Starting at the end   

Have you ever noticed how easily our faith eludes us, right at the time we need it most? You’re not alone. It happens to all of us that way, and that’s why I’m so excited to explore with you how you and I can have the sort of faith that moves mountains. 

Jesus once said to His disciples: 

“Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you.” (Mark 11:22-24)

Now that is an outrageous statement, right? But instead of asking you today whether we can believe Him, I want to ask you a different question. 

Have you ever wondered why we need faith? 

For me, starting at the end brings it into sharper focus. But it’s not just death that we have to confront one day, all of us, but life. Today, tomorrow, next week, next year. Everyday life. And you and I know all too well that there are things that are bigger than us that can rob us of the confidence to live life. They can show up in all manner of ways, as:

Fears and worries. We brood over the past – or the future. We can’t control them. We can’t change them. We can’t fix them. So we worry about them. And the more we worry, the more fear grips us and immobilizes us.

Insurmountable obstacles or barriers. Things we just can’t overcome; things that allow doubt to come sneaking in under our guard.

Challenges that we can’t meet. Have you ever had this sense that “I should be able to do this, but …”?

A deep sense of inadequacy. The addicted man who can’t break the cycle of shame. The woman who deep within feels that she simply isn’t good enough and never will be.

Deep regrets. That bad financial decision. That divorce. That abuse. There are so many people for whom the past destroys their present and robs them of their future.

No, I can’t take away those things. But here is what I know. As you discover what God has to say, His Spirit, through His Word, will take away the fear, and set you free to live a life of faith that moves mountains.

LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS 

• Spend some time thinking about why you need faith – not just to help you confront death, but to help you grow and live your life well, every day.
• Have you ever been through a time in your life when your faith has deserted you or got very wobbly, right at the time you needed it the most? Why do you think that happened?
• Read through the list above of the things in life that commonly steal people’s security, joy, and hope. Do any of them stand out to you? Are you vulnerable to some more than others?
• Write down one time in your life – it might have been earlier today, yesterday, or years ago – when your faith really helped you to get through a difficult situation. Think about what was going on in your heart at that time. Ask God to keep growing your faith and confidence in Him, using that past experience as a seed.