Faith in Action: Trusting God's Immeasurably More
Summary
Today’s gathering was a celebration of faith, family, and the immeasurably more that God desires to do in and through us. As we honored our mothers and watched our children lead us in worship, we were reminded of the bright future God is shaping in our midst. The journey of faith is not always comfortable; it stretches us, challenges us, and calls us to depend not on our own strength, but on the One who is always faithful. We prayed together the words of Ephesians 3, asking God to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, and to shape our hearts to see what He sees—not just the problems or what is lacking, but the possibilities He has prepared.
Reflecting on the story from Matthew 17, we saw the contrast between the mountaintop experience of Jesus’ glory and the valley of disappointment where the disciples could not heal a suffering child. The father in the story, despite years of discouragement and disappointment, pressed on in faith. He prioritized Jesus above all else, refusing to let failure or delay deter him from seeking the true source of hope. His faith was not passive; he acted boldly, pushing through the crowd and kneeling before Jesus, believing that only Jesus could bring healing.
Faith, as we explored, is not just a matter of words or intellectual assent. It is lived out in action—like sitting in a chair we believe will hold us, or taking a step even when we cannot see the whole path. The father’s confidence was not in his own ability, nor even in the disciples, but in the power of Jesus. This is the kind of “Godfidence” we are called to: knowing that we can’t, but God can. Even when our faith feels small, like a mustard seed, Jesus assures us that nothing is impossible when our trust is in Him.
As we move forward, the challenge is to identify the mountains in our lives and take steps of faith, trusting that God is already at work filling our “half-empty” glasses. Let us be a people who prioritize Jesus first, put our faith into action, and trust His power without hesitation, believing for the immeasurably more He has in store.
Key Takeaways
- Prioritizing Jesus Above All Else
The father in Matthew 17 did not let disappointment or the failure of others deter him from seeking Jesus. He looked past the obstacles and made it his top priority to get Jesus’ attention, reminding us to examine whether God is our first thought or our last resort when facing the impossible. True faith begins with seeking God’s presence and intervention before turning to any other solution. This challenges us to reorient our hearts so that Christ is always our starting point. [46:13]
- Faith Requires Bold Action
Belief alone is not enough; faith must be put into action. The father’s faith moved him to push through the crowd and kneel before Jesus, demonstrating that faith is only real when it influences our steps. Like sitting in a chair we believe will hold us, we must act on what we profess, even when the outcome is uncertain. Faith that remains untested or unacted upon is powerless and does not grow. [53:19]
- Confidence in God’s Power, Not Our Own
The father’s confidence was not in his own ability or in the disciples, but in Jesus alone. This “Godfidence” is the assurance that while we cannot, God can. Real faith rests not in what we can do, but in who God is—He is still the God who heals, provides, and moves mountains. Our breakthroughs often come when we shift our focus from our limitations to God’s limitless power. [58:36]
- Seeing Possibility Instead of Limitation
Jesus’ rebuke of the disciples for their lack of faith highlights how easy it is to focus on what we lack or what seems impossible. Faith reframes our perspective, allowing us to see the possibilities God is already preparing. Even faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains when it is placed in the right Person. We are invited to see our “half-empty” situations as opportunities for God to fill us with His immeasurably more. [01:00:13]
- Faith Grows Through Testing and Sharing
Faith is not meant to be a private possession, but something to be lived, tested, and shared. As we step out in faith, even in small ways, our confidence in God grows and our lives become testimonies to others. The journey of faith is ongoing, and each act of trust builds upon the last, preparing us to celebrate God’s work together as a community. [01:05:31]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - Mother’s Day Greetings and Announcements
[03:30] - Child Dedication and Church Family’s Role
[07:10] - Upward Soccer and Community Life
[15:25] - Children Lead Worship
[18:00] - The Future of the Church: Investing in the Next Generation
[22:30] - Praying Ephesians 3:20-21 Together
[37:56] - God’s Vision: Seeing Possibility
[39:22] - The Glass Illustration: How Do You View Your Faith?
[40:54] - Reading Matthew 17:14-21
[42:39] - Mountaintop and Valley: Contrasts of Faith
[44:09] - The Father’s Persistent Faith
[46:13] - Prioritizing Jesus in Impossible Situations
[51:12] - Faith in Action: The Stool Illustration
[56:43] - Godfidence: Trusting God’s Power
[01:00:13] - Mustard Seed Faith and Moving Mountains
[01:02:20] - Next Steps: Living Out Godfidence
[01:04:20] - Final Blessing and Prayer for Moms
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
---
### Bible Reading
- Matthew 17:14-21
At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”
Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”
Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.
Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”
---
### Observation Questions
1. What did the father do when the disciples could not heal his son? How did he respond to disappointment?
[[44:09]]
2. According to Jesus, what was the reason the disciples could not heal the boy?
[[59:30]]
3. What does Jesus say about the size of faith needed to move mountains?
[[01:00:13]]
4. In the story, what actions did the father take to show his faith was more than just words?
[[51:12]]
---
### Interpretation Questions
1. What does the father’s persistence in seeking Jesus, even after the disciples failed, reveal about the kind of faith Jesus desires?
[[46:13]]
2. Why do you think Jesus emphasized that even faith as small as a mustard seed is enough? What does this say about where our confidence should be placed?
[[01:00:13]]
3. The sermon talked about “Godfidence”—trusting in God’s power, not our own. How is this different from self-confidence, and why is it important in the journey of faith?
[[58:36]]
4. How does the story challenge the idea that faith is just believing the right things, rather than acting on them?
[[53:19]]
---
### Application Questions
1. When you face an “impossible” situation, is God your first thought or your last resort? What would it look like to make seeking Jesus your top priority this week?
[[46:13]]
2. Can you think of a time when you believed God could do something, but hesitated to act? What is one step of faith you could take this week, even if you don’t see the whole path?
[[55:19]]
3. The sermon used the image of a glass being half-full or half-empty. How do you tend to view your own faith or circumstances? What would it take to start seeing the possibilities God is preparing, instead of just the problems?
[[39:22]]
4. Is there a “mountain” in your life right now—a challenge or obstacle that feels too big? What would it look like to trust God with it, even if your faith feels small?
[[01:00:13]]
5. The father in the story pushed through the crowd and knelt before Jesus. What “crowds” or obstacles might you need to push through in order to put your faith into action?
[[51:12]]
6. The sermon said faith grows through testing and sharing. Who could you share your faith journey with this week, or encourage by telling them how God has worked in your life?
[[01:05:31]]
7. “Godfidence” means knowing “I can’t, but God can.” Is there an area of your life where you need to shift from self-reliance to trusting God’s power? What would that shift look like in practice?
[[58:36]]
---
Close in prayer, asking God to help you see the possibilities He has prepared, to give you boldness to act in faith, and to trust His power for the “immeasurably more” He wants to do in and through you.
Devotional
Day 1: Faith Prioritizes Jesus Above All Else
When faced with impossible situations, it is easy to turn first to our own abilities, to people, or to systems for help. Yet, the story of the desperate father in Matthew 17 reminds us that true faith makes Jesus the first and highest priority. This father did not give up when the disciples failed; instead, he pressed on, determined to bring his need directly to Jesus. He looked past the obstacles and disappointments, refusing to let discouragement or delay keep him from seeking the true source of hope. In our own lives, we are challenged to ask: is God our first thought or our last resort? May we learn to look to Jesus first, trusting that He alone is able to meet our deepest needs. [46:13]
Matthew 17:14-16 (ESV)
And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.”
Reflection: When you face a challenge this week, will you intentionally pause and make seeking Jesus your very first response, rather than your last resort? What would it look like to do that today?
Day 2: Faith Acts Boldly, Not Passively
Faith is not just a belief held in the heart or words spoken aloud; it is demonstrated in action. The father in the story did not simply believe Jesus could heal—he moved through the crowd, knelt before Jesus, and asked for help. In the same way, James reminds us that faith without works is dead. Like sitting in a sturdy chair, our confidence in God grows as we actually step out and trust Him with our actions. Faith that is alive moves forward, even when the outcome is uncertain, and trusts that God will meet us as we take each step. [51:48]
James 2:14-17 (ESV)
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Reflection: What is one specific step of faith you can take today—no matter how small—that puts your trust in God into action?
Day 3: Faith Trusts in the Power of Jesus
The father’s confidence was not in his own ability or even in the disciples, but in the power of Jesus alone. He was convinced that if he could just get to Jesus, his son could be healed. This is the kind of “Godfidence” that knows, “I can’t, but God can.” Real faith rests not in what we can do, but in who God is—He is the one who calms storms, heals the broken, and moves mountains. When we trust in Jesus’ power, we are freed from relying on our own strength and can boldly bring our needs to Him, believing that nothing is impossible for Him. [58:36]
Matthew 17:17-18, 20 (ESV)
And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. ... He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to stop relying on your own strength and instead trust fully in the power of Jesus? How can you surrender that to Him today?
Day 4: Faith Sees Possibility, Not Just Problems
It is easy to focus on what is lacking, what is broken, or what seems impossible. Yet, faith reframes our perspective to see what God sees: the possibility of what He can do. Like the glass that can be seen as half empty or half full, our outlook shapes our experience of faith. When we look through the lens of God’s promises and His faithfulness, we begin to see solutions and hope where others see only obstacles. God invites us to shift our perspective, to see our “half empty” situations as already being filled by Him, and to believe that He is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine. [01:00:13]
Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Reflection: Where in your life have you been focusing on what’s missing or impossible? How can you ask God to help you see His possibilities and provision in that area today?
Day 5: Faith Grows as We Live It and Share It
Faith is not meant to be a private possession or a mere statement; it is meant to be lived out, tested, and shared with others. As we step out in faith, even in small ways, our confidence in God grows and our lives become a testimony to His power and goodness. Each day brings opportunities to move beyond comfort, to respond to God’s leading, and to encourage others by the way we trust Him. As we gather together and as we go our separate ways, may our faith be strengthened and multiplied, so that we become a people who inspire others to believe for the “immeasurably more” that God has prepared. [01:05:31]
Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Reflection: Who in your life needs to see faith in action this week? What is one way you can encourage or share your faith with them through your words or actions?
Quotes
We've been stepping into a bold season of faith over the last several weeks as we've been walking this journey together. Faith that dares to believe that God has immeasurably more in store for all that we ask, think or imagine. It's the kind of faith that's not really comfortable, that stretches us. It's faith that challenges us. But it is also faith that positions us for the miracle. [00:36:34]
As we've been pressing into God's imagined vision for our church one thing for me has become really pretty crystal clear and this vision that is that this vision that we are looking into we are learning to see what God sees. Not just what is lacking not just what is hard but what is possible. We are posturing ourselves to see solutions rather than fixating on what we don't have or the problems that surround us. [00:38:31]
How do you view that glass? Is it full? Is it empty? It's midway. Some of you in this room will look at this glass and say that's half full. Some of you will say it's half empty. Who's our half empty people in the room? Who's our half full people in the room? Who doesn't want to answer because you're afraid of what's going to happen? All right that's good. Hey I'm just seeing if you're awake. That's really all that's all about right? I ask you that question because I want you to think about your faith as half full or half empty because how we view our faith will shape what we do with it. [00:39:34]
At first, we have this mountaintop experience where Jesus is revealed in all of his glory. We have this beyond a shadow of a doubt moment about who Jesus is, about his authority, about his power. There is no question for Peter, James, and John because they are watching this moment happen right before their eyes. You don't need a whole lot of faith when you can see it, right? When you are there to experience it. This is a beyond a shadow of a doubt moment. Jesus is who we believe him to be. [00:42:48]
And yet, right after this amazing, significant moment of part of the story, we have this valley. We have Jesus stepping into this valley of disappointment where his disciples couldn't do one of the basic things that they'd already been doing. Because if you read the gospel account, you know that Jesus has already sent them out to go and do ministry, right? They're already teaching. They're already doing miracles just like Jesus is doing. But now we have them here in this place, and they're not able to do it. [00:43:22]
Those closest to Jesus seem to be missing a key ingredient for experiencing immeasurably more faith, or maybe said a different way, for being able to experience what is possible. And then in the middle of all of this, we have this beautiful picture of a father who chooses to believe that Jesus is enough. [00:44:31]
Think about this father and no doubt his wife the mother of the son think about the discouragement that they have been living and enduring for these years as they've been caring for their son the burden that they're carrying for our son that they can't seem to find a solution for they can't do anything about despite the delay think about the time that has gone on that they have pursued an answer and the time just keeps going forward despite the disappointment they've tried this avenue they've gone another avenue they went to the disciples to get healing the disciples of Jesus the miracle worker the teacher the ones who they've heard have done miracles in the name of Jesus and yet the healing doesn't come the hope that they had put into this moment hasn't come for many of us it would be a moment where we would get discouraged and we would walk away but not for this father the father the father's faith pushes him forward. [00:45:25]
The father wasn't looking at the disciples as the one who could heal his son that the father was looking for Jesus and he was looking at it through the lens of the ones that were in front of him on behalf of him the father could have easily walked away after the disciples failed to help but it was his belief in Jesus that led him to a posture to keep pressing forward for an answer the father knew that Jesus could help and he made it his top priority to get Jesus' attention and ultimately Jesus' help, which begs the question for us this morning, what priority does the work of God play in our lives? [00:48:58]
I wonder how often God is an afterthought rather than our first thought when addressing the impossible in front of us. If we're honest with ourselves, probably often we trust more in people and systems and even in our own efforts more than we do, or at least before we do, turning to Christ. This father didn't give up because he was looking past the obstacles and he was looking to the true source of hope that was in front of him. Is God your first thought or is he your last resort? [00:50:07]
A second key to the immeasurably more faith demonstrated by this father is a faith that acts boldly. This man doesn't just believe that Jesus can heal his boy. He moves toward that goal. He pushes through the crowd. He moves past the disappointment and he reaches out. More specifically, the scripture says, he kneels before Jesus. Had he believed that Jesus could heal his boy and simply walked away, the healing and miracle might never have happened. [00:50:45]
So you see faith by itself isn't enough unless it produces good deeds. It is dead and useless. When faced with a situation that challenges us, we like this father should also be. Finding ourselves turning to God. A mere declaration of faith doesn't prove anything. Faith is an attitude of the inward person, but it can only be seen as it influences the action of the one who possesses it. [00:51:48]
There's something that just happened as I sat down in this chair. My confidence has grown, right? Because now it's not just something that I intellectually know that my heart feels, but now I can experience it. I'm feeling the security that this thing has gotten. But it only happened because I actually moved and took a seat. [00:54:35]
So often when it comes to our faith, we do a lot of talk. And I'm not saying that our talk is wrong. And I'm not saying our talk is bad. In fact, a lot of the talking that we do, a lot of the professions of our faith that we have, are 100 % what we believe. We talk a lot about it. And let's be honest. Sometimes our talk has influence, right? Sometimes it can help move the needle for ourselves and for others. But it's nothing like seeing it actually work. Right? Taking that step of faith and believing that, oh, my goodness, God, you are so good. I knew it. Now I know it. That's the difference, right? [00:55:03]
We can't just claim to have faith. We have to live it. We need to act and live in such a way that it shows others that we actually do depend on God. Faith without action is powerless. Faith isn't passive. It doesn't sit back and hope that things get better. It moves forward in bold trust that God will meet us when we take that step. [00:55:49]
The Father wasn't hopeful that Jesus could heal his boy. This Father was confident that Jesus could do what no one else could. When the Father goes to Jesus up here in verse 15 and He says, Lord, have mercy on my son, we could argue that that was a desperate prayer. We could argue that that was kind of a last -ditch effort. Please have mercy. Do something for my son if you could. Except for the fact that this man has been pursuing and pushing towards Jesus. [00:56:50]
Even when the disciples couldn't do it, it didn't deter him to keep looking for Jesus. Even when the church has messed up, it didn't deter them from pursuing Jesus. This is, oh, somebody heard that this morning. Right? We allow so many things to affect our faith and to get in the way. That is what this father doesn't do. He keeps pushing towards Jesus. [00:57:24]
It's as if the father said, just let me get to him. If I can get to Jesus, then my problems will be taken care of. My boy can be healed and my needs will be met. Oh, to have that kind of faith in Jesus that our every need, our most pressing needs put in the hands of Jesus could actually be met. To be so convinced that Jesus not only has the answers that we are looking for, but he is the answer that we need. [00:57:57]
Godfidence. Knowing that I can't, but God can. Real faith rests in what we can do, not in what we can do, but in who God is. He is still the God who calms the seas and the storms. He's the God who heals the broken, who feeds the hungry, who raises the dead, and yes, can move mountains. It's the one that we can have Godfidence in. [00:58:47]
Sometimes the thing standing between us and a breakthrough is a half empty kind of faith. Instead of seeing the work that God has already been doing to fill us up. It really depends on how we look at it. It depends on what we see. And too often we find ourselves seeing through the lens of distraction, through the lens of brokenness, through the lens of doubt or fear or poor communication. [00:59:59]
But what if we could learn to see the possibility of what God has already done and what it would look like, what it can look like, what God has in store for us as he continues the work that he's already doing in filling us up with the immeasurably more and all that is possible. [01:00:41]
Faith in Jesus makes the impossible possible, not because of us, but because of Him. Church, let us be a people who prioritizes Jesus first, who puts our faith into action, trusts His power without hesitation, and believe for the immeasurably more that He has already prepared for those who walk in faith. [01:04:29]
You may feel like your glass is half empty, but with God, it's already being filled. Your mountain may be huge, but with faith, it can move. You may feel like you can't, but remember this, God can. [01:04:58]
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