Describe the three phases of an endurance race and compare them to the Christian life.

Every race has three parts, and the Christian way of life follows the same pattern. Phase one, the start, is salvation—in a moment, by a simple act of faith, we are born into the family of God, and our first gaze into the eyes of Jesus Christ sounds the starting gun. Phase three, the finish, is death or the Rapture, which likewise happens in a split-second as we break the tape and fall into the arms of Christ. Phase two, the long distance in between, is spiritual growth—and it is the hardest part, because it is a process and every process takes time. As in an endurance race, the middle is where the mind wanders and motivation fades, so this is where we must run by faith.