Active Faith: Trust, Growth, and Transformation in God
Summary
Today, I explored the profound impact of faith in our lives, emphasizing that faith is not merely an emotional response but a dynamic, active force that shapes our existence. I began by addressing the common misconception that faith is an elusive, mystical force. Instead, I clarified that biblical faith is about trusting God's promises, even when evidence is not immediately apparent. This trust is not blind but is based on the relational trust and love we develop with God over time.
I shared a personal anecdote about my youth, driving a 1978 Camaro, to illustrate how innovations and upgrades in technology have paralleled the need for spiritual growth and development. Just as technology advances, so too must our spiritual lives evolve and deepen. This led to a discussion on the importance of continually upgrading our faith, not settling for a stagnant relationship with God.
I highlighted the story of Bill, a successful entrepreneur who felt too tarnished by his past to embrace faith. This encounter in Minneapolis underscored the message that no one is too flawed for redemption, and it's never too late for transformation. This story served as a powerful testament to the inclusive and transformative power of faith, emphasizing that it's not about our past actions but about God's enduring grace.
Further, I delved into the practical aspects of nurturing and growing our faith. I stressed the importance of engaging with the Word of God regularly, not just during church services but as a daily practice. This regular engagement with scripture is crucial for spiritual growth and resilience.
I also addressed the enemies of faith—failure, fear, and feelings—detailing how these can deter us from fully embracing faith. I shared insights on overcoming these obstacles by relying on God's truths rather than our transient emotions or circumstances.
In conclusion, I urged the congregation to consider areas in their lives where faith could be more actively applied, encouraging everyone to reflect on how they can trust God more deeply. This call to action was aimed at fostering a more profound, active faith that influences all aspects of life.
### Key Takeaways
1. Faith as Trust in God's Promises
Faith is fundamentally about trusting in what God has promised, despite not always seeing immediate proof. This trust grows from understanding God's nature and character, which reassures us of His reliability and love. This form of faith is relational, built on a history of God's faithfulness rather than blind allegiance. [16:02]
2. The Necessity of Spiritual Growth
Just as we eagerly upgrade our technology and personal belongings, we must also prioritize upgrading our spiritual lives. Spiritual stagnation leads to a lackluster faith that fails to thrive or impact our daily living. Regular engagement with scripture and prayer is essential for continual spiritual growth and vitality. [09:41]
3. Overcoming the Enemies of Faith: Failure, Fear, and Feelings
These three foes can significantly hinder our faith journey. By understanding that our feelings are the shallowest part of our soul and that failure is a common human experience, we can learn to place greater trust in God's eternal truths rather than our fleeting emotions or past mistakes. [32:14]
4. Practical Steps to Strengthen Faith
Engaging with the Word of God is crucial for faith development. This doesn't just happen in isolation but through consistent and deliberate study and reflection on scripture. This practice not only deepens our understanding but also fortifies our faith against doubts and fears. [35:04]
5. Faith's Role in Redemption and Transformation
No one is beyond the reach of God's transformative power through faith. This was exemplified in the story of Bill, whose initial skepticism was met with the message of hope and redemption. This story serves as a reminder that faith can lead to profound personal transformation, regardless of one's past. [23:45]
### Youtube Chapters
- [0:00] - Welcome
- [07:04] - Introduction to Faith and Technology
- [09:41] - The Importance of Spiritual Upgrades
- [12:12] - Biblical Basis of Faith
- [16:02] - Defining Faith
- [18:41] - Faith and Salvation
- [23:45] - Story of Bill: Faith in Action
- [25:07] - Scripture and Redemption
- [32:14] - Overcoming Emotional Barriers to Faith
- [35:04] - Practical Faith Growth Strategies
- [38:04] - Engaging with Scripture Daily
- [41:53] - Faith in Everyday Life
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Philippians 1:9-11 - "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."
2. Hebrews 11:6 - "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
3. Ephesians 2:8-10 - "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Philippians 1:9-11 suggest is the outcome of growing in knowledge and depth of insight? How does this relate to the sermon’s emphasis on spiritual growth? [11:05]
2. According to Hebrews 11:6, what are the two essential beliefs required to please God? How does this align with the sermon’s definition of faith? [12:12]
3. In Ephesians 2:8-10, what is the relationship between grace, faith, and works? How does this passage support the sermon’s message about the transformative power of faith? [18:41]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of upgrading our spiritual lives, as discussed in the sermon, compare to the technological upgrades mentioned? Why is it important not to let our spiritual lives stagnate? [09:41]
2. The sermon mentioned that faith is not about blind trust but relational trust built over time. How does this idea help in understanding the nature of biblical faith? [16:02]
3. The story of Bill highlighted the inclusive and transformative power of faith. How does this story illustrate the message of Ephesians 2:8-10 about grace and faith? [23:45]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current spiritual practices. Are there areas where you feel your faith has become stagnant? What steps can you take to "upgrade" your faith this week? [09:41]
2. The sermon emphasized the importance of engaging with the Word of God regularly. What specific plan can you implement to ensure daily engagement with scripture? [35:04]
3. Identify a recent situation where fear, failure, or feelings have hindered your faith. How can you apply the sermon’s advice to overcome these obstacles? [32:14]
4. Think about a person in your life who might feel too flawed for redemption, like Bill. How can you share the message of God’s enduring grace with them? [23:45]
5. The sermon mentioned that faith is a muscle that needs to be exercised. What is one area in your life where you need to trust God more and actively exercise your faith? [43:05]
6. How can you incorporate the practice of childlike faith, as mentioned in Matthew 18, into your daily life? What specific actions can you take to trust God more simply and fully? [29:18]
7. Reflect on the importance of relational trust in your faith journey. How can you deepen your relationship with God to build stronger trust? What practical steps will you take this week? [16:02]
Devotional
Day 1: Faith as Trust in God's Promises
Faith is fundamentally about trusting in what God has promised, despite not always seeing immediate proof. This trust grows from understanding God's nature and character, which reassures us of His reliability and love. This form of faith is relational, built on a history of God's faithfulness rather than blind allegiance. [16:02]
"Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face. This will be my salvation, that the godless shall not come before him." (Job 13:15-16 ESV)
Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper trust in God's promises during challenging times?
Day 2: The Necessity of Spiritual Growth
Just as we eagerly upgrade our technology and personal belongings, we must also prioritize upgrading our spiritual lives. Spiritual stagnation leads to a lackluster faith that fails to thrive or impact our daily living. Regular engagement with scripture and prayer is essential for continual spiritual growth and vitality. [09:41]
"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." (2 Peter 3:18 ESV)
Reflection: What specific steps can you take this week to enhance your spiritual growth?
Day 3: Overcoming the Enemies of Faith: Failure, Fear, and Feelings
These three foes can significantly hinder our faith journey. By understanding that our feelings are the shallowest part of our soul and that failure is a common human experience, we can learn to place greater trust in God's eternal truths rather than our fleeting emotions or past mistakes. [32:14]
"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." (2 Timothy 1:7 ESV)
Reflection: Identify a recent situation where fear, failure, or feelings have hindered your faith. How can you apply God's truth to overcome these barriers?
Day 4: Practical Steps to Strengthen Faith
Engaging with the Word of God is crucial for faith development. This doesn't just happen in isolation but through consistent and deliberate study and reflection on scripture. This practice not only deepens our understanding but also fortifies our faith against doubts and fears. [35:04]
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16 ESV)
Reflection: How can you make daily scripture reading and reflection a non-negotiable part of your day?
Day 5: Faith's Role in Redemption and Transformation
No one is beyond the reach of God's transformative power through faith. This was exemplified in the story of Bill, whose initial skepticism was met with the message of hope and redemption. This story serves as a reminder that faith can lead to profound personal transformation, regardless of one's past. [23:45]
"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26 ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on your own journey with faith. How has it transformed you, and how can you share this transformation with others?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "You're not bad enough to be changed. You're not so good that you could ever be changed. The power of the gospel, the greatest news on this planet is that Jesus already did the work, and all we have to do is believe it and open our hearts to it, and rearrange everything from the inside out." [25:07]
2. "We live in a world that has taught us there's no such thing as a free lunch. We live in a world that has taught us there's always fine print, that we live in a world that has taught us if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This is the only universal principle in the galaxy that actually is true, because God knew how futile we were to be able to get to him." [26:38]
3. "What manner of love is this that we could be called the sons and the daughters of God? I know it don't make sense, but just because it don't make sense don't mean it ain't true. I mean, listen, I don't understand all the inner workings of electricity and how you can simply flip a switch and have lights, but I'm not gonna sit around in the dark until I do." [27:56]
4. "You will be shocked at what you're going through in your life. When you open it up that day, how it will speak expressly to the thing that you're going through right then. And you will go, Ooh, I think he's watching. I think he's listening. I think he knows what's going on in my life." [38:04]
### Quotes for Members
1. "It is possible to have received Christ into your life as Savior, somewhere at some time, and yet never really grown any deeper in your relationship with God from that time until now. And it happens, way more than we care to talk about or admit." [09:41]
2. "Real faith, biblical faith, is just trusting in what God has promised, even in the moments that you can't always see the proof. Because most of our life, we will not see the proof up front. We will have to trust in what God promised before we ever see the proof." [16:02]
3. "God saved you by his grace. But when did it happen? When you believed, when you believed it didn't happen when he, when he expressed grace, it didn't happen when Jesus just died on the cross. It didn't just happen when he rose from the dead. Yes, it was, it was made possible at that moment, but what appropriates it in your life? What is the hinge that swings salvation and allows eternal life to come into your heart and your life? It happens when your faith was in his grace, when you believe." [20:03]
4. "One of the most dangerous things we could ever do in life is follow our feelings. I say this a lot. Young people, please, anybody that tells you just follow your own heart. Run as fast away from that human as you possibly can. Don't be respectful. Love them, but love them from a distance." [32:14]
5. "Get more word, grow more faith. Dude, this is just as simple as it gets. Get more word and grow more faith. Here's what I want you to know. Faith has to have roots. Faith has to have an origin. And faith doesn't start with you. And faith doesn't start with me. It doesn't start because I came up with a good idea and I just believe it so powerfully." [35:04]
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