GodGodTrustinTrusting g

Trusting Trusting GodGod Ideas about Ideas about “faith”“faith”

“Where is your faith?”

“Never before have I seen faith like this!

“If you have faith like a mustard seed, you can say to

this mountain, get up and move!”

Trusting Trusting GodGod Ideas about Ideas about “faith”“faith”

Faith is not an ability to be exercised, but an attitude to to be learned, received and practised.

When Jesus spoke with people who were seeking Him, he

encouraged faith and commended faith – but never commanded it. For the seeker, we do “choose” faith … but not

simply as an act of will.

Trusting Trusting GodGod Ideas about Ideas about “faith”“faith”

( For the man or woman who has already chosen to follow Jesus,

there does then come an exercise of will where we choose

to act based on what we have already learned about trusting

Jesus, rather than other philosophies or belief systems)

Trusting Trusting GodGod

“Just have faith”

“All you have to do is believe”

“Your faith isn’t strong enough”

What (daft) people sometimes say What (daft) people sometimes say to those seeking faith: to those seeking faith:

Ideas about Ideas about “faith”“faith”

Trusting Trusting GodGod

““Faith – Faith – believing believing somethinsomethin

g you g you knowknow isn’t isn’t

truetrue””

Ideas about Ideas about “faith”“faith”

The cynic’s definition:The cynic’s definition:

Trusting Trusting GodGod The constipation

concept …

… strain hard enough, you’ll produce something!

Ideas about Ideas about “faith”“faith”

Trusting Trusting GodGod

““FaithFaith” or ” or ““believingbelieving” ” are simply are simply trusting Godtrusting God

this is much more than an intellectual judgement!

Ideas about Ideas about “faith”“faith”

Trusting Trusting GodGod

TrustTrust is is inevitably inevitably

based on our based on our experienceexperience

……FaithFaith = = “putting our whole weight “putting our whole weight

upon”upon”

Ideas about Ideas about “faith”“faith”

Trusting Trusting GodGod

“Believing” that abseiling is safe is different at the top of the tower!

Ideas about Ideas about “faith”“faith”

Trusting Trusting GodGod

“Believing” that parasailing is safe is different in the air!

Ideas about Ideas about “faith”“faith”

Trusting Trusting GodGod

“ ‘Faith’ is spelled ‘R-I-S-K’

“If you never do it, you never get to see it”

John Wimber

Faith = Believing = Trust = RiskFaith = Believing = Trust = Risk

Trusting means Trusting means riskingrisking

Trusting Trusting GodGod Trusting means Trusting means riskingrisking

betrayal?

broken confidence?

vulnerable to pain

what will people think?

can I take this risk?Some people leap into relationships Some people leap into relationships

… others take their time!… others take their time!

Trusting Trusting GodGod Evaluating the Evaluating the riskrisk

is this credible?

is this coherent?

Rational evaluationRational evaluation

Note: Bible documents are faith documents – Note: Bible documents are faith documents – they were not written as science or history!they were not written as science or history!

does it work for other people?

does it answer a need that I have?

Trusting Trusting GodGod Evaluating the Evaluating the riskrisk

how do I feel?

why do I feel like that? (e.g. peace, sorrow, fear, security, anger, isolation)

what other explanations could there be for these feelings?

Experiential evaluationExperiential evaluation

In evolutionary terms, why should I enjoy a In evolutionary terms, why should I enjoy a sunset or be touched by music?sunset or be touched by music?

Trusting Trusting GodGod Experimental Experimental trustingtrusting

intellectually honest experimental prayer

intellectually honest experimental bible reading

experimentally being prayed for (at a distance, or “hands on”!)

Trusting Trusting GodGod The language of The language of intimate trustintimate trust

““This is a good This is a good woman, so I will woman, so I will pursue a formal pursue a formal

legal contract for legal contract for her to be my mate”her to be my mate”

Trusting Trusting GodGod The language of The language of intimate trustintimate trust

““My love is like a My love is like a red, red rose”red, red rose”

““Stretching” language – Stretching” language – an attempt to describe an attempt to describe experienceexperience

Trusting Trusting GodGod The language of The language of intimate trustintimate trust

God our Father

The Son of God

The Trinity

““Stretching” language – Stretching” language – an attempt to describe an attempt to describe experienceexperience

Born again

Trusting Trusting GodGod The language of The language of intimate trustintimate trust

Jean-Jean-Francois Francois Gravelet Gravelet

1824-1897 1824-1897 ((BlondiniBlondini) ) at at Niagara Niagara

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