Faith, Fear, and the Power of Perseverance

Devotional

Day 1: The Power of a Prepared Heart

A prepared heart is crucial for receiving God's word. If our hearts are hardened or resistant, the word cannot take root and grow. We must ask God to prepare our hearts so that His word can transform us from the inside out. This preparation involves surrendering our attitudes and being open to the changes God wants to make in us. A heart that is ready to receive God's word is like fertile soil, ready to nurture the seeds of faith and allow them to flourish.

When we surrender our attitudes and open ourselves to God's transformative power, we create an environment where His word can take root and grow. This means letting go of pride, bitterness, and any other barriers that may hinder our spiritual growth. By doing so, we allow God's word to penetrate deeply into our hearts, leading to lasting change and spiritual maturity. [48:25]

Hosea 10:12 (ESV): "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you."

Reflection: What attitudes or barriers in your heart might be preventing God's word from taking root? How can you surrender these to God today?

Day 2: Faith in Action

The stories of Rahab and Sarah teach us that faith is not about our past or our current circumstances but about our willingness to trust and obey God. Rahab's faith led her from a life of prostitution to becoming an ancestor of King David, while Sarah's faith, despite initial doubt, led to the birth of Isaac. These stories remind us that God can use anyone who is willing to believe and act on His promises.

Rahab and Sarah's lives demonstrate that faith is a powerful force that can transform our lives and circumstances. Rahab's willingness to trust in God despite her past and Sarah's eventual belief in God's promise show that faith is not about perfection but about trust and obedience. Their stories encourage us to step out in faith, regardless of our past or present challenges, and trust that God will fulfill His promises in His perfect timing. [55:09]

Hebrews 11:31 (ESV): "By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to step out in faith and trust God's promises? How can you take a practical step of faith today?

Day 3: Understanding Fear Responses

Recognizing our natural responses to fear—fight, flight, freeze, and fawn—helps us understand our spiritual reactions. While these responses can be instinctive, faith calls us to rise above them. By trusting in God's promises and His nature, we can overcome fear and act in faith, even when our natural inclination is to retreat or freeze.

Understanding our fear responses allows us to identify when we are reacting out of fear rather than faith. By acknowledging these responses, we can choose to trust in God's promises and act in faith, even when it feels difficult. This process involves renewing our minds with God's word and relying on His strength to overcome fear. As we do so, we grow in our ability to respond to challenges with faith and confidence in God's provision. [01:13:00]

Isaiah 41:10 (ESV): "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Reflection: Which fear response do you most often default to (fight, flight, freeze, or fawn)? How can you choose to respond in faith instead of fear in a current situation?

Day 4: The Role of the Holy Spirit

Being filled with the Holy Spirit provides us with the power to overcome the enemy and live victoriously. The Holy Spirit equips us with dynamite-like power, enabling us to speak in tongues and prophesy, which strengthens our faith and aligns us with God's will. This spiritual empowerment is essential for persisting, persevering, and growing in our faith journey.

The Holy Spirit's power is not just for extraordinary moments but for everyday living. By being filled with the Holy Spirit, we receive the strength and guidance needed to navigate life's challenges and fulfill God's purposes. This empowerment allows us to live victoriously, speak God's truth boldly, and align our lives with His will. As we rely on the Holy Spirit, we experience His transformative power in every aspect of our lives. [01:28:19]

Acts 1:8 (ESV): "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Reflection: How can you invite the Holy Spirit to fill and empower you today? What specific area of your life needs His transformative power?

Day 5: The Importance of Forgiveness

Forgiveness is not just a one-time act but a continuous process that keeps our hearts right with God. Unforgiveness can block our prayers and hinder our spiritual growth. By releasing guilt, shame, and unforgiveness, and receiving God's healing and restoration, we maintain a heart that is open to His blessings and guidance.

Forgiveness is essential for maintaining a healthy and vibrant spiritual life. Holding onto unforgiveness can create barriers between us and God, hindering our prayers and spiritual growth. By choosing to forgive, we release the burden of bitterness and open our hearts to God's healing and restoration. This ongoing process allows us to experience God's love and grace more fully, leading to deeper spiritual maturity and a closer relationship with Him. [01:37:40]

Ephesians 4:31-32 (ESV): "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Reflection: Is there someone you need to forgive today? How can you begin the process of forgiveness and invite God's healing into your heart?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Praise the Lord, everyone! Today, we delved into the profound themes of persistence, perseverance, and growth in our spiritual journey. We began by reflecting on the importance of giving and tithing, emphasizing the four key words: surrender, sacrifice, serve, and stretch. These principles are not just about financial contributions but about releasing earthly things to manifest heaven on earth.

We then transitioned into the heart of our message, focusing on the necessity of having a prepared heart to receive God's word. A hardened or resistant heart can hinder the growth that God intends for us. We explored the book of Hebrews, particularly the Hall of Faith in chapter 11, which highlights ordinary people who achieved extraordinary things through faith. We examined the lives of Rahab and Sarah, two women who exemplified faith despite their challenging circumstances. Rahab, a prostitute, became an ancestor of King David, demonstrating that God can use anyone who is willing to submit to Him. Sarah, despite her initial doubt and laughter at God's promise, eventually conceived Isaac, showing that God's promises are fulfilled in His timing.

We also discussed the different responses to fear: fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. Each response can be paralleled in our spiritual lives, and understanding these can help us locate where we are in our faith journey. However, the posture of faith, which is trust and confidence in God's nature and promises, is what enables us to overcome fear.

To persist, persevere, and grow, we need practical strategies. We must be filled with the Holy Spirit, speak the word of God, and maintain a heart that is right with God. The power of the Holy Spirit equips us with dynamite-like power to overcome the enemy. Speaking the word aligns our circumstances with God's promises, and a heart free from unforgiveness and filled with God's love ensures that we are in the right posture to receive His blessings.

###

Key Takeaways

1. like power, enabling us to speak in tongues and prophesy, which strengthens our faith and aligns us with God's will. This spiritual empowerment is essential for persisting, persevering, and growing in our faith journey. [01:28:19]
5. The Importance of Forgiveness: Forgiveness is not just a one-time act but a continuous process that keeps our hearts right with God. Unforgiveness can block our prayers and hinder our spiritual growth. By releasing guilt, shame, and unforgiveness, and receiving God's healing and restoration, we maintain a heart that is open to His blessings and guidance.

### [88:19]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[41:33] - Introduction to Giving
[42:35] - Tithing Confession
[43:51] - Worship and Praise
[47:30] - Honoring Our Pastors
[48:25] - Preparing Our Hearts
[50:07] - The Importance of Steadfastness
[51:24] - Perseverance in Hebrews
[52:31] - Faith and Pleasing God
[54:03] - Heroes of Faith
[55:09] - Rahab's Story
[59:35] - Patience and the Will of God
[62:17] - Sarah's Faith
[73:00] - Responses to Fear
[88:19] - Power of the Holy Spirit
[97:40] - The Importance of Forgiveness
[102:06] - Closing Prayer and Invitation

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What are the four key words connected to giving and tithing mentioned in the sermon? ([41:33])
How did Rahab's faith change her life and her legacy according to the sermon? ([55:09])
What are the four natural responses to fear discussed in the sermon? ([01:13:00])
What role does the Holy Spirit play in empowering believers, as mentioned in the sermon? ([01:28:19])

Interpretation Questions

How does having a prepared heart affect our ability to receive and grow from God's word? ([48:25])
In what ways did Rahab and Sarah demonstrate faith despite their challenging circumstances? ([55:09])
How can understanding our natural responses to fear help us in our spiritual journey? ([01:13:00])
What practical steps can we take to ensure we are filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered to overcome challenges? ([01:28:19])

Application Questions

Reflect on your own heart's condition. Are there areas where you feel resistant or hardened to God's word? How can you ask God to prepare your heart this week? ([48:25])
Rahab and Sarah both had pasts that could have hindered their faith. Is there something in your past that you feel holds you back from fully trusting God? How can you surrender that to Him? ([55:09])
Identify which fear response (fight, flight, freeze, or fawn) you most often exhibit. How can you begin to respond with faith instead? ([01:13:00])
The sermon emphasized the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Have you experienced this empowerment? If not, what steps can you take to seek this experience? ([01:28:19])
Forgiveness is crucial for maintaining a right heart with God. Is there someone you need to forgive? What steps will you take this week to begin that process? ([01:37:40])
The sermon mentioned the power of speaking God's word over our lives. Choose a specific promise from the Bible and commit to speaking it daily this week. How do you expect this to impact your circumstances? ([01:35:01])
Reflect on a time when you felt empowered by the Holy Spirit. How did it change your actions or perspective? How can you seek more of this empowerment in your daily life? ([01:28:19])

Sermon Clips

1. "But, you know, at the beginning of the year, we started honing in on four words connected to our giving. And those words are surrender, sacrifice, serve, and stretch. Because we can reach things by stretching that we can't reach just by getting what's in our grasp. How many of you want something that's higher? How many of you want something that is worth the effort to pull down? We believe at Stones Church that we're manifesting and bringing heaven to earth. And in order to give that, we have to release something that is earthly." [41:33] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "One of the things I really believe is that. That every single time that we gather together, when we leave, there's something that's going to be different. The atmosphere is going to change something. And you might change something in your circumstances might change something in the way you think is going to shift. And I want you to be prepared for that. So just, just, just see yourself right now. Say, Lord, open my heart. What's pastor say? He said, God, prepare our hearts for what you have prepared for us." [48:25] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "God wants you to grow your roots so deep that when the storms of life come, you might bend this way and you might bend that way. You might move back and you might move forward, but in the end, you will not be moved because your roots are dug down very, very deep. And that's how God wants you to be. But we have an onus in that we have a part to play in how deep we're going to be rooted in God." [50:07] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Yet the best decision I've ever made in my life was to give my life to God and allow him to have access to my heart, to submit myself to him, to give myself to him. Because even when the storm came, I would so much rather be through, be going through a storm with God than to be laying on a plat in a placid, peaceful place with the devil makes all the difference in the world." [50:07] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "So you've got to change the words of your mouth over you. You need to begin to say what God says after you and not surrender to the circumstance, not succumb to the trial, but surrender to God and succumb to the victory, succumb to the healing, succumb to the life, succumb to the, to whatever it is you need in him that he has promised. That's the process of transformation." [01:00:27] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "Fear brings pressure, and it demands that you make a choice. Think about how you respond when you get under pressure. How do you respond in case of emergency? How do you respond when the unexpected happens? How do you respond when you don't get your way? How do you respond when you feel like you have no control? Classic responses to fear are fight, flight, freeze, and fawn." [01:13:00] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "So you need to get into the word of God so that you begin to know his character and you begin to know his nature. You begin to know who he is. And that way, when, when you hear that voice, that still small voice guiding you to a certain place, you'll know whether it's God or not, because it lines up with his word. It lines up with his spirit. It lines up with his character." [01:25:29] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "You shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit to some of y'all, has come upon you and you shall be witness unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. He says that when you receive the power of the Holy Spirit, you have power over the enemy. Now that word power is the word dunamis in the Greek. Dunamis is where we get our word dynamite from. There is explosive power in every child of God." [01:26:52] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "When I have gone through crisis, the first thing I do is start praying in the Holy ghost and stirring up that gift on the inside of me. Because what I understand, is that even though this mind might be in fear, even though this body might be in fear, even though I'm feeling all four ways in which to be bound by fear, when I pray in the Holy ghost, I still connect to God just the same as if I was God's mighty woman in that moment." [01:33:46] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "We don't need to rehearse the doubt and unbelief. We don't need to rehearse all the circumstances that are around us. What we need to do is speak the word of God. Speak the word only. And the next thing I want to share, let's get your heart right. You got to get your heart right. And getting your heart right, it's not a one and done. It's a process. It's a process. Get right what you know needs to be right." [01:36:04] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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