First Believe: Living by Faith Like Moses

And he would open his arms and he'd say, jump, Christiana. And she never once stopped to think, what if he drops me? What if he misses me? She didn't measure the distance or question his strength. She jumped because she trusted him. She didn't need an explanation. She needed a confidence in who was catching her, and that's faith. Faith knows that when we take the leap, and sometimes it is a leap, we trust God that he's got us. He loves us. He even knows how many hairs are on our heads. He never leaves us. He never forsakes us. [00:56:27] (39 seconds)  #LeapOfFaithTrust

The truth is we all put our faith in all kinds of things. Some trust in money, some trust in education, some trust in relationships, trust some trust in themselves. These are all acts of faith. So the question is not whether we have faith, the question is where our faith is placed. Let me tell you this, money fails. It will let you down. People disappoint, systems break. We reach the limits of our own strength. So God is asking us to put faith in the only one, the only true God who cannot be shaken. He is the one who never lets us down. Let's give him praise today. [00:52:41] (46 seconds)  #FaithNotMoney

So before Moses ever stood before pharaoh, before he stretched that staff over the Red Sea, before he led a nation, first he was covered by the faith of his parents. Tell your neighbor, first believe. They chose faith in a time when great fear dominated the culture. And while that sounds like today, and anxiety and depression are prevalent, but God has not given us the spirit of fear. [01:05:21] (31 seconds)  #FirstBelieve

So faith invites us to trust God beyond what we can explain in the natural. It means believing that our God will do what he has promised, not because circumstances say it, but because our God is trustworthy. That is his character. Tell your neighbor, that is who he is. And say it with some Oakland attitude too. We are in the town. [00:57:06] (26 seconds)  #TrustBeyondSight

We're called to pass our faith onto the next generation. Covering our children now means guarding what shapes their minds, hearts, and imaginations. Pastor Javier shared, and I will validate this, he shared several times that when our kids were younger, we put guards on their phones. They didn't get to look at things that were inappropriate and let's say, it sent us a ding. It was called covenant eye. I'm sure they have even better one now. It sent us a ding because as as their parents, we are mandated to watch and and guide them in the ways of the Lord. [01:10:16] (30 seconds)  #GuardTheirFaith

as we just read, without faith, it's impossible to please God because faith connects us to a God who is faithful. Raise your hand if he's been faithful to you. He's been good. So let me ask you today, who do you have faith in? [00:53:29] (16 seconds)  #WhoIsYourFaithIn

So advancement in the kingdom of God does not begin with some just some good ideas or some good luck, but advancement begins with faith. Before Israel ever crossed a sea, before walls fell, before giants were defeated, they had to believe in God, and that's the title of today's message, first believe. [00:54:42] (25 seconds)  #AdvancementByFaith

But not all of these listed in Hebrews 11 live to see God's promises fully fulfilled. While some saw miracles, others endured suffering. While some were delivered on earth, others were taken home to heaven, yet all were commended. Let's say that word. They were commended because they trusted God no matter what they faced. [00:59:27] (23 seconds)  #CommendedForFaith