I started this conversation a couple of weeks ago. And there seems to be a really difficult discussion to comprehend even for me as I try to formulate my thoughts together.

So what is Faith? Faith is much different than hope. Faith is not knowing that everything is going to work out for the best. That is hope. Faith is having confidence in what is. Faith is knowing who God is.

For example, we do not have faith THAT God will get us through the difficult times. We have faith IN God who will get us through the difficult times. We do not have faith in circumstances, but we have faith in God. And after typing all that, I am still not convinced that I am explaining myself.

Faith can be wrapped up in three totally different beliefs

1. God is omnipotent (all-powerful). So what does this mean to you? We believe that God can do anything. He can heal cancers and bring our loved ones back to their senses. This does not mean that He will. But this does mean that He can. He can do anything.
2. God is omnipresent (everywhere and all-knowing). God knows everything. He knows more than you do. He is over all and can control all. This also means that we really need to fear (reverence) Him. Do we really believe that He is pleased with the things we watch on TV, listen to on the radio, how we treat our neighbors, and how we drive? So do we really believe that He follows us and knows everything that we are doing? Does this belief really change our lives???
3. God is righteous. God cannot allow sin to go unnoticed. We cannot approach God if there is unconfessed sin in our lives. Funny thing is, He is forgiving, but He is not obligated to forgive. We cannot sin and then demand to be forgiven. He forgives because of His mercy not because of obligation. But if our lives are filled with sin, then there must be separation between us.

Having hope in circumstances comes long after we begin to have Faith in God. Having Faith in God directs our paths; it tells us how to act and to react; it teaches us who to turn to in circumstances. Circumstances is God’s way of directing us.

For the past few years we have intermixed hope with faith. Being that Faith is the foundation, I really hope everyone clearly understands the difference. Let’s discuss this until we all understand. It has taken me more than a few weeks to clearly understand the difference.

Prism Music Publishers have a free preview of music that they are about to release. The question is, would you like to come? It’s totally free including the free dinner. All you need to do is let me know that you would like to go. I need to RSVP soon because they need to know how many to plan for. They will be handing us a ton of music, course choir members are not allowed to keep theirs. But I am planning on going if you would like to go.

When: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 (6:00 pm Dinner/ 6:45-9:00pm preview)

Where: First Baptist Church Moores Lane (have you seen their music department? Then you have to come with me just to see their stuff).

I would like for you to come with me.

The following is an email that I received from a choir member. I thought you guys might enjoy this.

As He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it. –Luke 19:41

Heartaches—everywhere you turn someone is hurting! Children are mocked at school because they don’t have the clothes most children have. A precious lady blames herself for not knowing that her husband was so unhappy that he committed suicide. Parents grieve over a rebellious son. A man tenderly cares for his wife, who has Alzheimer’s disease and doesn’t even know him. A minister resigns because of vicious lies told about him. A wife anguishes over her husband’s unfaithfulness.

These are only a few of the heartaches that have caused some people to drop out of life. Other hurting folks have gone to the opposite extreme, they stay so busy with life that they do not allow themselves to rest for fear of remember how heart breaking their life has become.

We can learn how to handle our heartaches by looking at the life of Jesus. His heart was breaking as He contemplated what would happen to Jerusalem. He let Himself cry (Luke 19:41). Then He continued the work He came to do—confronting sin, teaching the people, and instructing His disciples.

If your heart is aching, admit your hurt to yourself, to others, and to God. This will open the door to receiving the help you need from the Lord and from people who care. Then choose to get involved in life by worshiping, loving, caring, and working. As you do, your deep hurt will lessen and your joy will increase. 

God Bless!!!

Pastor Johnny Willis

Sorry guys that I haven’t blogged anything profound this week (like I have anything profound in me). I guess I’m saving some of it for the sermons.

It has been one busy week. There are a lot of things going on and a ton of more stuff to do. David and I are praying for you guys daily as the Lord begins to write the next chapter into Faith.

I am here in the office for you guys. Always feel free to call me or David at the church if you need anything. We are here for you and love being a part of Faith.

~Brian

Let’s see how fast word gets around.

Ephesians 4:1-6

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Tonight we lost our pastor whom we will miss. But he is a prison for the Lord. This is a self-enslavement act of surrender. We all have been called to be used by God and each of us have a different calling on our lives just as Bro. Ross has been called to plant a church. So what is your calling?

The most important issue is that within the church body we must stay unified in the Spirit which the Spirit gives to us through a covenant of peace. I Corinthians 13 states the same thing.

If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,^[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.

What we must always remember is that unity, peace, and love are more important that being right or wrong. It is a lot easier working through the rights and wrongs in a spirit of unity,peace, and love.

So this is a call to bond. Will you bond with me to unite together? We will not let Satan attack our church. We will stand up for one another and we will be more unified now more than ever. Well you join me?

Here is an mp3 of Ravi Zacharius describing faith. This is only 1 of 2 so check back soon for number 2

In God’s plan with man, the foundation to everything is Faith. But know the question is: What is Faith?

I was a youth minister at a church in Longview Texas. I had a young 16 year old student that was on fire for God. He felt that God was leading him to throw a huge concert in Longview (Tyler was the place to have concerts). So he and a few of his other 16 year old friends put together a huge concert including Sonic Flood (who was the top band for that year) amongst several local bands. Sonic Flood was only $7K (not bad, that’s barely gas money for these guys). To keep the story short, he sold only $200 worth of tickets. Here was a kid that had a lot of “faith” but no mountain moved. Unfortunately, his definition of faith is what I call “stupid faith”.

The Bible does not tell anyone to lay aside your brain. Of course I have done stupid things in the name of faith believing that God would take care of me. Unfortunately, it was me who wasn’t being obedient to Him.

God gave us a brain to use. This brain tells us not to golf in the middle of a lightening storm, not to jump from tall buildings, and not to drink stinky milk. And saying that God will protect us while we do these things would be “stupid faith”.

David was going to battle Goliath, but apparently he didn’t have enough faith to just carry one stone. Or maybe he wasn’t stupid enough to carry just one stone. He knew that God would win, but he knew that if he was acting for God, then he better be smart about it.

Joshua was promised to take captive the land of Israel (Josh.1) but he sent in spies to survey the land (Josh.2). Why? Because if he was going to act for God he better be smart about it.

Faith is not “asking God to move a mountain and not turning around to see if it is gone.” That is what we call hope. Faith is what occurs now. Hope is something that we have confidence to come. Our Faith in God is us believing who He is and we have hope that He will do what He said He will.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. 2 For by it our ancestors were approved.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible.

4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By this he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through this.