Two ways to finish your course well — 2 Timothy 4:6–8
Dillon McCurdy · September 29, 2026 · 7 min read
From a sermon · 2 Timothy 4:6–8
"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure is close. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved his appearing."
Be on the right course
I once showed up for a staff meeting at the wrong restaurant — right chain, wrong town. It didn't matter that I was on time and ready; I was in the wrong place. We ended up meeting somewhere else entirely. Here's the principle: it doesn't matter how hard, how fast, or how far you run if you're not on the right course. And the right course is the road that leads to heaven.
You have to be saved to be on that road. Unlike the so-called "many paths," the Bible gives one: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). So how do you get on it?
Understand that you're a sinner. "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10).
Realize the penalty. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). "Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15).
Recognize that Jesus paid it for you. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8–9).
Accept His payment. "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Romans 10:9). "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13).
Finish your course well
If you're on the right course — or you get on it today — finish it well. Paul was in prison when he wrote these words, and he was finishing well. No matter where you are, you can finish the course God has for you well. Spend time in prayer. Read your Bible. Share the love and the message of Christ with people.
At the 1992 Olympics, a British runner named Derek Redmond was having the race of his life in the 400 meters when his hamstring popped. He collapsed. Rather than let the medics carry him off, he got up and, limping badly, tried to finish. The crowd stood. Then his father broke through security, ran onto the track, put an arm around him, and the two of them finished the race together. His father said later, "I told him to stop. When it was clear he was going to finish, I said, 'Well then, we're going to finish this together.'"
Your race doesn't get compared to anyone else's. God has given you a specific race and gives you the strength to run it. "Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:1–2). God is with you and for you as you run. And when you go down, your Father comes out of the stands.
Two ways
If you're saved, finish your course well. Be a faithful follower and witness of Jesus Christ. If there's never been a time when you accepted Jesus Christ — and Him alone — as your Savior, do that today and get on the right course. You can pray right now, wherever you are.
New to all this? Start with how to read the Bible for the first time, or reach out — we'd be glad to talk.
One more thing about that father coming out of the stands.
He didn't come down because his son was winning. He came down because his son was his. If you've never been brought into that family, the race talk isn't for you yet — you're not on the course at all, and running harder won't put you on it. There's one way on. Jesus died for your sin, God raised Him up, you call on Him, He saves you. That's the starting line, and there isn't a second one.
If you're already running, name your lane this week. Write down the actual race God handed you — your house, your shop, your street, the people who already know your name — and quit measuring it against somebody else's. Then go run that one. Your Father is already out of His seat.