Finishing the Course
Finishing the Course
Wednesday
"And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all."
— Acts 20:22-26 (ESV)
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
— 2 Timothy 4:7 (ESV)
— Acts 20:22-26 (ESV)
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
— 2 Timothy 4:7 (ESV)
Reflect:
Imagine walking toward a city knowing that chains are waiting for you. Most of us would turn around. Yet the text shows a man whose priority was not safety or comfort but faithfulness. He did not count his life as precious compared to finishing the ministry Jesus gave him: testifying to the gospel of the grace of God. That phrase is the heart of everything. Our lives are not measured by how long or easy they are, but by whether we finish the course the Lord has set before us. You have a course too: a family to love, neighbors to serve, coworkers to witness to. The goal is not to be remarkable. The goal is to be faithful to the end.
Imagine walking toward a city knowing that chains are waiting for you. Most of us would turn around. Yet the text shows a man whose priority was not safety or comfort but faithfulness. He did not count his life as precious compared to finishing the ministry Jesus gave him: testifying to the gospel of the grace of God. That phrase is the heart of everything. Our lives are not measured by how long or easy they are, but by whether we finish the course the Lord has set before us. You have a course too: a family to love, neighbors to serve, coworkers to witness to. The goal is not to be remarkable. The goal is to be faithful to the end.
Consider:
- What do you treat as "precious" that may be competing with your calling to follow Jesus?
- What would it look like for you to "finish well" in the season of life you are in right now?
Pray:
Lord Jesus, You finished the work the Father gave You. Help me run my course with endurance and keep the faith to the end. Amen.
Lord Jesus, You finished the work the Father gave You. Help me run my course with endurance and keep the faith to the end. Amen.
Posted in Don\\\'t Shrink Back - Acts 20:17-38
Recent
Archive
2026
January
Every Spiritual BlessingChosen Before Time BeganRedeemed By Precious BloodSealed By the SpiritEmpowered By Resurrection MightSaved From: The Reality of Our Former ConditionSaved To: The Mercy & Love of GodSaved To: A New Position & FutureSaved By: Grace Through FaithSaved For: Good Works Prepared in AdvanceRemember Where You WereThe Power of "But Now"He Himself is Our PeaceAccess to the FatherBuilt Together
February
Receivers of RevelationFellow Heirs TogetherThe Unsearchable RichesStrength for the Inner BeingMore Than We Ask or ThinkThe Therefore of Christian LivingMaintaining the Unity of the SpiritGrace Measured Out in DiversityEquipped for Ministry, Growing Toward MaturityThe Gospel Center of It AllThe New Self & Truthful CommunityThe New Self & Righteous AngerThe New Self & Honest LaborThe New Self & Edifying SpeechThe New Self & Gracious ForgivenessBeloved Children Who ImitateThe Incompatibility of DarknessFrom Darkness to LightLight That Exposes and TransformsAwake, O Sleeper
March
Walk CarefullyRedeem the TimeUnderstand the Will of the LordBe Filled With the SpiritThe Mystery of Marriage and the GospelThe Foundation of the FamilyThe Beauty of Willing SubmissionThe Standard of Sacrificial LoveThe Profound MysteryLeave, Be Joined, Become OneSubmission as WorshipLeadership as StewardshipWorking for an Unseen EmployerThe Cross Overturns the World's ValuesParticipating in the Work He is DoingThe Source of Your StrengthKnowing Your Real EnemyArmor for the Evil DayThe Weapon of PrayerPeace, Love, Faith, and GraceThe King Who StoopsThe King Who Makes PeaceThe King Who Redeems
April
The King Who SendsBehold Your KingThe Spices That Were Never NeededThe Stone Already Rolled AwayHe is Not HereAnd PeterGo and TellThe Owner of EverythingThe Faithful StewardThe Cheerful GiverThe Pattern of ChristSowing and ReapingThe Ministry of RestorationCrushing Weights & Daily PacksSharing All Good ThingsGod is Not MockedDoing Good to EveryoneThe Good Master: Knowing Who Holds It AllThe Faithful Servant: Obedience Over ExcellenceThe Buried Talent: When Fear WinsEnter the Joy: The Reward That Outlasts EverythingNo Fear. Only Faith. A Week of Walking It Out
May
Learning the SecretStrength For the Generous LifePartners in the GospelFruit That Abounds to Your AccountA God Who Fills to the FullThe Second BirthThe Wind of the SpiritLifted Up For UsLoved By GodWalking in the LightThe God Who BuildsIn the Beginning, A FamilyChildren Are a Chosen GiftThe Cornerstone That Cannot Be MovedThe Home as a Witness to the WorldThe Foundation Before the Formula: Starting With the ShemaGrowing in Wisdom: Rooting Instruction in the WordGrowing in Stature: Preparing Them for the World AheadGrowing in Favor With God: Prioritizing What Matters MostGrowing in Favor With Others: Teaching Love and Faithfulness
No Comments