Faith: A Gift
Faith
A Gift
Salvation is not by your works, but by faith. This gift comes from God. Without faith we cannot please God.
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace, you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Sunday August 24th, 2025, Pastor Mike ends the series on the topic of faith. He began the series teaching us how faith can start as small as a mustard seed. The second message was on a measure of faith and the outcome depends on the measure you use. This final message reflects how faith is our gift from our Heavenly Father. This scripture from Ephesians reminded Pastor Mike of how when his kids were younger around Christmas time, they would ask him for money to buy him a gift. He would give them his money; they would go out and purchase the gift and then present it to him. God rewards us for seeking Him and He gives us the gifts we need to seek Him. Walking with God and growing in this life is about developing the faith he has given us. Your faith is your spiritual health.
Comparing Spiritual Health with Physical Health
The most common concern as we age is deteriorating health. There are a few key ingredients for a healthy lifestyle.
These are all factors of being good stewards of the gift of health.
In 2003 across the U.S. 978 billion was spent on Physician and Clinical services, 265 billion spent on wellness activities, and 33 – 40 billion on weight loss products. All these expenses were towards aiding better health. Despite all that money being, the leading cause of death is heart disease. The main reasons for heart disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity. We do all these things to take care of our physical bodies, and they are temporary. What about your faith?
Our life is here today and gone tomorrow. Our faith, how much we trust and believe in God ultimately determines how we will spend eternity. So, how do we stay healthy in our faith?
John 14:16
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever –
Thankfully Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to guide us.
The Five-Fold Ministry:
Gifts God has given the church (the body) to help us.
Ephesians 4:11-16
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is head – Christ – from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for edifying of itself in love.
You’re not intended to spend your walk of faith alone. It’s the enemy’s strategy to get you alone to make you vulnerable so he can easily devour you.
The Apostle Peter wrote two letters. They were to the Christians that were facing persecution to encourage them in their faith. The first letter he wrote reminds us about who we are.
I Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
To operate in the faith you were called in, you must know who you are. While yes, we are servants to the Almighty King, God has made us priests and kings. The greatest in the kingdom is the servant and so, we must remember who we are to move mountains through God’s strength. The second letter the Apostle Peter wrote tells us how to avoid stumbling in faith.
II Peter 1:1-11
Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ; Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also, for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things, you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This is an encouragement to us that God has given us all we need to live a life of godliness, through Jesus by the Holy Spirit. He’s given us promises.
If we do these things we won’t stumble, and we will be fruitful. Though these things are simple, they aren’t always easy. With out these things we will suffer from narrow mindedness and forgetfulness. Faith doesn’t work if you don’t continue to grow your faith. Continue to grow and strive for God and you won’t stumble.
A Gift
Salvation is not by your works, but by faith. This gift comes from God. Without faith we cannot please God.
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace, you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Sunday August 24th, 2025, Pastor Mike ends the series on the topic of faith. He began the series teaching us how faith can start as small as a mustard seed. The second message was on a measure of faith and the outcome depends on the measure you use. This final message reflects how faith is our gift from our Heavenly Father. This scripture from Ephesians reminded Pastor Mike of how when his kids were younger around Christmas time, they would ask him for money to buy him a gift. He would give them his money; they would go out and purchase the gift and then present it to him. God rewards us for seeking Him and He gives us the gifts we need to seek Him. Walking with God and growing in this life is about developing the faith he has given us. Your faith is your spiritual health.
Comparing Spiritual Health with Physical Health
The most common concern as we age is deteriorating health. There are a few key ingredients for a healthy lifestyle.
- Balanced Nutrition
- Regular Physical Activity
- Sufficient Sleep
- Stress Management
- Avoiding Unhealthy Habits: Examples – Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption
- Maintaining A Healthy Body Weight
- Staying Hydrated – Water (Limit soda and caffeine)
- Good Social Connections
- Nurturing Your Mental Well Being
These are all factors of being good stewards of the gift of health.
In 2003 across the U.S. 978 billion was spent on Physician and Clinical services, 265 billion spent on wellness activities, and 33 – 40 billion on weight loss products. All these expenses were towards aiding better health. Despite all that money being, the leading cause of death is heart disease. The main reasons for heart disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity. We do all these things to take care of our physical bodies, and they are temporary. What about your faith?
Our life is here today and gone tomorrow. Our faith, how much we trust and believe in God ultimately determines how we will spend eternity. So, how do we stay healthy in our faith?
John 14:16
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever –
Thankfully Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to guide us.
The Five-Fold Ministry:
Gifts God has given the church (the body) to help us.
- Apostles
- Prophets
- Evangelists
- Pastors
- Teachers
Ephesians 4:11-16
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is head – Christ – from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for edifying of itself in love.
You’re not intended to spend your walk of faith alone. It’s the enemy’s strategy to get you alone to make you vulnerable so he can easily devour you.
The Apostle Peter wrote two letters. They were to the Christians that were facing persecution to encourage them in their faith. The first letter he wrote reminds us about who we are.
I Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
To operate in the faith you were called in, you must know who you are. While yes, we are servants to the Almighty King, God has made us priests and kings. The greatest in the kingdom is the servant and so, we must remember who we are to move mountains through God’s strength. The second letter the Apostle Peter wrote tells us how to avoid stumbling in faith.
II Peter 1:1-11
Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ; Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also, for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things, you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This is an encouragement to us that God has given us all we need to live a life of godliness, through Jesus by the Holy Spirit. He’s given us promises.
- Virtue – Greek Definition: Manly, strong for lifting, excellence.
- Knowledge – Wisdom (feminine term) gained from firsthand experience. “Doers of the word, not just hearers.”
- Self-Control – Self-mastery and restraint. Proceeding from within oneself, but not by oneself. (*hint* The Holy Spirit)
- Perseverance – Cheerful endurance, steadfastness, patience.
- Godliness – Devotion, understanding who he is.
- Brotherly Kindness – Love of Christian brethren. Philadelphus: fraternal affection and loving friend.
- Love – An unconditional affection. (Agape)
If we do these things we won’t stumble, and we will be fruitful. Though these things are simple, they aren’t always easy. With out these things we will suffer from narrow mindedness and forgetfulness. Faith doesn’t work if you don’t continue to grow your faith. Continue to grow and strive for God and you won’t stumble.
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