MY ONE WORD, PART 4: ENDURE

Endure is chosen as the one-word focus for the year, framed not as stoic self-reliance but as a posture that flourishes inside community. Personal transition and vulnerability illustrate the cost of trying to carry burdens alone: surviving replaced living, independence became isolation, and endurance drained rather than grew. Scripture anchors the idea—Hebrews 12 pictures a race run together with witnesses, stripped of weights, eyes fixed on Jesus; Paul’s words in 2 Timothy and his final reflections show that finishing the race is about faithfulness, not flawless victory. The argument insists that endurance is cultivated by shared struggle, mutual encouragement, and spiritual accountability rather than private grit.

Practical attention is given to what community looks like: honest confession to trusted friends, regular commitment to a small group, inviting others to share burdens, and choosing someone each week to encourage. These practices are offered as antidotes to isolation, which amplifies doubts, strengthens temptation, and shrinks perspective. The hope that anchors endurance belongs to everyone who perseveres—Paul’s victor’s wreath is described as available to all who remain faithful—so persistence is communal, not exclusive.

A vision emerges for a church culture where no one runs alone: small-group participation is normal, vulnerability is safe, accountability is welcomed, and encouragement is consistent. When people are known and held, individual endurance becomes contagious and the body of Christ resists forces that would conquer isolated believers. The closing charge calls for immediate steps—reach out, get connected, let others bear burdens, and be someone who strengthens others—so that the race before the community can be run side by side, fueled by hope and fixed on Jesus.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Endurance grows in community Endurance is not primarily an inward muscle to be hardened alone but a shared strength formed by people who stand with one another through long struggles. When burdens are carried together, weights are removed and forward motion is preserved; faithful witnesses and mutual help sustain hope more than solitary striving ever can. Community becomes the engine that converts persistence into finishing. [29:23]
• 2. Isolation weakens spiritual stamina Trying to endure alone amplifies doubts, inflates fears, and magnifies temptations until perseverance drains away and surviving replaces living. Silence around struggle allows shame and secrecy to fester; the enemy exploits separation because isolated believers lose perspective and support. The remedy is honest connection—bringing struggles into the light with trusted companions. [30:16]
• 3. Finish by faithfulness, not perfection The race is won not by flawless performance but by persistence—Paul celebrates finishing, not triumphal speed. Faithfulness is demonstrated in continued dependence, refusal to walk away, and the willingness to be sustained by others when strength fades. The crown is promised to those who remain, not to those who never fail. [44:30]
• 4. Take concrete steps toward community Practical holiness looks like naming burdens to someone trusted, committing to a consistent small group, allowing others to carry weight, and weekly encouraging another person. These small, repeatable practices form spiritual rhythms that protect against isolation and cultivate contagious faithfulness. Begin by reaching out and staying present. [52:19]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [22:01] - Opening and community moment
• [23:10] - One Word series explained
• [25:12] - “Endure” declared as one word
• [29:23] - Core truth: endurance and community
• [36:07] - Hebrews 12: race imagery and Jesus
• [41:12] - Paul's finish: 2 Timothy reflection
• [52:19] - Four practical steps to connect
• [56:38] - Vision: church where no one runs alone
• [63:10] - Invitation to groups and response
• [64:03] - Prayer and benediction

Here is a Bible study guide based on the sermon "Endure":

Bible Reading

Hebrews 12:1-3 (ESV)
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

2 Timothy 4:7-8 (ESV)
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Observation questions

1. The sermon highlights that endurance is not about "tightening your grip, putting your head down, charging on, gutting it out alone." [25:56] What does this description of endurance sound like, and how is it different from what the sermon proposes?
2. The passage in Hebrews 12 mentions being "surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses." [36:35] Who are these witnesses, and how do they relate to our own race of faith?
3. Paul, in 2 Timothy, states, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." [41:12] What does the sermon suggest about the nature of this "fight" and "race"?
4. The sermon emphasizes that "isolation amplifies doubts, inflates fears, and magnifies temptations until perseverance drains away." [30:16] What are some specific examples of how isolation might lead to these outcomes?

Interpretation questions

1. Hebrews 12:1 encourages us to "lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely." [36:35] What might be some of these "weights" that are not necessarily sinful but can still hinder our spiritual progress, and how does community help in laying them aside?
2. The sermon states, "Endurance does not grow in isolation, endurance grows in community." [29:23] How does the concept of "interdependence" as mentioned in the sermon [32:52] contrast with the cultural celebration of "independence," and why is this distinction crucial for spiritual endurance?
3. Paul's declaration in 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have finished the race," [41:12] is presented not as winning, but as finishing. What is the significant difference between these two ideas, and what does it imply about God's expectations for our faith journey?
4. The sermon suggests that "the enemy loves an isolated believer." [31:30] Why is an isolated believer particularly vulnerable to the enemy's attacks, and how does community serve as a defense against this?

Application questions

1. The sermon points out that "surviving replaced living" when burdens were carried alone. [26:34] In what areas of your life might you be merely surviving rather than truly living, and what is one small step you can take this week to invite community into those areas?
2. We are encouraged to "strip off every weight that slows us down." [36:35] What is one specific "weight" (whether a habit, a relationship, a fear, or a hidden pain) that you sense God is calling you to address this week, and who is one person you could talk to about it?
3. The sermon emphasizes that "faithfulness is not perfection. It's persistence." [46:53] When you think about the "race" God has set before you, what is one area where you have felt discouraged by a lack of perfection, and how can you reframe that as an opportunity for persistence?
4. The idea of "real community" is described as showing up consistently and being known. [53:29] What does consistent, intentional engagement in community look like for you this week, beyond just attending a service?
5. The sermon challenges us to "choose a person to encourage every week." [55:20] Who is one person in your life that you can intentionally encourage this week, and what specific action will you take to do so?
6. The vision presented is for a church culture where "no one runs alone." [56:38] What is one practical way you can contribute to building this culture of shared endurance within our small group or the wider church community this coming week?
7. The sermon asks, "Where are you trying to endure alone?" [50:38] Take some time to reflect on this question personally. What is one specific burden you are currently carrying by yourself that you could invite someone else to help you carry?