5 Things God Uses to Grow Your Faith

Five Things God Uses to Grow Your Faith

1. Practical Teaching
2. Providential Relationships
3. Private Disciplines
4. Personal Ministry
5. Pivotal Circumstances

Personal Ministry

In the New Testament individuals are invited to connect with God…through faith. That’s cool because in the Old Testament theme was man separated from God, because man didn’t trust God. Jesus repaired that separation in the same way…building and healing relationships through trust.

“Growing” relationship…increasing trust/faith/confidence. We’ve all met people who trust in God through good and bad.

Personal Ministry…discovering a need that served and benefited others. We didn’t feel prepared to do it, but you were drawn to it. God was nudging us to do it. Some of us might be in the middle of that tug of war.

The main issue isn’t that these people need someone to serve them. Perhaps more importantly God is wanting to stretch our faith muscles by serving.

Matthew 14:13 – 32

Jesus tells his disciples “you give them something to eat!” The main issue is getting outside our comfort zone. Jesus then said ”Bring it to me…give me what you’ve got”

19. The disciples were handed the bread and fish…what do we do now? (eat it?) Hand it out? I can do that! The issue is that God wants to do something through you.

If you look at every amazing ministry story, each time it was someone who had to trust God to use them. In the process their faith muscles grew.

20. After the 5000 ate, the disciples knew it was a God thing. It all happened to teach the disciples, to grow their faith.

Taking faith to the next level.

22. Jesus dismissed the crowd, went off to pray.

24. The disciples were growing, but the boat wasn’t making any progress.

25. Jesus walked out in the lake. The guys who wrote about this made themselves look bad, like a fool. Why would they have done this if it wasn’t true? It gives credibility that that the disciples were cowards.

25. Jesus tells them to not be afraid. Peter has an insight and begins to understand…whenever Jesus invites me to do something beyond my capability, if I do what I know how to do (get out of the boat and walk) then God will do the rest (walk on water).

30. When Peter saw the wind, he was reminded of what he couldn’t do, and he began to sink. Jesus was telling him “you were so close!”

Starting point leaders, 7^th grade teachers…they were all cowards as well. Now they give God the credit. Where is God nudging you? This is the one where you have a role to play…you have to take a step.

Would you be willing to do what you can do & trust God for what only he can do? It will grow your faith like crazy!