How Your Courage and Character Grow

Current Teaching Series Unshakable: Thriving No Matter What Hits You

How Your Courage and Character Grow By Rick Warren — Nov 3, 2017 “Never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord . . . With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News” (2 Timothy 1:8 NLT). Standing up for God when you’re afraid isn’t just the right thing to do. It also builds your faith and your character. Reputation is what you want people to think you are. Character is what you really are. Character is who you are when no one is watching. Character and faith are like muscles. The only way you build a muscle is by stressing it. That’s what we do in weightlifting. When you lift weights, you’re straining your muscle, you’re stretching your muscle, and you’re stressing your muscle. Your muscle doesn’t grow unless it’s strained, stretched, and stressed. The same is true with your “courage muscle.” You’re not developing any spiritual, emotional, or relational muscle when you give in to fear instead of standing up to it. When you play it safe, and let fear win, you lose the courage to follow God’s will for your life. When you stand strong for what God wants instead of buckling to fear, your courage grows. Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s moving forward with what God wants anyway. The Bible says, “Never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord . . . With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News” (2 Timothy 1:8 NLT). What are you willing to do in order to be true to your faith? Are you willing to be teased? Are you willing to have someone look at you funny? Are you willing to have people gossip about you? Historically, Christians have gone before lions and been crucified for their faith in Christ. Even today, people are being martyred for their faith. It’s much more common than you may realize. Stand up for God. When you overcome your fears, your character grows, and your faith does too. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over When have others encouraged you by standing strong for their faith in Christ? How have you seen your character grow by standing up for God’s ways? As Pastor Rick asked in the devotional, what are you willing to do in order to be true to your faith?

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Series Summary Session 1: When Your World is Shaken Up Session 2: When You're Pressured to Conform Session 3: When Your Beliefs are Belittled Session 4: When You're Asked to Do the Impossible Session 5: When the Heat is On Session 6: When God Tests You with Success Session 7: Are You Learning from Those Who Came Before You? Session 8: Will You Stand Strong for God Publicly? Session 9: The Kind of Prayer God Answers PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life, which has been translated into 137 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered around the world. This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe