1. Weight = Hindrance –Not necessarily sinful, but not helpful (1Co.6:12) If desire is to finish - shed the weight! Key is DESIRE / VALUE (Mt.6:21) “Therefore…let us lay aside every weight…and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Lay Aside Every Weight (Heb.12:1)

2. Great in God’s mind or in man’s eyes? –(Mk.10:43-45)(Jo.12:42-43)(Jo.5:44) Why is this a “WEIGHT”? –Because you may have to lose “worldly success” in order to remain faithful to God (Mt.10:22-25) (1Co.4:11-13,16) “Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant” Desire For Worldly Success

3. Women pressured to follow the world’s standards for success –God’s priority for the woman - “home keeper” or “home manager” (Tit.2:5) (1Ti.5:14) –Women were created for this purpose (Ge.2:18) (1Co.11:9) (1Pe.3:1-6) (Pr.31) –“Older women” should be “teaching” this! (Tit.2:3-5) “She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness” (Pr.31:27) Desire For Worldly Success

4. Women pressured to follow the world’s standards for success –Priority is determined by the time and effort devoted to a task –Women are being “weighed down” and torn apart at the seams trying to be “super-mom” and pursue things that are not their responsibility “lay aside every weight… and … run with endurance the race that is set...” Desire For Worldly Success

5. Pursue job at cost of God? (Jas.4:14) –Does job regularly cause missed assemblies? (He.10:25) –“Ox in the ditch”? (Lk.14:5) Get another ox! –Most believe that there will be “a time” in the future when they will fully devote their lives (Js.4:14) (Lk.12:16-21, 42-47) “No one can serve two masters… he will be loyal to the one and despise the other” (Mt.6:24) Desire For Worldly Success

6. Desire For Worldly Friends Friend of the world / Enemy of God (Js.4:4) –Dating a non-Christian (2Co.6:14)(1Co.15:33) “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” The insatiable desire for people of the world to approve of us and befriend us

7. Non-Christians 149 Total 106 Left the Lord 43 Faithful 44 Divorced 26 Converted Mate Marriage of Christians To… “Nor shall you make marriages with them… For they will turn your sons away from following Me” (De.7:3-4) Christians 112 Total 8 Left the Lord 104 Faithful 4 Divorced

8. Desire For Worldly Friends Friend of the world / Enemy of God (Js.4:4) –Dating a non-Christian (2Co.6:14) (1Co.15:33) Trying to become like the world (2 Co.6:17) –We should be separate from the world so we can reach the world! (1Pe.3:15) –Church should change world, not be changed by the world (Tit. 2:11-14) “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” The insatiable desire for people of the world to approve of us and befriend us

9. Desire For Pleasure Or Fun Pleasure is deceitful and can bring one under bondage (2Ti.3:1-5) (1Ti.5:6) –Keep kids too busy to learn godliness? Self-indulgence of Samson (Jud. 14:3) Esau (Heb. 12:16) vs. Moses (Heb. 11:24-26) “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”

10. Desire For Wealth Wealth is not evil - but the desire for wealth is a tremendous weight –(Pr.23:4) (1Ti.6:9-10) (Lk. 12:15-21) –Abraham (Ge.24:35) Job (Job 1:21) - rich and faithful –May restrict path to Heaven (Mt. 19:24) –May choke out the word (Mk. 4:19) “Labour not to be rich…for riches certainly make themselves wings.”

11. In order to RUN (He.12:1) –Like our examples (He.11:25-38) –With endurance (He.12:1) –Prepared for persecution (2Ti.2:4) In order to FINISH Why Lay Aside These Weights? “Therefore…let us lay aside every weight…and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

12. Look to the AUTHOR and FINISHER –His example (He.12:2) For the joy that was set before Him Endured the cross Despised the shame Sat down at the right hand of God –His teaching (Mt.18:8-9; 10:37-39) –His zeal (Mk.3:21) How Do We Lay Aside These Weights? “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”

13. Do You REALLY Want To Finish? “For the joy set before Him” Weight = Hindrance –Not necessarily sinful, but not helpful (1Co.6:12) If desire is to finish - shed the weight! Key is DESIRE / VALUE (Mt.6:21)