Milestones are simply those markers along the way to monitor my progress, to make sure I’m moving in the right direction. Milestones are not a destination nor a goal. They are simply measuring points along the journey while I focus on my one goal—to fix my eyes on Christ and finish the race strong.

In my search of the scripture, I came across these verses in James. It further solidified my desire to remove any goals and enjoy the journey:

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil (James 4:13-16).

Prayer: Father, help me to fix my eyes upon Christ, the one true Goal that we should strive for.

One of God’s greatest gifts to us is joy. When Jesus died on the cross, he took away all of our sins and gave us the opportunity to have a new life–a life of joy and peace. John 10:10 describes it this way: “[Jesus] came that we might have life and life more abundantly.”

Grace paves the way for us to experience God’s joy!

The World’s Joy

I was talking to a lady awhile back who described her childhood as one filled with drinking, partying and lots of people laughing. As she grew older, she associated these “fun times” with evil behavior. So, in her mind, she wanted to avoid anything resembling that kind of “fun.” It became very difficult for her to experience any joy and laughter, because in her mind, anything “fun” was evil. Later in her life, she began to understand this mis-association and started to enjoy life more.

Lots of believers today struggle to experience joy in their lives because of this mis-association with fun. Each of us has a desire to experience joy. God put characteristics of himself into each of us. We were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and because of that, God created us to experience joy and for his own joy. God rejoices over you!

For the LORD your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

Zephaniah 3:17

Much of the world’s fun and laughter is really just a counterfeit. It is man’s attempt to experience what God created us for–to enjoy life. We often strive to fill this legitimate need for joy in an illegitimate way.

A few months ago, I traveled to Las Vegas for work. While I was there, walking around the downtown area, I was mesmerized by all the sights and sounds of Vegas. I had been there many times before, but this visit was different. I began thinking about all the vain promises of Vegas–money, pleasure and power. Then, it hit me–this is a counterfeit for heaven.

The allure of Vegas for many is this deep craving for true joy. This “joy” of Vegas will always be short-lived and temporary. While it may be fun for a moment, it is not everlasting joy. Only God provides true, everlasting joy. Heaven will be a place of incredible beauty, wealth and joy.

Here’s the incredible truth: we don’t need to wait till heaven to experience all that God has for us. The Kingdom life that heaven provides is already ours today through faith in Christ. When Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), all of the work required to bring heaven to earth was completed. Paul said it this way, “[God] has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

Heaven is ours today!

God’s Presence – Cartoons and PB&J

As a worship leader, Steve was familiar with drawing people into the presence of God. Each weekend, he would lead people in worship and many would experience God’s presence and incredible joy.

One Saturday morning, Steve was going through his normal routine. Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and then sit down to watch some Saturday morning cartoons. All of sudden, he felt God’s presence. His gut reaction was to stop everything, turn off the TV and “enter in”. But, God whispered to him, “I just want to sit down and watch cartoons with you.”

I love this story because it reminds me that God just wants to spend time with us. Even in those little things that bring us joy, he is there. And, he wants to draw you into more of those moments of joy and pleasure. Through Christ and his finished work on the cross, there is nothing keeping you from experiencing God’s joy, peace and presence.

Prayer: Father, help me experience more of your joy. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth and in my life as it is already in heaven.

A few months ago, Christian comedian Michael Jr. put on a show at our church, and it was hilarious!

Here’s a small snippet for you to enjoy. Don’t forget to laugh!

What is a “Sinful Nature”?

The Bible says we are born with a nature to sin–an inward motivation to sin. We don’t learn to sin; rather, it comes natural to us since birth. When we come into this world, our spirits are dead and we must be born again (John 3:3-7).

Today, under the New Covenant, there are only two states of existence: the natural and the spiritual. This is how Paul describes those two states by comparing Adam and Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:47-49,

The first man was of the earth, made of dust;
The second Man is the Lord from heaven.

As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust;
And as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.

And as we have borne the image of the man of dust,
We shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

To move from the natural (state of Adam) to the spiritual (state of Christ), you must be born again. Once you are born again, your flesh has been crucified. According to Galatians 2:20, it is no longer you who live, but Christ in you.

The Sin Nature is Dead in Christ

Once you have put your faith in Christ and are born again, your sin nature is dead. You have died to your sinful nature and are now alive “in Christ”. You are now a new creation:

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, emphasis mine).

Your old self, your old nature has “passed away.” All things “have become new.” It’s a finished work!

You no longer have a sinful nature. You have the nature of Christ inside of you.

Sinful Nature versus Flesh

Today’s modern teaching of the “sinful nature” is based on some recent translations of the Bible. Modern translations like the New International Version (NIV) and New Living Translation (NLT) use the term “sinful nature” throughout the New Testament. However, it’s more of an interpretation than a translation. In both the King James Version (KJV) and New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, there is no use of “sinful nature”. It’s only in newer translations.

So, what is this word being used for “sinful nature”?

The Greek word that NIV and NLT translate “sinful nature” is the word sarx. It is defined as “the flesh, the meat of an animal, the body (as opposed to the soul or spirit)”.

The KJV and NKJV version simply translate sarx as “flesh”. It’s your body, the natural part of you that experiences this reality through the five senses–taste, touch, smell, hear and see. The flesh is very different than the sinful nature.

Take Romans 7:18 for example and read both the NIV and the NKJV:

• “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (Romans 7:18, NIV).
• “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” (Romans 7:18, NKJV).

Why is this important? Your flesh is this tangible part of you where sin resides. Sin lives in your flesh. But, if you believe that sin in your soul and spirit, that your nature is to sin, then your identity is all about sin management. But, if you can believe that your nature is good, that you are a child of God, then there is hope to live a victorious life. You can conquer the flesh, because Christ did.

But, I still sin.

So do I. As long as you are alive, your flesh will be prone to sin. But, God has somehow uniquely separated your soul and spirit from your body when you become a believer. Your body is dead to sin. Romans 8:10 says,  ”If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” In Christ, God considers your body dead because of sin. So, we are encouraged to do the same: “Consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11).

We no longer have a sinful nature. It has been crucified and buried with Christ. Our new nature is the nature of Christ. He lives inside of us. If we can truly understand and believe that Christ lives in us and that we have a new nature in him, then it will empower us to walk in freedom. With the nature of Christ in us, we can overcome fear, anxiety and panic attacks.

Prayer: Father, show me that I am a new creation in Christ, that my old sinful nature has been crucified, dead and buried. I am alive in you.

Here’s how Paul, the Apostle, described his own experience with sin: “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate” (Romans 7:15). When we are sin-conscious, all we see is our mistakes, our failures, our shortcomings.

The Garden of Eden is a great example of what happens when we move from being God-conscious to sin-conscious. Before they sinned, Adam and Eve enjoyed an incredible relationship with God. They walked together in the cool of day and spent time together. Their fellowship was invigorating and full of life! There was no awareness of sin. There was no right or wrong. No rules. There was no knowledge of good or evil. There was just fellowship with God.

Then sin happened. Immediately, humanity was aware of sin. They had become sin-conscious: they were hyper aware of their failures, mistakes and shortcomings. So, when God showed up, they hid themselves. Adam said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10).

The immediate response to sin is shame. When shame sets in, we hide ourselves from God and we become afraid. We often experience fear because we pull away from God due to sin and shame. I don’t believe God ever pulls away from us. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). It’s always us pulling away from him. Like Adam, we hide ourselves from him because of shame. And in the same way, God is continually pursuing us because of he loves us so much.

From the day Adam and Eve sinned, all of humanity has lived sin-conscious, defining ourselves by following rules, doing what is right and not doing what is wrong. Today, many, many people live sin-conscious. But, that’s not how God wants us to live.

When Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life and then died for our sins, he made a way for us to be sinless in God’s eyes. In Christ, we are no longer sinners. In Christ, we are perfect, holy and righteous. In Christ, we have moved from being sinners to being saints.

“But, I still sin.”

Yes, so do I. As long as we live in these physical, mortal bodies, we will experience sin. If you continue reading in Romans 7, Paul talks about this war in our members (our bodies) that wages on continually (v. 23). But, our flesh (our body) is not who we are. We are spirit and soul. The real you is not defined by the physicalness of your body. ”Your real life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

Sin has very real consequences in this life. If you murder, there are consequences. If you steal, there are consequences. If you treat your body poorly, there are consequences. Sin will affect your physical life.  But, sin should not define you because in Christ, God does not see your sin.

Honestly, we have it backwards.

We think that because of sin God is not pleased with us, so we try harder not to sin and clean up our lives. If we can stop sinning for awhile, then we can go to God with our needs. We wait to be clean in our own eyes before we approach God. But, that’s backwards.

God says, “You are clean and holy in Christ right now. Come to me as you are and let me help you with those areas of weakness.” Strength to stop sinning does not come from us trying harder. It comes from spending time with God and allowing him to help us.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:17).

Prayer: Father, reveal to me that my sins are gone, washed away and that I am holy and perfect in your eyes.

To fully understand what grace is and what it can do in our lives, we need to understand the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. But first, what is a covenant? Webster’s defines covenant as: “a written agreement or promise usually under seal between two or more parties especially for the performance of some action.”

A covenant is a binding agreement made between two parties, and Biblical covenants are typically sealed through the shedding of blood. Throughout the Bible, there are actually numerous covenants, not just the Old and New. The five most common Biblical covenants are:

1. Noahic covenant
2. Abrahamic covenant
3. Mosaic covenant
4. Davidic convenant
5. New covenant

Modern bibles today group the Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants into the Old Testament, and the New covenant into the New Testament. Under the Old convenant, the Law was a two-party agreement between God and humanity. There were blessings for obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) and curses for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). If you did what was right in God’s eyes, you were blessed. If you did what was wrong, you were cursed.

The New covenant is a very different two-party agreement. It is not between God and people–it is between God and Jesus. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life and thereby fulfilled all the requirements of the law (Matthew 5:17). Then, he laid down his life has a sin offering (Hebrews 10:12-14). God accepted it and declared that those who are in Christ are now children of God (John 1:12).

Most believers today believe that the New covenant is between God and us. But, it’s not. It’s between God and Christ. Our only requirement for salvation is to “confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead” (Romans 10:9). There is no law when we are “in Christ.” Jesus “takes away the first that He may establish the second” (Hebrews 10:9).

Take a moment to think about what this implies:

1. The burden to live a perfect life has been fulfilled in Christ. It’s no longer about us.
2. The shame of our sin and mistakes is gone. Christ took it all upon himself.
3. Instead of trying harder to live the Christian life, we can now just enjoy life in Christ.
4. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. Nothing.
5. Since it’s no longer about us, we are holy, perfect, blameless and righteous in Christ.

There is so much more available to us when we believe this truth about what Christ has accomplished for us. When we can fully grasp that this New covenant is between God and Christ and not us, then the pressure to perform is wiped away. Then, we can finally stop living as slaves and start living as children of God.

Prayer: Father, open my eyes to this truth of grace. Show me that in Christ, you are pleased with me in every way.