“Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13) [HCSB]
“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) [NIV]
We must model and teach that faith is …
• … believing when I don’t see it!
“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) [NIV]
• … obeying when I don’t understand it!
“It was by faith that Noah built an ark to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about something that had never happened before.” (Heb. 11:7) [NLT]
• … persisting when I don’t feel like it!
“What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.” (Hebrews 11:1) [NLT]
• … proclaiming it in order to experience it!
“It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, confidently spoke of God’s bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt. He was so sure of it that he commanded them to carry his bones with them when they left!” (Hebrews 11:22) [TLB]
“For it is by our faith that we are made right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved.” (Romans 10:10) [GNT]
• … giving when I don’t have it!
“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith.” (Hebrews 11:4) [HCSB]
“Because of their great joy … They gave even more than they could afford.” (2 Corinthians 8:2-3) [ICB]
• … thanking before I receive it!
“When you pray and ask for something, believe that you have received it and you will be given what you ask for.” (Mark 11:24) [GN]
“Jesus said, ‘Because of your faith, it will happen.’” (Matthew 9:29) [NLT]
• … trusting even if I don’t get it!
“They were all commended for their faith yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something even better …” (Hebrews 11:39-40) [NIV]
“Faith comes from hearing the Word of God …” (Romans 10:17) [KJV]