November 16th, 2021
In this week’s message, Pastor John Carter continued to teach us that we must learn how to walk by faith. Walking by faith is by definition walking toward an image that you do not yet see with your physical eyes. Faith is something that is exercised in the present. Whatever faith believes, it believes for it right now. “FAITH IS.”
Faith is giving substance to real things that are not seen or manifested in the realm that the five senses can connect with yet. And it is giving substance to our hopes. Now, hope is not merely a wish. In the Greek, hope means to expect with certainty. It is a certain expectation, something you know for sure is going to happen. Faith is present, and hope is future. Faith gives substance now to certain expectations in the future. We have to have hope first.
You have to believe it’s possible first before you can engage your faith to pull it into the now. Your hope has to be rooted in faith, because you are basing it on the right evidence. Look to the Word for your evidence. The Word of God is all the truth you need. We deal with the real (circumstances) by looking at the ideal (the Word).
Faith is your evidence that what God has promised in His word is real, and it gives substance to those promises. Faith takes the place of the God-given promise you cannot yet see until it arrives! When the Word gets in your heart and in your mouth, that’s when your faith activates!
Key Scriptures:
Discussion Questions:
1. What is the relationship between faith and hope?
2. Why does hope come before faith?
3. How does remembering God’s faithfulness in the past act as a source of hope now?
4. What is the evidence that your faith must be rooted to?
5. How does faith pass the test of time?
Life Application:
This week as you study the key scriptures, consider what Pastor John said, “Why do they bring evidence to a court case? Because the evidence takes the place of what cannot be present to be seen. The evidence tells the story of what did happen and what will happen.” Your faith is your evidence. It is the evidence that God needs to see at work in your life. Your faith will tell the true story of what you expect God to do in your life.
It is your proof that you believe in God and His promises. So, ask yourself this question. Is your faith presenting evidence to God that you really believe His promises, or is it presenting evidence of the opposite? Where is your faith rooted?
Is your faith presenting evidence and building a case for the good work God will do in your life? Do you really believe God is working on your behalf? Make sure that when others look at the evidence of your life, they see a case for faith. Let your life be the testimony that proves to those around you that God is faithful to His promises to you!
Faith is giving substance to real things that are not seen or manifested in the realm that the five senses can connect with yet. And it is giving substance to our hopes. Now, hope is not merely a wish. In the Greek, hope means to expect with certainty. It is a certain expectation, something you know for sure is going to happen. Faith is present, and hope is future. Faith gives substance now to certain expectations in the future. We have to have hope first.
You have to believe it’s possible first before you can engage your faith to pull it into the now. Your hope has to be rooted in faith, because you are basing it on the right evidence. Look to the Word for your evidence. The Word of God is all the truth you need. We deal with the real (circumstances) by looking at the ideal (the Word).
Faith is your evidence that what God has promised in His word is real, and it gives substance to those promises. Faith takes the place of the God-given promise you cannot yet see until it arrives! When the Word gets in your heart and in your mouth, that’s when your faith activates!
Key Scriptures:
- [2 Cor. 5:7 NKJV] For we walk by faith, not by sight.
- [Hebrews 11:1 NKJV] Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Discussion Questions:
1. What is the relationship between faith and hope?
2. Why does hope come before faith?
3. How does remembering God’s faithfulness in the past act as a source of hope now?
4. What is the evidence that your faith must be rooted to?
5. How does faith pass the test of time?
Life Application:
This week as you study the key scriptures, consider what Pastor John said, “Why do they bring evidence to a court case? Because the evidence takes the place of what cannot be present to be seen. The evidence tells the story of what did happen and what will happen.” Your faith is your evidence. It is the evidence that God needs to see at work in your life. Your faith will tell the true story of what you expect God to do in your life.
It is your proof that you believe in God and His promises. So, ask yourself this question. Is your faith presenting evidence to God that you really believe His promises, or is it presenting evidence of the opposite? Where is your faith rooted?
Is your faith presenting evidence and building a case for the good work God will do in your life? Do you really believe God is working on your behalf? Make sure that when others look at the evidence of your life, they see a case for faith. Let your life be the testimony that proves to those around you that God is faithful to His promises to you!
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