Staying in the Faith: Why Endurance Matters More Than Ever
- Mickey Briles
- Jan 18
- 2 min read
When life gets heavy, faith can feel like something we used to have more of. The pressures of family, work, culture, and personal pain can make even the strongest believer wonder, “Where is God in all of this?”
This week’s sermon, drawn from 1 Timothy 4, 2 Thessalonians 2, and James 1, calls us back to something simple, ancient, and desperately needed: don’t quit. Not on Jesus. Not on the church. Not on the faith that saved you.
The Rise of Quitting — And Why It Matters
We live in a world where quitting is normal. Jobs, friendships, commitments — even basic manners. But the most alarming trend is this: Between 2020 and 2025, 6% of professing Christians walked away from their faith.
Not drifted. Not struggled. Quit.
Scripture warned us this would happen. Paul told Timothy that in the “latter times,” many would depart from the faith, deceived by false teaching and dulled by a seared conscience. The Thessalonian church faced the same confusion — misinformation, fear, and spiritual instability.
The Bible doesn’t hide it: A falling away is coming. But it doesn’t have to be your story.
Why People Fall Away
Most believers don’t quit because they stop believing in God. They quit because life hurts.
A loved one dies despite prayer.
A marriage collapses.
A pastor wounds them.
A child rebels.
A diagnosis shatters their world.
A church disappoints them.
Pain has a way of shaking what we thought was secure.
But Scripture gives us a different lens: Trials don’t destroy faith — they reveal it. James says to count it all joy when we face trials because they produce endurance. Not comfort. Not ease. Endurance.
The Call to Stay the Course
Faith that only works on good days isn’t faith — it’s convenience. Faith that survives the storm is the faith that transforms us.
Job understood this. After losing everything, he declared: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”
That kind of faith doesn’t come from comfort. It comes from endurance.
How to Stay in the Faith
Here are the anchors Scripture gives us:
1. Guard Your Conscience
A conscience ignored becomes a conscience seared. Respond quickly when the Holy Spirit convicts.
2. Stay Rooted in Truth
False teaching spreads fastest when believers stop reading the Word.
3. Expect Trials
Not as punishment — but as preparation.
4. Don’t Confuse Jesus With People
Pastors fail. Churches fail. Christians fail. Jesus does not.
5. Decide — truly decide — to follow Jesus
Not casually. Not when convenient. But with the resolve of the old hymn: “No turning back.”
A Final Word of Encouragement
If you’re exhausted, wounded, or ready to walk away — hear this: God knows. God sees. God has not abandoned you.
Endurance isn’t about being strong. It’s about refusing to let go of the One who is.
Stay in the faith. Stay in the fight. Stay with Jesus.
