Solidifying your faith in Christ

Scripture References: Luke 9:57-62 (Main Text) Joshua 1; Matthew 11:2-6 / Luke 7:18-23Intro: (Podcast Sermon Title Suggestion: Hard Faith for Hard Times: Responding to Offensive Jesus)Opening reflection: We seek glory, often in wrong places (career, money, approval). True glory is restored by God through the gospel (Man Camp encouragement).Introduce Luke 9:57-62 – Jesus' challenging, seemingly harsh words.We often minimize "Offensive Jesus," but these moments are opportunities to examine our hearts.Key Points:Harden Your Faith (Hazak) (Joshua 1):Before entering the Promised Land, God told Joshua "Be strong (hazak) and courageous" – essentially, harden your resolve.Like setting cement, faith needs to solidify, especially facing uncertainty or transition ("crossing the Jordan").Requires moving forward in obedience even before seeing the full outcome (Israelites stepping into the flowing Jordan). Don't look back to the "desert" of unbelief.Offense Exposes Heart Questions:When we feel offended (by Jesus' words, difficult circumstances, church people), it often reveals deeper questions lurking in our hearts.The core question behind the bitterness/hurt is usually: "Is God really good? Is He faithful? Is He who He says He is?"Take Your Questions Directly to Jesus (Matt 11/Luke 7):John the Baptist, potentially offended while imprisoned, sent disciples directly to Jesus asking, "Are you the one, or should we look for another?"We must follow his example: Don't let offense fester, lead to bitterness, or cause you to drift away. Go directly to Jesus with your hardest questions.Find Assurance in God's Word:How did Jesus answer John? By pointing to the evidence of fulfilled Scripture (Isaiah).We solidify our faith by returning to the Bible, asking the Holy Spirit to affirm God's character and truth in our hearts. This turns uncertain questions into confident faith statements.Conclusion:Like Israel "East of the Jordan," we face uncertain times. Offenses will come.Don't retreat into the desert of unbelief. Deal with offense by taking your core questions to Jesus.Seek His assurance through His Word, allowing your faith to "harden" with godly resolve (hazak) to follow Him forward.Call to Action:Identify the questions/offenses stirring in your heart. What are you really asking about God?Take these questions directly to Jesus in prayer.Open the Scriptures, asking the Holy Spirit to give you assurance and solidify your faith.Pray for a "hardened" resolve to trust and follow Him.Pray for those being baptized today – for enduring faith.Acknowledge and pray for Pastor Danny Bartlett during his transition. Support the show*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI. Please notify us if you find any errors.