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“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17

Ok, so I’m still stuck on the faith idea. If I’m saved BY FAITH, which I believe I am, then it seems like it should be a pretty important topic for me to understand. If God needs me to move a mountain it only takes a mustard seed of faith to do it, as long as it’s for His glory. Faith is what Abraham had and it gave him the strength and courage to be willing to carry out probably the hardest thing that has been requested by God of any human being- to sacrifice his son (which his faith ultimately kept him from having to do!) Active faith is me deciding or moving in the direction I believe God is leading me—BEFORE I know all the answers or outcome for sure.

But it’s not “blind faith,” which for me is defined as leaping before looking, acting before thinking, and believing before validating what I can. Faith, real faith is probably the most operative word in the Christian’s vocabulary. How do I know how to get it, where do I get it from, when can I know I have it, and what to do with it when I get it? THAT’S what living a Christian life is all about! Remember, if it’s important to God, it’s clear in His word!

Paul tells the believers in Rome that the process of gaining, obtaining and retaining faith is clear. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Back to last Sabbath’s sermon, If it’s all about making a commitment of my life to Jesus, which I find hard to do sometimes without at least some evidence, then I need to turn back to the spiritual discipline of knowing Him which will result in knowing what He is able to do. And if the act of committing my life to Him is the action step in my faith statement, then I again see the value of spending time in God’s word. I find Him and I find faith so I can trust Him enough to commit my life to Him. It’s all in His word!!

I don’t want to sound like a legalist because this is NOT about salvation or assurance of eternal life; it’s about living today and each day until Jesus comes committed to Him SO THAT life, including the junk and the evil, will be more manageable and understandable. I can’t expect to have faith if I have not discovered it in His word. That’s why I continue to be directed toward a daily connection with Him through His word. I highly recommend it, ONLY if you want to understand faith, which brings focus in life, and ends up being the prerequisite to eternal life!

Have a great day committing to spending time in God’s word- for faith’s sake,

Pastor Rich

Quote for the day: "Patience is not about how long you wait, it is about how well you behave while you are waiting."

PS Human Development & Campus Ministries Presents:

Daily Quote/Verse: When you go through deep waters, I will be with you Isaiah 43:2

Look forward to our email later today & do not forget to stop by Ortner between 1:00-2:00 PM!

Esteban C, Tito B., Jennie M, Victoria B., Sandy E.

PPS Remember we’re still collecting food and unperishable items (and money- remember “Give a buck or give up a Starbuck for a day”) to help the flood victims. Today is the last day so bring something to help. Thanks