HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 125
page A123
• R O MA NS 8 :5 | Those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please
the Spirit.
• 1 C O R I NT H I A NS 1 2 :1 | Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the
special abilities the Spirit gives us.
• G A L AT I A NS 5 :2 2 | But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.
Faith is inviting God’s Holy Spirit to live within us. It is not just an act of the mind, but it
taps us into the very resources of God so that we have the power to live in an entirely
new way. If God himself is living within us, our lives should be dramatically changed.
How can I strengthen my faith?
• G E NE SI S 1 2 :1 , 4 | The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country.” . . . So Abram
departed as the Lord had instructed.
Like a muscle, faith gets stronger the more you exercise it. When you do what God asks
you to do and then see him bless you as a result of your obedience, your faith grows
stronger. The next time God calls you to do something, you will have more confidence to
move ahead without hesitation.
• PSA L M 1 1 9 :4 8 , 5 4 | I honor and love your commands. I meditate on your decrees. . . .
Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have lived.
Faith is grounded in God’s Word. Your faith will grow stronger as you study the Bible and
reflect on the truths about who God is, his guidelines for your life, and how he wants to do
his work on earth through you. Faith is not simply a matter of positive thinking or human
effort. Faith is divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God. Your
faith grows as you read the stories of God working through people across the centuries
and you realize he will do the same in you.
• 2 C O R I NT H I A NS 3 :1 4 | But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever
the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand
the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.
• 2 K I NG S 6 :1 7 | Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened
the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was
filled with horses and chariots of fire.
The strongest faith is not one based on physical senses but on spiritual convictions.
There is a spiritual element to this world that we cannot see, but is very real. Your faith will
become stronger the more you allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen your “spiritual vision,” so
that you can sense and see the results of God working in your life and in the lives of those
around you.
When I’m struggling in my Christian life and have doubts, does it mean I have
less faith?
• 2 PE T E R 1 :4 -5 | He has given us great and precious promises. . . . Make every effort to
respond to God’s promises.
• G E NE SI S 1 5 :8 | But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I be sure that I will
actually possess it?”
• MAT T H E W 1 1 :2 -3 | John the Baptist . . . sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah
we’ve been expecting?”
Many people in the Bible who we consider to be “pillars of faith” had moments of doubt.
The key is to never give up on our faith and to always ask if, over time, our lives have been
moving closer to or further away from God. Even during moments of doubt, you must
invest the effort and discipline to allow your faith to grow.
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• H E B R E W S 1 1 :8 | It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave
home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without
knowing where he was going.
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• R O MA NS 1 0 :1 7 | So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about
Christ.