Edition 14
Target Practice
Last Edition Recap
How have you applied the last edition to your life?
Opening Prayer
Almighty God, help us aim for Your targets rather than painting our own around wherever we land. Amen.
Introduction
A king discovered a forest filled with perfect bullseyes—every tree had a target with an arrow dead centre. Amazed, he found the archer: a small boy with an almost empty quiver. “How did you become such a master marksman?” the king asked, ready to hire him. The boy’s answer destroyed the illusion: “It’s easy. First I shoot the arrow, then I paint the target around it.” We’re all expert archers when we paint targets around our arrows. Shoot first, justify later. Live however we want, then redefine success to match where we landed. Too many Christians master this deception—living spiritually reckless lives whilst painting religious targets around their choices. “I meant to do that,” we say, fooling ourselves but never the King. Zig Ziglar warned, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” But what if we’re not aiming at nothing? What if we’re shooting wildly, then desperately painting targets to make our chaos look intentional? God has already painted His targets: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness. He’s given us the bow, the arrows, the training. The question isn’t whether we can hit them—it’s whether we’ll stop painting our own.
Chat Point 1
What targets have you painted around arrows you’ve already shot in your life?
How do we fool ourselves into thinking we’re succeeding when we’re actually missing God’s mark?
What’s the difference between genuine repentance and simply redefining the target?
Why do you think we prefer creating our own standards rather than aiming for God’s?
What advice would you give someone who’s tired of pretending their misses are bullseyes?
Read
Colossians 3:1-17
Key Focus
Colossians 3:2 – “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Chat Point 2
What stood out for you about putting on the “new self” versus the old?
Which earthly targets mentioned in the passage are we told to stop aiming for?
How does setting our minds on things above change our target practice?
What practical steps does Paul give for hitting God’s targets rather than our own?
How would your daily choices change if you stopped painting targets and started aiming for God’s?
Final Thought
The boy in the forest fooled everyone except himself. Deep down, he knew he wasn’t a master archer—just a master of deception. We exhaust ourselves painting targets around our spiritual arrows, justifying every miss as intentional. But once we stand before the King, our painted targets disappear. Only His remain. Adam Clarke wrote that we should be as earnest for heavenly things as we once were for earthly ones. God has painted clear targets: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, love. He’s made us new, given us His Spirit, provided His Word. We have everything needed to become genuine marksmen. The tragedy isn’t that we miss—everyone does. It’s that we waste energy painting false targets instead of improving our aim. Stop shooting randomly and painting bullseyes. Stop justifying where you’ve landed. God’s targets aren’t moving. They’re not hidden. Set your mind on things above, take aim, and practice. Real mastery comes not from painting targets around our arrows, but from disciplining ourselves to hit the targets God has already set. Which will you choose: the illusion of never missing, or the journey of learning to truly aim?
My Action
What key insight or learning from this session resonates most with me, and what do I sense God is inviting me to do in response?
Shared Prayer
What are your prayer requests?
Closing Prayer
Lord God, grant us courage to aim for Your unchanging targets rather than painting our own. Amen.
In-Between Chats: Personal Reflection
What false target have you painted recently that needs to be erased and replaced with God’s true target?
In which area of your life are you aiming at nothing and hitting it every time?
How can you practice better spiritual marksmanship this week rather than lowering the standard?
Edition Writer: Rev Kevin Zondagh
Ordained Minister, Life Coach, Couples Coach, Executive Coach. Founder of CoffeeChatConnect and Exemplar Coaching Pty Ltd.