May 14, 2024   |   View Online

Hey, it's Mark,

My good friend Jim has written in with a word of encouragement. It's a great message so I'm excited for him to share it with you below. Also, we are hosting some meetups on May 15th & 16th for disciple-makers like YOU to receive encouragement in your walk with Christ. Scroll to the bottom of the message and you'll find the meetup details & join button.

Alright, that's it for me. Take it away Jim!

What keeps you going?

Hey, Jim here. Isn't this a good question? I think so.

Asking it admits that life is hard and that we need to figure out how to keep on keeping on. Certainly missionaries who serve God cross-culturally need special endurance, but so do all of us Christians.

It's also a good question because when we share our answers, we help one another find more ways to keep running our race. So what is it that keeps us from tubing out? How do we continue to walk in holiness when enticements to impurity assault us at every turn? How do we keep trusting Christ when God allows or allots suffering and heartache? How can we finish our race when it would be far easier to drop out and sit on the sidelines?

I know that ultimately my perseverance is God’s gift and not my effort. Without His steadying hand and sustaining power, I would surely stumble and fall. "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." (Psalms 55:22)

4 Ways He Keeps Me Going:

1. Grooves of grace. One of my seminary profs used to talk about “ruts of routine” (to be avoided) and “grooves of grace” (to be cultivated). Daily time in prayer and in the Scriptures is an essential “groove” to keep me on track. God's presence and God's promises are the foundation for any steps forward that I take.
2. Special people. I am blessed with a wonderful wife who always makes my life better and has been a constant encourager for over 50 years. My children and grandchildren are my joy. God has brought friends and a church family who hold me up and help me run the race.
3. Christ's cause. Even a great job can become boring and you can end up just going through the motions. I want my daily routine to have a direct connection to serving Jesus. Glorifying Him, helping introduce others to Him and getting them ready to live for Him is essential for me to stay on track.
4. Fresh air and exercise. To maintain my sanity and spiritual equilibrium, I have to get outside and walk or jog three or four times a week. I don’t know whether it’s the solitude or the endorphins, but I think better and pray more easily while I’m exercising.

Let's meet up!

Another thing that keeps me going is receiving encouragement from others! A big reason why we host Encouragement Meetups is so that YOU can be regularly encouraged as you continue your discipleship journey with Jesus.

Whether you're new around here, just getting started with our Bible study lessons, or you’re leading groups of disciple-making leaders, we would love to have you join us this month (and every month) at our meetup! It's online via ZOOM and we're hosting it twice this week. Click the links below to view our meetup's start times in your time zone:

Start Time:

Wednesday, May 15

View start time HERE.

Thursday, May 16

View start time HERE.

Ready to Join?

Try joining a few minutes early!

Enjoy our newsletter? Forward it to a friend!

New around here? Join our free newsletter!

You are receiving this ministry newsletter because you're a friend or partner of DJJ Ministry. Thank you!

Copyright © 2024 Discipleship Journeys With Jesus, All rights reserved.

Our Websites:  English  | Spanish  |  Portuguese