Daring Faith happens when you live on the edge of faith, and not in the shallows of safe conformity. Daring Faith happens when you boldly step up, step out, and take risks in Jesus' Name. Daring Faith will be the key to our future at Orangeburg's Redeemer.
It is our prayer that you will read, mark and inwardly digest these daily devotionals. Clicking or tapping on the Bible verse reference will open a new window with the full Biblical text. At the end of each devotional you will find some questions for further reflection. If you would like to ask a question or comment, email our Rector by clicking or tapping on this link.
Thursday, March 10 - How To Set a Faith Goal
“I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.” Philippians 3:13-14 (NCV)
You exercise faith by setting goals. Goals are statements of faith by which you say, “I believe God wants me to accomplish something by a certain date.” If you don’t have a date, it’s not a goal, it’s just a wish, a dream, a desire. Wishes are a dime a dozen. The only thing that will change your life is setting a goal. You have to wake up from the dream and go to work!
A “FAITH” goal has five characteristics:
Focused: That means it is specific. If you use the words “more” or “less,” it’s not a focused goal. “I want to be more like Jesus” or “I want to weigh less” are not goals because you can’t measure them. A goal must be specific. For example, “I will have a quiet time for five minutes every day for the next month,” or “I will lose ten pounds in thirty days — those are FAITH goals.”
Attainable: It must be possible and practical. If you set an unrealistic goal, it’s just going to discourage you. If you say, “I’m going to pray three hours a day,” you’re setting yourself up for failure. Set a goal that stretches you without breaking you, and then trust God to help you stretch.
Individual: That means it’s personal. You cannot set goals for other people, because you can’t control them. You can only set goals for yourself.
Trackable: Trackable goals can be measured and verified. Your goal needs a deadline. Without a date, it’s not a goal.
Heartfelt: You’ll never reach a passionless goal. If you don’t have a deep desire to do it, don’t set it.
Goals will give life to the dreams you’ve given up for dead. Take a look at the dreams you’ve given up on. Add a goal, and see what God can do.
What did you hear?
What did God say to you as you read today's Scripture and devotion?
What do you think?
How does what you read apply to your life?
What will you do?
St. James says be doers of the word (James 1:22). Now that you know what you know, what will you do about it?
Now, Talk to God
Turn your thoughts on this Scripture and devotion into prayer. It could be a prayer of gratitude or praise. It could be a prayer of confession or a request for God's help. It's up to you.
Friday, March 11 - Look for God’s Promise to Move Forward in Faith
Read Psalm 119:9-16
“I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart.” Psalm 119:11
There are over seven thousand promises in the Bible. They’re like blank checks, signed by God, waiting for you to cash. I hope you are memorizing each of the weekly memory verses in this study, because you need to get some of God’s promises stored up in your mind and heart. When you start to doubt, feel discouraged or depressed, the Holy Spirit can bring these promises to your memory. The Bible says, “I have banked your promises in the vault of my heart.” (Psalm 119:11) When you tell God that you want to be used for His purposes, He promises you three things that are all found in Joshua chapter one.
• God promises to give you strength: “No one will be able to stand against you.” Joshua 1:5. In other words, when God asks you to do something, he will give you the power to do it. Where God guides, he provides.
• God promises to give you success: “You will be successful.” Joshua 1:7-8. God does not promise to make you successful at whatever you want to do; He promises you will be successful at what He wants you to do. If you want to be a success in life, it’s real simple- start doing what God made you to do.
• God promises to support you: “I will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9. Gods work done God’s way will not lack God’s support.
There are so many more promises for you in the Bible, but you have to discover them. The Bible says, “ Always remember what is written in (this book). Study it day and night to be sure to obey everything that is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything.” Joshua 1:8
That’s quite a promise!
What did you hear?
What did God say to you as you read today's Scripture and devotion?
What do you think?
How does what you read apply to your life?
What will you do?
St. James says be doers of the word (James 1:22). Now that you know what you know, what will you do about it?
Now, Talk to God
Turn your thoughts on this Scripture and devotion into prayer. It could be a prayer of gratitude or praise. It could be a prayer of confession or a request for God's help. It's up to you.
Saturday, March 12 - Daring Faith is Generous
Read Proverbs 11:23-30
People with daring faith are generous even when they don’t have anything to give. Anybody can be generous when they have a surplus. I can be generous with my time when I have extra time. I can be generous with my money when I have extra money. I can be generous with my energy when I have extra energy to spend.
It’s when I don’t have enough time for me, enough money for me, or enough energy for me that God says, “This is a test. I’m watching you to see if you are faithful. Will you be generous, and will you trust me? Will you take me at my word when I promise, “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25
Here are five principles in which God will test you and then bless you:
God gives to generous people. Why does God want you to be generous? Because He wants you to be like Him, and God is a giver.
Obeying God’s vision will bring God’s provision. If you do what God tells you to do, God will bring along the resources you need at the right time. When He gives you the vision, He will give you the provision.
When you do all that God tells you to do, He does what you can’t do. God often asks you to do the impossible to stretch your faith. When you give what little you have, God multiplies it and makes up for what is lacking. When you have a need, sow a seed. Whatever you need in your life, sow it as a seed, and it will come back to you.
There is always a delay between sowing and reaping. There is a season between planting and harvesting. What’s going on in the delay? It’s a test of your faith. Will you be faithful to give when you have little? Will you keep on doing the right thing? Do what God wants you to do, no matter the cost, and then see what God does.
What did you hear?
What did God say to you as you read today's Scripture and devotion?
What do you think?
How does what you read apply to your life?
What will you do?
St. James says be doers of the word (James 1:22). Now that you know what you know, what will you do about it?
Now, Talk to God
Turn your thoughts on this Scripture and devotion into prayer. It could be a prayer of gratitude or praise. It could be a prayer of confession or a request for God's help. It's up to you.
Sunday March 13 - Dare to Sell Out
Read 1 John 5:1-5
“The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9
The Bible tells us three things about the importance of daring faith.
• God is looking for faithful people.
God is actively searching for people who are sold out to His purposes, so that He can bless them. The Bible says, “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9. If you make yourself usable, God will wear you out. If you get bless-able, He will bless your socks off! God is looking for faithful people that He can use.
• Faithful people are hard to find.
The Bible says, “Everyone talks about how faithful he is, but just try to find someone who really is! Proverbs 20:6. A lot of people talk the talk. They say they believe in God, but when things get tough in their finances, or their health, or their job, instead of seeking God, they doubt God-or they blame Him for their troubles. The Bible says, “God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; He looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God.” Psalm 53:2
• Faithfulness is the key to blessing and victory.
The Bible says, “A faithful man will have many blessings.” Proverbs 29:20. I want your life to have many blessings. But in order for you to be blessed, you have to learn faithfulness.
The Bible says, “Every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” I John 5:4-5
If you stay faithful to the Lord, He will strengthen your heart and use your life for His purposes.
What did you hear?
What did God say to you as you read today's Scripture and devotion?
What do you think?
How does what you read apply to your life?
What will you do?
St. James says be doers of the word (James 1:22). Now that you know what you know, what will you do about it?
Now, Talk to God
Turn your thoughts on this Scripture and devotion into prayer. It could be a prayer of gratitude or praise. It could be a prayer of confession or a request for God's help. It's up to you.
Monday, March 14 - Faith is more than Believing: Take the Next Step
Read Mark 10:46-52
“And Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately, he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.” Mark 10:52
I don’t know what your next step of faith is, but I do know this: You do have one. God will never be finished taking you deeper in faith. There is always a next step.
If you don’t take the next step, you’ll get stuck in a rut- and the only difference between a grave and a rut is the length. If you don’t move forward in faith, your heart will grow cold, and you will feel more distant from God. He isn’t going to help you with step three, four, and five until you take step one. If you’re asking God to help you with something, He’s asking you, “Why haven’t you done what I’ve already told you to do?” You may have “been aiming to” do something. Stop aiming and pull the trigger.
In Mark chapter ten, Jesus healed a blind man named Bartimaeus. Before Bartimaeus met Jesus, he was sitting beside the road. After he received his sight from the Lord, he “began following him on the road.” Mark 10:52b. Which of those two phrases describes your life: sitting beside the road or following Jesus on the road?
There is only one way to follow Jesus on the road: Take the next step.
Faith is more than believing. Faith is more than thinking, talking or having convictions about Jesus. Faith is action. It is movement. It is activity. Faith is something you do. In fact, the Bible says, “If people say they have faith, but do nothing, their faith is worth nothing.” James 2:14
What “next step” will you take today to move forward in faith?
What did you hear?
What did God say to you as you read today's Scripture and devotion?
What do you think?
How does what you read apply to your life?
What will you do?
St. James says be doers of the word (James 1:22). Now that you know what you know, what will you do about it?
Now, Talk to God
Turn your thoughts on this Scripture and devotion into prayer. It could be a prayer of gratitude or praise. It could be a prayer of confession or a request for God's help. It's up to you.
Tuesday, March 15 - Daring Faith Has Big Dreams
Read Ephesians 3:12-21
“Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.” Ephesians 3:20 (TLB)
Dreaming is an act of faith. God gave you the ability to create and to imagine, but nothing happens in your life until you start dreaming. So how do you get God’s dream for your life? You do three things:
- Dare to ask God for it. The Bible says, “Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes” (Ephesians 3:20 TLB). If you want God’s dream for your life, you must dare to ask him what he wants you to do. Then ask yourself, “What would I attempt for God if I knew I couldn’t fail?” Let that expand your vision.
- Believe God’s promises. The Bible says, “I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27 NLT). Never let an impossible situation intimidate you. Let it motivate you to pray more, believe more, trust more, experience more, learn more, and grow more. Faith always works in the realm of the impossible.
- Dream big. “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession” (Psalm 2:8 NIV). Let the size of your God determine the size of your goal. You haven't really believed God until you’ve attempted something that can‘t be done in the power of the flesh. God’s dream for you will be a perfect match for your spiritual gifts, your heart, your abilities, your personality, and your experiences. But it will be impossible to achieve without “his mighty power at work within you."
Dream great dreams for God. It’s the first step in your walk of faith.
What did you hear?
What did God say to you as you read today's Scripture and devotion?
What do you think?
How does what you read apply to your life?
What will you do?
St. James says be doers of the word (James 1:22). Now that you know what you know, what will you do about it?
Now, Talk to God
Turn your thoughts on this Scripture and devotion into prayer. It could be a prayer of gratitude or praise. It could be a prayer of confession or a request for God's help. It's up to you.
Wednesday, March 16 - SEIZE THE MOMENT!
Read Ephesians 5:8-21
“Be careful how you act; these are difficult days. Don’t be fools; be wise: make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good.” Ephesians 5:15-16 (TLB)
Everyone has a dream, but most dreams never come true. It’s not that we aren’t smart enough, or outgoing enough, or even spiritual enough. Usually, our dreams don’t come true because we’re unwilling to take the necessary risks to reach them.
The Bible shares a sad one-sentence commentary about a king who failed to achieve an important ambition in his life: “[King] Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail—they were wrecked at Ezion Geber” (1 Kings 22:48 NIV).
While it’s a tragedy for your ship to never come in, it’s a greater tragedy to build a ship and never set sail. Imagine the energy and money expended by King Jehoshaphat. He built an entire fleet of ships to go after the gold, but not one of them set sail. Evidently a storm came up while they were in the harbor and slammed the ships against the rocks. They were all destroyed.
Some people spend their whole lives waiting for their ship to come. But God isn’t waiting for your ship to come in. He’s waiting for you to sail your ship out of the harbor.
I know a man who for thirty years had a dream of starting a ministry, but he never took the risk to do anything about his dream. He never got his ship out of the harbor. Eventually, the man died—and so did his dream.
The Bible’s antidote to that kind of tragic procrastination is as simple as an overdone catchphrase but excruciatingly difficult to apply at times: Just do it! The Bible says, “Be careful how you act; these are difficult days. Don't be fools; be wise: make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good" (Ephesians 5:15-16 TLB).
The Bible urges us to seize the moment and act now. To live a life with unfulfilled dreams is a tragedy. Ships aren’t made for the harbor. They're made to set sail.
What did you hear?
What did God say to you as you read today's Scripture and devotion?
What do you think?
How does what you read apply to your life?
What will you do?
St. James says be doers of the word (James 1:22). Now that you know what you know, what will you do about it?
Now, Talk to God
Turn your thoughts on this Scripture and devotion into prayer. It could be a prayer of gratitude or praise. It could be a prayer of confession or a request for God's help. It's up to you.
(This is the last of the Daring Faith Daily Devotionals. Contact us if you need suggestions for other devotions for future days.)