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Gospel centred sermons, based on the lectionary often in advance.

Oct 17, 2016

Focus Passage: 2 Tim 3:14-4:5  Direct download: Click here Longer version

There is an old joke I’m sure you will have heard it about the man who is dangling from a tree on the side of a cliff. He calls out “Help! Is there anybody who can help me?” A voice booms from heaven “This is the Lord, let go of the tree.” The man pauses for a moment, thinks about it and then calls out, “Is there anybody else?” The man did not trust God. In 2 Timothy 3:15 we are told that the purpose of the Bible is to “instruct us for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.” When we hear this word faith and “believe” in verse 14 we might think of a list of things to believe. If we do we really don’t mean what the Bible means. In the bible the words believe and faith mean something much more like “trust in”. It means something like, I trust or have faith in my wife, my brother, my accountant, my dad or my friend. Today’s reading urges us to read the Bible and remember what we have been taught about God by those who raised us in faith. If we do we will be able to trust God and live lives of good works and powerful witness, and not be sucked in to the latest idea or fad. We will be able to let go of the branch and trust God will catch us.

Questions for thought and discussion.

What are the differences between saying “I trust in God” and “I believe in God”? What could a life that trusts God look like? What Bible verses or passages have you found helpful in life? Who taught you most about trusting in God

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