Put Your Faith in God: Deep Dive with Dan & Sheila #200

Have you ever wondered what it really means to have faith in God beyond just saying you believe? Pastor Robert Young's meditation takes us on a profound journey through the "faith chapter" of the Bible – Hebrews 11 – to explore faith not as blind hope, but as substantial evidence of unseen realities.

While Pastor Young enjoys a well-deserved vacation, AI co-hosts Dan and Sheila guide us through his powerful meditation that challenges conventional understandings of faith. The exploration begins with the scriptural definition that faith is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," suggesting faith provides a different kind of knowing – one that complements or extends beyond scientific understanding.

Through biblical examples like Abel and Enoch, we discover that faith isn't passive but actively manifests in our actions and reputation. Abel's story reveals that the faith behind his offering made it acceptable to God, while Enoch's extraordinary account of being "taken up without dying" demonstrates how faith can lead to outcomes that transcend normal understanding. The meditation doesn't shy away from hard truths, emphasizing Hebrews 11:6: "It is impossible to please God without faith."

What sets this meditation apart is its practical approach to developing faith. After preparation through confession and worship, listeners are prompted with thought-provoking questions like "Who do I trust more: God, human intellect, or my own efforts?" These reflections lead to visualization exercises, daily affirmations, and a seven-day assignment designed to cultivate deeper trust in God's promises rather than human capabilities. Whether you're new to faith or looking to deepen your spiritual practice, this meditation offers both biblical foundation and practical application for trusting God in every circumstance.

Ready to discover what happens when you place your faith fully in God? Listen now and connect with Pastor Young through the links in our description.

Transcript

Introduction to Faith Meditation

Dan 0:03

Well, it complements or maybe goes beyond just the scientific view, suggesting faith. Lets us understand origins through God's action.

Sheila 0:14

Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today we're taking a closer look, a really focused exploration into having faith in God.

Dan 0:23

That's right, and our source material for this is a guided Christian meditation from Pastor Robert Young. It's titled Put your Faith in God.

Sheila 0:32

And just so you know, you're listening to Dan and Sheila today.

Dan 0:36

Yeah, we're Pastor Young's AI co-host. He's actually on a much needed two week vacation right now.

Sheila 0:40

He is, but we're here to guide you through this meditation he created.

Dan 0:45

And if anything we discussed today sparked something for you or you'd like to reach out to Pastor Young himself, you can find all his contact details down in the description box. Just check the links there.

Sheila 0:54

Definitely so. Our mission really is to unpack this meditation. We want to pull out the key ideas, the practical stuff about what faith really means according to this source. Okay, ready to jump in?

Dan 1:05

Let's do it. So right near the start Pastor Young kind of sets the stage. He mentions a previous deep dive. We did number 164.

Sheila 1:12

Ah, yes, getting started in guided Christian meditation.

Dan 1:15

Exactly. He points that out for anyone who might be new to guided meditation because, well, that one explains the why behind it all.

Sheila 1:22

Right, like the reasoning even touches on some of the science you know behind things like the breath work and the muscle relaxation parts. So even though today we're zeroing in on faith, it's good he provided that background for newcomers.

Exploring Hebrews 11 on Faith

Dan 1:34

Absolutely, and it makes it clear that, while meditation can cover a lot of ground, this specific session it's all about faith in God. That's the laser focus.

Sheila 1:45

Precisely, and the anchor for the whole thing, the real foundation, is scripture. He uses Hebrews, chapter 11, verses 1 through 5.

Dan 1:52

Oh yeah, Hebrews 11. That's, I mean that's the faith chapter for many people. Yeah, and Pastor Young, he doesn't just read it, he breaks down some key phrases. Really gets you thinking.

Sheila 2:01

Like that first verse, faith shows the reality of what we hope for. It is the evidence of things we cannot see. He really emphasizes that faith isn't just, you know, hoping for the best.

Dan 2:11

Right. It's presented as something more solid, like actual substance or evidence for things beyond what we can physically touch or see. It kind of pushes you to think what does reality mean in that context?

Sheila 2:25

Yeah, it's a different kind of evidence, isn't it? Not like scientific proof?

Dan 2:28

Mm-hmm. It seems to point to a way of knowing that's built on well, trust and belief. You might ask yourself what does it mean to accept something as real if you can't sense it physically?

Sheila 2:41

And the passage goes on. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation, so this introduces the idea of like history of faith.

Dan 2:50

Yeah, a lineage. People throughout time were, you know, known for living by faith.

Sheila 2:54

Yeah.

Dan 2:54

It makes you wonder what earning a good reputation through faith actually looks like.

Sheila 2:58

That's interesting. It suggests faith isn't just internal, it shows up somehow.

Dan 3:01

Exactly. It has to manifest right so others can see it. It implies a connection between belief and action.

Sheila 3:07

Then there's this part by faith, we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. That's pretty profound.

Dan 3:18

It really is. It's saying a faith gives us a way to grasp cosmic origins, acknowledging a divine creator behind the material world.

Sheila 3:27

It challenges you to think about where everything really came from.

Confession and Worship Preparation

Dan 3:35

It presents a view of creation that well, it complements or maybe goes beyond just the scientific view, suggesting faith, lets us understand origins through God's action.

Sheila 3:41

And Pastor Young brings up examples from the chapter. Like Abel and Enoch. For Abel it says it was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering.

Dan 3:49

Right, and although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith. What strikes me there is that the faith behind the offering was the crucial part.

Sheila 3:59

So it wasn't just the offering itself.

Dan 4:00

Apparently not, it seems. The faith, the trust in God, that's what made it acceptable, what made Abel righteous in God's eyes.

Sheila 4:07

And then Enoch. It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying. That's extraordinary.

Dan 4:13

Totally, for before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. It's presented as this amazing result of his faith.

Sheila 4:20

Wow, it really emphasizes the potential for a deep connection with God, something that can, I guess, change the normal course of things.

Dan 4:29

Yeah, it suggests the life of faith can lead to well extraordinary outcomes, perhaps beyond our usual understanding.

Sheila 4:35

Okay, and then comes a really central quote, right, and it is impossible to please God without faith.

Dan 4:41

That's a big one.

Sheila 4:42

Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Pastor Young really highlights this. Faith isn't optional if you want to connect with God.

Dan 4:53

It's stark, isn't it? It directly links believing God is with believing. He rewards those who genuinely look for him. It's not passive belief, it's active seeking.

Sheila 5:04

Okay. So before digging deeper into Hebrews, Pastor Young brings in something else, confession.

Dan 5:08

Yeah, which might seem like a shift, but he explains it. He says scripture tells us to be fully present and free from wrongdoing mind, body, spirit when approaching God.

Sheila 5:18

So confession is like preparation.

Dan 5:20

Exactly. Preparing the heart, creating that space of humility, acknowledging our stuff before engaging with God's word on faith.

Sheila 5:28

And he uses a specific prayer for this.

Dan 5:30

Yes, part of Psalm 51, king David's prayer. He quotes verses one to four. h"ave mercy upon me, o God, according to thy loving kindness.

Sheila 5:40

According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

Dan 5:48

For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Using such a deep historical prayer really gives you a powerful way to engage in that self-reflection and cleansing.

Sheila 5:59

Right. It sets a certain tone and after that confession the meditation moves into worship.

Dan 6:05

A definite shift. He points to Psalm 100, verses 1 to 3. Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him with joyful songs.

Sheila 6:15

It feels like moving from humility to celebration.

Dan 6:17

Totally. Sparking gratitude, joy, acknowledging God's greatness after acknowledging our own need. It's about praise and thanksgiving.

Sheila 6:25

He also repeats a line from Psalm 8, verse 9.

Dan 6:27

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth? Yeah, he has you repeat that.

Sheila 6:32

Why the repetition, do you think?

Dan 6:36

Well repeating something like that can really help focus your mind, you know, cementing that idea of God's majesty. Before you dive back into the theme of faith, it centers you.

Faith in God's Promises Not Self

Sheila 6:42

Okay, that makes sense. So back to Hebrews, then Pastor Young offers his take on those examples Abel Enoch.

Dan 6:49

Right and his main point, the real emphasis is that their faith was in God's promises, God's abilities, not in our own strength or effort.

Sheila 6:58

That feels like a really important distinction.

Dan 7:00

It is he's saying. Faith isn't about just trying harder ourselves or figuring it all out intellectually. It's about trusting God to act, placing confidence in him.

Sheila 7:09

And he quotes directly, doesn't he? Something like

Dan 7:12

We are called by the creator of the universe to trust, believe and have faith that our father will take care of us, no matter what our situations are.

Sheila 7:20

Wow, our father. That really emphasizes a personal, caring relationship.

Dan 7:26

Yeah, it paints a picture of God as loving, involved, caring for us, regardless of the circumstances we're facing. It's a call to sort of lean on him.

Sheila 7:34

Okay, and after laying all that groundwork, he poses reflection questions.

Dan 7:39

Two key ones for personal thought. The first is who do I trust more in my situations God, human intellect or my own efforts?

Sheila 7:47

Oof, that's direct, makes you really examine your default setting when things get tough.

Dan 7:52

Right. Like where do you instinctively turn first? Prayer and trusting God or your own brainpower and trying to fix it yourself? It encourages real honesty.

Sheila 8:02

And the second question.

Dan 8:03

Does having faith in God absolve me of doing?

Sheila 8:06

Ah, so addressing that potential pitfall thinking, faith means sitting back and doing nothing.

Dan 8:11

Exactly. It tackles the idea that faith might somehow cancel out action or responsibility. It pushes you to think about how faith and action work together. Yeah maybe faith motivates the doing. That seems to be the implication, right, that trusting God inspires or guides our actions, rather than replacing them.

Sheila 8:27

Then the meditation moves into visualization.

Dan 8:30

Yes, he asks you to imagine the peace and joy you'll feel when God's will is done in your situation, to even picture smiling about it.

Sheila 8:38

How might that help build faith?

Dan 8:40

Well, visualizing like that can foster hope, can't it? It lets you connect emotionally with the positive outcome, with God's presence, which could deepen your trust.

Sheila 8:49

Okay, and there's an affirmation too.

Dan 8:51

You're meant to repeat. I believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him.

Visualization and Daily Practice

Sheila 8:58

Which links back directly to that Hebrews quote.

Dan 9:00

Precisely, and he suggests repeating it daily for seven days.

Sheila 9:04

Why the repetition for a whole week?

Dan 9:07

Consistency. I guess, saying it over and over can help internalize it, strengthen that belief in your mind and heart, making you more aware of God being real and responsive.

Sheila 9:16

And finally there's an assignment.

Dan 9:17

Yeah, the assignment is basically to listen to the meditation daily for spiritual saturation, as he puts it.

Sheila 9:23

So immersion. Seems like it.

Dan 9:25

And then spend 10 minutes afterwards just quietly listening, being open to God's spirit.

Sheila 9:30

It suggests faith isn't a one-off thing but needs ongoing cultivation.

Dan 9:35

Okay. So wrapping this up, our deep dive into Pastor Young's meditation Put Your Faith in God really shows it's a call to deeply trust God's power and his promises. Yeah, using those biblical stories as examples and really pushing for personal reflection on where we put our trust.

Sheila 9:52

And this whole discussion, it's all been based on that specific guided meditation by Pastor Robert Young.

Dan 9:56

That's right. And just another reminder you've been with Dan and Sheila, his AI co-hosts.

Sheila 10:02

Filling in while he's enjoying his vacation. He'll be back in a couple of weeks.

Dan 10:05

Mm-hmm. And again, if you want to connect with Pastor Young, all the information is waiting for you in the description box below. Just click the links.

Closing Thoughts and Assignment

Sheila 10:13

So we'll leave you with this to think about. How might really actively cultivating faith you know the way Pastor Young describes it, through scripture, confession, worship, reflection, affirmation how might doing that actually change how you see challenges, or change where you look for support and understanding in your own life?

Dan 10:34

Yeah, that's definitely something worth mulling over. Thank you.