The Finish Lines

The power of God to change lives is undeniable. The story of His interaction with humanity found in the Bible applies across all cultures and generations. The Bible helps us understand the deep things of God that would otherwise be beyond our ability to comprehend. One of the most poignant examples of this is the link between our lives (or more specifically our spiritual walk) and an athletic competition. It works on so many levels, from the role of perseverance to the unpredictable and unavoidable obstacles that are placed in our path. Hebrews calls us to “run with endurance the race that God has set before us”, a race centered around our charge to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

This challenge is more commonly known as the Great Commission, and it comes from one of the most recognizable passages of scripture. Before Jesus left this earth, he instructed his people to “make disciples of all nations”, a command that feels a bit overwhelming when you consider the logistical and spiritual challenges. Fortunately, He is not a God of chaos who doles out impossible tasks and leaves his people alone to figure out how to get the job done.

This is where the Finish Lines come in.

They are a term we use to talk about a  framework within which we can not only understand the Great Commission, but organize our collective efforts towards completing the task. The purpose of the call2all movement is to help bring the Body of Christ together into a coordinated effort to finish the Great Commission, and that includes setting goals and defining concrete ways for each of us to play our part based on how our unique gifts and interests fit into the bigger picture. The Finish Lines are a framework within which we can not only identify the race we’re called to run, but also see how close we are to the end. They come directly from scripture and break the Great Commission down into five themes. When they’re complete, the task is over and the Great Commission has been fulfilled! The incredible news is that many missions experts and leaders think we could get this done in our generation.

01  |  Every People Group. There are still many people who have never been exposed to Jesus.
02  |  Bible Access. The Bible needs to be translated into every active language.
03  |  Church Presence. Establishing a Church presence in every neighborhood.
04  |  Telling Everyone. Every person in the world needs to hear about Jesus in a way they can understand.
05  |  Compassion and Justice. We need to demonstrate both the truth and the love of Jesus.

The Finish Lines are also serving to organize the projects we’re undertaking to equip the call2all community. Stay tuned for more information about these themes and tools to help you get connected— from the Passion Finder designed to help match your interests with the Finish Line initiatives to a library of resources designed to equip you on your journey.