1. ICEL Truus Wierda 21 July 2013 Perseverance

2. ICEL James 1: 2-4 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

3. ICEL Credentials of the writer: * Died as Martyr * Camel knees

4. ICEL Why is perseverance important? Matthew 10: 22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. Hebrews 10: 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God you will receive what He has promised.

5. ICEL Why is perseverance important? 1 Peter 1: 6-7 … though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come, so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine. We need perseverance, because we are engaged in a marathon-run. Without endurance we will not reach the finish in a good way.

6. ICEL How do we learn perseverance? In the practice of every day life. Trials, trying circumstances are the best environment to learn to persevere. The learning process is not automatic. There are some basic attitudes which help us to develop perseverance. These are: - Hope - Focus - Trust

7. ICEL Hope 1 Thessalonians 1: 3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work, produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

8. ICEL Focus Hebrews 13: 1-3 1 Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider Him, who endured such opposition of sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

9. ICEL Trust James 5: 10-11 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

10. ICEL Trust Job 23: 3, 8-9 3 If only I knew where to find Him; if only I could go to his dwelling! 8 If I go to the east, He is not there, if I go to the west, I do not find Him. 9 When He is at work in the north, I do not see Him; when He turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of Him.

11. ICEL Trust Job 29: 2, 4 and 5 2 How I long for the months gone by for the days when God watched over me 4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house 5 when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me.

12. ICEL Trust Isaiah 50: 10 Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him, who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.

13. ICEL Trust James 1: 12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.