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LESSON FOUR:

Faith: God Connects

We’ve been talking about your starting point in faith. But what is faith? How can you tell if you have any? How do you know if you have enough?

Faith always has an object. It has to lean up against something.

Section 1 - What is faith?

A. Faith’s definition

Mark 4:37-40 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

Faith is _____________ in Jesus.

Faith: Confidence that God is who he says ______ is and that he will do everything _____ has promised to do.

John 1:12 “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

The initiation of faith is to ____________

Jesus, that is, to ____________ (trust) in

him.

Lesson 4 - Faith: God Connects

We’ve been talking about your starting point in faith. But what is faith? How can you tell if you have any? How do you know if you

have enough?

B. Faith changes your life and your eternity.

John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

Whoever has faith has ___________

________. Whoever rejects Jesus will

receive God's _____________.

Romans 3:21-22 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

Section 2 - How do we get faith?

A. Faith is a gift that God gives.

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works so that no one can boast.

Faith is a _________ of God.

Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Faith comes from ____________ the gospel.

Faith always has an object. It has to lean up against something.

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John 6:5-11 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" 10 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.

4. Personal ______________.

1 Peter 1:6-7 You may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith-- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

5. ______________ life circumstances

Section 3 - How does faith grow BIG?

A. Amazing Jesus

Mark 6:5-6 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their lack of faith.

Luke 7:6-9 He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." 9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel."

The only things that amazed Jesus

were _________ of faith and a really

________ faith.

B. How faith grows big

James 1:22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-- he will be blessed in what he does.

1. _____________ Bible teaching.

Proverbs 13:20 He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

2. Healthy Christian _____________.

Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

3. Private spiritual ______________.

When Jesus heard this,

he was amazed at him,

and turning to the crowd

following him, he said, "I

tell you, I have not found

such great faith even in

Israel." - Luke 7:9

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Questions

1. What are some common ways that people try to justify their existence? _____________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. If you try to look inside of you to prove your faith, what is the result? Why can’t we look within ourselves to

prove faith? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. How would you explain faith to someone? How is Christian faith different than “faith” in general?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Even a small faith in Jesus saves. Why do you want a big faith? _____________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Conclusion

Luke 17:3-10 So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." 5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6 He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. 7 "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? 8 Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? 9 Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"

Faith is confidence that God is who

he says he is and that he will do

everything he has promed to do.