“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (1 Cor. 16:13 ESV) 

Stand firm in one spirit

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” (Phil. 1:27 ESV)

Stand firm in faith against the devil’s schemes

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Eph. 6:11 ESV)

“Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” (1 Peter 5:9 ESV)

Therefore…

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Cor. 15:58 ESV)

“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.” (2 Thess. 2:15 ESV)

Quote:

“Who stands firm? Only the one for whom the final standard is not his reason, his principles, his conscience, his freedom, his virtue, but who is ready to sacrifice all these, when in faith and sole allegiance to God he is called to obedient and responsible action: the responsible person, whose life will be nothing but an answer to God's question and call.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5 ESV)

God gives us the victory 

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 15:57 ESV)

Victory through self control

“Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” (1 Cor. 9:25 ESV)

Therefore..,

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:1-2 ESV)

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 ESV)

Quote:

“Nothing paralyzes our lives like the attitude that things can never change. We need to remind ourselves that God can change things. Outlook determines outcome. If we see only the problems, we will be defeated; but if we see the possibilities in the problems, we can have victory.” - Warren Wiersbe

“With God everything is possible”  (Matt. 19:26 NLT)

Nothing is impossible with God

“But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27 ESV)

“For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37 ESV

Nothing is too hard for God

“‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.’” (Jer. 37:32:17 ESV)

Therefore…

“And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” (Mark 9:23 ESV)

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 ESV)

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” Eph. 3:20 ESV)

Quote:

“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” - Charles R. Swindoll

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take..” (Prov. 3:5-6 NLT) 

Tell God what you need and don’t worry

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” (Phil. 4:6 NLT)

Ask God for wisdom and direction

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5 NASB)

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Matt. 7:7-8 ESV)

Commit your actions to God

“Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.” (Prov. 16:3 NLT)

“Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.” (Psalm 37:5 NLT)

Therefore…

“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” (Psalms 25:4-5 ESV)

“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” (Isa. 58:11 ESV)

Quote:

“I always pray for God's guidance in my life and he always provides it. He opens the right doors he shuts the right doors. And I have tremendous faith in him. He just guided my career in an amazing way.” - Dr. Ben Carson

“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.” (Psalm 25:16 ESV)

The Lord is with you always

“… And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20 ESV)

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isa. 41:10 ESV)

The Lord sticks closer than a brother

“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Prov. 18:24 ESV)

He will never leave you

“For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.” (Psalm 27:10 ESV)

Therefore…

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5 ESV)

Quote:

“No matter how low down you are; no matter what your disposition has been; you may be low in your thoughts, words, and actions; you may be selfish; your heart may be overflowing with corruption and wickedness; yet Jesus will have compassion upon you. He will speak comforting words to you; not treat you coldly or spurn you, as perhaps those of earth would, but will speak tender words, and words of love and affection and kindness. Just come at once. He is a faithful friend - a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” - Dwight L. Moody

“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.” (1 Cor. 10:11 NIV)

Example: One that serves as a pattern to be imitated or not to be imitated.

Edmund Burke (1729-1797) wrote, “Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.” We can, and should, learn from others rather than, out of ignorance, repeat the same mistakes as they did. The Bible is loaded with examples, both positive and negative, to instruct us. 

Imitate good examples

“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” (Phil. 3:17 ESV)

“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity…” (Titus 2:7 ESV)

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16 ESV) 

Recognize bad examples to avoid 

“Understand that the last days will be dangerous times. People will be selfish and love money. They will be the kind of people who brag and who are proud. They will slander others, and they will be disobedient to their parents. They will be ungrateful, unholy, unloving, contrary, and critical. They will be without self-control and brutal, and they won’t love what is good. They will be people who are disloyal, reckless, and conceited. They will love pleasure instead of loving God. They will look like they are religious but deny God’s power. Avoid people like this.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5 CEB)

“Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.” (Rom. 16:17)

Therefore…

“Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” (1 Cor. 10:6-11 ESV)

Quote:

“In his life Christ is an example showing us how to live in his death he is a sacrifice satisfying our sins in his resurrection a conqueror in his ascension a king in his intercession a high priest.” - Martin Luther

“Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” (Prov. 28:13 NIV)

Forgiveness: The act of forgiving; the act of granting pardon, as for a wrong, offense, or sin; remission of an obligation, debt, or penalty; pardon.

God is faithful and just to forgive 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 ESV)

He removes our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west

“He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalms 103:10-14 ESV)

Forgiven according to the riches of his grace

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace…”

Therefore…

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32 ESV)

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25 ESV)

Quote:

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” - C.S. Lewis

 “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!” (Psalm 42:5-6 and also repeated in Psalm 42:11 NLT)

Discouragement can appear overwhelming, but hold on!

The above passage is repeated twice in Psalms 42. When something is repeated twice it means you should pay special attention to it. The Psalm is about being deeply discouraged and sad, yet in the midst of his despair, the writer understands that God is still his answer and asks, “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?” And then he follows saying, “I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!” Psalm 42 is about the age old struggle between having deep feelings of discouragement, while at the same time knowing that God is the answer. Verse 8 says, “But each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.” Like the psalmist in this passage, during times of discouragement and sadness we must  hold fast to what we believe understanding that God is our ever present help. Read the entire passage below. 

Psalms 42: 5-11 — Dealing with discouragement and sadness

“5 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and 

6 my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you— even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar. 

 7 I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me. 

8 But each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. 

9 “O God my rock,” I cry, “why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?”

10 Their taunts break my bones.

They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”

11 Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!

Therefore…

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:9 ESV)

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor. 12:9 ESV)

Quotes:

“The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, ‘O God, forgive me,’ or ‘Help me.’” - Billy Graham

“The remedy for discouragement is the Word of God. When you feed your heart and mind with its truth, you regain your perspective and find renewed strength.” - Warren Wiersbe

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matt. 6:14-15 NIV)

Warning about not forgiving others

“But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt. 6:15 ESV)

Forgive someone who sins against you 490 times

“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matt. 18:21-22 ESV)

Therefore…

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32 ESV)

“He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalms 103:10-14 ESV)

Quote:

“I can forgive, but I cannot forget, is only another way of saying, I will not forgive. Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note - torn in two, and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one.” - Henry Ward Beecher