Where does faith come from? As a kid who grew up in church, faith in God has long been a part of my life. Christianity was the faith of my parents, and as a young child, I would have said it was mine, too. But mostly, I was going through the motions- no personal relationship with Jesus.
Read MoreI started this blog/book with a story about letting go of expectations, the story of how I dealt with the loss of a church I loved. That experience was the catalyst behind what you’ve been reading. I knew that letting go of expectations meant that I needed to trust Jesus with all of my heart. I wasn’t sure I did, so I decided to learn as much as I could about what it means to trust God and how to do it.
Read MoreWhen I refer to the names Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I’m talking about a God, who eternally exists in three distinct persons. They are each fully and equally God, in eternal community with each other. I say they are persons, but I’m not saying they are human beings. I only mean that they are not impersonal forces. Each member of the Trinity thinks, acts, feels, speaks, and relates. They all share the attributes of being eternal, of being all knowing, all-powerful, and present everywhere.
Read MoreIn chapter one, I wrote about what trusting God looks like, and about the foundation of that trust, which is a faith in the gospel of what Jesus has done for us. I talked about why even the ability and the desire to believe in the gospel is gift from the Holy Spirit. We can’t muster that up on our own. Once we accept those gifts and decide to live in relationship with God, trusting and loving him, he sees us as holy, as part of his family. That’s what it means to be a Christian. And we are changed when that happens, with new desires.
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