Perseverance in the face of trials and difficulty is one of the key aspects of succeeding while on the field as a missional worker. Once again, we want to look to the Bible to understand the importance of perseverance.
Paul’s Example
As a group, let’s study one of the times we see the effect of perseverance in the Bible. Let’s understand more about perseverance in the life of the Apostle Paul.
A Story of Perseverance
Read the story – Acts 14:8-23
Break into pairs and have each person tell the story in their own words. Help the other person remember any details forgotten or put the story into the correct order.
Answer these questions as a large group:
What do you learn about God from this story?
What do you learn from the people of Lystra in this story?
What do you learn from the Apostle Paul in this story?
What do you learn about perseverance? Or the effects of Paul’s perseverance?
The Process of Perseverance
Now let’s break into groups of 3-4 people and follow the steps below:
Answer these questions:
What do you think of when you think of persevering?
What are the situations that you typically need to persevere through?
How do they make you feel?
Read James 1:2-4
How do you learn to persevere?
What does James say our attitude should be as we are learning to persevere?
What will the effect be of obtaining perseverance? How is this possible?
Make it Practical
Come back together as a large group:
What does perseverance look like to you?
What are some ways that you have already needed to persevere to get to this place today?
How do you imagine you will need to persevere in the future, in your new location?
What are some strategies that you can employ to persevere well in the face of trials and difficulties?