Empowered Courage: Stepping Out in Faith

 

Summary

Courage is a defining characteristic of those who follow God, as seen throughout the Bible. From the beginning, God's people have been marked by a spirit of power, love, and self-control, given by the Holy Spirit. This courage is not about being fearless at all times but about trusting that God will come through, even in the most challenging circumstances. Revelation 21:7-8 highlights the distinction between the courageous who conquer and the cowardly who do not inherit the kingdom of God. Courage is a mark of true believers, and it is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to stand up for Jesus Christ.

Living courageously involves stepping out in faith, even when we don't have all the answers. It's about engaging with others, sharing our faith, and allowing those interactions to drive us to deeper study and understanding of God's word. We are called to act on what God lays on our hearts, even if it seems daunting or if others try to dissuade us. Courage is not about reckless action but about being guided by the Holy Spirit and the counsel of godly leaders.

The story of Kathleen's encounter with a group of palm readers illustrates the power of stepping out in faith. Despite initial fear and uncertainty, Kathleen and her friend Julie followed God's prompting, leading to a meaningful conversation about faith and salvation. This story serves as a reminder that God can use our courage to impact others in profound ways.

As believers, we are called to be Fishers of Men, reaching out to those around us with the message of the gospel. This involves not only sharing our faith but also living in a way that reflects God's love and truth. The vision for expanding outreach into LA County is an example of stepping out in faith to reach more people with the gospel. It challenges us to think creatively about how we can engage with our communities and share the love of Christ.

Ultimately, living courageously means being willing to take risks for the sake of the gospel, trusting that God will guide and empower us. It is about being faithful to the calling God has placed on our lives and being open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Key Takeaways:

- Courage is a hallmark of true believers, empowered by the Holy Spirit to stand firm in faith even in challenging times. This courage is not about being fearless but about trusting in God's promises and His ability to come through for us. [02:42]

- Engaging with others in conversations about faith can drive us to deeper study and understanding of God's word. It's important to step out in faith, even when we don't have all the answers, and allow those interactions to motivate us to learn and grow. [04:32]

- God often calls us to take bold steps of faith, even when others may try to dissuade us. It's crucial to listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and godly counsel, while also being willing to act on what God lays on our hearts. [06:39]

- Sharing our faith and living courageously can have a profound impact on others, as seen in Kathleen's story. God can use our willingness to step out in faith to bring about transformation and open doors for meaningful conversations about the gospel. [13:40]

- As believers, we are called to be Fishers of Men, reaching out to those around us with the message of the gospel. This involves not only sharing our faith but also living in a way that reflects God's love and truth, and being open to creative ways of engaging with our communities. [27:02]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:17] - Spirit of Power and Courage
- [01:00] - Believers Marked by Courage
- [01:39] - Revelation and the Courageous
- [02:13] - No Cowards in Heaven
- [03:12] - Confessing Jesus on Earth
- [04:20] - Engaging and Learning
- [05:32] - Listening to Guidance
- [06:39] - Be Strong and Courageous
- [07:26] - Kathleen's Story Begins
- [08:05] - Confronting Palm Readers
- [09:20] - God's Sign and Courage
- [10:10] - Sharing Faith with Palm Readers
- [12:17] - One Foot In, One Foot Out
- [13:40] - Impact of Courageous Faith
- [17:00] - Encouragement from Testimonies

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Living Courageously in Faith

Bible Reading:
1. Revelation 21:7-8
2. 2 Timothy 1:7
3. Matthew 4:18-22

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Observation Questions:

1. According to Revelation 21:7-8, what distinguishes the courageous from the cowardly in terms of their eternal inheritance? [01:26]

2. How does 2 Timothy 1:7 describe the spirit that God has given to believers, and how does this relate to the theme of courage? [00:17]

3. In the sermon, what example is given to illustrate the impact of stepping out in faith, even when it seems daunting? [07:26]

4. What does Jesus promise to those who confess Him on earth, according to the sermon? [03:12]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the distinction between the courageous and the cowardly in Revelation 21:7-8 challenge our understanding of faith and action in difficult times? [01:26]

2. In what ways does the spirit of power, love, and self-control mentioned in 2 Timothy 1:7 empower believers to live courageously? [00:17]

3. Reflecting on Kathleen's story, how can personal testimonies of faith encourage others to take bold steps for the gospel? [07:26]

4. How does the call to be "Fishers of Men" in Matthew 4:18-22 inspire believers to creatively engage with their communities? [26:38]

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Application Questions:

1. Think of a situation where you felt hesitant to share your faith. What specific step can you take this week to overcome that hesitation and engage in a spiritual conversation? [04:20]

2. Identify a person or group in your community that you feel called to reach out to. What creative approach can you take to share the love of Christ with them? [31:10]

3. Reflect on a time when you felt the Holy Spirit prompting you to act courageously. How did you respond, and what did you learn from that experience? [05:32]

4. Consider the role of godly counsel in your life. Who are the mentors or leaders you can turn to for guidance when making bold decisions for your faith? [05:43]

5. How can you cultivate a spirit of power, love, and self-control in your daily life, especially in moments of fear or uncertainty? [00:17]

6. What is one specific way you can be a "Fisher of Men" in your workplace or social circle this month? [26:38]

7. Reflect on the vision for expanding outreach into LA County. How can you support or participate in similar initiatives within your own community? [31:44]

Devotional

Day 1: Courage as Trust in God's Promises
Courage is a defining characteristic of those who follow God, as seen throughout the Bible. From the beginning, God's people have been marked by a spirit of power, love, and self-control, given by the Holy Spirit. This courage is not about being fearless at all times but about trusting that God will come through, even in the most challenging circumstances. Revelation 21:7-8 highlights the distinction between the courageous who conquer and the cowardly who do not inherit the kingdom of God. Courage is a mark of true believers, and it is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to stand up for Jesus Christ. [02:42]

"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." (2 Timothy 1:7, ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to trust God more deeply, even when fear is present? How can you take a step of faith today to demonstrate that trust?


Day 2: Engaging in Faith Conversations
Living courageously involves stepping out in faith, even when we don't have all the answers. It's about engaging with others, sharing our faith, and allowing those interactions to drive us to deeper study and understanding of God's word. We are called to act on what God lays on our hearts, even if it seems daunting or if others try to dissuade us. Courage is not about reckless action but about being guided by the Holy Spirit and the counsel of godly leaders. [04:32]

"Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." (Colossians 4:6, ESV)

Reflection: Who is someone you can engage in a meaningful conversation about faith with this week? How can you prepare yourself to listen and respond with grace and truth?


Day 3: Bold Steps of Faith
God often calls us to take bold steps of faith, even when others may try to dissuade us. It's crucial to listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and godly counsel, while also being willing to act on what God lays on our hearts. The story of Kathleen's encounter with a group of palm readers illustrates the power of stepping out in faith. Despite initial fear and uncertainty, Kathleen and her friend Julie followed God's prompting, leading to a meaningful conversation about faith and salvation. [06:39]

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9, ESV)

Reflection: What bold step of faith is God calling you to take today? How can you seek the Holy Spirit's guidance and the support of godly counsel to move forward?


Day 4: Impact of Courageous Faith
Sharing our faith and living courageously can have a profound impact on others, as seen in Kathleen's story. God can use our willingness to step out in faith to bring about transformation and open doors for meaningful conversations about the gospel. As believers, we are called to be Fishers of Men, reaching out to those around us with the message of the gospel. This involves not only sharing our faith but also living in a way that reflects God's love and truth. [13:40]

"And he said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.'" (Matthew 4:19, ESV)

Reflection: How can your actions today reflect God's love and truth to those around you? What is one practical way you can share your faith with someone this week?


Day 5: Creative Outreach and Community Engagement
The vision for expanding outreach into LA County is an example of stepping out in faith to reach more people with the gospel. It challenges us to think creatively about how we can engage with our communities and share the love of Christ. Ultimately, living courageously means being willing to take risks for the sake of the gospel, trusting that God will guide and empower us. It is about being faithful to the calling God has placed on our lives and being open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. [27:02]

"Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!" (Psalm 96:3, ESV)

Reflection: What is one creative way you can engage with your community to share the love of Christ? How can you involve others in this effort to expand the reach of the gospel?

Quotes

The Bible says that those of us who have God in us who have the Holy Spirit in us that God didn't give us a timid Spirit, he gave us a spirit of power of love and of self-control. We've talked about how from the very beginning of this book God's followers God's people God's Believers those who are who are believers in God Believers in Jesus Christ they've always been marked by courage and that's something that God gives them is this assurance that's what the holy spirit gives us the spirit of power of you know what my God is going to come through he's going to be okay. [00:00:17]

Jesus himself said If you deny me here on Earth I'll deny you before my Father in heaven but those you guys who speak up for me I'm going to speak up for you in heaven one day that means if I spend my life saying and speaking and confessing Jesus Christ it's an amazing thought but one day if I'm down on this earth going hey this is who Jesus is one day I'm going to die I'm going to stand before God and Jesus is going to say father this is who Francis Chan is and I go okay that's going to be a pretty awesome moment to hear Jesus confess me and therefore I confess him here on the earth and that's what marks a Believer that's what the Holy Spirit stirs in us something in us as Believers wants to stand up for Jesus Christ and that's because the holy spirit of God is in us. [00:03:12]

As we go out and are courageous and we go we begin conversations with people suddenly we find out things that we don't have the answers to, and it motivates us to study more doesn't it and then we study more but the problem is is when we stop going out and sharing with people and go well I'm going to wait till I know everything I'm going to wait till I feel confident and I confident in my knowledge no no no when you go out and you share your I I remember in high school just going out and just sharing with whoever I could and there were many things I couldn't answer and so that motivated me to find the answers to those things then I'd go out share with more people and they give me more questions that I can't answer cuz the truth is is new things come up all the time new belief systems come up all the time every day there's a new religion. [00:04:20]

I'm just warning you that a lot of times people will try to talk you out of what God's calling you to do rather than giving you a little guidance rather than turn you here or there we don't like people that live by faith because it's very convicting to us we don't like people when they're just you ever just hang out with someone and feel guilty immediately um because you go man that's the way I'm supposed to be living and uh and we don't like that and so we'll find people that uh are maybe less courageous than us and hang out with them so we feel good about ourselves um but sometimes you know you'll get this sense from God like I'm so to do this thing and and people will come and try to discourage you and I'm just begging you no be courageous be strong courageous do whatever God calls you to do say what God tells you to say. [00:05:32]

I hope that as we've been praying about this issue and we've been had you come forward we laid hands on you and prayed for your strength your power your courage I hope you felt it I hope you've experiened it cuzz I know I have and I know that many of you have because I'm hearing these different reports from different people oh man you know because of what you've been sharing out of the word of God and about the courage and power I've been going out I've been doing these things I'm getting emails from all different places just people going okay I'm going for I'm going for and then they just tell me these stories of amazing things that happen. [00:06:39]

I can't I I truly do love you I really have a love for you and I Saidi cannot leave without telling you that if you die tomorrow you do not have guarantee of your salvation' and so she's likew thank you for telling me thank so the conversation goes on a little bit so that Sonia this one another daughter walks in and her mom goes oh she's the real deal she doesn't do any of this stuff so she goes will you pray over her CU I think she had like an illness or something and I said I'll pray over her I said but you two are the one in darkness and I said you need the prayer I said she's the safest one in this home and she okay pray over all of us do we need to stand are you a Healer she starts going so we start praying and the Holy Spirit as he does right just knocks off this amazing amazing prayer Julie me the Lord just all there and by the end of the prayer all these other people have like come out of the Woodworks there's like four other women and they're like around the corner peeking and stuff it was just so awesome. [00:13:40]

I don't know if that encouraged is you and you go wow that gives me courage you know like that's I I I know after I heard that from Lisa it just again see this is what's supposed to happen when we gather together like you're in a home you're you're with Bill and Kathleen and uh you know and and suddenly they tell you that story what do you leave thinking well they're crazy you know but then you you leave going man I can do that see see that's what you know we talked about that last week like when we gather as Believers it ought to to give us more courage it ought to stir us up to love and good deeds and I got to tell you that's that's what it did for me. [00:17:00]

I believe I'm supposed to try to do more in LA county and it doesn't mean I'm leaving here but for the summer I feel like I need to try something um here here's the thing too and and I fly in and out of LAX every week um and every time that plane lands or every time it takes off especially at night every time man I come in at night and you you you know you guys have almost all done it and you just see lights right as far as the eye can see you just see all these lights and I'm just telling you every time I land at LAX it's been going on for a long time I see all these lights and in my mind I'm just like ah it's overwhelming like where do I start it's like a giant Troutdale you know and you're just like look at all those people and I'm just going God you know what forget it I'm just one person what am I going to do I can't do anything but I look at all these people and and all those lights and and lately you know I I just really believe God's saying you know what I I called you down on this Earth to reach as many people as you can just throw the hook out there as many people as you can. [00:31:22]

I know that's crazy to ask of you because you want to be logical and go well no one has ever done that in America you know but let's let's let's just not rule out the Holy Spirit maybe he's leading you know you know what I mean like maybe he is leading me to do this and and maybe as this is podcast that'll give courage to people all across America that maybe in their area don't have a church and they go you know what maybe God's calling me to lead my own church and maybe we can guide them and disciple them because that happened to me you know it was just one of those crazy I was married for a couple weeks and I thought maybe I'm supposed to start my own church maybe I'm supposed to you know I think God's leading me to this and I didn't know I didn't know if it was going to happen it was one of those I just try it and if it doesn't happen I told my wife I don't know if anyone's going to show up and if not I'll find another job or whatever we we'll figure it out let's just go for it I mean that's just the way I live my life and and there's a there's a there's a rush in that. [00:45:41]

I just know that I'll be a lot more peace if at the end of the summer I go you know what it didn't work nothing happened and it was dumb you know or maybe we go now that was the Holy Spirit you were you were hearing from and some crazy things are happening out in the valley and uh and maybe we need to duplicate that in Semi Valley and I I don't know I don't know what the future holds I can't tell you that cuz I know there's going to be a ton of question yeah you have a plan I never have a plan you you just you just go and you go man it seems this way and so I'm I'm planning as best I can I shouldn't say I never have a plan I here's what we're planning on doing June July August but within that plan the spirit may lead differently in the middle of the summer um so that's where I'm at I I just think you know what you wouldn't expect it to work where a 11 guys would get the message to the whole world they just wouldn't expect that and and that's just the way I want to live my life is doing things that are unexpected and you go you look back and you go wow that had to be the spirit of God CU I couldn't have pulled that off. [00:46:40]

As I've been talking about courage it's it's time for me to set the example in that and um for some of you today maybe your step of Courage is to walk around your block and pray for it and see who you run into and and just start conversations with them and see where it leads and and just see what God wants you to do uh maybe it's having a barbecue and just seeing who shows up and I don't know whatever whatever it is just just go and do it because even if it doesn't go the way you think it will you have peace afterwards and go you know I wasn't a coward though I wasn't a coward and I gave it my best shot and I can stand before God in the end and go this is what I thought. [00:48:00]

Jesus died on the cross for all of your sins he really did and you can be forgiven by him for whatever you've done and he will put your his spirit in you to accomplish whatever he wants you to accomplish and maybe some crazy crazy things but you need to turn from that Old life and say I'm going to follow this Jesus and get baptized be filled with the Holy Spirit and live the rest of your life just going spirit of God where do you want me to go what do you want me to do and I tell you it's a scary thing but there's no other way to live on this Earth and so if that's you then as we we worship um then come up to the prayer room we'll have someone pray for you. [00:49:33]

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