Christianity is really not a religion for cowards, because confessing Jesus as our Savior and standing up for his Word, standing under Christ's cross can often be very difficult.
My life has undergone a rather dramatic shift in the last couple months.
And there are two things I want to focus on today: humility and testimony.
Last week we talked about the second birth that God works through faith in Jesus Christ. But today I want to ask a question how can we be certain that that birth has actually happened?
You'll never meet anybody more fickle than a sports fan. But while we may be fickle in our faith. Christ is steadfast.
It seems as if there is a warning label on everything. On my wife's curling iron the tag says do not use in the shower.
When we look at our lives and our hearts we don't often see peace. But peace doesn't come from within ourselves, it comes from what Jesus has done for you. Jesus' wounds are reminders that he paid for your wrongdoing and now you can have peace with God.
It's important to put your faith in something that has the strength to carry you through the difficulties of life. The one place you should put your faith is in Jesus. He lived for you, died in your place, and rose again to prove your sins are forgiven.
God wants you to be certain that he loves you, that he sent Jesus to live and die in your place, that you will be with him in heaven.
As we witness confirmations in our Lutheran church, we are reminded of our commitment to our faith. In Revelation 2:10, Jesus promises the crown of life to those faithful unto death. Jesus wore our crown of shame, bearing our sins on the cross, so we may inherit eternal life.
Here's another quick lesson illustration about how we think about faith.
I want to take a look at God's Word from Matthew chapter 14 and just talk a little bit more about faith and trust and doubt.
