Victory in Faith...

It's amazing how God works sometimes....isn't it? Just this morning God sent me scripture through a friend that just really fit our study. We've been talking about faith and how our faith grows over time. We talked about how faith is a spiritual muscle that needs exercise so that it's strong in times of need. Well the scripture I received today uses words like victory and overcome. Strong words, confident words, much like sure and certain.

You see I receive a scriptural text everyday (and when I say everyday, I mean everyday), from a friend who texts a group of men the passage of scripture he has studied that day. He does this to let the group know he has spent time in God's word. He does this so that group will hold him accountable. You see if I don't get that text on my phone at some point during the day, you can believe I'm making a phone call. Not only is this friend building up his spiritual muscle, but he's also building mine. You see I need that text everyday too. Today's text was right on time!

My friend has been studying 1 John. Any of you who have spent time in 1 John know that this book is a huge measuring stick for us as Christians. You don't have to read far to start feeling about as big as a mustard seed. Many of my favorite Bible verses come from this book. My personal favorite, one that has given me hope as God continues to grow me is 1 John 1:9. Our class Bible verse is 1 John 1:5-7. 1 John is an amazing book and I encourage all of you to read it. I know Greg is doing a study with the youth on 1 John now. I'll tell you like he tells them....it's only 5 chapters.

Today, I get my friends text and it is 1 John 5:4-5 and says, "for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." The Message paraphrases it like this, "Every God-begotten person conquers the world's ways. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith. The person who wins out over the world's ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God." That is strong!!! The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith. That is convicting!!!! As a member of a perverse generation of little faith, I needed that today.

This week we will discuss 7 things that our faith can do for us (if we let it). I look forward to our time together this week. It is my prayer the we grow more confident, more sure, and more certain in the victory that we have in Jesus Christ. Through Him...all things are possible.

God bless,