The 
Phases of Faith
Faith is the only way to grow in our relationship with God.
Sunday, May 16, 2004
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Read your Bible more in 2004!
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, Thank You for being the one, true God, who made the heavens and the earth, and everything visible and invisible! I praise You that You are the God of love and salvation as well as the God of all power and might. I pray this day that You will fill me with Your Holy Spirit that all that I think, say and do will bring You glory and honor. I pray that as I gather in worship with others who know Jesus as Savior and Lord, that You will inhabit the praises of Your people as You promise, that You will receive our worship as a fragrant offering, and that all through the week I may worship You through my life as well as through my words. I ask all these things in the strong name of Jesus Christ, my living Savior and Lord. Amen.
God's Word For Me Today
2 Corinthians 1:8-11
8I think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it. 9In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead. 10And he did deliver us from mortal danger. And we are confident that he will continue to deliver us. 11He will rescue us because you are helping by praying for us. As a result, many will give thanks to God because so many people’s prayers for our safety have been answered.
Reflecting on God's Word
What situation in your life was the biggest “dead-end” that you ever faced?
What do you do when you find yourself in “dead-end” situations?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word
What situations did Paul and his co-workers face as they ministered in the province of Asia. (1:8-9)
What was their response to the situation? (1:8-9)
How did God respond in the situation? (1:10-11)
Understanding God's Purpose
What do you suppose was God’s purpose for Paul and his co-workers in their time of facing imminent death?
What do we learn about the purposes of God from reading this Scripture?
Applying God's Word to Our Lives
What is the most important application of today’s scripture to your life right now?
Thoughts...Dreams, Decisions, Delays, Difficulties, DEAD-ENDS…
One of the most difficult realities of following Jesus is that sometimes we run straight into a roadblock or a dead-end. Delays and difficulties abound on the straight and narrow path that leads to salvation, but they seem rather easy when compared with the dead-ends that come. None of us likes to wait. None of us likes to go through trials and difficulties. But more than that none of us likes to feel as if we are in a hopeless situation! Have you ever been there? You think you’re doing a great job, but no one notices or you get fired! You think that you’re following Jesus and yet the more like Him you become, the more problems mount. That’s because on the journey of faith, seeing God’s dream become a reality takes everything, and Satan will do anything to keep us from seeing the dreams become realities. What today’s Scripture reminds us is so vital—even if we face death, God is with us. Even if we face death, God can overcome in our lives. Faithfulness does not mean ease and comfort—at least not for most of us. Paul was one of the most faithful people who ever lived and he faced dead-ends all the time. The blessing of dead-ends is that God is faithful to us, and gets us out of them, as we rely on Him!