Stop Chasing Signs And Start Trusting God

Are you stuck in the confirmation loop: sign, feeling, reassurance, repeat? This talk breaks down why mature Christian faith can’t be built on emotions or outcomes. Hit play and share your biggest faith tension, what is it?

Transcript

When Proof Disappears

SPEAKER_00 0:00

A lot of people say they trust God until life stops making sense, until prayers go unanswered, until doors close, until the signs disappear. And that's where real faith begins. I I really want you to pay attention to this because biblical faith is not built on constant proof, the consistent proof that so many people wait for. And I kind of talked about this, you know, for believers who or people who are not believers. I I I really wanted you to get this that biblical faith is not built on constant proof. It's just not. It's built on trust in the character of the Most High God, even when you cannot see what he is doing. Let's talk about it.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

I just want to walk in obedience.

SPEAKER_00 0:53

What's

Welcome And The Real Faith Test

SPEAKER_00 0:54

going on, everybody? Welcome back to another episode of the Soul Fuel Podcast. This is the pit stop for your soul to be fueled for your journey in life as you do it with Christ. Listen, I'm Pastor Will, aka Will. And listen, I I we we we really gotta have this conversation. We we we we really gotta have this conversation. So today we're gonna talk about a difficult but necessary conversation. How faith uh that doesn't constantly need proof. This is real faith. This is true faith. Because if we're honest, many believers say they trust God. Uh there's a lot of people that say they truly trust God, but internally, they still need signs. Internally, they still need confirmation. Internally, they still need reassurance, emotional confirmation, visible evidence, perfect outcomes. And while the Lord can confirm things, he can confirm things. We know this. There comes a point where maturity requires trust, even when emotions and evidence feel absent. I know that kind of hurts, but I promise you it's the truth. And when people really tap into what true faith is, it doesn't matter what happens to you in life, you'll be able to really understand what it means to have peace that does not make any sense, which is that peace that surpasses all understanding.

The Addiction To Confirmation

SPEAKER_00 2:16

We live in a culture uh that is addicted to validation, right? The culture of constant confirmation. I I recently just told uh our church, hey, um, stop asking for confirmation all the time. Because the more you ask for confirmation is the more that you show a lack of faith, right? You always want a sign, you always want to know uh if this is the exact right thing to be doing. And that's just not what faith is. It's not. And sometimes believers bring this mindset into their relationship with God, their relationship with the Lord. We want another sign, we want another prophecy, we need another prophetic word, right? We want another confirmation, we want another feeling. We need to validate where we are in our hearts and in our minds. But eventually, faith must stand on who God is, not just on what he can do, but it has to be on who God is. And I believe that that's where true faith is really rooted because when you know who he is, you don't doubt him. You know, it's not to say that uh um certain emotions won't rise up and that fear won't rise, fear won't try to do what it does. But even when it's trying, you know who holds you, you know who holds you together, right? So it's not about constant external reassurance. It's not. It's not Matthew chapter 12, verse 39. Jesus speaks about a wicked generation who are constantly seeking signs. He was talking about, you know, uh it was the it was the uh Jew, it was the uh Jews that that sought out signs. And it was the Gentiles uh uh uh who who were who were looking for wisdom. They were looking for knowledge, right? Uh that that's what they were that's what they were looking for. The the Greeks, right? So signs can strengthen faith, but signs were never meant to replace your faith. Right? While while they can strengthen your faith, they were never designed to replace your faith. And a lot of times that's what's that's what's happening with believers. Like they're allowing signs to replace the faith. So this is why they are often need uh or have an appetite for signs. They have an appetite for confirmation because they're not they're not truly trusting in his

Walking By Faith Not Sight

SPEAKER_00 4:43

word. You know, 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 7, and this is this is one of the that I always uh quote or quoted quite often, and that is for we walk by faith and not by sight, right? Faith and sight are often in conflict with each other. They are. They're often in conflict because sight says nothing is changing, you're behind, get with the times, God forgot about you. This is not working, but we know that's a lie. Because Paul said, for for we know that all things work together for the good of them that love God, that are called according to this to his purpose. All right, so we so we know that those things that come to mind, those things that we say to ourselves based on what culture is screaming to us to say, you know, we we we gotta know that it's a lie, and we cannot live by those things. But here's what faith says: faith says God is still trustworthy, God is still good, God is still uh faith says that obedience still matters, faith says God's word remains true. Purpose still exists even when it is unseen. Faith is not pretending reality doesn't exist. And that's something I always say too. It's something I always have to add. And I think that that that that brings about some respect from those that don't believe because you know they see my perspective and they're like, okay, I like I like the way you're thinking about that. I like the way that you think about that, because that's kind of like it's a little logic, it's still faith-based, but it's still logic. And I'm like, okay, that's that's the Lord. Like, that's true faith. True faith is not based on my circumstance. I'm not gonna change the way I feel because of, uh and I'm not gonna change the way that I feel about God because of the way that I feel, right? I can't, and I hope that makes sense. I'm not gonna change the way that I feel about God because of the feelings that are trying to take hold of me, the the feelings that are trying to take over. Faith is trusting God above what temporary circumstances are suggesting to you. You have to know that.

Doubting Thomas And Believing

SPEAKER_00 6:50

Thomas is uh who I call doubting Thomas, right? No, we're not talking about Thomas to train, right? We're talking about doubting Thomas. Doubting Thomas in John chapter 20, uh, the disciples saw Jesus, right? They say, We saw the master, we saw the teacher. And Thomas is so heartbroken and so un and so disconnected from the word. He's disconnected from Jesus because he doesn't even understand. A lot of them didn't even understand what G what Jesus was saying when he said, I'm gonna I'm gonna come back, I'm gonna resurrect. They didn't, a lot of them didn't get it until they saw him. And so Thomas says, he literally says with his mouth, until I see him, I will not believe. Right? This is after Jesus' resurrection. Thomas says he won't believe unless he sees the wounds for himself. And to be exact, that's uh verse 29 of John chapter 20, right? Blessed are those. This is what Jesus says. Uh uh, this is what Jesus says in verse 29. Uh, leading this is after Thomas has said what he said, I will not believe unless I'm able to put my my my finger through the hole in his hand, unless I can put my my hand in his side, right? These are the things that that that John is that uh Thomas has said. But Jesus appears to him and and now now um it it now is convenient for Thomas to believe, oh my, oh my, you are the Lord, you are my master, you are you are uh the the savior. Yeah, no, and then Jesus says, Well, Thomas, you only believe me because you see me. But then here comes verse 29. Blessed are those who did not see and yet believed. John chapter 20, verse 29. Jesus wasn't condemning Thomas, he was revealing a deeper level of faith. A deeper level of faith is saying that that I believe even though I can't see it. That and and listen, anybody who's a believer today in 2026, you are a strong believer. I mean, like you, you, you are at a good place to where you truly believe and you trying to do, you doing your best to do the right thing. Listen, can't nobody stop that? Can't nobody, can't nobody tell you, you know, should nobody try, should nobody not be able to knock you off your walk? Because listen, you are believing without seeing. And even though we see the things that he's created, we see the things that that are playing out from scripture, we see that happening. That's great. Those are those are signs of the times and we see those things, but one thing is for certain, one thing for sure, is that our faith is rooted on who he is and what we believe because of what we know. We know it and we believe it,

Immature Faith Craves Evidence

SPEAKER_00 9:23

right? So um, you know, immature faith depends completely on visible evidence. And that's what a lot of non-believers and people who are atheists and all of these things, they they crave a sign. They want the Lord to show them so and and and I I wish the Lord would for some people that I've talked to that are not believers. I wish that the Lord would just just I mean, like part the Cumberland River, put a put a a whole uh a super wide divide in the middle of the street where they live. I mean, go into the room, like send angels or something. I don't know, just a sign. Like I sometimes I wish I wish that God would do that for some so that they could believe because you know some of them are on the cusp of believing, but they just won't because they need evidence. And that is uh immature faith. It just is, you know, mature faith trusts God's uh character. They trust in the it in Jehovah's character, even during uncertainty. You know that he promised to never leave you nor forsake you. So when you are going through the circumstance, when you're going through those situations, you gotta know he's there with you, he's walking you through

Unanswered Prayers And Dry Seasons

SPEAKER_00 10:41

it. This is where this is this is this is where uh uh um uh he's this this word and this episode speaks to unanswered prayers, right? Unanswered prayers, delayed promises, um, confusion, dry seasons, uh trusting scripture over emotions. These are some these these things you you uh you you you have to believe through. That feelings are not a foundation, feelings are temporary, feelings are based on circumstance. It cannot be the place where you anchor your faith. It just can't, because if you do, you're gonna fail and you you won't last. You you will not last. And that's that's plain as day. That is that is a clear truth that you have to know. All

Feelings Are Real Not Reliable

SPEAKER_00 11:26

right. So a lot of believers base their faith on emotion, right? I feel close to God. I feel close to God, I don't feel saved, right? Why would you what how how do you feel saved? You gotta know that you're saved. This salvation is not a feeling. I mean, it can it can be an it can be associated with the with the fact of this thing that you of what you know, but it cannot just be a feeling alone. You you gotta know that, right? I don't feel his presence. I used to, this is one I used to say all the time because um um quite frankly, I I had I didn't, I wasn't as churchy or I I wasn't feeling like I was doing all the things that I was supposed to be doing. And this was back in the day, like after I became a minister in 2010, um, you know, there were moments where I just I didn't feel like I didn't feel his presence. I felt like I was supposed to have that utterance. I felt like I was supposed to always speak in tongues. I felt like I was supposed to feel that that fire in my body. I was supposed to feel like what I felt when I felt the power of God before. Um, and I would try to, you know, I was chasing a feeling and not really chasing the truth. And that, and, and, and that, my friends, is is a big difference. It's a big change because when you know that, hey, you can't feel that particular feeling all the time, because if you did, you probably would die. Um, the the act the uh what I can't even really explain it right now. And that's that's I mean, that's not the conversation, but it's a part of how I felt when I felt like I did not feel his presence, when all I had to do was just believe on his word that I was into, you know, instead of trying to match his word with a presence, uh, a presence of a feeling. And I promise you, if you get past that, you will be all right. But feelings, uh, the reason why you can't use feelings uh as foundation is because, first of all, it's weak. It's too weak to be foundation. It's too weak to be foundation. Feelings are real, but they are not reliable. They're not reliable. You can't trust it because you're changed any day of the week. That's why people say all they they they were doing, they they were uh crying in church one day, and then all of a sudden they cussing because it was a feeling. It wasn't something that was in them, right? It wasn't something that was in them. Something that is in you is going to cause transformation and going to uh uh you will you will not do the thing that you used to do, or at least it's gonna be a huge problem for you. You're gonna know the difference, you're gonna wrestle with that thing, and that is the Holy Spirit working in you, and that is you fighting to either obey the flesh or obey the Holy Spirit. All right? Your relationship with the Lord cannot survive if it only depends on emotional highs. Your relationship with the Lord cannot survive if it only depends on emotional highs. Again, that's why people leave church and they're and they're not changed. They go back to what they were doing and they like keep they like to keep going back to church habitually with no change because it feels good. You know, the music sounds good, the preacher sounds good, he makes me feel good, but is is there a change, right? Is there a change?

When Church Becomes Emotional Hype

SPEAKER_00 14:53

You know, I'm so overdone with praise breaks, work and and you know, certain worship moments. And I love worship and I love praise. I I love worship, but I'm getting away from the praise breaks and the shouting and all of that because um, you know, only way that's been supported throughout the years was David dancing out his clothes, but he never danced out his clothes. That's some a scripture that was always taken out of context. But you don't see any of that in the New Testament, you don't see people uh shouting and dancing or just dancing, you don't see that. You just see them, you see worship, you you see uh adoration, you see all of these things. And so church emotionalism is something that can um that can that can really hold you back from true growth and faith because again, that going back to feelings. I don't feel the presence of God. You can't chase a feeling, you gotta be chasing after his word, you have to be um going after his word. Um you constantly chasing spiritual experiences is another thing, right? It almost goes with church emotionalism, but it's it's this part is spiritual, uh, spiritual experiences, such as like, you know, the so-called deliverance ministries. And uh those of you that have been listening for a long time, you know how I feel about that. And we'll we'll we'll we'll we're gonna talk about that one day. Um, and then confusing hype with maturity, confusing hype with maturity. So many things that are being said over the pulpit that you that you believe, but but is not true. Um, and uh it's doing nothing but fueling your emotions and getting you high, high on false words, right? And you're not growing, you're not becoming mature because your actions, again, they still are the same. And so that would say that you have a lack of faith. That would go back to a lack of faith because a lot of people that believe false teachings are people who uh need signs. It goes back to our episode. The very reason, the very thing that we're talking about today, it goes back to needing signs. But real faith continues to pray, real faith continues to obey, real faith continues to trust, and real faith chooses to remain planted regardless of what is happening, even when emotions are quiet. Do not, do not, I repeat, do not get uh emotional highs confused with uh with the presence of God. Because there's just some places where the presence of God is not when it when it comes to certain churches and certain speakers and certain motivational speakers these days, so so many certain people, like that's not, they're they're not saying anything true, but they're saying things that uh causes your faith to really be weak and when when when it

Trust Built Through Consistent Obedience

SPEAKER_00 17:40

is false. Um, but your faith has to be built through trust. It has to be built through trust, right? Um and that develops through consistency. You gotta keep showing up. You gotta, you gotta keep uh uh you gotta keep the consistency. Faith grows when you obey without immediate reward, when you uh remain faithful during silence, when you continue walking when clarity feels absent. Hebrews 11, uh verse 1 says faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, or the conviction of things not seen. Biblical faith has always involved truth beyond visibility. Abraham, look, he believed without without knowing the facts, without knowing it all. One fact that he did know is that he could trust God. One fact that he did know is that God is who who is who I am is who he said he is, right? That that's one thing. And that and if we have only one thing to believe and hold on to, we can know that he is a God that cannot lie. He is not a man that he should lie, right? And he always comes through. So one of the final things I want to leave you with before we leave here is if you only trust God when when everything makes sense, your faith will collapse when life becomes uncertain, when challenges, when circumstances come hitting home. If you're in a season where you don't see results, where you don't feel emotionally strong, you don't feel uh like you where you're where you should be, when you don't have all the answers, that does not mean God has abandoned you. And it doesn't mean that that that uh uh um that your faith is weakening. Again, that is a place where your faith is being strengthened. So continue walking, continue trusting, continue remaining rooted in his word, no matter what, because mature faith is not built on constant proof. Remember this it's not built on constant proof, but it is built on confidence in who the most high God truly

Final Charge And How To Support

SPEAKER_00 19:47

is. All right, listen, I hope that you have been blessed by this episode. This has been another episode of the Soul Fuel Podcast, the pit stop for your soul to be fuel for your journey in life as you do it with Christ. Again, if this has encouraged you, make sure you leave a review, like, share, and subscribe to the Soul Fuel Podcast on YouTube and whatever other platforms that you listen to podcasts on. And if you'd like to support the podcast and and become part of the pit crew, I I am I I invite you to join the pit crew to rev up your engines with the pit crew over on Patreon. That is patreon.com for slip patreon.com forward slash the soul fuel. Until next time, keep walking by faith, keep trusting Jesus, and keep your soul fuel for the journey and life as you do it with Christ. Pastor Will. And I'm signing out. I don't know what happened, but I'm okay. I'm signing out. Peace.

SPEAKER_01 20:48

I just want to walk in obedience.