What is Faith?

Jim Leffel

Hebrews 11:1

Many would define faith as believing in something regardless of the truth. However, the Bible defines faith as a confident assurance in our hope. Because of the strong evidence that the Bible is revelation from God, we can be sure that God has spoken. It is left for us to act on faith, in light of the things that we know but cannot see.

Elijah and Elisha: A Comparison

Gary DeLashmutt

2 Corinthians 10:12

Elijah and Elisha were both prophets appointed by God and key figures in the Old Testament. How do their lives compare and contrast? Take a look at the similarities and differences between these men. Lessons we can draw from their lives and service to God include: 1) God has fashioned each of us perfectly for unique roles in His service; and 2) success is faithfully fulfilling God's role for us. A testimony by Ish Gajary is included.\r\n

Elijah in Boot Camp

Gary DeLashmutt

1 Kings 17:1-16

God's interactions with His prophet, Elijah, showcase a pattern for the way that God works in Scripture. Here we see: God gives a command, makes a promise, calls Elijah to take a step of faith, and God fulfills. We learn that God relates with us in this same pattern: He provides a command or promise, He calls us to action in faith, and we get to experience His reliability. \r\n\r\n

The Logic of Grace

Dennis McCallum

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

The church has the choice to be involved in what God is doing. Love motivates people to do so, and joy is the result! Together, the church gets to grow in hope with each other for heaven. The logic of this grace follows a pattern: faith (putting trust in God and beginning a relationship with Christ), hope (growing an eternal perspective), and love (learning the joy of giving your life away to others).

Joseph and God's Purpose

Dennis McCallum

Genesis 37-45

Joseph seems to have it all, and yet his life is that of misery and pain starting with the day his brothers sell him into slavery. His is a story of long term suffering. Yet, he finds that all the while, it is also a story of God's provision. We, like Joseph, have the choice of whether or not we will stay true to God over the long haul, and see how He comes through.

Raising a Man from the Dead

Gary DeLashmutt

John 11:1-46

Jesus performs the final miracle in a series of seven recorded miracles in the Gospel of John. Jesus resurrects a man named Lazarus after he had been dead for several days. This physical resurrection points to a larger claim from Jesus, that he has the authority to defeat death and offer spiritual resurrection as well. Jesus has an emotional reaction to Lazarus' death as death is unnatural and something that God has a plan to defeat fully.

Abraham's Strange Encounter

Dennis McCallum

Hebrews 9:26

In Genesis 14, Moses relays a fascinating encounter between Abraham and Melchizedek, a High Priest of God. We learn that God had arranged this encounter as a means of representing His future plan: for Jesus to die and take the place of a priest in our lives?to become an intercessor between humans and God for our sins. Through his death, Jesus had superseded priesthood forever. As a result we are no longer bound to the law, but can draw near to God through faith in Jesus.

Healing a Man Born Blind

Gary DeLashmutt

John 9:1-41

John describes the sixth miracle in a series of miracles that Jesus performed. Jesus heals a man that was born blind, but the Pharisees refuse to believe in Jesus and instead grow more stubborn against him. After Jesus claims he is the light of the world and reveals his identity, the healed man comes to recognize his healer as the Messiah, therefore receiving spiritual sight as well. Also includes an interview on spiritual bias from existentialist Jean Paul Sartre in 1974.

Abraham, Man Of Faith

Dennis McCallum

Genesis 17:18-19

God creates a covenant with the man Abraham. He establishes it as unconditional, meaning Abraham didn't have to do anything on his own power. After trying to take matters into their own hands, Abraham and his wife, Sarah, ultimately learn that faith means answering God's call and waiting on Him. Human effort and quick-fix solutions don't yield the results God intends.