Building Unshakeable Faith Through Community and Action

 

Summary

Having an unmistakable and unshakeable faith in God is something I deeply desire for each of you. Whether you are new to faith or have been a Christian for a long time, this kind of faith should inform every decision you make in every season of your life. Jesus, as the ultimate revelation of God, is the cornerstone of this faith. If we stop short of Jesus, we miss out on knowing what God is truly like. Jesus was amazed by faith, both great and small, and this is a testament to the power and importance of faith in our lives.

Faith is not just about knowledge or insight; it is about trust and action. The Roman centurion's faith amazed Jesus because it was informed and active. Similarly, Jesus was amazed by the lack of faith in His hometown of Nazareth. This shows that faith is not about how much we know but about how much we trust and act on that trust. Big faith is active faith, and it impacts every area of our lives, from relationships to work, and even in times of trouble.

To cultivate such faith, we need to focus on five key catalysts: practical teaching, personal ministry, private disciplines, providential relationships, and pivotal circumstances. These elements help grow and mature our faith, making it enduring and resilient. However, the church can only do so much. You have a part to play in developing your faith, and this is best done in a community, in circles rather than rows. Small groups provide a space for accountability, support, and real-life application of faith.

In times of trouble, what we believe, who we listen to, and how we frame our experiences make all the difference. Having a community of faith around us helps us find God in the storms and maintain our faith through them. This is why being part of a small group is so crucial. It is in these circles that we find the support and encouragement we need to grow in our faith and navigate life's challenges.

Key Takeaways:

- Unmistakable Faith: True faith in God, as revealed through Jesus, should be unmistakable and unshakeable, informing every decision in our lives. It is not just about internal belief but about active trust that impacts our actions and reactions. [00:30]

- Faith that Amazes Jesus: Jesus was amazed by the faith of the Roman centurion and the lack of faith in Nazareth. This shows that faith is not about knowledge but about trust and action. Our faith should be big, informed, and active, making a difference in our lives and the world. [04:10]

- Five Faith Catalysts: Practical teaching, personal ministry, private disciplines, providential relationships, and pivotal circumstances are essential for growing and maturing our faith. These elements help us develop a resilient and enduring faith in God. [08:39]

- Community and Accountability: Faith is best cultivated in a community, in circles rather than rows. Small groups provide a space for accountability, support, and real-life application of faith, helping us grow and mature in our relationship with God. [15:40]

- Framing Life's Challenges: In times of trouble, what we believe, who we listen to, and how we frame our experiences make all the difference. Having a community of faith helps us find God in the storms and maintain our faith through them. [30:18]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:06] - What I Want for You
- [00:15] - Unmistakable Faith
- [00:30] - Faith in God as Revealed by Jesus
- [01:24] - Jesus Amazed by Faith
- [02:01] - The Roman Centurion's Faith
- [04:10] - Great Faith vs. Lack of Faith
- [06:26] - Big, Active Faith
- [07:48] - Building a Church of Big Faith
- [08:39] - Five Faith Catalysts
- [12:46] - The Role of the Church
- [15:40] - Importance of Small Groups
- [21:12] - Faith and God's Faithfulness
- [29:06] - Framing Life's Challenges
- [32:05] - Need for Community and Circles

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Matthew 8:5-13 - The Faith of the Centurion
2. Mark 6:1-6 - Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
3. John 14:9 - Jesus Reveals the Father

#### Observation Questions
1. What was unique about the Roman centurion's faith that amazed Jesus? How did his understanding of authority play a role in his faith? [02:54]
2. In the account of Jesus visiting Nazareth, what was the reaction of the people, and why was Jesus amazed by their lack of faith? [05:04]
3. How does Jesus describe His relationship with the Father in John 14:9, and why is this significant for understanding God? [00:44]
4. What are the five catalysts mentioned in the sermon that help grow and mature faith? [09:19]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the centurion's faith challenge the common perception of faith being tied to religious knowledge or background? [04:10]
2. What might the reaction of the people in Nazareth teach us about familiarity and faith? How can this apply to our own lives? [05:58]
3. Why is it important to see Jesus as the ultimate revelation of God, and how does this impact our understanding of faith? [00:57]
4. How do the five faith catalysts contribute to building a resilient faith, and which one do you think is most crucial in your current season of life? [09:19]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you were amazed by someone's faith. What characteristics did they exhibit, and how can you incorporate those into your own life? [04:10]
2. In what areas of your life do you struggle with having an unmistakable and unshakeable faith? What steps can you take to strengthen your faith in those areas? [00:30]
3. Consider the five faith catalysts mentioned in the sermon. Which one do you feel is lacking in your life, and what practical steps can you take to develop it? [09:19]
4. How can being part of a small group help you frame life's challenges differently? Share a specific challenge you are facing and how your group can support you. [30:18]
5. Think about a pivotal circumstance in your life. How did it affect your faith, and what role did your community play in helping you navigate it? [12:00]
6. Identify a relationship in your life that could be a providential relationship. How can you nurture this relationship to help grow your faith? [11:32]
7. What is one specific action you can take this week to make your faith more active and impactful in your daily life? [07:13]

Devotional

Day 1: Unmistakable and Unshakeable Faith
True faith in God, as revealed through Jesus, should be unmistakable and unshakeable, informing every decision in our lives. It is not just about internal belief but about active trust that impacts our actions and reactions. This kind of faith is not passive; it is a dynamic force that shapes how we live, love, and serve. It is rooted in the understanding that Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God, and through Him, we gain insight into God's character and will. This faith is meant to be evident in every aspect of our lives, guiding us through both the mundane and the extraordinary. [00:30]

"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: What is one decision you are facing today where you can actively trust God more fully? How can you let your faith in Jesus guide this decision?


Day 2: Faith that Amazes Jesus
Jesus was amazed by the faith of the Roman centurion and the lack of faith in Nazareth. This shows that faith is not about knowledge but about trust and action. Our faith should be big, informed, and active, making a difference in our lives and the world. The centurion's faith was remarkable because it was based on a deep trust in Jesus' authority, even without physical evidence. In contrast, the people of Nazareth, who knew Jesus well, struggled to believe. This contrast highlights that true faith transcends familiarity and is marked by a willingness to act on what we believe. [04:10]

"And Jesus answered them, 'Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, "Be taken up and thrown into the sea," it will happen.'" (Matthew 21:21, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a situation where you have been hesitant to trust God fully. What step of faith can you take today to demonstrate your trust in His authority?


Day 3: Five Faith Catalysts
Practical teaching, personal ministry, private disciplines, providential relationships, and pivotal circumstances are essential for growing and maturing our faith. These elements help us develop a resilient and enduring faith in God. Practical teaching grounds us in truth, personal ministry allows us to serve others, private disciplines deepen our relationship with God, providential relationships provide encouragement, and pivotal circumstances challenge and refine us. Together, these catalysts create a robust framework for spiritual growth, enabling us to navigate life's challenges with confidence and grace. [08:39]

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:23-25, ESV)

Reflection: Which of the five faith catalysts do you feel is currently lacking in your life? What practical step can you take this week to strengthen that area?


Day 4: Community and Accountability
Faith is best cultivated in a community, in circles rather than rows. Small groups provide a space for accountability, support, and real-life application of faith, helping us grow and mature in our relationship with God. In these intimate settings, we can share our struggles, celebrate our victories, and encourage one another to live out our faith authentically. The church plays a vital role in facilitating these connections, but it is up to each individual to engage and invest in these relationships. [15:40]

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life can you reach out to for spiritual accountability and support? How can you intentionally invest in this relationship today?


Day 5: Framing Life's Challenges
In times of trouble, what we believe, who we listen to, and how we frame our experiences make all the difference. Having a community of faith helps us find God in the storms and maintain our faith through them. By surrounding ourselves with fellow believers, we gain perspective and strength to endure hardships. Our community helps us see God's hand at work, even in difficult circumstances, and reminds us of His faithfulness. This support is crucial for maintaining a resilient faith that can withstand life's trials. [30:18]

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a current challenge you are facing. How can you reframe this situation to see God's presence and purpose in it? Who can you invite into this journey to support and pray for you?

Quotes

I want you to have an unmistakable in the sense that nobody is mistaken, an unmistakable, unshakeable faith in God that's not just internal, but that ultimately informs every single one of your decisions in every season of your life. And when I say an unmistakable, unshakeable faith in God, I'm talking about God as Jesus revealed God. [00:20:55]

Jesus was never amazed at anyone's knowledge. You are so smart. He never said, right, okay, because He's Jesus, He's the Son of God. He was never amazed at how smart people were or how insightful people were. He was only amazed by how much faith they had or in the second incident, how little faith they had. [00:04:23]

Big faith, we would say they have big faith because they are able, and they're willing, and they have decided in their lives to evaluate all of life and to react to all of life through the focus and the lens of God's faithfulness. That they believe in a big God who has the whole world in His hands. [00:06:36]

There are five things that lead to big faith. That if you were to say to me, "Andy, Andy, my faith is deteriorating, what can I do? Or I want to have more faith, or I'm just brand new to faith, you know, what should I do?" Hey, I've been answering this really the same way for 35 years. [00:08:21]

One of the things that grows your faith is when you sit in a church like one of our churches or a church maybe where you live, or the Bible study where somebody opens the scripture and talks not just about what it says, but tells you what to do with what it says, a practical approach to faith. [00:09:34]

Whenever a person tells their faith story, they always talk about, and then I met this guy, or then I met this family, or then this couple moved into our neighborhood, or then my parents introduced me to a friend. And there's always a somebody in the story that God uses. [00:11:34]

Pivotal circumstances. Circumstances that God uses to get our attention to begin with, or circumstances God uses in order to help us rekindle or reignite our faith or capture our attention. Because after all, we're fine without God, until we're not. In fact, maybe you're here today because of a pivotal circumstance. [00:12:00]

These three which are so critical to your faith, these three which are to critical to your faith. In fact, find me a person who has lost faith. I'll show you someone, I'm not being critical of you if this is you, this is just the nature of things. I'll find you somebody who's drifted away from these three things. [00:15:07]

We all need a safe place to process out loud, to share our doubts in a safe place, to ask our questions and not just get a Bible verse or some pithy answer, but to really drill down on your difficult questions 'cause you're smart and you have good questions, you have big faith questions. [00:17:21]

When your faith, your active faith intersects with God's faithfulness, this is where change happens. This is where you grow, this is where you mature. This is where God becomes real in your life. It's not in your head, it is in your obedience to God. This is why throughout the gospels, Jesus invited His disciples to do the craziest things. [00:21:12]

If we can find God in it, we are far more likely to maintain faith through it. If you can find God in it, you are far more likely to maintain faith through it. This is why it's so amazing when the disciples are in this boat, they're fishermen, they've lived their lives, most of 'em on this lake. [00:31:16]

Unmistakable, unshakeable, faith in God that informs all of your decisions. And to get that, you need more than sermons. And I like sermons. I spend a lot of time coming up with these sermons. But I'm telling you, I'm admitting, sermons aren't enough, and I love our music. Songs are not enough. You need a circle. [00:32:05]

Chatbot

  • I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Aug 05, 2024. Do you have any questions about it?

Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?