Faith is not just believing that God will do things, but acting on that belief. In order to remain strong and courageous, we must immerse ourselves in the Word and stay together.
Faith is not just believing that God will do things, but acting on that belief. In order to remain strong and courageous, we must immerse ourselves in the Word and stay together.
When we follow Jesus, we get a new identity. We get caught up into God’s plans rather than catching him up into our plans. Without always knowing precisely where God is leading us, God transforms our character in community and through trials.
Paul and Silas could have become cynical when they ended up in prison, and concluded either that God had not been leading them or that he had deceived them. But they knew that God had a plan, and even though they may not have felt like praising him, they do so. God always fulfils his plans, but he fulfils them his way, not ours.
We can be like the Israelites who rebelled against God out of fear, or we can be like Joshua and Caleb who trusted God and didn’t fear the details.
Moses never loses sight of the most important thing, and neither should we. God gives many things but nothing compares with the presence of God.
God chose us already before we were born. What is our response to this?
We must offer our whole lives to God, learn to see one another as family, and have love, which is the glue that holds all the other virtues together.
Christians are fighting a battle on two fronts: self control and perseverance
Our response to God’s grace - good deeds based on the knowledge of God
God has given everything we need, but we need to make every effort to use these gifts and develop spiritual our muscles.
God has given us forgiveness, reconciliation, a new nature, the Holy Spirit, the scriptures, and the Church
We have been given the same Precious gift of faith Peter had, because of Jesus righteousness we have full access to God
God’s hand works to bring together two people as part of his purposes.
Knowing who we are helps us not to be defined by others, to resist compromise and helps us in our present troubles. The best is yet to come.
God is faithful
If we try to gain acceptance by our own effort then we are children of Hagar. The children of Sarah are those born as a result of God’s promise.
God shows his faithfulness and his grace to Sarah and Abraham
Abraham is stuck in a pattern of fear, a stronghold! But when Abraham comes to a sort of repentance God blesses him lavishly. Accept God’s good gifts.
God’s judgement on Sodom and his grace in rescuing Lot.