SESSION NOTES:

We had a great workout today. Weather was fantastic.

WOD:

Absolute Faith

If you live your life believing in God and believe that His will is guiding your life then I think its a good reminder for us to know that God alone is in charge. There’s no part-time to his involvement in your life. He is your security and He’s absolutely sovereign over everything. Every aspect of your life – every breath, every moment.

I say that because its easy to start thinking, especially in times of great pain or the trials that we go through that he’s forgotten about us or He’s off doing something else. Maybe he’s doing his laundry or just busy with the 8 billion other people on this planet How many times have we said:

“Where are you God?”

There’s a passage in Luke that comes to mind when I ask myself that:

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6-7)

That verse from the gospel says it perfectly and I hope you can find comfort in that verse, because it is true. God has never been out of control of your life for even a fraction of a second. Since the day you were born. In fact, he’s never been out of control over his creation since the beginning of time. Again;

He’s never been out of control over his creation since the beginning of time.

The key to believing this truth begins with faith.

But why is faith so hard?

Faith is difficult because we have an expectation of what we want God to do for us rather than trusting in what God is going to do for us Does that make sense?

When we don’t get what we want, or its taking too long, we have a crisis in faith.

I struggle with this often. Knowing that God is going to do for me more than I could ever imagine, yet I am still lacking in faith and still have so far to go…

We all do though. We all strive to be better believers, to trust God with all our heart, to have absolute faith.

I’m not ashamed to admit that. I can imagine what absolute faith looks like in my life but at this stage I struggle to live in it.

The reason for that I’ve found, is because faith is a PROCESS. I use that word a lot in my sermons because it applies to so much of our spiritual life. Faith is something you BUILD. Its something you have to work on everyday. Pastor JT refers to it as doing your spiritual pushups – I think that’s a good analogy. You can’t expect to just drop down and do 100 pushups. You’ve got work your butt off for it, day in and day out, and trust me, its gonna hurt in the process.

Well, that’s how faith works..

Its a PROCESS of building & believing, and trusting & accepting that no matter what, God’s will is absolute in your life. Every day is one step closer. Sometimes its a couple steps forward, sometimes a few backwards, but always forward towards that goal.

So what does this absolute faith look like? In my mind this is what I think of:

Absolute faith is the kind of faith that rejects all doubt, contradictions, and uncertainty and refuses to acknowledge any other reality than what God has spoken.

Absolute faith is not knowing what God’s going to do yet trusting Him completely.

Absolute faith is accepting that God will always answer your prayers according to His will and not necessarily yours.

Absolute faith is hanging in there, even when it seems all hope is lost.

John the Baptist is who comes to mind for me when I think of absolute faith – He trusted in God up to and including the point he gave his life for his faith in God. Jesus did the same. So did Andrew. And Bartholomew. And James. And Peter. And Paul. And Phillip. And Thomas. All of them gave their lives because of their absolute faith. Its very humbling to reflect on having faith that strong isn’t it..?

The benefit of absolute faith is when we exercise it, we choose to remove any obstacles that prevent God’s saving grace and power from working in our lives and situation, whatever it is. We also receive the comfort and security of God’s Holy Spirit descending upon us.

Absolute faith is also the gateway to peace in your life!

Just that alone makes it worth every penny.

After I wrote this sermon, I went for a bike ride down to the park and did what I usually do, take out my bible and open it randomly to whatever page / chapter it happened to fall open to. If you’ve never done this before I highly recommend it. I can’t explain why but just know that oftentimes God will speak to you in that moment regarding whatever is on your heart. Anyway, the bible fell open to Acts chapter 3. The story in this chapter illustrates absolute faith perfectly. This is what absolute faith is capable of. Thank you God for this.

The Lame Man Healed

Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.

And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.

And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

That’s what its about. That’s what absolute faith can do.

I’ll leave us today with this prayer:

Thank You, Father, for Your grace, mercy, and your Spirits intervention in every situation. Help us, Lord, to look continually to You rather than lean on our own wisdom or abilities. Teach us to listen and to hear, and to be obedient when You speak, even when – and especially when – it doesn’t seem to make any sense. Stir up a love in our hearts for others. Make us willing vessels for absolute faith so that Your will may be done and others reached and blessed in the work of Your kingdom.