JW subtitle extractor

For a few moments,
I would like to speak to you on the theme
“We Continually Remember
Your Endurance.”
What is endurance?
The original language word
in the Greek Scriptures
has the sense
of standing one’s ground
and persevering,
remaining steadfast under trial.
But it means even more
than just toughing it out
under a difficult circumstance.
The Christian who endures
has genuine hope.
He or she is convinced
that as 2 Corinthians 4:17 puts it,
“the tribulation
is momentary and light”
compared with the reward,
which is everlasting.
To illustrate
the importance of endurance,
you see before me
a number of suitcases
—some are small,
some are large.
What we don’t know
is how heavy each one is.
That depends on what’s inside.
Some large suitcases
can be surprisingly light.
Some smaller ones
could be surprisingly heavy.
In a sense, this illustrates
what confronts each one of us
when we dedicate our life to Jehovah
and start out on the race for life.
At first, we may not know
what loads we’ll have to carry.
We may worry
about what
might seem to be big tests,
only to find
that they’re not as overwhelming
as we feared they would be.
On the other hand,
some loads that we thought
would be light,
perhaps getting along
with one another in love,
might be heavier to carry
than we anticipated.
Then there are unexpected tests
of our faith
—tests that could involve health problems,
financial anxieties,
family issues,
and personal disappointments.
All such situations
call for endurance.
The Governing Body wants
you dear brothers and sisters to know
that we love you
for your steadfast endurance.
Our feelings are well summarized
by Paul’s words
at 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 3.
There he wrote
to the faithful Christians:
“We always thank God
when we mention
“all of you in our prayers,
for we continually remember
“your faithful work,
your loving labor,
“and your endurance
because of your hope
“in our Lord Jesus Christ
in the presence
of our God and Father.”
How beautifully these words
convey our feelings about you!
We are greatly encouraged
and strengthened
by your faithfulness,
your integrity,
and your endurance.
No matter what type
of hardship you are facing,
two things are certain:
Jehovah knows
how heavy your load is,
and he can give you
the strength to carry it.
Think about that first statement:
Jehovah knows
how heavy your load is.
How do we know that?
Open your Bible
to Hebrews 6:10.
Here the apostle Paul,
himself a wonderful example
of endurance,
tells us what makes
our steadfast endurance worthwhile.
Hebrews 6:10 says:
“For God is not unrighteous
“so as to forget your work
“and the love
you showed for his name
“by ministering
and continuing
to minister to the holy ones.”
Imagine,
Jehovah
would consider it unrighteous
to take your endurance
for granted.
In fact,
Jehovah does more
than acknowledge your work;
he also helps you
to carry your load.
How do we know that?
Open your Bible
to Philippians 4:12, 13,
and notice here
what the apostle Paul,
this model of endurance,
tells us.
Now, just before we read it,
perhaps we may think of Paul
as being a newcomer
to the Christian faith,
and compared
to many others, he was.
But by the time
he wrote to the Philippians
in 60 or 61 C.E.,
Paul had encountered
many obstacles.
He had many heavy loads to carry.
Paul mentions a few of them
in these verses,
but then,
in the second half of verse 12,
notice what Paul writes:
“In everything
and in all circumstances
“I have learned the secret
“of both how to be full
and how to hunger,
both how to have an abundance
and how to do without.”
Now, notice what he says
in verse 13:
“For all things
I have the strength
through the one
who gives me power.”
What does this mean for us?
That whatever load
we have to carry as a Christian,
we are not doing it
with our own power.
Jehovah will help us carry it.
He will give us the needed strength.
Paul knew
that because he had experienced this
from Jehovah firsthand,
he had Jehovah’s help in his life.
How?
Well, consider what Paul faced
on his first missionary tour.
An exciting assignment
lay before Paul,
Barnabas,
and their traveling companions.
Would it be a light load,
full of only good experiences,
or would this assignment
involve challenges,
some perhaps heavier
than he anticipated?
Let’s find out.
One of Paul’s first stops
was Pisidian Antioch.
Here Paul and his companions
had great success.
In fact, the people
begged them to come back
on the next Sabbath
to tell them more.
That seems like a light load to carry,
doesn’t it?
But Paul’s return visit
did not go as smoothly
as he probably expected.
While some accepted the good news,
opposers stirred up the crowd
to the extent
that Paul and his companions
were thrown out of the city.
Paul’s next stop was Iconium,
about a 100-mile,
or 160-kilometer, trip from Antioch.
Paul couldn’t take a train,
a bus, or a taxi;
he had to travel on foot.
Did things go better for him
when he got to Iconium?
Would his preaching there
be a lighter load to carry
than it was in Antioch?
Well, some did accept his message,
but then opposers
stirred up opposition.
Before long,
Paul and his companions
had to flee again.
This time they walked 20 miles,
or about 30 kilometers, to Lystra.
At first, things went well there.
After Paul and Barnabas
were mistaken for gods,
they gave a skillful witness
to the people of Lystra
about their powerful Creator.
But then the opposers
from Antioch and Iconium
came after Paul.
Some of them hated Paul so much
they walked over 100 miles,
or 160 kilometers,
to attack him.
When they found him,
they stoned Paul
and dragged him out of the city,
leaving him for dead.
Did Paul think that this load
was getting too heavy to carry?
Did he cave in to discouragement
because opposers hated him
and even attacked him physically?
No.
Paul had endurance.
And a person who endures
never gives up hope,
even in the face of persecution.
So, what did Paul do?
He continued right on with preaching,
this time in Derbe.
Just imagine the effort
Paul had to exert
to walk the 60 miles,
or about 100 kilometers, to Derbe
the day after he
had almost been stoned to death.
However,
the trip was worth the effort
because while in Derbe,
Paul and his companions
made many disciples.
As you can see,
Paul had a heavy load to carry,
but he didn’t give up.
He continued preaching.
But then Paul did something more.
Open your Bible to Acts chapter 14.
Here we see something that proved Paul
to be a man of endurance.
At Acts 14:21 we read:
“After declaring the good news
to that city
“and making quite a few disciples,
“they returned to Lystra,
Iconium, and Antioch.”
Imagine, Paul and his companions
walked back to the very cities
where they had been viciously persecuted.
Why?
Verse 22 says:
“There they strengthened the disciples,
“encouraging them
to remain in the faith and saying:
“‘We must enter
into the Kingdom of God
through many tribulations.’”
At first,
that statement might seem strange.
How could Paul
encourage the disciples
by telling them that they
would have “many tribulations”?
That prospect would seem depressing,
not encouraging.
But look carefully at Paul’s words.
He didn’t simply say:
‘We must endure many tribulations.’
He said: “We must enter
“into the Kingdom of God
through many tribulations.”
In other words,
Paul strengthened the disciples
by emphasizing the positive result
of endurance.
As Jesus said at Matthew 10:22:
“The one who has endured
to the end will be saved.”
What’s the lesson for us?
Endurance is not just a matter
of toughing it out
under a difficult situation.
Endurance means
keeping our hope bright in our mind.
It means being personally convinced
that as 2 Corinthians 4:17 says:
“The tribulation
is momentary and light,”
but the reward is everlasting.

Mark Sanderson: We Continually Remember Your Endurance
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Mark Sanderson: We Continually Remember Your Endurance

For a few moments, 
I would like to speak to you on the theme 
“We Continually Remember 
Your Endurance.” 
What is endurance? 
The original language word 
in the Greek Scriptures 
has the sense 
of standing one’s ground 
and persevering, 
remaining steadfast under trial. 
But it means even more 
than just toughing it out 
under a difficult circumstance. 
The Christian who endures 
has genuine hope. 
He or she is convinced 
that as 2 Corinthians 4:17 puts it, 
“the tribulation 
is momentary and light” 
compared with the reward, 
which is everlasting.
To illustrate 
the importance of endurance, 
you see before me 
a number of suitcases
—some are small, 
some are large. 
What we don’t know 
is how heavy each one is. 
That depends on what’s inside. 
Some large suitcases 
can be surprisingly light. 
Some smaller ones 
could be surprisingly heavy. 
In a sense, this illustrates 
what confronts each one of us 
when we dedicate our life to Jehovah 
and start out on the race for life. 
At first, we may not know 
what loads we’ll have to carry. 
We may worry 
about what 
might seem to be big tests, 
only to find 
that they’re not as overwhelming 
as we feared they would be. 
On the other hand, 
some loads that we thought 
would be light, 
perhaps getting along 
with one another in love, 
might be heavier to carry 
than we anticipated. 
Then there are unexpected tests 
of our faith 
—tests that could involve health problems, 
financial anxieties, 
family issues, 
and personal disappointments. 
All such situations 
call for endurance.
The Governing Body wants 
you dear brothers and sisters to know 
that we love you 
for your steadfast endurance. 
Our feelings are well summarized 
by Paul’s words 
at 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 3. 
There he wrote 
to the faithful Christians: 
“We always thank God 
when we mention 
“all of you in our prayers, 
for we continually remember 
“your faithful work, 
your loving labor, 
“and your endurance 
because of your hope 
“in our Lord Jesus Christ 
in the presence 
of our God and Father.” 
How beautifully these words 
convey our feelings about you! 
We are greatly encouraged 
and strengthened 
by your faithfulness, 
your integrity, 
and your endurance. 
No matter what type 
of hardship you are facing, 
two things are certain: 
Jehovah knows 
how heavy your load is, 
and he can give you 
the strength to carry it.
Think about that first statement: 
Jehovah knows 
how heavy your load is. 
How do we know that? 
Open your Bible 
to Hebrews 6:10. 
Here the apostle Paul, 
himself a wonderful example 
of endurance, 
tells us what makes 
our steadfast endurance worthwhile. 
Hebrews 6:10 says: 
“For God is not unrighteous 
“so as to forget your work 
“and the love 
you showed for his name 
“by ministering 
and continuing 
to minister to the holy ones.” 
Imagine, 
Jehovah 
would consider it unrighteous 
to take your endurance 
for granted. 
In fact, 
Jehovah does more 
than acknowledge your work; 
he also helps you 
to carry your load. 
How do we know that? 
Open your Bible 
to Philippians 4:12, 13, 
and notice here 
what the apostle Paul, 
this model of endurance, 
tells us. 
Now, just before we read it, 
perhaps we may think of Paul 
as being a newcomer 
to the Christian faith, 
and compared 
to many others, he was. 
But by the time 
he wrote to the Philippians 
in 60 or 61 C.E., 
Paul had encountered 
many obstacles. 
He had many heavy loads to carry. 
Paul mentions a few of them 
in these verses,
but then, 
in the second half of verse 12, 
notice what Paul writes: 
“In everything 
and in all circumstances 
“I have learned the secret 
“of both how to be full 
and how to hunger, 
both how to have an abundance 
and how to do without.” 
Now, notice what he says 
in verse 13: 
“For all things 
I have the strength 
through the one 
who gives me power.” 
What does this mean for us? 
That whatever load 
we have to carry as a Christian, 
we are not doing it 
with our own power. 
Jehovah will help us carry it. 
He will give us the needed strength. 
Paul knew 
that because he had experienced this 
from Jehovah firsthand, 
he had Jehovah’s help in his life. 
How?
Well, consider what Paul faced 
on his first missionary tour. 
An exciting assignment 
lay before Paul, 
Barnabas, 
and their traveling companions. 
Would it be a light load, 
full of only good experiences, 
or would this assignment 
involve challenges, 
some perhaps heavier 
than he anticipated? 
Let’s find out. 
One of Paul’s first stops 
was Pisidian Antioch. 
Here Paul and his companions 
had great success. 
In fact, the people 
begged them to come back 
on the next Sabbath 
to tell them more. 
That seems like a light load to carry, 
doesn’t it? 
But Paul’s return visit 
did not go as smoothly 
as he probably expected. 
While some accepted the good news, 
opposers stirred up the crowd 
to the extent 
that Paul and his companions 
were thrown out of the city. 
Paul’s next stop was Iconium, 
about a 100-mile, 
or 160-kilometer, trip from Antioch. 
Paul couldn’t take a train, 
a bus, or a taxi; 
he had to travel on foot. 
Did things go better for him 
when he got to Iconium? 
Would his preaching there 
be a lighter load to carry 
than it was in Antioch? 
Well, some did accept his message, 
but then opposers 
stirred up opposition. 
Before long, 
Paul and his companions 
had to flee again. 
This time they walked 20 miles, 
or about 30 kilometers, to Lystra. 
At first, things went well there. 
After Paul and Barnabas 
were mistaken for gods, 
they gave a skillful witness 
to the people of Lystra 
about their powerful Creator. 
But then the opposers 
from Antioch and Iconium 
came after Paul. 
Some of them hated Paul so much 
they walked over 100 miles, 
or 160 kilometers, 
to attack him. 
When they found him, 
they stoned Paul 
and dragged him out of the city, 
leaving him for dead. 
Did Paul think that this load 
was getting too heavy to carry? 
Did he cave in to discouragement 
because opposers hated him 
and even attacked him physically? 
No. 
Paul had endurance. 
And a person who endures 
never gives up hope, 
even in the face of persecution.
So, what did Paul do? 
He continued right on with preaching, 
this time in Derbe. 
Just imagine the effort 
Paul had to exert 
to walk the 60 miles, 
or about 100 kilometers, to Derbe 
the day after he 
had almost been stoned to death. 
However, 
the trip was worth the effort 
because while in Derbe, 
Paul and his companions 
made many disciples.
As you can see, 
Paul had a heavy load to carry, 
but he didn’t give up. 
He continued preaching. 
But then Paul did something more. 
Open your Bible to Acts chapter 14. 
Here we see something that proved Paul 
to be a man of endurance. 
At Acts 14:21 we read: 
“After declaring the good news 
to that city 
“and making quite a few disciples, 
“they returned to Lystra, 
Iconium, and Antioch.” 
Imagine, Paul and his companions 
walked back to the very cities 
where they had been viciously persecuted. 
Why? 
Verse 22 says: 
“There they strengthened the disciples, 
“encouraging them 
to remain in the faith and saying: 
“‘We must enter 
into the Kingdom of God 
through many tribulations.’” 
At first, 
that statement might seem strange. 
How could Paul 
encourage the disciples 
by telling them that they 
would have “many tribulations”? 
That prospect would seem depressing, 
not encouraging. 
But look carefully at Paul’s words. 
He didn’t simply say: 
‘We must endure many tribulations.’ 
He said: “We must enter 
“into the Kingdom of God 
through many tribulations.” 
In other words, 
Paul strengthened the disciples 
by emphasizing the positive result 
of endurance. 
As Jesus said at Matthew 10:22: 
“The one who has endured 
to the end will be saved.”
What’s the lesson for us? 
Endurance is not just a matter 
of toughing it out 
under a difficult situation. 
Endurance means 
keeping our hope bright in our mind. 
It means being personally convinced 
that as 2 Corinthians 4:17 says: 
“The tribulation 
is momentary and light,” 
but the reward is everlasting.


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