COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Tell me about yourself?

- The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest back and work up to the present.

2. Why did you leave your last job?
- Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a majorproblem with management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers or the organization. If you do, you will be the one looking bad. Keep smiling and talk about leaving for a positive reason such as an opportunity, a chance to do something special or other forward-looking reasons.

3. What experience do you have in this field?

- Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can.

4. Do you consider yourself successful?

- You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others.

5. What do co-workers say about you?

- Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always said I was the hardest workers she had ever known. It is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself.

6. What do you know about this organization?

- This question is one reason to do some research on the organization before the interview. Find out where they have been and where they are going. What are the current issues and who are the major players?

7. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?

- Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones handy to mention.

8. Are you applying for other jobs?

- Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focuson this job and what you can do for this organization. Anything else is a distraction.

9. Why do you want to work for this organization?

- This may take some thought and certainly, should be based on the research you have done on the organization. Sincerity is extremely important here and will easily be sensed. Relate it to your long-term career goals.

10. Do you know anyone who works for us?

- Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization. This can affect your answer even though they asked about friends not relatives. Be careful to mention a friend only if they are well thought of.

PROBLEMS

K.L.Biakchungnunga

          No one can avoid having problems.

          Being born as human, we have to struggle for our survival. Right from our entry into this world from our mother’s womb, our struggle for survival starts. It is a deadly struggle not only for the baby, but for the mother as well. Many a mother died in the struggle to deliver a baby. Many a baby died too in its struggle to come out of the mother’s womb.

          Problem is what necessitates struggles. The word ‘struggle’ presupposes problem. It is what makes struggle struggle-some. Take away all the problems and the need to struggle will disappear automatically.

          The size of a problem cannot be measured by what it is. It has no objective validity. The bigness or smallness of a problem is determined by how it affects us. We may have what seems to be the same experience. But the degree of our vulnerability to the experience may vary. While my normal life goes on as usual under the weight and pressure of the experience, it may be ‘a matter of life and death’ for you. So, the size of a problem does not consist in what it is in itself, but how it affects us as the victims.

          I remember one young beautiful girl admitted to the Hospital in my home town. I was a small boy then. She was lying adjacent to my sister-in-law. The reason she was admitted to the Hospital was more of mental than physical illness. Her boyfriend dumped her. Since then, she did not take any food. She didn’t respond when she was talked to. Even the doctors couldn’t make her talk. She would simply stare at them with her blank eyes.

One morning, she was isolated with a wall of curtains hanging around her bed. There was a small opening through which I was watching her and I saw the doctor hitting her on the face trying to awaken her senses by means of physical pains. She died soon after that. ‘Being dumped’ may be a common teenage-experience. Many of us survived the experience somehow, no matter how deep the cut was. For some, it takes months for the wounds to get healed. For others, it is only a matter of a day or two before they find a new mate to go steady with. May be, they are not really in love, I don’t know. But for this poor girl, the experience proved fatal.

The size of a problem is subjective. Its substantiality is measured in relation to the strength of our resistance. If we take it lightly with our emotions under control, its size is thought to be small. If our strength drains under its weight, we think the problem is big.

The subjective reality of problems is what makes education important. The primary focus of education is, as I understand, to prepare us for life’s challenges, for the problems we are going to wrestle with and for the storms of hardships that will invade our lives. Education prepares us to solve not only mathematical problems, but the problems in real life. The education that produces intellectual giants who easily succumb to life’s challenges fails in its mission. When an educated man commits suicide, I always question the validity of education for the making of one’s personality.

If education is insufficient to equip one for the battle against frustrations in life, that is where God must step in.When I was very young in my journey of faith, I believed that God would take away all the problems and troubles that stand my way. Of course, He did just that many a time. But now I am quite mature in faith compared to those days. Many of my prayers for God to remove my problems go unanswered. At first, I was wondering why. Had God forsaken me?

Paul had a thorn in his flesh. He asked God to take away the thorn from his flesh. He asked three times. Each time, God gave him the same answer – “My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Slowly I realize that this is what God is doing in my life. Instead of taking away my problems, He is strengthening me with His grace to overcome my problems.

How can God’s grace become enduring in our lives?

I can never become bigger than my self. I am the size of my self. More often than not, my problems are bigger than my size and I feel immobilized and defeated. If only I could become bigger than my self, then, I could overcome my problems. It is the purpose of God to make us bigger than our ‘selves’. Our natural self has growth limits. Once its limit is reached, it is no use to try to expand its boundaries. To make it bigger, it has to be broken. That is what the cross is all about – brokenness. Brokenness of self.

Once the self is broken, the brokenness will be substantiated by the grace of God. Grace in this context can imply peace, humility, serenity and equanimity that come from God. The grace of God dwelling in us, we have a deep sense of peace within us. Now the sea of our lives is calm and serene, we feel organized and integrated. We not only become one with God, we become one with ourselves.

Now we are ready to face any mountain of problems with grace. Fear is frozen. Confusion is consumed. We are filled with calmness and peace. We are filled with grace. We can face any challenge, any problem, any trial with a sense of equanimity. There’s no too high a mountain we cannot climb. There’s no too gigantic a problem we cannot conquer. That is what being bigger than one’s self is all about. We become more than who and what we are. We become one with the universe. Then, the problems melt within us. They are like a good food properly digested for nourishment and energy. Then we feel stronger and activated. We grow and expand. We become bigger still.   

 Problems can be compared to weight-lifting. It can be both destructive and constructive. For a weak person, the weight can be too heavy, it can crush him down and pin him to the ground. But for a strong and healthy person, the weight develops muscles and it builds the body to become even stronger. The heavier the weight, the stronger it makes him grow. For weight-lifting to be constructive and body-building, the lifter has to go to the limit, to the extent of screaming in pains and tears. To lift an extra lift when no more strength is left is a prayer for more strength, it is a step for stronger strength.

Problems can be both a trial and a triumph.

Jesus talks about two house builders in his sermon on the mount. One builds his house on rock and the other builds on sand. The rains poured down, the rivers overflowed and the wind blew hard against both houses. The one built on sand collapsed to the ground. The one built on rock stood firm and withstood the winds and storms. In this parable, problems are talked about in the form of rains, tides, winds and storms. The acid test of the quality of both houses come in the form of problems. Problems bring to light the hidden quality of both the houses. Both houses are tested and validated. In the end, the house on rock withstands the trials – it wins the victory.

The strength of a rope is determined by its weakest point.

I think the two houses are similar in all respects. The materials used for their construction are of the same kind and quality. Both houses have the same size and height with the same design. Their only difference lies in the foundation. One has rock for its foundation and the other is founded on sand. For the first house, the foundation is its strong point and for the second house, the foundation becomes its weak point. Just as a rope when pulled from both ends breaks at its weakest point, the house built on sand breaks and collapses under trial and pressure.

We need foundation for our lives. The foundation has to be firm and secure like a solid rock. What can give us a secure and firm foundation for our lives? There are moral virtues which are enduring – honesty, truth and justice – for instance. Honesty is to be who and what one is. It requires one to say what is, not what one feels like saying nor what one wants to say. We don’t need to pretend to be someone we are not. For that is hypocrisy. We simply have to be just the persons we are. That requires humility to accept who and what we are. It requires courage to expose our true selves no matter the price we have to pay.

The best definition of truth is – what is. Appearance is not truth. Sometimes, things are not what they appear to be. Truth often hides behind the appearances. Truth is the essence of things and beings. It is the core meaning of all things – material and immaterial. In order to know truths, we need to seek them. To seek is a matter of the heart and mind. To become a seeker of truths, we need to ask questions, fundamental questions of life. We need to become meditative and contemplative. We need to listen not only to what people say, but what they mean to say and even what they don’t say. We need to listen to their silence too. To become seekers of truth, we need to understand why people say what they say and more importantly, what makes them say what they say.

In every experience in life, we need to seek truths we have to live by, truths to guide our decisions. When you are falsely accused, you need truth to control your boiling emotions. When someone supersedes you in your profession, you need truth to guide your steps to make things right. When you face temptations, you need truth to give you courage to say ‘no’. When you feel compelled to have a voice on important moral issues like abortion, pre-marital sex, homosexuality, gay rights, stem-cell research, live-in relationships, euthanasia, pornography, feminist movements, total prohibition, sexual abuse, substance abuse, family planning, etc. you need truths to guide your thoughts and frame your ideas. That’s why we say we must be seekers of truths. 

Truth never changes. Therefore, seekers of truths are solid and firm like a rock. They are responsible, accountable and trustworthy. They can be trusted for their words and promises. They cannot be bought and bribed to violate truths. Truth is truth. It can never compromise. So are the seekers of truth, they cannot compromise. A student who applies for scholarship with false statements is not a seeker of truth. A man who takes the interests of government’s money invested in the bank can never be called a man of truth. Both of them are like a house built on sand. They will not withstand trials and tests. They will collapse in the face of trials and hardships.

Justice has no relatives. It is human nature to favor our relatives. It is easy to do justice to those who are not related to us in matters that demand punishment for crimes. To live a life of justice is costly. There is a price we have to pay. We may have to lose our friends, we may have to lose the love of our dear ones. We may have to live lonely lives. Looking through the spectacles of justice, there are no friends or foes, relatives or strangers. There are only two groups of people – the innocent and the guilty. The sense of justice constrains us to give each individual in question what is due to him. Compromise has no room in the kingdom of justice.

If your life is driven by sense of honesty, sense of truth and sense of justice – you will withstand the trials of life, no matter how insurmountable they appear to be. Having these moral virtues as your life’s foundation, your integrity will remain unchallenged, come what may. Your self-image will develop self-respect and you will feel good about yourself. You will be proud of who you are. This sense of pride in being yourself will command your environment. And you will have serenity of heart to accept problems in all their sizes. You will have moral courage to seize them by the horns and keep them under control.

We human beings are the only creatures God did not finish. We’ve got to finish our own creation. We will decide who and what we will be. Adam and Eve decided to eat the forbidden fruit. Their decision turned their lives upside-down which ultimately led them out of Eden. Samson decided to have Delilah as his darling and he was eventually hypnotized by her charms and beauty. Her tender care lulled him to a false sense of security. She then hushed him to a deep sleep till his super-natural strength was drained to dregs. His decision made him blind at the prime of his youth. King David decided to sleep with Bathsheba, the wife of his General Uriah. His momentary decision made his life topsy-turvy till the day he died. To a rather frightening degree, we are what we decide to be. A wrong decision is always followed by dire consequences.

You might not decide what problems you will face, but you can decide how you will face them. You may not chose your experiences, but you can decide how you are going to interpret them. You cannot direct how people will treat you, but you can decide how you are going to react.

Struggle comes with problems. Struggle is a natural process of our evolution.

Once a science teacher brought a cocoon to the classroom. He told the students that they were going to watch a real drama of how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. He told them not to help but simply watch as the butterfly struggles to come out of the cocoon. He left the classroom to come back after an hour. With enthusiasm and curiosity, the children watched as the butterfly struggled to come out.

It looked like a helpless struggle for the butterfly had to stop in the process a number of times. Filled with pity and care, one boy stepped forward, tore the cocoon open and took the butterfly out. By the time the teacher returned, the butterfly was lying dead near its torn cocoon. The students told him what had happened. With calmness and concern, the teacher explained to the bunch of students that it is the law of nature for the butterfly to struggle because as it struggles to come out of the cocoon, the struggle helps develop and strengthen the wings. And by the time it comes out, it would be ready to fly. Now it lies dead because the boy had deprived the butterfly of its struggle to strengthen its wings.

There is a ‘butterfly’ in all of us. By the time of our birth, we had struggled to come out from the cocoon of mother’s womb. That is the law of nature. We came out crying because that is how we inhale and exhale the air for our survival. It is the law of nature that we have to struggle from one problem to another in the process of our evolution from one stage of life to another. The more we struggle, the stronger we become. The stronger we become, the better is our chance for survival. Survival is not a matter of life and death only, it is rather a matter of degree – from crawling to toddling, from toddling to walking, from walking to running, from running to flying – right from the cradle to the grave till we reach Heaven which is the highest state of life.

PERSONALITY TEST

Take this Personality Test

Take this test and no cheating. You will find it interesting.

There are 10 questions.

Make sure you change the subject of the e-mail to your total. When you're finished, forward this to everyone you know and the person who sent it to you. Make sure you put your score in as the subject also.

1. When do you feel you’re best?

    (a) In the morning

    (b) During the afternoon and early evening

    (c) Late at night

2. You usually walk

    (a) Fairly fast, with long steps

    (b) Fairly fast, but with short, quick steps

    (c) Less fast, head up, looking the world in the face

    (d) Less fast, head down

    (e) Very slowly

3. When talking to people, you

    (a) Stand with your arms folded

    (b) Have your hands clasped

    (c) Have one or both your hands on your hips

    (d) Touch or push the person to whom you are talking

    (e) Play with your ear, touch your chin, or smooth your hair

4. When relaxing, you sit with

    (a) Your knees bent and your legs neatly side by side

    (b) Your legs crossed

    (c) Your legs stretched out or straight

    (d) With one leg curled under you

5. When something really amuses you, you react with

    (a) A big, appreciative laugh

    (b) A laugh, but not a loud one

    (c) A quiet chuckle

    (e) A sheepish smile

6. When you go to a party or social gathering, you

    (a) Make a loud entrance so everyone notices you

    (b) Make a quiet entrance, looking around for someone you know

    (c) make quietest possible entrance and try to stay unnoticed

7. You are working hard, concentrating hard. You are interrupted. You:

    (a) Welcome the break

    (b) Feel extremely irritated

    (c) Vary between these two extremes

8. Which of the following colors do you like most?

    (a) Red or orange

    (b) Black

    (c) Yellow or light blue

    (d) Green

    (f) White

    (g) Brown or gray

9. When you are in bed at night, in those last few moment before going to sleep, you lie

    (a) Stretched out on your back

    (b) Stretched out face down on your stomach

    (c) On your side, slightly curled

    (d) With your head on one arm

    (e) With your head under the covers

10. You often dream that you are

    (a) Falling

    (b) Fighting or struggling

    (c) Searching for something or somebody

    (d) Flying or floating

    (e) You usually have a dreamless sleep

    (f) Your dreams are always pleasant

POINTS:

1. (a) 2 (b) 4 (c) 6

2. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 7 (d) 2 (e) 1

3. (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 5 (d) 7 (e) 6

4. (a) 4 (b) 6 (c) 2 (d) 1

5. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 2

6. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 2

7. (a) 6 (b) 2 (c) 4

8. (a) 6 (b) 7 (c) 5 (d) 4 (e) 3 (f)2 (g) 1

9. (a) 7 (b) 6 (c) 4 (d) 2 (e) 1

10. (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 6 (f)1

Add the total number of points.

OVER 60 POINTS:

Others see you as someone they should "handle with care."You are seen as vain, self-centered, and extremely dominant. Others may admire you and wish they could be more like you, but they don't always trust you and hesitate to become too deeply involved with you.

FROM 51 TO 60 POINTS:

Your friends see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive personality; a natural leader, quick to make decisions (though not always the right ones). They see you as bold and venturesome, someone who will try anything once; someone who takes a chance and enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement you radiate.

FROM 41 TO 50 POINTS:

Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting; someone who is constantly the center of attention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to your head. They see you also as kind, considerate, and understanding; someone who will cheer them up and help them out.

FROM 31 TO 40 POINTS:

Other people see you as sensible, cautious, careful, and practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too quickly or too easily, but someone who is extremely loyal to the friends you do make and who expects the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you realize that it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but, equally, that it takes you a long time to get over it if that trust is broken.

FROM 21 TO 30 POINTS:

Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very, very cautious and extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It would really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment. They expect you to examine everything carefully from every side and then, usually decide against it. They think this reaction on your part is caused partly by your careful nature and partly by laziness.

UNDER 21 POINTS:

People think you are shy, nervous, and indecisive, someone who needs to be looked after, who always wants someone else to make the decisions and who doesn't want to get involved with anyone or anything. They see you as a worrier, who sees problems that don't exist. Some people think you're boring. Only the people who know you well know that you aren't.

FIGHTING between PROFESSIONS

Two attorneys boarded a flight out of Seattle. One sat in the window seat, the other sat in the middle seat. Just before takeoff, a physician got on and took the aisle seat next to the two attorneys. The physician kicked off his shoes, wiggled his toes and was settling in when the attorney in the window seat said, "I think I'll get up and get a coke."

"No problem," said the physician, "I'll get it for you."

While he was gone, one of the attorneys picked up the physician's shoe and spat in it. When he returned with the coke, the other attorney said, "That looks good, I think I'll have one too." Again, the physician obligingly went to fetch it and while he was gone, the other attorney picked up the other shoe and spat in it.

The Physician returned and they all sat back and enjoyed the flight. As the plane was landing, the Physician slipped his feet into his shoes and knew immediately what had happened.

"How long must this go on?" he asked.

"This fighting between our professions? This hatred? This animosity? This spitting in shoes and pissing in cokes?"

Sealed with a KISS

If you are my friend,

please answer this:

Are we friends

Or are we not?

You told me once

But I forgot.

So tell me now

And tell me true.

So I can say....

"I'm here for you."

Of all the friends

I've ever met,

You're the one

I won't forget.

And if I die

Before you do,

I'll go to heaven

And wait for you.

I'll give the angels

Back their wings

And risk the loss

Of everything.

Just to prove my

friendship is true..

to have a friend like you!

WHAT I HAVE "LEARNT"

I've learnt that you cannot make someone love you.

All you can do is be someone who can be loved.  The rest is up to them.

I've learnt that no matter how much I care, some

people just don't care back.

I've learnt that it takes years to build up trust,

and only seconds to destroy it.

I've learnt that it's not what you have in your

life, but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learnt that you can do something in an instant

that will give you a heartache for life.

I've learnt that no matter how thin you slice it,

there are always two sides.

I've learnt that you should always leave loved ones

with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I've learnt that we are responsible for what we do,

no matter how we feel.

I've learnt that there are people who love you

dearly, but just don't know how to show it.

I've learnt that true friendship continues to grow,

even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I've learnt that just because someone doesnt love

you the way you want them to,

doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learnt that maturity has more to do with

What types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from

them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I've learnt that no matter how good a friend someone is,

they're going to  hurt you every once in a while and you must

forgive them for that.

I've learnt that no matter how bad your heart is

broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learnt that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean

They don't love each other and just because they don't

argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I've learnt that we don't have to change friends if

we understand that friends change.

I've learnt that you shouldn't be so eager to find

out a secret; it could change your life forever.

I've learnt that there are many ways of falling and

staying in love.

I've learnt that the people you care most about in

life are taken from you too soon.

I've learnt that there are people who love you

dearly but just don't know how to show it.

I've learnt that even when I have pains, I don't

have to be one.

I've learnt that every day you should reach out and

touch someone; people love that human touch

(holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back).

And I've learnt that I still have a lot to learn.

A FORWARDED MAIL

Dear All,

Somebody may feel happy, somebody may feel bad

or bored to receive my forwarded mails. But why do I

forwardMails......?

Read below

When you have nothing to say,

But still want to keep in touch,

Guess what you do,

You forward mails!!!!

When you have something to say,

But don't know what,

Or don't know how,

Guess what you do,

You forward mails!!!!

When you have something to say,

But don't know why,

Guess what you do,

You forward mails!!!!

When you have something to say,

But don't have enough time,

Guess what you do,

You forward mails!!!!

When you are still wanted,

When you are still remembered,

When you are still important,

When you are still loved,

When you are still cared for,

Then what you get is a ......

A FORWARDED MAIL!

FRIENDSHIP

Many people will walk in and out of your life,

But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

To handle yourself, use your head;

To handle others, use your heart.

Anger is only one letter short of danger.

If someone betrays you once, it is his fault;

If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.

Great minds discuss ideas;

Average minds discuss events;

Small minds discuss people.

He who loses money, loses much;

He who loses a friend, loses much more;

He who loses faith, loses all

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature,

But beautiful old people are works of art.

Learn from the mistakes of others.

You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

Friends, you and me....

You brought another friend....

And then there were 3....

We started our group....

Our circle of friends....

And like that circle....

There is no beginning or end....

Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow is mystery.

Today is a gift.

MY SERMON on V'DAY

Exegetical Sermon on: Philippians 3:12-21

14^th.February.2010 (Sun) V’Day

Philippians: Paul's Joy in Christ

A Missionary Prayer Letter

(1)     The Philippians sent Paul at least four gifts to support his ministry (II Cor. 8:3-4; II Cor. 11:8-9; Phil. 4:10-14, 15-16). Paul is overjoyed with the encouragement and remembrance of their love for him and his love for them. Philippi was Paul’s pride and joy. Arms of friendship extended between Paul and the believers at Philippi that didn’t exist in the other churches. None of his other letters has such abundant expressions of tender personal dedication and benevolence as this letter. The letter is filled with expressions of gratitude and thankfulness for their expression of love and faithfulness which he has received on several occasions. Therefore, he can share from his heart his personal convictions and his internal conflicts about the future. It is filled with joy, peace and thanksgiving. The words "joy," "rejoicing," "rejoice" is repeated 16 times in these short 104 verses.

(2)     It was written from prison in the city of Rome (1:7, 13; 4:22). Paul refers to his imprisonment in 1:7, 13, 14; 2:17. According to Acts he was a prisoner at Philippi (16:23, Jerusalem (21:33ff), Caesarea (23:25) and Rome (28:16, 30, 31). Paul was in prison two years while at Caesarea, however no final decision in his case was ever expected there. He was in prison at Rome for two years, pending his appeal to Caesar.

If Lightfoot is correct, and his arguments are very solid, the letter was probably written before Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon, about a year after he arrive in Rome, between 62 and 63 A. D. as recorded in Acts 28:30. If the imprisonment of Paul began between the years 58-60, and ended before the burning of Rome in A. D. 64, logically the epistle would have been written during the time between this period.

3:12-14 Press On Towards It:

(1)     You will find a number of Christians today who claim to have attained sinless perfection. "I haven't sinned since 1978," they claim. Well, they certainly have - they just lied to you!

Remember that John wrote,

1John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

There is no way to be sinless while we are in these mortal bodies.

Remember, Rom. 14:23 ...whatever is not from faith is sin.

Paul on the verge of his death still claims that he wasn't there yet. He knew he was far from perfect. But he kept pressing on, kept persevering in the Christian walk.

(2)     Saying-Well begun is half done, but according to Paul, reaching the goal, pressing and striving forward to reach the goal is much more important. Illustration: I can run long distance…Marathon race, maybe we start very well and we are in the first front till the first 15 kms, but in marathon race we have to run 26 kms. So, they never give away the prize to someone who leads very well in half of the race, but the prize will be gone to the people who reached their destinations, goals well.

He uses the descriptive language of someone striving forward, pressing on, and reaching out. You can picture a hiker trying to make it to the peak of a mountain. A runner trying to make it to the end of a marathon. A swimmer trying to cross the English channel. An Olympic cyclist trying to win the race. Whatever illustration you keep in your mind, the words hold true: Rick Warren’s devotional book ‘Purpose Driven Life’ always touch me, we are all created for a special reason and everyone has to have a goals, a purpose in our processes of ministry.

(3)     Forget what lies behind. There is no bigger defeat than to dwell on what you have already past, how many miles you've already gone, how many steps you've already taken. Paul says that he was forgetting what lay behind and kept reaching forward.

This is how to avoid a trap in our Christianity. I have met a lot of people that say, "Oh yeah, I gave my life to Jesus back in the 60's. I was filled with the Spirit in 1974. I used to do street evangelism. But where are you doing now? You see, the past doesn't matter - it's already past. Are you growing in Christ now? Are you ministering now? Are you praying now? You can't rest on your laurels. What matters is where you're at in the Lord today.

The old saying goes, "Winners never quit, and quitters never win." Don't talk about what you did last year, ask yourself, "What am I doing this year?" Don't rest on the growth you experienced in the '90's. Ask yourself, "How much am I growing now?" Remember, Phil. 1:6 ...He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. God wants you to keep growing, to keep serving Him.

3:15-16 Attitudes

Well, if Paul hadn't yet become perfect, but wrote, "as many as are perfect," then what is he talking about? This is a different form of the word "perfect." Whereas before, Paul was talking about being perfectly completed, this time he is talking about being perfectly in the right place.

“When a baby boy is born, they weigh him, measure him, and take all his vital signs. If everything is as it should be, they say, "Congratulations, your child is perfect!" But ten years later, if your sons weighs 9 pounds, is bald, weak, and crying, something is terribly wrong. He was perfect for his age, for the state he was in. But that is not a completed perfection, it is a growing perfection. So before, Paul said, "I'm not there yet - I'm far from being perfectly completed." But then he was able to turn around and say, "Some of you are in a perfect place in your walk, in your growth. You're just where you should be today."

The people who are in that place should have the attitude of pressing on to the next step, to keep growing in God. A desire for continual growth is what Paul speak about here.

The Lord will not let you stagnate in your spiritual life without prompting.

When Adam fell into sin, the Lord entered the garden and asked him,

Gen. 3:9 ...“Where are you?” When Elijah ran away in fear and was hiding out in a cave, the Lord came to him and said,

1Kgs. 19:9 ...“What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Jesus asked His disciples, Luke 6:46 “...why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?"

Maybe the Lord has seen your attitude this evening - no desire to grow up into spiritual maturity, completely content with where you are. The Lord challenge us today - "Where are you? What are you doing here? Why do you call Me Lord if you won't do what I say?"

3:17-19 The Good And Bad Examples

We have talked in the past about the necessity of imitating the faith of people who are like Jesus. The writer of Hebrews said,

Hebr. 13:7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.

Today, we see these people in the form of those who are selling "cheap grace." Those who say, "Since I'm saved by grace, I can do what I want. All things are lawful for me." Paul's doctrine says right here that their end is destruction. They have fooled themselves. Christ died to forgive sin, not to give us a license to commit it.

How can you know if you're deceiving yourself? How can you make sure that you're not an enemy of the cross of Christ? Look at the descriptions Paul uses: Their God is their appetite. Do you live your life to serve your appetites for money, power, or sex? Do you follow after whatever you desire, no matter whether it's right or wrong?

He also says that their glory is their shame.

Finally, he says that their minds are set on earthly things. Where is your focus? Are you consumed with the things of this world? The cares and desires of this life? God doesn't want you to waste your precious life obsessing about the matters and pleasures of this life - it's so temporary. Is money your focus? Is it sports? Is it success? If your mind is set on this earth, you're in a bad place as a Christian, because this isn't supposed to be your permanent residence.

It is the enemies of the cross who have their minds set on earthly things. We must remember that we are not of this earth. The writer of Hebrews lists great people that had great faith in God, and then says that they...

Hebr. 11:13-14 ...confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. This world is not our home. We are aliens, strangers, pilgrims, and sojourners in it. We are people passing through. People who are traveling don't pack heavy. They don't get weighed down. They only bring what they need, and they accomplish their purpose.

We are too weighed down, too over-burdened. Many of us have forgotten our purpose for being here. It is to grow in Christ and lead people to Him. It is not to find fame and fortune.

3:20-21 Heavenly Citizenship

Our citizenship is in heaven, not here.

Col. 1:13 For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth to take us to heaven.

When you are waiting at the airport, how much thought do you give to making yourself comfortable for the long-term? Do you look around for the ideal place to set up a tent? Do you attempt to establish long-term residency? Of course not - it's simply a stop-over, a place you are temporarily in, but you're headed home. Most of us need this new perspective in relation to this earth.

Jesus Christ is coming soon, to bring us home. Are you watching and waiting?