Podcasts about our faith in god

In this message, Ovi reminds us that every one of us is called to be a witness for Jesus in the world. It's not about how impressive our CV is or how “ready” we feel—because God isn't looking for perfect qualifications or polished abilities. What He desires is our willingness to receive the power of the Holy Spirit. That's what transforms us from ordinary people into extraordinary witnesses.Our faith in God and the power of the Holy Spirit matter far more than any credentials. If I was worth Jesus dying for, then I am certainly worth living for Him.

Episode Notes For over five years now, Sunday Edition has been the news magazine show for members of our community to share their thoughts… And engage in deep and heartfelt conversations… This week we welcome three incredible community members: So bring your thoughts to Sunday Edition! As the world around us seems to spin faster into chaos and uncertainty, how do we keep the light of our faith strong and steady? How can our beliefs embolden our spirits, inspire our advocacy, and guide our self-care and service to others? Join us this Sunday at 1 PM Eastern for a soul-stirring conversation exploring: What it truly means to be a person of faith How to apply the promises and tenets of our spiritual traditions to modern challenges And, in Anthony's words, why “Christians—or any persons of faith—who claim to speak for the higher power are the ones that scare me the most.” Meet our incredible panel of faithful voices: Mark Richert is widely known in the blindness and low vision community for his decades of public policy work and currently leads international development at the Overbrook School for the Blind. But beyond advocacy, Mark is a lifelong Lutheran whose deep commitment to his historical Christian faith is matched by his hunger for big, transformative questions. His passion for justice, mercy, and prophetic witness guides his belief in a faith that welcomes the stranger, uplifts the oppressed, and challenges each of us to carry our cross daily. Doug AKA DJ Hansard, affectionately known as Reverend DJ, is a beloved contributor to Sunday Edition. A lifelong man of faith, DJ is revered across the blind and vision loss community for his unwavering message of inspiration, hope, and spiritual strength. He's never afraid to share his light—and he's just as comfortable offering a listening ear as he is delivering a sermon. In his own words: > “Bible prophecy predicted many years ago that the times we're currently living would take place. > Our ‘FAITH IN GOD' tells us to ‘BELIEVE' and ‘TRUST' that WE'RE GONNA BE TAKEN CARE OF.” DJ will expand on this message of divine trust and guidance, live on Sunday Edition. Lorna DesRoses (pronounced Derose) is a Catholic lay minister committed to building bridges across cultures and creating spaces of belonging within the Church. With a background in ESL education and a Master of Arts in Ministry from the Theological Institute at St. John's Seminary, Lorna advocates fiercely for disability inclusion in faith spaces. She has spoken at the National Black Catholic Congress and on national panels for the National Catholic Partnership on Disability. She is also the host of Voices from the Pews, a podcast uplifting the stories of Catholics of color. Based in Boston with her husband Robert and her guide dog Aster, Lorna's joy-filled witness to the love of Christ inspires all who meet her. We'll also be answering questions from our amazing audience! Tune in LIVE at 1 PM Eastern on 20/20 The Beacon! Sunday Edition with Anthony Corona can also be found wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Join the conversation in our Above the Fold Facebook group and stay connected by subscribing to the Sunday Edition News Email List. To subscribe, send a blank email to: SundayEditionNews+subscribe@groups.io Want to join the conversation live? Sunday Edition uses the same Zoom information every Sunday! Subscribe to the email list or send an email to SundayEditionAC@gmail.com for the link to chat with us. P.S. Got a burning question for Ask Emily and Garth, our advice column with bestselling author Barbara Hinske? Or have a comment, idea, or suggestion for Sunday Edition? Reach out anytime: SundayEditionAC@gmail.com And don't forget… Monday, May 5 at 8 PM Eastern — Join us for An Intimate Evening with Tim Cumings, a soulful night of song, stories, and conversation you won't want to miss! Would you like this formatted as a Word doc or plain text file for easier sharing?

Send us a textGod's promises remain our steadfast anchor when life feels uncertain, providing us with the strength to navigate through times of trouble with confidence and peace.• God's promises are unchangeable because it is impossible for Him to lie• Unlike human promises, God's word is completely reliable and trustworthy• His promises give us everything we need to live a godly life• God serves as our refuge and strength during life's various storms• He promises to quiet our storms of self-criticism and negative thinking• We are never alone - He promises to never leave us nor forsake us• God promises to calm all our fears - including rejection, failure, and inadequacy• He cares for us affectionately and watchfully, noticing everything in our lives• Our faith in God's promises provides stability when everything else feels unsteadyIf you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior, acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a Savior, believe that Jesus died and rose again, and confess Him with your mouth. The Bible promises that you will be saved. Reach out to us at newdayofhopepodcast@gmail.com if today's message blessed you.Support the showThanks for listening! Follow us on https://twitter.com/NEWDAYGOSPELRA2You can email us newdayofhopepodcast@gmail.comhttps://newdayofhopepodcast.buzzsprout.com/Phone: 470-929-5526

"Order Out of Chaos" - Nick Nick's sermon focused on the enduring power of God's grace, using the story of Joseph from the book of Genesis as a central example. He began by acknowledging the church's ongoing study of Genesis, inviting newcomers to join the narrative at any point, as the themes within are timeless. He emphasized that the biblical accounts of flawed families demonstrate God's ability to work within human messiness, bringing order from chaos. Nick highlighted the theme of God's infinite patience and grace, illustrated by Joseph's story. Joseph, sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, endured hardship and injustice, yet rose to power in Egypt through God's intervention. Nick explained how Joseph's ability to interpret Pharaoh's dreams led to his prominence and, ultimately, to a reconciliation with his brothers during a famine. A key point of the sermon was Joseph's choice to extend mercy rather than seek revenge. Despite having the power to crush his brothers, Joseph saw an opportunity for reconciliation, demonstrating God's character breaking through human darkness. Nick stressed that God's mercy triumphs over judgment, a theme that resonates throughout the Bible. Nick recounted the brothers' previous trip to Egypt, where Joseph tested them by detaining Simeon and demanding they return with Benjamin. He detailed the brothers' fear and Jacob's reluctant agreement to let them return, highlighting the theme of light breaking through in unexpected ways. Upon their return, Joseph hosted his brothers, showering them with hospitality and blessing, especially Benjamin. Nick emphasized Joseph's decision to focus on the future rather than the past, refusing to be defined by past trauma. He urged listeners to embrace their circumstances and discover God's grace within them. Nick contrasted human nature's tendency towards chaos, referencing "entropy theory," with God's ability to push back against chaos and bring order. He likened God's action to the creation narrative in Genesis, where God brought light out of darkness. He applied this concept to contemporary situations, citing examples of spiritual growth amidst global turmoil. Nick concluded by emphasizing that faith is acknowledging God's presence and opening our hearts to his light. He encouraged listeners to recognize God's work in their lives, even through difficult times, and to give thanks for his grace. He reiterated that God orchestrates events for good, and that by opening our eyes, we can witness his life force bringing order out of chaos. Bible References: Genesis (general) Genesis 37 Genesis 43 Transcript Great. I just want to take a few minutes, only a few minutes, just to speak for a little while. There's a strong theme coming through this morning in what we've been doing. I want to come back to Andy's picture of the, you know, holding the curtain shut to keep out the light of God, because I think that is a real challenge to us at so many different points of our lives. I mentioned earlier the theme of living under the grace and the banner of God, and we in our church have been carefully going through Genesis over the last year or so, Genesis being the very first of the 66 books that makes up the Bible, telling the story of our origins and the goings-on amongst all the families that are the ancestors of us all. So you've come in in season one, episode 43, but like all good box sets, you can join at any particular time, and you can still get something out of it. You don't have to go back and watch all other 42 versions first, but it's really good to come in on this, and one of the things that we found is that there really is nothing new under the sun. These people and families were hugely dysfunctional, flawed and challenged, and yet in the middle of all the mess, God was at work making himself known, and the Bible does that over and over again, and it's so encouraging to us that we don't have to have everything right before we come to him, but he's so good at being found in the middle of our mess and creating order out of chaos. Sometimes we are found in a heap, and God's grace and infinite patience leads us to life. We'll have baptisms next week, and we'll hear stories about people who are coming to faith, and often the story is I was in a heap, but yet God found me and lifted me and changed me and changed the outcome of my story, and that's the theme that comes all the way through Genesis and into the rest of the history of God's Word. His infinite patience leads us to life. And one of the stories, the story that we've been focusing on most recently is one of the more well-known Old Testament stories, which you might know as Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, but that's not the official title of the story, but that is how it's become known, and we've been following the ups and downs of Joseph's life. And in Genesis 37, Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, a horrible story, but under God's hand, he rose to prominence and power in Egypt, which wasn't an easy ride. He was unjustly imprisoned, and he suffered a lot, but God was with him through it all. He was able to interpret the Pharaoh's dreams, and as a result, he was rewarded and became very, very powerful. He predicted that there would be seven years of abundance followed by seven years of severe famine, and it was that famine that forced Joseph's brothers from years, you know, he hadn't seen them for years and years and years, it forced them to come to Egypt to look for grain for the sake of their family, and God orchestrated the circumstances whereby the family could be reconciled. It was like I've said from the beginning, the outworking of the grace of God over so many years, through so many circumstances, and you see the hand of God in it all. And so these brothers have turned up in Egypt, Joseph knew who they were, but they didn't know who he was. And he didn't, being somebody extremely powerful, you know we see power played out in the world all the time don't we on our TV screens and the news broadcasts and all that, people's own interpretation of what power means, Joseph had power, and yet he didn't use this as an opportunity to crush his brothers, or to wreak revenge on his brothers, but he saw it as an opportunity for reconciliation. One of those times in the human story where the light of God's character breaks through the darkness, remember the curtains Andy talked about where we hold them together and yet the light forces its way through, that God comes into our life, into our circumstances in ways that turns the story on its head. Things don't just go the way of all flesh, but God is able to change the outcome, he's able to change your story, he's able to change my story, and so many of us have that testimony of how he has done that. He breaks through the darkness, this could have been a really really horrible story if Joseph had just followed his human nature and instincts, he could have seen his brothers before him and thought well here we go, this is my opportunity to have my way of revenge against them, and they could have been an absolute massacre, but yet God had a different end to the story that he wanted to bring about. Joseph's brothers in this circumstance as they stood before him were weak, they were vulnerable, they were afraid, they could have been destroyed, but God's mercy triumphs over judgment. That's one of the phrases that comes through the word time and time again, that God's mercy triumphs over judgment. That we think some often when we look with our layman's view if you like, or our instinctive view of God, we think well he's somebody who might judge me, he might somebody who might be disappointed in me, might somebody who might want to to have his say against me like a like an unjust head teacher or whatever, but yet God's mercy triumphs over judgment, that God prefers mercy to judgment, God prefers grace to revenge, he prefers it and we're the better for it. These brothers had been to Egypt once before looking for grain and Joseph had put them to the test. I'm going through, you can read the story yourself, it's a, we challenged for time this morning, but hopefully putting a synopsis to the story, but please do go and read Genesis 43 if you can and if you're able. He had detained one of their brothers Simeon and insisting that when they returned they should bring Benjamin, their youngest brother. Benjamin was Joseph's blood brother from the same mother and he had a real interest in seeing him and so he wanted to put them to the test, so he kept Simeon in detention and said, you know, when you come back I'll release him to you again, so it was a test for them. They had no idea what was going to happen, they persuaded their father Jacob to let them go, but he was very, very reluctant, but in the end he agreed because their survival depended on it. Jacob's love and affection for his family was overriding any sense he had for wanting revenge on them. It's just, again, it's like that chink of light coming through. We would think, if we wrote this story we wouldn't imagine that there was going to be so much opportunity for goodness and light to come out of it, but in actual fact this is what God does. He turns things upside down and inside out. And so when they arrived in Egypt, Joseph hosted them at his own house. They were a bit suspicious and fearful because they didn't understand what was happening, but Joseph used the opportunity to bless them. We've talked about blessing this morning. He showed them hospitality and he lavished it upon his young brother Benjamin, gave him five times as much as he gave anybody else. So this reunion was a traumatic one, it was a difficult one for Joseph, but it was also one that was joyful and held a lot of promise for the future. Joseph was actually, by the grace of God, thinking about the future rather than the past, thinking about what was possible rather than what had happened, drawing a line and saying actually I'm not going to allow things to get fixed in time, a particular thing, and so many things happen in our lives that define us. We look at them, we look at negative things that have happened, traumatic things that have happened, and we say that defines my life from now on, but in actual fact Joseph was saying I'm not going to allow that to happen. The future is going to be different to the past. And so very quickly, what can we learn? The key to learning is learning to embrace our circumstances and discover the grace of God in them regardless of what has happened. Joseph wasn't actually imprisoned by the bitterness of what he lost as a result of his brother's actions. In fact, he used it as an opportunity for life. His dealings with them later in life, he was determined not to judge them on who they were, but he wanted to see what they had become. There was a willingness to look at them with grace and with kindness. They had conspired to kill him. They'd sold him off as a slave. They concealed the fact from their father. Their father had grieved for years believing that Joseph was dead. How was there any coming back from that horrible position? But in actual fact we see over the course of years, somehow these men had improved. Their characters had changed. Their outlook had become better rather than worse. They were better men over time. Judah was a ringleader in what they did to Joseph and yet in these stories he shows that he's willing now to sacrifice himself to put his own life at risk for the sake of his brothers. As I was preparing this, I thought about my education and I went back and I thought, I'm not pretending to be an expert in science or anything like that, but there was something niggling in my mind. I said, there's a theory about this sort of thing. So I looked it up on Google and found out that it's called entropy theory. That basically says that everything tends towards chaos. Everything tends to fall apart. Everything tends to get worse. Things don't get better. You don't get good things out of bad. Bad things just become worse. Things just unravel. It's the natural way. It's the way of all flesh. And yet as we read the human story in the pages of the Bible from the beginning, even when everything has gone terribly wrong, even when the wheels fall off, there is a force, there is a life force that works against the chaos that makes things better even when they were worse. That brings light out of darkness. That brings life out of death. And that is the Spirit of God at work. Right back at the beginning of Genesis, we read that there was darkness over the whole earth. There was chaos. There was disorder. And yet suddenly in the middle of that, God said, let there be light. And there was light. And so the pushback began and he started pushing back. And this natural entropy theory that says everything just gets worse and worse and worse and unravels and the wheels fall off. God says, actually, I'm going to make it different. I'm going to push back. I'm going to push back up the hill rather than run down the hill and actually see that things can actually turn out. And that's been the story of human history because if you think about it, things went terribly wrong from the beginning and they should be even worse now. But yet the force of God's life coming into our lives, mercy triumphs over judgment. Light triumphs over darkness. Life triumphs over death. That's the way of God. That's what he wants to do in our lives. Getting order out of the chaos. It's the life force of God. And you look at our world and you can read, you can listen to the news and you can feel so depressed because you think where do we go from this? There's no bounce back from this. Things are just getting worse and worse. And yet there is order that comes out of chaos by the life. There's almost like a parallel life that comes out. When you hear the stories from a Christian point of view of what's happened in Ukraine and the terrible destruction and the destruction of life and the destruction of hope and the destruction of buildings and everything just looks a mess. And yet you hear the stories about people coming to life, coming to faith in Christ, the church growing. In Iran where there's so much going on and yet the church is growing. There's such a lot that is happening. The life force of God at work in this world bringing order out of chaos. There was hope for Joseph's family because God had been filling the space in their lives over the years, even unseen. The grace of God is unseen so many times but he brings order out of our chaos. We see shapes, he guides, he orchestrates events to make himself known and to establish his purposes. And so to have faith in God is to acknowledge his presence, to acknowledge his life, to acknowledge his light. Back to Andy's picture again of us being in a dark room where we're holding the curtains shut and yet the light is shining. The light always shines whether we acknowledge it or not but the challenge is will we open the curtains? Will we actually say wow this is, this has always been there, now I'm going to live in the good of it. That's the turn in our hearts. Our faith in God doesn't make God real but it's just our acknowledgement, our opening our eyes, our recognition of what he does in our lives. And many of us could tell difficult stories and we've been through ups and downs and we've been through pain and we've been through trauma and we've been through difficulty and yet you're here today hearing the word about the light of God shining in our lives and the question will we open up our hearts and will we open up our minds to see that God has always been shining in our lives. Things for Joseph's family, things weren't easy, things were difficult, things were traumatic, things were filled with grief but yet as we get towards the end we see actually God was shining through it all, that he was actually working it all out. It could have been so awful the outcome of this story and yet it ended up being so good because God was working to bring order out of chaos. Grace is at work in our world and in our lives. The question is will we open our eyes and see it. There's a phrase isn't there that we say oh but for the grace of God there but for the grace of God go I. Where would we be but for the grace of God? Where would we be today but for the grace of God? Think back over all the things that could have happened to your life. Maybe things have happened to your life. Maybe you feel lucky or blessed. Maybe you feel like there's no blessing in your life or your circumstances at all but either way the light of God is shining and we need to look and see and have eyes to see and hearts to understand what it is that he's doing in our lives bringing our chaos into order. We can resist him but he's real. Our resistance, our opinion doesn't change things but it prevents us from knowing and being able to trust God. We sang the names of God at the beginning. Jehovah Nissi fights our battles. Jehovah Jireh provides our needs and all the other ones that I've forgotten. He does them all. Continually works for our good. And so God is calling us to open our eyes and see that maybe after a very long time like Joseph that all the time he simply holds our lives in the palm of his hand. Wants us to look up and understand that. Understand that actually whatever we think there is a force that is bringing our lives into order, bringing our lives into line that is where things could have been so different, could have been so dark, could have been so negative and yet there is an opportunity to open up the curtains and allow the light of God to shine and say well thank you God, to give thanks in all circumstances for the grace of God. That was the story of Joseph. There was no human agency. There was no reason to believe that things would work out well but yet God was able to orchestrate the circumstances. Are we ready to open up our eyes and to see the grace of God at work in our lives and to finally say well God in it all you do all things well. And at the end of the story we want to be those who celebrate the grace of God and know that we could pick up any number of things. We could say what about this and what about that and what about the other but when we open up our eyes and we see the light of the grace of God we can always see where he's working. We can see this life force that is bringing order out of chaos. Amen.

Send us a textHave you ever seen a great movie where the main character takes a chance and then something incredible develops? We all wish we had that kind of courage- to go “All-In” and put it ALL on the line. We are obsessed with these ideas in movies. We love watching it play out. Our faith in God is challenged constantly in this same way. God is constantly inviting us to trust him.  Trust his word. Receive wisdom. Get perspective that only he can give. He actually refers to it as “the Narrow path” In this episode we are discussing PRAYER, but more on a relational and conversation level with "God the Father". The simple definition of prayer is, “time spent conversing with God”. We are invited to pray over all things. Jesus gave devoted time to prayer, and miracles happened as a result. We know prayer can give fresh perspective and direction, change our hearts and give us courage. The more time we devote to the activity of prayer, the stronger we become spiritually. Come listen in on this discussion.   PRAYER- our conversation with God and spiritual practice is so misunderstood and underused. We are here to learn how to lean into it and grow stronger. Thanks for listening. Support the showCheck out what's happening locally with “1LoveHTX” and ways to get involved. www.1LoveHTX.org

After a terrible failure of faith in Egypt, Abram bounces back in his separation and subsequent rescue of his nephew Lot. Our faith in God will be tested, and when we fail, we should get back up and respond like Abram.

Our faith in God must be greater than our fear of the future.(Esther 3-4 )

Faith is believing and obeying God even when it seems impossible. Our faith in God produces eternal impact. How does faith produce eternal impact? 1.) Our faith in God tears down strongholds. Don't tell God about the impossible. Tell the impossible about God and watch Him give you victory. 2.) Our faith in God redeems our stories. God can take our broken pieces and make masterpieces. He can redeem your story and use you for His glory. 3.) Our faith in God eliminates excuses. Being faithful doesn't mean that life won't be painful. Don't let your objection dictate your direction. Join Pastor Kyle Worsham as he answers the question, “What does faith produce?” Don't forget to click the “bell” to SUBSCRIBE to get more videos like this to grow your faith! ● Connect with us on Social Media ↴ Facebook: / abundantlifels Instagram: / abundantlifels ● Be a part of the Great Commission: https://livingproof.co/irresistible/ More information on our sermons: https://livingproof.co/sermons/ Do you want to see your life changed by Jesus? Visit our website: https://livingproof.co/ Do you want to go deeper in your study of the book of Hebrews? Get our FREE Book of Hebrews Study Guide—a comprehensive video series with weekly questions to see and know Jesus better. #AbundantLife #Sermon #studyofhebrews #Jesusisbetterthan #whatdoesfaithproduce

Title: Overcoming Disappointment Date: 7/28/24, 10am, Sunday Sermon Speaker: Pastor Derrel Strickland ### [Be Encouraged By Faith in God](#) This week's sermon by Pastor Derrel Strickland reminds us that no matter how much we try, we are never good enough on our own to earn our way into heaven. He explains how the early church struggled with this concept, as they were previously taught that obeying the law was the path to righteousness. Through powerful verses from Romans chapter 9, we learn that true faith in God and His grace, not our deeds, is what leads us to salvation. Facing disappointments and failures are inevitable, but putting our trust in God assures us we won't live in a perpetual state of disappointment. The main takeaway: Our faith in God's grace and forgiveness sustains us through life's trials. Keep your eyes on Him and take heart in the hope He provides. Photo by Corina Rainer on Unsplash Outline: 00:00 - Introduction 00:32 - Disappointment in the World 02:08 - Romans Chapter 9 04:29 - Faith vs. Works 04:33 - Experiences of Disappointment in Faith 12:21 - The Law and Faith 14:15 - Living a Life of Faith and Encouragement 22:13 - Understanding and Overcoming Disappointment 39:57 - Conclusion and Altar Call

Brother John and Brother Sam combine to water Wednesday night's lesson, "GOD COMPASSEST MY PATH." Our faith in God is not guesswork based on human philosophy but a living relationship built upon God's word. "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44). Every aspect of our life has been planned by God, for "You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and You are intimately acquainted with all my ways" (Psalm 139:3, AMP).

Episode 245-This Thing Called Faith Faith is foundational on our Spirit-Led Transformation journeys. Without it, we have no transformation. Without it we cannot be Spirit-led. So what just what is faith and how do we know if we are really living our lives based on faith?   I'm a words person, so let's see what the dictionary says faith is. First definition is “complete trust or confidence in someone or something.” Second definition says it is a strong belief in God.   Hebrews 11:1-2 has long been the go-to verse to explain faith. In NIV is says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” But we read that and say what does that mean?   To help us understand better, let's read this scripture the Amplified Bible, which has a way of explaining things better.   It says, “Faith is the assurance, title deed, confirmation, of things hoped for or divinely guaranteed, and the evidence of things not seen or the conviction of their reality. Faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses. For by this kind of faith the men (and women) of old gained divine approval.”   Remember the dictionary definition of faith we see that faith in God, or complete confidence in Him, comes from our foundational knowledge that we can trust Him to lead us.    In other words, we must have complete assurance that God is leading us and the eventual outcome of where He is leading us is for our good and His glory (as it says in Romans 8:28). We have the title deed to whatever the outcome is that God wants to happen. We have the title deed to whatever God has already put in our hands!   Several years ago we reached a milestone on our financial journey and paid off our house. We now have the title deed to our home. It is ours. Whatever God is telling you and me, if we have faith then we have the title deed to that. It is ours. It's not just guaranteed by a financial institution, it is divinely guaranteed by the God of the Universe, who just happens to be our Daddy.    The next part is harder to understand because it is in the future. “Faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses.” God already sees it. He has called what we can't see as if it has already happened because He stands outside of time and can see the whole picture of our lives.    Our faith in God has to help us comprehend as a fact what we cannot actually see, touch or feel right now. We cannot experience it by our physical senses right this moment but we trust God and have faith that what He has said will come true. This goes back to 2 Cor. 5:7 where Paul tells us, “We walk by faith not by what we see.”  Friends, it wouldn't be faith if we could see it! . . . I feel like I really started living by faith around 2009, when I was 56. It took me lots of years to lose 250 pounds. First I had to totally surrender to God and trust Him for the next step on my journey. I had to get His lifestyle change plan for me and do what He said to implement it. I made a lot of mistakes on my journey and as such I am well-equipped to steer others away from my same mistakes.   One of the most beautiful and spiritual part of any transformation journey is learning how to have faith Jesus Christ, and to be led by the Holy Spirit in each step we take. Then the grace, mercy, favor and glory of God will surround us as we walk in tandem with Him.    Is it easy? I mean some of the things Abraham did look easy. Who knows, maybe he was glad to get away from his mother and father and go somewhere that he had inkling of. However it definitely wasn't easy waiting for the promised son. And I don't think for a minute it was easy preparing to sacrifice his promised son.   Yet, through it all, He trusted God. I like to think it all started with that first step out the door of his homeland, going to a place God said He'd show him. That's faith.   Let me ask you, what would it look like for you to have that kind of faith on your Spirit-Led Transformation journey? What would it take to do whatever God is whispering in your heart to do?    It's time. He's calling you. Will you have the faith to take the next step?  Father God, I lift your children to You today. Give them clear directions. Remind them of Your promises and help them take that next step on their journey whatever that may be. Make it clear to them. Give them faith to take action.   As always the action steps and challenges for this lesson will be in the Spirit-Led Transformation course along with the video and transcript. This course is only available in Overcomers Academy.  Go to: teresashieldsparker.com/overcomers/ to join.  

Standing Strong on Our Faith in God. based off of Ephesians 6:10-20.

Our faith in God compels us to look forward with hope to the next generation. We live in an incredible moment at the beginning of a generational change that opens the wonderful opportunity to share the good news of Jesus. The church needs people like the men of Issachar who had understanding of the times and knew what they ought to do.

In today's sermon, I explored the theme of discernment and the importance of being in the right place spiritually to hear God's voice clearly. I began by addressing the battle of containment that the enemy wages against us, attempting to constrain us with distractions, hide resources, and blind us to God's purpose for our lives. I emphasized that while the enemy may attack the promise of God in our lives, he cannot stop it. We must recognize that we are called by God and that this calling opens the door to the impossible ([01:19]). I then spoke about internal security, highlighting that Jesus came to do the will of His Father, not to seek the approval of men. This internal security is crucial because it allows us to be secure in who God says we are, rather than being contained by the enemy's lies about our identity ([10:05]). I shared that we all have a calling from God, and by answering that call, we step into the realm of impossibilities made possible through faith ([12:10]). The sermon continued with the story of Peter walking on water, illustrating the importance of responding to Jesus' call, which enables us to do what we could never do on our own. This act of faith by Peter was a demonstration of not being contained by fear or doubt but stepping out in obedience to God's voice ([14:47]). I then discussed the critical difference between condemnation and conviction. The enemy condemns to trap us in despair, while the Holy Spirit convicts to lead us to salvation and abundant life. This distinction is vital in discerning the voices we hear and ensuring we are in the right place with God ([28:02]). I also addressed the current events and the need to hear from God amidst chaos. I urged the congregation to focus on God's voice, not to be swayed by fear or speculation about end times, but to be ready for the rapture, should it come ([17:37]). In the latter part of the sermon, I called for worship that goes beyond praise, entering into a deep reverence for God's holiness. Worship is an acknowledgment of God's otherness, His majesty, and His glory, which leads us into His presence ([30:39]). Finally, I concluded with a call to holiness, emphasizing that as we see God as holy and separate, we too are made holy and separate. This separation allows us to discern God's voice from the enemy's and to step out of any boxes that have been constraining us ([40:48]). Key Takeaways: 1. The enemy's strategy is to contain us, but by recognizing our calling from God, we can overcome these constraints and step into the realm of impossibilities. Our security in God's calling enables us to defy the enemy's attempts to limit us. ([01:19]) 2. Internal security in Christ is foundational for our spiritual journey. Jesus' focus on doing the will of His Father, regardless of human opinion, is a model for us to follow. We must find our identity and security in who God says we are, not in the affirmation of others. ([10:05]) 3. Answering God's call, like Peter did when he stepped out of the boat, opens the door to the impossible. Our faith in God's calling empowers us to do what we could never do on our own, breaking free from the containment of fear and doubt. ([14:47]) 4. Discerning the voice of God is crucial in our walk with Him. Understanding the difference between condemnation and conviction helps us to recognize the Holy Spirit's guidance, leading us to repentance and life, rather than the enemy's lies that lead to despair. ([28:02]) 5. True worship transcends praise; it is a profound recognition of God's holiness and otherness. As we worship, we enter into God's presence, and in His holiness, we find the strength to discern His voice and break free from any constraints the enemy has placed upon us. ([40:48])

Our faith in God affirms the promises of God. Only by faith do we believe in the consequence of sin, the standards of God, and the provision of Christ for our salvation. The Law is necessary to point us to Christ and receive him by faith. Look at these truths from Romans 3:27-31.Worship with us live online at ExploreGracePoint.com/church-onlineGracePoint Church2351 Rice Creek RdNew Brighton, MN 55112

Historical Context and Modern ImplicationsAfter crossing the Jordan into the promised land, the Israelites fought the battle of Jericho. Joshua was their leader, and the Lord gave them the victory. In Joshua 24, the general reminds his people of God's faithfulness to them at Jericho and through their history.  He ends by making that memorable statement of faith: “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”As Christians in a non-Christian culture, we are also called to take a stand. We can either choose to serve the gods of this world, or the Lord. It's not easy for us, and it wasn't easy for the Israelites. There were temptations everywhere to serve other Gods.  That's why Joshua reminds the people over and over, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous.”In the New Testament, Paul echoes Joshua's call to the Israelites in 1 Corinthians 16:13: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” It takes courage, determination, and trust in the Lord to withstand the worldly desires and impulses that assault us every day.Facing Today's False GodsSo, what are some of the false gods we deal with today? Larry Burkett used to say that a false god is “anything that detours our commitment to God”. So, anything you focus on, depend on, or put your trust in other than the Lord is a false god, or an idol. Let's look at a few of today's idols:Financial Security can become an idol. You might be depending on your retirement plans, savings accounts, and investment income to see you through, but financial security won't save you in the end.Another false god is government provision. Do you expect welfare programs, federal relief checks, or government handouts to meet your needs? These are only temporary fixes. God is your ultimate provider. For some folks, power is what they trust. Personal status, reputation, and financial influence might seem desirable, but these don't have the power to bring peace.Another idol you'll see everywhere is the idea of personal autonomy.  “I did it my way” seems empowering.  “Follow your own desires” looks appealing, and “I deserve this” feels right, but all of these represent a world view that puts you on the throne of your life.  Selfishness and pride are sins that leave no room for the Lord.It's possible to be strong in a worldly way, either physically, or by sheer human determination. But I don't think that's what Joshua meant when he challenged his people to “be strong and courageous”. True strength is defined by its source, and when the Lord is your source, your strength is from him. Our faith in God is our trust in him to be our strength in times of need.As it says in Psalm 20, God's people can “rise up and stand firm”, because “we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” But what if you don't choose to serve the Lord?Well, the consequences of trusting in false gods are severe. Throughout God's word you'll find warnings against bowing down to idols. Israel suffered God's judgment many times for their unfaithfulness. On the other hand, there are many benefits to trusting the Lord instead of false gods.A Call To Choose ChristOne benefit is a closer walk with Christ. Following biblical principles in your financial choices means you're listening closely to what God wants for you, reading His Word and trusting Christ to lead you. When you invite God into this important area of your life…you'll begin to understand 1 Timothy 6, “godliness with contentment is great gain.”Another benefit that comes with trusting God in your finances is peace.  When your financial choices are made “in Christ”, the result is peace, because God is in control.  As it says in Romans 8:6, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”While worldly desires and attitudes will lead people astray, pursuing God's way in your financial life can bring spiritual growth. 1 Peter 2:1-3 gives this advice: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”Another benefit to trusting God in your financial life is the blessing of generosity. When we give…willingly and generously…we are acknowledging God's lordship over everything. 1 Chronicles 29:14 says, “…For everything is from you, and we only give you what we have received from you.”  You can make your financial decisions according to God's principles…or according to secular, worldly ideas. Like Joshua, you must “choose for yourself this day whom you will serve.” We pray that you will choose to serve Christ, and trust the Lord with everything.On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:I rolled over my previous annuity to a F&G annuity about two years ago. The way it was presented to me was that I was supposed to make some money and sadly it hasn't grown at all. So I didn't know whether to try to roll it into something else or what. I also have the ability to take out $20,000 a year without any penalties and we've got some house repairs that we wanted to take care of before I retired. Would it be wise to do that? I'm 70 and my wife is 69 and we want to do a reverse mortgage but don't know where to start. We probably owe between 35-40% of the home's value left on the mortgage. We also have an investment in a local credit union where we're getting 5% every 11 to 13 months. Also, do you have any suggestions for how to maintain the lowest prices for home and car insurance since all of those prices seem to be going up? Resources Mentioned:BankrateMovement MortgageRich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich FoolFind a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA)FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on the Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. Visit our website at FaithFi.com where you can join the FaithFi Community and give as we expand our outreach.

Our faith in God is an invitation not only for changing our lives but also for a renewal in our spirits. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/timothy-kirk/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/timothy-kirk/support

Thank you for listening to our Surge Church Podcast. Faith is the hallmark of the Christian life. Faith is what separates us from the world. Our faith in God is not based on what we see or do not see in the natural, but by what God's word says. This is why we are called to walk by faith and not by sight. In the message, “Foundations Of Faith,” Pastor Brad shares 4-Foundations that will anchor your faith and give it strength to endure. 

Our faith in God is built around the expectation that God will be fair. Good things should happen to good people. There are benefits to serving God. But what we know about God and His ways is overwhelmingly dwarfed by what we do not yet know about Him. We stand at the edge of the […] The post When God Seems Inconsistent appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Our faith in God grows when we choose to obey even when it's hard.

Our faith in God should move us to serve Him with all our hearts. Many people are quick to praise themselves instead of waiting on God to do His full will. Be blessed as you listen.

Our faith in God will grow with daily prayers of dependence for life's necessities.

The death and resurrection of Jesus secures for us amazing realities. These are realities that we are said to have. We possess them. What are they? What comes to your mind when you think about what Jesus has done for you?Forgiveness of sins. The giving of his righteousness. New heart. Eternal life.The right to be called the children of God.The fulfillment of all God's promises.There's a long list of things that we could say. The New Testament is chocked full of these gospel realities, and Hebrews Chapter 10 tells us about two of them:First, in chapter 10, verse 19, the writer tells us that we have confidence/authorization to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus. We saw that two weeks ago. We have that authorization. Second, in chapter 10, verse 34, the writer says that we have a better possession and an abiding one. We saw that last week. Pastor Max showed us that what we possess in Jesus is better than every valuable thing of this world, and it abides. It can't be taken away. We have authorization. We have what is better.But who is the “we”? Who possesses these gospel realities?Faith Is Absolutely NecessaryI'm about to say something pretty basic but I really want you to hear it. Get this: All the gospel realities talked about in the New Testament — everything from the forgiveness of sins to having authorization to God's presence here in Hebrews — all of these gospel realities only belong to those who have put their faith in Jesus in his death and resurrection.For example, I'll say it like this:God will not forgive your sins if you do not trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus.That's in the negative. Here's the positive:God will forgive your sins if you trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus. All of these gospel realities belong to us on the condition of our faith. We must believe in Jesus — and having this faith and enduring in this faith — is a big deal in the Book of Hebrews. It is a major concern for the writer. And on the one hand, this should be sobering to us — we have need of endurance (see 10:36). We gotta have real faith. But then on the other hand, this should be encouraging to us, because the writer, like a good coach, assures us that we are those who have enduring faith. He does something at the end of Chapter 10 that he did in Chapter 6. In Chapter 6 after warning the church about the real threat of walking away from Jesus, he ends that part by saying, “but … in your case, beloved, I'm convinced of better things!” (6:9). He's encouraging. Well here in Chapter 10 he does that same thing. After warning the church again about the real threat of walking away from Jesus, he concludes the section by saying, “But you're not like those who shrink back [or fall away], you are of faith!” (10:39).So faith is absolutely necessary. We must have faith. The writer says we do. But wait a second … what is faith?We have to have it. This book talks all about it. We should probably have an idea for what faith is, right?! Talkin' FaithWell, the writer of Hebrews thinks so, and so now beginning in Chapter 11, verse 1, we find the longest treatment on the topic of faith in the Bible. In 40 verses, the word “faith” is repeated 24 times. And what's really amazing about Hebrews 11 is that faith isn't just talked about, but it's illustrated. I think what's implied here is that we can understand faith better by seeing it demonstrated, more than by only seeing it analyzed. That doesn't mean we don't analyze it. We do — the writer does in verse 1 — but that part is brief. Most of Chapter 11 is “Let me show you how it looks!”And that's the sermon outline. The writer is saying:Part One: What is faith?Part Two: Hold my beer. … he's saying “Watch this! I'm about to show you what faith is!”Part One is Faith Analyzed. Part Two is Faith Demonstrated.Let's start with Part One. It's just one verse. Part One: Faith Analyzed This is Hebrews 11, verse 1. And some commentators make a point to say that the writer of Hebrews is not trying to define faith here. I just wanna clarify that the writer is not giving a comprehensive definition here, but he is telling us what faith is. This may not be a full definition, but he's not not defining it. The first three words are “Now faith is.” He's gonna tell us what it is. He gives us a general analysis of faith. Which means, we're leaning forward here. We wanna know what he's about to say. Look at verse 1: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” I remember this verse in the King James Version: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Most English translations use different words for “assurance” and “conviction” (and there are different reasons why) but the main thing to understand here is that faith is not a feeling. It's not a slippery, emotional state that waxes and wanes. In general terms, faith is the present embrace of a concrete, substantial reality that is yet unseen. Faith accesses and anticipates the reality of unseen things just as we do seen things. And I think something that might help us here is the way memory works.How does memory work?Memory allows us to mentally and emotionally access the past even when we can't physically see the thing we have in mind. For example, growing up, between my house and my grandparents' house, there was a long dirt path that went all the way back into the woods. It was a sandy dirt, the kind of dirt we have in the Coastal Plain region of North Carolina, and the path went way back out of sight, into the woods, past my great-grandparents' house, all the way down to a pond surrounded by trees. Now there is no question in my mind that this path exists, even though I cannot physically see it right now. I have seen it. In my memory, I embrace the substantial reality of what is currently unseen to me but seen before. I remember it. Faith works in a similar way — not in the same way, but in a similar way — in that faith embraces the substantial reality of what, up to this point, has never been seen by me. With faith I can't remember the substantial reality because I've not seen it, but I imagine the substantial reality because I'm convinced it's real. I believe. I have faith. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction [or evidence] of things not seen.” And this applies to unseen things of the future and the past.And verse 2 says that by it — by faith — the people of old received their commendation.The idea behind “the people of old” is to say “the ancients of redemptive history.” These are Old Testament believers. These ancient, Old Testament believers, by their faith, were commended by God. And now this sets up the famous “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11. So in verse 1 the writer gives us a brief, general analysis of faith, and then right away, verse 2, he gets to showing us faith demonstrated. This is how faith looks — Part Two already: Faith Demonstrated.Part Two: Faith DemonstratedNow something you notice here is that when the writer wants to show us faith demonstrated, he's going to repeat over and over “By faith, this” “By faith, that.” Those two words “by faith” are all throughout Chapter 11, and beginning in verse 4 each time he says “by faith —” he's referring to these ancient figures of redemptive history. He illustrates faith by the examples of Old Testament saints, but notice what he does first in verse 3.This was new for me this week. I've read this chapter countless times before and I've never really paid attention to verse 3. It's not what the chapter is famous for. But the first thing the writer says to show us faith demonstrated is not the faith of Old Testament saints, but it's our own faith. Look at this, verse 3: “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen [the universe] was not made out of things that are visible [it was made by the invisible word of God].” Now my guess is that for most of us, if we're familiar with Hebrews 11, when we think about this chapter, we don't think about verse 3, but we think the “Hall of Faith” — “By faith Noah” and “By faith Abraham” and “By faith Moses” … but first the writer says “By faith we…”And this is strategic, I think, for two reasons.First, the writer wants us to make a direct connection between his analysis of faith in verse 1 and our own experience. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. For example, just take the way we consider the universe. Nobody doubts that the universe is real. We're standing on it. We're breathing in the air. It's pretty reliable to say that the universe, this world, it's a thing. This is substantial reality we see. And it was created by the word of God, which we do not see. The unseen word of God created the seen world. And we understand that by faith. Now the writer obviously assumes that Christians embrace the word of God as the origin of the universe. There were other ideas at this time from the pagan world. The Big Bang Theory would come later (in the 1930s). But either way, what he says here remains true and still applies. For example, the Big Bang Theory says that everything started with a primeval atom, that before anything there was a single particle that exploded into the universe and everything there is. Well guess what? Did anybody see that happen? Of course not. So either way you look at it, the only option for the origin of the universe is that it was caused by something unseen. So whatever your position is, it's a position of faith. The question is whether you have faith in a theory invented by man about a hypothetical particle or if you have faith in the word of God. Christians, us, we have faith in the invisible word of God, and we live in the visible, substantial reality that word created. So verse 1 is not distant, empty analysis. This is our experience. We have faith.The second thing the writer is doing when he starts with “by faith we …” is that he wants us to know that we are in the same company as these Old Testament saints. We are like them, in that, we share the same faith as they do. And it's hard to imagine anything more encouraging than this. It means that the writer is not about to give us examples of heroes in the Old Testament who are out of our reach. We should not be like, “Oh, I could never be like them!” There's not a single place in the New Testament that speaks of Old Testament believers that way. In fact, let me tell you what James says in James 5! He wants to encourage us to pray and he uses the prophet Elijah as an example. He doesn't say: Elijah is so much greater than us. Good luck at being able to pray like he did. He doesn't say that. He says: Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. Elijah! Elijah was like us! We can pray like he did!That's the same heart here in Hebrews 11. These are examples to be imitated. The saints described in Hebrews 11 — these are our people. We are with them. Let me tell you about three: Abel, Enoch, Noah — Genesis 4, 5 and 6.Verse 4 — Abel (Genesis 4:3–10) Verse 4, “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.” We can read about Abel in Genesis 4. Adam and Eve had their first son, Cain, and then Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, Cain was a worker of the ground. And in the course of time, they both brought an offering to God — Cain brought produce (because he was a farmer); Abel brought an animal (because he was a shepherd). And Genesis 4:4 says that “the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard.”And we don't know exactly why this is the case. The text of Genesis doesn't tell us. We just know that God accepted (was pleased with) Abel and his offering, and here the writer of Hebrews says that was God commending him. Which is an interesting word. It's used in Hebrews 11 in verse 2, twice in verse 4, in verse 5, and then again in verse 39. The word means to “bear witness” or “to give testimony.” The writer of Hebrews says that God commended, testified, that Abel was righteous. How did God do that? By accepting his gift. The word for accepting means to be pleased with. God was pleased with Abel and his gift. So let's hold onto that for a minute: God testified that Abel is righteous by being pleased with Abel and his gift.Verse 5 — Enoch (Genesis 5:21–24) Verse 5, “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.” We can read about Enoch in Genesis 5, and he is an extremely unique person in human history because he never died. He is listed in the genealogy from Adam to Noah, and over and over again in Genesis 5, in that genealogy, after the text mentions a person's name and how long they lived, then the text says: “And he died.” It's “They lived this long, and died. They lived this long, and died” over and over. But when it gets to Enoch in Genesis 5, verse 21, it's different. Let me read it to you. Genesis 5:21, “When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” See, he didn't die. The writer of Hebrews says the same thing. Hebrews 11:5, “Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death.” But then the writer says that before Enoch was taken, “he was commended as having pleased God.” Now where is the writer of Hebrews getting that?Okay, track with me here: If you have a hard copy Bible and you can turn to Genesis 4, I want to encourage you to do that. For everybody else, hang with me: if you are reading Genesis 4 in your English translation, most English versions have a footnote beside the phrase “Enoch walked with God.” And if you look at that footnote, down at the bottom of your page (if you have an English Standard Version like me) the footnote says: “Septuagint pleased God.”Now the Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Old Testament Hebrew. It dates back to the 3rd century BC. And it's important because the Septuagint was the Bible that the New Testament authors would have read. And in the Septuagint, in Genesis 5:21, the Septuagint translated “Enoch walked with God” as “Enoch pleased God.” Because it's the same idea. The idea is that Enoch had fellowship with God — he walked with God. The Hebrew text says that. The Septuagint just interpreted more of what that means. It means that Enoch's life was pleasing to God. The writer of Hebrews read that in Genesis 5.So get this: God testified that Enoch pleased him.High-Water MarkAnd this is something that Abel and Enoch both have in common. God commended them both. God testified that he was pleased with them both. But wait a minute, Hebrews 11 is about faith!The writer of Hebrews says Abel and Enoch had faith, but the Old Testament text doesn't say that. The Old Testament only says they pleased God. We have to wonder then: What is the connection between having faith and pleasing God?That's a great question. Look at verse 6: “And without faith it is impossible to please him.” This is the high-water mark of this passage. Verse 6 is the explanation for why Abel and Enoch can be said to have faith. Track with what he's saying here. We can put it in a basic syllogism:Major premise: Abel and Enoch both pleased God. Minor premise: Without faith it is impossible to please God.Conclusion: Therefore, Abel and Enoch had faith. See what he's doing there? These first three examples in Hebrews 11 — Abel, Enoch, Noah — they only work as examples of faith because of this logic. Genesis never says explicitly that they have faith. Genesis only says they pleased God, and then we see what they did. Like in Noah's case: Verse 7 — Noah (Genesis 6:8–9ff) Verse 7: “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” You can see how this is demonstrating what the writer says in verse 1. Noah built the ark because he embraced the substantial reality of something he had not seen. And his embrace of this unseen substantial reality led him to do something. He lived differently because of it. He built a boat. And an action like that looks like faith according to verse 1, but again in Genesis, the text never says that Noah had faith. But listen to Genesis 6, verse 9: “These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.” And if you read that verse in Septuagint, like the writer of Hebrews did, guess what it says: “Noah pleased God.”And according to the logic of verse 6, if Noah pleased God, then Noah had faith, and by his faith he became an “heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” That is a real thing. The righteousness that comes by faith. Noah became part of that, and what's implied here is that we can too. By faith, we can be heirs of that righteousness that comes by faith.For without faith it is impossible to please God. God Is Our RewardVerse 6 really is the high-water mark of the passage, and I want us to end here. Look at the second part of verse 6. First, he says, “For without faith it is impossible to please God” and then in the second part of verse 6 he explains more of what this means. He says: “…for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” So the writer is taking the logic of Abel, Enoch, and Noah's faith and he's stating it as a general principle. This now goes for everybody. If you want to draw near to God — which has been a big theme in Hebrews — if you want to walk with God, be with God, you must believe that God is real and consequential. It matters that he is God. The reality of God is not something that we acknowledge and then put to the side and move on with our lives. Y'all know I love John Piper. I'm so thankful for his influence. One sentence from Pastor John that I remember as much as any (and he's got a lot of good sentences), but one time he said, with genuine bafflement: “I don't understand how someone can believe God exists and then only give him 2% of their lives.” If you believe God exists, don't you believe he's God? … If God exists, God exists. He's God. GOD! He's God, you're not. He's God, they're not. If you want to have a relationship with God, you gotta believe that he's real and that his realness makes a difference, in other words, you have to believe that he “rewards those who seek him.”If you seek God, he will reward you. With what? What is the reward? God will reward you with that for which you seek, which is him. If you seek God, he will reward you with himself. You get God. You have him. That's what faith is all about. That's why faith is pleasing to God. It magnifies his glory. Faith is not a coping mechanism to get through the hardships of life. Faith, biblical faith, says I want him. I want him whom I have never seen. And I want all the gospel realities that are in him. That's what brings us to this Table.The TableSo far in Hebrews 11, the writer has talked about faith in general terms. He gives us the basic of what faith is and how it looks, but here at the Table is where we get laser-focused. Nothing is generic here. Our faith in God is faith in Jesus Christ; our faith in Jesus Christ is faith in his death and resurrection for us.That's what the bread and cup symbolize. The bread represents the body of Jesus broken for us. The cup represents the blood of Jesus shed for us. And when we eat and drink, we are saying This is my faith. I trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What does it really mean to follow Jesus? What does it mean to be a Christian? Our faith in God works with and finds fulfillment in our love for people. Live Christianly. For series resources and media, visit ⁠https://vintagechurchnola.com/series/christ·ian·ly/

As believers, we will have pain and suffering, but through it all God provides encouragement, comfort and peace. Our faith in God enables us to fight the pain and suffering allowing it to forge our faith, strengthen our salvation and produce perseverance in our Christian walk. Our pain and suffering provide missional opportunities for us to share the Good News of the Gospel with neighbors and nations.

Christians worship an unchanging God, who does not associate with or tempt us to sin. Therefore, we may have great confidence and hope that the new life he has birthed in us is but the firstfruits of His plan to renew all creation and vanquish sin, Satan, and death. Sermon Outline:I.The only way to obey the command: ‘do not be deceived,' is to know the truth.II. Our faith in God and confidence in His word are predicated on His immutability (changelessness).III. Your new birth in Christ is neither a random act nor a consequence of your initiative. It is a work of God: the product of His perfect will accomplished through the message of the Gospel.Questions:1. In what ways does the spirit of our age attempt to deceive us concerning God or His word?2. What are the good and perfect gifts that James references in this passage?3. How is the immutability (changelessness) of God a source of comfort to the believer?4. What is meant that by the firstfruits of God's creatures?5. Compare God's work in creation with his work in the new birth of believers. (Gen. 1:26; 1 Peter 1:23;

Ever wondered why our underlying beliefs seem to be at odds with the royal decree of the true King? Brace yourself as we uncover the roots of this rebellion and shine light on the stark contrast between worldly traditions and the Christian mindset. Using the scripture as our guide, primarily Ephesians 2:1, we expose the unregenerate mind's resistance to divine truth and the transformative journey that leads us from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of God's beloved Son.Our faith in God isn't just a comforting thought, it's the bedrock of our beliefs. It's time to challenge our perspectives and purposes, informed by the written Word, the living Word, and general revelation. As we dissect the motivations behind the rebellion against God and the futile imaginations of the heathen, we learn that the Christian life isn't simply about resisting a temporal value system but it's about embracing a reward that transcends this life. So, join us on this riveting journey of discovery and faith, and perhaps, you'll see the world - and your presuppositions - in a whole new light.https://www.jacksonfamilyministry.comhttps://bobslone.com/home/podcast-production/

Tune in today for our previously recorded Sunday Morning Message with Special Guest, Dean Sikes. In his message, Dean preaches the importance of leaning into God and relying on Him. If our lives don't give us opportunities to operate in faith, then we are operating on unbelief. Our faith in God will produce good fruit and results, so if we aren't leaning in on Him and believing, we will find ourselves in trouble.If you're a new friend, click on this link to fill out a new friend card online!https://oneconnection.org/new-friendsCheck out our new Covenant Merch at https://https://www.oneconnection.org/shophttp://www.oneconnection.org/shopMake sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram, @covenantchurch2.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel here: https://rebrand.ly/fcw9jxaDownload our Covenant Church App here:Apple Devices: https://rebrand.ly/s3nb5hqAndroid Devices: https://rebrand.ly/7w1r1txGive Online: https://covenantchurchdouglas.http://churchcenter.com/giving

As we anchor our time in Scripture and reflect on the lyrics of Do it Again, a popular song from Elevation Worship, there are two truths we'll hone in on:1. God's promises will be fulfilled2. Our faith in God's faithfulness must riseThroughout Scripture we see a mind-blowing deliverance of God's people leading to life-changing gospel transformations. We know the same God is alive and working in and through us now. We trust Him to accomplish more of those same things!This message was recorded live at Transform Church in Memphis, TN. For more information about our church, visit transformchurchmem.comLINKSFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/transformchurchmem Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/transformchurchmem/ Website: https://www.transformchurchmem.com/

This is a test.   James 1: 2- My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diversE temptations 1 Peter 1:7-That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 1 Thessalonians 2:4-But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.   Being tested by God has been misunderstood by many. It is clear in the scriptures that God does test us. However, God does not send sickness, disease, or calamity into our lives to test us. Those things steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who came to give us abundant life.   Being tested by God is a matter of the heart and for a specific purpose. Understanding why God tests us will empower us not only to endure the tests but find joy in them.   What Is Testing Testing can feel like a negative thing. Have you ever been nervous to take a test in school? But testing isn't designed to be negative.   How the Cambridge Dictionary defines test is: 1. A way of discovering, by questions or practical activities, what someone knows, or what someone or something can do or is like. 2. A medical examination of part of your body in order to find out how healthy it is or what is happening with it. 3. An act of using something to find out if it is working correctly or how effective it is. 4. A situation that shows how good something is.   How the Bible Defines Test The Hebrew word translated as “test” in the Old Testament is bachan. It means to “examine, investigate, prove, scrutinize.” “Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart” (Proverbs 17:3, NLT).   The Greek word translated as “test” in the New Testament is dokimazo. It means to “put to the test, prove, examine, and, by implication, to approve.”   In 1 Thessalonians 2:4, it says, “On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts,” The same Greek word is used for both “approved” and “tests.”     Why We Fear Testing When we are nervous to be tested it reveals something about us. Either we are unprepared, or we are unaware of what we know. When we're unprepared we shrink back expecting to fail the test, and fear is a natural response when we're uncertain of the outcome.   We fear to be tested because we fear a negative outcome, and/or are afraid of why God is doing the testing.   Why God Tests Us The objective of testing is to discover the truth. In school, it's to see if we've learned what has been taught. There are teachers who make tests exceptionally difficult trying to fail students, and there are those who delight in the success of their students.   God is love and wants us to succeed. When he tests us, he wants to see if our faith in him is real. If we fall short, he takes pleasure in teaching us so we can pass the next time. When our faith proves genuine, he can reward us.   Our faith in God is precious to him. The Bible puts it this way in 1 Peter 1:7,   Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honor and glory when Jesus Christ returns (CEV).   These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (NIV).   God tests us because he loves us dearly and wants us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of him. This is why the Bible tells us we can rejoice when being tested.   Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:1-2, ESV).   God will bless you, if you don't give up when your faith is being tested. He will reward you with a glorious life, just as he rewards everyone who loves him (James 1:12, CEV).   What Does This Mean? Being tested by God is simply part of the process of becoming more like him. The more we lean into him, the more grace he can pour on us. How do you know your faith is being tested?    1.            Change requires sacrifice –something must die 2.            Fear of the unknown 3.            Tempted to go back to Egypt  4.            Lose your comfort 5.            Flesh vs spirit.   How do we pass the test of faith? 1.            Seek the Lords guidance 2.            Be strong and be of good courage 3.            Praise and worship 4.            Remember God 5.            Trust God   Giving Links   Thank you for listening, downloading and supporting the Speak Life Church and this podcast.        https://giv.li/p2nj61 Zelle  - pastor@SpeakLifeChurch.net https://www.patreon.com/speaklifechurchpodcast You can support the ministry by check or money order by sending it to Speak Life Church, 14713 Kent Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772     Rev. Kenn Blanchard  Kenn.blanchard@gmail.com pastor@speaklifechurch.net  240-200-0713    

https://www.gpshope.org/https://www.gpshope.org/book-author/laura-diehl/https://www.gpshope.org/podcast/https://www.facebook.com/GPSHopehttps://www.gpshope.org/friends-of-gps-hope/From Their PageWhen our daughter, Becca, passed from this earth at age 29 on Oct. 12, 2011, we were devastated, as all parents are. We did not know anyone who had lost a child, could not find any local support groups for parents who were grieving the loss of a child (a different kind of grief than any other) and were left trying to navigate through the swirling dark waters on our own.As a mother going through intense grief, many books I read left me remaining in the place of hopelessness and despair, and seemed to indicate that it was a land of no return.With four other children, and two grandchildren at the time (one of them being Becca's daughter), that just wasn't acceptable to me. There had to be a way to heal; to stop the intense stabbing pain that left one unable to function for months and years, without forgetting Becca. A way to move forward, not just as a shell of a person waiting to die, but a survivor with something to give, and a full life to live. A way to honor our daughter with life, not more death.Our faith in God and belief in His ability to give us hope eventually pulled me out of that deep black hole parents who have lost a child know all too well.That same faith in God, His Son and the Holy Spirit, continued to take us beyond hope to where we are today, and where we continue to walk, one day at a time. We will never be the same people we were before the death of our daughter, and will continue to deal with the daily results of the “amputation” of a child missing from our lives here on earth.

The gospel establishes us in love for God and for one another. Our faith in God and our love for […]

The gospel establishes us in love for God and for one another. Our faith in God and our love for one another is the encouragement that God gives us in the midst of suffering and trials.

Prayer is an anchor, it is for strengthening. You know you are strengthened when the word of God makes you come alive and encourages you. Acts 15:5-32 Prayer is for fortification against deception. You can't achieve strong convictions without it. Your most holy faith is your theology, the doctrine of Christ that is your foundation, you can build on it with prayer. Prayer gives us audacity, and audacity comes from strength. The fiery darts of the enemy are any attacks against your conviction. Our faith in God should never be conditional, it's meant to stay unshakable despite the fiery darts the Devil throws at us. Jude 1:18-21 The prosperity of our charismatic faith is dependent on our salvific faith. The presence of trouble isn't the absence of God. Eph 6:16; 1 Pet 5:7-9; Rom 8:35 Prayer is meant to strengthen you, and strengthen your faith! We have got the shield of faith! Luke 22:31-32

In this episode you will be able to know some of the ways you can obtain favor from God. You will also be blessed with the with prayer of favor. Our faith in God is compulsory and required in getting answers to our prayers. Matthew 9:29 “Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you” I pray that this Elevation prayer of favor help you find favor with as you continue to enjoy the love and goodness of God today. LISTEN,SUBSCRIBE & SHARE !!! Connect here for prayer request and praise report - https://greatcomfortministries.org/ Support this podcast https://www.paypal.me/GreatComfort God bless you !!

All the battles, frustrations, delays, denials and pain we go through is aimed at us losing our faith. Our faith in God is the most precious thing about our lives. The agenda of the devil is to make God look like a liar. Keep the faith no matter the scares life gives us. 2 Timothy 4:7

Our faith in God is revealed by the posture of our heart in offering.

Our faith in God is the foundation of our relationship with Him. One of the key principles in our walk is our faith that He has a plan for us every single day. But we don't talk about the faithfulness OF God as often. God has faith in us, faith that His children can and will follow in the way of the Lord so that we may one day sit as His feet in heaven. And although we are imperfect, He never loses faith in us that we will find the right path once more.

Our faith in God enables us to persevere through the challenges of life towards the fulfillment of His promises.

This segment describes how our faith makes us whole! Our faith in God can move any mountain in our life! Jesus is the Healer and Restorer of our soul! Building our faith that can activate the healing that dwells within us through the Holy Ghost through the mighty name of Jesus! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Our faith in God forms our mindset and influences our actions. It moves us in obedience to God even if our situation is difficult.

Our faith in God is seen in our lives by the fruit we bear. Faith is not an end to itself. It is God who our faith is in, not faith or religion.  Bible Reading: Mark 11-12 Verse of the day: Mark 11:22, "Have faith in God,” Jesus answered."" Word of the day: Faith. It is the Greek word:  πίστις (pis'-tis). 

This sermon is called "Our Faith in God's Work" and looks at Nehemiah chapters 11 and 12. Here we see the people in Jerusalem make some difficult but important decisions out of their trust in what God is doing.  God has worked to bring them back to the promised land and to help them rebuild.  Now the people are taking some difficult steps because of their faith in God's work.  We look at how we must also trust in what God has done and put our faith into action in our lives and our world today.

March 25 2022 Friday Week 40 In Him Scripture Study  Be That Overcomer Ephesians 1:15-23 NLT  'Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God's people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.'  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT 'When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.' This In Him Scripture Study Started On June 21 2021 Go Back And Listen From The Beginning…  Matthew 11:28  Find Rest In Jesus Christ Your Lord and Savior… Mark 10:29-30  100 Fold Return…  Romans 8:6  To be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace… Millions of people live in chains not knowing that they have the key to break those chains… Biblical Hope Is A Confident Expectation… 1 John 5:4-5 KJV/NLT/AMPC  Our Faith In God overcomes the world… Mark 11:22-23  Have Faith In God… Romans 10:9-10 KJV/NLT/AMPC  Salvation… Romans 10:13  Call On The Name Of Jesus And Make Him Lord today… The Biblical Definition Of Grace Is God's Unmerited Favor… Matthew 18:19-20  I will agree with you about your prayer request… Acts 10:34  God is not a respecter of persons. He loves and cares for us all the same… Romans 12:3  God has given us His Faith… Biblical Hope Is A Confident Expectation… Romans 5:5  God has given us His Love… 2 Corinthians 5:17  We are new creatures in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior… 2 Corinthians 5:21  We are the Righteousness of God in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior… God's Word Is True Above All Opinions…  Romans 12:2  Renew your mind to what God's Word says… Believe God's Word Above All Opinion… Philippians 4:13  We can do all things through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior… Philippians 4:19  God will provide all your needs… Romans 10:13  Call on Jesus' Name and be Saved… 1 John 1:9  Confess your sins God Will Cleanse You…  John 3:3  You Must Be Born Again… Luke 15:10  Heaven Rejoices Over One Person That Repents And Is Born Again… John 3:16  Believe On The Lord Jesus Christ Your Lord And Savior… 1 Peter 2:24  Healing… Mark 10:29-30  100 Fold Return… Luke 6:38  Give and it will be given unto you… Share This Podcast On Your Social Media Website https://the-prodigalson.com What God's Word Can Do In Your Life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJWTZG_x2vE&t=3s Email tstacyhayes@gmail.com YouVersion Bible App  https://my.bible.comi iOS App https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/prodigal-son/id1450529518?mt=8 …  Android App https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.prodical  Social Media https://www.facebook.com/The-Prodigal-SON-209069136315959/ https://www.facebook.com/noreligion1511/ https://twitter.com/noreligion1511 https://www.instagram.com/noreligion1511/ https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCPx4s1CLkSYef6mp4dSuU4w/featured

Our faith in God's word transports us from our problems to His promises. Every impossible situation becomes possible with God. Website: https://www.newlifelima.church/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nlcmlima/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlcmlima/ Donate Here: https://wallet.subsplash.com/ui/embed/NV8FTK

There is a crisis of faith in this generation. The Bible says very clearly in Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith, it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." This scriptural teaching has been proven to be true even in the 21st century. It seems as if there are far too many Christians who claim the Christian faith, yet they do not act or walk in that faith. This my friends is a crisis. It is a crisis because God has called us to step out in faith and obey Him rather than obeying our fleshly and worldly desires. In this episode of A StoneWall's Perspective Podcast, Alex interviews the senior pastor of Eternal Word Church, Pastor Philip Smith. Pastor Philip and Alex discuss the crisis of faith that is mentioned above and how to please God. Our faith in God and obedience in God should be one of, if not our top priority in life. We ought to walk as Christ walked, talk as Christ talked, live as Christ lives, and do as Christ did. It takes faith to do so, but when we walk in faith, it changes lives. In this episode, Alex asked 8 questions:1. What does faith look like for me?2. What have I done in faith this year?3. What can I do TODAY to focus on Jesus?4. Is my faith inactive because of sin?5. What am I worried about?6. How am I trusting God with my worry?7. What risky thing can I do in 2022 to activate my faith?8. Is there a sin that I am entertaining that distances me from God?                                                                                                                    You will never be the man or woman of God that He wants you to be if you do not live by faith and if you are actively and willingly sinning against God. Act in faith and God will be pleased. This episode is sponsored by reawakeningseries.com RE:AWAKENING is an epic 4-part journey through past, present, and future that chronicles the story of the Reawaken America Tour as patriots involved fight against Medical Tyranny, Election Fraud, Religious Fraud, and The Great Reset. From the producers and director of the documentary THE TRUMP I KNOW, the only documentary about the President that includes an exclusive interview with him.  Go to reawakeningseries.com and use promo code STONEWALL to get 10% off and to be entered for a chance to WIN 2 VIP tickets to the REAWAKEN AMERICA TOUR and get an exclusive BACKSTAGE PASS to meet Gen. Flynn and the other speakers. ($1,000 value)--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/alexander-stone/support

Welcome to another solo episode of the Dear Black CEO podcast with your host, Karl Sona! On this show, we talk a lot about pivoting away from corporate and into ownership, but what you don't always hear is how to deal with the fear that sometimes comes with following a purpose bigger than yourself. The more I talk to these successful entrepreneurs the more I realize that there are certain phases that all of them go through before they make the transition, and part of that is having faith! In this episode, I talk about the level of faith required to make your shift as well as knowing when it's time to do it.  Dive in and learn how to build up your faith so you can make the jump.   [00:01 – 04:41] Opening Segment I talk about my passion for this podcast and my vision for change I introduce the topic for today's episode Knowing if and when you need to make the jump Realize that it takes building yourself up again It takes faith   [04:42 – 10:26] Having the Faith to "Make the Jump"  How to put faith into action Having to battle fear and uncertainty Faith is fighting the doubt you have in yourself  Making the “Exit” make sense  Our faith in God needs to be in place  Think of your “why”  Make it bigger than yourself  Your goal should be so big you can't do it without God Remember your ideas are based on faith  There are resources ready to help you to move forward If you are a black business owner looking to grow your revenue, listen up. There is a major revenue-generating opportunity for you, and The Kas company is here to help you secure the bag. The Kas Company is a black-owned alliance agency specializing in finding and brokering partnerships between black-owned companies and big brands looking to diversify their supply chains. See the link below to book your free consultation today   [10:27 – 16:20] Faith Requires Action Don't wait to take action You don't need permission You've run the numbers, now it's time to execute “Time waits for no man”  You've been given a gift Use it to serve while you can  Don't let your gift die with you  Navigating the unknown You don't need to know Have faith that you have everything you need  Lean into your faith over your fear Merry Christmas! Final words   Tweetable Quotes: “Faith is a huge lever that needs to be pulled and that needs to be put into motion when you inevitably look to step away.” - Karl Sona “When you focus on your true ‘why' rather than the superficial things…  That ‘why', if you really get down to the root of it, is something that has been planted by God.” - Karl Sona   Let's connect! Find me on LinkedIn, Instagram or check out my website http://karlsona.com/. And The Kas Company to find out more about my coaching program. Feel free to reach out to me at karl@dearblakceo.com with any questions.    You don't have to be anyone other than who you are to be a world-class CEO!

IT IS THE ONLY WAY: YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST IS NECESSARY. WHEN YOU ACCEPT CHRIST AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR, YOU RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT INTO YOUR HEART THAT PRODUCES UNIMAGINABLE CHANGES AND A UNDESCRIBABLE POWER TO DO THE WORK THAT GOD HAS FOR YOU TO DO. JUST SAY YES!INTRODUCTION: SERIES: FEAR IS NOT A FACTOR, BUT FAITH IS! TRUST GOD AS YOU WALK INTO THE UNKNOWN!SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 12:1-41 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people, and your father's household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you and I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.Many of us know Abraham as being the “Father of Faith” but he did not always show this as God was taking him to the place he had prepared for him. Y'all God does not care how old or young we are when He calls us, He has prepared us for our faith journey and we must have a willing heart to obey obediently and a trustful mind to believe. Our faith in God is about us taking a daily walk with Him. When God called him, Abraham moves out in faith, from his country his people, and his father's house and went to a land that God said he was going to show him. Sometimes we just have to go and see what the end gonna be. When God tells us to do something, like Abraham, the only job we have in the matter is to obey.  Sometimes God's will for our lives may come in stages. Abraham was told to go from Ur to Canaan. God may give us transition periods and times of waiting to help us depend on Him and trust his timing. If we patiently do God's will during our transition period, we will be better prepared to serve him as we should when he calls us.We have to ask ourselves can God call me his own? Do I obey and trust God to do with me as He please? Look at this, God moved Abraham from a godless, self-centered city to the fertile region of Canaan, (a land flowing with milk and honey, where a God-centered, moral nation could be established. God is looking for progression in our spiritual walk. A lot of times we get stagnant, those are the times when God has to give us a nudge.  Just because we run into an obstacle while doing God's will, it doesn't negate our responsibility to obey Him. SCRIPTURES TO LIVE BY:Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.1 John 4:16-1816 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.18 Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. NEXT WEEK, WE WILL CONTINUE THE SERIES: FEAR IS NOT A FACTOR, BUT FAITH IS!  GOD WILL GIVE YOU THE STRENGTH TO FACE ANY FEAR!Next week read Genesis 32:7-12 You can find us on FB/Instagram, Google, Apple iTunes, Spotify, Buzzsprout. Continue to share, tell a friend, tell somebody.3 $25 gift cards giveaway to Amazon, Walmart, Visa WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1!Thanks for joining this podcast. There will be a new episode uploaded every Thursday starting at 6 amREMEMBER MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS, IT TAKES GRACE TO MAKE IT!

Welcome to Living in God's Rhyme Podcast. This is Episode 4, Where we talk about faith and many other things. We hope you enjoy. If you like what you hear from us, please tell all your friends. If you have questions or concerns, please let us know at www.facebook.com/godstillrhymes Can you believe in something you don't have faith in? Must you have faith to believe? I believe that to believe in good things one must have faith in those things/people/institutions. Our faith in God, the one true God of creation, the Father of our Savior Jesus Christ and whose Holy Spirit dwells within those who believe, will lead us to the right beliefs as we live on this earth. FAITH WITHOUT TRUST  As I look back at the miles,  Seeing the tears and the smiles,  Having stirred up so much dust,  Why did I think that I must?   I do believe all that you have for me  And I know that who I am you see,  That you have plans for what I should be.  That you want us to be we.   To one father Jesus asked if he believed,  Believed that his child would be healed and live?  To which the man replied, I believe,  Help me overcome my unbelief.   I don't know about you, But that is me.   I have faith that God's word is true, That his promises are real. He has changed me, I am made anew. I have on my heart his seal.   But there are times I feel left out, When I have doubt About what he has planned, About where with him I stand.   I sometimes wander about.   My faith, what is it  As I try to make it fit Into the ways of the world As at night I lay curled,  Curled up in a ball Waiting for his call.   On one of my good days We had a talk, God and me. I had taken the time To read of his ways.   I think he was pleased That I had taken the time And in that time it was me, It was me that he seized.   He told me that my faith, Though ever growing, Would never be what it could If I didn't trust.   I need to trust when I am fearful, I need to trust when I am tearful, I need to trust in the good times And when there are no rhymes.   If I truly accept the death of his Son For my salvation, my redemption, For his promise of eternity, Then I need to not just believe.   I need to trust that he  Is in control always, And in all ways, No matter what I see.   He loves me, He blesses me, And as my trust in  His promises,  His word grows,  My faith will also. © 2018, Living In God's Rhyme, Tim Carter WHAT HAVE I DONE FOR YOU?  There are those days when the sky is blue. And then there comes that one day When the sky is filled with clouds of gray. On that day what have I done for you?   It is easy to talk as through life we walk, To share the smiles as we walk the miles, As we walk that mile that once in awhile Is filled with pain as the gray clouds rain.   It is that mile that I must be aware That even though I know you are there That you need more from me. You need me to help you see.    I have walked that mile alone When my heart has turned to stone. I have stumbled along that road Struggling with my life's heavy load.   It is at these times of being in need I do not want what I know I need. It is then that I need someone To remind me of God's Son.   So as we walk under skies of gray, It is then that I need to pray, Pray, not alone, but with you That you may see the sky of blue.   I need to let you know  That there is a rainbow Above the day's gray cloud That is like a darkened shroud.   I will take your hand and pray That we will not be led astray, That as we walk we will talk And let God's reign fall on us.   THE GENTLENESS OF FAITH  Our faith...

In the final week of the Sh'ma series, Pastor Brad focuses on what it looks like to love God with our might (also translated strength). Loving God with our might or strength means that we enthusiastically put effort into loving for God in tangible and visible ways. Our faith in God and our affection for […]