The last few months I have been doing a lot of stretching at the recommendation of my chiropractor. It has been very good for me and has taught me a lot. 

**Benefits of Stretching**

• Flexibility
• Posture
• Injury prevention
• Increased nutrients and reduced soreness
• Calmed mind
• Release of tension
• Increased energy

TEXT: John 12:27 ESV: “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.”

1. Stretching is NECESSARY.

1. You can’t get where you need to go unless you stretch.
2. It is not a matter of pain, but of purpose. God doesn’t delight in making you suffer, but He does delight in bringing you into the purpose for which you were apprehended.
3. Stretching is necessary because your purpose is necessary, and you can’t ever reach your purpose without stretching.

2. Stretching is HARD

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 ESV).

1. Stretching is part of crucifixion. Jesus was stretched till His arms were out of joint. 
2. When we are feeling disjointed and beyond our capacity, we know we are being stretched, and this means we are taking up our cross. 
3. Everyone wants to be like Jesus, but no one wants these parts of being like Him! It is in these moments, however, that we are most like Christ. 
4. This means staying in the fight! 
5. Feeling frustrated and overwhelmed is the sign that you are stretching. You are beyond your present capacity. 
6. If you lean into the stretching and allow the Holy Spirit to work in you, you will achieve the results. If you fight against it and contend for comfort, you will miss the stretching.

3. Stretching is GOOD

“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press [REACH] on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13–14 ESV).

1. The end result of stretching is reaching. 
2. You can’t reach the prize if you aren’t stretched!
3. The things you really want are out of reach until you are stretched— your purpose, your destiny, your calling. 
4. There are things that God has ordained for you to do that you will never lay hold of unless you are stretched. 
5. Keys to making it through the stretching:
   1. Perspective — Realize what is happening and see the END RESULT.
   2. Attitude — Your attitude determines the LENGTH and the SUCCESS of the stretching.
   3. Fellowship — Find other believers with whom you can share MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS.