Keys to Winning the Race of Faith: Discipline and Diligence

Hebrews 12:1-6 >>
God’s Discipline Proves His Love

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said,

“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and don’t give up when he corrects you.
6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

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1. I need to strip off all the burdens and sin min my life because it slows us down in this race!
2. In order to win the race before us, I need to get rid of any sin that trips me up, run with ENDURANCE knowing that this is a long race, and keep my eyes on Jesus. And also know that at the end it will be worth it.
3. I want to make a new commitment to refocus on Christ again and put away any shame and pride if I need help.

Without Faith, it is Impossible to Please God

John 20:11-18 –

11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.
“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him. 14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15  “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” 16 “Mary!” Jesus said.
She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). 17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ 18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!”

Hebrew 11:6 – And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

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1. Mary is facing a time of sadness. She thought her Lord had died, and I think that’s what caused her to not recognize Jesus. I think sometimes, for us, when we are focused on logic and what makes sense, our eyes can be blurred to not see when Jesus is actually right before us. The Lord is working right in front of our eyes sometimes and we can not notice. We should always be aware of Him and His works.
2. The difference between faith and feeling is that feeling can be fickle, where faith should be steadfast. Yes, it’s happened where what I feel contradicts with what I believe. And I pray and follow in faith, not feeling.
3. In solving problems, we should use faith in Christ as our standard.

To Live for Christ, Not for Oneself

Romans 5:1-6
Peace and Joy
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we[c] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

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I learned about how I need to live for Christ, not for myself. So some things, such as our character need to be molded to become more like Christ’s. This means that we should rejoice in trials because it will develop endurance which will develop strength of character in us. And we also need to keep hope alive in us. And also have mercy and love for others, just as Christ was willing and made himself to die for us, the ungodly. Thank You Jesus.

Be it Unto Me According to Your Word

Luke 1:26-38
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34″How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God.”

38″I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

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1. Mary’s reaction upon receiving the task that God gave her was that she said “I am the Lord’s servant,” and something along the lines of may God’s will be done. She humbly accepted the task with faith and initiative to declare God’s will in her life. She was not bratty either, but humble.

2. If I was Mary, I’d think, “Whattttt???” hhaha, but Mary simply was meek and declared her faith> I should be like that too.

3. In order to have a character like Mary, I should not think, “What’s the “cool” way to respond?” but rather “How does God want me to respond?” and “How can I respond with a character of Christ?” Also, don’t think I’m all that, but know that everything is because of God’s grace, mercy and love for me. Thank You Jesus.

Believe = Firm, Sure

John 4:46-53
46Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

48″Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

49The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

50Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.”
The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.”

53Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and all his household believed.

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1. To make the official believe, Jesus just told him that his son will live and to go back home. Because the official believe, he went back home.
2. Yes, I’ve seen signs and wonders that God has done in my life and in the life of others. For example, I’ve seen demons excorsized from people because of the power of God.
3. Yes, my belief and faith has been strengthened after seeing those miracles and answers that God is doing in my life. To appreciate those things, I should meditate on the awesome things God has done in my life more and more and have a hope of expectation in my spirit, as well as gratefulness and awe and just worship to the Lord for His greatness and mercy and love. I can also show greater steps of faith which will show that I appreciate those things and God’s works meant a lot to me and I don’t take them for granted, but I see them almost as an investment in my life . It’s like a seed that will grow through my life.

Believing without Seeing

John 20:24-29
Jesus Appears to Thomas
24Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”

26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

28Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

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1. What caused Thomas to doubt was that he did not SEE what he just needed to believe by faith.

2. Yes, I’ve been in a situation like Thomas. But I feel for me, impatience was also a factor in my not having faith enough to go through with what I should have done.

Faith = Believe and Take Action

Hebrews 11:6
6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

James 2:14-18,
Faith and Deeds
14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

James 2:20-22,
20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[a]? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

James 2:24
24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

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1. Faith plays an important role before God because without faith we cannot please Him. Without faith, we deny the very existence of God. =(

2. According to my own definition, faith is believing in God’s promises. It is believing in something that we maybe cannot even see or imagine right now, but we believe it because God says so in His Word!
We believe because we KNOW HIM. We KNOW WHO God is, and how He is so faithful. That is faith to me.

3. When someone combines both faith AND actions, they are living out their faith in a tangible manner that will bless others and I believe, is also a blessing to themself as well.