Finishing Well - Archie Callahan

0.600000 2.520000 - Good morning, bridge church,

2.520000 5.840000 and welcome to the last Sunday of 2025.

5.840000 9.900000 We're looking right into the face of 2026.

9.900000 12.120000 Today I wanna speak to you just for a few minutes

12.120000 15.160000 on this subject, finishing well.

15.160000 18.280000 And we're going to look at the book of Hebrews in chapter 12,

18.280000 20.120000 and we're gonna look at two verses,

20.120000 23.640000 and then I'm gonna give you two things to finish in well.

23.640000 26.360000 Verse one says this, "Therefore we also,

26.360000 31.360000 since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

31.360000 34.320000 let us lay aside every weight,

34.320000 37.640000 and the sin which so easily ensnares us,

37.640000 42.640000 and let us run with endurance."

42.640000 45.080000 The race that is set before us,

45.080000 50.080000 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

50.080000 55.920000 Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross?

56.280000 59.840000 Dispising the shame, and a set down at the right hand

59.840000 62.720000 of a throne of God.

62.720000 67.480000 He is set down at the right hand of a throne of God.

67.480000 72.480000 Jesus is our example for finishing well.

72.480000 75.000000 There's a word that I love.

75.000000 77.040000 It's this word right here together.

77.040000 81.080000 What a beautiful word together.

81.080000 83.440000 Can I say this to you today?

83.440000 88.280000 We are better together than we are apart or alone.

88.280000 90.920000 God said in his word in Genesis chapter two,

90.920000 94.720000 it's not good for man to be alone.

94.720000 99.120000 I'm better because of you, and you're better because of me.

99.120000 102.920000 And in the New Testament, this word together permeates

102.920000 104.320000 the early church.

104.320000 106.320000 And Acts chapter two, verse 44,

106.320000 108.320000 it says, "All the believers were together

108.320000 111.480000 and had everything in common."

111.480000 115.600000 This illustrates the unity and shared life of the early church

115.600000 117.680000 that they were unified, that they were together.

117.680000 120.960000 They understood the power of togetherness

120.960000 123.720000 and the power of connection.

123.720000 128.720000 Romans 12, 5 says, "So in Christ we, though many form one body,

128.720000 133.360000 and each member belongs to all the others."

133.360000 136.720000 What a beautiful word together.

136.720000 138.600000 And this is what I want you to understand

138.600000 142.120000 on this last Sunday in 2025.

142.120000 145.440000 Together we can finish well.

145.440000 147.600000 Together we can finish well.

147.600000 148.880000 You might be asking pastor,

148.880000 151.960000 this has been a horrible year for me,

151.960000 154.120000 but I want you to get your hope up.

154.120000 156.600000 2026 is right around the corner.

156.600000 159.760000 And four days you'll be in a new year.

159.760000 162.920000 And over the next three days after today,

162.920000 166.320000 I want us to finish well together.

166.320000 169.120000 You might be saying, "How can we finish well together?"

169.120000 173.040000 Number one, you got to reflect on your journey.

173.040000 175.120000 We need to reflect on our journey together

175.120000 178.240000 and we need to reflect on our journey individually.

178.240000 182.280000 Paul said in Philippians 3, 13 through 14 brothers and sisters,

182.280000 186.400000 I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it,

186.400000 188.120000 but one thing I do,

188.120000 191.720000 forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

191.720000 195.040000 I press toward the goal to win the prize

195.040000 200.040000 for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

200.040000 202.120000 Paul is saying this.

202.120000 203.760000 You know, I haven't obtained everything,

203.760000 206.080000 I haven't done everything that I've wanted to do,

206.080000 207.760000 but one thing I do do,

207.760000 210.320000 I forget that which is behind me.

210.320000 214.280000 I'm not going to allow my past to rob me of my future.

214.280000 217.560000 And so as we begin to reflect on our journey,

217.560000 218.960000 we have to do three things.

218.960000 221.000000 We have to look back and learn.

221.000000 224.040000 Say that with me, look back and learn.

224.040000 225.800000 You have to learn from your failure

225.800000 228.520000 and you have to learn from your success.

228.520000 231.080000 You celebrate your success

231.080000 233.640000 and you do away with your failure

233.640000 238.120000 by not concentrating on it and focusing in on it.

238.120000 243.120000 You have to let go of failure and celebrate success.

243.120000 244.840000 And I just believe right now,

244.840000 246.720000 some of you guys need to look back.

246.720000 249.920000 I need to look back and learn from my mistakes,

249.920000 254.520000 but I need to celebrate the goodness of God in 2025.

254.520000 258.200000 Number two, you need to let go of the past.

258.200000 263.200000 Let go of the past, past failures, past hurt, past, you know,

263.200000 266.160000 things that happened in your life.

266.160000 270.560000 The good things in 2025 celebrate, the bad things,

270.560000 271.880000 you gotta let it go.

271.880000 275.920000 Say that with me, let it go.

275.920000 280.920000 Paul said, forgetting those things that are behind me.

280.920000 285.000000 You know, forgetfulness in some ways is bad,

285.000000 286.200000 but in other ways it's good.

286.200000 290.720000 We need to be forgetful when it comes to past failures

290.720000 292.080000 and sins.

292.080000 297.160000 Paul said it this way, you know, letting go of the weights

297.160000 301.720000 and the sins that so easily ensnare us.

301.720000 305.480000 What weight do you need to let go right now

305.480000 308.240000 and not take into 2025?

308.240000 311.360000 Not every weight is a sin,

311.360000 313.800000 but there are some weights that are just hindering

313.800000 315.160000 our forward momentum.

315.160000 317.600000 It's keeping us from moving forward

317.600000 320.360000 into the purpose of God for our lives.

320.360000 323.560000 And that weight, we need to let go of that weight.

323.560000 325.240000 I don't know what that weight is.

325.240000 326.840000 It might be past failure.

326.840000 328.560000 It might be unforgiveness.

328.560000 330.520000 It might be a business failure.

330.520000 333.560000 It might just be a relationship that's keeping you

333.560000 335.040000 from going forward.

335.040000 338.080000 And these become weights, man, these weights

338.080000 341.680000 that hinder our forward momentum.

341.680000 343.080000 You gotta let it go.

343.080000 344.920000 You gotta let go of the past.

344.920000 346.880000 And you gotta move forward.

346.880000 348.520000 And you have to be like Jesus.

348.520000 353.160000 You have to fix your eyes on the prize.

353.160000 358.160000 The prize for us as followers of Jesus is Jesus.

358.160000 361.480000 We fix our eyes on Jesus who is the author

361.480000 364.640000 and the finisher of our faith.

364.640000 367.640000 I mean, you know, Jesus is a finisher.

367.640000 369.560000 And if Jesus is a finisher,

369.560000 371.800000 he is called us to be finisher.

371.800000 374.240000 And we are going to finish well this year.

374.240000 377.040000 We're not gonna take 2025 into 2026.

377.040000 378.560000 We are going to let it go.

378.560000 380.800000 And number three, we're gonna set new goals.

380.800000 383.960000 We are gonna set some new goals for our lives individually,

383.960000 386.920000 for our family, for our spiritual lives.

386.920000 389.400000 We want to set new goals.

389.400000 392.560000 Why? Because goals pull you into the future.

392.560000 395.160000 Many of you today, you're living out of your memory

395.160000 396.720000 and not your imagination.

396.720000 398.920000 Your memory keeps you in the past,

398.920000 401.280000 but your imagination that God has given you

401.280000 402.880000 pulls you into your future.

402.880000 407.000000 And I believe God wants to pull us into 2026

407.000000 412.160000 with a great imagination, a great ability to imagine

412.160000 416.040000 a better life, our friends and our families being saved,

416.040000 417.800000 our marriages thriving.

417.800000 421.520000 I believe God wants to pull us into a bright future

421.520000 425.400000 for I know the plans I have for you, Declare's the Lord,

425.400000 427.760000 plans to prosper you, not to harm you,

427.760000 430.720000 plans to give you hope and a future.

430.720000 435.160000 If he could say that to the nation of Israel in Jeremiah 29,

435.160000 439.040000 it guess what, he can speak that to our spirits today.

439.040000 441.720000 So we have to reflect, but number two,

441.720000 444.720000 we have to recommit to God's purpose.

444.720000 445.920000 I wanna say that one more time.

445.920000 449.320000 We have to reflect, but we have to recommit

449.320000 451.760000 to God's purpose for our lives.

451.760000 453.760000 I like the biblical character, David.

453.760000 455.200000 David was a mighty man.

455.200000 456.280000 He was a shepherd boy.

456.280000 458.760000 He wrote songs and songs.

458.760000 462.080000 He was a poet, but he was also a warrior.

462.080000 464.840000 He was also a man after God's own heart.

464.840000 467.440000 And in Acts chapter 13 verse 36, it says,

Acts 13:36

467.440000 470.880000 "Now when David has served God's purpose

470.880000 473.560000 in his own generation, he fell asleep."

473.560000 474.680000 That means he died.

474.680000 476.840000 He was buried with his ancestors

476.840000 478.960000 and his body did not decay.

478.960000 483.800000 Look at it says, it says, "David served the purpose of God

483.800000 485.360000 in his own generation."

485.360000 490.360000 I believe this day, as we reflect and we recommit,

490.360000 492.280000 we need to do this.

492.280000 495.040000 We need to be people who recommit

495.040000 498.640000 the purpose of God for our lives.

498.640000 499.840000 David did so.

499.840000 501.200000 It says, "He served."

501.200000 504.640000 One translation says, "He fulfilled the purpose of God

504.640000 506.520000 in his own generation."

506.520000 510.440000 We want to do everything that we can do today

510.440000 513.880000 to serve the purpose of God in our generation.

513.880000 516.640000 See the mission of Bridge Church is to connect all people

516.640000 520.080000 to the person power and purpose of Jesus.

520.080000 523.920000 So we want to commit to that purpose like never before.

523.920000 527.400000 This has been a great year, but it's not the end

527.400000 530.920000 of the purpose of God for Bridge Church or your life.

530.920000 534.040000 The best is yet to come.

534.040000 536.600000 Paul, speaking to his spiritual son Timothy,

536.600000 539.480000 and second Timothy chapter four verse seven and eight,

539.480000 542.200000 says this, he says, "I have fought a good fight."

542.200000 546.360000 I mean, you know, the Christian life is a battle.

546.360000 548.000000 It is a fight oftentimes.

548.000000 550.320000 He says, "I have finished the race.

550.320000 552.120000 I have kept the faith."

552.120000 554.400000 Paul was saying, "Hey, I just didn't start,

554.400000 555.800000 but I finished well.

555.800000 558.040000 I didn't just get into the starting block

558.040000 559.920000 across the finish line."

559.920000 560.960000 Now look what he says.

560.960000 565.000000 Now there is in store for me a crown of righteousness

565.000000 566.800000 which the Lord, the righteous judge,

566.800000 570.440000 will award me on that day and not only to me,

570.440000 575.440000 but also to all who longed for his appearing.

575.440000 579.440000 Just like Paul started the race, we have started the race.

579.440000 581.560000 Just like Paul finished the race,

581.560000 586.560000 we're gonna finish strong in 2025 heading into 2026.

587.720000 592.720000 So how can I, you know, begin to fulfill this purpose?

592.720000 599.880000 How can I recommit to the purpose of God for my life?

599.880000 603.920000 How can we together recommit to God's purpose

603.920000 605.320000 as bridge church?

605.320000 607.960000 Number one, we gotta evaluate our commitments.

607.960000 611.920000 Are there some commitments that we have made

611.920000 616.760000 that are competing against the purpose of God for our lives?

616.800000 621.520000 See, sometimes our lives become diluted

621.520000 624.920000 because we're focused on so many things.

624.920000 630.120000 I believe the best life is the focused life.

630.120000 635.120000 Oftentimes failure is a result of false focus.

635.120000 638.160000 We lose our focus and we begin to focus everywhere.

638.160000 642.520000 We have many commitments that rob us of the true commitment

642.520000 645.200000 to fulfilling God's purpose in the earth.

645.200000 649.600000 And so I just believe that we need to prune our own lives.

649.600000 653.000000 We need to prune our lives of commitments

653.000000 658.000000 that have no life giving presence of God in them.

658.000000 660.120000 I don't know what those commitments are for you.

660.120000 662.200000 You could be running yourself ragged

662.200000 664.840000 because people want you to do so much.

664.840000 669.000000 But I believe as you, as the wisdom of God flows into your life,

669.000000 671.880000 he begins to challenge you and I

671.880000 674.600000 on some of those commitments that we have made

674.600000 677.000000 that rob us of true commitment

677.000000 679.760000 in fulfilling God's purpose for our lives.

679.760000 683.880000 And so we need to evaluate number one, our commitments.

683.880000 687.360000 Number two, we need to reignite our passion.

687.360000 690.000000 Did you know when you live a life that's diluted

690.000000 694.760000 by so many commitments that passion leaves your life?

694.760000 698.280000 But when you become a laser focused person,

698.280000 703.600000 the passion that God has for you begins to consume your life.

703.600000 705.400000 I just believe Paul said this.

705.400000 709.840000 He said, this one thing I do, what's the one thing

709.840000 711.040000 you need to do today?

711.040000 713.680000 What's the one focus that you need to have?

713.680000 717.560000 What's the one thing that God's calling you and I to do?

717.560000 719.080000 I know my one thing.

719.080000 721.240000 I've been doing it for 30 years now.

721.240000 726.040000 And that's bridge church and pastoring churches

726.040000 729.720000 and growing churches and leading churches.

729.720000 730.880000 That's my one thing.

730.880000 734.200000 That's the one thing that God has given me to do.

734.200000 737.160000 And like a horse that has a blinders on it.

737.160000 739.360000 So it's not easily distracted.

739.360000 741.960000 I put blinders on my eyes.

741.960000 744.240000 And I believe all of us need to do that.

744.240000 747.040000 We need to be people that are focused.

747.040000 748.760000 So we need to reignite our passion.

748.760000 751.200000 How do we do that? We do that through prayer.

751.200000 753.240000 We do that through worship.

753.240000 755.880000 We do that through Bible study and reading

755.880000 758.440000 and sitting in the presence of God.

758.440000 762.360000 And when you begin to do that and you begin to reevaluate

762.360000 766.360000 your commitments and you begin to reignite your passion,

766.360000 768.760000 it gives you the ability number three

768.760000 770.640000 to press on with determination.

770.640000 777.120000 Fixing our eyes on who Jesus,

777.120000 783.360000 He is the author and the perfector,

783.360000 787.200000 the finisher of our faith.

787.200000 789.680000 For the joy that was set before Him,

789.680000 793.120000 look what happened, He endured the cross.

793.120000 794.640000 How did He endure?

794.640000 796.960000 How did He keep His determination

796.960000 799.320000 to fulfill the purpose of God in His life?

799.320000 802.840000 He did that through joy.

802.840000 804.880000 For the joy that was set before Him.

804.880000 806.120000 How do we do that?

806.120000 807.960000 We fix our eyes on Jesus.

807.960000 812.120000 And we maintain joy.

813.080000 817.960000 And that gives us the determination to like David

817.960000 822.520000 fulfill the purpose of God in our generation.

822.520000 825.880000 Don't die without fulfilling the purpose of God.

825.880000 830.880000 Don't lose focus in on what God has called you and I to do.

830.880000 835.000000 As we close out this year over the next three days,

835.000000 838.080000 we're going to just focus and we're going to recommit.

838.080000 839.920000 We're going to evaluate our commitments.

839.920000 842.480000 We're going to reignite our passion.

842.480000 845.720000 We're going to press on with determination,

845.720000 848.560000 but we're going to reflect on the journey also.

848.560000 850.440000 But as we've reflected on the journey

850.440000 852.840000 and we've let go of the past and we've

852.840000 855.960000 have determined to move forward in grace,

855.960000 859.160000 we're going to keep our eyes on Jesus,

859.160000 861.800000 who is the author and the finisher

861.800000 864.800000 and the perfector of our faith.

864.800000 868.880000 Can you do that with us today?

868.880000 871.840000 Together, we can move forward.

871.840000 876.080000 Together, we're better than we are separated.

876.080000 879.200000 Together, bridge church has a bright future.

879.200000 883.440000 All three campuses, one church and three locations.

883.440000 885.240000 Man, we're going to move together

885.240000 889.800000 and we believe that God is going to honor our ability to say,

889.800000 892.440000 Lord, we're going to evaluate our commitments.

892.440000 894.160000 We're going to reignite our passion

894.160000 896.720000 and we're going to be determined like never before

896.720000 901.640000 to really fulfill the mission of bridge church.

901.640000 905.520000 Right where you're at, whether you're on your smartphone,

905.520000 907.920000 you're watching by television,

907.920000 911.520000 wherever you're at on vacation toward the end of the year,

911.520000 914.640000 I want you to reevaluate your commitments.

914.640000 916.280000 Evaluate them right now.

916.280000 917.680000 Reignite your passion.

917.680000 919.840000 Spend the next couple days, man, just saying,

919.840000 922.120000 Lord, what do you want me to do?

922.120000 925.440000 And then you got to press on in determination.

925.440000 927.920000 You ever reflect on the journey?

927.920000 931.160000 Look at your successes, look at your failures.

931.160000 933.440000 You know, reflect on that.

933.440000 935.480000 Let go of your past.

935.480000 938.760000 But today, you got to make a decision.

938.760000 943.760000 Are you going to move forward into 2026

943.760000 948.880000 with great joy, with great focus and great passion

948.880000 956.360000 and determination to do what God has called you and I to do?

956.360000 960.640000 See, today is a day of reflection and recommitment.

960.640000 963.120000 It's a day to reflect on 2025.

963.120000 969.560000 It's a day to recommit to what God has for you in 2026.

969.560000 971.720000 If some of you, you've been through some hard times,

971.720000 973.040000 you've been through some rough times,

973.040000 975.200000 you've been through some disappointments.

975.200000 978.760000 Family members have passed away this year.

978.760000 982.760000 The loss of a job, the loss of a loved one,

982.760000 987.400000 the loss of physical health sometimes depletes us.

987.400000 991.240000 But I believe a fresh wind of God's spirit

991.240000 993.560000 is causing you to rise up and say,

993.560000 998.440000 I'm going to be passionate about what God has called me to do.

998.440000 1002.160000 I'm not going to allow the pastor rob me of my passion.

1002.160000 1008.360000 I'm going to move forward in faith, in Jesus' name.

1008.360000 1013.360000 I just believe Philippians 16 is a verse

1013.360000 1015.960000 that rings true for us today.

1015.960000 1019.000000 Paul, speaking to the church at Philippi,

1019.000000 1022.000000 he was in prison when he wrote this book.

1022.000000 1026.960000 He said this, he says, I am confident of this very thing.

1026.960000 1028.240000 Paul had some confidence.

1028.240000 1030.680000 It wasn't in his self, it wasn't in other people.

1030.680000 1033.200000 His confidence was in God alone.

1033.200000 1035.960000 He says, I'm confident of this very thing

1035.960000 1039.520000 that he who began a good work in you.

1039.520000 1042.000000 The God who began a good work in you.

1042.000000 1045.160000 How many, you know, God is the author of our faith.

1045.160000 1048.400000 He says, he who began a good work in you,

1048.400000 1052.040000 look here, will complete it.

1052.040000 1055.880000 Some translations say, will perfect it.

1055.880000 1057.560000 He will complete it.

1057.560000 1061.640000 That work that he began in you, he will finish it.

1061.640000 1063.080000 He will perfect it.

1063.080000 1064.200000 He will complete it.

1064.200000 1068.360000 That means if God ever starts anything in your life,

1068.360000 1070.080000 he will finish it.

1070.080000 1073.120000 If he ever starts bringing you out of debt,

1073.120000 1074.360000 he will finish it.

1074.360000 1076.720000 If he ever starts restoring your marriage,

1076.720000 1077.920000 he will finish it.

1077.920000 1078.920000 Why?

1078.920000 1083.800000 Because whatever God starts, he is finishing it in Christ Jesus.

1083.800000 1088.520000 I'm confident of this very thing that he who began a good work

1088.520000 1089.520000 in you.

1089.520000 1091.720000 Where does the work begin?

1091.720000 1095.200000 It begins in you, not outside of you.

1095.200000 1096.760000 Some of you need to realize that.

1096.760000 1099.000000 Some of you think the work starts outside of you,

1099.000000 1101.760000 but it starts in you because your outer world

1101.760000 1103.640000 is a reflection of your inner world.

1103.640000 1106.400000 And if God begins to work in you,

1106.400000 1108.880000 the things around you will begin to change.

1108.880000 1112.160000 I'm confident of this very thing that he who began a good work

1112.160000 1116.040000 in you will perfect it, will complete it until what?

1116.040000 1122.040000 The day of Christ Jesus, our Lord.

1122.040000 1127.080000 This work that he's doing in us is not a work that takes a day.

1127.080000 1130.040000 It's a work that takes a lifetime.

1130.040000 1136.520000 It's a lifetime of walking and following after Jesus.

1136.520000 1143.240000 And I just believe together as we walk and as we follow Jesus,

1143.240000 1147.960000 he's going to perfect that which he began in us

1147.960000 1154.400000 because he is the perfector and the finisher of our faith.

1154.400000 1157.080000 OK, we need to reflect on the journey,

1157.080000 1162.200000 but we need to recommit to the purpose of God for our lives.

1162.200000 1166.440000 Spend some time in reflection over the next couple of days.

1166.440000 1172.280000 But then you need to begin to recommit to God's purpose for our lives.

1172.280000 1174.440000 And I just love you and I appreciate you.

1174.440000 1177.320000 And I just believe, man, as we close out this year,

1177.320000 1184.520000 God's grace is abundantly going to flow in us and through us,

1184.520000 1186.440000 with your bow your heads and prayer today.

1186.440000 1188.360000 Lord, I just thank you for each person.

1188.360000 1190.440000 I pray, God, that you would supernaturally touch

1190.440000 1192.360000 and that you would give them grace.

1192.360000 1197.800000 Give them supernatural power, Lord, to reflect and to recommit

1197.800000 1199.600000 in Jesus' name.

1199.600000 1201.320000 Amen.