Colossians 1:24

Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him.

He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me, isn’t worthy of me.

Whoever doesn’t bear his own cross, and come after me, can’t be my disciple.

and if children, then heirs: heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.

and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us, and washed us from our sins by his blood—

I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in his Father’s glory, with the holy angels.”

Let’s not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ

who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and don’t please God, and are contrary to all men,

Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved in various trials,

I remember my song in the night. I consider in my own heart; my spirit diligently inquires:

I will also appoint him my firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

But as it is written, “Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear, which didn’t enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him.”

But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, and in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.

and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

For this cause I also suffer these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day.

Therefore I endure all things for the chosen ones’ sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry.

But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “Don’t fear what they fear, neither be troubled.”

how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.”

that I should be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the Good News of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.

For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ.

for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ,

speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!”

Even so, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not the Good News of God only, but also our own souls, because you had become very dear to us.

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

in which I suffer hardship to the point of chains as a criminal. But God’s word isn’t chained.

I John, your brother and partner with you in the oppression, Kingdom, and perseverance in Christ Jesus, was on the isle that is called Patmos because of God’s Word and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

“To the angel of the assembly in Laodicea write: “The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of God’s creation, says these things:

But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night,

Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven.

Jesus looking at him loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, taking up the cross.”

I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

But they will do all these things to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t know him who sent me.

He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.

For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,

Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf,

Always rejoice.

Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God,

For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure has come.

But if one of you suffers for being a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this matter.

But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death.

Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

“By your endurance you will win your lives.

Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers.

Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance;

For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another,

I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,

For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory,

Great is my boldness of speech toward you. Great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I overflow with joy in all our affliction.

He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.

I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less?

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.

that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death,

He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.

He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for Jesus’ name.

But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.

From now on, let no one cause me any trouble, for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus branded on my body.

Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations,

He called the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to them, “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

They said to him, “We are able.” Jesus said to them, “You shall indeed drink the cup that I drink, and you shall be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with;

Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets.

The glory which you have given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, even as we are one;

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.

which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,

For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

choosing rather to share ill treatment with God’s people than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time,

to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

But because you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice, that at the revelation of his glory you also may rejoice with exceeding joy.

because for the sake of the Name they went out, taking nothing from the Gentiles.