7/25/2019 Wavering Faith text

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Practical Lessons for Understanding the Word of God

KEY PASSAGE: James 1:1-8 | SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE: Malachi 3:10 | Matthew 6:25 | Mark 11:22-26

Philippians 4:7, 19 | 1 John 1:9

SERMON NOTES | SN11090

Wavering Faith

SUMMARY

Faith is key to everything in the life of a

believer.

Whatever we become and achieve in life is

determined by our ability to trust God. Every

person, even a non-believer, demonstrates a degree

of faith. It is only when we believe in Jesus Christ

and are confident that God will do as He promised

that our lives can be transformed.

This wholehearted reliance upon the Lord

becomes especially important as we walk through

difficulties and trials. When we are certain of the

Fathers presence, power, and provision, we can

face any situation with hope and assurance. As Paul

wrote in Philippians 4:7, The peace of God, which

surpasses all comprehension, will guard your heartsand your minds in Christ Jesus.

SERMON POINTS

Why Our Faith Wavers

Sadly, there are many people who struggle with faith

throughout their lives. They wonder why God doesnt

do more in and through them. Yet when we examine

what governs them and how they relate to the Lord,

we see they are unstable in their faith. They do not

fully trust God in some area and are sometimes

inconsistent in pursuing a relationship with Him. For

us to avoid exhibiting a similar wavering faith, we

must consider the factors that can make us stumble.

nWhen trusting God is in conflict with human

reason, we will be tempted to doubt. At times, the

Father may instruct us to do something that seems

illogical. However, we must always remember that

our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God is not

limited by the natural laws that guide our reason.

nWe will waver in our faith when we allow our

feelings to rule us. We may think ourselves

unworthy of Gods favor and blessings. We may

also fear the consequences of doing as He says.

However, the Father expects us to obey Him andtrust His love regardless of our emotions.

nWhen we fail to see God at work in our

circumstances, we may stagger in our faith.

The Lord does not always demonstrate how He is

working in our situations, but we must trust Him

even when we dont see His activity.

nNegative counsel from others can often cause us

to doubt. No one knows what is best for you as the

Father does, and no one knows Gods will for your

life better than you do. So be careful when listening

to others advice.

nWhen we focus on the circumstances rather

than God, our faith may waver. Concentrating

on our difficulties is a sure way to make them

more daunting than they actually are. Instead, we

must place our attention on the One who is always

infinitely bigger and more powerful than our

problems.

nAs long as we are ignorant of Gods ways, our

faith will continue to stagger. The Lord always

operates on the basis of principles. Therefore, the

more we understand how He works, the better we

will relate to Him.

nOur feelings of guilt about past sins may also

impede us from fully trusting the Lord. Sin short-

circuits our faithdestroying our relationship with

the Father. We must accept His promise to forgive

us completely and realize our pardon is not based

on our worthiness, but Christs sacrifice on the cross.

Sermon Notes

7/25/2019 Wavering Faith text

2/2SERMON NOTES | SN110904

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nOur faith will waver when we listen to the

enemys lies. The devil will try to separate us from

God, steal our peace, and trap us in sin. Dont listen

to himhe only leads people to destruction.

The Consequences of Wavering Faith

Unfortunately, when we nurse our unbelief, we leaveourselves open to terrible consequences. We are in

danger of:

nBeing double-minded.

nBecoming unstable in our ways.

nMissing the blessings of God.

nHaving our faith destroyed.

nMisleading others about Gods character.

nLosing our influence.

nWeakening our testimonies.

nMaking wrong decisions.

nForfeiting our peace.

nCommitting costly mistakes.

nBeing discouraged in prayer.

Overcoming Wavering Faith

So how do we overcome our unbelief and steady our

faith? How do we conquer our doubts when they arise?

nFirst, we must stop and ask ourselves the

following questions:

1. Where are these doubts coming from?

2. Has God been faithful to me in the past?

3. Didnt the Lord promise to meet my needs?

4. Dont I have the help of the Holy Spirit?

5. Isnt the Father with me at all times?

6. Is anything too hard for God?

7. Is my focus on the Lord as it should be?

8. Could my unbelief in this situation cost me a

lifetime of regret?

nSecond, we must meditate upon the Word of God .The Lord speaks to us in many ways, but one of the

primary avenues is through His Word. Therefore,

we should study Scripture each day, deliberately

considering how He may be instructing us through

each passage and applying His principles to

our lives. The Father knows you are seeking His

direction and assurance, so trust Him to speak to

your heart, answer your questions, clarify your path,

and comfort your soul.

nThird, we must recall times when God faithfully

answered our prayers. This is one of the reasons

it is always a good idea to write what the Fatheris showing you in the margin of your Bibleit

becomes a biography of how He has worked in your

life. Then you can recall His absolute faithfulness

and trust Him to lead you when troubles arise.

nFourth, courageously choose to obey God and

leave all the consequences to Him. There will

certainly be times when it takes a great deal of

faith to obey God. But when you are walking in an

intimate relationship with Him, He will give you the

confidence to take the leap. You will never regret

stepping out in faith with Him.

RESPONSEWhen you live without faith in God, you are limited

by your own strength and must endure difficulties

without His awesome ability to help you. It is a

terrible way to live and is certainly not what the

Father wants for you.

The Lord desires to show you His grace, love, and

generosity, but your unbelief is hindering you from

experiencing it. Dont continue in your waveringfaith. Trust God with every detail of your life and

make your relationship with Him your first priority.

Be confident in His presence, power, and provision,

and His peace will fill your heart.

nWhat event/situation/person has caused your faith

to waver? If you overcame that doubt, how did

you do it? If you are still struggling, whose godly,

biblical wisdom can you seek?

nDo you believe what you read in 1 John 1:9?

What benefits can you envision to reading and

memorizing this Scripture?

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