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[Radical] FAITH: DEVELOPING REAL FAITH IN GOD

Lesson Objective: To discuss some practical ways to develop and build strong faith in God and share personal experiences in growing faith through life situations In the general sense of the word, to have faith is to believe in something or someone, to fully trust, to be so confident that you base your actions on what you believe. To have faith is to be fully convinced of the truthfulness and reliability of that in which you believe. Faith in God then, is having the kind of trust and confidence in God and in Christ that leads us to commit our whole soul to Him as our Saviour and Lord. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

(Hebrews 11:1 - NKLV) In the biblical sense of the word, Faith is a spiritual substance. When you have this spiritual substance in you, it communicates to you a certain inner knowing that the thing you are hoping for is certainly established, even before you see any material evidence that it has happened. Faith in God is also a spiritual force and a response to God's Word, His truth and character, which moves God to act (Mark 11:23). Words mixed with the real, pure faith in God can and will move mountains or any other problem that we face! Living faith always has corresponding actions. We talk what we really believe, and we act according to what we really believe. The heroes of faith like Job, Abraham and many others were considered men of faith because they acted on what God showed them. They acted on their faith. (Hebrews 11:17-38, James 2:21-23). To live in faith means to do and say what you believe is right, without doubting. Today we will discuss on how we can practically develop real faith in God in our lives. How to Develop Faith in God: The challenge facing each of us as Christians is, how do we build and develop real faith? What is involved? This is nothing new and is not limited to our present age. Even in the first century as Christ was beginning His church, “…the apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith’” (Luke 17:5). They knew they needed more faith and they asked for guidance. Peter later writes that we must give diligent effort to increase and add to our faith (2 Peter 11:5–11). But what can we do to see that happen in our lives? Consider the following scriptural verses and discuss some practical ways to develop our faith in God. 1. Read James 1:5 & Matthew 7:7–12

James offers the same advice for us to Ask God for more faith! Jesus instructed His disciples to ask, seek and to knock. This is why the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith. We can do the same. Pray earnestly about this.

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2. Read Romans 10:17, Proverbs 4:20-22 & Proverbs 13:20

Romans 10:17 explains that faith is given when we take time to listen to the Word of God as much as possible. Constant attention to the Word of God produces faith, especially if we attend to it with an open heart and mind. The book of Proverbs also encourages us to constantly keep the Word in our hearts and to keep our attention on it (Proverbs 4:20-22). Health is one of the benefits promised. What we listen to affects what we believe. If we listen to the TV more than to the Word, we will believe the lies of the world more than we will believe what God says. Constant attention to lies produces deception. Eventually the mind will accept something if that thing is heard often enough and persuasively enough. That is why we should keep hearing the Word of God, through preaching, (good) sermons on podcast and confession of the Word. This will cause us eventually to believe the truth from our hearts. Daily fellowship with other Godly Christians and spending quality time with people of faith can help strengthen our faith in God. The spirit of faith on them will touch our life as well (Proverbs 13:20).

3. Read James 1:2-4, Job 23:10 & Romans 5:3-5

Endure trials, difficulties and hardships that will arise as you strive to live by every word of God. Enduring and overcoming the trials will help us build both faith and patience. It has been said, “If we desire to increase faith we must consent to its testing”. Remember that God has promised to get us through the trials (1 Corinthians 10:13) and the trials He allows are for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28).

• Share with your group some of the difficult experiences you have ever endured and

how faith in God helped you overcome them.