This document outlines the key points from an annual leadership retreat focused on "pressing towards the mark - the high calling of God". The retreat facilitator encourages leaders not to settle for mediocrity or average, but to continuously improve and develop their skills and potential. The document defines what it means to "press", provides principles for pressing towards God's goals like developing relationships and positive habits. It also gives steps and strategies for pressing forward, embracing growth opportunities, and staying passionate about achieving one's destiny.

1. ANNUAL LEADERSHIP
RETREAT
2016

3. Facilitator – Pst. Kayode Kolawole
13th
Feb-2016

4. Pressing Towards the Mark –
the high calling of God
Brethren, I count not myself to have
apprehended: but this one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind,
and reaching forth unto those things which
are before. I press toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus. – Philipians 3:13,14 KJV

5. Introduction
• We all want to be better whether life is going well for you or
in the reverse
• But even if you are living your best life now, it is important
that you do not become stagnant
• God always wants to increase us, to do more in and through
us
• He always wants to take us deeper into self-discovery and
then wants to raise us to a higher level of living
• HE DID NOT CREATE YOU TO BE AVERAGE
• He does not want us to settle for “good enough”
• HE WANTS YOU TO KEEP STRETCHING – To keep pressing
forward into the next level
• HE WANTS US TO KEEP PRESSING TOWARDS THE MARK
FOR THE PRIZE

6. Meaning of Concept “Press”
The Oxford Dictionary defines the concept
“press” as:
1.To move in the direction mentioned by
pushing
2.To make strong efforts to persuade or force
somebody to do something
3.To express or repeat something in a forceful
way.

7. The Position of ‘Good’ vs “Best”
• Too many people settle for mediocrity in their
thoughts, attitudes or actions
• It is time to put off those negative mind-sets and rise
higher
• Remember, God has put in you everything you need
to live a victorious life – now, it is up to you to draw it
out
• Don’t let wrong mind-sets, a negative past, or other
people’s opinion discourage us or cause us to give up
and quit pressing forward
• People who want to live at their full potential have
discovered that the ‘good (second best)’ can often be
the enemy of the “best.”

8. What Does it Mean to Keep
Pressing Toward the Mark
First, you need to understand that God
wants you to become all that He created
you to be
You must realize that God will do His part,
but YOU must do your part as well
‘Keep pressing towards the mark’ is all
about continuous improvement, constant
self-development, progressive attempts

9. Principles of Pressing towards the Mark for
the Prize
1. Keep pressing forward
2. Be positive toward yourself – Stop condemning or
disqualifying yourself
3. Develop better relationships – if you want your
relationships to thrive, you must invest in them by being a
giver rather than a taker
4. Form better habits – feeding peace, patience, kindness,
gentleness, humility and self-control or other positive traits
will only make them stronger
5. Embrace the place where you are – Learn to relax and
accept the place where you are while you keep pressing for
the next level of change
6. Develop your inner life – Develop a tender conscience
7. Stay passionate about life – Avoid planning for defeat and
keep singing your song

10. Steps for Pressing towards the Mark for the
Prize
Keep Pressing
i. Stretching to the Next Level
ii. Give your dream a new beginning
iii.The power of your bloodline
iv.Breaking free from the strongholds of your past
v. The generational blessing
vi.Discovering your Destiny
Be positive toward yourself
i. Stop listening to accusing voices
ii. Learning to like yourself
iii.Making your words work for you
iv.Have confidence in yourself
v. Stop condemning or disqualifying yourself

11. Principles (contd.)
 Develop better relationships
i. Bringing the best out of people
ii. Keep the strife out of your life
iii. Taking a stand for you family
iv. Invest in your relationships
v. Being good to people
 Form better habits
i. Feed your good habits
ii. Develop a habit of happiness
iii. Handling criticism
iv. Keep yourself happy
 Embrace the place where you are
i. Embrace the place where you are
ii. It is well with your soul
iii. Stay in peace
iv. Remember the good
v. God is in control

12. Principles (contd.)
 Develop your inner life
i. Rising higher
ii. Develop a tender conscience
iii. Dealing with the root issues
 Stay passionate about life
i. Plan for blessing
ii. Keep singing your song
iii. From believing to expecting
iv. Stay passionate about life

13. Mysteries of Pressing Forward
• God was thinking about you before you were ever
even born – Believe in yourself and believe that you
have something to offer this world that nobody else
has
• What happened in your past is not nearly as
important as what is in your future – God wants to
give you a new beginning, but you have to let go of
the old before you will ever see the new (take courage
from Old Testament character Caleb & Joshua)

14. Conclusion
Don’t ever let “good enough” be good enough.
You were not made to be average; you were made to
excel
Don’t settle for anything less than God’s best
You were made to leave your mark on this generation
At the start of each day, remind yourself:
“I am talented. I am creative. I am greatly favoured by
God. I am equipped. I am well able. I will see my
dreams come to pass”
Declare those statements by faith and before long,
you will begin to see them in reality as you move
closer to the prize