Running the Race: Perseverance and Faith in 2023
Summary
As we embark on a new year, it's essential to carry forward the spirit of expectation and faith. Reflecting on past experiences, like my marathon run during COVID, reminds us of the importance of perseverance and community support. Just as marathon runners benefit from cheer zones, we too need encouragement in our spiritual journey. Hebrews 12:1-2 calls us to fix our eyes on Jesus and run with perseverance, shedding the weights that hinder us. This passage is a reminder that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, heroes of faith who have gone before us, and their stories inspire us to keep going despite challenges.
The heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, like Abel, Enoch, Noah, and others, faced immense struggles yet remained faithful. Their stories serve as a cheer zone for us, showing that we can finish our race because they did. Our race is unique, marked out specifically for us, and while it may have its challenges, we are called to run it with perseverance. This involves shedding not only sin but also other weights that may not be inherently sinful but still hinder our progress.
To run our race effectively, we must name the weights we carry, substitute them with God's truth, and leave them behind. This process requires prayer, community support, and a steadfast focus on Jesus. It's not about our strength or willpower but about trusting in God's promises and His presence with us. As we fix our eyes on Jesus, we find the strength to persevere and the freedom to run the race He has set before us.
Key Takeaways:
1. Expect Great Things: As we enter a new year, let's expect God to move powerfully in our lives and the lives of those around us. This expectation fuels our faith and encourages us to remain hopeful and open to God's work. [00:00]
2. Perseverance in Faith: Just like marathon runners need cheer zones, we need encouragement in our spiritual journey. Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us to fix our eyes on Jesus and run with perseverance, shedding the weights that hinder us. [29:07]
3. The Hall of Faith: The heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 faced immense struggles yet remained faithful. Their stories serve as a cheer zone for us, showing that we can finish our race because they did. [30:20]
4. Shedding Weights: To run our race effectively, we must name the weights we carry, substitute them with God's truth, and leave them behind. This process requires prayer, community support, and a steadfast focus on Jesus. [37:08]
5. Unique Race: Our race is unique, marked out specifically for us, and while it may have its challenges, we are called to run it with perseverance. It's not about our strength or willpower but about trusting in God's promises and His presence with us. [43:30]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - Reflecting on the Past Year
[02:15] - The Marathon Experience
[05:45] - The Importance of Cheer Zones
[08:30] - Hebrews 12:1-2: Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus
[12:00] - The Hall of Faith
[15:20] - Running with Perseverance
[18:45] - Shedding Weights
[22:10] - Unique Races for Each of Us
[25:30] - Trusting in God's Promises
[28:00] - Community Support and Encouragement
[31:15] - Prayer and Naming Our Weights
[34:00] - Freedom to Run Our Race
[37:00] - Closing Prayer and Encouragement
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Hebrews 12:1-2
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Hebrews 12:1-2 suggest about the role of the "great cloud of witnesses" in our spiritual journey? How does this relate to the concept of a "cheer zone" mentioned in the sermon? [30:20]
2. In the sermon, the pastor shared a personal story about running a marathon. What parallels did he draw between his marathon experience and the spiritual race described in Hebrews 12:1-2? [29:07]
3. According to the sermon, what are some examples of "weights" that can hinder our spiritual race, and how are they different from sin? [33:18]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of fixing our eyes on Jesus, as mentioned in Hebrews 12:2, help us to persevere in our unique spiritual races? [31:15]
2. The sermon highlighted the stories of heroes of faith from Hebrews 11. How do these stories serve as encouragement for believers facing struggles today? [30:20]
3. What does it mean to "shed the weights" in our lives, and how can this process lead to spiritual freedom and perseverance? [37:08]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt discouraged in your spiritual journey. How can the concept of a "cheer zone" help you find encouragement and motivation to continue? [30:20]
2. Identify a "weight" in your life that is not inherently sinful but hinders your spiritual progress. What steps can you take this week to begin shedding this weight? [33:18]
3. The sermon emphasized the importance of community support. Who are the people in your life that serve as your spiritual cheerleaders, and how can you strengthen these relationships? [49:47]
4. Consider the unique race that God has marked out for you. What challenges are you currently facing, and how can you trust in God's promises to guide you through them? [43:30]
5. The pastor mentioned the importance of naming our weights and praying about them. What specific weight or sin do you need to bring before God in prayer this week? [37:59]
6. How can you incorporate the practice of fixing your eyes on Jesus into your daily routine, especially during moments of stress or anxiety? [31:15]
7. Think about a person in your life who might be struggling in their spiritual race. How can you be a source of encouragement and support for them this week? [49:47]
Devotional
Day 1: Expecting God's Movement in Our Lives
As we step into a new year, it's crucial to cultivate a spirit of expectation, believing that God will move powerfully in our lives and the lives of those around us. This expectation is not just wishful thinking but a faith-fueled anticipation that God is at work, even when we cannot see it. By expecting great things, we open ourselves to the possibilities of God's transformative power and remain hopeful and open to His work. This mindset encourages us to look beyond our current circumstances and trust in God's greater plan for our lives. [00:00]
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to expect God to move? How can you actively cultivate a spirit of expectation in this area today?
Day 2: Perseverance Through Spiritual Encouragement
Just as marathon runners benefit from cheer zones, we too need encouragement in our spiritual journey. Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us to fix our eyes on Jesus and run with perseverance, shedding the weights that hinder us. This passage highlights the importance of community support and encouragement, as we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who inspire us to keep going despite challenges. By focusing on Jesus and relying on the encouragement of others, we can persevere in our faith journey, even when the road is difficult. [29:07]
"Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your life can you encourage in their spiritual journey today? How can you be a source of support and encouragement for them?
Day 3: Learning from the Heroes of Faith
The heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 faced immense struggles yet remained faithful. Their stories serve as a cheer zone for us, showing that we can finish our race because they did. These individuals, like Abel, Enoch, and Noah, faced significant challenges but persevered through faith. Their lives remind us that we are not alone in our struggles and that we can draw strength from their examples. By reflecting on their stories, we can find inspiration and motivation to continue our own faith journey, knowing that others have walked this path before us. [30:20]
"By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks." (Hebrews 11:4, ESV)
Reflection: Which hero of faith from Hebrews 11 inspires you the most, and why? How can their story encourage you in your current challenges?
Day 4: Shedding the Weights That Hinder Us
To run our race effectively, we must name the weights we carry, substitute them with God's truth, and leave them behind. This process requires prayer, community support, and a steadfast focus on Jesus. It's not about our strength or willpower but about trusting in God's promises and His presence with us. By identifying and shedding these weights, we can experience the freedom to run the race God has set before us with perseverance and joy. [37:08]
"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." (Hebrews 12:1, ESV)
Reflection: What is one weight you are carrying that hinders your spiritual growth? How can you begin to lay it aside today with God's help?
Day 5: Embracing Our Unique Race
Our race is unique, marked out specifically for us, and while it may have its challenges, we are called to run it with perseverance. It's not about our strength or willpower but about trusting in God's promises and His presence with us. Each of us has a distinct path to follow, and by embracing our unique race, we can find purpose and fulfillment in our journey. Trusting in God's guidance and relying on His strength, we can navigate the challenges and joys of our individual races with confidence and hope. [43:30]
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10, ESV)
Reflection: What makes your spiritual journey unique, and how can you embrace it more fully? How can you trust God to guide you in your unique race today?
Quotes
"Just as marathon runners benefit from cheer zones, we too need encouragement in our spiritual journey. Hebrews 12:1-2 calls us to fix our eyes on Jesus and run with perseverance, shedding the weights that hinder us. This passage is a reminder that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, heroes of faith who have gone before us, and their stories inspire us to keep going despite challenges." [00:19:10]
"To run our race effectively, we must name the weights we carry, substitute them with God's truth, and leave them behind. This process requires prayer, community support, and a steadfast focus on Jesus. It's not about our strength or willpower but about trusting in God's promises and His presence with us." [00:47:24]
"Our race is unique, marked out specifically for us, and while it may have its challenges, we are called to run it with perseverance. It's not about our strength or willpower but about trusting in God's promises and His presence with us." [00:43:30]
"Because what I'm sitting here going is, it was God who worked through Abel, and God who worked through Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Insecure, Gideon, Elijah, Samuel, David. It was God who was with Peter. It was God who was with Paul. It was with God who was all these people. So whether or not they're cheering me on, I don't care. What I do care about is the fact that God was with them, and he's going to be with me now. So what does it matter?" [00:36:41]
"Because what happens is when you are in the middle of the race, and it's hard, and you're not sure if you're going to make it, the thing that's going through your brain over and over and over and over and over again is, can I finish this race? Because it feels too hard right now to do it." [00:30:40]
"Running a race with perseverance is far more about finishing the hard to finish it. I'd rather say that I'm a marathon finisher to where I couldn't finish the race. You will have moments in your walk. You will have moments in your faith where things are clicking. Things are jiving. Things are like, you know what? I'm reading scripture four, five, six, seven, eight chapters at a time. I'm praying in my prayer closet for 30 minutes. I'm loving on people. I'm doing the right thing. I'm teaching my kids. And you are flying." [00:39:39]
"And every single race is unique. If I were to go run a marathon in Duluth at Grandma's, or I were to go down to Twin Cities and run through Minneapolis and St. Paul, I'd be joining thousands of runners who are running the exact same course that I. But, this is where the analogy of a marathon and a race is different than the metaphorical race I'm talking about of your faith." [00:42:50]
"Because while we all have the same physical running course on a marathon, every single one of you has a race of your life that is unique to you. Some of you will walk through divorces. Or already have. Others of you will walk through things that are really, really amazing. But every single person's race is unique to them. It's been marked out for you." [00:43:21]
"It's hard to live your life with anxiety. It's hard to live your life in the freedom, in the grace, in the peace that he promises when anxiety is breathing down your neck. It's hard to run. It doesn't mean you're wrong for it, but it does mean you have it. It's hard to run. And I could go on and on and on. Just because you have things that aren't sinful doesn't mean there aren't things that take away from your race. So what we have to do is shed the weight." [00:35:37]
"Things started to change in my life when I said, God, I'm anxious right now, and I named the situation. I am anxious about what's going on, and it's tough. God, I am scared. I am terrified because what you're asking me to do is insane. And just because you've called me to do it doesn't mean I'm not a little shaky about doing it." [00:37:42]
"So God, would you arm me with strength like you gave tomorrow? Would you give me the ability to be confident in my identity like you did with Gideon? God, would you help me with what you're doing? You have to name it, but then also pray about it to truly start shedding the weight. And the same thing works for sin. You got sin, everybody. Get used to it. I got sin. Everybody sins. Biblically, it says that. All fall short of the glory of God." [00:38:04]
"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. They're different. Sin trips you up, for sure. It's hard to run after God when you have this secret addiction that is sinful. It's hard to chase after God and worship God when there's this deep root of anger that you cannot resist." [00:32:41]
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