Developing a Confident Faith

Mark Mittelberg

Mark Mittelberg outlines six different faith paths, or approaches, that people use to decide what to put their faith in. The first is the relativistic path, that truth is what you make it and it is personal. The second is the traditional path, that truth is what you've always been taught. Others follow the authoritarian path, that truth is what you've been told to believe. The intuitive path is rooted in truth being what your feel in your heart, similar to the mystical path where truth is what you think God has told you. Finally, there is the evidential path, that truth is what logic and evidence point to. Mittelberg presents a brief list of several examples of the evidence pointing to Christianity.

The Resurrection of Christ

Ryan Lowery

Luke 23:50-24:49

The resurrection of Christ is a critical issue: if Christ was not raised then Christianity is false, but if he was raised then it confirms all of Jesus' teachings. There is a myriad of historical evidence for Jesus' bodily resurrection, including eyewitness accounts in the gospels and extra-Biblical sources. No alternative explanation can account for the evidence. Ultimately, the resurrection assures us of salvation and of God's power.

The Way People See Jesus

Ryan Lowery

Matthew 26:34-35

Before Jesus' resurrection, there were five reactions to him: 1) the religious rulers questioned his authority; 2) the disciples were not prepared to suffer for the truth; 3) Herod viewed him as a novelty; 4) Pontius Pilate refused to make a decision; and 5) the thieves crucified with him either rejected him or gained salvation. Today, Jesus is still a polarizing figure.

Feeding of the Five Thousand

Conrad Hilario

John 6:35

A crowd of 5,000 men gathers around Jesus near the Sea of Galilee. Jesus and His disciples discuss how they will feed this crowd. This passage reveals the differences between having a horizontal and vertical perspective on life. Through the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 Jesus shows He wants to meet humanity's innermost needs and use His followers to do this work.

faith vs. FAITH

Dennis McCallum

John 4:46-54

Jesus returns to Galilee where a royal official asked him to heal his sick son. Jesus addresses their attitude of desiring signs and wonders over authentic faith. Biblical faith isn't some mental assent, or feeling of what is true, or whatever we choose to believe. In this event, Jesus speaks a word and the official is willing to act on his word, and after acting God confirms the experience to be true. Biblical faith is the same today: it comes from hearing and acting on God's word, and afterwards experience can follow acting in faith on the word of God. This teaching includes an in-depth interview from Primetime TV from Dianne Sawyer and also includes a skit describing blind faith.

Corinth: Paul Tested

Jim Leffel

Acts 18:1-17

During his second missionary journey, Paul visits the city of Corinth. Corinth was a "hub" for spirituality and immorality located near the sea. As Paul interacted with the Corinthians and established a church there, we learn many principles that tested Paul, including: 1) working hard for God by sharing his life with the Corinthians; 2) by becoming at tent maker and being inclusive to the people around him; and 3) encountering fear to speak about God amidst the Corinthians. One of the most important ways to deal with fears is to remember God's promises and how He is actively at work and near us, which motivates us to be faithful with what He has for us to do.

The Help of the Holy Spirit (Part 2)

Gary DeLashmutt

John 15:26-27

How often do we rely on the Holy Spirit to show us opportunities to share Christ with those around us? Even more so, how often are we praying to be able to share Christ effectively? Paul and the apostles knew the power of the Holy Spirit and knew to pray for what they needed - whether that was boldness, to preach clearly, or opportunities to share Christ. This same Spirit is available to all believers in Christ as a helper to us in this fallen world.

The Source of Love

Jeff Gordon

John 14:1-20

Jesus leads his followers from anxiety and angst, to peace of mind and heart if we trust and believe in him through the Holy Spirit. This is the promised living water to which Jesus had been referring. The Holy Spirit would enter his disciples after he ascended to heaven and be their advocate and comforter. The Holy Spirit provides believers with: 1) assurance of our relationship with God, 2) confidence that our eternity is secure in heaven, 3) revelation about God's Word, 4) personal insight into God's Will, and 5) the empowering to do what God leads us to do.

The Lord's Prayer

Ryan Lowery

Matthew 6:5-8

Prayer is meant to be a personal communication with God, not meant to impress people.The template that Jesus lays out for prayer is to address it in terms of one's relationship with God, declare what is true about God, and then present requests to God. Jesus also teaches two important principles: 1) perseverance in prayer is important; and 2) prayer is good for us.