Charles Stanley shared ten ways to advance in our faith in
his sermon titled “In the School of Faith, Part II – Advancing in Faith”. On
the heels of our series on guiding principles, I think this is a great piece of
information to help us move forward in God’s power. I’d encourage you to follow
the link below to watch the video of him delivering the full sermon. May God
richly bless you today.
III. Ten Ways to Advance in Faith
A. Facing and
overcoming adversity and trials. God looks at each person’s life and
designs trials to achieve His purposes. God knows exactly how to strengthen you
spiritually. Also, He will use and bless you in proportion to your faith.
B. Understanding the
nature of God. The Father wants His children to know Him better. We must
comprehend that He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient as well as holy,
righteous, merciful, and kind. As you come to understand the totality of the
God who reveals Himself through His creations and Word, your faith will grow.
C. Meditating upon
His Word. The Bible is the Word of God, the very fuel of our faith. If we
want to know what God thinks, how He acts, and what He can and will do, the
Bible is the place for answers. Daily meditation on it allows the Father to reach
our minds and hearts, protect us, and provide for our needs.
D. Applying the
principles of His Word. We cannot expect to grow if we do not apply the
Bible’s principles. If we follow His will, God will enable us to succeed. He
honors our willingness to follow Him, and our faith grows because we can see
the evidence of His hand working in our lives.
E. Observing the ways
of God. At times, God allows hardships to help us learn dependence. Other
times, He is silent in order to develop patience. Also, He uses seemingly
inopportune situations or people who seem unfit for His purposes to accomplish
what He desires. Knowing all the ways in which God works will broaden your
faith.
F. Observing His work
in the lives of others. God will put certain people in our lives to
influence and challenge us. Watching their actions and hearing their
testimonies can help our faith mature.
G. Obeying the will
of God. Obeying God and leaving all the consequences to Him is the
perfection of faith. The willingness to do what He asks is the greatest example
of obedience, and it brings the ultimate blessing because it honors and pleases
God.
H. Receiving answers
to prayer. We should pray with expectation, confidence, and boldness that
our heavenly Father will provide everything we need. Much like a father who
promises to catch his child when he leaps into a pool, God wants us to trust
Him and “jump” in faith. He’ll catch us every time.
I. Worshipping God.
When we sing, whether in church or by ourselves, we are making a public profession.
We’re saying we believe in God’s power and greatness. We’re confessing what we
believe and receiving a blessing at the same time.
J. Confessing faith
failures. We can’t fool God; He knows when we’ve made a mistake or failed
Him in some way. The only thing we must do is confess it immediately. Then,
recommit ourselves to live according to His will and learn from our
errors.
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