Spiritual Connections:
The Race and Grief

Philip. 2:16 The New Living Translation) 
    Hold tightly to the word of life, so that when Christ returns, I will be proud that I did not lose the race and that my work was not useless.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (The New Living Translation)  
    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 hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. [2] We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven.

Hebrews 12:1 (Message Bible)  
Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.

Eager to Run
Psalm 19:5 (NLT) 
        It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom
            after his wedding.
        It rejoices like a great athlete
            eager to run the race.

GRIEF
    That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
-Romans 8:28 (Message Bible) 
    And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. -
-Romans 8:28 (New American Standard Bible) 

Grief knits two hearts in closer bonds than happiness ever can, and common suffering is a far stronger link than common joy.
--Alphonse-Marie-Louis de Prat de Lamartine (1790–1869)

Grief may be joy misunderstood.
--Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861)

Happiness is beneficial for the body, but it is grief that develops the powers of the mind.
--Marcel Proust (1871–1922)

He that conceals his grief finds no remedy for it.
--Turkish Proverb

I am not mad; I would to heaven I were!
For then, ’tis like I should forget myself;
O, if I could, what grief should I forget!
--William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

If you bottle grief up, you’ll never soften it.
--Hebrew Proverb

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Download this Overview and Spiritual Review as a PowerPoint Presentation for your own purposes or for your group. Modify as necessary. Right click "Save As"