Have you ever wondered what this thing we call “faith” really is?  We talk about “having faith” or not having enough faith.  We talk about the faithful and the faithless.  We say, “you just have to have faith”, but how many really know what faith is?

Some may think of faith as wishing for something.  Others feel that if you have faith then you are just denying the realities of life, death and taxes.  But what about you?  How would you define faith?

Personally, I get my definition from the Bible. 

Heb 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  NIV

So, by this definition, faith is an unswerving confidence and certainty.  It is not wishful thinking.  The important thing to understand about Biblical faith is that it is rooted in God himself as the object of that faith. Faith is only as good as the object of that faith. We would be silly to place faith in something or someone which was unworthy of that faith.  Jesus told us where to place our faith: 

 "Have faith in God," Jesus           answered.  Mark 11:22 NIV

Having faith is important, because having a right standing before our Heavenly Father depends upon faith.  The Apostle Paul confirmed that God’s righteousness comes  to us as we place our faith in Jesus Christ, God the Son:

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” Rom 3:21-22  NIV  It is through this righteousness, from God himself, that we are accepted into God’s own family as His children. 

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,  for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”  Gal 3:26-27 NIV

Faith is of eternal importance to us all.  Sometimes we struggle, feeling that we just don’t have enough faith.  That is ok.  Ask Jesus to give you more faith just as a man asked Him to help him in his unbelief.

Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"  Mark 9:24  NIV

Faith is of ultimate importance to us, so God does not leave us to conger up this faith in Him on our own.  He is the giver of faith itself.  It, as well as salvation in Christ Jesus,  is a gift of God’s grace.

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.  Eph 2:4-10  NIV

I pray our great God of Grace will continue to grow within you His gift of FAITH.

God Bless,

Pastor Rick

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o 8/1    Psalms 57-59              Romans 4                          

o 8/2   Psalms 60-62              Romans 5                          

o 8/3  Psalms 63-65               Romans 6                          

o 8/4  Psalms 66-67               Romans 7                          

o    8/5   Psalms 68-69              Romans 8:1-21

o 8/6 Psalms 70-71                Romans 8:22-39

o 8/7 Psalms 72-73                Romans 9:1-15

o 8/8 Psalms 74-76                Romans 9:16-33

o 8/9 Psalms 77-78                Romans 10

o 8/10 Psalms 79-80              Romans 11:1-18

o 8/11 Psalms 81-83              Romans 11:19-16

o 8/12 Psalms 84-86              Romans 12

o 8/13 Psalms 87-88              Romans 13

o 8/14 Psalms 89-90              Romans 14

o 8/15 Psalms 91-93              Romans 15:1-13

o 8/16 Psalms 94-96              Romans 15:14-33

o 8/17 Psalms 97-99              Romans 16

o 8/18 Psalms 100-102          I Corinthians 1

o 8/19 Psalms 103-104          I Corinthians 2

o 8/20 Psalms 105-106          I Corinthians 3

o 8/21 Psalms 107-109          I Corinthians 4

o 8/22 Psalms 110-112          I Corinthians 5

o 8/23 Psalms 113-115          I Corinthians 6

o 8/24 Psalms 116-118          I Corinthians 7:1-19

o 8/25 Psalms 119:1-88         I Corinthians 7:20-40

o 8/26 Psalms 119:89-176     I Corinthians 8

o 8/27 Psalms 120-122          I Corinthians 9

o 8/28 Psalms 123-125          I Corinthians 10:1-18

o 8/29 Psalms 126-128          I Corinthians 10:19-33

o 8/30 Psalms 129-131          I Corinthians 11:1-16

o    8/31  Psalms 132-134         1  Corinthians 11:17-34

 

 

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