Solid Faith

How many of you like shopping and looking at things on Amazon? How about looking for the newest thing out there on the market (video games, tech, phone, app, etc)? I love amazon maybe a little bit too much. I am always looking for all those items that I want from A-Z. because you know Amazon has everything from A-Z (hint look a their logo).

Today kicks off a four part series on Solid. I am believing God is wanting to speak into our lives so that the rest of this year He can move mountains in our life. Why Solid? “Scott, why would you choose solid?” Well the answer to that is somewhat tricky if I am to be honest with you. One year ago this week, I was sitting in my house on the couch and God challenged or pushed me to do something that has been one of the hardest things for me this past year. Write my second/sophomore book. I talked to my publisher and about a dozen other publishers about the vision that God was giving me. So I sat down and started writing. When I laid out the outline and plan for the book it was called Overtime. I know it’s a weird title but the reason why was because I think that we have one the battle of our lives when we give our life to Christ, but if we are honest life can be really hard and challenging. 

I wrote the first chapter and God said to me in my prayers or on a walk, I can’t remember, but it was that the real purpose of the book is not about overtime, but having a Solid walk with God through all the areas and times we may face in our lives. 

Let me ask you some questions to think about: How is your walk with God going? Are you where you thought you would be in your life so far? You happy and satisfied where you are spiritually? Do you have a relationship with Jesus?

Let me share this with thought, you are the strongest when you respond faithfully to God amongst your battles and struggles. Our doubts and questions are welcome at the throne of God, and he wants us to come to him for answers, direction, and distress we face. But you are not weak for sharing of God’s faithfulness through the tribulation.

Each person has their journey and walks with God. We will face battles, losses, and struggles throughout our days on earth, but we will also see wins, mountain top experiences, and pivotal moments within your life. High and lows come and go, but your faith in God must not waver or change through those seasons.

Solid in the context of your Christian walk and for this four week series is best defined by being firm, strong, stable, and unyielding. Looking at this definition, would you rate your walk with Christ as stable?

I am not sure how your brain works, but I know that each of us is entirely different and processes things differently. Each of us can also define our Christian walk as solidly based on different perimeters within our life. When we have faced various trials and obstacles, it can make some of us stronger and some of us not as strong, but we could still have a solid walk with Christ. Because through the battles and obstacles, we can even have an unyielding faith that will not give up, but we may have scars and bruises along the way.

There is a story in the Bible that I most relate to comes from a teenager's story in the Bible named Daniel. Of course, we know the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den and also Daniel’s friends who were thrown into the fiery furnace, and in both stories, we see a solid faith among these four young men. Yet before we see these four men have an unyielding faith, we saw something earlier in their lives, particularly Daniel’s life.

Daniel and his fellow counterparts were taken to Babylon after the Babylonians. Their King, Nebuchadnezzar, invaded and took all youths who were good looking, without a blemish, skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, and competent to stand in the King’s Palace back to Babylon. Daniel and the young Jewish men selected traveled hundreds of miles to Babylon.

 Read Daniel 1:8-13

Why is this story important for Daniel traveling to Babylon? Because Daniel’s life changed forever. He left his family, place of worship, hope, and comfort and was taken into Babylonian Captivity. Daniel traveled with fellow youths around his age to a place where God was not worshipped, and it was a foreign place where he did not belong.

I believe looking at Daniel 1:8-13 and looking at the year ahead of us, we need to be RESOLVED by two things. 

1.     Follow Him/Know Him- have a relationship with Jesus and help your students have an active relationship with Jesus.

2.     Have a plan- make a decision for Christ means to follow Him, and that no area of your life is off limits.

Have you been showing Resolve and determination in your walk with Jesus or letting things pull you away?

 What do you need to RESOLVE TODAY?

a.     What plan do you need to put in place? 

b.    What plans do you have this week?

c.     What do you want to see God do in your life this week?

d.    What do you need to hand over to God tonight so you can have a Solid week and walk with God?

e.     Is honoring God your #1 goal?