What is Faith?

Tonight I want to talk about faith. You hear people say it all the time. Oh you just gotta have faith. Just have faith. It’s almost like its just one of those things we say when we don’t know what else to say. First thing is lets look at the dictionary definition of faith:

complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

Now how many of us have complete trust in someone. I mean absolute total they’ve never disappointed you, never let you down. That’s a hard thing right.

Here is what the Bible says about faith:

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

Now this is still kinda fuzzy until we understand where faith comes from.

Faith is a gift from God.

Romans 12:3

3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.

New Living Translation Chapter 12

3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.

Notice he says there by the faith God has given us. It’s a gift so we can’t assume or boast about having earned it or had it all along. It is A GIFT!!!

Now what do we do with this gift? How many of you ever got a really cool gift? What did you do with it? Did you put it up and never use it? Or did you use it to the point that it was almost 24/7?

That’s what we need to do with the gift of FAITH. USE IT. Exercise it. Pray for more.

Luke 11:9-13

9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

11 “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Keep on asking for just a little bit of faith. Going gets tough little bit of faith. Scared about something. Little bit of faith. Worried…little bit of faith. Neglected…little bit of faith. Need more from God…little bit of faith.

Why am I saying a little bit of faith. Because it just takes a little bit. Check this out.

Matthew 17:19-21

New Living Translation Chapter 17

19 Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”

20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

New Living Translation Chapter 17

19 Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”

20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

You want to move that mountain in your life…A LITTLE BIT OF FAITH. A mustard seed tiny as can be can move a mountain.

The thing is we often pray like this God I don’t know if you can do this or that but if you can....That’s not faith. What that is called is hedging our bets. We are playing both sides when we pray like that. Because I used to be such a pessimist that is how I would pray. That way I wouldn’t be let down by whatever happened. I would say things like well I guess God didn’t want to do that.

The thing is I didn’t pray with any faith at all. Here is maybe how I should have prayed. God I know you can move this mountain. I need help. I need the faith to allow you to do it in your way and in your time. I need your help and I know that you will answer my prayers.

Sometimes it takes faith to ask for more faith.

And sometimes we have to take the truth of God’s word into account. Check out what Paul says in .

By Faith

11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

New Living Translation Chapter 3

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think

Now how many of you have things in your lives, your schools, and your communities that you need God to change. You need Him to move on your behalf. You need Him to shift some things around or you need Him to move a mountain.