Home / Posts tagged 'perseverance'

• Perseverance

  In Faithful, SeriousFaith, Teaching / 26 August 2009 / 0 comments

  Hebrews 6:11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, (NKJV)(Note: for this lesson, we are not talking about the theological idea of eternal security which some call “perseverance of the saints”. We are talking about perseverance with the idea of “not giving up” and “determined effort” -BR) I get a lot of questions on my business blog about what it takes to be “successful”. The answer is the same whether you are talking about business, finances, spiritual growth or relationships. Perseverance.You can have everything else “right” but if you fail to relentlessly DO those “right” things, then you’ll get no results. A dogged determination, almost fanatical dedication to “doing what you [...]

   

• You Complete Me

  In Faithful, SeriousFaith, Teaching / 26 August 2009 / 0 comments

  Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (NKJV; emphasis mine) (Previous devotionals can be found at www.seriousfaith.com)In a movie called Jerry Maguire, there is a couple of scenes where someone says “you complete me.” Of course there’s nothing Biblical in nature about those scenes, it’s about how one person fills in what’s missing in another person’s life, or makes a person feel “whole”. Movies nowadays rarely hit on anything truly substantive, but the reason the phrase “you complete me” became part of the American culture after that movie, is because it does speak to a basic human need. Deep down, without Christ, there is a [...]

   

• Blessed Endurance

  In Faithful, Happy, SeriousFaith, Teaching / 26 August 2009 / 0 comments

  James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (NKJV)(Previous devotionals can be found at www.seriousfaith.com)Did you know that it is a blessing to endure hardship? Wait a minute… the whole world will tell you that’s not true, right? It is a blessing to AVOID hardship, not endure it; everyone knows that. Not according to God. In James 1.12, many translations say blessed is the man who endures “temptation”. This is more accurately rendered as “trials”. It speaks of suffering, hardship and fighting the tempations to go the way of the world. But there it is, plain as day: Blessed is the [...]

   

• You Must Have Forgotten – Part 7

  In Faithful, SeriousFaith, Teaching / 26 August 2009 / 0 comments

  (Click here to search for all the posts in this series…) 2 Peter 1:9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. (NKJV)We have learned that these “things” are a list of Christian qualities starting in verse 5. They are not a checklist of things to be added sequentially but rather they are interdependent with each one building on and leading into the former and latter.So far we have discovered that along with our faith we diligently strive with full effort (knowing that God is the source of true results) to add moral excellence and courage (virtue); and Biblical, God-illumined wisdom (knowledge); while reigning in our fleshly lusts (self control) and [...]

   

• You Must Have Forgotten – Part 6

  In Faithful, SeriousFaith, Teaching / 26 August 2009 / 0 comments

  (Click here to search for all the posts in this series…) 2 Peter 1:9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. (NKJV)The Apostle Peter isn’t one to sugar coat things. He just flat out says “if you lack these Godly qualities you’re acting like you have forgotten you’re a Christian”. When I was a Drill Sergeant in the Army I made a similar statement to young privates in boot camp when they were goofing off. I’d say, “Private, obviously you have forgotten you’re not back on the street!”. The “street” was a euphemism for their previous non-military life and behavior. And okay, I rarely actually called them “Private” either. It [...]