Have you ever learned one of those things that are impossible to do unless you commit completely and expect success; something that you cannot do “kind of” or “a little.” For example learning to do a flip off the diving board, if you don’t commit, you end up landing on your back; How about getting up out of the water when water skiing, if you try to do it slowly, you end up with a face full of water, and the rope yanked out of your hands; Or stepping onto a boat as it is slowly moving from the dock, if you don’t get both feet and your body all the way onto the boat, you end up doing the splits and falling in the water.

In ways, our Christian faith is similar. In a number of Bible accounts, Jesus tells people that it is their faith that heals them. Matthew 9 includes the story of Jesus healing two blind men, and in verse 29 he says, “Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”

Acts 9 tells the account of Saul’s conversion from persecutor of Christians to Apostle. Saul was on his way to Damascus to find, imprison or kill the early Christians, but on his way Jesus comes to him in a bright light and makes him blind. In another part of the town, God came to a man named Ananias in a vision and said to find Saul and heal him. Ananias was aware that Saul was persecuting Christians and did not know Saul had been converted. Ananias had to act in faith and trust that God would protect him.

In Deuteronomy 31:6 God says, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

He will not leave us or forsake us if we move forward boldly to do what we hear him calling us to do.

Dear Lord, Thank you that we can know that you are always with us and will protect us. Give us the courage to do the scary things we know we should, trusting in your protection. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Many people wonder, “What about people who have not heard the Gospel?”

In Romans 1:19-20 Paul writes, “They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

The beauty, complexity, symmetry, and order of science and nature shout that there is a Creator. Once one recognizes this, wouldn’t he or she want to learn more?

In Matthew 7:7, Jesus says, “…..seek and ye shall find….” and in Jeremiah 29:13 God says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

We cannot know what happens to those who do not hear the Gospel message, but we know God loves us all and works on each of us to save us.

Dear Lord, you came to save us, and continue working to bring us all to you. Use us also to be the ones who help others find you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

You may have heard this story in other contexts, but it is good illustration of the Bible text today.

A teacher stands in front of a class with a clear plastic pitcher. Into the pitcher he pours golfball size rocks until they fill to the top of the pitcher. The teacher then asks the class, “Is the pitcher full?” Most of the students agree that it is full. The teacher then reaches behind his desk and finds a container of fine sand, which he proceeds to pour into the pitcher. The sand fills in the gaps between all the rocks and eventually all the gaps are filled and the sand reaches the top of the pitcher. The teacher then asks the class again if the pitcher is filled. Suspicious of another trick, most of the students are cautious but agree that now the pitcher is full. Then the teacher pulls out a container of water and proceeds to pour a cup of it into the pitcher, filling it to the top. “Now,” he says, “the pitcher is full.”

In John 15:10-11 Jesus says, “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

Some people may feel that they are fulfilled, but without Jesus, there will be something missing. Like the pitcher, it may look full, but it is not until the water fills it up that we can be truly fulfilled.

As Jesus says when his joy is in us, our joy is complete.

Dear Lord, we are incomplete as people without you in our hearts and lives. Help us obey you and remain in your love so that our Joy may be complete. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

One challenge we all face when trying to accomplish anything good is the will-power or discipline to stick with it. Whether it be, sticking to a diet, exercise, cutting bad language out of our vocabulary, quitting smoking, drugs, or alcohol, changing our habits and building better habits is difficult, but not impossible.

2 Peter 1:3,4 says, “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”

We can turn away from bad behaviors and live a godly life, if we so choose. When we say we “can’t” do something, what we are really saying is either, we won’t try, or we don’t really want to. In all comes down to a decision. We-make the decision and ask God to help us follow through.

I heard it said, “Our job is to do the natural, then God will do the super-natural.” This is how we overcome our wrong desires, and build a better self.

Dear Lord, Thank you for giving us everything we need to live the life you desire for us. Help us decide to strive for that “godly” life, and take our step forward then let you carry us further. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

We all have experienced the challenge and frustration of learning something new at some point in our lives, algebra, a foreign language, a new piece on a musical instrument, a trick on a skateboard, tennis backhand, or one of a thousand other skills. The learning process rarely happens with one try and then we have the skill mastered. Most of the time, it takes many attempts to get it right once, then many repetitions of doing it correctly before we can do it right, at will.

In a way, this is what James is describing in James 1:2-4, “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. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

James is saying we build up our skills as faithful Christians by going through the difficult practice testing our faith, but when we do this enough, we will have these “skills of faith” mastered.

Dear Lord, You are always giving us the opportunity to face challenges that improve our skills to serve you. Help us see these challenges as the learning and development that they are, and not irritants for us to complain about. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.