Dr. Peale tells us, “You never need to be bored. You can live a life filled with zest and excitement.” Many people collect objects such as statues and snuff boxes, but NVP’s hobby is collecting people. He recalls a businessman who, though retired, is dynamic and filled with life. He gets up early and stays up late because he doesn’t want to miss anything. His explanation of the source of this energy is that Jesus has regenerated him. Romans 6:4 says, “…even so we should walk in newness of life.” Get newness in your heart and mind. People are given a time and way to die, but while living should be excited and unbored.

Dr. Peale asks, “Have you ever asked yourself how your life is going to come out?” To make the most of it you should try to handle one day at a time. Dr. Peale shares the words of Horatio Alger Award recipient George Mardikian, “Put good into the day, Speak the good word of it. Believe in it and give it all you have and above all walk everyday with Jesus.” This is a positive think program with power.

Dr. Peale asks, “Do you have a definite goal in life?’ A life without a goal is like an airplane without a destination. Bot will run out of gas and come to no good end. We become what we image ourselves to be. You’re never to old to have a goal. At a press conference one day a young reporter asked NVP what, at his age, was his goal. The answer was, “To win by whatever process, all the people that I can in my lifetime to accept Jesus Christ, our Lord as their personal Savior.” The young reporter said, “I believe that you’ll do that.”

Dr. Peale tells us, everyone wants wonderful things to happen in life and to have power over difficulties. The church has been called the place of the “solved problem.” James 5:16 says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Prayer is a real and practical scientific methodology by which an individual makes contact with the mind of God, from Whom all power and grace flow.

Dr. Peale shares that you can shake off depressive thoughts and handle any situation because you are a creation of almighty God. Philippians 4: 13 says, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” You can get rid of discouragement unless you want to hang on to it. One way is to be quiet and face it. He quotes Robert Louis Stevenson, “Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened but go on in fortune and misfortune like the ticking of a clock during a thunderstorm.” Never panic, be calm, think. Never dramatize the situation. Affirm quietly that with God’s help you can handle any situation.

Dr. Peale tells us that we will have good days ahead if we will believe, think, image, work and pray for them and walk with the Lord. Christianity is a scientific way of life. The New Testament in filled with formulas. He shares the story of one man that came to Marble Collegiate Church who when he committed his life to Christ felt the wrongness leaving him and rightness taking over. Things started going right for him and he decided to go with “the greatest scientist in living,” whoever taught human beings.

The life that is in Christ is the most exciting life style known to man. Dr. Peale shares that scripture tells us how to have an exciting life style. First, in order to have an exciting life style, practice being excited. Second, learn to walk away from failure and the mistakes of yesterday. Philippians 3:13-14 says, “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Get excited about life and walk away from your yesterdays. You can have an exciting life style through Christ.

The message that Christianity gives us is that we may have power over all situations and ourselves. However people everywhere are overcome by circumstances or difficulties that saps their enthusiasm. When your enthusiasm leaks away and your faith weakens, get closer to God, and you will have more faith in yourself.

Dr. Peale says that deep within us we have a fund of strength, thought and ability. One great purpose of the Christian religion is to tell us to become what we really are capable of being. Dr. Peale saw a sign on the wall of an office in Hong Kong, from John I 3:2 which said, “Called to become what we are.” To attain our full potential, we need an image of ourselves as what we want to be.

Dr. Peale tells us that if we keep enthusiasm going strong, we will keep going strong. He reminds us that Henry David Thoreau said, “None are so old as those who have out grown enthusiasm.” When we were created something great called the “Life Force” was built into us and it is what keeps us moving forward.