Don’t Give Up!

Nov 11, 2014 Don’t Give Up! by Rick Warren “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:15-17 NLT) The difference between faithful people and unfaithful people is unfaithful people give up at the first sign of difficulty. Faithful people keep on keeping on. Faithful people are determined. Faithful people are diligent. Faithful people are persistent. Faithful people don’t know how to quit. You know how a little acorn becomes an oak tree? An oak tree is just an acorn that refused to give up. I’m not that smart, but I do know one thing: It is always too soon to quit. You are never a failure until you quit, and it’s always too soon to quit. God uses tough times to test our persistence. When we started Saddleback, I preached the first sermon to one person: my wife. She thought it was too long. Thirty-one years later, she’s still saying my sermons are too long! I thought when we started a church we’d get a building quickly. We went 15 years without a building. In the first 13 years of this church, we used 79 different facilities. You know how many times I felt like giving up? Just everyMonday morning! But I don’t know how to quit. And God said, “Rick, if I never give you a building, would you still serve me?” And I said, “Absolutely!” Saddleback grew to more than 10,000 people before we built our first building. How would you like to set up and take down a church for 10,000 people every week? There’s not a lot of glory in that. It’s just hard work. God uses tough times to test our persistence. If you’re going through tough times right now, then this verse is for you: “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:15-17 NLT) God is more interested in what you’re becoming than what’s happening to you. He often allows trials, troubles, tribulations, and problems in your life to teach you diligence, determination, and character. The problem you’re going through right now? It’s a test of your faithfulness. Will you continue to serve God even when life stinks? “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9 NIV). Talk About It In what situation are you ready to give up? How can you renew your spirit so that you have the strength to persevere in this situation?

Still Standing

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”

(Psalm 40:2, NIV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

All of us can look back at things that should have defeated us. Maybe a divorce or bad break should have taken you down, but look — you’re still standing! That addiction, that partying lifestyle should have killed you, but because of a praying loved one, you’re still standing and becoming freer. Or, maybe you lost a loved one. You didn’t think you could go on. You thought you’d seen your best days, but God breathed new life into you. He lifted you out of the pit and put a new song in your heart, and here you are today, still standing. When you go through difficult things, it’s an opportunity to see the goodness of God shine in the darkness. You see Him lift you up, restore you, promote you and heal you. When you have this history with God, you don’t get discouraged by every difficulty. You don’t fall apart because of a disappointment. You don’t get upset because people are talking about you. You know that God brought you through in the past, and He is going to bring you through in the future! Rejoice today because you are still standing and headed to the place of total victory!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for lifting me out of my difficulty and for helping me stand on solid ground. I trust Your goodness. I know that You are faithful. Help me stay focused on Your victory in Jesus’ name. Amen. ​PS... ​ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Alm6YWm-zfc