Faith.png
 
 

Faith is relying upon God for provision, (1) protection, (2) and prescription; (3) and faith leads us into God’s very presence. (4) It is the opposite of insecurity, double-mindedness, fear, worry, anxiety, self-focus, skepticism, denial, agnosticism, and apostasy.  Faithlessness leads to fear, (5) and doubt, (6) and inhibits our ability to receive from God. (7)  Jesus is both our greatest example of faith, (8) and the object of our faith. (9)  He models for us how to rely upon God, (10) and is the cornerstone upon which our eternal salvation is built. (11)   Read Matthew 8:5-13; Jesus praises the faith of a soldier who needs no assurances beyond the mere word of Jesus.  Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-28; the resurrection of Jesus is the source of our confidence in God’s authority over sin and death.

Faith is the confidence that love conquers all. (12) Faith goes beyond evidence to bring clarity and conviction of the truth. (13) Faith leads us to rest in God’s promise, (14) and to obey God’s commands. (15) Faith causes us to pay attention to God, and desire Him over and above all other things.  Faith produces courage, (16) obedience, (17) freedom, confidence, (18) and peace with God. (19) Faith allows us to receive from God, (20) and is our part in salvation. (21) Faith pulls us out of selfish and self-centered lives and directs us towards God.  Faith is contagious. (22)  Faith includes trust, security, dependance, and allegiance.

Trust - confidence that God is good, true, constant, and powerful. (23)

Security - anchored, stable, and safe in the care of God. (24)

Dependence - relying on God for all that is needed. (25)

Allegiance - committed to being with God and doing His will. (26)

Faith: Obedience to God

Jesus demonstrated His complete faith in God by doing whatever it was that His Father desired. (27) Will we trust God enough to obey Him? (28)

Faith: Trusting Others

Jesus trusted others with the power to make their own choices, even to the point of being vulnerable to their poor choices.  He prefered to trust people instead of being skeptical.  (29) Do I believe that others will do what is good, and embrace all that God has for them? (30)

Faith: My Identity as a Child of God

Jesus never doubted His own worth because He entrusted Himself completely to God as His Father. (31) Do I trust that God is my Father, and that I belong to Him? (32)

Faith: God’s Provision

Jesus trusted His Father to take care of His daily needs out of the abundance of the world He had created. (33) Do I trust that God will give me my “daily bread?” (34)

Disciplines focused on Faith:

Prayer

Submission

Generosity

Sabbath