Simple Ways to Strengthen your Faith

Speaker 1 (00:00): Well welcome 2021. I love new years. I love new beginnings. I love the ability to set a whole new clean slate for every aspect of my life. And as usual, that includes physical fitness. We become strong by setting a goal of lifting weights and here at the well-versed woman, we talk so frequently that we are a three part being. So all three parts need strengthening. All three parts, need a weightlifting plan. Stay tuned today because we're going to be talking about how to have strong faith. This podcast is all about learning how to have faith in God. And we're going to talk today about how to strengthen it, how to put a plan in place for 2021 to grow strong, solid faith.

Speaker 2 (01:01): Welcome,

Speaker 1 (01:01): Welcome to episode 34 of the well-versed woman podcast. I'm Renee teller and I'm Theresa Morgan, Renee. And I are two perfectly imperfect women who have a heart to share our faith and our life's journeys with you. See what our faith is all about is about a relationship with God, our creator, and we know a few stay tuned that you're going to share in that relationship. Just as much as we do, we start every episode. The same way we ask that we all be still for just 20 seconds. As we invite our creator to plug in, to come right here and be with us and impart what he would share to your heart today. So what I'd like you to do is be very, still close your eyes. Make sure you're not driving. As we plug into the power source for 20 seconds and they start right now.

Speaker 2 (02:16): That's it.

Speaker 1 (02:16): That's 20 seconds. I don't know about you, but I really needed that today. And I encourage you to grow that time. Set it as a goal for 2021 to grow that still time, it will change everything in your life. I promise you, but back to this idea of getting new habits formed for 2021 and strengthening our whole selves, body, mind, and spirit today, we're going to talk about how to strengthen our spirit and make sure you stay to next week, because we'll talk about strengthening our minds. But I love this idea, Theresa of strengthening our faith. How do we grow our strength in faith? Absolutely

Speaker 3 (03:05): Renee, you know, Jesus, when he walked the earth, he taught that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. So I just love what the Bible says in Hebrews chapter 11, verse one, because it gives us a definition of what faith is. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for in the evidence, the proof of things not seen. So if we look at some of the Greek definition of some of these words, Rene, the assurance, the Bible says, it's the title deed, all right of things, hope for there. Hope for means confident expectation of what God has promised in his word. So we know that if it's in the word of God, we can be confident to believe for it. And when I say believe for it, we feed our spirits. As we know, because our anchor verse of this podcast is faith comes by hearing and by hearing the word of God so we can rest assure, and we can feed our faith and our spirits by knowing in expecting that what God has said in his word, we can believe him for it in.

Speaker 3 (04:22): Then we can see it, come to pass,

Speaker 1 (04:24): Love that. And it, it takes practice. You know, like we talked about, and that actually is my word for 2021 is to practice these things. We have to practice expecting and continually exercise that promise knowing when we get rocked or get unstable or feel like our faith, isn't strong enough. We have to read these words and say, wait a minute, Theresa. It says that we can expect it. So why am I not expecting it? Turn that off and start expecting it. I mean, it sounds silly, but it's kind of that simple.

Speaker 3 (05:05): That's right. You know, when you were talking earlier, Renee, about building a strong body, for instance, we go to the gym and we expect that when we go to that gym and get on the treadmill, we expect that we're giving our heart's good cardiovascular exercise. When we lift the weights, we're expecting that our muscles are being strengthened. Well, we can look at that as a nice analogy to God's word. When we read the word of God, we can expect God to move. That's the beautiful thing. You know, he says in Isaiah 55 11, that the word that he has put in his book will not return void to him, but accomplish the very things for which he sent it for in Joshua one eight, it says he watches over his word to perform it. So we know that God's word is based upon God's integrity that he's watching over his word to perform it, that it doesn't return to him void, but accomplishes those things that he sent it forth to.

Speaker 3 (06:11): We can have that assurance of faith that he meant in Hebrews 11 one. It's an assurance that I know what God said will come to pass no different than when a parent promises their child. Hey, I'm going to pick you up from school at three. And we're going to go to your favorite ice cream store. That child puts confident expectation that ice cream is coming after school. And it's the same with God. But the difference is God is infallible and he will not, he will not let go or disappoint what his word has put forth. Wow, that's

Speaker 1 (06:51): Great. That analogy, because we don't expect, when we lift weights in the gym to see our muscle grow right away, we see it down the road. We see it down the road after consistency and repetition, and it's the same with our faith. And we can't see the muscle grow, but why do we end up believing it? Well, the same thing happens as we walk more and more with the Lord, we exercise that confident expectation and then that grows. So now I become more confident and in my faith gets bigger and of course stronger. So I love that. Chaisa I love what we say about faith, the substance of what we hope for the evidence of what we can't see. There are so many things in this world, Theresa, that we can't see like gravity, but we know, and we expect if we jump off the bridge, we're going down.

Speaker 3 (07:57): That

Speaker 1 (07:58): Comes from experience. It comes from jumping off a diving board as a kid, or, you know, you learned about gravity long before you learned it in school. There are so many things that we can't see in this world. So why are we so particular when it comes to God that we have to see in order to believe? You know, it's, it's funny to me.

Speaker 3 (08:21): That's right. And I, you know, I'm thinking about the Christmas movie that we all love. The Santa Claus, you know, the little elf says that seeing is not believing, believing is seeing. And so in our hearts, we can see when we read God's word to that word that he put forth in the pages of that book, that's energized by the Holy spirit in our hearts will definitely come to pass. Only if we believe, right? The Bible says, just believed that it is true. And I love the experience part. However, because God, once we see something in his word and we trust him for that, we will see it come to pass. And that's an experience if you will, under our belt and we can look at the next thing we're believing God for. And again, we experienced that over time. And that's another thing to say, Hey, I've experienced this creator.

Speaker 3 (09:16): He's faithful. Like he says, in his word and Hebrews 10 23, hold fast. Your confession of faith for he who promised is faithful. We can see by interacting and collaborating with God that he will do what he has said he will do. And I love the Christian faith because it's an interaction. It's a constant day by day collaboration with the one who made us the one who created this earth in the one who has a good plan and purpose for our life. And if we really want to know how serious God is about the, the plan in these promises coming to pass, we just have to look and see that we have a covenant with God. That means God made an agreement. And that agreement was ratified. If you will, in the blood of his son, his son died. So they sins could be forgiven.

Speaker 3 (10:11): So that, that would be the bridge back to God. And when we believe these things, we enter into a beautiful salvation. Our sins are forgiven, but we also enter into a lifelong covenant and relationship with God in while at least we're here on the earth, we can look and see God's promises in his word and we can watch them being fulfilled day by day as we trust him. Yeah, we are so blessed in this country so that we have the word of God and that we can grow and practice our faith freely. It's it's such a blessing. It is a blessing. Renee in, there are more attributes that come with believing God than just the prize of what we're believing for. You know, character is developed as we believe God, you know, his word says in Hebrews six, verses 11 through 19, I'm just going to read a few of them.

Speaker 3 (11:10): It says, we desire that each one of your show, the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience, inherit the promises. And then it goes on to say in verse 19, this hope, the promises of God to uphold his word. We have as an anchor to the soul, both sure. And steadfast. So you know, what God is saying is, Hey, is you believe me for these things, your character is going to grow your patients for life and life's event is going to grow. And don't all of us want to become a stable person so that when the winds of trial and tribulation come our way that we don't break, that we may bend, but they had our character and our stamina is built. And it has been built on the foundation of God's word that we know he's in control. We know for instance, Romans eight, 28 is bringing all things to pass. We know these things to be true so that while others are having a hard time with trials and tribulations that come in life through perhaps wrong choices or through perhaps no fault of their own things are going on in the world, we can say, wait, this is what God's word promises. And we can help bring others into the promises of God and into his kingdom.

Speaker 1 (12:38): So amazing Theresa, one of the many mentors that I followed over the years in business always said one of the greatest successes. In fact, perhaps the greatest success in life is peace of mind. And so growing in this character that happens with our faith and our relationship with God is where that peace of mind comes from. I think about my years, I spent in business watching men and women conduct business, maybe not all the time as they should and what it does when we get out of that character development and that peace of mind as our major goal in life. And we start straying a little bit here and a little bit there. The next thing you know, that turns into stress that turns into illness that turns into disease. It's a snowball one way or the other, right? We're either focused on this relationship with God and becoming all we were meant to be that is good and righteous and worthy, or we're chipping away in the opposite direction, which also has a spiral effect in the opposite direction.

Speaker 3 (13:56): You know, that's so very true in a, and you know, we can look at what's going on in the world. You know, we're, we're going through a season and the whole world is going through this season of COVID-19 in our country, in the United States. We're seeing a period of, uh, unrest politically. And these things can be quite unnerving. But if we know that we know that God is in charge, we put our faith and our trust in him. And we know that the Holy spirit that resides in us is leading us and guiding us. We can have peace like Paul, the apostle who wrote the book of Philippians. It amazes me to this day. And I think I may have shared, I've been in Rome and I, and I visited that prison that he was in. Um, and he said, he knew how to be content, regardless if he was a basing or a bounding.

Speaker 3 (14:48): He learned the principle of contentment. Why? Because his faith drove him to peace. We can be in such a place of faith. It brings the peace and the full assurance, knowing that God, the good and loving God is in control. And he will bring all things to pass according to his good pleasure and his good Goodwill. So we can talk about things that are going on into this world, but really the only thing we can control at this time is what is in our circle of control with God in that brings peace. And I think that was the secret to Paul's peace as he wrote the book of Philippians in that wet Roman jail cold and, uh, infested with probably with rats. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (15:43): And if you're a new listener, you may not realize, but Paul actually persecuted the followers of Jesus back in his day, he persecuted them. Like one would argue that he was pretty bad. When I talked about maybe some things that go down in business that doesn't mean those people are spiraling out of control. That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm saying that we choose every day, right? Theresa, we choose every day who we will serve and we'll make mistakes. And I have fallen down many, many times. The difference is I get back up, I get on my horse. I bought myself in the right direction and say, this is what I intended, you know, forgive my mistake. This is my intention. I want to walk this way. And that made all the difference for Paul that's how far he went with his relationship with God. And that's exactly what it was. He was not following the religion. Was he Theresa? He was following a relationship with his spiritual God and creator his, everything

Speaker 3 (16:58): That that's so true. I love that you brought that up Renee, that he was a persecutor of Christians until he met the Lord. And Paul is a beautiful example of being transformed. I mean, it's beautiful. You know, the Bible says in Romans chapter 12, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. So we can see in the life of Paul, my goodness, he was so zealous against God's people. And then when the Lord showed him the truth, he was zealous for the truth in Rome, probably three, three quarters of the new Testament. And I love also Renee, how you brought in the forgiveness aspect of God. First, John one nine says that if we confess our sins to God, he's faithful. And just to forgive us of all sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, you know, the beautiful, beautiful facts and truths of the Bible teach us that because we are a three part being we're completely Holy and saved.

Speaker 3 (18:06): When we invite the Lord into our heart, we're saved in our spirit, the real loss in that we're working that salvation out into our soul and that our flesh someday will be saved. So what am I saying in relationship to forgiveness? I'm saying that times when we, at times, when a Christian misses the Mark, if you will, or sense, we go to adjust God, who's faithful to forgive us knowing that we haven't tainted that beautiful righteous spirit, but that we're doing what he says in Philippians two 13. We're working out that salvation through our soul. And eventually someday we're going to be completely sanctified and made Holy spirit, soul, and body.

Speaker 1 (18:54): So nice to know that we don't have to be perfect. Believe me. I've spent a lot of years thinking I needed to be. It's so freeing to know that I don't need to be, it doesn't mean that I'm not striving to be better and better every day, but the Bible says, the word of God says there is no one perfect, no, not one of us. And although I strive to be more like Christ every day, I don't need to have this standard that is unattainable, that I go crazy about Theresa. And that I've worked myself to the bone, so to speak, to try to achieve. And that there is that ability from God to give us grace and, and to give us the strength. So we're talking about strength today and the strength of our faith and it comes, and it starts by plugging into that power source and asking for help. Right?

Speaker 3 (19:57): Absolutely. And again, Renee, I love that you bring that up. That no one is perfect because being really the job of the Holy spirit is to help us. The Bible says that we are being made into the image of Christ. You know, man was initially made in the image of God, you know, that was lost through sin, but when we're saved, that process begins and the Holy spirit is faithful to help us so that we don't make the same wrong mistakes, the same bad choices over and over. But I love what Romans eight. It says now there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ. Jesus. And I just love that. And I think that brings full circle our message today that we're developing our faith in God. But as we develop faith in God, when we make a mistake, we can go to him, ask for forgiveness, and there is no condemnation and he doesn't just leave us and say, Oh, do better.

Speaker 3 (20:58): Next time. He's really there inside of our spirits to help us. I remember one time I was feeling such condemnation over something that I did, and I just felt the Lord's gentle way. And I just felt gently. The thoughts came to my mind. I hope you don't solve them this for days. All right. You miss the Mark, come on, ask for forgiveness and let's get going again. I'm paraphrasing a bit. But once I realized that, yes I am in perfect. And that's okay, but I'm not the same perfect person I used to be Renee. I don't make those same mistakes. My emotions are more grounded in the Lord. So I'm able to be a better witness for Christ. And I've able to help those who seem to be terrified over what's going on in, in the world. And I'm able to come along with scripture and come along with the accountants that God has inside of me to bring them to a better place. And isn't that what Christianity is all about. Renee bringing the love of God to others and bringing them into the kingdom and into a place where they can experience righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy ghost.

Speaker 1 (22:14): So absolutely true Theresa. And it all reminded me of when you spoke of God's grace to you and telling you, pick your chin up, I child pick your chin up. I forgive you. It reminded me of us with our kids or when we were kids and our parents and how they treated us. There really wasn't a sin that they would not forgive us of. And they did like an apology. My mom, my dad, you know, they wanted to know that I was sorry for what I had done and that I was going to change and not do it again. It's much easier if we continue to relate it to the relationships we know, because our relationship with God is the same way he will be there for us no matter what. And once you realize that life becomes much more peaceful, much more peaceful. That's great. Chaisa yeah,

Speaker 3 (23:14): Absolutely. Renee. And I'm looking forward to next week's episode because we're going to talk about helpful steps to bring us to a place where we are doing better in life. If you will emotionally, uh, making better choices by the company that we keep, by the words that we speak out of our mouth and the Bible has a lot to say about that. So I'm looking forward to that episode. That's great.

Speaker 1 (23:36): Right? So we're going to all be strong in 2021. And I have to take a minute to thank my co-host Theresa today because she eye surgery yesterday and here she is faithful to deliver this word for all of us. So thank you, Teresa. I know you need to get back to rest. I'm so grateful. You're my partner here in this, and I love you very much,

Speaker 3 (24:00): Uh, Renee and I love you very much and boy, whatever, what a beautiful relationship, you know, there are some relationships that are just made in heaven, and this is one of them. And I thank you as well. Renee

Speaker 1 (24:14): Stay tuned for next week because we're going to continue getting strong gaining strength for 2021 in our three part being body, soul and spirit. Oh, Theresa. Before I forget, what is our foundational scripture for the well-versed one?

Speaker 3 (24:33): Absolutely. Renee Romans 10, 17. Faith comes by

Speaker 1 (24:37): Hearing and hearing by the word of God. We'll see you next week.

Speaker 1 (24:44): Thank you for listening to the well-versed woman podcast. And if you're new in 2021, I still have some well-versed woman journals that we will send you in the mail. If you subscribe, rate and review this channel, we also have show notes every week where the scriptures are listed, right in your show notes that you can print or review because it's all about standing on the word. And lastly, we have a Facebook community group so that we can strengthen each other in 2021. It's called the well-versed woman, Facebook community. So ask to join it and we'll let you in until next week. We love you. We'll talk soon.

Speaker 2 (25:34): [inaudible].