How To Know If You Have Enough Faith

How much faith do we need to have for it to be “enough” in God’s eyes? 

What do we need to understand and believe? 

Is there a specific body of truth statements or a theological construct we must grasp and affirm?

When Jesus spoke to people He often used images, metaphors and similes.  He spoke of intensity and commitment.  He said people needed to love Him more than their parents and more than their children.  He said they needed to be willing to die for Him to be worthy of Him. (Matthew 10:37-38) 

Worthiness here is not a matter of performance or accomplishment, but of treasure and focus.  We must prize the Kingdom and focus on (prioritize) our relationship with Jesus above and beyond anything or anyone else.  Jesus used strong, direct and bold language - to make a clear, undeniable point:  The priority of Jesus and the Kingdom is everything.

The question isn’t how much faith you have, it’s about how...

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Helping One Another Align With God

Do you walk through life with your head held lower than is needed?  Are you hindered or tangled up by accusations, misunderstandings and/or sin? Have you somehow come to believe that this marred, somewhat hopeless life must be all that God has for you? Deep down – often deeper than you'd like to go – do you feel harassed and helpless?

It might be that you have tried to address your “stuff.”  Possibly you’ve acknowledged your need and/or errors to God, and even tried your best to change and walk in a better direction.  Yet, somehow, you keep finding yourself back in the mud.  The enemy may taunt you with Scripture, saying, “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.” (Proverbs 26:11)

Often the way out of bondage is simple, but a little scary.  We may need to involve others in the process.  James encourages us to "confess our sins to each other and pray for each other so that we may be healed. The...

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Are You Waiting Well?

Do you have anything for which you are hoping or that you are hoping to accomplish in the future?  The waiting can be brutally difficult – particularly if you haven’t practiced waiting and built your capacity to wait.  Waiting is not an American value. We want things … and we want them soon!  However, Scripture indicates that waiting is one of the ways God builds faith and hope in our lives. “Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” (Romans 8:25) Learning to wait patiently builds character and faith. Those who wait, hoping in the Lord will renew their strength. (Isaiah 40:31)

The challenge is not to lose heart while waiting. Sometimes waiting can take its toll on our emotions and bodies. It can even work deep despair into our souls.  “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” (Proverbs 13:12)

Zechariah was a priest two thousand years ago. He had been praying...

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Are You Building Your Muscle?

Many people want to be healthier and in better shape.  Today the number of popular diet program options is mind boggling.  Keto.  Paleo.  Intermittent Fasting.  Cleanses.  Mediterranean, just to name a few.

Do you, too, want to get in better shape?  If so, I have one question that I must ask; do you want a short-term or a long-term solution?

Many people want to look nice for an upcoming event or reunion, but fewer seek to sustain a life change that will make a difference for the long haul. Do you want to cut excess sugar for the next 10-20 years, or is this a short-term fancy? Are you willing to keep at your exercise plan for years and years, or is it related to some short-term goal?

Sometimes people address their faith-life in a similar way. They want to get in “spiritual shape;” they are hoping it will happen by magic, and they put their hope in a “crash-diet” of Sunday sermons and crisis prayers. Many of us hope that we...

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