2 Timothy 1:5, (NLT), “I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you..”

LIFEPOINT: Remembering God’s faithfulness in the past can be a great source of courage in the present and hope for the future. Our faithfulness to God is fueled by His faithfulness to us!
 

One of the lingering effects of living in a fallen world is the weakness of our flesh. Even though we have experienced God's life-changing power many times in our lives, when we find ourselves facing  new challenges we often fail to remember God’s faithfulness in the past. With each new struggle our perspective starts to blur and we forget that we’ve already gone through circumstances that were similar or even worse. When the problems that are lying ahead of us start to look like mountains that are too big for us to handle, we momentarily fail to remember all the other mountains we’ve already crossed with God’s help.

That’s why, from time to time, we need to put everything on pause and remember how faithful God has been to us throughout our lives. This is an important discipline that always bears great fruit in our spiritual lives. When we slow down long enough to remember and thank God for His blessings in the past, it helps fill our hearts with the faith we need to overcome life’s trials and to live victorious lives for Christ!

In His Service,
Pastor Steve

Hebrews 13:8 (NLT), “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

LIFEPOINT: Remembering God’s faithfulness in the past can be a great source of courage in the present and hope for the future. Our faithfulness to God is fueled by His faithfulness to us!

2 Timothy 1:5 (NLT), “I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.”

2 Timothy 1:6 (NLT), “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.”

The phrase, “This is why I remind you” is translated from the Greek word ana-mimnesko, a compound of two Greek words:

• The word ana means again or to repeat something. 
• The word mimnesko means to be reminded of something, to recall memories.

God wants you to learn to trust Him, especially in light of all the chaos and moral confusion we see around us in the world.

Numbers 23:19 (NLT), “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”

John 17:3b (NLT), “He is the only true God.”
1 Corinthians 1:9 (NLT), “God ... is faithful.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT), “But God is faithful.”
1 John 1:9, “He is faithful.”
1 John 5:20 (NLT), “Him who is true.”

Remembering God’s faithfulness in the past points us to three specific truths that serve as a solid foundation for our faith:

1. Every word God says is true. God has given us an entire book filled with his words. This means our job is to read that Book. We need to study it, memorize it, learn it, and build our life on it!

2. Every promise will be kept.
2 Corinthians 1:20 (NLT), “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.”

Have you taken the time to trace God’s promises through the Bible? There are literally thousands of promises that cover every situation we face: Including salvation, the forgiveness of sin, prayer, marriage, children, disappointment, fear and anxiety, and many other issues.

2 Corinthians 1:20 (MSG), “Whatever God says gets stamped with the ‘yes’ of Jesus.” When God the Father makes a promise, God the Son says from heaven, “Yes, it is so.”

Joshua 21:43-45 (NLT), “So the Lord gave to Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. 44 And the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had solemnly promised their ancestors. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the Lord helped them conquer all their enemies. 45 Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.”

How God kept his promises in the Book of Joshua:
—Not quickly (it took seven years)
—Not without a struggle (there were many battles)
—Not without some failure along the way (For example the sin of Achan in chap. 7)
—Not without some loss of life


3. Every trial has a purpose.

Four truths from Scripture concerning God’s faithfulness in times of trial:

• He knows what we are going through: Job 23:10 (NLT), “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.”
• He uses our trials to help us grow: Romans 5:3-4 (NLT), “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”
• He calls us to rejoice in our pain: James 1:2-4 (NLT), “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
• He calls us to submit to our faithful Creator: 1 Peter 4:19 (NLT), “So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.”

LIFEPOINT: Remembering God’s faithfulness in the past can be a great source of courage in the present and hope for the future. Our faithfulness to God is fueled by His faithfulness to us!