Faith Overcomes Fear

Just a couple of weeks ago I shared with the students the story of Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4. The stark contrast between the reaction of the disciples to the storm and the reaction of Jesus is remarkable. The difference, trust. Jesus had an unshakable confidence in God the Father.

It seems that every time I turn around God speaks to my heart saying, just keep on believing. I must say I have an overwhelming passion and burden to see students here at Richland Creek become completely sold out to Jesus Christ. I want to see them take the nonreturnable leap of faith into the eternal work for Christ's Kingdom. Yet we move so slow.

Frustration builds when I look at my weakness as a pastor, my inability to put inside the hearts of our students what a passionate unshakable faith looks like and how they should live it out. Yet God is the heart changer through the power of the Holy Spirit pressing the Word of God upon the hearts of men.

As Jesus told Jairus, the synagogue ruler,"Do not fear, only keep on believing." I will continue to struggle with all His energy as I pray and hope for student after student to catch the Great Commission lifestyle, overcome apathy, and look beyond themselves to a God who desires to captivate their hearts and to the lost all around them.

John 6 tells the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, in verse 5 the apostle writes, "Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." One of the disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down."

What are we for so many in this world who do not know Christ? Where are we to find enough food for these people to eat?

"For [Jesus] himself knew what he would do." - "I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."

Do not fear, only believe.