Faith Comes by Hearing..Craig Denison Ministries;

 Faith Comes by Hearing

Craig Denison Ministries;

Weekly Overview:

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is the undercurrent of everything we do as followers of Jesus. Without faith we lose all that Christ died to give us while here on earth. It is by faith we access the peace, joy, guidance, love, and purpose that comes from restored relationship with our heavenly Father. As we seek an increase in faith in response to God’s faithfulness this week, may you experience a greater depth of intimacy with your living, Almighty, and loving heavenly Father.

Scripture:“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” > Romans 10:17

Devotional:

Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Scripture offers us every truth we need to live a lifestyle of faith. Within its pages are powerful stories describing the miraculous works of a God who remained faithful to a people who chose pride, selfishness, and rebellion over his perfect, loving ways. And it contains incredible moments where God’s people responded to his faithfulness with faith and were greatly rewarded.

Proverbs 4:20-22 says, “My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.” The desire of God for you and me is to be children filled with his life-giving words. God longs for us to experience the joy, purpose, and peace of faith founded on his word. He longs for us to live our lives with Scripture as a constant source of hope when the world seems to be crashing down around us.

For a long time, the Bible bored me. I knew I should read it so I would try and make some time here and there to read a little bit. But it felt more like an assignment than an encounter with the powerful words of God. It wasn’t until I began to read Scripture as an avenue to connect with God and have my life transformed that I began to enjoy it. As I began to allow God’s word to fill me with faith to live differently, I discovered the power of the Bible. When I used Scripture as a way to learn about and connect to the heart of my heavenly Father, my desire to read it grew to the point of overflowing.

Scripture has the power to lead us to a different way of living: the way of faith. Stories like Abraham and Isaac should guide us to trust the promises of our God. Stories like Israel and the walls of Jericho should lead us to act on God’s word and leadership in faith that he will move in powerful ways to destroy our seemingly insurmountable obstacles. And the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus should guide us to a life of service to our God who would give up everything just to have restored relationship with us.

May your faith be stirred today in the reading of Scripture. May the pages of God’s word guide you to a lifestyle of trust, hope, and surrender. And may you experience the joy of living by faith in response to your God’s amazing acts of faithfulness.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the ability of God’s word to fill you with faith.

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” > Romans 10:17

“My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.” > Proverbs 4:20-22

2. Where do you need faith today? What problem or obstacle seems insurmountable before you? Where do you need hope and joy?

3. Meditate on Scripture in reference to your need. Find a story that will fill you with faith for the problem set before you.

“My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” > Proverbs 3:1-5

The story of Jesus walking on water in Matthew 14:28-33 serves as a great example of life lived in faith and in doubt. May we be a people who live in full faith and stand on the unshakable truth of God’s word.

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Extended Reading: Romans 5

The Secret of Contentment..Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Secret of Contentment

Dr. Charles Stanley

Philippians 4:4-13

In today's reading, the apostle Paul says he has learned the secret of experiencing contentment in all circumstances, good or bad. Does it surprise you that he wrote this when he was in prison, unsure of his future?

We're often discontent even when all is going well. Consequently, we wonder how it's possible to be truly content during our most difficult trials, especially when there's no end in sight. So what is genuine contentment? Paul is speaking of a freedom from worry and frustration about everything in life--even unfulfilled desires.

It's usually when we cannot control or change our situation that we feel discontentment. As long as our satisfaction depends on whether certain things actually work out, we'll allow circumstances to cheat us out of peace. I'm not saying there's some spiritual stage where you will never again experience anxiety or frustration. But what matters is how we respond when those feelings grip us.

This is something that the apostle had to learn. Paul endured amazing suffering, from shipwrecks and hunger to unjust imprisonment and beatings (2 Cor. 11:24-30). He had gone through countless situations that were uncertain, extraordinarily painful, and seemingly hopeless. But he finally discovered that contentment could not be dependent upon his circumstances.

How do you respond when circumstances are out of your control? Do you get angry? Do you try to escape? Does despair make you want to give up? Paul chose to give his anxieties to Jesus in exchange for peace that "surpasses all comprehension" (Phil. 4:7). That same peace is available to you!

Gathering Treasures in Heaven ..Lynette Kittle

Gathering Treasures in Heaven
By Lynette Kittle

“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life”—1 Timothy 6:18-19

How do we store up treasures in Heaven? Is it primarily through the financial gifts we give the Church and Christian organizations, or is there more to it? After all, in Matthew 19:21, 

“Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’” 

However, perhaps giving money comes at too easy of a cost for many. What if giving money is an easy way out for those too busy or uninterested in investing their time and efforts in storing treasures in Heaven? And suppose it’s not where most of our heavenly treasures originate? 

You Don’t Have to Have Money to Be Rich

Scripture tells us we don’t have to have money to be rich because there is another way true richness comes to us, and it’s in good deeds. It’s a richness that stores up treasures in Heaven, too. Sometimes we get caught up in the world’s money system but forget it’s artificial. Matthew 6:24 reminds us, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Too often, though, Christians seem to believe they can serve both, and it’s okay with God, like money and serving God are eternally intertwined. But God’s interest in money is what it means to us. If we love it, He sees we don’t love Him as we might think. Like the story of the widow’s mite, she loved God more than her money. Mark 12:43-44 explains, 

“Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.’” 

Money Isn’t the Measure of Your Faith
Placing money and possessions above or even equal to God reveals a heart that loves the world more than Him. 1 John 2:15 urges, 

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 

Yet, nowadays, some in the Christian community seem to weigh a person’s faith by how they handle their money. Some in Christian circles mistakenly use it to measure their walk with Christ. Sadly, more attention is often given to what earthly treasures believers have attained than heavenly treasures. Sometimes other believers seem to think more highly of Christians who have surrounded themselves with worldly treasures than with the fruit of the Spirit, having trouble distinguishing between the temporal and the eternal.

You Can’t Take It with You
Matthew 6:19-20 urges, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Still, some Christians shy away from doing good works, knowing it won’t get them into heaven, but not realizing they lay a foundation of treasures in Heaven. Yet, good works are evidence of our faith, as James 2:18 explains: 

“But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”

Intersecting Faith & Life: 
We don’t have to wait until the end-of-life, to understand how earthly treasures won’t last forever. Rather, we can purposely look to storing up heavenly treasures through our good works, generosity, and sharing what we have in the world with others.

Understanding the Fear of the Lord ..Lynette Kittle

 Understanding the Fear of the Lord

by Lynette Kittle

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” - Proverbs 9:10

Growing up, I had a healthy respect or as some might describe “fear” of my parents. Not that I grew up fearing them but rather knew they deeply loved me and had certain guidelines they wanted me to follow.

As a kid, I didn’t really understand how their standards were for my good, and in my best interest to keep me safe and help me grow up healthy. In my childish thinking, it just seemed like they were trying to keep me from having fun and getting my own way.

Likewise, it’s difficult for many individuals to understand what it means to “fear the Lord.” Scripture may seem like it’s contradicting itself by telling you to fear God ( Proverbs 24:21), yet assuring you that God has not given you a spirit of fear ( 2 Timothy 1:7).

So what does it mean to fear the Lord and how is it different from being fearful of Him? Proverbs 8:13 describes it this way, “To fear the Lord is to hate evil.”

Hating evil means you detest and stay away from the things God hates, and choose to love and follow after the things He loves.

So how is it possible to distinguish between what God hates and what He loves? Begin by studying Scripture. Through reading it you’ll gain understanding to help you differentiate between the two because if you don’t know what is true, you won’t be able to tell what isn’t true.

Knowing God’s Word is foundational in being able to recognize what is false. Proverbs 16:6 states, ”Through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided.”

Do you know Christians who have seemed to be led astray? If so, it’s probably because they haven’t grown in their knowledge of God’s Word and aren’t able to distinguish between good and evil.

Romans 1:21 states how easy it is for individuals to be led astray stating, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Hebrews 5:12 explains how many by now ought to be able to teach the Word to others, but instead they need someone to teach the elementary truths of it all over again to them. To grow in understanding, Hebrews 5:14 describes how “solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

If you’re looking to grow in your knowledge and relationship with God, don’t be afraid of the Lord but fear Him. When you do, you will bring wisdom and understanding to your life ( Proverbs 9:10).

A Prayer to Be Patient with One Another..Jessica Van Roekel

 A Prayer to Be Patient with One Another

By Jessica Van Roekel

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Raising kids is not for the faint of heart. It requires courage, commitment, and a strong dose of patience. I recall a wise, older woman encouraging me through advice and insight. I knew her grown daughters and was so impressed by who they were, so I eagerly leaned into what she had to say. Her advice impacted how I parented. She said we, as people, have natural bents that lean toward uncivilized behavior, and we need to learn how to live civilly with others.

One of my daughters was an easygoing child and seemed naturally kind and patient, but she had a limit to what she tolerated from her siblings. Once she reached her threshold of tolerance, she reacted by biting. My duty and responsibility were to tell her to stop biting and to teach her how to handle her big emotions. She needed to know what was not acceptable behavior but also what to aim for through modeling and practice.

This section in 1 Corinthians describes love as an activity, not just feelings, emotions, and motivations. We are like little children to God, and he gives us a blueprint of how to live for him. I like to call it “growing up” in him. Children don’t know how to wait for something unless they’re taught. They don’t know how to let someone go ahead of them unless it’s modeled for them. We need to teach them kindness and gentleness, and we need to keep practicing them, too. Verses like these in 1 Corinthians give us a plan to follow, and God models it for us.

The various aspects of love described here characterize God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To become more like Jesus, we must aim to grow in this kind of love. Throughout the Bible, we see these traits demonstrated, and then as we walk with God, we see him showing them to us. While these verses might seem like an impossible ideal, they become a guiding light in our responses toward other people.

Humankind has repeatedly turned away from him, yet God is patient. We see this from the Garden of Eden to the Flood, the desert, and the present day. Yet, he persisted in his plan to restore his relationship with us, his created beings, through the death and resurrection of Jesus. We find his heartbeat in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whosoever would believe in him, would not perish, but have everlasting life.”

After we turn from our sinful ways and make him Lord, he patiently walks us through the maturing process. Each day is a gift from him to learn to be more like his Son, Jesus. Oh, how he loves us. He pursues us and calls us his own. He affirms us and encourages us. At the same time, he leads us in the right ways of living.

We can cooperate with or fight him every step of the way. I loved watching the personalities of my four children develop. Some were easy to teach the right behavior and attitudes to. Others fought me at every step. God used the teaching and training of my kids to teach me patience. I needed to model patience and kindness for them, but the exhaustion of four children under eight meant I failed many times.

When we fail to live up to the definition of love, which the Apostle Paul explains so beautifully in this passage, we have this amazing opportunity to experience God’s patience with us again. God doesn’t condemn us for our failures, but through our repentance, he encourages us not to give up. We have a heavenly Father who shows unending patience toward us, and we can let this experience help us extend the same patience to others.

Let’s pray:
Holy God,
I know I blew it. I lost my temper and responded in an unkind, impatient way. I’m so sorry. Will you please forgive me? I can come to you with my weaknesses and know you will make way for me to get back up again and walk in your way. Thank you, Lord! I’m so grateful you are so patient with me. Help me remember this when I feel impatience rising within my heart and empower me to choose a patient response. In Jesus’ name, Amen.