Saved N' Sanctified
Just 3 young adults chatting in a room, sharing some scripture and figuring out how to keep God at the center of their lives. On this podcast we explore Biblical truths, answer common questions and discuss faith & culture.
Saved N' Sanctified
Faith
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What does it really mean to have faith, especially when life doesn’t go according to plan? In this episode, we explore the power of faith, what it looks like in seasons of uncertainty, and how trusting God can give us strength, hope, and peace, even when we don’t have all the answers.
With your walking through a difficult season, waiting for something to change or simply looking to deepen your relationship with God, this conversation is a reminder that faith isn’t about having everything figured out. It’s about choosing to trust one step at a time.
Key verse: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7
Welcome back, everybody. This is Alyssa and Janae, and we this is Saved and Sanctified. Thank you for listening today. We're going to be going over faith and just talking about what faith is and all the things that come along with faith, you know, doubt and just a mixture of stuff and just see where the Lord takes us. Um we don't have a mic today. He's gone for some reason. But yeah, uh first I'm gonna pray us in and then we could start. Um Lord, I just thank you so much for bringing us here today, for giving us this platform to be able to share with others about just um what you've taught us, as well as just um be able to be a voice from um I don't know, from your Holy Spirit. I thank you for allowing us to just share today about faith. I pray, Lord, that whoever's listening is able to glean from what we're speaking about. And I pray that you also just allow me and Janae to grow even more too, Lord. And um, Lord, if there's anything we say that is not um right, I pray that you can just allow others to discern that, and yeah, we can keep on moving. So I just pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.
SPEAKER_04Amen. I love that prayer. I always tell people when I start, like, if I share a message or like a devotional, I'm like, take this with a grain of salt. Yeah, exactly. Okay, because sometimes my my own opinion kind of floats up in there, and my opinion sometimes is not the Lord's opinion, okay?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we're not perfect. I think it's important to know that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but we're just gonna unpack a lot of scripture today. We're gonna dive into what the word says, what God has already written for us about our faith, why our faith is important, and all that good stuff. But let's start with what is faith. What is faith? Right? So I'm gonna start us in Hebrews chapter 11, verse one. And it says, now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Right? So faith is more than just believing that God exists, right? It uses keywords like confidence, assurance, right? It's believing that God is who he says he is, that he's able, that he's good. It's choosing to rely on God rather than what we can see right in front of us in the world around us or what we're in control of, right? The way I tell people to understand it is like I believe God can, right? I trust God will. I trust God even if he doesn't, dot dot dot. You know, you fill in the rest of the sentence. But it's like those are faith-filled statements that like that's our mindset of like whatever is happening. I know that God is who he says he is. I know that he'll do what he says he will do. Like you're standing firm on that. That's having faith.
SPEAKER_01That's good, that's true. And I think it doesn't even uh matter the amount, because even Jesus talks about how faith you can have faith as small as a mustard seed, and that's very tiny. Um because he's the one who's doing the work in us, and it's just a matter of us believing at least and knowing that he will be true to his promises. I think even for myself, when I first started walking with the Lord, I had I'm sure my faith is very tiny, but I knew that God was going to get me through regardless. I didn't really know a whole bunch about him, but at the same time, I had that confidence and assurance that he'd be there alongside um me every step of the way. So yeah. It's good.
SPEAKER_04100%. Because I feel like regardless of our outcome, right? Like we still have to have faith. I think that's why there's like a million scriptures on it.
SPEAKER_01That's yeah.
SPEAKER_04I don't know about you, but I opened the little index of my Bible and I was slightly overwhelmed. Yes, there's because I was like, okay, I know like a couple off the top of my head, you know, like walk by faith, not by sight. Like, you know, the ones that are like so overly quoted. But I was like, I know there's like deeper ones. I'm like, we're little hidden gems. It was like an entire page of just like literally faith. And I was like, oh, okay. I was like, we really diving into the word today.
SPEAKER_01That's true. Well, I think because it's important for us to understand what faith is. Um, because I think when we don't, sometimes we think we have to earn it, or we think like it's something that we we don't have automatically, which I feel like it's a gift from it's a gift from God. It's a gift, um, like we're more believing in his promises. We're we're also believing that Jesus died for our sins and that Jesus like um like now we're seen as like white as snow and clean. We're like covered by his blood, like and believing that um is like well I don't know. I feel like I got distracted for a second on where I was going with that. But yeah, just like believing that truth, I think, helps us grow even more in our faith, but also like it's something that um we can't just learn in a book and hope that we'll just grow in it more. It's like something that God has to like produce in us. Um hundred percent.
SPEAKER_04Well, and I feel like it's through our obedience, right? Like if we don't have no, I lost my thought. We're just gonna go back to the word. Okay, Romans 14. Let's do it. Right, verse 23.
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna call Mikey out for not being here. See, he keeps us on track. I guess we do need him.
SPEAKER_04Right? We do.
SPEAKER_01Romans 14. What's the verse?
SPEAKER_04Verse 23.
unknownYes.
SPEAKER_01It says, but whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat because their eating is not from faith, and everything that does not come from faith is sin. That's the verb.
SPEAKER_04Like that's intense. I know it's kind of a random verse, too, right? When I first saw it, I was like, what is this? But this passage reminds us of the importance of acting according to faith and conviction, right? Faith and obedience, they go together, they belong together. And if we're, you know, striving to live a good Christian life, right? Which hopefully we all are, especially if you're listening to this podcast, right? That's what we want for you guys. That's what we want for ourselves. And if we say we trust God but continually refuse to follow Him, something's missing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Right. There's that lack of faith aspect there.
SPEAKER_01That's true.
SPEAKER_04Because like even in James chapter 2, verse 26, for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead. Right? Obedience is action.
SPEAKER_03Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_04Right?
SPEAKER_01I mean That's true. I mean, even in Ephesians 2, it's saying, like, verse 8 and 9, it says, For it's by grace you've been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves. It is a gift from of God, not by works, so no one can boast. And I think it's important for us to remember that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04The second one? I had James 2.26.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah. Oh, and even James ties into faith without deeds. So it's like we can't do like, yeah, we have to we have faith, of course, where we believe that Jesus like died. We believe in God's promises. We believe like even that he's going to give us one day eternal life. Um and or technically we're like living in eternity right now. That's why we think. But um it's saying how faith can't just be like you can't just have one person can't just have faith and one person have deeds. Like it's uh it's combined. It's not just uh, oh well, I can just I just live on my faith. But um I think in order for us like we can't just live on I feel like faith is not just like of course, like it's believing, but it's also knowing like the truth and knowing the word, like actually being in the word and understanding it, not just like saying, Oh yeah, I believe, but then not like growing or not changing at all because God's the one who's gonna transform you and change things in you.
SPEAKER_04Um, and I think of people who it's like, yeah, you can squote squote, you can quote scriptures, uh-huh, right? Or, you know, you can say all the right things, but it faith isn't about what you say, right? It's supposed to change what you do and how you live your life, right? Faith is, I mean, if we go back to our original opening Hebrews verse, right? It's the substance of all things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_04It's not just believing, it's not just saying, it's actually having the confidence in God, the dependence in God. Like you're fully trusting him, right? It's like, I know he can do this, I trust that he will do this, right? And with that, I mean, it's not just like a stationary thing. It's like we have to take that out into the world.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Right. You mentioned the verse of like faith can move mountains, right? It's like, I don't know, there's like a term for like moved.
SPEAKER_01Oh, moved.
SPEAKER_04Oh you know, like whatever that type of word called. I want to say adjective, but I don't think that's right.
SPEAKER_01You asked the wrong person.
SPEAKER_04Guys, I did not pass English class. Don't ask me any math, science, English, or history questions. Um, not even sure how I graduated high school, to be so completely honest. But yeah. I want to start right there because I'm just gonna embarrass myself.
SPEAKER_01I thought you were gonna continue on, okay. Um about faith and moving moments, but yeah.
SPEAKER_04No, but it's like I mean, even throughout scripture, it's like faith isn't passive, right? We see faith moving people to action, right? It's like Noah built the ark, right? Abraham went when God called him, right? Peter stepped out of the boat, and even the early disciples, like they followed Jesus, yeah, right, without even knowing every detail where he was leading them. That was their faith. Yeah, right.
unknownThat's good.
SPEAKER_04It shows us that it's not just what we believe, it was what they did, right? It's what we do with it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Because it's like, yeah, God gives us the faith, but then it's like, what are we gonna do with it now? We can't just sit there and hold it, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. We've got to like share it or even just grow in it, or even something that's understanding it, like understanding what it even means to trust in him, or um allowing God to like kind of prune the things in your life that don't allow you to trust him too, that allow you to grow even like more in your walk with him, or grow even more in um being like Christ and being like Jesus. Um it takes time for sure. Yeah. That's good. I like that. And I think Satan really, he wants us to forget, he wants us to lose our faith in like what Jesus did, or he he's always like trying to because I think I I heard this from somewhere. Um, I think it was some sort of sermon where it's like the thing that Satan wants the most is like to take our faith and our belief in the God. Like he because he I mean it even talks about in the Bible how like the demons they know they they know who God is, and but they don't like they're afraid of him, but they don't believe in him. They don't want to believe in his truth. Um, and I think the enemy doesn't want us to, or he wants us to lose faith. Like I think of Job as the example, as an example too, where he's asking God to like, he's like, oh, like he's only following you because you have he has all these things, and um that's why like he wouldn't follow you. He's gonna curse you if you don't if you take everything away. He's like, fine, take everything away. You just can't hurt him, you just can't kill him. Right. Um, and then he does, and then Job, the whole book, didn't curse God. He questioned him more than anything, where he was like, questioned why was I born, like everything. And then God comes down and talks to him, like in a whirlwind. He's like, When were you there when I did all this? Um and then God even he gave him I don't know how much, but like ten times more than what he even had. And I think um sometimes there's there's always gonna be testing that happens, you know, like and that produces like perseverance, it produces us to continue to like go um well yeah, just produce it pushes us, like spurs us along to continue on. Yeah. Oh yeah, right there in uh in James 1, where it says uh you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance, and let perseverance finish its works that you may be mature and complete and not lacking anything. And if we lack anything, we can always ask God and He will give it to us. Of course, if it's in the right mindset.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Yeah, and I think your point too, like it kind of leads into like one of the things that I feel like is kind of a common misconception, if you will, of like, well, can I still have faith even though I'm overwhelmed with doubt?
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_04And I think, like you were saying, like that's the enemy's main tactic, is to try to get us to doubt God's goodness, right? And because we see it with Job. Yeah, like he started doubting, like, well, why am I even on this earth? Like, what is my plan? Like, what am I doing here, Lord? Like, you know, because he wasn't gonna blame God, he knew it wasn't God, yeah, right, but he was just like overwhelmed with doubt. But we see that he still had his faith, he still knew who God was, and I feel like he's such a good example of like instead of running from God because we start having doubts, right? It's like learn to bring those doubts to God, right? It's like sit with him in those moments and be like, listen here, Lord, this is what's happening in my mind. Like, these are the thoughts that I'm having, but I know that I know that you are good. And it's like those are the moments where you have to start like reading the scripture over yourself, and because that's what rebuilds your faith. You know, like it strengthens you, it builds you up, and that's those are the times that you really need it. Because I think if you sit in that doubt and let it fester, then the enemy is like slowly winning and getting a foothold to do other things in your mind, opening up to other thoughts and all these things. And I really think that, and this is my opinion, okay, not fact, my opinion, that doubt, like for me especially, like doubt is what will suffocate my faith if I let it, if I let it sit. So I know for me, my biggest thing is I have to be like God, I don't understand this, but I'm still choosing to trust you. But like these are the doubts I'm having, you know, and then usually those are the times where I'm like, if I don't know the verses, I'm either Googling them or I'm asking a mentor or my mother, like, hey, this, you know, even like sometimes I'll just ask her the question and be like, so this is this, you know, and she'll like give me verses and be like, oh, well, it says in Ezekiel, I'm like, perfect, you know? But it's like little things like that. But I mean, I definitely think that we still can, you know, struggle with those things, and even just struggling with like when something doesn't turn out the way we want it to. Yeah, I think it can kind of cause our faith to waver in a way of like, but I but I prayed and I wasn't healed. You know, it's like, did I not have enough faith? Kind of things. Like it starts to make us question, it starts to make us doubt. And I think a lot of people think that that means they lack faith, but you're we're allowed to question as long as we bring those to God.
SPEAKER_01And don't allow it to like separate us from Him. No, that's true. I like that. And I mean, time and time, like all the time in the Bible, there's like countless times where the New Testament and Old Testament, where there's the disciples that are doubting, like, wasn't it doubting Thomas? Like where he's like, Oh, I'm not gonna believe that Jesus was here unless I can put down my like literally that I feel bad for Thomas being called that the Bible. Um but like he wanted to feel the holes in Jesus' hand, and um he Jesus sure did show him. He was like, Here, but the thing is, is even though he doubted, like Jesus still showed him, like I know you're doubting, like, I don't know, I'm doing this by not like not verbatim of freedom, but like and then he showed him. And like I think that's the thing is like when we bring it to him and we um tell him, like, yeah, this is what's going on, then God's like, okay, well, let me show you, let me show you the truth of what, like, kind of like counteracting that lie that we're thinking, or or yeah, just like counteracting what that doubt may be. Because I think a lot of times there's always gonna be a truth of like when we have a doubt, then it's like us having to bring it to God so he can allow us to see what's actually true and what's like not, what's like um a lie from Satan or from our own minds and stuff like that. Because I think sometimes he wants us to lean a lot on our understanding and on our feelings and on well, how this I feel and this is what's going on. Um, so it has to be true, but that's not that's not it at all. We're dying to ourselves like Jesus should carry his cross. We're carrying our cross, where his disciples like. Um, and I think even Proverbs is like telling us about like the whole Proverbs 3, verse 5 and 6. It's like trust in the Lord with all your heart.
SPEAKER_04We're not on your own leave not on your own understanding in all your ways, submit to him, and he will make your path straight.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, like boom, like right there, like that I mean sometimes just reading that being like, Yeah, trust in the Lord. And then we're talking about faith and how faith is a heartfelt, like trust in God. So it's like saying, like, even in Proverbs, it's like pretty much saying, like, have faith in the Lord, like He's the one who does well, yeah, He's the one who does the work. Even like in I think it's Philippians 1, 6, where it's talking about how he who started a work in us will carry it on to completion. I think I love that verse because I think sometimes that brings me back when I am doubting and when I feel like I'm like failing or doing something wrong, then I have to remember that verse because it's like saying, what does it say? Um being confident of this, and then the confidence falls into faith too, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. So it's like knowing that God's the one who's going, who's still working, even when it feels like he's not, even when we get a no, or even when things go so like not the way we wanted at all, then it's like us remembering that he's the one working still, even though it doesn't feel like it. And Job the same. He didn't think God was doing or I don't know what he thought. He was questioning a lot, and then um yeah, and God came to him and still spoke with him.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, well, and I think of the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego story in Daniel chapter three, how they like wholeheartedly believed God could deliver them. Like, you know, these three were about to be thrown in the furnace because they wouldn't bow to the golden statue, and but it was like even in that moment, their mindset was even if God doesn't, we still believe, like they still had that faith, yeah, like because they were like standing on business, right? They knew God had the power to save them, right? And I think that's what made their faith so powerful, because they had that full dependence and confidence and trust in the Lord, yeah, right? It's like God is still worthy of our trust, regardless of what happens.
SPEAKER_01That's true.
SPEAKER_04You know, it's like even if the job didn't come through, the door we are praying for stays closed. Like, you know, it's like whatever the circumstance is, it's It shouldn't affect our focus and our mindset. Like our mindset should still be God, I know that you are good and just and righteous and all these wonderful, beautiful things. And if you don't know what we're talking about, go either read your Bible or listen to our episode on God's character.
SPEAKER_01I don't know if she mentioned his book of Daniel, right? Isn't it Daniel?
SPEAKER_04Yes, Daniel chapter three. Should I write Mishiach and Abandonigo?
SPEAKER_01I think what's even what came to my mind, um, well, was the Brandon Lake song, but also is like the fact that I think um their faith, like they knew like God would be true to his promise, but also I think sometimes it's like faith looks crazy to other people, especially people not in the world, like or people in the world, people not in like the faith and believing. Um and I think gosh, I lost my train of thought. No, I think that um it's a matter of oh, it's a matter of being faithful in whatever in God's like whatever the truth is of that God's shared with us, like trusting in him, trusting in what he says. And sometimes it's um if like I mean luckily they didn't die, but if they did like say they did, then it's still a testament of like, well, that but they were true to what um to following the law, to what God told them, like you're not gonna bow down to any idols and worship any other god but me. So they were still like faithful in that. Um because I think sometimes when we are faithful, like it feels like it could there's times where it can feel like it's not going well. Um, or like from the outside it looks like you're like, oh shoot, maybe I didn't make the right choice. But it's still like we don't know the full picture, so we can't really um fully see like what God is quite is doing quite yet, even in that or in general with our faith. But yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Well, and I think that just goes back to like live by faith, not by sight.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Right? Or even like in Romans 117, like we're called to live by faith, right? When things are good, when they're difficult, when we don't understand.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Like when the whatever the answer is, whether it's yes, whether it's no, whether we're in a waiting season that seems dreadful, right? It's like our faith becomes a lifestyle of us just continually trusting in who God is. And I mean, we have a whole book filled with promises fulfilled, right? It's like there's not a single promise that God has ever made that He won't come through for. And if that doesn't build your faith, I don't know what will.
SPEAKER_01That's true.
SPEAKER_04Because, friend, that builds my faith for sure. Just like reading it, it's like, oh, okay. Even if that promise isn't for me, it's like still seeing it come through, like seeing God come through for someone, it's like, oh, yep, he is real. Like he is, it just like shatters like whatever doubt I have in my mind.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's true. I like that. That's good. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04But I think a good thing to look at is like, what does it look like for us to have faith, like realistically, to say that I do have confidence in God and that I fully trust Him? Like, what does that look like for us in our life as young adults as Christians in an unchrist-like world? What does it look like? Right. Because I think of like forgiveness, right? Because I think us having faith is us reflecting Christ. So to do that, it's like forgiving someone who hurts you, saying no to something that you know is gonna compromise what you know is a conviction for you, right? Or, you know, serving when no one notices.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Like those little things, it's like that's how we can show our faith.
SPEAKER_01That's true. And I think um in my study Bible, at least it has a little table where it talks about faith that works. And it's like talking about, I mean, it has similar it's talking about how James has the book of James has similarities with the Sermon of the Mount than any other book, which I did not know that. But also like having faith when like troubles come our way, we still consider it great joy, and we know it's gonna grow us in perseverance. Like I was saying in James, where it's like your faith produces perseverance and then produces like just kind of like how it's a trickling effect, and it's like tied with like a lot of other things, or it produces like then it turns us into being mature and complete, not liking anything, knowing that we're not missing anything. Um and what is it? And we know that God will answer our prayers as well, too. Um it also says like believers who don't amount to much by the world standards should be glad because God has honored them. Like I was saying, like it can be counter-cultural. The question was like, how do we as believers, like as young adults you look how does faith look for you as young adults? That was the question, right?
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Like, what does it look like in our life to say that we have faith?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think it's like the actions, like I feel like sometimes it's like even just not being afraid of whatever the world may tell you. Um, that because it's obviously gonna be not what probably not aligned to with what God is like trying to tell you. Right. I think even like I think of my work and how it started and how it is now. Like in the beginning, like I knew God wanted me here, I knew he led me here, but at the same time, like there were so many things that made it seem like I shouldn't I don't want to be here, or I felt like I didn't need to be there, or I f or maybe it was more like the doubt that came in, but even through it all, like I had to continue to remember, like, no, God brought you here, so then it's like bring me back to like remembering that sometimes there's gonna be trials and tribulations that happen, and it's only so I can grow more in my faith and grow um like closer to the Lord. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Um one of the things that comes to my mind is like I think of faith as like a small step, right? Like it's not gonna be this huge leap or whatever, like it's just taking the next step of obedience, right? It's taking that step towards whatever God is calling you to do. You know, trusting God with a relationship instead of trying to force the outcome or you know, it's like obeying him when you don't see the whole picture, right? Because we're not going to. We're not gonna know his timing, we're not gonna know the whole plan, the whole story. Like that's just not how he rolls, right? And I think it he does that because we have to rely on him. It forces us to build our faith so that we can just trust in what is unseen, you know?
SPEAKER_01That's true. I think um one thing as well, too, that I think God's been kind of bringing into my life a lot this year is like the John 15, how he teaches about the vine and the branches. And I think it's like, I feel like that helps me um in my faith because it's like reminding me this is what God is doing. This is what he's uh doing for each and every one of us as believers, like that we have to, um, what is it? He is the wait he's the true vine, the father is the gardener, he cuts off branches that don't bear fruit, and um he prunes them, prunes even sometimes good fruit so that more fruit can come. So even when like well, yeah, um, and he's talking about how like we have to remain in him as I remain. He's like, remain in me as I also remain in you. No branches can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine. Neither you can bear fruit unless you remain in me. It's like even the um what is it? I think it might be in some one of the songs about like nothing good comes from the Lord. Apart from him, we can do absolute nothing. So it's like remembering like that this is what he's doing. There's gonna be pruning, there's gonna be these this stuff that's happening, but he wants us to remain in him so that we can continue to bear uh good fruit. We can continue to grow in our faith, could grow in um just like even just in knowledge of who God is and like growing our trust in him too. Yeah. Um, but in order for us to even do that, we have to remain in him. We have to remain in his love, remain with him, remain going to him, or even it's like abide, the word abiding, like remaining abiding or living. It's like I know it was another translation was talking about living in God. Um, and like Yeah, you know, so it's just like constantly remembering that. Like, I think even like in Romans, I had it where it's like we Paul's talking about in Romans 6, where he's like saying, What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means we are those who have died to sin. Like even remembering, like we've died, like God already when we accepted that Jesus died on that cross for all of our sins, like we have to believe that. And we of course at times we may forget, but we have to be in the word so that we know, like, yes, that is it doesn't live anymore. It doesn't rule our lives anymore like it used to. And we can't just like start being a believer and then still like live the same life we had, like BC life. Like it has it's a new life that we're giving. We're transformed. And like we should be living that way. Um and if we're not, then we gotta we gotta ask the Lord, like, okay, I need to check my heart, and Lord, like, well, something's going on, like there, then maybe there's not that faith that's in there where I'm not, I didn't, I don't believe that Jesus died for me.
SPEAKER_00Like, I'm not saying that, but I if you're thinking, or if that's happening in your life, then might make you like, or have to consider talking to the Lord about that.
SPEAKER_04Well, and there were times like in high school where like the enemy would just start feeding those doubts and I would let it fester. And it got to the point where it was like I was fully trying to convince myself that God wasn't real. But it was like in my spirit, like his word is was already written on my heart. Like I grew up in the church, so it was like I I knew that I knew that he was good and that he was real, and that like I knew the promises and I knew what he had already done in my life, but yet I'm still sitting here trying to convince myself and be like, Well, I mean, maybe he's not even real and I'm just like wasting my time. But it's like what are we doing? Like, we know that he is real, yeah. Right. And it's like sometimes you have to remind yourself, but I like how you brought up the three different words like remain, abide, and like living in, right? Because those are very stationary words, right? It's like God intended faith to be this new lifestyle for us when we hear the gospel, right? We hear about what Jesus did for us and we believe that he truly did die for our sins so that we could be free, right? And that we could have a relationship with God now. Well, you have to put effort into a relationship, right? You have to grow it. Yeah. And it's like for our faith to grow, we have to remain connected to this vine, right? We have to remain in our word. We have to remain like getting to know who God is, right? Because you can't trust someone you don't know.
SPEAKER_01That's true, right?
SPEAKER_04It's like when you date someone, you start as strangers, right? And then you slowly get to know each other, and then you start to build the foundation of this deep relationship, right? And it's the same thing with our faith and with God.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Right? We have to go through the motions and you know, it's not just something that we exercise when there's turmoil in our life and we're going through something. And, you know, it's like when we're stuck in those Job type moments. It's like, no, it's an everyday kind of thing. When life is good, when you did get the job, it's like those things should build your faith. Like you should have faith year-round. It's not just like, oh, when my seasonal depression kicks in, I gotta pull my faith out the sock drawer. See, that's not how it works. Like it's a lifestyle. You know, we're supposed to remain connected to him because that's our source of joy and peace and comfort.
SPEAKER_01That's true. Yeah, and even be good soil. I'm thinking of our episode we did about the different soils. And it's like he's talking about the soils for a reason. I mean, because we should be that soil that's able to, was it the good soil that's able to like take on the seeds and grow and grow the fruit and all that? But we have to be well, I think even like, what was it? Learning of um, I think it's the book of Micah where it mentions like he's talking about like this vase and how like God's gonna break them and put them back together and all that. And then you think of how God is this, he's the um what is it? When you're doing ceramics, he he's the potter. Oh yes, we are the we're the vessel. Yeah, and we are the yes. Um, and even knowing that, like you have to be um in order to be moldable, you gotta be the w the clay has to be wet. And I think the water is like this living water of Jesus, but also it's like the spirit, and like and the spirit has to be alive and like be able to like live in in us. And in order for it to live in us, we've got to be in the word. Because if we're not, then we're feeding the flesh, and the flesh is just growing stronger and stronger. We don't want that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Well, and I think sometimes like we just exhaust ourselves trying to like control everything or you know, manipulate the outcomes, or you know, it's like we get just like stuck in the world around us, and it's like, oh, we'll have to do it. It's like sometimes there may be a moment where you kind of forget that there is a God out there that is in control, and you're just like, Well, this is what's right in front of me, and I have to like handle it and I have to do it. And then it's like, oh, but I can trust God. I can that's what my faith is for.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Right? It's like, you know, I'll do what God has asked me to do. Like, I'm gonna trust that He's in control because I should not be the one in control. Like, please do not put me in control of anything, right? Like, you know, but I think it's we kind of exhaust ourselves, but like our faith reminds us that our relationship with God isn't based on our ability to have everything figured out or to be able to do that because God never asked us to do that.
SPEAKER_01That's true, right?
SPEAKER_04And it's like, I don't know about you, but my faith brings me so much peace. I mean, it just it's like we get to belong and be in relationship with this God of the universe, right? And it's like that right there, that doesn't give you peace. I don't know what will. True.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. That's good.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Is there any final thoughts, any last encouragements you'd love to give our listeners, Alyssa?
SPEAKER_01I think um one last thing I would say is something that helps me, especially when I'm doubting and like my faith, it feels like my faith is not strong, is remembering like the start of your walk with God and how, like I was saying, like I didn't know anything about God. I just knew that I needed him, and I was trying to do it on my own. And I think our life, um the before Christ life is always like us trying to strive and do things on our own and have all this control. And when we're believing in the Lord and following him, it's like us laying it down and giving it to him. So I just think it's important to remember like when you started, um, your faith. God doesn't need much to be able to do a work in you. It's just a matter of us being obedient and laying things down at his feet and being honest with him about doubts or things that are going on, or even just asking him, like, to help you understand what what faith even means. Um, but I mean it talks about it a lot just in general in the Bible. Um so yeah, I would just encourage you all to remember that. Um, that God loves you and He's not looking for you to be perfect and to um be this perfect person who has this mighty big like faith. He just wants you to come to him and he's the one who's doing the work in you. And yeah, just trust him.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Yeah, I I think of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat, not just because he's my favorite name in the Bible, because it's fun to say, but in 2 Chronicles 20, in verse 20, Jehoshaphat and the people, they're facing a situation that they knew they couldn't solve on their own. And their response was to trust God. Right. And I think for us, it just shows us that we don't need to know the entire path to take that first faithful step.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_04Because that's all God asks for us to do is just step out of the boat, right? You know, He Jesus asked Peter, do you trust me? And he goes, Well, of course you're Jesus, like you're the Messiah, of course I trust you. He goes, then step out of the boat, walk on the water to me, right? And maybe it's not that dramatic in our lives, but that's exactly what God is asking us. That's true. Is do you have faith? Okay, then do what I've asked. Take that step of obedience, yeah. No matter how small it is or how scary it may seem, right? Because he's not gonna show us the whole picture. That's right. Maybe someone he did. Bless your soul, you're great. But for most of us, like that's not the case. That's true, but we still have to trust him enough to take that next step.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Well, I think even just with that, it's like he's telling him to keep his keep your eyes on him. Because yeah, I mean, we're not walking on water. I know I've tried as a believer, that would be like, Lord, and run on water. Like right. But at the same time, like when reading that, it's like he's just telling him, like, when g when P when Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, that's when he started sinking. It's the same with us. When we take our eyes off of Jesus, and this Bible is a living word, and it is like, what does it say? And like John was like the beginning was the word, the word was God, the word was with God, the word became flesh. Like, so it's like when we take our eyes off of him, um, we're gonna sink. Yeah. And I don't want to sink.
SPEAKER_04No, I don't because when you you sink, that means that you're losing faith. Right? But I think that also it's like I want to encourage you guys to have those people around you that will encourage you in your faith.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_04That will notice like if you're going through something, or when you have those moments where you start to doubt who God is. Because that's really where it starts, is at the core of understanding who God is.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_04So if you don't have an understanding, build that understanding and then get people around you who have that understanding that they can remind you and you can start to remind them. That would be my biggest thing. So open your scripture. Yeah. In addition to all our podcast episodes. But we have enjoyed talking to you guys. Yes. And we hope that this encourages you, but also that you learned a lot about what our faith is, why it's important, because it is important for us not only to be Christians, but to uh live a good life, right? To have a strong understanding of who God is. Yeah. Because when we do, that's when the fruit grows. So thanks for listening.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_04And we'll see you on the next episode. Bye.