Picture your favorite movie soldier hero, whomever it may be -- Sylvester Stallone in "Rambo" (for the more seasoned folks among us, sorry, this is as far back as I can go), Mel Gibson as "The Patriot", Meg Ryan in "Courage Under Fire" or Denzel Washington in "Glory" -- and we will never forget Gerald Butler as King Leonidas with his crew in "300". What endears us to every single one? Which characteristic of their heroism do we admire the most? You've got it: their ability to ENDURE HARDSHIP. That, my friends, is PERSISTENCE.
As believers, I think we love to watch movies of this nature because we love being reminded of who WE really are. It's fascinating and encouraging to see how these characters rise to the occasion when faced with heartache, adversity and certain death. But we fail to see OURSELVES in this role on a DAILY BASIS. We tend to forget that we ARE soldiers in this ETERNAL battle between a VERY REAL kingdom of darkness and Kingdom of Light. There's no-one to yell "Cut!" after a bloody scene in which we MUST engage ranks of demonic forces from day to day. So how do we do it? How do we endure hardship, trials and temptations without giving up or giving in?
Read with us this week as we take on another level of Persistence: Soldiers' Edition.
Week of July 1st> PERSISTENCE Part 2: The Soldier's Charge
Monday, July 1st> 2 Timothy 2: 3; Acts chapters 1-3
1. Contrary to the anti-Christian culture which threatens to water down the Biblical image of a GOOD soldier, what kinds of hardships does God expect us to endure?
Tuesday, July 2nd> 2 Timothy 2:4; Acts chapters 4-6
2. What "affairs of this life" does the Bible admonish the good soldier not to become ENTANGLED with?
Wednesday, July 3rd> Ephesians 6: 10 (AMP); Acts chapters 7-9
3. Where should the soldier of the Lord's army draw the power and might to fight in this eternal battle?
Thursday, July 4th> Ephesians 6: 11; Eph. 6: 13-17 (AMP); Acts chapters 10-12
4. What is the significance of EACH piece of the WHOLE ARMOR of God?
Friday, July 5th> Ephesians 6: 12; Acts chapters 13-15
5. In what way does keeping in mind whom our fight is against, help the good soldier remain PERSISTENTLY PERSISTENT?
Saturday, July 6th> Ephesians 6: 18; 1 Thessalonians 5: 17-18; Acts chapters 16-18
6. What is the good soldier's MOST IMPORTANT area of persistence?
Sunday, July 7th> Genesis 32: 24-30; Acts chapters 19-21 and 36
7. In what ways does God manifest BLESSINGS in our lives when we refuse to allow our past to keep us from PRESSING into God for change?
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