Lon Williams | Stand Alone | Your Greatest Ability & Asset | July 12th, 2026

Belief stands as one of the greatest assets God has put in a person’s hands. Salvation comes through belief, healing is received through belief, old mistakes are overcome through belief, and step by step a life moves toward what God created it to be through belief. Belief is the root, and behavior is the fruit. Discipline, obedience, surrender, sacrifice, and commitment are not ignored, but they grow out of what a person is really believing.

Ephesians 1:19 puts God’s “incredible greatness” and power in front of those who believe in him. God’s power is ready, God’s promises have no expiration date, and excuses do not get the final word. The answer of faith becomes simple and strong: “God, I believe you.” Not the eyes, not feelings, not the wrong friends on the wrong days, not the medical report, not the prodigal season, not the financial mess. God gets believed because God has never failed and God cannot lie.

Jairus shows what belief looks like when the situation goes from bad to impossible. His daughter is dying, then the news comes that she is dead, and Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe.” The role of the believer is not to add excuses, commas, or dot dot dot to God’s promise. The role is to believe that God can turn the situation around.

The thermostat image gives shape to that kind of faith. God’s promise is the temperature set on the wall. The room may feel too hot or too cold, but the promise has been set, and the room must eventually match what God has said. Panic does not need to run the house when the promise has already been chosen.

Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones presses the same question: “Do you believe that these dead bones can live?” God was not asking Ezekiel for a list of reasons the bones were dead. God was asking whether faith would agree with his power. Dead dreams, dead marriages, dead hope, dead joy, and dead courage can live when God speaks and faith responds.

Lazarus shows that God may not only be planning a miracle, but something better, a resurrection. Mary and Martha felt the ache of “if only,” but Jesus asked to be taken back to the place where Lazarus was laid, the place where belief had stopped. The fourth day was not late by accident. Jesus waited so the glory of God would be seen beyond every religious box, every human timeline, and every dead-end conclusion.

John 11 brings the deepest question home: Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and anyone who believes in him will live. Eternal life is not earned, bought, or achieved. Grace saves through faith, and the same God who gives eternal life also invites his children into abundant life, healing, restoration, provision, and hope that gets up again.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Belief is the root Belief is not cheap talk or easy religion. Belief is the root system underneath obedience, discipline, surrender, and the visible fruit of a life. A person’s choices, words, and patterns eventually reveal where faith has actually been placed. God’s power is described as available for those who believe, not for those who merely admire the idea of belief. [48:31]
• 2. Excuses must lose their throne Excuses can always be found, and many of them can sound reasonable in the moment. Faith does not deny the report, the pain, or the mess, but faith refuses to let those things become the highest authority. “God, I believe you” becomes a direct act of rebellion against fear, delay, and discouragement. The promise of God gets the final word because God does not lie. [49:54]
• 3. Set the promise like a thermostat The thermostat does not panic because the room has not caught up yet. The promise of God works the same way, calling faith to set the temperature and leave it there. Feelings may swing, circumstances may argue, and time may stretch out longer than expected, but the believer keeps returning to what God has said. Peace grows when the promise is trusted more than the present atmosphere. [64:59]
• 4. Dead bones can live again Ezekiel’s valley shows that God is not intimidated by what looks finished. The question is not whether the bones are dead, because that part is obvious. The question is whether faith will agree with God’s power instead of building a case for hopelessness. What is decaying, discouraging, or buried can still receive breath when God speaks life. [71:06]
• 5. God may be planning resurrection Mary and Martha wanted Jesus to prevent a death, but Jesus came to reveal resurrection. Delay did not mean neglect, and the fourth day did not mean failure. God sometimes waits long enough for every human explanation to die, so that his glory cannot be mistaken for coincidence. Faith says “even now” when the situation already stinketh.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [44:02] - The Sacred Power of Gathering
• [46:10] - Belief Is The Greatest Ability
• [47:20] - Belief As Root, Behavior As Fruit
• [48:31] - God’s Power For Those Who Believe
• [49:54] - Choosing Faith Over Excuses
• [51:51] - Jairus And “Just Believe”
• [55:23] - Do Not Fear The Size Of The Task
• [60:21] - Knowing God Beyond Savior
• [64:59] - Setting The Thermostat Of Promise
• [71:06] - Ezekiel And The Dry Bones
• [74:22] - Lazarus, Delay, And Disappointment
• [77:18] - Even Now Faith
• [84:47] - Believing Jesus For Eternal Life

1. In Mark 5:36, what did Jesus tell Jairus to do when the situation seemed hopeless? How does this connect to the idea of belief as a response to fear?
2. What question does God ask Ezekiel in Ezekiel 37:3, and why is this significant in the context of "dead" situations?
3. How does Jesus redefine Mary and Martha’s understanding of timing and outcomes in John 11:25-26?

1. Why might Jesus have waited until Lazarus was dead for four days before acting, even though it caused pain and confusion (John 11:21-40)? What does this reveal about God’s purposes in delays?
2. In Ephesians 1:19, Paul emphasizes God’s power being available to "those who believe." How does belief activate this power differently than admiration or intellectual agreement?
3. God asks Ezekiel, "Can these bones live?" instead of explaining how they would live. What does this teach about the relationship between faith and human understanding?

1. What excuses or "reasonable explanations" do you most often default to when facing a difficult situation? How could replacing those with "God, I believe you" shift your perspective? [49:54]
2. Identify one area of your life (e.g., a relationship, health, finances) where you need to "set the thermostat" on a specific promise of God. What practical step can you take this week to keep trusting that promise? [01:04:59]
3. The sermon compares faith to a thermostat that doesn’t panic when the room hasn’t caught up yet. Where are you tempted to "panic" instead of holding to God’s promises? How can you remind yourself to trust His timing?
4. What "dead bones" (dreams, relationships, hopes) do you need to speak life into by declaring, "Even now, God can do this"? Write down one declaration of faith to pray daily. [01:17:18]
5. How can you intentionally grow in knowing God not just as Savior but as Healer, Provider, or Restorer this month? What Scripture or habit could help you deepen that understanding?
6. Reflect on a time when God’s answer was better than what you initially wanted (like Lazarus’ resurrection vs. healing). How does that experience encourage you to trust Him in current struggles?