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What’s one thing you didn’t like hearing when you were younger, but now you understand it better?

Please read 1 Peter 5:1-7 aloud.

• When have you personally felt the tension between wanting to stay comfortable and realizing God was humbling you? What did that teach you about reliance on Him?

Please read Galatians 6:8-10 aloud.

• Where in your life are you tired of waiting, and what helps you resist giving up?

Please read Hebrews 11:1-2, then Hebrews 11:5-6.

• Where has stepping out in faith felt stretching for you, and what helped you believe anyway?

Please read Hebrews 12:4-8 aloud.

• When you sense God's correction, what helps you lean into receiving it, instead of brushing it off?

Please read Ephesians 4:11-16 aloud.

• So, if maturity means building up the body in love, what’s one change you’re willing to practice to help others grow?

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us enough to help us grow. When you humble us, remind us our strength comes from you. When we’re waiting, give us patience to trust your timing. When we’re stretched, give us courage to step out in faith. When we are corrected, give us humble hearts to listen and change. Shape us into people to grow in Christ and use that growth to build others up in love. Give us perseverance when the road feels long. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reread Ephesians 4:11-16 during the week. Think about the words and the message God is giving you. What is one thing you can do to make the body grow so that it builds itself up in love?

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Think of a time when you became determined to accomplish a task or a job. What gave you the drive to accomplish it?

Please read Romans 12:6-8 aloud.

• What is one gift or ability you enjoy  or that people seem to appreciate in you? (Sometimes gifts show up in everyday ways)

Please read Colossians 3:17, then Colossians 3:23 aloud.

• What part of your everyday routine could you do “as for
the Lord” instead of just to get it done?

• Have you ever paused before starting something and asked, “Who am I doing this for?”

Please read Hebrews 12:1-3 aloud.

• What helps you keep going when following God gets tiring or distracting, or when you feel discouraged from finishing well with God?

Please read Psalm 28:7-9 aloud.

• Where is God inviting you to shift from anxiety to trust, and actually live like he’s your strength?

God, we bring you our whole selves this evening, the tired parts and the hopeful ones. Teach us to win the battle in our minds by fixing our thoughts on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. Help us live out your truth in practical ways, in our speech, our choices, and our relationships. When we’re tempted to drift, strengthen us to persevere. Remind us that we can withstand, not by our own strength, but by your Spirit. Lord, we are people of Your Presence reflecting Your Heart - steady, kind and ready to serve. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

This Week’s Challenge:
In the Christian faith context, 

“Live Strong is living with steady resilience, like drawing strength from God instead of just grinding it out on your own. Think, endurance with purpose, not just coping. It’s treating your energy, your time, your gifts like they actually matter to God and to other people. So, not coasting, not burning out, but staying faithful, steady, and focused on what really lasts. Is it easy? No, not by ourselves, but with God..”
- Anonymous
 
2 Timothy 4:7 NIV
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”