Sunday, 26 October 2008 00:00  |  Written by Steve Hall [a] and posted in Faith

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

I doubt you know this, but the Greek word for ‘race’ is agōn, from which we get words like agony and agonise! The life set before us will contain struggle and suffering, yet we are to live it like we are running a race. As you run focus upon Jesus. Not only did Jesus demonstrate endurance of faith to us, he is also the source of our faith and our resurrection hope.

Saturday, 25 October 2008 00:00  |  Written by Steve Hall [a] and posted in Faith

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3

Reading New Testament authors like Paul, Peter and James can be frustrating at times. They all talk about suffering, persecution or, in James’ more subtle phrasing, “trials,” but none of them explain how to cope with it. Instead they use phrases like perseverance, endure, stand firm and run the race… But this is the advice! In trials just concentrate on walking with Jesus – one foot in front of the other.

Friday, 24 October 2008 00:00  |  Written by Steve Hall [a] and posted in Faith

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. 2 Thessalonians 1:3

Our faith grows in many ways, from increasing intimacy with God to learning to trust him more to believing more of his revelation to us. However, I can’t help but wonder whether there’s a direct link between our faith growing and our love for others increasing. As I love others well I become more aware and confident of what God’s love is like and this increases my faith. Do you find this?

Thursday, 23 October 2008 00:00  |  Written by Steve Hall [a] and posted in Faith

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 do not have love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2

Why would you want a strong faith if you weren’t motivated by love? It could be to look holy, to gain people’s respect, to please your parents, to be influential in your Church, to ease your guilty conscience… I’m sure you can relate to some of these examples. Being of strong faith needs to be motivated by love, otherwise faith becomes a selfish attitude rather than a genuinely unselfish one.

Wednesday, 22 October 2008 00:00  |  Written by Steve Hall [a] and posted in Faith

Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:15-17

I heard someone say recently that we are saved by grace for good works. We can’t earn our salvation and we are to never act like we can, but knowing God’s love means that we are compelled to live our faith out in action.

Christian faith is not about a free ticket to heaven but about bringing heaven to earth now, in this life. This is God's dream for us – is it your dream too?

Tuesday, 21 October 2008 00:00  |  Written by Steve Hall [a] and posted in Faith

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Galatians 5:6

If we make faith about observing a set of “do’s and don’ts” then we trap ourselves in religious activity and close our hearts off from receiving and sharing God’s love and grace. Faith is not about how well we perform, how holy we are or how many times we read our bibles or pray each week. The only thing that counts, Pauls says, is faith expressing itself through love.