I'm Still Pressing!

Philippians 3:13–15 (KJV)

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Opening Prayer

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Gracious God, thank You for every mountain You have brought us over, every valley

You have walked us through, and every day You have added to our lives. Open our hearts

to Your Word. Remind us that as long as there is breath in our bodies, there is still

purpose in our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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If you've lived long enough, you've learned one thing—life has a way of changing you.

The knees don't bend quite like they used to. The eyesight isn't what it once was. You

walk into a room and forget why you went there. Can I get an Amen?

But if you're still here, God isn't finished with you yet. If you're still breathing, God is

still working.

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"If you're still here... God is still writing your story."

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Every gray hair represents another year of God's faithfulness. Every wrinkle tells a story.

Every scar says, 'I survived.' We spend too much time complaining about what age has

taken instead of praising God for what age has given—wisdom, perspective, patience,

faith, and testimony.

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Tell your neighbor: 'I'm still here... and I'm still pressing!'

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II Don't Let Complaining Replace Thanksgiving

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Israel complained after God parted the Red Sea. Complaining blinds us to God's

blessings, but gratitude opens our eyes to His goodness. If you've lived long enough to

complain about getting older, you've lived long enough to praise God for keeping you

alive.

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Instead of saying, 'My back hurts,' thank God you can still stand. Instead of saying, 'I

move slower,' thank God you're still moving.

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III. Growing Older Does Not Mean Growing Useless

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Moses was eighty when God called him. Caleb was eighty-five when he declared, 'Give

me this mountain.' Retirement may end a career, but it never ends a calling.

 

IV. The Quilt Illustration

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A beautiful quilt is stitched together from pieces that don't seem to belong together. Some

are bright. Some are faded. Some are worn. Some have been mended. So it is with our

lives. God never wasted a single piece. Every joy, every sorrow, every victory and every

disappointment has become part of the testimony of His faithfulness.

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"Church... that's why I'm still pressing."

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V. Keep Pressing

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Paul refused to live in yesterday. Forget what is behind. Reach for what is ahead. Press

when your knees hurt. Press when your heart hurts. Press when the days are long. The

finish line isn't just a place—it is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ.

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Closing

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Don't measure your life by what you've lost. Measure it by what God has preserved.

Remember the Provider, the Healer, the Comforter, and the Savior who never left your

side.

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One day faith will become sight. There will be no more pain, no more tears, no more

goodbyes. Until then, keep serving. Keep praying. Keep loving. Keep forgiving. Keep

thanking God. Keep pressing.

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If the Lord has been faithful to you... stand with me.

Let's sing what we've lived.

Closing Hymn

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.

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Latima Johnson

Message for Sunday, August 16, 2026