One dictionary defines hope as this: “To wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment.” Everybody needs hope. It helps to sustain us when our heart becomes overwhelmed. This is true for Christians and for unbelievers. Functionally, Christian hope and worldly hope are the same. They …
Hebrews, chapter 11, mentions some great men and women of faith. This chapter cites some of the great things they did—by or through faith. These men and women are excellent examples of the transforming power of faith. Many people confuse merely believing with having faith in …
In the second chapter of Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth, he said he came to them as if he knew nothing other than Christ and Him crucified. “And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling” (1 Cor. …
Some time ago, I attended a high school football game. It was homecoming night for one of the teams. That team won the game 45-00! Needless to say, the winning team had much to celebrate. During the final minutes of the game, I thought about the …
“But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail…,” Jesus said to Peter (Luke 22:32, NASB). That’s an interesting statement. What does Jesus mean by that? Certainly, He would not pray to prevent an occurrence that could not happen anyway. So, what He …
“Everything is possible for him who believes,” Jesus said (Mark 9:23, NIV). Think about how powerful this verse is. It opens up a world of possibilities to those who believe. Literally, nothing is impossible to those who believe. Those words of Jesus have transformed my life. …
I know what it means to have your faith tested. I don’t mean for a short while, but relentlessly for a period of several years. During that time, I was a pastor, preaching to my congregation about God’s faithfulness. But personally, I wasn’t feeling it. Perhaps, …
“You just need to have faith in God.” Has anybody ever said that to you? Or have you ever said that to someone else? Sometimes, it may be appropriate to say that. At other times, it’s merely a religious cliché. Or, perhaps it’s a sign of …
Regarding our requests to God James writes, “But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6, NASB). This means that when we pray to God, we …
“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3, KJV). When you think about it, this is a profound verse. If it is through faith …
