{"id":1670,"date":"2025-04-14T17:44:21","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T17:44:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/?page_id=1670"},"modified":"2025-12-15T21:08:20","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T21:08:20","slug":"a-blueprint-for-successful-living","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/a-blueprint-for-successful-living\/","title":{"rendered":"A BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESSFUL LIVING"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-larger-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESSFUL LIVING!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chuck Hill, D.Min.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\">chuckhilltoday.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Colossians 1:24-29<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>INTRODUCTION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To be clear \u2014 <strong>JESUS IS GRATER THAN ALL THINGS<\/strong>!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This morning, I want us to look closely at what Paul says about living a life that aims high, works diligently, and faithfully pursues the fulfillment of God\u2019s call. In essence, Paul outlines a plan for genuinely successful living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, let\u2019s clarify what I mean by &#8220;successful living.&#8221; I&#8217;m not talking about worldly achievements like titles, riches, or self-serving fame. I realize that&#8217;s how the world tends to define success\u2014measuring it by wealth, power, and popularity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, this worldly view can be misleading and ultimately tragic, as it centers on temporary gains and overlooks what truly matters\u2014things eternal and lasting. In contrast, the Bible defines success as living a life obedient to God, empowered by His Spirit, driven by His love, and fully surrendered to His will. In the closing verses of Colossians 1, Paul shares his personal journey and provides us with a vivid illustration of this biblical model. In many ways, his words serve as a <strong>BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESSFUL LIVING!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, if you have your Bible, please join me in Colossians chapter 1, beginning with verse 24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-accent-2-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cabf921b625145bcae20b57df74a102a wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>24\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><em>Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ\u2019s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. <\/em><strong><em>25\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><em>I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness\u2014 <\/em><strong><em>26\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><em>the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord\u2019s people. <\/em><strong><em>27\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><em>To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. <\/em><strong><em>28\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><em>He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. <\/em><strong><em>29\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><em>To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.<\/em> &#8212; <strong>Colossians 1:24-29 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In these verses, Paul describes <strong>three key attitudes <\/strong>that are necessary for fulfilling God\u2019s call on our lives \u2014 and experiencing TRUE SUCCESS!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And it\u2019s my belief that if we\u2019ll embrace these attitudes \u2014 they will affect every area of of lives (making us successful in our work, in our ministries, in our marriage, in our parenting, and in all other pursuits). But I must warn you \u2014 the habits of GODLY SUCCESS often look very COUNTER-INTUITIVE! And such is the case for the first thing Paul mentions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it you want to experience TRUE SUCCESS in life \u2014 then, first of all\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. You must be willing to <\/strong><strong>suffer<\/strong><strong>!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this life you will face trials of many kinds. In this life you will face hardship and pain. In this life you will deal with suffering. Even so, trust in Jesus!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I know this sounds strange. And it is (from our human perspective), but God can take the bad and use it for our good and His glory. He can take our difficulty and pain and redeem them for His divine purposes. And for this reason, He calls us to scoff at the enemy and rejoice in our sufferings. Here\u2019s the deal \u2014 you will suffer in life. Because of SIN\u2019S affect on this world, you will face suffering. It\u2019s inevitable. But take heart, because<strong> <\/strong>Jesus has OVERCOME!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because of this, in <strong>verse 24<\/strong>, <strong>Paul<\/strong> says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-accent-2-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f91be85bacb0e2e99f4ed1b650db1552 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>24&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>Now <\/em><strong><em>I rejoice in what I am suffering<\/em><\/strong><em> for you\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The idea of rejoicing in suffering may seems odd to us\u2026but Paul understood that suffering could have a bigger purpose. For what the enemy (the devil) intended for evil, God could use for good. (Which comes out of<strong> Genesis 50:20<\/strong> \u2014 the story of Joseph and his brothers).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maybe that\u2019s why <strong>Jesus<\/strong> would say in <strong>Matthew 5:11-12<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-accent-2-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f6b3838e8064fde79ca3b6b899733034 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>11&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>\u201cBlessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. <\/em><strong><em>12&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rather than view suffering as a loss \u2014 look at it as your gain. <strong>Rejoice in it<\/strong>\u2026and <strong>trust<\/strong> <strong>Jesus<\/strong>!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Trust<\/strong> <strong>Him<\/strong> to go through it with you.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trust<\/strong> Him to give you strengthen to stand.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And <strong>trust<\/strong> <strong>Him<\/strong> to redeem your pain for His purposes.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And remember, when things get tough \u2014 rejoice, because God is an expert at bringing good out of bad. Just think about it \u2014 He loves to turn crucifixions into resurrections.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014 There are so many good examples of this \u2014 but just think about <strong>the<\/strong> <strong>story<\/strong> <strong>of<\/strong> <strong>Lazarus<\/strong>. Jesus could have gotten to him before he suffered and died \u2014 but God had a bigger plan \u2014 and a better purpose. For out of his death came his resurrection.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014 Or consider the story of Paul\u2019s arrest and imprisonment in Philippi. God could have kept Paul from being wrongly imprisoned, but he had a bigger plan \u2014 and a better purpose. And so, through his prison experience, God allowed Paul to lead the jailer into faith. And he got saved. He and his entire family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014 And if that\u2019s not enough, consider Jesus\u2019 crucifixion and death. God certainly could have kept Him from going to the cross, but he let him go.\u00a0 Because He had a bigger plan \u2014 and a better purpose. And through Jesus\u2019 suffering and death, God changed the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He brought us salvation through suffering.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Again, true success is that which leads us to live in obedience to God, empowered by His Spirit, motivated by love, which fulfills His purposes \u2014 and brings Him glory. And that\u2019s often what happens when we suffer in this life \u2014 but trust Him through the pain.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The things you most wish were removed from your life are often the very things that God uses to shape you and change others! And so, knowing this \u2014 Paul says in <strong>verse 24,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-accent-2-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f1ff49b2a7506998991043d05a9eefbf wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>24&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>Now <\/em><strong><em>I rejoice in what I am suffering for you<\/em><\/strong><em>, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ\u2019s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Paul<\/strong> says, in suffering we unite ourselves with <strong>Christ \u2014<\/strong> and&nbsp; through it, God brings blessing to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, <strong>don\u2019t<\/strong> <strong>despise<\/strong> <strong>suffering<\/strong>. Trust Jesus through it. And rejoice in the realization that He is with you!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you want to be successful in life:\u00a0You must be willing to suffer! But secondly\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. You must be willing to <\/strong><strong>serve<\/strong><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When it came to others \u2014 and specifically, the Body of Christ, Paul said (in <strong>verse 25),<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-accent-2-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5aa553a03ff864c96dea31d953acc8b0 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>25&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>I have become its servant <\/em><em>by the commission God gave me<\/em><em> \u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You see, you cannot really serve <strong>Jesus<\/strong> without serving others. And I\u2019d add \u2014 if you want to be successful in life\u2026then it\u2019s going to require you to serve (to give of yourself for the benefit of others).\u00a0You were created for this purpose! <strong>God didn\u2019t create you and save you<\/strong> sit, but to serve!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Paul<\/strong> states this clearly in <strong>Ephesians 2:10 <\/strong>\u2014 when he writes, <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-accent-2-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a6982d49a9588942759d11e8f515d0dd wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;We are God&#8217;s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works&#8221;<\/em> (<strong>Ephesians 2:10<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His point was that even before you were born, <strong>God<\/strong> planned for you to have a life of service.\u00a0Is it possible that one of the reasons <strong>so many people are miserable<\/strong> today is because they\u2019ve gotten life backwards? Rather than fulfilling their calling to serve others \u2014<strong> they serve themselves.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think this is where the counter-intuitive nature of serving others comes in to play. Because when we serve others, <strong>our needs\u00a0are met.<\/strong> But when we serve ourselves, we live unfulfilled, empty lives (always wanting more).\u00a0You were created for service. If you\u2019re not serving somewhere, you\u2019re missing out! More than that, the Bible tells us that serving others is one of the best ways to serve God! As Jesus stated in <strong>Matthew 25:40<\/strong>, <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-accent-2-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3efee73a1a0f499a8cfdf571a69ac40e wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201c\u2026whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Serving others is the way to serve God!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-82ec5e76b9103d465a6fc7e1a305bf1b wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#3a0680\">I could probably tell you endless stories of those who have served others\u2026but maybe the best example of this (in recent years) is the famous Albanian Catholic nun \u2014 we call, Mother Teresa.\u00a0While she was born in Albania \u2014 she felt God call her to serve the poorest of the poor in India. And so, as a young woman, she willingly gave up everything to serve others.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2938e41127e1b298d95e05afd5b68433 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#3a0680\">She modeled what would later be called \u2014 <strong>SERVANT<\/strong> <strong>LEADERSHIP<\/strong>! She changed lives by caring for the physical needs of others. She fed the hungry, she clothed the naked, she cared for the orphan, she educated the illiterate, she nursed the sick, bandaged the wounds of the leper, and served the affirmed and dying (and gave dignity to those overlooked by most).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b203aa050cefc52c3ebd4800086949ba wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#3a0680\">Mother Teresa just had a different way of looking at life. It wasn\u2019t about what others could do for her, it was about how she could serve others. She was fond of saying, \u201cThere are no great things, only small things with great love.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1df24da376f486040a2630da6b2a1a08 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#3a0680\">Once when she was in Calcutta, India, Mother Teresa was tending to a wound on a leprous person when a couple of American tourists came by and saw her bandaging his wound. One tourist asked, \u201cMother Teresa, can I take your picture?\u201d Without looking up she said, \u201cSure,\u201d and so the American tourist took the picture.\u00a0The tourist then stepped back and whispered to another, sharing, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t do that for a million dollars.\u201d To which Mother Teresa, replied, \u201cNeither would I!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You see, she was a servant. She wasn\u2019t in it for the money, or the face, or the titles \u2014 she was just a servant of God and a servant of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Understand, SMALL THINGS DONE WITH GREAT LOVE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So what are you waiting for \u2014 start serving!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <strong>Matthew 20<\/strong>, Jesus said,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-accent-2-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3b639caab50b74ed78201c080f1c3406 wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The son of man didn&#8217;t come to be served, but to serve. <\/em><strong><em>(Matthew 20:28)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And <strong>Paul<\/strong> understood this. He got it.\u00a0And we need to understand it too \u2014 if we want to follow <strong>Jesus<\/strong> \u2014 then we must do as He did, and <strong>serve others!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you want to be successful in life:\u00a0You must be willing to suffer! You must be willing to serve. And lastly\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. You must be willing to <\/strong><strong>SHARE<\/strong><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Look again at Paul words in <strong>verse 25<\/strong>. Here he says, The calling and commission God gave me is this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-accent-2-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1e90da354b2a5907be925f3650d05a6b wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>25&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>\u2026to present to you the word of God in its fullness\u2014 <\/em><strong><em>26&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord\u2019s people.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our calling (as believers) is ultimately to speak <strong>up<\/strong> \u2014 and to tell the story of Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paul goes on to say in <strong>verse 27,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-accent-2-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8ae1ff5e79a5f200fe193f8fec6aab5b wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>27<\/em><\/strong> To them God has chosen to make known\u00a0among the Gentiles the glorious riches\u00a0of this mystery, which is Christ in you,\u00a0the hope of glory. <em><strong>28\u00a0<\/strong>He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paul says the reason we suffer and the reason we serve is so we can SHARE Jesus!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everything he did ultimately led him to the point. His primary purpose in life \u2014 his chief reason for being, was to tell people about Jesus.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And this must be our primary purpose as well.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like <strong>Paul<\/strong>, <strong>God<\/strong> has chosen us to make <strong>His name known<\/strong>\u2026to tell His story\u2026and to proclaim Christ to our world.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We proclaim the one Paul described in <strong>verse 15<\/strong> \u2014the VISIBLE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While there are many GOOD things to be about, none compare with this call to PROCLAIM JESUS! Our message must be Jesus! And only Jesus.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This means that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We\u2019re not here to proclaim <strong>some new clever idea<\/strong> or <strong>special insight<\/strong>&#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We don\u2019t proclaim some <strong>grand self-improvement plan<\/strong> or <strong>some stress management system<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We don\u2019t proclaim some <strong>humanistic<\/strong> <strong>therapeutic idea<\/strong>s.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We certainly aren\u2019t here to proclaim <strong>a<\/strong> <strong>political position<\/strong>, <strong>platform<\/strong> or <strong>agenda<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To the contrary&#8230;our message is simple:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>We proclaim Christ!&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No exceptions. No excuses! Our message must be to tell people about Jesus and His great love for them \u2014 and His great power to forgive them! In <strong>verse 29, <\/strong>Paul<strong> <\/strong>sums all this up when he says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-accent-2-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-60991246b15f2d2f1a2d9aa93abbb7f7 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>29&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>To this end I strenuously contend\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paul tells us that when we surrender our availability to Him, that God will work His ability through us \u2014 to change the world!\u00a0 And so, since Christ is in you, the hope of glory, He will provide everything you need \u2013 all the supernatural strength and energy for you to lead people to faith in Jesus.\u00a0But it means you have to be committed to His calling! You must be willing to exercise your faith\u2026every day \u2013 in our church, in your school, in your workplace, in your neighborhood, and to the ends of the earth!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And no matter what \u2014 <strong>DON\u2019T GIVE UP! <\/strong>Don\u2019t grow lazy and lethargic\u2026STRENUOUSLY CONTEND for the souls of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>No matter what \u2014 lead others to Jesus<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019ll do this, then God will be honored\u2026and you\u2019ll live a <strong>TRULY SUCCESSFUL LIFE!\u00a0 <\/strong>Because, true succe<strong>ss<\/strong> for us about proclaiming the gospel (through our words and deeds), and leading others to Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the late preacher, <strong>George Whitfield<\/strong> once said: \u201cOther men may preach the gospel better than I,\u00a0but no man can preach a better gospel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>CONCLUSION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So let me ask you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do you want to live a successful life \u2014 a BIBLICALLY SUCCESSFUL LIFE?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A life that is wholly obedient to God, empowered by His Spirit, motivated by love, and surrendered to His will?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8212; Then\u2026be willing to <strong>suffer<\/strong> for Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8212; Be willing to <strong>serve<\/strong> others for Christ!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8212; And be willing to <strong>share<\/strong> the gospel of Christ\u2026everywhere you go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And in the end, you\u2019ll discover \u2014 it\u2019s totally worth it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>CLOSING PRAYER<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-bff6da4cc8de6b2615c144e0e5549bab wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#800303\"><em>Heavenly Father, we all want to live successful lives. When this life is over \u2014 we want our lives to have mattered and to have made a difference.\u00a0But we realize that there\u2019s so much more to living than just accumulating more stuff. We know there\u2019s more to this life than making a name fore ourselves \u2014 or building a big business, or amassing great wealth.\u00a0We recognize that true success is when we live for you. When we submit to you. When we suffer with gladness, and serve with passion, and share your story with determination. So fill us with your Spirit. Empower us to represent you well. And give us the strength and courage we need to make the rest of our days, the best of our days for you!Make us successful \u2014 help us to live boldly for you. In Jesus name. Amen!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESSFUL LIVING! Chuck Hill, D.Min. chuckhilltoday.com Colossians 1:24-29 INTRODUCTION To be clear \u2014 JESUS IS GRATER THAN ALL THINGS!&nbsp; This morning, I &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1670","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1670"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1670\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2702,"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1670\/revisions\/2702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}