The BIG and LONELY Question Faith- where do I stand? Do I have faith, even a mustard seed? Or do I fear the future? Do I fear ill health, cancer, or a heart attack? Do I fear there is no heaven- just ‘nothing’ Do I fear the existence of God is just a myth? Or fear I have wasted my life- is this all there is?

The Question of having Faith [2] Is beyond getting it from a University degree Beyond rationalization in the mind Beyond earning it by attending a church Has nothing to do with you being male or female Young or old, black or white Educated or learning impaired, married or single Having lots of friends or no friends Being rich or being desperately poor

Hebrews 11: 1, 3 [3] ‘Now faith is being sure of what we hope for’ [affirming of who I am and where I am going] ‘And certain of what we do not see’ [I cannot see it, but I am going there] Then verse 3 states an example ‘By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible [creation is beyond understanding] Astronomical Society

God’s Grace and our Faith [4] God’s Grace is defined as unmerited, unearned, undeserved favour. In a sense grace has nothing to do with you; it existed before you existed And Faith is defined as being ‘sure of what we hope for, certain of what we do not see’- in other words a positive response to God’s actions [His Grace] So you could say ‘Grace is God’s part’ and Faith is our response [our part]

Growing and Protecting Faith [5] Matters of belief and faith are under attack in this age of questioning, secularization, aggressive paganism If we do nothing to grow and protect our faith, we are in danger of losing what we have to erosion to the ‘empty philosophy of this world’ I do several things to try to nurture and protect my faith and I conclude by sharing six of these with you

1. The Witness of Others [6] William Barclay ‘Christian hope [faith] is such that it dictates all of a man’s conduct. He lives in it and he dies in it. It is the possession of it which makes him act as he does’ Bryan Scoullar John and Monica Haughey Maryanne Hall

2. Mark 9, verse 24 [6] A father told Jesus that his son was possessed by an evil spirit, robbing him of speech. The disciples could not drive it out and Jesus told them they lacked belief [faith] and called them an ‘unbelieving generation’. The father said to Jesus ‘please heal him if you can’ Jesus responded ‘If you can?’ and the father said ‘Jesus I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief...’ Faith is a gift of God- I constantly pray for an increase

3, 4 and 5 ‘Declare and Learn [8] I regularly state ‘I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of Heaven and Earth ’ [Apostles Creed] Protect myself when meeting certain people I learn faith building Scriptures such as ‘Do not gloat over me, oh my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness the Lord will be my light’ [declares faith in God]

Finally, stay away certain areas [9] Such as the Da Vinci Code ‘hype’ associated with the ‘Gospel of Thomas’ [note also the ‘Jesus Seminars’ publication, ‘The Five Gospels’ seeks to place Thomas on an equal footing with the four traditional Gospels] Why should Thomas not be considered equal with other sources? Firstly, it is not a biographical work; it is a collection of 114 ‘sayings’ attributed to Jesus and some of his followers; the detail cannot be verified in the context of historical events and other writings

The Gospel of Thomas [10] Also contains sayings contrary to the four Gospel manuscripts such as, ‘Simon Peter said to them, “Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life.” Jesus said, “I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven”’ (Thomas 114) PROTECT YOUR MIND FROM FUTILE CONJECTURE

Hebrews 10:22-23 [11] [22] ‘Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water’ [23] ‘Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful’ May the Lord bless us and increase our faith!