A faith that gets results! Pastor Gino Bryant

Hebrews 11 calls faith “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is not tomorrow faith, yesterday faith, or six-months-from-now faith. Faith is now faith. God loves to be believed, and God is not worn out by the same need being brought before Him again and again. God is the Almighty, the nurturer, and the One who has all that His children need.

Christ stands as the desire of nations and the desire of every human heart. Human beings try to fill that God-shaped void with stuff, relationships, achievement, and significance, but Christ alone is the ultimate joy. Things can bring a little joy, but Christ fills the tank. Faith begins to rest in God when the heart understands His character, His ability, and His inexhaustible supply.

Hebrews 11 shows that hope becomes faith when hope lines up with God’s will. Jesus told the man with the withered hand, “Stretch forth your hand,” calling him to walk out of what he experienced and into what Christ had spoken. The ten lepers were healed “as they went.” Faith takes steps toward the promise before the evidence shows up.

God framed the worlds by His word, bringing visible things out of what was first unseen. God spoke, “Let there be light,” and creation came forth. Ephesians calls believers to be imitators of God, not only in character and obedience, but also in speaking, declaring, and taking steps of faith. The imagination must be taken back for God, cultivated by His Word rather than handed over to the world’s system.

Jairus saw a dying daughter, but he also saw what Jesus could do. Jairus believed that one touch from Christ would bring life, and that faith moved him to find Jesus. Faith gets traction when the heart begins to say, “Lord, You said,” and holds God’s promises before its eyes. Faith can believe for healing, provision, salvation, deliverance, and victory.

Hebrews 11 also refuses to make faith shallow. Abraham walked toward a land he could not see. Some received miracles, while others endured sickness, persecution, prison, torture, and even death. Faith may be a breakthrough, but faith may also be holding on through the fiery furnace, carrying a splintery cross up a hill, staying when God says stay, or leaving when God says dust the feet.

Jesus remains the author and finisher of faith. Christ endured the cross for the joy set before Him, and His people run with endurance by laying aside sin, keeping their eyes on Him, and trusting that His presence is real even before the breakthrough comes.

##

---

Key Takeaways

• 1. Now faith trusts God today. Faith does not wait for conditions to become easier before it believes. God invites His children to bring the same need to Him without fearing that they have bothered Him too much. God’s supply is not thin, and His patience is not exhausted. [04:45]
• 2. Christ fills the deepest human void. Human achievement, relationships, and possessions can become false gods when they are asked to give ultimate fulfillment. Christ does not merely improve life around the edges. Christ becomes the ultimate joy and the One who gives true significance. [03:17]
• 3. Faith walks before evidence appears. Jairus moved toward Jesus while his daughter was still dying, and the lepers went toward the priest before they saw healing. Faith acts on what Christ has said instead of staying trapped in what circumstances currently say. God often meets His people as they go. [06:33]
• 4. Faith looks different in every trial. Faith may receive a miracle, endure a sickness, seek medical help, make a wise decision, or stand through hard persecution. God writes the story, and faith trusts Him through the part that cannot yet be understood. Ultimate victory is not always escape from suffering, but remaining faithful to Christ. [27:20]
• 5. Jesus finishes the race of faith. Jesus endured the cross because He saw the joy beyond it. The cloud of witnesses calls believers to lay aside weights, reject sin, and keep their eyes on Christ. God’s presence remains the greatest blessing when the miracle has not yet appeared.
  
  ## [41:31]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:13] - Faith That Gets Results
• [01:56] - Jesus Is the Desire of Nations
• [04:17] - Now Faith
• [05:20] - Hope Becoming Faith
• [06:08] - Walking Toward the Promise
• [07:29] - God Framed the Worlds
• [11:49] - Imitators of God
• [15:02] - Jairus Believes for His Daughter
• [17:44] - Take Your Imagination Back
• [21:01] - Faith for Every Situation
• [27:50] - Holding On Through Hard Times
• [32:00] - Hebrews 11 Witnesses
• [36:15] - Faith That Endures Unto Eternity
• [40:32] - Looking Unto Jesus

Bible Reading

Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” [04:45]

Hebrews 12:1-2
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” [41:31]

Mark 5:21-24, 35-43
“Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.’ So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him. [...] While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?’ As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, ‘Do not be afraid; only believe.’ And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. When He came in, He said to them, ‘Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.’ And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, ‘Talitha, cumi,’ which is translated, ‘Little girl, I say to you, arise.’ Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.” [17:44]

Ephesians 5:1
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.” [12:00]

Luke 17:11-19
“Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ So when He saw them, He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.” [06:33]

Observation questions

1. In Hebrews 11:1, what two words describe faith in relation to things hoped for and things not seen? How do those words show that faith is more than wishful thinking? [04:45]
2. What did Jairus specifically believe Jesus would do for his daughter before Jesus ever arrived at his house?
3. In Luke 17, what instruction did Jesus give the ten lepers, and at what point did their cleansing take place?
4. According to Hebrews 12:1-2, what are believers told to lay aside, how are they to run, and where are they to keep their eyes?

Interpretation questions

1. Hebrews 11:1 calls faith the “substance” of what is hoped for. How does a believer’s hope become biblical faith rather than simply a strong personal desire? [05:02]
2. Jairus had frightening circumstances in front of him, yet he moved toward Jesus with a clear request. What does his response show about bringing urgent needs to Christ?
3. The lepers were cleansed “as they went.” What are some faithful steps a person can take while still waiting to see God’s answer? [06:39]
4. Hebrews 12 points believers to Jesus, who endured the cross for the joy set before Him. How does this keep faith from becoming only about receiving immediate relief or a quick breakthrough? [41:33]

Application questions

1. Is there a need you have brought to God many times and begun to feel discouraged about? What would it look like to bring that need to Him again with confidence in His character and His supply? [01:05]
2. Christ is the ultimate joy, while achievements, possessions, and relationships can become substitutes for Him. What is one good thing in your life that you may be tempted to depend on for significance or fulfillment? [03:25]
3. What is one promise or truth from God’s Word that you need to keep in front of your eyes this week? How could you make room to think, pray, and speak that truth when fear tries to take over your imagination? [18:15]
4. Is there a faithful next step you already know to take—such as seeking help, making a wise decision, having a needed conversation, praying for someone, or obeying a clear command of Christ—even though the outcome is not yet visible? [21:40]
5. Faith does not always look like immediate deliverance; sometimes it means enduring sickness, hardship, or opposition while trusting God. Where do you need grace to remain faithful in a hard situation rather than giving up? [27:30]
6. Hebrews 12 calls believers to lay aside weights and sin that slow the race. What is one weight, habit, distraction, or recurring sin that may be keeping you from running freely after Jesus? [41:03]
7. When the breakthrough has not yet come, God’s presence is still real and precious. What practices or people help you remember that God is with you in the middle of the struggle? [42:12]