August 10, 2025 Sermon Notes

What is faith? It is a word we hear often, but what does it truly mean? It is

not just a Sunday thought; it is the very foundation of our life with God.

The book of Hebrews gives us a beautiful and profound definition: “Now

faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”

(Hebrews 11:1).

This faith is not blind optimism or wishful thinking. It is a confident trust in

the promises of God, even when our circumstances scream the opposite.

And where does this powerful faith come from? We do not manufacture it

ourselves. Ephesians tells us it is a gift from God, given freely by His grace.

Think of it this way: imagine you are in a pitch-dark room. You cannot

create light, but you can choose to open the curtain. The moment you do,

sunlight—which was always there—floods in. God’s grace is that sunlight;

faith is simply the act of opening the curtain to receive what He has already

provided. And when we receive this gift, it changes everything. It becomes

the key that unlocks God’s transforming power. Our hope shifts from the

temporary things of this world to the eternal promise of God’s kingdom.

Our priorities change. We begin to see with spiritual eyes, like using a

telescope to spot a distant, unseen shore.

This does not mean life becomes easy. We will still face trials. But faith

gives us the strength to endure, reminding us that our present struggles

are not the end of the story. Like Abraham, we are empowered to take the

next step, trusting the One who holds our future. So I encourage you today:

live by this faith. Trust Jesus completely. Let it shape your heart, guide your

steps, and fill you with a peace and hope that this world cannot offer. For

this is how we begin to taste heaven, right here on earth.

Amen.

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