And the Award Goes to...

Lesson 23

Blessed by God's words through Mrs. McKain today...

"I have some objects with me today

that people work really hard to get.

They are awards for some great accomplishment.

As you can see these awards are different shapes and sizes:

1. This one is a certificate.

It tells that I have graduated college

and is designed to be hung on the wall.

I worked really hard to get this.

I had to go to school for several years

and study many nights.

2. Here are blue and yellow cords.

These were awarded, also at my graduation

to show that I held a certain gpa throughout my schooling.

This also was really hard.

I gave up a lot of things my friends

were doing to make sure my grades were good.

3. This one is a statue with some writing at the base.

This trophy signifies that Adam (my husband)

won sectionals for his high school baseball team.

He went to practice many hot days to prepare himself.

It's wonderful to be able to win awards

for working hard and doing something great.

If we look at Paul's life,

he worked hard and did great things,

but he never recieved a trophy.

He won many souls,

but has no trophy to hang on the wall.

His trophies will be in Heaven

when he sees all the souls that he lead to Christ.

The most wonderful award of all

is the calling of Christ.

The Holy Spirit gave Paul the message

that he needed to go to Jerusalem;

however, his friends were too scared and believed

the Holy Spirit was telling them to warn Paul.

Everyone was following the calling of the Holy Spirit.

The men that were with Paul were scared,

but Paul was not.

He knew what awaited him in Jerusalem,

and he also knew what would be awaiting him in Heaven.

Philippians 3:14 says

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize

for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Paul was told he was in danger by going,

but he knew God had called him to GO!

Remember our memory verse last week?

"For I consider my life worth nothing to me;

my only aim is to finish the race

and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me,

the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace"

Acts 20:24.

The only award and title Paul wanted to win,

was that of a Christian.

"To me to live is Christ and to die is gain."

Philippians 1:21

Christ is our ultimate goal.

We can win every trophy there is,

but that does not secure us a place in Heaven.

Our place in Heaven

is hinged solely on the salvation of Jesus Christ.

When we trust in the Lord,

 the door connected to that hinge

opens up to a multitude of blessings.

After all, we can't take our trophies to Heaven with us.

But we might see in heaven those we helped to find the Lord.

That would be the best trophy of all!"