Dictionary.com : confidence or trust in a person or thing :belief that is not based on proof :belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion Faith  Greek = pistis  Which means assurance, belief, fidelity, faithfulness

Biblical Faith  Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (NKJV)  1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (NIV)  Ngayon, ang pananampalataya ay ang katiyakan sa mga bagay na ating inaasahan. Ito ang katunayan ng mga bagay na hindi natin nakikita. (TL)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (NKJV) Substance = Hupostasis - that which underlies the apparent; that which is the basis of something, hence, assurance, guarantee and confidence English "substance" is built from a prefix and a root which together mean "that which stands under." Webster's defines it as "the real or essential part or element of anything; essence, reality, or basic matter." It is very similar in meaning to hupostasis Foundation of a building = Faith No foundation = building will soon be crooked & will fall down

The word Faith is rarely mentioned in the Old Testament. The word trust is used frequently, and verbs like believe and rely are used to express the right attitude to God. Ephesians 2:8 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

Romans 10:9 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Believe – pisteuo the verb form of pistis faith, it means to trust in, be fully convinced of. Pisteuo = VERB Pistis = NOUN

1. Knowledge Factual basis of the Christian faith Intellectual understanding of the truth It is based on facts, truth, reliable information. The Bible tells us there is no salvation apart from the gospel. That gospel must be preached. And it must be believed E.g. burning building 2. Conviction means to know something and then to be persuaded that it is true. The most common word for "believe" in the Old Testament is aman, which mean "to have confidence in, to regard as completely reliable. E.g. Cancer = Chemotherapy

3. Commitment speaks to the active part of faith. We might use the word "trust" in the sense of "relying fully upon," E.g. Resting with your full weight knowing that a bed can hold you up. We can find all three elements of faith in one verse: "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day" (2 Timothy 1:12). I know … and am convinced … what I have entrusted. It’s all right there. Knowledge, conviction, commitment.

1 Corinthians 12: Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, [a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues. [b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.ab

Definition: The Spiritual gift of faith is the supernatural manifestation of the Spirit of God that miraculously drops the assurance of the answer to one's prayers into his heart, even BEFORE he sees it come to pass with his natural eyes. It is believing you have it WHEN you pray (Mark 11:24). It is knowing the roots are cursed before you see the tree die. It ceases to be faith the minute you see it come to pass. Romans 12 3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

It is the NOW faith Faith exercised/implemented on a specific situation Supernatural ability to believe God without a doubt Supernatural ability to combat unbelief Supernatural ability to meet adverse circumstances with trust in God’s messages and words Examples in OT and NT

Matthew 17:19-20 "Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, 'Why could we not cast it out?' He said to them, 'Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." Luke 17:5-6 "The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!' The Lord replied. 'If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.'"

Thes 1:3- 3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly 2 Corinthians 10:15 15 not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere,

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

Read James 2 Ex. Feet Ex. Sick woman who touched Jesus’ garment. Mark 5 For without faith it is impossible to please God Hebrews 11:6

Peter walked on the water – Matthew 14 Faith – both feet on the water Doubt – one feet Unbelief – both feet inside the boat It is not sin to doubt – Thomas Doubt is not the opposite of faith, unbelief is. John 3:18 Israelites could not enter the promised land because of unbelief. If God has given each a measure of faith, to not belief is to reject God.

Group Activity Brief summary of their story Why is he/she in the hall of faith? Or What is her/his act of faith?

Rom 3:21-24 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus