by Pastor Roy Esposito
Mark 9:24
Matthew 17:17-20
Belief – An opinion or conviction about something.
Faith – A confident trust in a person or a thing.
When we have belief alone as our guide it’s like reading the map instead of visiting the place.
1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:16(b) – “God is Love!”
Jesus Christ is the revelation of God in the context of this definition, – John 1:18
Jesus invites us to not simply follow His teachings but to place our Faith in Him – as the expression of God’s love for His creation – and to trust the truth of it. – John 3:16 (Passion)
John 3:16 – Passion Notes; “Believe INTO Him”
Question “Is the Christ of my belief really my own or an amalgamation of what all others have to say about Him?”
2 Timothy 3:5-7 (Passion)
Matthew 16:13-20 – “Who do YOU say I am?”
Break Camp! – called to be “Faith-explorers of a country without borders, one we discover, little by little, not to be a place but a person.”
Colossians 1:27
Matthew 16:13-20 – “…you didn’t discover this on your own but My Father in heaven has supernaturally revealed it to you.”
Radical Faith – comes only through REVELATION, – a gift of the Holy Spirit – not achievement. – 1 Corinthians 12:3, 1 Corinthians 12:9
1 Corinthians 12:14
1 Corinthians 1:27 – God bestows His grace gifts abundantly but unevenly.
John 3:27
Mark 10:17-30
Luke 19:8-9
Mark 5:18-20
KEY: Listen intently to God’s 1st word to you: Your life as it is.
Your life in its uniqueness is the way God has chosen to express Himself in this present time and space. – PR
Faith – begins with trusting in God’s love and care for you within the operation of your daily living;
but it takes courage to wait with endurance and perseverance as God makes clear what it is He wants to say through your life.
Radical Discipleship – Having a spirit of receptivity – utter dependence and reliance on the power, mercy, and grace of God as mediated through the Spirit of Christ within.
Submission and Surrender
Submission – conscious acceptance and yielding to the reality I’m in and subject to change if need be – a soul event
Surrender – the moment that personal resistance ceases. – a Spirit event
Submission – a conscious effort
Surrender – an unconscious effort compelled by God
Intensity Counts!!
Parables
Matthew 13:44 – Hidden Treasure
Matthew 13:45-46 – Pearl of Great Price
Luke 15:8-10 – Lost Coin
Speak of making the Kingdom of God the top priority; invested time, money, and effort to acquire it.
Luke 11:13 (Passion) – Ask for help.
1 Thessalonians 4:7 (Passion)
Yesterday’s blessings can trap us!
Numbers 21:9 – Bronze serpent made for healing became an idol to be torn down. – 2 Kings 18:4
Romans 4:7
Romans 4:20-21 (KJV) “He Staggered not! – strengthened by faith!”
John 15:26 (Passion)
For the mission to succeed His truth must become our reality and not just our theology.