Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Although fear seems to be the defining force of our time, God’s most frequent command to us is "Do not fear." Through the story of Gideon, we can see that God meets us in our fear, and we are invited to be courageous in the knowledge to God is with us.
Although fear seems to be the defining force of our time, God’s most frequent command to us is "Do not fear." Through the story of Gideon, we can see that God meets us in our fear, and we are invited to be courageous in the knowledge to God is with us.




![Joy is what makes endurance possible
The enduring faith James is inviting us into is not a grit-your-teeth, suck-it-up, white-knuckle-your-way-through kind of faith. James says, right at the very beginning of his letter: “Consider it all joy.”
Consider it all joy—what Dallas Willard would describe as “a pervasive and constant sense of well-being [whose indispensable support is] hope in the goodness of God.” Joy is a vital part of endurance itself because without joy—without those moments that remind you of the grace of God and the gift of life and the goodness in other people—all the hard things become that much harder and heavier. Joy isn’t the reward at the end of endurance. Joy is what makes endurance possible.
Excerpt from Enduring Faith: James 5 | March 22, 2026
Full sermon available on our YouTube page.
#inclusivechurch #reconcilingchurch #enduringfaith #consideritalljoy #washingtondcchurch Joy is what makes endurance possible](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/i4hnUNGOGEo/mqdefault.jpg)





