What about ‘trust?’ Name some things you trust. (Write them on the board)

When you think of someone that had great faith in the Bible, who would that be? (List)

Stephen/Paul/David/Abraham/Daniel/3 Hebrew boys

1-So what is FAITH?

It’s a fruit. AND it’s a gift. AND it’s…a substance… (Gal. 5; 1 Cor. 12)

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

“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

[framed=katartizo: completed, sounded, ’mended’]

“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” “For He spoke and it was done; He commanded, and it stood still.” Psalms 33:6, 9

By the SPOKEN word of God (Dabar)

By the breath of His mouth (ruak/ruach:breath,wind,Spirit)

2-Where does faith come from? 

“For by grace are you saved through faith: and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…” Eph. 2:8

grace=‘charis’ ‘undeserved mercy because of God’s goodness’’

saved=‘sodzo’ ‘to save; make whole; heal; be whole’

faith=‘pistis’ ‘belief; trust; conviction of the truth’

gift=‘doron’ ‘present’

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Highlighting here ‘those that received Him’…denoting an actionable response by that individual, as they receive the information and believe it to be true…thus, changing their eternal destiny and DNA.

This is NOT something GOD does FOR them, it is something we do as we hear the Gospel.

“…for God has given to every man a measure of faith.” Romans 12:3

-God has given us the ability to believe.

-But all don’t choose to believe in God, they choose to believe in other things

3-How does one get faith?

“The entrance of Your words gives light, it gives understanding to the simple.” Ps 119:130

The Word of God is the food of faith. 

“It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Matthew 4:4

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17

Faith begins where the Will of God is known. His Word is His revealed Will. His heart is found in His Word.