"The Awesome Power of Endurance" in American Sign LanguageSample

To Endure, Embrace God’s Word
By Rick Warren

“The seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams.” (Mark 4:20 MSG)

In the parable of the soils, Jesus talks about how there are four kinds of hearts in the world. One of them is described in Mark 4:17: “[Some people] don’t have any roots, and they don’t last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up” (CEV).

To endure the problems of life, you’ve got to develop spiritual roots. How do you do that? By sinking them deep into God’s Word: “The seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams” (Mark 4:20 MSG). No matter what your circumstances are, you nurture your spiritual roots by embracing God’s Word — the only thing in the world that will never change.

Did you know that everything in the Bible was written to help you learn endurance and encouragement? “Everything written long ago was written to teach us so that we would have confidence through the endurance and encouragement which the Scriptures give us.” (Romans 15:4 GW).

Circumstances change. Public opinion changes. Culture changes. But the Word of God lasts forever. When you build your life on something that doesn’t change, then you are stable and able to endure whatever circumstances you find yourself in.

Futurist Alvin Toffler said in his book Future Shock that people need “islands of stability” to hold onto when things are changing rapidly in life. Let the Word of God be your island of stability.

Talk It Over

How can you embrace God’s Word in your life?

What have you learned about endurance from God’s Word?

What kind of harvest do you want God to produce in your life?