Text: Luke 17:5-6

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” (Luke 17:5 ESV)

Have you ever felt like your faith is too small? Maybe you’re wishing your faith could be stronger, more bold, or more fruitful and effective, yet it feels so… well, puny at times.

Oftentimes faith is thought of as some grand spiritual commodity that the super-saints possess and ordinary believers lack. Perhaps we are stirred by the fascination that if we could just get more of this supernatural ‘gold’ into our spiritual bank accounts, we could start moving mountains the way Jesus promised in Matthew 17:20.

But what if ‘mountain-moving’ faith is less like some elusive spiritual superpower, and more like an ordinary part of our DNA that just isn’t being used like it should?

Do you realize how crazy this must’ve sounded to the apostles? In response to their petition for Him to increase their faith (Luke 17:5-6), Jesus says, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” When is the last time you saw someone tell a Palm tree to uproot itself and plant itself in the Gulf of Mexico, and it listened?

This would’ve been strangely ridiculous to the disciples. But Jesus used this absurd imagery to make a profound spiritual point—that even the smallest grain of faith, such as that of a mustard seed, is sufficient to do the impossible.

I believe Jesus wanted His followers to recognize that in order to increase their faith, they didn’t need to acquire something they lacked; they simply had to use what they already possessed.

To increase our faith, we need to be willing to stretch the ordinary faith muscle we already have. Tweet this

When muscle and bone tissue are not used, they begin to shrink and waste away. This deterioration is known as atrophy. Even minor atrophy in muscle or bone tissue can cause debilitating loss of strength and motion. Faith is very much like a muscle. We all have muscles. It’s just that some folks exercise their muscles more than others. The Bible tells us that as believers we’ve all been given a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). In order to grow it needs to be stretched, or else we’ll suffer from spiritual atrophy.

Faith comes from daily intake of, and exposure to, the Word of God. To increase our faith we must immerse ourselves in the Holy Scriptures. Yet that’s not enough. Faith must be exercised if it is to be effective. You can nourish your body with protein shakes all day long, but if you don’t get up off that couch and stretch the muscle it will not develop properly.

Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17), but it grows, or increases, by stretching.

Scripture memorization doesn’t increase our faith. It increases our knowledge, or our capacity to stretch our faith in ways we didn’t understand until the revelation of God’s wisdom. But it’s only when we act on that knowledge that our faith is stretched. I can memorize scriptures about forgiveness, but it isn’t until I stretch myself to actually do the work of forgiveness, that my faith increases. I can quote verses about generosity all day long, but it isn’t until I actually give something away that my faith is increased to be ‘more’ generous in every way (2 Corinthians 9:10-11).

So where does God want to increase your faith this New Year?

In what ways may He be leading you to stretch the measure of faith He’s already given you? Maybe instead of wishing for some kind of elusive superpower faith this year, we would do well to ask God to show us how to act in obedience to what we already know we should do—such as serving others, walking in forgiveness, praying for our enemies, witnessing to our neighbors, fasting for revival, or responding to the material and spiritual needs around us.

Think about that as you abide in Him this week.

Prayer

Father, increase our faith. Holy Spirit, search our hearts for places where our faith has suffered atrophy, those places where we’ve failed to obey you and act on the truth we already know. Stretch us to do the impossible by way of being obedient in the ordinary. Increase our faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Reflection and/or Family Discussion:

1. If you could have one superpower, which would you choose? Why?
2. Who is a person whose faith you have admired? What has made their faith attractive to you?
3. In what season of your life has your faith been stretched the most?
4. Which do you find more challenging in your life, memorizing God’s Word or obeying God’s Word?
5. Where do you sense that God might be stretching your faith right now?

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The post Increase Our Faith appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

Text: Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-25

It’s been said, “If you want to make God laugh, just tell him all your plans.”

After graduating from high school, I had a vocational plan all mapped out. That plan was to be an architect. While in college, I was not only designing outlines for luxury homes, I was zealously drawing up the blueprints for my entire future. I had a long-term vision and a lucrative career already devised until God stepped in and hijacked my plans, leading me in a completely different direction. Virtually overnight, I went from designing A-Frames to engineering programs that empower the lives of at-risk youth and underprivileged children. My entire adult life has looked much different than I could’ve ever imagined, and though ministry with kids in crisis has its unique challenges, never for one moment do I regret the day that God hijacked my plans.

It can be a scary thing when God hijacks your plans. Imagine what it must’ve been like when God commandeered the plans of Joseph and Mary, two young teenagers, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in love. They likely had their future all mapped out—the wedding, the honeymoon, the normal small town life, managing the family business. But during their engagement (betrothal), something extraordinary changed everything!

When God Hijacked Joseph and Mary’s ‘Normal’ Life.

The angel Gabriel startles Mary with a visitation in that sleepy little town of Nazareth and tells her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High… and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33 ESV)

Mary is understandably perplexed. “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” she says.

Gabriel’s response is completely logical, right? “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God…” oh, and by the way, Mary… “nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:35-37 ESV)

Mary goes from shopping wedding cakes to contemplating how she is going to tell her fiancé that she is pregnant, when they both know the baby is not his. My wife counsels young couples not to get married until they have had at least one good, no-holds-barred, 12-round fight with their future spouse. Well, this certainly would’ve been that moment for Mary and Joseph. There was sure to be some “intense” fellowship when she broke that news.

“What a privilege,” we might say, “to be chosen as the mother of the Jesus. How could she decline?”—Right? Well it’s easy for us to assume this posture when we know the end of the story, but put yourself in Mary’s shoes for a moment. Is anyone really going to believe my story, that this child was conceived of the Holy Spirit?

This was scandalous.

She would be accused of fornication and likely stoned for the presumed affair. Submitting to God’s will and trusting Him with the outcome would indeed involve great risk. God has hijacked her life in such an extraordinary way, the only thing she can say is, “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38 ESV)

Joseph would’ve been shell-shocked. Whether he believed Mary’s whole “angel story” or not wouldn’t matter because everyone else definitely wouldn’t believe it. He would have to live with the gossip about an unfaithful wife and an illegitimate child for the rest of his life. God had violently hijacked his plans as well as his reputation. Heartbroken and humiliated, he resolved to terminate their relationship secretly, sparing Mary any further public shame (Matthew 1:19). Then, after an angel of the Lord visited him in a dream and confirmed the veracity of Mary’s story, he took her to be his wife.

See, Joseph and Mary were faced with the same question that you and I face when God hijacks our plans: Can I trust God with the outcomes if I submit myself to His will?

Their plans were safe, but God’s plan was risky. Their plans didn’t require much faith, but God’s plan demanded every last ounce of faith they had—and then some. Our lives will always be filled with divine interruptions and unexpected twists and turns, and rarely do things turn out the way we plan them. But the question, which never goes away, is simply: Will you trust God when He hijacks your plans?

His plans for your future are far greater than any of your fears. Oh, and let me remind you beloved, nothing will be impossible with God! Think about that as you abide in Him this week.

Trust God when He hijacks yours plans because His plans for your future are far greater than your fears. Tweet this

For further study: Jeremiah 17:7-8, Psalm 31:19, Isaiah 25:9

Questions for Reflection and/or Family Discussion:

1. What Christmas tradition in your home is sure to bring you closer together as a family? If you can’t think of one, what tradition can you start this year?
2. How do you think you would’ve reacted if you had been Mary or Joseph?
3. When has God ever hijacked your plans?
4. In what areas of your life have you struggled to submit to God’s will because of the risk involved?
5. Is it possible to live a life of faith without taking risks? Explain.
6. How can you prepare yourself to surrender more resolutely to God’s will the next time He decides to hijack your plans?

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The post Will You Trust God When He Hijacks Your Plans? appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

Text: Exodus 33:1-23

Without ______________, life would be a mistake.

How would you fill in this blank? I think our teenage daughter would readily borrow a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche, who said, “Without music, life would be a mistake.” My youngest daughter might say, “Without horses, life would be a mistake.” My wife and my son might say, “Without hot sauce, life would be a mistake.”

But Moses would probably say, “Without God’s presence, life would be a mistake.”

There is an expressive story behind Big Daddy Weave’s hit song Audience of One, which the band claims has a greater response live than any other song they do.

It was in the middle of a concert that, Mike Weaver, lead singer and lyricist for the band, became frustrated. It seems that Weaver felt tension between putting on a great worship concert and actually worshiping God Himself. “I felt like saying, ‘I give up!’ That’s how ‘Audience of One’ came about—from a heart motive. The desire to be worshipers ourselves. Because worship is ultimately about you and God—everything else is a byproduct.”

As Weaver constructed the tune, another thought practically blindsided him: We often call to God in distress, but we rarely cry out for His presence. That led to Weaver’s favorite verse in the song:

Longing only to know you
Seeking your face
And not only your hand.

Success Without God’s Presence is a Mistake

In Exodus 33, Moses resolved that he wasn’t going to take one step forward apart from God’s manifest presence. At this point in Israel’s passage through the wilderness, God is pretty ticked off with His chosen people. Less than forty days after making a promise to God to keep the Law, which He gave them at Mt. Sinai, the Israelites have already backslidden. They have fallen into shameful idolatry by worshiping a golden calf, which Aaron had sculpted at their urging (Exodus 32:1-6). Angered by their reveling and immorality, God threatens to wipe the entire nation out so He can replace it with a new nation from the offspring of Moses (Exodus 32:7-10). But Moses intercedes for the people and begs God of His mercy.

The Lord relents but warns that a future day of reckoning would still come for this generation (Exodus 32:11-14, 30-35). Nevertheless, God would fulfill His covenant to give Israel their Promised Land. However, He would only send His angel as a surrogate, yet withhold His manifest presence (Exodus 33:1-3).

The people mourned.

For Moses, the promise of success alone wasn’t enough. The assurance of victory, in and of itself, was meaningless. I think that a good many believers today would be content without the manifest presence of God if only they were promised success in their business, fruitfulness in their ambitions, or prosperity in their labors. But not Moses. Not for a man who knew the delight of speaking with God face to face, as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus 33:11). Not for a man who knew friendship with God.

Moses was convinced that without God’s presence in his life, the whole journey would be a waste, even if you did end up in a land flowing with milk and honey. Success apart from the intimacy of God’s friendship is always a mistake. That’s what drove Moses to plead with God further. He says, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here” (Exodus 33:15 ESV). Moses is saying, “Lord, if your presence is not with me, then I’m not going anywhere. I’d rather die here in the wilderness than go on without you. I won’t take a single step unless I’m assured you’re with me!”

Entering the Promised Land without the Lord’s presence would still be a huge accomplishment for the fame of God, yet at the expense of losing friendship with God. Moses wouldn’t accept that regardless of what it did for his résumé.

The Lord responded to Moses by saying, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” (Exodus 33:17 ESV)

What a picture of true friendship with God!

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones noted:

“We may have been Christians for many years, but have we ever really longed for some person, direct knowledge and experience of God? Oh, I know, we pray for causes, we pray for the Church, we pray for missionaries, we pray for our own efforts that we organize, yes, but that is not what I am concerned about. We all ask for personal blessings, but how much do we know of this desire for God himself? That is what Moses asked for: ‘Show me thy glory. Take me yet a step nearer.’”

The Psalmist declared, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11 ESV)

His presence is all we need.

As we continue on in our journey of faith, may we, in the likeness of Moses, desire intimate friendship with God above anything that we could ever accomplish for God. Think about that as you abide in Him this week.

Success without God’s presence is a mistake, even if we do end up in a land flowing with milk and honey. (Exodus 33)
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In the words of Bid Daddy Weave, we echo our prayer:

To my audience of one
You are Father, and You are Son
As Your spirit flows free
Let it find within me
A heart that beats to praise You

And now just to know You more
Has become my great reward
To see Your kingdom come
And Your will be done
I only desire to be Yours
Lord, Yours alone

Amen.

For further study: John 14:16-26, Jeremiah 29:13, Psalm 145:18, Revelation 3:20

Question for Reflection and/or Family Discussion:

1. How would you define friendship? How about friendship with God?
2. When have your desires for God’s blessings been stronger than your desire for God Himself?
3. When have you ever prayed a prayer like that of Moses, that if God’s presence didn’t go with you, you wouldn’t go? What did that look like in your life?
4. What can you do this week to cultivate friendship with God over mere activity for God?

The post Desiring Friendship with God Above Accomplishment for God appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

Text: Mark 4:35-41

God didn’t bring you this far to abandon you now.

They called it the “unsinkable” ship. Titanic was a state-of-the-art craft and the largest vessel built in its time. Yet just four days into her maiden voyage, the luxury liner became an icy graveyard for over 1,500 people at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean after striking an iceberg on April 14, 1912.

Tragically, Titanic wasn’t unsinkable.

However, we do find a true unsinkable boat in Mark 4:35-41. This one wasn’t unsinkable because of its massive size or astute engineering. Based on archaeology, this type of boat was probably about 26 feet long, 7 feet wide, and 4 feet high. No, this measly little vessel wasn’t unsinkable because of human prowess, but divine presence.

What’s interesting about this passage is that Jesus led his disciples right into a violent storm. Jonah once ended up in a storm because of his disobedience, but the disciples found themselves in a precarious storm because of their obedience to Jesus.

Following Jesus doesn’t immunize us from hardship or trouble. Sometimes following Jesus puts us in dangerous situations. Even though much of our modern-day safe theology doesn’t make room for this truth, those very first disciples would certainly attest to its veracity.

Following Jesus faithfully will put us in some storms.

Yet the same Jesus who commanded the disciples to go into the storm also promised them where they would end up. Jesus didn’t say, “Let’s go perish in the middle of the sea.” No, he promised his disciples that they would cross over to the other side, yet he himself fell asleep during the journey. In his humanness, Jesus experienced fatigue and weariness just like we do. He was depleted from extensive ministry and service to others. Though his sleeping implies exhaustion, it also indicates an absence of fear.

I don’t know what bothered the disciples more, the fact that Jesus had led them into a storm or the fact that Jesus himself was sleeping in the back of the boat as they encountered the storm. They protest against his apparent indifference and hysterically awaken him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

We all have times when we feel like the disciples in this moment—times when we feel alone and sorry for ourselves. We question why things seem so unfair and wonder if Jesus has fallen asleep again—like God has forgotten about us.

Have you ever felt like God led you to a place and then went to sleep on you?

Maybe it was that relationship that went bad, a business plan that you were sure came from God but failed, or a ministry venture that didn’t turn out as you imagined.

Imagine what it must’ve been like for Elisabeth Elliot after she followed God faithfully into the mission field only to have her husband, Jim Elliot, martyred by a fierce Indian tribe called the Aucas. Talk about being led into a storm. The Elliot’s daughter, Valerie, was 10 months old when Jim was killed. Miraculously, Elliot and her daughter spent the next couple of years living with this same tribe that had killed Jim, sharing the gospel with them and seeing many come to Christ. They witnessed that there is a divine and mysterious “other side” to the unexpected storms we go through in life.

There is always a beautifully redemptive “other side” to the storms we face in life.

Sometimes it feels like Jesus is sleeping as we go through the storm, like God led us into a place and forgot about us. It’s in times like these that we should remember that the same Jesus who was asleep in that little vessel one stormy night at sea, is also the same Jesus who speaks to the winds and waves—and they LISTEN!

Jesus awoke, rebuked the storm, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he says to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” Jesus didn’t say, “Wow, what a storm!” Instead, he marveled over the disciple’s lack of faith. The storm could not disturb Jesus, but the unbelief of His disciples did disturb him. Perhaps what disturbed him most was their implication that he didn’t care if they perished or not.

Jesus wasn’t disturbed by the violent storm that threatened the boat, but he was disturbed by his disciples’ lack of faith.
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Thinking that Jesus doesn’t care about us is a lack of faith. He loves us more than we could ever imagine. We should be reminded that it takes a maturing faith to trust in the “sleeping” Jesus. I wonder if He might put forth a similar question to us? “After all that I have done in you and for you, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Think about that as you abide in Him this week.

For further study: John 14:27, Psalms 107:25–30; Nahum 1:7, Isaiah 25:4-5, Psalm 89:8-9

Questions for Reflection and/or Family Discussion:

1. What do you find most fascinating about the story of the Titanic?
2. When have you felt that God led you into a storm and then went to sleep?
3. In what ways have you seen the “beautifully” redemptive side of storms in your life?
4. If thinking that Jesus doesn’t care about us is an indication of a lack of faith, how would you measure your faith right now? This past week?
5. In what ways can you prepare yourself to go through life’s storms with more faith and trust in the ONE Who truly is unsinkable?

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The post The Unsinkable Ship appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

They said it was physically impossible. Unconquerable.

In March of 1953, it was the last frontier in the known world. No human being had ever set foot on the peak of Mount Everest, and many of the world’s most sophisticated scientists and experienced mountaineers believed it to be impossible. In previous years, there had been thirteen documented expeditions—large, well-funded teams comprised of the most skilled climbers on the planet, making their push towards the one part of the world that man had yet to stand upon.

Every attempt had been met with epic failure. Many men perished, buried deep in frozen blocks of ice on the mountain. Yet one New Zealand mountaineer was determined to reach the summit.

Sir Edmund Hillary eventually became the first person to conquer Mt. Everest, and was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. What many people tend to overlook is that Hillary did not make it to the top of Everest the first time he tried. The first time was a complete failure. His team encountered one setback after another, and in the process more than half his climbing party died. He experienced disappointment after disappointment.

Nonetheless, the British Parliament decided to honor him with an award. When he entered the chamber to receive his award, the people gave him a standing ovation for daring to attempt such a risky climb. When the applauses subdued, Hillary turned his back to the audience, stared intently at the picture and said, “Mt. Everest, you have defeated me once and you might defeat me again. But I’m coming back again and again, and I’m going to win because you are as big as you are ever going to get… but I’m still growing. You can’t get any bigger, Mt. Everest, but I can.”

This is the same man who said, “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” That attitude is a game-changer!

Jesus gave his followers some instructions about confronting mountains:

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:22-25 ESV)

Moving a mountain was a metaphor in Jewish literature for doing what was seemingly impossible (Isaiah 40:4; 49:11; 54:10; Matthew 21:21–22). Those who believe in God can have confidence that He will accomplish even the impossible, according to His sovereign will.

Jesus didn’t say to go around the mountain. He didn’t say run from the mountain. He said to speak to the mountain. Of course, speaking to our mountains doesn’t imply that we try to manipulate God into doing what we want through impressive words or fall subject to a distorted “name-it-claim-it” theology; it simply means that we make an intentional confession of our faith by planting God’s Word deep in our hearts, and letting our words reflect that faith.

Speaking to mountains might sound crazy but if your faith isn’t strong enough to move your mouth, then it isn’t strong enough to move your mountain.

If your faith isn’t strong enough to move your mouth, it isn’t strong enough to move your mountain.
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Maybe your mountain is a financial crisis or a work-related challenge. Maybe it’s a health issue or an emotional battle going on in your heart. Maybe a mountain has come between you and your spouse, or you and your children. It might be shame over a failure that is keeping you from getting back up again. A mountain can be anything that is standing between you and absolute surrender to God in every area of your life right now. It can represent anything that causes you to think less of God’s sovereignty, or causes you to shrink back in your trust that God can do the impossible.

Whatever mountain you may be facing right now, don’t be afraid to speak to it. Serve that mountain notice—that you won’t be intimidated by it, that your God is bigger than the mountain, that your faith will not shrink back. Tell that mountain that it won’t rob God of His glory in your life, that you are going to keep growing, keep getting stronger, keep believing, and keep coming back to face it with boldness and dependency in Christ. Sometimes the strongest words we can speak that have the capability to move mountains are “I forgive you” (Mark 11:25).

Sometimes the strongest words we can speak that have the capability to move mountains are ‘I forgive you’ (Mark 11:22-25).
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It’s God’s business to move the mountains in our lives. It’s our job to let our faith move our mouth.

Think about that as you abide in Him this week.

For further study: Mark 11:20-26, Matthew 17:20, James 3:1-12, Proverbs 12:14, Hebrews 10:23

Question for Reflection and/or Family Discussion:

1. How would you describe the greatest resolve in your life (what you are most determined to accomplish or become)?
2. What do you think of in your life when you hear Sir Edmund Hillary’s words: It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves?
3. What are some mountains you and your family are facing right now?
4. In what way did Jesus correlate forgiveness and unforgiveness with the effectiveness of our prayer life (Mark 11:22-25)?
5. If you were to measure your speech this past week, did your words and conversations speak more to the size of your mountains or more to the size of your God? This coming week, what disciplines can you put into practice that will attest more of the latter?

The post If Faith Can’t Move Your Mouth, It Won’t Move Your Mountain appeared first on Jimmy Larche.