I’m a goal setter. I can’t help it. I love leadership materials by people who know how to achieve great things; John Maxwell for example. Goal-setting is a wonderful way to measure progress.
According to my life plan from 20 years ago, by now I was supposed to have earned my doctorate, be teaching at a respectable seminary and publish several books and articles. Those goals turned out to not be a part of God’s plan for me. So far none of that has happened, but many other amazing things have happened.
As I think about how we will progress through the month of March in a joint study called One Month to Live, the subtitle: “30 Days to a No-Regrets life” gives pause to stop and see how you and I have been doing on our life goals. One of the principle reasons for failure is that we don’t stop and include God in our goal-setting.. Think of the great victory experienced by God’s people at Jericho . What happened next? Joshua sent men to spy out the land of Ai. He failed to stop and seek God’s plan ~ he simply moved instinctively. The men of Ai sent them running away with 36 casualties of battle. Finally in Joshua 7:6 He wept and grieved and God was able to point out some sin among the people. 
Once free from that sin, they would forever remember to listen carefully for the voice of God to lead them and follow all of His instructions. Well, they remembered it for a little while. Allow me to offer you some ideas for goals that God is interested in setting with you for 2010. Hopefully they will help you establish a “No-Regrets” lifestyle.
In the midst of your quiet time as you pray and dig into God’s powerful Word, write down a few short lists:
A) Set 2 Spiritual Goals (2 Pet. 3:18) “18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity” 
B) Set 2 Physical Goals (Rom. 12:1) “1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ”
C) Set 2 Mental Goals (Rom. 12:2) “2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
D) Set 2 Social Goals (Rom.12:10) “10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor ”
E) Set 2 Stewardship Goals (Luke 6:38) “38 Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
March `10 will be a busy month as we find our places of service and help the Arise race (April 3 - race forms available at http://www.fbckvmo.org/) become a major outreach event. It will get even busier as we prepare an amazing Easter Cantata on April 4th.
My challenge to you is to so thoroughly set your goals with God that you prevent the “tyranny of the urgent” from taking over and setting our agendas. Kerry Shook refers to our lives as the dash between two dates. In his book he asks “Are you living for the DASH, knowing fully who you are and why you are here? Or dashing to live, hurriedly spending precious time chasing things that don’t really matter..”
Isaiah 46:9-11 says “9 Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10Declaring the end from the beginning, ... saying, 'My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure'; 11 ... truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it. ”
It’s not just a cliché, God really does have an amazing plan for your life. A plan that will bring you far greater joy and challenge than you ever thought you could accomplish. I look forward to the results of these next 30 days.
In His service and love,
Pastor Marty
Learning to live a
“No-Regrets” life
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