December 29, 2005
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Today we went to see Narnia, the kids and I enjoyed it very much.
We were given some questions to answer for our discipleship class. Some are pretty awesome and I thought I would share them with you. Our classes right now are on faith. Some are personal questions, some are answers from our text. If you want to share some of your answers, I would be honored.
1. What do you have most difficulty having faith for? (For me that is believing God can really want to use me given my past, especially in the area of teaching).
2. What was your biggest test of faith? What was the outcome? (For me that was turning over spiritual authority to my husband who at that time wanted nothing to do with born agains. He handled it beautifully, now attends Bible study and my kids are saved).
3. What is your most successful area of Faith (what do you have no trouble believing for?) [For me, it is salvation, I know that if God could pull me from the pit, he can save anybody.]
4. What is the connection between Faith and expectations? (In our discipleship text, we are told that hope is associated with expectancy, so it is a progression toward faith.
5. What is the neatest miracle you have ever seen? (For me, the birth of my children).
6. How do you get Faith? (Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, and we are all given a measure of faith).
7. What Scripture would you use when someone says “I’m afraid.”? 2 Timothy 1:7 (For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind) – I am curious if you have any other scriptures on this.
8 Describe why hope and believing are different . (Believing is what we do when we hope. We progress from hope to believing to faith. We believe and believe until the thing we hope for has substance.)
9. Faith without works is dead. Jams 2:26
10. Hebrews 11:1 says: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
11. Why couldn’t the disciples cast out the demon in Mark 9:17-29? Jesus answered them and said this kind only comes out by prayer and fasting (the prayer of faith and fasting which breaks bonds. Jesus KNEW the demon would come out, no matter what the physical circumstances were. The disciples were caught up in the physical sight of what they perceived, not the faith. They were not in faith, not even belief because their hope was gone.
12, Hebrews 11:6 says: But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Faith is a tough subject for me. I waver in faith at times. In some areas I am strong, but there are weak areas as well. I keep praying that God will help me to strengthen in the area of faith.
Hope you are blessed by these questions.
Heather
Comments (12)
Very good post sister! It covered a lot of areas! Faith is a on going walk in our lives with Christ. I have waver in faith at times as well, but I noticed in each instance when HE walks with me thru at the end I look back and see a reason, lesson in it all. So although at times I might waver in faith, but it’s good to know we can take the test over and even use the BIBLE as it becomes an open book test too! loll I was bless in reading your post sister, thank you for sharing it with us. You are growing in spirit n truth! Your faith muscles are being challenge and stretch-that part can be painful but as Paul would say, “Be of good cheer!”
Peace n Joy in HIM to you!
Wow, tough test, discipleship is not an easy thing though. I struggle daily to have faith instead of presumption, and to rest on promises instead of rely on my own abilities. So far each new day seems to be my biggest test.
Hi Heather…faith is a strange thing. It is mystical, like God. You really can’t put your mind around it. It’s too big. It also seems to follow you like a shadow. It is always there because you stand in the light. For me faith becomes more abvious the closure I get to the light. I turn around and there is my shadow–faith. I wonder about the author of Hebrews if he was thinking someting along those lines when he said God rewards those who diligently seek him. The closure I get to him the brighter the light becomes and more defined is my shadow. And then something wonderful happens I hear God’s words spoken personally to me, and my heart is warmed and I feel a lightness in my step because I really begin to believe he loves me and is with me every step of the way. It comforts me like my shadow. I know it is there because his light shines in my soul.
I BELIEVE WE ALL WAVER IN OUR FAITH AT TIMES…. ;o) BUT I LIKE #6….EVERYONE HAS A CHOICE 2 MAKE…LETS STAY IN THE WORD….AMEN…..
LOVE & PRAYERS…greg <><
I saw Narnia today also. Powerful. . .I definitely got emotional during some parts.
Lu 17:5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
Have a Blessed New Year’s!
Dawn
Faith is a difficult subject for me but does not it say in Romans that we are given a measure of faith. And faith comes by hearing and through the word of God, the more we read the bible the more faith we have.HOw have you been? Thankyou for your prayers!! Hopefully God will bless you this next year
Last year about this time, I took a simplified test on spiritual gifts, And I was gifted in Mercy; and faith, Boy oh boy, was I scared, What do yoou mean, my faith seems to waver at times,,
But the more I thought about it God has done so many things in my life that have tested my faith, and as of today, I don’t question my faith; I rejoice in it.
One of my favorite verses about faith is in Romans 4 or five, The bible I have right here doesn’t have the words that I kike,,,,, but it istghat we exult in our tribulations for our endurance produces , charachter, and charachteproduces faith and faith gives ys hope, (AND FAITH DOES NIT DISSAPOINT BECAUSE OF THE POIURING OF THE LOVE OF THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT.
and when you look at faith and see where it leads us it is awesoime. GOD THE FATHER gives uds trials, we prevail, but in the end we have hopedue to the Spirit part of God. both fully GOD YET EACH HSAVE THEIR DIFFERENT PROPERTITIES to encourage us on our journey
sorroy sounds kinda preachy but having taken a theology class, and understanding a tiny bit more about the differences yet complete sameness about the trinity the god head. 3 in one
LLuce
Nice post
Makes one think..
Mary
I think faith is a complex yet simple subject. We make so much of it but in reality the hardest thing to believe for was our own salvation. There was more accomplished in that process than anything else we ask or believe for. That one process far exceeds anything else we could possibly ask.
Here are my answers.
1. What do you have most difficulty having faith for? anything for myself.
2. What was your biggest test of faith? What was the outcome? Moving to Arkansas without a job or prospect of a job just because “God said” as a result I am blessed beyond measure and am much better off than I would have been in my previous locatoin.
3. What is your most successful area of Faith (what do you have no trouble believing for? I guess it’s staying firm during those times of trials. I have learned to know he didn’t promise to deliver me out but to bring me through. Once I learned that it wasn’t so tough to ride out the storms.
4. What is the connection between Faith and expectations? I think our expectations are developed as a result of our faith. We expect what we believe. Whether it be for good or bad we still expect certain things. Those things are what we have faith for. Faith isn’t always in God. We must be careful with this one. We can have faith in a negative thing happening just like we have faith in Gods actions.
5. What is the neatest miracle you have ever seen? A close loved one of mine was diagnosed with a serious organ failure that would eventually cause death. After I prayed for them the doctor reported they were completely whole even though they had previously said it was not possible for complete and likely not even for partial recovery.
6. How do you get Faith? Faith comes by hearing. yes that’s why we must be careful of what we hear. Hearing the wrong thing brings the wrong kind of faith.
7. What Scripture would you use when someone says “I’m afraid.”? I agree with your choice but also he said “fear not” so much it seems quiet evident that it’s Gods will that we shouldn’t be in fear. He criticized the deciples in the boat for over their lack of faith which was exhibited by their fear.
8 Describe why hope and believing are different . (Believing is what we do when we hope. We progress from hope to believing to faith. We believe and believe until the thing we hope for has substance.) The word hope is loosly used but the true meaning of hope is more of a promise of something better or something coming to pass. I believe this is what the scripture is speaking of. Not the hope that is used to resemble a “wish”. Many people hope but don’t believe.
9. Faith without works is dead. Jams 2:26 If you have true faith your works will follow. Your works are a natural by product of true faith. Anything you believe will effect your actions. A worldly example would be if you believed the world was flat you would NOT sail blindly out into the ocean you would skirt the shore much like sailors of old. Columbus believed the earth was round and he acted on that belief. His faith drove his actions. Our Godly faith does the same thing.
10. Hebrews 11:1 says: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…… Faith is what makes up those things we hope for. It is what causes them to be. The spiritual realm operates by faith so it is the driving force for the completion of those hopes.
11. Why couldn’t the disciples cast out the demon in Mark 9:17-29? I agree with you but I add this. The fasting process brings us more in touch with the spiritual realm and as a result we are more successful spiritually. The deciples did not fast so they were more easily caught up in the sensationalism of the act.
12, Hebrews 11:6 says: But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him……. We live by faith. Salvation is by faith. the spiritual realm operates by faith. Without that faith we are so very much outside his will that we can’t possibly please him.
Just my opinion of course.
Happy new year.
I went and seen Narnia yesterday with my hubby, daughter and son-in-law. We all loved the movie. What a way to reveal who Christ is. It is a must see on the big screen though. God works through Hollywood to reveal His Son. How cool!!!! Blessings…
Happy New Year! God bless!