rwh24may Ep.365 – Run With Horses Podcast – Goal Setting
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Author pages with links to all books on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BCSDDVLB – James Norman Smith
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BMGW51FW – Susan Jane Smith
**(24:00)**
Do you find yourself wandering through life, one day morphing into the next and one year much like the last? Is your life lacking the clear spiritual progress you would like to see? IF so, today may be just for you. We are looking at pursuing clear Biblical goals to get out of a rut and back on track.
Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is simple in many ways, but potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to grow, to live intentionally and to join in His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together!
Thank you for joining me today! “If you’re new here, you can check out past episodes at runwithhorses.net. As always, I appreciate your feedback, questions, and reviews!”
**(23:00 – 0:00)* * PART 1
Goal setting is useful for followers of Jesus—especially for Baptist Christians who want to be disciple makers—because it helps us live intentionally, steward our time wisely, and align our lives with Christ's mission.
### 1. **Keeps Us Focused on the Mission**
Jesus commanded His followers to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19–20, NKJV). Setting specific goals helps us stay focused on this Great Commission. Without clear direction, it’s easy to drift. But when we prayerfully set goals for relationships, spiritual growth, and ministry opportunities, we live with purpose.
Why do we drift so easily? The world is full of distractions. Even good things can hinder us from pursuing the best things. Our priorities should be clear but often seem fuzzy.
### 2. **Encourages Faithful Stewardship**
Ephesians 5:15–16 says, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Goal setting helps us steward our time, talents, and resources for eternal impact. It keeps us from wasting energy on things that don't contribute to Christ’s kingdom.
Every resource is ultimately God’s. Our time is our most valuable resource and the easiest to waste. Clear goals help us evaluate the use of all of our resources in light of God’s work in our life and in the world.
### 3. **Provides a Framework for Spiritual Growth**
2 Peter 3:18 urges us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Setting personal spiritual goals (e.g., daily devotions, Scripture memorization, sharing the gospel weekly) helps us pursue maturity as disciples—so that we can help others grow as well.
Although God always does His work of sanctification, He invites us to be part of the process. making clear decisions based on His Word and His Work is part of the process. There are clear choices that help us to grow toward maturity. Prayer, Bible reading and involvement with the church family are foundational and it is easy to set simple realistic goals for each on that will help us stay on track.
### 4. **Promotes Intentional Relationships**
Disciple making requires time and intentionality. Setting goals to meet regularly with a younger believer, to start a Bible study, or to mentor a new Christian helps ensure we are actively investing in others for their spiritual benefit (2 Timothy 2:2).
Disciple Making is about people. Using our time wisely gives us more time for investing in others. Keeping our lives simple helps us free up time and resources to be generous in all areas of life.
### 5. **Builds Accountability and Encourages Perseverance**
When we set godly goals and