Brave Faith: Saying Yes When God Calls

Bravery is the big idea, but it is not just sending it on a bike wall or finding enough courage in human strength. Faith filled bravery steps into everyday opportunities knowing, “I don’t have the strength, but I know my God is with me.” Peter shows the difference when Jesus comes walking on the water. The disciples watch Jesus come to rescue them, but Peter asks to come where Jesus is. Brave faith moves from watching God do something to participating in what God is doing.

Bravery also gives itself for others. Jesus says that greater love lays down its life for its friends, yet Romans 5 takes that love even further. God did not wait for righteous people, good people, or people who had earned a rescue. Christ died while sinners were still far off, still broken, still undeserving. God’s love reaches past the people who are easy to love and moves toward the people who do not think like, act like, or even like those who follow Jesus.

God’s love gives the church its reason for being brave. Brave love does not exist only for the people closest to it. Brave love exists for the city, the region, the far off, the difficult, and the undeserving. Christ’s rescue changes love from a natural affection into something heaven-sized, because God loved people when their lives were a wreck and drew them near by grace.

Bravery also says yes while feeling unqualified. Gideon calls himself the least of the least: from the weakest clan, in the smallest tribe, as the least in his own family. God’s choice of Gideon reveals that God does not need human all-stars. God chooses weak and underqualified people so that His glory can shine through their weakness. “Go on 50” makes room for God, because people who only move when they feel one hundred percent ready may never need to trust His strength.

God calls ordinary people to run toward messy places, broken people, difficult conversations, and the work of making amends. Christ’s love remains the foundation for every brave yes. Jesus, perfect and sinless, came down into the pit, died a sinner’s death, rose again, and rescued people who could not rescue themselves. Grace invites those far from God to surrender control, receive forgiveness, and begin a real relationship with Jesus.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Bravery joins God’s work Peter does not settle for watching Jesus rescue the boat. Peter steps out because Jesus says, “Come.” Faith filled bravery begins when passive gratitude becomes active participation in what God is doing. [38:16]
• 2. Brave love reaches the undeserving God demonstrates His love while sinners are still sinners, not after they become impressive. Christ’s death exposes the depth of divine mercy, because Jesus gives Himself for people who have nothing to offer in return. That kind of love sends believers toward those who are hard to love, not merely toward those who feel safe. [43:13]
• 3. God chooses the underqualified Gideon’s weakness is not a problem God must work around. Gideon’s weakness becomes the place where God’s strength and glory are seen most clearly. A brave yes does not depend on feeling ready, experienced, or important. [50:18]
• 4. Go on fifty with God Confidence in personal ability can quietly remove dependence on God. “Go on 50” means taking the next obedient step while still aware of weakness and need. God meets people who move forward trusting His presence rather than their own qualifications. [48:16]
• 5. Grace rescues and sends people Christ comes down to rescue people stuck in sin, distance, and failure. His mercy cannot be earned, manipulated, or repaid. Grace first stops people in their tracks, then makes them brave enough to give that same love away.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [17:14] - At the Movies Begins
• [29:15] - An Encounter With the Living God
• [30:35] - Project Hail Mary and Bravery
• [35:51] - Faith Filled Bravery Every Day
• [36:23] - Peter Steps Out of the Boat
• [38:16] - From Watching to Participating
• [41:33] - Bravery Gives Itself for Others
• [43:13] - Christ Died for Sinners
• [47:49] - Unqualified but Still Yes
• [48:16] - Go on 50
• [49:07] - Gideon, the Least of the Least
• [56:16] - God Demonstrates His Love
• [59:17] - A Call to Receive Grace
• [61:27] - Prayer of Surrender

1. In Matthew 14:28–29, what does Peter ask Jesus to do before he steps out of the boat, and how does Jesus respond? [37:07]
2. What contrast is drawn between the disciples who remain in the boat and Peter’s desire to go to Jesus on the water? [37:20]
3. In Romans 5:7–8, what kinds of people are contrasted with the people Christ died for? [42:52]
4. According to Judges 6:15, how does Gideon describe his clan, tribe, and place within his family? [49:10]

1. Peter does not step out because he feels naturally capable; he steps out in response to Jesus’ invitation. What does this show about the difference between faith-filled bravery and simply taking a risk? [36:16]
2. Romans 5 says that Christ died for people while they were still sinners. Why is this truth essential before believers try to love difficult, distant, or undeserving people? [56:16]
3. Gideon’s sense of weakness does not disqualify him from God’s call. How can a believer tell the difference between humble dependence on God and using insecurity as a reason to avoid obedience? [50:18]
4. “Going on 50” means taking an obedient next step without waiting to feel completely ready. In what kinds of situations might waiting for total confidence actually keep a person from trusting God? [48:00]

1. Where might God be inviting you to move from watching what He is doing to participating in it? Consider your home, workplace, neighborhood, church, or a relationship that needs care. What could one specific next step look like? [38:00]
2. Is there a conversation, act of service, invitation, or reconciliation you have delayed because you do not feel ready? What would it look like to “go on 50” in that situation this week? [51:54]
3. Who is difficult for you to love right now—someone who thinks differently, has hurt you, or offers little in return? How does remembering that Christ loved us while we were still sinners shape one practical response toward that person? [43:35]
4. When you feel underqualified, what excuses do you most often give God? How could you replace one of those excuses with a simple, honest prayer of dependence on His strength? [49:10]
5. Where is there a “messy place,” broken person, or strained relationship you tend to avoid? What would brave love look like if you moved toward that situation with grace, wisdom, and humility? [50:57]
6. God’s grace cannot be earned; it is received through Jesus. In what area of your life do you need to stop trying to prove yourself and receive His forgiveness, love, and help more fully? [59:34]