Faith What faith is. Foundation Scriptures:

Mark 11:23-24 "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things whch he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye recieve them, and ye shall have them."

Mathew 21:21-22 Jesus answered and said unto them, "Verilly I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22 And in all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall recieve."

Luke 6:46-49 46 "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: 48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat bvehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great."

James 1:22-24 22 Be be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own sleves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

I : Faith is laying hold of the unrealities of home and bringing them into the realm of reality (by acting on the Word).

II : Now faith is.

• A. If it isn't now, it isn't faith.
• B. The principles of faith are the same in any area (receiving the Holy Spirit, healing, finances, etc.). We do not receive by hoping.

III: Always remember Jesus never fails and God never fails.

• A. If it doesn't work we failed.
• B. God does not change; our prayer does not change God.
• C. Faith changes things not God.

IV : Mark 11:24 Believe and receive.

A . Believing is an action word.

• 1. Believing = Acting on the Word.
• 2. Believing and acting will cause the results to materialize.

B. Faith always says, It's mine; I have it now.

C. Faith never relents or looks back.

D. Make this your confession: I am not moved by what I see; I am moved only by what I believe.

V : Acting on the Word.

• A. Faith withough works is dead.
• B. Healed people should act healed.
• C. Let theredeemed of the Lord say so-whether they feel like it or not.
• D. Unbelief is siding against God's Word.
• E. Satan will challenge real faith. He will say, Look...
• F. Get busy and act on God's Word now. Don't just wait for something to come.
• G. Luke 5:18- Jesus saw their faith; their action was visible.
• H. Act as though the Word is true.
• I. Matthew 8:17 is not a promise; it is a statement of fact.

VI Real Bible faith simply says about you what the Word says about you-spiritually, physically, mentally, financially and socially.

Faith- How it works:

Foundation scriptures: Hebrews 11:6 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God mst believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

2 Corinthians 5:5-10 5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given usto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

I Who has it? The born-again believer.

A. Romans 10:6-7, 12: 1-3 6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thing heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7 Or, Who shall descent into the deep? (That is, to bring up Crist again from the dead.)

B. First John 5:1-5

• 1. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
• 2. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his comandments.
• 3. For this is the love of God, tht we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
• 4. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even ou faith.
• 5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.

C. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.

D. Second Thessalonians 3:2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

II Who can use it? Whosover is looking to Jesus.

• A. Mark 11:23 Whosoever For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say untothis mountain, Be thou removed , and be though case into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
• B. Hebrews 4:2 Anyone preached to. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit the, not being mixed with faith in tham that heard it.
• C. Ephesians 6:16, 23 Any brethern; God is as free with faith as He is with love. 16 Above all, taking the shild of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
• D. Acts 3:12,16 Not by our holiness. 12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or whay look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made the man to walk? 16 And his name though faith in his name hath made this man strong, who ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
• E. Hebrews 11:6 Without faith, it is impossible to please God. 16 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

III What is it?

A. Hebrews 11:1-3 Substance; spiritual force.

• 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
• 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
• 3 Through faith we understand that te worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

B. Romans 3:27 The law of faith. It is a law.

• A law is something that works everytime. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

IV How is it released?

A. Words release power.

• 1. Second Corinthians 4 13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 14 Knowing that he which raised up Lord Jesus shall rais up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
• 2. Mark 11 22 And Jesus answering siath unto the, Have faith in God. 23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them. 25 And when ye stand praying forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your tresspasses.
• 3. Proverbs 4:24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. 12:18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tounge of the wise is health. 13:2 A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.
• 4. Psalms 89:34 My covenant I will not break, nor alther the thing that is gone out of my lips. 141:3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
• 5. Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that whis is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. 17:6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should abey you.
• 6. Matthew 12 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account therof in the day of judgment. 37 For by they words thou shalt be justified, and by they words thou shalt be condemned.
• 7. Romans 10 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in they mouth, and in they heart: that is the word of gaith, which we preach;
• 8. James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his toungue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Behold, we put bits in the horses mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 4 Behold also the ships, which thouth they be so great, and are driven of fierse winds, yet are they turned about with very small helm, whithevsoever the governor listeth. 5 Even so the tounge is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6 And the toungue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the toungue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7 For every kind of beasts, and birds, and serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similiture of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same pleace sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vind figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. 13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
• B. Action releases power.
• 1 James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
• 2 John 3:21 Be he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

V How is it developed?

A. Put the Word first place. Make it final authority.

• 1 Whatever the Word says I am, I am!
• 2 Whatever the Word says I can do, I can do!

B. Meditate on the Word. Meditation builds the capacity for faith.

C. Act on the Word. Action builds faith.

D. Decide to live by faith(Galatians 3:11) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

E. Decide to live by love(Galatians 5:6) For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

F. Receive Jesus as the developer of your faith (Hebrews 12:2) Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our fiath; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

• 1 Recieve Him as the developer of your faith the same way you received Him as Savior.
• 2 When faith begins to grow, Satan's dominion begins to wane. Circumstances begin to yield and no longer look so overpowering.
• G Expect Him to develop your faith anytime you put your faith on the line.

VI Faith is the servant of the believer

(Luke 17:6-10) And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey your. But which of your, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eand and drink? Doth he thant that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are command you, so, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

• A. The disciples said, Increase our faith.

B. Jesus answered, Use what you have; a servant is expected to do his work.

Joy

Foundation Scriptures: Nehemiah 8:10 ; John 15:1-11, 17:13 ; Psalm 30:5

I. I. Joy is our strength.

A. Ephesians 3:14-21
B. Colossians 1:6-11
C. Psalm 105:42-43
D. Romans14:17 , 15:13

II. Joy is a spiritual force.

A. Galatians 5:22
B. Philippians 1:4

III. Giving increases Joy.
A. Philippians 4:17
B. 2 Corinthians 9:6-10
C. Hebrews 12:2

IV. With Joy , not grief
A. Hebrews 13:17
B. 1 Thessalonians 4:13
C. Proverbs 15:13
D. Isaiah 53:4

V. Joy Comes
A. John 16 ; Acts 8:6-8 - By revealing the Father
B. Proverbs 15:23 - By the answer of the mouth(answer grief with the Word!)
C. Psalm 27:6 - Sacrifice of joy.