STRENGTHEN
YOUR FAITH
BREAD
1 Now
faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This
is what the ancients were commended for.
Hebrews 11:1-2 (NIV)
3 No
one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to
shame who are treacherous without excuse. 4 Show
me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; 5 guide
me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you
all day long. Psalms 25:3-5 (NIV)
32 And
what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson,
Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33 who
through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was
promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched
the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was
turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign
armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again.
Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a
better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were
chained and put in prison. 37 They were stoned ; they were sawed in two; they were
put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,
destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- 38 the
world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in
caves and holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of
them received what had been promised. 40 God
had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be
made perfect. Hebrews 11:32-40 (NIV)
20 So
they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into
a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus
asked the boy's father, “How long has he been like
this?” “From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It
has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do
anything, take pity on us and help us.” 23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything
is possible for him who believes.” 24 Immediately
the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:20-24 (NIV)
12 “O
our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army
that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon
you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12 (NIV)
This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or
discouraged because of this vast army. for the battle is not yours, but
God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15 (NIV)
3 Praise
be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has
given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil
or fade--kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until
the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In
this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to
suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith--of greater worth
than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine
and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though
you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now,
you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for
you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9 (NIV)
3 Dear
friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we
share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was
once for all entrusted to the saints. 4 For
certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped
in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a
license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. 5 Though
you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people
out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And
the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their
own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for
judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the
surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They
serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. Jude 1:3-7 (NIV)
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you
as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your
faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your
brothers.” Luke 22:31-32 (NIV)
6 So
then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted
and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and
overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow
and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic
principles of this world rather than on Christ.
Colossians 2:6-8 (NIV)
BUTTER
“Truth
and love are the characteristics which build up the church, especially in
association with each other. Yet this combination is rare in the contemporary
church. Some leaders are great champions of the truth and anxious to fight for
it, but display little love. Others are great advocates of love, but have no
equal commitment to truth...Truth is hard if it is not softened by love and
love is soft if it is not strengthened by the truth."
John Stott
“Let me carefully
mark the inward workings of thy grace, and the outward tokens of thy
providence, so as daily to have a true sense of thy gracious presence in every
thing, more or less important; and thereby to be ever strengthened in faith,
and kept in a composed state of mind; considering that nothing happens by mere
chance, but all is wisely ordered by thy providential care to our good; firmly
believing, if anything goes contrary to expectation, that something better will
follow in its stead, if we only can be quiet, and wait the time.” K.H. Von Bogatzky
“Dear Lord, we don’t know what to
do, but our eyes are on You. You tell us our prayers will make a difference. We
don’t need to know how, we don’t need to know when—just please give what we
need when we need it. You are wiser, stronger, and so much more compassionate
than we can conceive. We praise You for who You are. We praise You for what You
have promised to do for us. Forgive us for taking our eyes off of You. Increase
our faith and go before us to vanquish every enemy. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.”
Cathe Laurie
“As we look
back to our pains and sufferings, we shall see that suffering is not worthy to
be compared to our first night’s welcome home in heaven. If we could smell of heaven and our country
above, our crosses would not bite us.
Lay all your loads by faith on Christ, ease yourself, and let Him bear
all. He can, He does, and He will bear
you.” Samuel Rutherford
“The scientist tells us that in the
upper atmosphere there are no storms or tempests. These are found only in the lower
region. Sense lives in the lower region
with nothing but storms and vexations.
By faith we can live in the upper region resting in the Lord Jesus
Christ. There we might enjoy a perpetual
calm.”
Matthew Mead
HEART SAVOR
- · Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
- · Faith enables us to rest secure in Him in a perpetual holy calm even though our circumstances are anything but that.
- · “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
