Brothers and sisters, I press on toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, forgetting what lies behind. I am Chris Norris, and I say we must not be held captive by past mistakes. I reflect on how plans and hopes can change and fail, yet we must keep moving forward. I point to Philippians 3:13–14 as the basis for this call to press on. I believe our true hope is a future home with Christ, and that hope should shape how we live now. I urge us to finish our course with perseverance and to hold fast to the promise of seeing Jesus.

We are justified by faith and therefore have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have been brought by faith into the grace in which we stand. This truth means we stand firm and are not overcome by the troubles of the world. I explain that our hope and joy remain because Christ has reconciled us and given us a true inheritance. I encourage you to live in that standing, to take comfort in the grace that sustains us, and to keep moving forward despite roadblocks.

I speak about the steady presence of God in every season of life. I describe the rush of busy days and the slow, quiet mornings. I tell you that God meets us in both. I urge those who can to attend a church that holds to the Bible and to worship on Sunday. I remind parents to guard their children from false messages on television that teach half truths. I give a simple work story from an attic and a broken condensate drain to show how we sometimes must repair things by hand. I return to the Bible and say it is true and it sharpens us. I close with the words of First John 5: faith is the victory that overcomes the world.