In a motivational speech body builder/actor Arnold Schwarzenegger enthralled listeners with a story of his childhood which came to be the defining moment in his life. As an 11-year-old going to school one morning in his home town of Thal, Austria, young Arnold saw a poster of body builder Reg Park who also went to Hollywood to make movies. At that moment Arnold said to himself, “I want to be a body builder like Reg Park. I want to go to America and make movies. I want to make millions of dollars. I want to be famous.” From that point on, everything he did in his life was guided by that dream. At the conclusion of his speech Arnold said, “It all begins with your vision. What is your ultimate goal? If you don’t have a vision, all you will do is wander through life, probably very unhappy.”
While you may not be a huge fan of body building or appreciate the drama of “The Terminator” films, one has to give Arnold credit, he kept his eye on his goal and he achieved it. The question is, was Arnold’s goal the most important? Many, many people would say, “Yes, absolutely.” Others, would wonder, “Isn’t there something more valuable to shoot for than money and fame?”
The apostle Peter was probably a strong guy from all his years of fishing, but that wasn’t the point to his life. He had an encounter with Jesus Christ and that was the defining moment for him. Everything that he had known up until that point in his life now took a secondary place to knowing and living for Jesus. In a letter he wrote about 30 years after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter encouraged Christians to make the goal of their lives to be prepared to meet Jesus on Judgment Day. In an understated way he says, “The end of all things is near.” And then he goes on to describe a life dedicated to giving glory and honor to God rather than oneself. It’s definitely a counter-cultural message. But it does make one ask, “Is what I am living for going to mean anything when I die?”
Whether you are an incredible success or feel you are kind of wandering through life, join us for one of our weekend worship services. After hearing what Peter has to say, you might consider changing goals.
Weekend worship service times: Saturday: 6:00 pm – Sunday:
10:00 am
