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Today I want to take a look at persistence, and in particular,Persistence in our faith; our walk with Christ.We live in a time of instant gratification that is unrivaled historically.We have information at our fingertips;We have cell phones that are more powerful than the first computers,And on them we can access any data and information we want.And we can have access to it in seconds.We don’t have to wait for hardly anything,And we don’t like it when we do.With all of this information and data and things to aid in our decision making,So readily available at a moments notice.With one search we can get millions of places on the internet that can answer our request.And this kind of access to information can be a really good thing.But one thing we don’t have to do is persist to find our answer.I mean, if I ask Siri to find something on the internet for me, she can do it and I only have to ask once.So when it comes to having to be persistent in something,We have gotten to the place where we might just give up,Rather than having to keep after it.Do you remember anything in your life you have had to be persistent about?***Tell the story of the year it took to get the job in Nashville***Persistence…it pays off.Now, the Bible has a lot to say on the topic.The three Scripture passages this morning each have to do with being persistent.Hosea, chapter 6 verse 3 reads:Oh, that we might know the Lord!    Let us press on to know him.He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn    or the coming of rains in early spring.”“Let us press on to know Him”…What does this look like; Pressing on to know God?Well, have you ever read a passage of Scripture and thought - I have no idea what that means;Or - I have no idea how to apply that to my life?Well, pressing on in this would be to keep reading it; pray about it;Study it; write your thoughts down about it; read it again…Rinse and repeat.Seek advice and counsel about it from someone you trust in the faith.in pressing on to get to know God, you have to be persistent in your prayer…You need to seek God in the area you have questions,And to not be satisfied with anything other than God’s very own revelation to you.***Tell the story of Kenny being baptized in the Holy Spirit***Persistence, when spent in relation to God, will NEVER leave you wanting…Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. “And run with endurance the race God has set before us”Now, how do you run a race with endurance?First thing is training.You practice running and running and weight training and proper diet and rest.Right?You go about it with a disciplined mindset that prepares for the obstacles to come in this training.When you are training for that race,You approach everything you do in your training with the race in mind.You are not pulled this way or that, instead you are focused on your