Lauren Sparks

The Sparks Notes

  • Home
  • About
  • Favorites
  • Policies
  • Contact

Persevering in Purity…and Grace and Truth Link Up

August 14, 2020 by Lauren 18 Comments

I wrote this devotional I wrote a couple of years ago for a book called Perseverance:  30 Devotions for Faith that Moves Mountains.  In the midst of this marathon we are all running called Covid-19, I wanted to remind you of this resource.  At the time of this writing, Amazon has it for $7.99 in paperback and $2.99 on Kindle.  And if you use these links, I will receive a small commission.  Hang in there, friends.

 

When the Lord saw that man’s wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every scheme his mind thought of was nothing but evil all the time, the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.  Genesis 6:5-6 HCSB

 

 

 

My 13 year old daughter schooled me.  I didn’t expect it.  I didn’t ask for it.  But that’s what happened.  One summer evening my family selected a film for movie night from an online streaming service, and God taught me a lesson.  He used my little girl to do it.

 

Here’s the low-down.  The plot of the film we chose centered on a country singer who fell in love and married; then he skyrocketed to fame when a song he wrote for his wife caught fire.  As he and his music grew in popularity, the sweet story turned sinister.   He spent more and more time on the road away from his wife and young child, and as it turns out, absence didn’t make his heart grow fonder.  The more he distanced himself, the more he exposed himself to booze and drugs.  He sank deeper and deeper into this lifestyle until a drunken night led to an infidelity.   That infidelity eventually advanced to a full-blown affair.

 

Having seen similar movies a time or two, I knew that this character would eventually come to his senses and return to his “roots” of God and family.  But my daughter, either unsure of the outcome or unwilling to experience the heartache the film caused her, ran from the room crying each time the singer strapped on a new sin habit.  Several times my husband and I paused the movie to coax her back out to join us again with promises of coming redemption in the storyline.

 

It wasn’t an easy sell to get her to finish watching the show with us.  Through tears and anger she told us repeatedly, “I HATE this” as she watched the family man turn his back on his family, dissolve his faith and obliterate his resolve.

 

In those moments I admired the tender, uncalloused heart beating in the chest of my last-born.  At the ripe old age of plenty-nine, I’ve seen too much and heard too much to be so broken over sin.  At least I told myself that lie.  But the truth is, I want to be more like my daughter.  And I don’t think it’s too late for me.  I think I just need to spend MORE time with God (prayer, praise, Bible reading and meditation) and in Kingdom pursuits and LESS time consuming what the world has to offer.  Cynicism and hard-heartedness make poor servants of our Heavenly Father, nor do me any personal favors.  I believe God is revealing that, for me, a sifting is in order.  What about for you?

 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise – dwell on these things.  Philippians 4:8 HCSB

 

Father, thank you for the example of childlike faith and purity.  Give us the strength to make hard decisions in this sin-saturated world. Guide us toward pursuits that honor you and bring you glory and away from those with no redeeming value.  Help us to persevere in purity and sanctify us toward ever-increasing holiness.

 

Is a purge of your consumption in order?  Are you filling your mind with movies, books, podcasts , music or other things that could be desensitizing you to sin and its destructive power?

 

Do you need to repent of any unconfessed sin in your own life to restore you to right standing with God?

 

And now for this week’s featured post!

 

Bettie Gilbert of BettieGsRASeasons wrote transparently about her physical pain in Sharing:  Praise in the Midst of Our Pain.  Although my current pain is emotional, she encouraged me to remember to praise our Sustainer through it all.  Thank you for blessing us, Bettie.

 

Now for this week’s link-up! Let’s bless and encourage one another in our walk with the Lord.

Grace & Truth : A Weekly Christian Link Up

Grace & Truth exists to point people to Jesus! We hope this link-up will be a source of encouragement every week. If you’re a blogger, we hope you’ll use this space as a way to meet new friends within the Christian blogging community. If you’re a reader, we hope that you’ll encounter new bloggers that love Jesus as much as you do! Most of all, we hope you’ll meet Jesus here.

Join us each Friday for the Grace and Truth Link-Up!

To receive a weekly reminder of when the link-up goes live subscribe to laurensparks.net in the right hand column of this page.

Heather Hart & Valerie Riese

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
 

Maree Dee

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
 

Lauren Sparks

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
 

Lisa Burgess

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
1.)  Following your hosts via their blog and social media channels is not mandatory, but appreciated!

To receive a weekly reminder of when the link-up goes live subscribe to laurensparks.net in the right hand column of this page.

2.) Leave 1-2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. Please do not link DIY, Crafts, Recipes, etc. We will delete these links. We also reserve the right to remove articles that don’t align with the theme or are deemed by the hostesses to be inappropriate.

3.) Visit 1-2 other links and leave a meaningful comment! We want to encourage community among us, so please don’t link and run!

4.) We sort all links randomly – feel free to link as early or as late as you’d like. The playing field is even!

Featured Post Requirements

5.) Grab a button or link back to encourage new linkers. It is not mandatory, but it is required to be featured.

6.) Each host will choose one link to emphasize and promote via their social media channels next week.

Grab a Badge and Link Back to this Post

And now let’s link up!

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

To find some great places where I might be sharing this post, click here.

 

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

10 Scriptures on Perseverative Thinking

February 22, 2019 by Lauren 27 Comments

What does perseverative thinking mean to you? Perhaps you haven’t had to endure a lot of life’s ups and downs. Perseverance might not mean much to you. Or perhaps, you’ve been put through the wringer so to speak. In that case, perseverance means a whole lot to you. It has a definition that you might not even be able to put into words.

 

Whatever the case, this means different things to different people at different stages of life. Thank God for his impartiality. He doesn’t have favorites and shows the same love to the person in the pit as well as the person on the mountain top.

 

This is why we must all learn how to persevere in the faith, regardless of life’s circumstances.

 

Why We Need Perseverative Thinking

 

We must endure hardship and keep the faith so that a lost and dead world can see Jesus through us, no matter our current situation.

 

If we as Christians throw in the towel at the first sign of trouble, then we’re not showing the world that Christ strengthens us. This doesn’t mean we can’t get emotional or passionate about our current circumstance. But it does mean that our emotions and passion are rooted and guided by God’s word.

 

Our great commission is to go and tell the world about the good news of Jesus Christ. We can be just as effective in the valley or on the mountain top. It’s a matter of faith and diligence to always be willing to praise His name.

 

What Does the Bible Tell Us About Perseverative Thinking?

Click To Tweet

 

The Bible isn’t silent on this topic either. There are numerous stories and scriptures on perseverance guiding us in this area. From Adam and Eve in the garden to Jesus on the cross, the Bible is packed full of people enduring hardship and continuing in the faith.

 

We can use these examples to help us as we navigate life’s troubles.

 

We can also lean on each other for help. As Christians, we’re tasked with loving and caring for the brethren. We must help each other through this thing we call life. In all of its glory and grit, we should lean on each other for guidance and encouragement.

We’re not meant to travel this road alone.

 

There are numerous scriptures and devotions on perseverance, but Devotable has compiled a devotional on perseverance from various authors about various struggles in an effort to help guide people through this life journey. From illness, death, parenthood, relationships, and more, it helps to know that you’re not alone in this journey. We have friends and Christian brothers and sisters that can help us, come beside us and put their arm around us.

 

Scripture and Devotions on Perseverative Thinking

 

So for those of you that are hurting and need encouragement to persevere through these trails, here are 10 scriptures on perseverance to help guide you. Let the Bible speak to you and the Holy Spirit strengthen your faith as you read His word.

 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. – James 1:2-4

 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. – Galatians 6:9

 

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. – Romans 8:17-18

 

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. – 2 Corinthians 4:8

 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7

 

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. – John 16:33

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. – Hebrews 12:1

 

But they that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they will run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31

 

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9

 

The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all. – Psalm 34:19

 

I have the privilege of occasionally writing for Devotable, a Christian online daily devotional project.  It’s an app and a website with new inspirational content every day.  The authors of Devotable have worked together to write a book on Perseverance.  I am beyond excited to be published in this compilation and hope you will all consider ordering a copy – or many!  You can find info on the book and ordering details at https://devotableapp.com/perseverance.   I’m also pleased to host the creator and owner of Devotable, Landen Melton, as a guest blogger today!  

 

Bio

Landen is a web developer by trade and and online entrepreneur by passion. He is the owner and creator of Devotable, an online Christian daily devotion project. Together with over 100 talented writers, they create inspiring devotions that help encourage believers and share the good news of Jesus Christ daily.

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
Next Page »

Let’s Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

About Me

I love Jesus, my husband and caffeine. The order of these can change depending on how tired I am. When my two daughters, stepson, and 4 grandchildren get to be too much, I practice yoga. God graciously allows me to share our adventures, victories and flub-ups from my laptop. May He be glorified here.
Read More

Subscribe for Updates

Enter your information below to receive the latest updates from the blog!

Recent Posts

  • Verse Mapping Joy!
  • Grace Upon Grace
  • First Friday Prayers: Prayer for the Caregiver
  • The Grand Finale of February
  • Scriptures on Joy: Word of the Year

Find Devotionals By Me in These Books and Click on Image for Order Information!

A 25-Week Bible Study with Topics from Abide to Zeal
A 26 week journey to a better prayer life.
30 devotionals for faith that moves mountains

For Sharing

Lauren Sparks

Like Podcasts? I’m on This One

…and This One! click to listen.

Click below to get a free trial of my favorite technology monitoring platform

Need More Than Just Monitoring? Find Filters and Accountability Here

Search This Site

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2023 Lauren Sparks | Design by Traci Michele | Development by MRM

Stop!  Don't Miss Out!

I have a brand new e-book.  This was Not On My Bingo Card:  Essays on Cancer and Related Surprises is available to you FREE by simply subscribing to my blog!  

Invalid email address
I promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!