Doctrine: Faith (John 1:19-51)

VCA: PRAYER

One way we can come alongside one another as a leadership is by praying for each other. The truth is- all of us need prayer for something- all the time.

So- to build relationship with each other and to come alongside one another with our burdens- each week we want you to write 1 a short prayer request on a post it note along with your name and bring it to LM.

Then, before we pray- we will swap post it’s with each other.

Some weeks we will have 1-2 minutes to go deeper, and sometimes- we will have to switch fast and then you can check in with that leader later through slack or after LM.

One group did this last year and at the end of the year, one woman had all the prayer requests from her group she had prayed for sticking in the back of her lesson book!

So many of those prayers had been answered and was a reminder of God’s faithfulness and the power of prayer.

So- we will exchange these soon…but first. let’s jump into our doctrine talk on FAITH...

DOCTRINE:

Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust...

That is the motto for Tinker Bell and her friends.

Their faith…is in themselves…and their ability…they just need to believe enough in themselves then all their endeavors will succeed- well- as long as they also have a little pixie dust to go with it.

On one hand, we laugh- We know that pixie dust has no powers and that no amount of faith in ourselves will cause us to fly.

However- how often does our world function this way...

Just believe in YOU…YOU can do it! YOU are awesome... you is all you need.

The truth is- faith IS person oriented.

But the person who we need faith in- is not ourselves- it’s Christ.

Many equate faith with a sense that everything will work out for the best.

But, The Bible gives a deeper, richer understanding of true faith.

So what does it mean to have true, Biblical faith?:

The simplest definition of faith is believing God and acting upon that belief.

Faith is about belief

In the gospel of John- the word faith is used....zero times...

So why are we talking about this week.

Well- because while the word FAITH is not used directly…it is visible- we see the faith of John and Jesus’ first disciples in our passage this week.

We hear their FAITH in their words…and we see it in their actions.

In his gospel account, John chooses to use the word BELIEVE, not faith.- In fact, the word believe is used 98x’s throughout his gospel.

Because FAITH comes from believing.

1st you believe…then you act. in faith.

Over and over this week we see Jesus’ disciples ACTING in faith as they respond to who Jesus is.

John the Baptist BELIEVES Jesus is God...so in faith he points others to Him.

Andrew BELIEVED Jesus was the Lamb of God and IN FAITH responded to Jesus’ invitation to “Come and See”

Philip BELIEVED Jesus was the one Moses wrote about so IN FAITH he told Nathanael.

Biblical faith—the faith that results in salvation- is broken down by scholars into 3 components: – Content: Specific truth God has revealed that must be believed—the gospel and Christ’s saving work – Conviction: Personal trust in Christ for salvation – Commitment: Willingness to repent of sin and follow Christ...

By faith we trust the promises in God’s Word with certainty.

By faith we know God’s purposes will prevail.

By faith we REST on what we do understand.

How does your life reflect the faith you have in Jesus?

It only takes faith the size of a mustard seed to have saving faith in Christ.

But through the years- the more we walk with God- the bigger and stronger our faith becomes. – How is your faith impacting the way you approach your biggest challenge or greatest joy today? - How does your FAITH in Christ empower you to carry out your role at BSF each week? Remember- He is the object of our faith…not you…not your abilities- it’s his equipping..his power…his message…everything points to Him because it is all about Him.

Ladies….what our God has declared and promised in His Word is truer than what our circumstances or emotions are currently telling us...

Because of WHO are faith is in- we can walk by faith- knowing God’s got us and the whole world in his hands. Praise God it is not dependent on US…but on Him...

So now, let’s share our requests with each other and then-by faith- go to the LORD in prayer… Share a QUICK personal request with the person next to you- and we will pray together in just a minute.

9:40- Adoration-

9:42- Thanksgiving

Supplication- we will now move to supplication, so in groups of 3-4

9:44-BSF Global

- HQ- Consider the BSF Board of Directors and pray that the Holy Spirit will guide and inspire each member of this group as they continue to make essential decisions for BSF. - International- for BSF members in Taiwan as they start the study of John - AT-

9:45- BSF Local

- Teacher- (Megan) Holy Spirit guided words and prep time; and that ultimately God would be magnified through every word spoken - Leadership- God would provide and reveal new PSCL's and a new GL so women and children waiting can have a place in our class - Serving Sisters- Allison O'Connor - Prison/Rehab women's group- that any barriers to women studying God's word would be lifted - Host Church- Pastor Palmer as he addresses class Wednesday before lecture - Local BSF Classes- For volunteers for LM and class day for ALL classes in the area so leaders can be trained and God's word can reach the next generation

9:46- ADMIN & AL's

9:47- BSF KIDS/PSCL's

9:48- BSF STUDENTS/SPCL's

9:49- Groups/GL's

9:50- Close

FELLOWSHIP:

Color Groups:

Sitting in color groups- you will be in discussion group with these women every week- all year

Each week you are combined with another color group.

Today we are going to get to know each other on a deeper level within our color groups so will be spending our fellowship time here.

I will never forget the first time I met my neighbor a couple of years ago. I had taken my daughter down to her house for a playdate and was feeling nervous because I had never met this Mom before and didn’t know anything about her. But when I met her- she oozed Jesus in the best way possible. Multiple times in our very first conversation she referenced the way she had experienced God just that day. In everything from a hard situation with her kids to a conversation she had with Him while doing the dishes. I doubt she even remembers it because it is just a part of who she is.

I left my daughter there that day to play her friend with complete peace that she knew Jesus. and you know what I did...

I called my mom to tell her about the woman I just met and how I had experienced Jesus through her.

Because when you experience Jesus- you want to talk about it- to tell everyone how great He is!

When have you experienced Jesus recently?

Did he speak to you through His word?

Did he show up in a way you didn’t expect?

Did he take care of a situation for you or provide you peace or comfort in a situation that did not make sense?

You do NOT need to be a Bible scholar to point people to Jesus.

You can’t change a person’s heart…but you can invite them to church with you…or better yet-pick them up for church…invite them into your home…..share a meal…talk about Him…let them see you in your mundane moments…let them see you mess up and apologize and let them see you walk in freedom and grace only found in Jesus...

Is there something in your life that does NOT point to Jesus that God might be asking you to let go of- So that you can be a witness and point others to Him?

Many people pointed me to Jesus over the years, but the 1st time I remember experiencing Him very clearly was in 1st grade.

I was sitting on the carpet and my teacher was in a wooden rocking chair. I can to this day tell you where in the room the carpet was located and where her chair was. It was close to Easter and she was telling the story of Jesus on the cross. It wasn’t a new story to me, in fact- I grew up in BSF and church and my parents shared the gospel with me frequently- I had heard this many times- but when she gave the invitation for us to Come to know Jesus personally- at that moment- I said yes…and my life has never been the same.

For those in this room that know Jesus- we all have different experiences with Him. Our God is so personal and he writes each of our stories in a unique way to continually point people to Him. No story is insignificant or lame. No story is better than another. Every story matters because YOU matter so much that God went out of his way to write a story just for you-

He wants you to use that story to point others to Him.

At the end of vs 39.…we get this random detail: it was about 4 in the afternoon.

When we experience something significant- like experiencing Jesus for the first time- we often remember the most random details- like the time of day, or what we were wearing.