How to avoid Apathy

1. Don't get "caught up" 2 Timothy 2:3-4 (The Message): When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did. A soldier on duty doesn't get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders. 2. Have STRONG Roots Matthew 13:21 (The Message) Jesus said: But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. Acts 14:22 (The Message) putting muscle and sinew in the lives of the disciples, urging them to stick with what they had begun to believe and not quit, making it clear to them that it wouldn't be easy: "Anyone signing up for the kingdom of God has to go through plenty of hard times." 2 Timothy 2:12-13 (The Message) If we stick it out with him, we'll rule with him; If we turn our backs on him, he'll turn his back on us. If we give up on him, he does not give up--for there's no way he can be false to himself. 2 Timothy 3:12 (The Message) Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there's no getting around it. Colossians 1:23 (The Message) You don't walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message--just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message. 3. Comprehend Ephesians 3:16-29 (The Message) I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit--not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength-- that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.