CFC SINGLES FOR FAMILY AND LIFE CHAPTER ASSEMBLY HOW GOD TESTS OUR FAITH SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

At the 1. 2. 3. end of the session, the participants will be able to: Have the desire to have an increased faith in Him Realize that in increasing our faith, God has to test us Learn the different ways on how God tests us

METHODOLOGY
Talk Sharing

40 minutes 20 minutes

SPEAKERS PROFILE
Expanded Outline I. Introduction

A CFC SFL Household Servant living out the principles mentioned in this talk

We all have desires for our lives better jobs, healthier bodies, a closer family, more Godly friends, a stronger CFC SFL chapter, unit or household, etc. We are people who seek and yearn for more better things in life. We also know that God, who is mighty, just and wise, is willing to grant our desires. It only now depends on how big our faith is Let it be done for you according to your faith (Matthew 9:29). This is the Law of Faith. God grants you His blessings according to what you expect of Him. A small faith demands little from God and a big faith demands great things from Him. This is the reason why some are blessed less than others because they ask little (Matthew 21:22). That is why the apostles said to the Lord, increase our faith (Luke 17:5). Indeed, a bigger faith results to bigger wonders in our life. II. Increasing Our Faith We all know that a bigger faith does not only bless us but it also pleases God. Like a parents who is pleased with their child who trusts them, we make God happy when we act in obedient faith everyday. No matter how many things we do for God, without fait h it is impossible to please Him (God), for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

Now the How do we increase our faith? Again, in Luke 17:5, the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith. Therefore, it is not our own doing but it is Gods job to increase our faith. He does this by testing us. Just as we increase our muscles when we test it by lifting weights, our faith grows bigger by testing. In the bible it says, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance; And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:3-4). III. God Tests Our Faith In Job 7:17-18 it says, What is man, that you make much of him, or p ay him any heed? You observe him with each new day and try him at every moment! God is testing us every moment. God is giving us every opportunity each day to increase and to build our faith. The problem is that we fail to recognize these tests, we fail it and we miss the opportunity to grow. So, how does God test our faith? If we know these times, we will be able to respond to His tests and increase our faith. There are four (4) Ds: A. God tests our faith through Difficulties. In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6-7) For us Christians, nothing ever happens by accident. Everything has its purpose that God wills it to happen. It does not mean that God caused bad things to happen to us. They happen because of our wrong choices and other peoples w rong choices. However, for a child of God, the Father already filters what happens to us and nothing comes to us without His permission. Even sufferings and pain happen to us, God allowed it because in the end, it will result in the growth and maturity of our faith. Jonah, in the belly of the whale, said, When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD (Jonah 2:7). God allowed these difficulties so that in these times, we will look at no one else except Him. Trials and difficulties in our life are like furnaces - See, I have refined you like silver, tested you in the furnace of affliction (Isaiah 48:10). The silver is refined and removed of impurities if it can reflect the face of the silversmith. Likewise, when trials purifies us, we will reflect the face of our Maker. So how should we act in times of difficulties? James said, Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance (James 1:2-3). James said we should rejoice. We should be thankful not for the problem but the encounter of the problem. We do not thank God for the sickness and the hardships but we thank God IN these difficult

times. Job said, The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21)! B. God tests our faith through His Demands. Then the LORD said to Moses, I will now rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not. (Exodus 16:4) In the dessert, the Lord tested the Israelites. When God sent manna, His instruction was to take only what is good for the day except on the day before Sabbath. Anything they gather in excess will be wormy and rotten the following day. If we will think about it, it will more convenient for the Israelites to gather a weeks supply of food. It will be safer and less tasking. In the dessert, snakes are everywhere and the Israelites might stumble to the ground. However, that is not the point. The point is, even though it is inconvenient, are they willing to follow the Lord? It should be the same to us. God has already given us 1,050 commandments in the New Testament alone. Most of these commandments are difficult to live by love you enemies, do not be afraid, be thankful in everything, etc. but God gave these commands to test our faith. Noah was commanded by God to build an ark (Hebrews 11:7). After several years, no rain came and Noah became a laughingstock by his friends. It happened to Abraham too. God asked him to go to a foreign land where he is not familiar with. Nevertheless, by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance (Hebrews 11:8). How about us? Do we just obey God when it is convenient? Do we just follow Him only when we know where He is going? Let us follow God and obey His command. Let us do it immediately without question and complaints. Through this, we will increase our faith. C. God tests our faith with Dollars. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? (Luke 16:11) Money is one of Gods most concrete ways of testing us we can count how much we give, we can count how often we give. However, it is also the most difficult of all knowing that there are lot of things that we need to pay for like bills and our basic needs. It is difficult when money is scarce and our income is little. What we should know about tithing is that it is a test. Luke 16:11 tells that God will grant true wealth to those trustworthy of earthly wealth. God wants to bless us more financially only if we will learn to trust Him more with our money. Tithing is God s

way of freeing us from our dependence on money to sole dependence on Him and His providence. Paul says, Now as you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse, knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love we have for you, may you excel in this gracious act also. I say this not by way of command, but to test the genuineness of your love by your concern for other (2 Corinthians 8:7-8). In other translations, love is translated as charity or giving. Paul is saying that when we give, it is a test of the genuineness of our love to God. We cannot say we love God unless we are willing to apart away from our earthly wealth to give to God. God also tests our faith not only in our giving but the amount of our giving. Do we give God what is right to Him or what is just left? Do we give to the point that it is already a sacrifice or we give what is convenient? How much faith your giving reveals? D. God tests our faith through Delays. If every prayer were immediately answered, if our every need were automatically met, if every problem were instantly solved, we wouldnt need faith and our faith would not need to be stretched. But it is not that way. We have to wait on things; and it is human nature that we hate to wait. However in waiting, God is teaching us something. There is a reason why God allowed the Israelites to wander in the desert for forty (40) years instead of making it to the Promised Land in two to three weeks. Why did it happen? The Lord is testing His people if they will keep His commandments (Deuteronomy 8:2). It just shows that God is more interested in our growth that for us to reach the destination. In times of delay, let us wait on the Lord. He may still be preparing us or He is clearing the way ahead of us. IV. Conclusion God wants us to have life to the full (John 10:10). However, He cannot just grant His blessing if our faith is not big enough to catch His blessings. We need to increase our faith. For this to happen, God tests our faith. He does this through difficulties, demands, dollars and delays. In these times, let us be aware that God is testing us. When we persevere and hold fast to our faith, we will attain God promises.

ACTIVITY

1. After the talk, the speaker leads everyone into a prayer. 2. The speaker leads the group into reflection with the following reflections:

a. When was the most recent event in my life that God tested my faith? How did I react to it? b. What among the four (4) Ds that I usually fail to recognize that God is testing me? What do I need to do about it? 3. After the reflection, the speaker ends the prayer. 4. If time permits it, a plenary sharing can be done.