Have Faith In God

Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

During the past thirteen weeks in our Sunday School class, we have been going through a study titled "Have Faith in God." This is probably my third or fourth time going through this study, but it has never meant as much to me as it has in the past few months! Why is that? Well, there are several reasons.

1. It never ceases to amaze me how you can read the same verses in the Bible, but God can reveal different truths each time. That is exactly what happened in this study. God brought to light the connection between faith and family. I think before as I have studied the people listed in the "hall of faith" in Hebrews 11, I have thought of how their faith affected them as an individual. Abraham's faith allowed God to use him to be the father of nations. Moses' faith allowed God to make him the one who would deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. While all that is true, the faith exemplified in the lives of these people had a direct impact on their families. Take Moses' parents for example, their act of faith in trusting their baby boy to God's control allowed them extra time with him to train him in the ways of Jehovah. Their faith was planted in Moses' heart so that when the day came for him to choose the pleasures of Egypt or the way of his people's God, he could make the right choice! One day, Simeon and I look forward to starting a family. I pray that God can develop the kind of faith in our lives that will impact our children. And I am so thankful for godly parents who's faith impacted me!

2. The point was brought out in this study that God does not choose to use us because we in and of ourselves are worthy or strong enough. If you look at the lives of the individuals listed in Hebrews 11, you will notice that they weren't "super heroes." They were regular people like you and I who had weaknesses. 2 Corinthians 12:19 says that Christ's strength is made perfect in our weakness. What a promise! This truth spoke to my heart. I need not worry that I am not capable enough to do God's work because when I yield myself to Him, He will enable me to serve Him!

3. When we began our study, our teacher told us that when you pray for God to increase your faith, be prepared for Him to answer. At the time, I wasn't exactly sure what all that meant. Over the past several weeks, I have come to have a better understanding of his response. How does God increase faith? Under what circumstances does our faith have the chance to blossom and grow? God often uses trials in our lives to mature our faith. This could be looked at in a negative light. I don't want to have trials! Just like every other human, I love being on the "mountain top." I want life to be smooth sailing. But it has been through some recent trials that God has made Himself known to Simeon and I. We asked for our faith to be increased, and He answered. . . just not in the way that we would've chosen for ourselves. Has it been worth it? YES!! We still don't have all the answers, and we are still trying to climb back up the mountain, but God has proven over and over again to us that He is enough, He is in control, and He desires the best for our lives. I have seen God's hand moving, and that is worth the time in the valley!

You can listen or watch videos of this lesson series at this link- Have Faith In God. I challenge you to listen to these lessons, and I pray that it will bless your heart as it has mine!

All for His Glory,

Brettnay

Patiently Working Hard

I hear people say from time to time that they are waiting on God's will for their lives. It's as if they believe that somewhere off in the distance there is a magical portal that they'll be able to walk through and find everything God wants for them. They think there is a great door open to them that will solve all their problems and answer all their questions. Yet, today they are content to sit down, do nothing, and wish things were different than they are currently.

I know I'm called to Australia. There were times when I was in college that I wanted to quit school and go, but my wife (fiance at the time) had the wisdom to convince me to finish school first. I was still under the notion that once I finished and got married, I'd pack up my things and go; but it hasn't worked out that way. From time to time I get frustrated about it all and even wish that God hadn't told me where He wanted me to go until He was ready to take me there. That has been my "door off in the future" that would make everything better.

I know now that this is a fallacy in my own thinking. I have come to understand the fact that God wants me here right now. Once I settled that fact in my own heart, it was amazing what God opened up for my wife and I. I now am able to serve in a nursing home on a weekly basis, serve in my church choir, and two weeks ago, my wife and I began leading a Teens For Christ Bible Club at a local middle school. We had 74 kids this past week and were able to share the Gospel with them in their own school! I never would have imagined the opportunities I've had right here, but God didn't give these opportunities  until I was ready to settle down where he had me right now.

We studied Abraham a few weeks ago in Sunday School. He was told of God to pack up and go, but God never told him where. God said go, and Abraham went. He became a wanderer and a nomad for the rest of his life, but he had God's blessing. He didn't know where he'd go next until God told him. The point is that God didn't tell Abraham everything. God told him what he needed to know right then. I may know where I'm going someday, but I have to listen to what God wants me to do today first. The Lord wants to lead our lives, but He wants to lead on a daily basis.

Don't think that your golden ticket will come in the mail one day, and you'll know then and there what to do. There's no magic portal that you'll walk through to serve Christ and be happy. Serve Him right now where you are. You are where you are either because God wants you there, or because you're running from Him. Let Him use you today! He'll guide you tomorrow if you do!

Teaching English to Reach a Heart

People say there is nothing quite like teaching a child to read, and then hearing them read their first words by themselves. I have not experienced that, but I have experienced something that might come close. . .

This summer, I had the amazing opportunity to finish my TESOL degree (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). It made for a challenging beginning to my summer, but what I received from it was worth it! Yes, I was very excited to receive my certification to teach, but I left with something even more valuable than that! I had developed a love for helping internationals learn English by studying God's Word. Watching them not only reading the Bible in English, but then grasping an understanding of the Gospel in our language is an experience difficult to describe! Many of them were so open to hearing about Christ.

Through this one class, I created friendships that I hope to hold onto for a lifetime! I look forward to seeing how God will use this training in my life as Simeon and I seek to follow God's will for our lives at home and one day abroad!

We cannot begin to express what your prayers and encouragement mean to us! Please continue to pray for us as we seek God's direction and follow His will for our lives at this stage He has us in!

All for His Glory,

Brettnay Brazzell