Faith is one of those words that can be tough to pin down. Some folks say it means a blind leap in the dark. Others say it is exclusively evidence-based. Which is it?

I think the answer is both. Real faith is not kept in contradiction to reason, but it extends beyond reason. Faith begins in evidence and moves out from it-even when believing is difficult. The word used in the New Testament for faith is pistis, a word which is also translated as trust. It’s not merely mental agreement: “Yeah, I think that’s right.” It is belief that produces trust that produces action.

Have you heard these scriptures lately?

  •          “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 ESV)
  •          “And without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6 ESV)
  •          “…the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” (James 1:3 ESV)
  •          “Faith, by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 1:17 ESV)

Perhaps the most piercing scripture off all is the question that Jesus asked nearly two thousand years ago: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8 ESV)

If Jesus asked that question of you alone, what would the answer be?

Faith is absolutely essential for God’s people. It’s not optional! It must be the kind of faith that trusts and obeys even in moments of doubt.

The church at Burns wants to help make sure that the answer to Jesus’ question is a resounding YES! To that effect, we’ve planned several things we’d like to let you know about. These are all designed to help us all build our faith.

We’ll soon be offering The Case for Christ series, by Lee Strobel. Visit with us at 6 pm on Sunday nights in the months of March, April, and May to see a video series by an atheist-turned-believer who explored the evidence about Christianity. After the videos are over, we’ve invited some experts to come share even more evidence that they’ve seen in their work. There will be time for discussion and questions. Don’t worry; this material, although it is deep, is very accessible.

You’ll see a lot of us in the month of June, too! We’re planning to come door-to-door in the third week of June to see if there’s any way we can help you on your spiritual journey. We’ll be offering Bible studies and good, Bible-based materials for your consideration.

We hope that you will join us whenever you can, and it is our prayer that when Christ returns, He will find faith in you! Please let us know if we can help. You may contact our office at 441-3984 or by email at office@burnschurchofchrist.org. Check our website for more specific information: https://www.burnschurchofchrist.org