How can I trust I won't lose my faith?
How can we be sure we won’t lose our faith as life goes along? How will we handle the “what if” moments and worst-case scenarios? What if I get cancer? What if my spouse cheats on me? What if my friends abandon me? How can we trust that we are strong enough to finish the race? In his letter to the Colossians, Paul reiterates that Jesus is LORD of everything, and that we can live a faithful life in the LORD because of the strength Christ puts inside of us: we are rooted, we are built up, we are established.
WARM UP
- Do you worry that you might lose your faith one day? What type of difficult life situation would make it difficult for you to remain faithful in Christ?
SCRIPTURAL STUDY
COLOSSIANS 2:6-7 “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the LORD, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”
- Dave used the image of a ping-pong ball, a toothpick and a pancake to illustrate the importance (and vastness) of a root system to a healthy plant. Based on your life and relationship with Christ right now, what would your root system look like? What does your external life reveal about your root system?
“We have only one thing to do, namely, to experience a life of relationship and intimacy with God.” –Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline
- What other purposes do you give your life outside of a relationship and intimacy with Christ?
- Are you walking in Christ right now with the same vigor and perseverance that you aspire and hope to have in 10 years? If so, how will you continue to continue grow? If not, what is holding you back?
REFLECTION & APPLICATION
- Life in Christ is not easy, but it’s worth it and it’s life-giving. How will you handle the discomfort of following Christ when tough times hit?
- Unlike Olympic torch carriers, we do not need to carry the torch (our life) on our own; Christ carries it for us through the strength He has built in us by His Holy Spirit. What does the knowledge of the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit mean for your faith moving forward?
