ASSIGNMENTS

1. Daily read over this material and read or sing the song.

2. Place the scripture where you will see it each day.

3. Think of how you can press forward and not draw back from following Christ.

4. Write down the blessings that came from being a Christian.

5. Plan to tell the class about a time you were tempted to quit but didn't, or about a time you did quit for a period of time.

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DAILY BIBLE VERSES AND PRAYER THOUGHTS

MONDAY - VERSES: Psalm 27:14; 37:7,9,34; Isaiah 40:13
PRAYER THOUGHT: Father, help me to never give up on You, but to wait for Your providential care.

TUESDAY - VERSES: Proverbs 26:11; Genesis 19:26; Luke 17:32; 2 Timothy 4:10 PRAYER THOUGHT: Lord, help me never turn back to the world after coming out from it.

WEDNESDAY - VERSES: 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 PRAYER THOUGHT: Master, help me to not give up on my fellow man, but to continue striving to bring them to you.

THURSDAY - VERSES: Jeremiah 3:21-23; Hosea 6:1	PRAYER THOUGHT: Lord, help me not to give up on those who have given up, but to encourage them to return to you.

FRIDAY - VERSES: Deuteronomy 30:1-3; 1 Kings 8:46-50; Acts 8:20-24 PRAYER THOUGHT: God, forgive me for those times when I have given up or quit even if it was only for a short time.

SATURDAY - VERSES: Luke 9:61-62; John 6:64-66; Hebrews 10:38-39	PRAYER THOUGHT: Judge of All, help me to remember that it is not the start, but the finish that matters, and that all who turn back will be judged.

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Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul. - Douglas MacArthur

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Before success comes in any man's life, he's sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. That's exactly what the majority of men do. - Napoleon Hill

SPIRITUAL HEALTH REGIMEN - WEEK 101

QUITTERS - 7-20-14 to 7-26-14

SCRIPTURE - Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

COMMENT – The Christian life can be a difficult one at times. It is often tempting to give up the struggle and go back to our previous life of sin. The devil certainly wants that, but we can't give in to him. We must continue to put our faith and hope in the Lord.

SONG - O FOR A FAITH THAT WILL NOT SHRINK

1) O for a faith that will not shrink, Tho' pressed by ev'ry foe, That will not tremble on the brink Of any earthly woe.

2) That will not murmur or complain Beneath the chast'ning rod, But in the hour of grief or pain, Will lean upon its God.

3) A faith that shines more bright and clear When tempests rage without; That when in danger knows no fear, In darkness feels no doubt!

4) Lord, give us such a faith as this; And then, whate'er may come, We'll taste e'en here the hallowed bliss Of an eternal home.

THOUGHTS

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed." I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I've stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals! I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by patience, live by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, let go, or slow up until I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes to get His own, He'll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear. -- Anonymous

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The story is told that Andrew Jackson's boyhood friends just couldn't understand how he became a famous general and then the President of the United States. They knew of other men who had greater talent but who never succeeded. One of Jackson's friends said, "Why, Jim Brown, who lived right down the pike from Jackson, was not only smarter but he could throw Andy three times out of four in a wrestling match. But look where Andy is now." Another friend responded, "How did there happen to be a fourth time? Didn't they usually say three times and out?" "Sure, they were supposed to, but not Andy. He would never admit he was beat -- he would never stay 'throwed.' Jim Brown would get tired, and on the fourth try Andrew Jackson would throw him and be the winner." Picking up on that idea, someone has said, "The thing that counts is not how many times you are 'throwed,' but whether you are willing to stay 'throwed'." We may face setbacks, but we must take courage and go forward in faith. Then, through the Holy Spirit's power we can be the eventual victor over sin and the world. The battle is the Lord's, so there is no excuse for us to stay "throwed"! - Our Daily Bread.

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From the booklet Bits and Pieces comes an interesting story about Florence Chadwick, the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. On the Fourth of July in 1951, she attempted to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast. The challenge was not so much the distance, but the bone-chilling waters of the Pacific. To complicate matters, a dense fog lay over the entire area, making it impossible for her to see land. After about 15 hours in the water, and within a half mile of her goal, Chadwick gave up. Later she told a reporter, "Look, I'm not excusing myself. But if I could have seen land, I might have made it." Not long afterward she attempted the feat again.

Once more a misty veil obscured the coastline and she couldn't see the shore. But this time she made it because she kept reminding herself that land was there. With that confidence she bravely swam on and achieved her goal. In fact, she broke the men's record by 2 hours! - Our Daily Bread.

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Some Famous People Were Slow Starters

Winston Churchill seemed so dull as a youth that his father thought he might be incapable of earning a living in England. G.K. Chesterton, the English writer, could not read until he was eight. One of his teachers told him, "If we could open your head we should not find any brain but only a lump of white fat." Thomas Edison's first teacher described him as "addled," and his father almost convinced him he was a "dunce." Albert Einstein's parents feared their child was dull, and he performed so badly in all high school courses except mathematics that a teacher asked him to drop out. - Irving Wallace, Book of Lists, 1986, Wm. Morrow & Co., Ny, Ny.

Abraham Lincoln failed at business twice, had family problems galore, and failed in 8 attempts at elected office before being elected president.

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NEVER GIVE UP

INTRODUCTION - HEBREWS 10:39

L.S. - LET US BE CONVINCED THAT . . .

I. WE MUST NOT __________. - LUKE 9:57-62; HEBREWS 6:4-6 ; GALATIANS 6:9

II. WE CAN'T __________ THE _________. - MATTHEW 25:24-28

III. WE MUST PRESS ______________. - PHILIPPIANS 3:12-14; HEBREWS 12:1-4; 11:27

IV. WE MUST ENDURE ___________________. - 2 TIMOTHY 2:3; JAMES 5:10-11; REVELATION 2:10

V. ENDURANCE BRINGS ____________________. - MATTHEW 10:22; 2 TIMOTHY 2:12; JAMES 1:12

CONCLUSION - 1 CORINTHIANS 13:7-8

NEVER GIVE UP

INTRODUCTION

A. HEBREWS 10:38-39 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. [39] But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

B. Winston Churchill's speech "Never Give In"

"This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

—HarrowSchool, 29 October 1941. It is commonly believed that Churchill stood up, gave the three-word speech, "Never give in!," and sat down. This is incorrect, as is the suggestion, variously reported, that the speech occurred at Oxford or Cambridge. It was on his first visit to his old school, Harrow, where he would continue to return for the annual "Songs," making his last appearance in 1961.

L.S. - LET US BE CONVINCED THAT . . .

I. WE MUST NOT QUIT. -

A. LUKE 9:57-62 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. [58] And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. [59] And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. [60] Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. [61] And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. [62] And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

B. HEBREWS 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, [5] And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, [6] If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

C. GALATIANS 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

D. The Amazing Chinese Bamboo Tree

Of all the growth patterns I've observed as a gardener, the growth of the Chinese bamboo tree is the most amazing to me.

Plant a bamboo sprout in the ground, and for 4 or 5 years (sometimes much longer) nothing happens!

You water and fertilize, water and fertilize, water and fertilize—but you see no visible evidence that anything is happening. Nothing!

But about the fifth year things change dramatically. In a six-week period the Chinese bamboo tree grows to a staggering ninety feet tall!

World Book Encyclopedia records that one bamboo plant can grow three feet in a simple twenty-four-hour period.

It seems incredible that a plant that lies dormant for years can suddenly explode with growth, but it happens without fail with bamboo trees. - Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, 393-394.

II. WE CAN'T REMAIN THE SAME. -

A. CONSIDER A BALL ON A SLOPE OR A CAR COASTING.

B. MATTHEW 25:24-28 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: [25] And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. [26] His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: [27] Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. [28] Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

C. EVERY LIVING THING IN NATURE IS EITHER GROWING OR DYING THERE IS NO EQUILIBRIUM. THE SAME IS TRUE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE.

III. WE MUST PRESS FORWARD. -

A. Philippians 3:12-14 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. [13] Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, [14] I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

B. In July 1981 Bill Broadhurst entered the 10k Pepsi Challenge in Omaha, NE along with 1200 other runners. What made him unique was that 10 years earlier an aneurysm and surgery had paralyzed his left side. As the gun cracked to start the race the others surged forward quickly leaving him behind. His slow plop-plop-plop rhythm as he threw his stiff leg forward and then pivoted on it mocked him. Sweat and pain covered him, but he continued to plod along. A race that most finished in less than an hour took him 2 and ½, but he finished.

Most had gone home long ago, but there was a small crowd waiting for him as he finished. Walking toward him from that crowd was the winner of the day's race, well-known marathoner Bill Rodgers. As Rodgers approached Broadhurst he took the medal he had won from his own neck and put it around Broadhurst's saying, "Here, you've worked harder for this than I have." By overcoming the obstacles and finishing against the odds Broadhurst was a winner that day.

C. HEBREWS 12:1-4 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. [3] For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. [4] Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

D. HEBREWS 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

IV. WE MUST ENDURE PERSECUTION. -

A. 2 TIMOTHY 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

B. JAMES 5:10-11 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. [11] Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

C. REVELATION 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

V. ENDURANCE BRINGS SALVATION. -

A. MATTHEW 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

B. 2 TIMOTHY 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

C. JAMES 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

CONCLUSION:

A. 1 CORINTHIANS 13:7-8 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. [8] Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

B. INVITATION

Hebrews 10:39

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:39

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:39

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:39

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:39

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:39

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:39

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:39

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:39

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:39

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:39

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:39

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:39

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.