The story of Balaam is a lot more than a talking donkey. It is a story about a man who lost his focus, he lost his purpose, he lost his way. Let's learn from Balaam and keep our focus, let's stay the course.

Last week we spoke of orienting our compass or determining where we are. After we determine where we are we must go forward. We must make the first step; we must go to the starting line each and every day to run our race. Our race normally is not a sprint it is a marathon and each and every day begins the same. Taking the first step.

With all the challenges going on around us, I believe God is leading us to refocus and regroup. To do that, the first question we must ask ourselves is, "Where am I?"

It is an amazing thing to realize that God has been working a long time before we realize a need. Rahab the harlot had already heard of the great things God had done 40 years earlier. Like the song "Waymaker" says, even when we don't see it or feel it, God is still working.

Many times we tend to be a lone ranger; we would rather do things by ourselves. But the reality is that we are better together. Unity is not only an example of God's love and purpose, but we are able to do so much more as a team.

We often tell children around Christmas time "Santa is watching you." The reality is someone far greater than Santa is watching. The Lord is watching not just to keep track of our sins we commit, but to find those that he can favor; to find those he can bless. Yes, Jesus is watching you.

Many people have lost faith, joy, peace, love, and fellowship, and were only able to find it when they returned to where they lost it.

The sons of the prophets lost an ax head. Elisha asked, "where did you lose it?" Many times we lose things and we need to ask ourselves two questions: What did we lose and where did we lose it. Chances are we will find what we lost only when we look where we lost it.

It is a wonderful privilege to be known as a child of God. Do those rights and privileges bring about some responsibilities? Let's look at the question: does a Christian have responsibilities?

According to Numbers 6:27, God's name has been put upon his children. One of His greatest names is Abba Father.

God revealed to Abraham that He was Jehovah, our provider. God provides because he sees what we have need of even before we realize it. Without a vision his people perish.

God is concerned about people's lives. He is concerned where people will spend eternity. God went looking for Adam in the garden, and God sent Jesus to be the savior of the world. Missions is the crux or the main or central feature of the bible.

Just as God has promised everything we need to live a life of Godliness, He has also promised to build his church.

God gives us an awesome promise in 2 Peter 1: we have been given everything we need for life and godliness. It's all about His power, not ours.

In Mathew chapter 9, Jesus performs 5 miracles. Each of them are unique and also to a variety of persons. God is not impressed by our fortune, fame, or family. The only thing that moves God is our faith.

Peter was basically on death row. The evening before his death, God gave him a reprieve. Many were praying, but it was the last evening before God answered. We can't make the doors open, but God can do the impossible. We must do the possible and leave it up to God to do the miraculous.

When having a spiritual checkup, we must ask the question, "How's your endurance?" This race we call life normally isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. We must have endurance. When tempted to quit, we must keep running. How is your endurance?

Stinking thinking will destroy you! We have been given the mind of Christ. God encourages us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. How is your thinking?