I love to stoke it! I'm talkin' about the momentum towards the Lord and His will being done here.
Have you asked: What do you want me to know and do?
You and I believer, desire to go the distance with the blessing of momentum.. to be all that Christ saved us for, that He wants us to be!
I'm talking about advancing forward spiritually -- that progression, not spiritual digression. Yes, about seekin' Him, prayin' in the Spirit, and stoking the flames of red-hot authentic revival (inside and out) that spawns healthy evangelistic fervor in this world.
"Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." —Paul, Philippians 3:12-14 amp
In other words: Hey Bro, I’m not sayin' that I've got this all together, that I have it made in the shade with lemonade. God is beckoning us onward—close to and with Jesus Christ. Personally, I’m off and sprinting towards Him and His will for me, and I’m not turnin' or headed back. Zero need for this world-system! Don't need it. I ain't perfect, prayerless or flawless. I don't know it all. I'm really haven’t learned all that I should yet, but I have chosen to ADVANCE the right way, to keep working toward that day when I will meet Him face to face.
Do you remember when Mo gained some mighty Mo from the Mighty One heading through that Red Sea with the newly freed children of Israel?
A whole lot of Israelites had suffered long, had prayed, and had waited, and then prayed some more. Moses, together with them and with the Lord leading out (of Egypt), enjoyed such sweet momentum in the right direction! It was time for it!
Letting Go of what's behind and Pressing On is more than important! Pressing On Keeping Jesus as Lord.. just Living All-out for Him in His will for His Glory and what Lasts.. That's Imperative!
The moment you’re born again, you’re not stepping into a garden stroll—you’re thrust into a spiritual race.
Are you a Christian digressing, progressing or standing still?
Walking with Jesus is Important to Do:
- Colossians 2:6: "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him."
- 1 John 2:6: "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."
- Matthew 4:19: "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people."
- John 10:27: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."
- 1 Peter 2:21: "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."
- John 8:12: "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"
- 1 John 1:7: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
I only compete with myself! Q: Are you a finisher? Do you fight right? Are you too weighed down, or freely running your race inside your lane according to the rules (in the will of God)? Are you in hot pursuit of knowing Christ and gaining a heavenly prize?
- Hebrews 12:1-2: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."
chinese buffet this body!
- 1 Corinthians 9:24-25: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable."
- Philippians 3:14: "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
- 2 Timothy 4:7: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
The Christian race requires perseverance, endurance, and steadfastness in the face of different challenges, various opposition, and attractive temptations.
Looking to and walking with Jesus, our ultimate example of faith and endurance, is SO crucial for running the race and finishing well.
Laying Aside Every Weight And The Sin Is Needed Today.. Now: Believers are encouraged in the Word to shed all that's unnecessary -- anything that hinders their progress and momentum. Yes, that includes sin.
You and I don't have time for a whole lot of good things that would burn time-involvement with the best Person and His Best things for you and me.
Jesus is the ultimate Prize for us. The goal is not just participation. You know gaining a partisipant's-ribbon, but it's winning the prize, which refers to eternal life and certain rewards in heaven.
A serious, high-stakes, all-in pursuit of Jesus Christ and His calling for your life. Paul wasn’t just suggesting this metaphor as a clever image—he lived it, breathed it, bled it. “I press on,” he said (Philippians 3:12 NKJV), and with that phrase, he put the grit back into grace.
This race is not for spectators. It’s for those who know they haven’t arrived—and aren’t pretending they have. Spiritual maturity doesn’t strut; it presses forward. The spiritually alive are not the ones standing still, admiring their own progress. They are dissatisfied with their current closeness to Christ and hungry for more. They burn with a holy discontent, a longing for deeper intimacy, cleaner motives, and greater usefulness.
Paul makes it plain: he considered everything he once prized—his status, pedigree, achievements—as dung (Philippians 3:8). That’s not polite language. It’s earthy, raw, deliberate. In the Greek, the word skubalon referred to trash, even human waste. Paul wasn’t sanitizing his past; he was surrendering it. Why? Because nothing compares to knowing Christ. Nothing.
Here's the piercing question for every believer running this race:
Is this thing I’m holding—this habit, this relationship, this pursuit—a wing or a weight?
Does it propel me forward toward Christ or drag me away in delay? Hebrews 12:1 echoes this call to clarity: “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance.” Not every weight is a sin, but every sin is a weight—and both must be dropped.
Barna Research recently found that over 60% of Christians feel spiritually stagnant. One reason? They're carrying too much cargo that God never asked them to drag. Busyness isn’t the same as progress. Movement isn’t the same as momentum. And momentum toward Christ—red-hot, soul-awakening, obedience-fueled momentum—is the currency of revival.
C.S. Lewis once said, “The only thing Christianity cannot be is moderately important.”
Either Christ is everything, or He is nothing. Either the race matters, or it doesn’t. And if it does—if eternity is real, if Jesus is Lord, and if the prize is worth it—then we must run like it. That’s not legalism. That’s love. That’s surrender.
Let’s pray, sow to the Spirit (not to the flesh or to the world) and rightly stoke the flames spiritually and practically!
Pray for movement in Christ, not just exciting, fleeting emotions. Pray for progress, not just perspective. A. W. Tozer said, “Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth.” So we reject spiritual cruise control. We fan the flame of revival, one step at a time, one choice at a time. Momentum is a mercy—don’t waste it.
As the old hymn says:
“I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I onward bound,
‘Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.’”
We aren’t running for a trophy that rusts. We’re chasing the face of the One who ran to the cross for us. The prize isn’t a platform, a paycheck, or applause. The prize is Jesus Himself.
So shake off the weights. Throw off what doesn’t matter. Refuse to coast. And above all, don’t stop. Because Christ has laid hold of you—for something greater. Don’t settle for less.
Run not just to run, but to win. That's what Paul did!
Momentum in God’s Direction: When Faith Moves Forward
The children of Israel didn’t stroll through the Red Sea by accident—they moved in step with God’s leading, carried by the holy momentum of deliverance. After centuries of praying, waiting, and more praying, the tide turned. The Lord raised up Moses, the sea split open, and the people marched forward—not backward. That’s momentum in the right direction: God-breathed, leader-followed, people-moved.
Momentum is one of the most underrated spiritual principles in the Christian life. We often pray for breakthrough, but forget that breakthrough can travel on tracks that have previous been laid. A high-speed train doesn’t need permission to move mountains; it just needs motion. Even a slow train at 55 mph can smash through a concrete wall. But the same train, at a standstill, can be blocked by something as small as a rock under its wheels.
Here’s the insight: It’s not your size, strength, or speed—it’s whether or not you’re moving.
Need a verse to memorize and pray about? The Apostle Paul had this fire in his bones:
“I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” (Philippians 3:12)
He wasn’t coasting. He wasn’t content. He was moving forward with holy ambition. The spiritually mature don’t rest on their past. They hunger for more of Christ today.
Momentum has been called a real leader’s second best friend after knowing the Lord—and Scripture confirms the importance of walking with the Lord and gaining the Mighty Mo.
In Judges 6, Gideon went from hiding in a winepress to leading an army because momentum shifted. David slung one stone in faith, and momentum fell Goliath-sized barriers. When God is in it, movement matters.
Need a sound warning in this area? Momentum can exaggerate everything: with it, problems might feel smaller than they are, but hope feels stronger. Without it, even minor setbacks can feel heartbreaking and crushing. That’s why godly leaders go to God first each day—and godly lives—must dig in the Word while building momentum. They guard and prioritize their relationships with Jesus first. They guard momentum and even steward momentum.
But How Kurt?
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Start With Prayerful Obedience To The Word
Revival starts at home. If your spiritual engine is cold, don’t expect the train to move. Ask yourself: Am I spiritually red-hot, or lukewarm and idle? Jesus said, “Be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19). Light the fire with prayer, Word-soaked living, and honest repentance. -
Lay Aside Every Worldly Weight And The Sin (Ignore The Demands Of Mr. Lu-Cifer And Your Fleshly Nature)
Paul called his former accomplishments “rubbish” (skubalon—literally, refuse) in comparison to knowing Christ (Phil. 3:8). Examine your life: Is that relationship, habit, or priority a wing or a weight? Hebrews 12:1 says we must drop the weight to run free. -
Take Small Steps Of Obedience In Christ, Build Small Wins Into Big Movement
Choose to rejoice in the Lord and celebrate progress. The wins are a blessing for us. Every act of obedience, every answered prayer, every testimony is fuel for the next mile. God designed momentum to multiply. Like Psalm 84:7 says, “They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God.” -
Model Red-Hot Passion For The Word and Will of God, And For Some Positivity Too
How often do you turn on Bible-loyal Worship music, songs and sing along to God. As leaders, Christians, parents, teachers, or teammates, we can set the tone. Teach you first. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (See Matthew 6:33-334). Got decent gifts. Use em or lose em. Remember when Paul told Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6). Enthusiasm isn’t mere noise and a smile—it’s faith put into the right motion. Forward! -
Keep Jesus The Main Focus. Brag On And Point People Towards Him. Keep the Main Things The Main Things, Not the Secondary Things! Maintain Your Vision In Focus
In Nehemiah’s day, the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt in 52 days because the people “had a mind to work” (Nehemiah 4:6). We don't want to work too much, becoming too busy for our alone time with God or our families. The goal was clear. God’s hand was evident there. They stayed vigilant and spiritual. The momentum forward was unstoppable!
Real-World Reminder For Us
A 2023 Barna survey found that over 60% of self-identified Christians in America say they feel “stuck” in their faith. And why? It's because they’ve lost all momentum. They’re saved—but stalled. They believe—but they're barely moving right. Hey, get up off your blessed assurance and go forward with your Chief Shepherd leading you.
Jesus didn’t call us to stay parked in the church parking lot. He said, "Go ye" "Go..tell." Mark 5:19
Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden. Jesus wants that, He commanded, “Follow Me.” That means movement. Just repent and believe in Jesus who gives growth and momentum. Yes, that means growth. That means forward.
There's a decent hymn that goes:
“Higher ground, Lord, lift me up,
And let me stand, by faith, on Heaven’s tableland.”
Never forget! Spiritual Awakening and real Revival aren’t just events—these are about the blessing of momentum shifting people back toward the Word, will and heart of God. And it begins with you and me. So stoke the fire (not strange fire) with me. Don't remail stationary or static. Get into motion forward, not backwards. You can’t steer a parked car—or a stationary bike or an apathic soul.
So ask yourself: Am I gaining holy momentum, or am I resisting the movement of God? Start small. Pray big. Obey quickly. Keep going. Because when the Spirit of God starts moving—don’t miss the train.
Have you been forgiven of all your wrong-doin's yet? Getting saved, following Jesus and winning souls unto him is way IMPORTANT, but let's also talk about momentum unto victory in different areas! Are you Christ's rep in this world?
I played football for some years. Then I surfed and sailed with my brothers until I was 22. Haven't done every sport, but there is a lot to learn in sports.
My family used to play beach volleyball a whole lat down at a placed called Hole in the Fence in Capo Beach, California (which was just that, a hole in a chainlink fence entering onto the sand), and at other beaches as well.
My older brother Kevin and I were hitters playing volleyball at Dana Hills High School and my little brother Kyle played Volleyball at Pepperdine, Malibu. Later on he earned his pro rating on the beach in a doubles tournament with an eye doctor. Volleyball was kind of a family thing for us all.
We did notice that it pays to generate some momentum in several sports. Sometimes when you're ahead in a VB game and you gain some momentum to take the team all the way home -- that's exactly what everyone with you wants. In fact, when you gain a bit of momentum, you really desire to gain a lot more of it to lock the victory down so to speak. It's only right to desire total victory when it's not in something wrong. God made us to want to lock it down. Too many people today want to get too generous with those losing the game.. to give the other teams a bunch of points to pretty much catch up some, but that's not normal. Sometimes those teams catch up and beat you.
All the kids get a ribbon for participating these days, like they are somehow equally victorious, but rewards are to go to those who earn them. Please don't you be that type of over-epathetic soccer mom or uber-softy-communist-like-dad.
Just give them a hug or handshake after you smoke em bad.. after your team just blows them out of the water. The total victory is what is normal to desire. Run your race to win the race, not just to run. Fight your fight to win, not just to fight. When you are drafted off to fight in a just war, then win and o lock it down to protect innocent countrymen.
My brothers are more competitive than I am, but I remember we beat the Laguna Beach Artists one game up the coast and it felt so good because they had been the VB champions of the South Coast. I just challenge you to pray first, to give it your all in whatever God calls you to do, to gain some momentum and then lock it down with a win under your belt for the glory of God. When you have some momentum, gain some more momentum, and lock it down.
There's a worldly way to win outside the Kingdom, and then there is a proper way to win as a chlid of God. The idea of "winning properly" for Christians can be a good thing if you don't cheat or stomp on heads, but we like using terms like "spiritual victory," "overcoming," or "persevering unto the end."
1.) Overcoming the world: 1 John 5:4 mentions that those born of God overcome the world through faith, emphasizing victory over sin and worldly influence.
Victory through Christ: Scriptures like 1 Corinthians 15:57 highlight that victory is granted through Jesus Christ, relying on God's power rather than personal strength.
More than conquerors: Romans 8:37 states that believers are "more than conquerors" through Christ, signifying triumph over challenges due to God's presence.
2.) Running the race with integrity and purpose
Running the race to win: The Christian life is compared to a race in which believers are encouraged to run to receive the prize. This represents a focused effort towards spiritual growth and God's calling.
Competing according to the rules: 2 Timothy 2:5 emphasizes competing according to the rules to receive a crown, underscoring the importance of obedience to God's commands and living with integrity.
3.) Pursuing excellence and good works
God's call to excellence: Christians are called to excellence to reflect God's character, striving for moral excellence and virtue. This is exemplified in 2 Peter 1:5.
Working smart and heartily as unto the Lord -- yes, for the glory of Jesus alone is a good thing: Colossians 3:23-24 encourages dedicated work "as working for the Lord," emphasizing diligence driven by the desire to honor God rather than personal gain.
God in the Bible encourages Christians to pursue a life of victory characterized by going forward in spiritual triumph over sin, over Satan and his gang, over the corrupt world system and over the fleshly nature within.
Sure, there's in the internal foe [fleshly nature], the external foe [the world system] and the infernal foe [that the demonic enemy that tempts you to sin], but perseverance in Christ through all difficulties, with integrity, character development and momentum unto excellence are all founded on faith in God's Word and the desire to please and glorify Him. Jesus locked down the ultimate victory on the Cross and came out of the tomb for you. He's praying for you. Not with selfish ambition or other inverted reasons, let's live victorious for Him as good examples.
