Faith in God: Trusting Through Life's Challenges

Today, we gathered around the simple but profound command of Jesus: “Have faith in God.” This is the foundation and the anchor for every season of life, whether we’re facing sickness, financial struggle, family turmoil, or the silent battles that bring us to tears when no one is watching. Faith is not just a feeling; it’s a choice to trust God’s character, His track record, and His promises, even when circumstances seem unchanged or even worsening. We are called to believe, to keep believing, and to speak words of faith over our lives, our families, and our futures.

Looking at the story of Jesus and the fig tree in Mark 11, we see that when Jesus spoke to the tree, the change happened at the roots before it was visible in the leaves. In the same way, God often works in the unseen places of our lives. We may not see immediate results, but faith trusts that God is working beneath the surface. Like the Chinese bamboo tree, which grows unseen for years before shooting up in a matter of weeks, our prayers and faithfulness are not wasted. We water our seeds of faith with prayer and praise, especially when we’re tempted to stare at our problems and lose hope.

It’s important to remember that while we often pray for God to change our circumstances or other people, the most crucial prayer is for God to mature us in the waiting. Our attitude, our endurance, and our joy in the process matter deeply. Prayer and praise are our prescription for panic and pain, to be taken as often as needed. Every time anxiety or discouragement rises, we return to God, casting our cares on Him and remembering His faithfulness.

We also learned that our words have power. We are to plant seeds of faith by speaking God’s promises over our situations, trusting that He will bring the increase in His timing. Sometimes, the breakthrough we seek will nourish us in ways we never expected. And when we don’t know what to pray for, we can simply ask God for His best, trusting that His plans are greater than our preferences.

Finally, we are reminded that our identity is first and foremost as children of God. Whatever battles we face—whether in our minds, our relationships, or our sense of self—obedience to God and surrender to His authority is the path to true freedom and fruitfulness. We stand together, praying for breakthroughs, trusting God’s timing, and praising Him even in the dark, knowing that morning is coming.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Faith is a choice to trust God’s character and promises, not just a feeling that comes and goes. Even when life is heavy and tears are real, faith says, “I trust You, Lord,” because He is trustworthy and unchanging. Our faith is not in outcomes, but in the God who holds the outcomes. [02:10]
• 2. God often works at the roots, in the unseen places of our lives, before we see any visible change. Like the fig tree or the Chinese bamboo, transformation may be hidden for a season, but faith believes that God is moving even in the dark. Maturity is learning to praise God before the breakthrough, trusting that morning is coming. [13:18]
• 3. Prayer and praise are the prescription for panic and pain, to be taken as often as needed. Every time anxiety or discouragement tempts us to stare at our problems, we are called to water our faith with prayer and thanksgiving, remembering God’s faithfulness in the past as fuel for hope in the present. [18:50]
• 4. The power of our words is real: we plant seeds of faith by speaking God’s promises over our lives and situations. We may not control the timing or the process, but our job is to plant, pray, and praise, trusting God to bring the increase. Sometimes, the very thing that worries us today will become the source of nourishment and testimony tomorrow. [22:47]
• 5. Our identity is rooted in being children of God, not in our struggles, our orientation, or our past. Obedience to God’s voice is the highest calling, and surrendering our preferences to His authority brings true freedom. The enemy attacks our minds to keep us from fruitfulness, but God has given us power, love, and a sound mind—so we stand together, praying for breakthroughs and trusting God’s best for our lives. [46:24]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:10] - The Call to Have Faith in God
• [07:37] - Jesus and the Fig Tree: Faith at the Roots
• [09:31] - Trusting God in the Unseen
• [13:18] - Praising God in the Dark
• [15:00] - The Chinese Bamboo Tree: Growth in the Waiting
• [18:50] - Prayer and Praise: The Prescription for Panic
• [21:13] - Planting Faith Seeds Over Our Problems
• [22:47] - The Power of Planting, Praying, and Praising
• [27:58] - Praying for Others vs. Preaching at Them
• [30:07] - Faith That Fights: Authority Over the Enemy
• [33:44] - God Gives the Increase
• [34:55] - Praying Big and Listening Well
• [36:13] - Praying for Generational Blessing
• [41:11] - Making Your Faith Official
• [44:11] - Invitation and Prayer for Breakthrough
• [45:18] - The Power of Persistent Prayer
• [46:24] - Identity, Obedience, and Breakthrough

Bible Reading

Mark 11:22-24 (ESV) — > And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Mark 11:12-14, 20-21 (ESV) — > On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. ... As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”

1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (ESV) — > I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

Observation Questions

1. In Mark 11, what did Jesus do to the fig tree, and how long did it take for the disciples to see the result? What does this reveal about how God sometimes works? [[07:37]]
2. According to Mark 11:22-24, what does Jesus say is required for our prayers to be effective?
3. In the sermon, what is the significance of the “roots” versus the “leaves” when it comes to change and growth in our lives? [[09:31]]
4. According to 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, who is ultimately responsible for growth and change in our lives and situations?

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus emphasized “have faith in God” as the foundation for facing all kinds of life’s challenges? [[02:10]]
2. The sermon compared God’s work in our lives to the roots of a tree or the growth of a Chinese bamboo tree. What does this analogy teach about waiting and trusting God when we don’t see immediate results? [[15:00]]
3. The pastor said that prayer and praise are the “prescription for panic and pain.” Why might these practices be especially important when we are tempted to focus on our problems? [[18:50]]
4. The sermon talked about the power of our words and “planting seeds of faith.” What does it mean to speak God’s promises over our lives, and how does this relate to trusting God’s timing? [[22:47]]

Application Questions

1. The sermon said, “Faith is not just a feeling; it’s a choice to trust God’s character, His track record, and His promises, even when circumstances seem unchanged or even worsening.” Is there a situation in your life right now where you need to make a choice to trust God, even though you don’t see change? What would it look like to say, “I trust You, Lord,” in that area? [[02:10]]
2. Are you currently “staring at the leaves” of a problem—waiting for visible change—rather than trusting that God is working at the roots? What would it look like to shift your focus from the visible to the unseen work God might be doing? [[09:31]]
3. The Chinese bamboo tree grows unseen for years before shooting up. Can you think of a time when you felt like nothing was happening, but later realized God was working beneath the surface? How can that encourage you in your current season? [[15:00]]
4. The pastor said, “Prayer and praise are our prescription for panic and pain, to be taken as often as needed.” When anxiety or discouragement rises, what is one practical way you can “water your faith” with prayer or praise this week? [[18:50]]
5. The sermon challenged us to “plant seeds of faith by speaking God’s promises over our situations.” Is there a specific promise from God’s Word you can speak over a challenge you’re facing? How can you make this a regular habit? [[22:47]]
6. The pastor reminded us that our identity is first as children of God, not in our struggles or our past. Are there areas where you’ve let your struggles or failures define you? What would it look like to root your identity in being God’s child this week? [[46:24]]
7. The message encouraged us to pray for God’s best, even when we don’t know what to ask for. Is there a situation where you need to surrender your preferences and simply ask God for His best? How can you practice this kind of trust? [[35:23]]