No Way But Up

Pastor Carlo Panlilio sets November on a high note as he delivers a new series, "Living Life in the Highest." Is it possible that there is more to life than mere striving? Apostle Paul modeled this: beyond gaining achievement for himself, he found his ultimate pursuit in Christ.

God is also inviting us to this life of upward call. In order to live this way, here are four processes one must go through:

1) The Search
Something within us yearns, "This is not it. Life can be more than wanting and striving." Deep inside of us, we are looking for purpose.

2) The Struggle
Our search brings internal battles, two of which are knowing God's will and actually doing it.

3) The Surrender
We want things to go our own way. It is only through surrender can we discover that losing to God means victory in our lives.

4) The Service
When we learn to give it all to God, that's the time He uses us. God's upward call is an invitation to abandon ourselves to Him and serve others sacrificially.

Pastor Carlo concluded the service with a story of American missionary Adoniram Judson, whose life was far from perfect and marked by many losses. Through a long process of sacrifice and suffering, he established churches in Burma and completed the translation of the Bible. It was a hard but remarkable life.

Let us all take that first step towards the journey. Be blessed!