An introduction to the next three episodes, which all have a similar theme: Is it OK to Question God? The short answer is yes, but we can't just question, we need to listen for the answers. In this series, we will discuss God's faithfulness through those deep and painful valleys, see a personal story of the journey to find God through trials, and to figure out if God is still good even when the answer is no.
We talked about peace, so why are we talking about war?! Our armor of God is given us to fight in the battle. We are conquerors! The people who prove to the world the victory of Jesus Christ! Through our actions in faith, we are shielded by God personally from any power of Satan as we move forward in that calling. And through those actions, we claim this world (and especially the people in it who God adores) in the triumph that Jesus had over Satan on the cross. Using our peace shoes as our footing and our faith shield as protection, nothing can stop us.
While I have absolutely zero expertise on peace, God has worked hard with me on it over the past few months. These stories, verses, and songs are personal experiences that God has used to help me better understand his "peace that surpasses understanding" while learning to fully trust Him. And once we get the firm footing in our peace shoes, it equips us to move forward as we are called to battle with Him.
This is a pep talk to anyone who is struggling with enduring through a trial or just through life in general. By looking at Bible verses and people who have experienced it all before us, we can be encouraged to build into the endurance that God is giving us and working through us. All we have to do is not give up.
An interview with Grace Norman where we discuss real-life examples of discipline through her training for triathlon, the Olympics, and balancing everyday life.
When focusing on learning more about faith, Hebrews 11, aka the faith chapter, is the place to go. However, sometimes I like to see what comes next in the Bible to see how it relates. Obviously, Hebrews 12 is next, so that's where I went. And that is where we get everyone's favorite topic: Discipline. Hebrews 12:11 - No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening- it's painful! But afterward, there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. The 3 main areas of discipline are punishment, coaching, and self-control. God uses all of these to get us out of harm's way, guide us, grow us, and stengthen us.
A huge part of our call to obedience is to go when and where God tells us to. The Bible is full of so many examples of normal people being called by our big God, how they were faithfully obedient, and the blessings and promises that came from it. We are still called to this kind of obedience today, but we are not left to our own devices. God gives us the call, the map, the tools, and comes right along with us to the destination that He wants us to go. Be brave and follow where God wants you to go! Believe me, it will be so worth it.
What does it mean to be obedient to God, and why is it important? Our obedience to God is the outward sign of our love for Him. It also shows others that we trust God with our lives since he created us and knows us so well. The things that He asks us to do are for His purposes and for our good. We will journey together to further understand the reasoning for obedience, the obstacles we face as we attempt it, and the end reward: peace.
Before we dig deep into studying God's faithfulness in even the darkest of places, we need to establish a very important keystone to getting through it: trust. Do we trust God enough to expose our faults and weaknesses to Him?
1 Peter 5:8-9 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. We often love the good things about our Christian faith, without taking the time to think of the danger that is Satan. It's easy to try to ignore that part, especially because it is so uncomfortable to think about. But we need to know our enemy to be able to combat the attacks that he puts on us. Comparing Satan to the prowling Jaguar, we will take another trek back to the Amazon rainforest as we continue our journey on our faith rope bridges.
Are you currently waiting on God's timing? You're not alone! The Bible and just life experiences have shown us that this waiting period is what God uses to equip and strengthen us for that very thing we are waiting for. Looking at David's time waiting to become king, to modern day situations like major and minor league baseball, we can see that the waiting period is not stagnant. We need to be diligent and look for those growing opportunities as God gets us ready to be the people He intended for the purpose He made for us. This episode is so personal to me as this is exactly where I am finding myself today.
While our abilities and offerings to God may be broken and inadequate, God delights in using them to extremes by displaying his extravagant strength and faithfulness to the world. This is beautifully displayed throughout the ages, including: His display of authority in choosing Aaron as head priest of the Israelites, feeding over 5000 people with a small offering of 5 loaves and 2 fish, and answering the prayers of a missionary imprisoned in a Japanese POW camp by not gifting her just 1 banana but 92. As we start digging deeper into understanding how God's faithfulness is true in all life circumstances, not just the happy ones, we need to have these foundations: That God is the same past present and future, and that he takes our broken ashes and multiplies them exponentially into beautiful representations of his vast and abundant faithfulness.
God has proven His faithfulness in building the bridge back to Him, so how are we supposed to respond? All we have to do is say yes to the step of faith God shows us. We do not need to be equipped, adequate, or even partially prepared. Looking at Moses' weaknesses and inabilities to do the things God called him to do, we can apply these principles to our lives as well. God provided the way, circumstances, miracles, and guidance, all Moses had to say was "yes." That's all we need to say as well, and God will show us the steps, give us the tools, and show His faithfulness and strength through our faithfulness and weakness.
What is God's role in the bridge of the faithful? He built it! The Incas have given us a beautiful metaphor to describe how Jesus created the way through a risky rescue plan to bring us back right into His arms.
The backstory of Bridge of the Faithful started with a word challenge, a misinterpreted text, and a desire to hear and understand God more fully. This journey begins with an introduction of what to expect in further podcasts, what God is slowly unfolding in my heart, and a challenge to further explore what faithfulness truly means to us today.