I have always found it interesting but depressing how many of the popular TV shows revolve around the dysfunctional lives of people. I have to admit to watching some of these shows, occasionally, and it is so apparent how most of the character’s problems result from their own bad decisions and behavior.

Although these are fictional stories, in our day to day lives we see similar patterns. So often people’s struggles in life can be traced back to bad decisions and behaviors.

In contrast, when we follow God’s guidelines for our behavior described throughout the Bible, life tends to work much better.

David writes in Psalm 19:7-8, “God’s laws are perfect. They protect us, make us wise, and give us joy and light.”

Dear Lord, Thank you for the direction on living our lives that you give us in the Bible. Help us have the will to follow your ways which will give us the protection, wisdom, joy and light that you promise. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

In 2 Timothy, Paul is writing to Timothy from being imprisoned by the Roman Emperor Nero. He was quite sure he was not ever going to be free again, and was giving Timothy guidance on continuing his mission.

In 2 Timothy 4:3,4, he tells Timothy, “For there is going to come a time when people won’t listen to the truth but will go around looking for teachers who will tell them just what they want to hear. They won’t listen to what the Bible says, but will blithely follow their own misguided ideas.”

I think if you look around at events in our present day, Paul’s words could easily apply to modern times.

In verse 5 he tells Timothy what to do. “Stand steady, and don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Bring others to Christ. Leave nothing undone that you out to do.”

This guidance applies to us as well as it did to Timothy. We need to stand steady and not be afraid of suffering for the Lord. For us, that suffering is not imprisonment or torture, it is likely to only be the “embarrassment” of believing in Biblical teaching, Christian values, and living them.

Dear Lord, Thank you for the words of Paul, encouraging us to hold to your values and beliefs. Help us stand steady, fearless in our faithful Christian lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I enjoy running to keep fit, but when I was younger I avoided running distances if there was any possible way. I found that when I ran any more than a mile or so, I could not catch my breath, and I was miserable.

About 10 years ago I used a heart monitor that allowed me to see my heart rate while running. Using the target heart rate “rule of thumb” (220-age)*(60% to 80%) I realized that all that time in the past, I was running at a pace much higher than the heart rate formula recommended. This is why running had been so miserable for me. Once I started running a pace that fit the heart rate formula, I felt that I could run and run without wearing out. The more regularly I ran, better my endurance became.

In Hebrews 12:1, which we have studied the last couple days Paul writes about running, “.. let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

Running with endurance means consistently maintaining our faith for the long term, not getting sidetracked or living it on and off. Additionally, like running the more consistently we work on it, by prayer, praise, and study the better our endurance becomes.

Dear Lord, Thank you for giving us the strength to run the race you outline for us. Help us run the race with consistency and endurance. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I wrote yesterday and am continuing for the next couple days with messages related to Hebrews 12:1 where Paul writes, “Therefore since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down especially the sin that so easily trips us up, and run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

If you are a runner, I am sure you can relate to the burden extra pounds have on the effort required to run. Those first few runs after adding some weight over the winter or time away from exercise. If you are not a runner, ever had to run through the airport with a suitcase or dufflebag trying to catch a flight, or running into school with a backpack trying to make the bell. That is the example Paul uses to describe the burden sin has on the race we are running daily as Christians. Getting rid of that sin we are carrying, makes it so much easier to pursue those things we hear God calling us to do.

If we confess and repent of those sins, we can throw off the weight they have on our lives and follow our call more easily.

Dear Lord, we confess today the sins we have in our lives, we are humbly sorry for doing those things we know are against your will. Thank you for your forgiveness. Help us move forward running our race without these burdens in the future. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

In Hebrews chapter 11, Paul lists many examples of people in Bible history, such as Noah, Moses, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Rahab, and others who acted “by faith” in God’s promises to do difficult, embarrassing, frightening, life threatening, and even life ending assignments they knew God was calling them to pursue.

The next few days’ messages will be related to the subsequent verse in Hebrews 12:1 where Paul writes, “Therefore since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down especially the sin that so easily trips us up, and run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

One of the great things about sports teams and clubs with common interests is that the members become examples for each other to excel and overcome obstacles. I think what Paul is telling us with the description of “a crowd of witnesses” is that we have “a team” for us to use as examples to help us excel in our faith. We should read about and meditate on the stories of these people to see how they acted in faith, and God kept his promises to support them in their callings.

Dear Lord, thank you for these examples of faithful witnesses on who’s stories we can rely for confidence in you. Help us use this confidence to faithfully pursue those things to which you are calling us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.