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Start your day off right with

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the free In Touch devotional.

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Subscribe today.

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♪♪♪

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♪♪♪

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CC by Aberdeen Captioning
1-800-688-6621  www.abercap.com

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male announcer: "In Touch"
with Dr. Charles Stanley,

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reaching the world
with the gospel of

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Jesus Christ through
sound biblical teaching.

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Next on "In Touch,"
"Levels of Faith in

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the Life of the Believer."

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Dr. Charles Stanley: When you
face difficulties and trials

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and hardships in life,
how do you respond?

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Do you respond with doubt and
fear and anxiety and fretting

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or do you respond by faith?

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And if you respond by
faith, what level of faith?

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You say, "What do you mean
by what level of faith?"

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That's right,
what level of faith?

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You say, "Well, how do you
know what these levels are?"

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We're going to talk about it.

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How do you
distinguish one from the other?

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What does it mean in my life?

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How does it affect my life?

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Speaking of levels of faith.

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Well, we all operate on
one of three levels of faith.

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And the longer you live,
certainly the more faith

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you and I ought to have.

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And the higher up these levels
we ought to go in our faith.

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But some people will stay all of
their lives on the lowest level

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because number one, maybe
they don't even know that

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there are levels of faith.

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And secondly, too
afraid to launch out,

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too fearful to trust God.

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And so what happens is you go
through life and you miss His

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best because you
never grow in your faith.

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And that's what I want to
talk about in this message,

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and that is "The Levels of Faith
in the Life of the Believer."

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And it's very evident in
scripture that faith is very,

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very important in the eyes
of God and He sees faith as

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very important in our life.

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And so, what we want to talk
about in this message is this.

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How to raise your faith level.

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How to get in a position where
you and your relationship to God

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and the way you trust
Him will position you,

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listen, to be able to be blessed
to the maximum of your potential

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because the way you trust
Him determines the way

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the blessings come.

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You don't trust Him,
you don't get blessed.

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You trust Him,
you'll get blessed.

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And the more you trust Him and
the way that you're able to walk

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in these levels of faith, the
greater the blessings are coming

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your way.

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Think about how
absolutely essential and

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important faith is.

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And let's think
about it in this light.

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If you look at
the life of Jesus,

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look at His ministry,
here's what you discover.

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You discover that the theme
of faith permeated the whole

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ministry of Jesus
no matter what.

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And I want to give you a few
verses of scripture and I won't

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have you turn to all of these
because I have enough of them

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for you to turn to.

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But I want you to think
about some of these verses,

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for example, you find in
the scriptures concerning

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His healing ministry.

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Listen to what He is continually
saying when He's confronting

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people, where they're
paralyzed, or they're blind,

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or whatever the
situation may be.

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Listen for example.

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In Matthew nine, He
says to this lady,

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"'Daughter, your faith
has made you well.'"

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Then in Matthew fifteen,
"'O woman, your faith is great;

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be it done unto you
as you wish.'"

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And the fifth, second chapter of
Mark, when these fellows are

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tearing up the roof of this
man's house and letting their

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friend down by ropes so they, he
can finally get to Jesus and

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be healed, Jesus said to him,
"seeing their faith,

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'My son, your sins
are forgiven.'"

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Then He says in Mark ten to
Bartimaeus, the blind beggar,

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"'Go your way; your faith
has made you whole.'"

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And again, He says, "Your
faith has saved you.

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Receive your sight, your
faith has made you well.

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Be it done unto you
according to your faith."

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All through the
gospels--Matthew,

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Mark, and Luke especially,
what you find is Jesus,

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the theme of His
relationship to these people,

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this needy people who
have a health problem,

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whatever it might be,
it's always, listen,

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based on their faith.

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Remember He said on one occasion
he couldn't do any miracles

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in a particular place
because of their unbelief.

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They didn't have any faith,
they wouldn't trust Him.

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And oftentimes you and I miss
out on God's best blessings

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because we won't trust Him.

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We don't believe
that He loves us.

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We don't believe that He
will provide our needs.

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We don't believe
that He'll heal us.

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We don't believe that He
cares that much for us.

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But if you look at His ministry,
what was He continually saying?

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It was listen, it
was trust Him--faith,

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faith, faith, faith, faith.

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So, if that's true in
His ministry in His day.

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If it were so important that he
magnified the subject of faith.

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Nothing's changed.

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Because you see,
in our lifestyle,

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in our lifetime, in the
culture in which we live,

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it makes no difference what
generation and what culture.

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Faith permeates every
aspect of our life.

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So either we will live on
this lower level of faith,

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or we'll graduate.

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And we'll, listen,
we'll grow in our faith,

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and our understanding.

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And what'll happen is
your life's going to change.

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Once you move from level one and
you begin to operate on level

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two and on level three,
your life's going to change.

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What are these levels of faith?

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How do we distinguish
between them?

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What does God say about them?

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That's what I want us
to consider primarily.

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So, I want to give you, listen,
I want to give you a level,

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then I want to give you a
word so you can remember it.

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And the first level, listen,
the first level in scripture of

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faith is little faith.

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Little faith, and I
want you to remember this.

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Little faith is restless faith.

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Little faith is wrestling.

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Little faith, for
example is saying,

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I know He can, but
I'm not sure He will.

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Little faith is
struggling--struggling because

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it's a whole new perspective
on the way we live.

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And you remember
what James said?

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He that waver is like
the winds of the sea,

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blowing hither and yon,
tossed to and fro.

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He says, "Don't let that person
think they're going to receive

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anything from God because
God does not honor

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that kind of faith."

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Does this mean,
watch this carefully,

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does this mean that God will
never answer your prayers unless

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you reach the
third level of faith?

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No, it doesn't mean that.

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It means that your
lifestyle is going to change.

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It means that your relationship,
it means that your request,

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that, it means that your, your
fretting and your anxiety and

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your questions and your doubts
are going to disappear and God's

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going to do something absolutely
fantastic in your life, why?

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Because He wants
the best for you.

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He doesn't want us living
on this particular level.

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But this is level one.

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Now I want you to
listen carefully.

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The reason people stay on
level one--wrestling faith,

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that is struggling faith,
laboring faith--is because their

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focus is on the circumstances
and their focus is

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on themselves.

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Their resources, what
they think they can do.

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And when your listen, when your
focus is on your circumstances

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and your focus is on yourself,
your focus is on your resources,

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you're not going to be
able to believe God for much.

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It's just not going to happen.

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Because all of us
have limited resources,

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whether it's abilities and
talents and skills or finances.

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And so as long as you're, as
long as you're asking and your

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belief system,
you're on level one.

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It is the level of
struggle, uncertainty,

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doubts, laboring,
and what happens?

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You're going to find that what
you're really looking for

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in life, it's always seems to
be a little bit beyond you.

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So what you have
to realize is this.

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You have to ask yourself the
question where is my focus?

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Listen to this carefully.

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God doesn't want you
living on the level of

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little faith--struggling,
laboring, wrestling over it all.

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Will He, maybe He will,
maybe He won't.

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Now here is a perfect
example of that and because,

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if you look in the scriptures
there are all kind of examples

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of how Jesus
operated in people's lives.

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Well look if you will in
Mark chapter nine for a moment.

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Here's a perfect
example of how this happens.

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You'll recall that
in this passage,

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for example, that verse twenty,
"They brought the boy to Him

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when he saw Him, immediately
the spirit threw him

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into a convulsion, and
falling to the ground,

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he began rolling around
and foaming at the mouth.

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And He asked his father,
'How long has this been

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happening to him?'

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And he said,
'From childhood."

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Now watch these
next couple of verses.

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It's been
happening all of his life.

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"It has often thrown him both
into the fire and into the water

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to destroy him," watch this,
"But if You can,

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"this is the father speaking,
but if You can, do anything,

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take pity on us and help us!'"

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Now listen to Jesus's response:

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"And Jesus said to him,
'If You can?'

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All things are possible
to him who believes.'"

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This is not what Jesus said.

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Listen to the tone
of my voice.

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If you can, all things
are possible to Him.

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That's not what He said.

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He says, "If You,
if You can help us,

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have pity on us."

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And Jesus said, "What do
you mean, 'If You can'?"

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"All things are possible
to him who believes.'

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And Immediately the
boy's father cried out and said,

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'I do believe;
help my unbelief.'"

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Perfect example of
what kind of faith?

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Come on, what kind of faith?

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Little faith, and little
faith is what kind of faith?

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Wrestling faith, struggling
faith, laboring faith.

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He said, "Lord, I do
believe; help my unbelief."

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Now all of us have been
there at some point or,

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in time, or the other.

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And this is not to say that you
will never hit a circumstance

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at which you won't
maybe feel that.

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There are situations and
circumstances that try our faith

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and God understands that.

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But He doesn't want
us staying there.

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We may hit one of those,
but He wants us to do what?

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To move from level
number one of struggling,

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wrestling, laboring
faith to level number two.

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And that is a perfect
example of being there.

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"Immediately the boy's
father cried out and said,

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'I do believe;
help my unbelief."

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What was he saying?

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He was simply saying you
know, I'm believing You,

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but I'm having a
hard time at it, I'm struggling.

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And God honored that.

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Now watch this carefully.

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So I want to say again that does
not mean that God won't answer

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your prayer when you are in
level number one struggling

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because He
understands why you're there.

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Now, the truth is
if you stay there,

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then you don't
expect God's best.

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That's not where He wants you.
He wants you moving up.

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Which brings us, listen,
to level number two.

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So think about this.

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Level number two, we've
moved from little faith,

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now to great faith.

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Great faith is reaching faith.

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Great faith is not
willing to stay on level one.

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Listen, great faith is not
willing to stay down there where

241
00:11:02,395 --> 00:11:06,265
you labor and wrestle and you
doubt and you fear and

242
00:11:06,265 --> 00:11:07,667
you're full of anxiety.

243
00:11:07,667 --> 00:11:10,436
Great faith is
willing to reach out.

244
00:11:10,436 --> 00:11:13,239
It's reaching
faith--reaching faith.

245
00:11:13,239 --> 00:11:15,207
Now you say, "Well,
what's reaching faith?"

246
00:11:15,207 --> 00:11:17,476
Well, this is faith maturing.

247
00:11:17,476 --> 00:11:19,478
Faith is
beginning to mature now.

248
00:11:19,478 --> 00:11:23,182
Faith now is, listen, beginning
to stand on the truth

249
00:11:23,182 --> 00:11:24,550
of God's Word.

250
00:11:24,550 --> 00:11:27,053
Great faith is willing to
believe what God said

251
00:11:27,053 --> 00:11:29,655
because that's what He said.

252
00:11:29,655 --> 00:11:31,457
Doesn't need any proof.

253
00:11:31,457 --> 00:11:34,326
If that's what God said, then
he believes that God will do it.

254
00:11:34,326 --> 00:11:37,463
And this faith,
listen, is focused on God,

255
00:11:37,463 --> 00:11:39,432
not on the circumstances.

256
00:11:39,432 --> 00:11:42,768
Great faith is focused on God,
not the circumstances

257
00:11:42,768 --> 00:11:45,604
which means whenever you're in
a situation or a circumstance,

258
00:11:45,604 --> 00:11:48,274
whatever it might be, your focus
can't be on the circumstance,

259
00:11:48,274 --> 00:11:50,309
how big it is,
how long it's been,

260
00:11:50,309 --> 00:11:53,979
how bad it is, how deep
it is, how wrong it is.

261
00:11:53,979 --> 00:11:55,381
That's not the issue.

262
00:11:55,381 --> 00:11:58,551
The issue who is this
God with whom I'm dealing?

263
00:11:58,551 --> 00:12:01,454
This God is bigger than
all my circumstances.

264
00:12:01,454 --> 00:12:03,756
This God has the
power to, listen.

265
00:12:03,756 --> 00:12:07,426
This God has the power to change
any circumstance in my life

266
00:12:07,426 --> 00:12:08,794
no matter what it is.

267
00:12:08,794 --> 00:12:10,730
Great faith is faith, it's what?

268
00:12:10,730 --> 00:12:12,665
It's beginning to reach out.

269
00:12:12,665 --> 00:12:14,967
Now let's look at, let's look at
a few scriptures here because

270
00:12:14,967 --> 00:12:18,037
if you'll think about this
whole issue of great faith,

271
00:12:18,037 --> 00:12:20,139
where does He talk
about great faith?

272
00:12:20,139 --> 00:12:23,042
So, let's go back to Matthew
chapter eight for a moment.

273
00:12:23,042 --> 00:12:26,512
Matthew chapter eight and
let's look at a few verses here.

274
00:12:26,512 --> 00:12:36,355
Eighth chapter of Matthew,
and let's look if you will

275
00:12:36,355 --> 00:12:38,657
at this fifth verse.

276
00:12:38,657 --> 00:12:41,627
The centurion, "And when
Jesus entered Capernaum,

277
00:12:41,627 --> 00:12:43,863
a centurion came to
Him, imploring Him,

278
00:12:43,863 --> 00:12:48,667
and saying, 'Lord, my servant
is lying paralyzed at home,

279
00:12:48,667 --> 00:12:51,270
fearfully tormented."

280
00:12:51,270 --> 00:12:53,672
Jesus said to him, 'I
will come and heal him.'

281
00:12:53,672 --> 00:12:55,441
Man, that's a fantastic
response, I'll come

282
00:12:55,441 --> 00:12:56,809
and heal him.

283
00:12:56,809 --> 00:12:58,477
"But the centurion
said to Him, 'Lord,

284
00:12:58,477 --> 00:13:00,446
I am not worthy for You
to come under my roof,

285
00:13:00,446 --> 00:13:04,784
but just say the word, and
my servant will be healed."

286
00:13:04,784 --> 00:13:06,152
Can you say that?

287
00:13:06,152 --> 00:13:08,220
Lord Jesus, just say the word.

288
00:13:08,220 --> 00:13:09,722
Just give me a
verse of scripture.

289
00:13:09,722 --> 00:13:11,157
Just speak to my heart.

290
00:13:11,157 --> 00:13:13,959
Just make it, just say the
word, my servant will be healed,

291
00:13:13,959 --> 00:13:15,961
"For I also am a
man under authority,

292
00:13:15,961 --> 00:13:18,164
with soldiers under me;
and I say to this one,

293
00:13:18,164 --> 00:13:20,499
'Go!' and he goes,
and to another,

294
00:13:20,499 --> 00:13:22,501
'Come!' and he
comes, and to my slave,

295
00:13:22,501 --> 00:13:23,936
'Do this!' and he does it.'

296
00:13:23,936 --> 00:13:28,507
Now when Jesus heard this, He
marveled, and said to those who

297
00:13:28,507 --> 00:13:32,411
were following, 'Truly I say to
you, I have not found such

298
00:13:32,411 --> 00:13:35,281
great faith with
anyone in Israel."

299
00:13:35,281 --> 00:13:37,449
He was saying, you know, these
Gentiles have more faith than

300
00:13:37,449 --> 00:13:40,686
you Israelites and you're
sons and daughters of Abraham.

301
00:13:40,686 --> 00:13:42,655
So He says, "I've not
seen such great faith."

302
00:13:42,655 --> 00:13:46,826
Turn to the fifteenth chapter of
Matthew and look if you will

303
00:13:46,826 --> 00:13:53,332
in this--let's go back
a few verses here.

304
00:13:53,332 --> 00:13:55,434
This is the
Syrophoenician woman.

305
00:13:55,434 --> 00:13:59,505
Let's look if you will
in verse twenty-two,

306
00:13:59,505 --> 00:14:02,608
"And a Canaanite woman
from that region came,

307
00:14:02,608 --> 00:14:05,544
and began to cry out,
saying, 'Have mercy on me, Lord,

308
00:14:05,544 --> 00:14:08,314
Son of David; my daughter
is cruelly demon-possessed.'

309
00:14:08,314 --> 00:14:10,282
But He did not
answer her a word.

310
00:14:10,282 --> 00:14:12,384
And His disciples came
to Him and implored Him,

311
00:14:12,384 --> 00:14:15,654
saying, 'Send her away,
she keeps shouting at us.'

312
00:14:15,654 --> 00:14:17,790
But He answered and said, 'I was
sent only to the lost sheep

313
00:14:17,790 --> 00:14:19,491
of the house of Israel.'

314
00:14:19,491 --> 00:14:21,026
But she came and began
to bow down before Him,

315
00:14:21,026 --> 00:14:22,661
saying, 'Lord, help me!'

316
00:14:22,661 --> 00:14:23,996
And He answered and said,

317
00:14:23,996 --> 00:14:25,664
'It is not good to take the
children's bread and throw it

318
00:14:25,664 --> 00:14:26,999
to the dogs.'"

319
00:14:26,999 --> 00:14:28,601
Now that's a pretty strong
statement because he was

320
00:14:28,601 --> 00:14:32,037
saying, you know, I've come
for My own people the Jews,

321
00:14:32,037 --> 00:14:33,405
testing her.

322
00:14:33,405 --> 00:14:35,875
Look at this:
"But she said, 'Yes, Lord;

323
00:14:35,875 --> 00:14:38,978
but even the dogs feed on
the crumbs which fall from

324
00:14:38,978 --> 00:14:40,312
their master's table.'

325
00:14:40,312 --> 00:14:42,848
Then Jesus said
to her, 'O woman,

326
00:14:42,848 --> 00:14:47,353
your faith is great; it shall be
done for you as you wish.'

327
00:14:47,353 --> 00:14:48,754
And her daughter was
healed at once."

328
00:14:48,754 --> 00:14:50,422
You know why?
She didn't give up.

329
00:14:50,422 --> 00:14:52,358
Great faith doesn't give up.

330
00:14:52,358 --> 00:14:54,159
Great faith today does not
listen to people's

331
00:14:54,159 --> 00:14:56,095
unwise counsel.

332
00:14:56,095 --> 00:14:57,696
And Jesus was testing her.

333
00:14:57,696 --> 00:15:01,200
And so oftentimes we're going
to get tested and what happens?

334
00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:04,470
Either we listen to other
people or we go by our feelings,

335
00:15:04,470 --> 00:15:07,673
or we go by our reason,
or we go by sight.

336
00:15:07,673 --> 00:15:10,042
God wants us to go by His Word.

337
00:15:10,042 --> 00:15:11,844
Great faith doesn't give up.

338
00:15:11,844 --> 00:15:16,181
Great faith hangs in there no
matter what and great faith

339
00:15:16,181 --> 00:15:17,650
gets the answer.

340
00:15:17,650 --> 00:15:20,419
Level two is Christ-centered.

341
00:15:20,419 --> 00:15:22,454
Level two is God-oriented.

342
00:15:22,454 --> 00:15:24,556
Level two does not
focus on circumstances.

343
00:15:24,556 --> 00:15:26,692
You said, you've said
that about five times.

344
00:15:26,692 --> 00:15:28,027
Right!
You know why?

345
00:15:28,027 --> 00:15:30,095
Because that's what the devil
wants to do--get you focused on

346
00:15:30,095 --> 00:15:32,998
your circumstances
rather than on God.

347
00:15:32,998 --> 00:15:38,804
Level number three, level
number three is perfect faith.

348
00:15:38,804 --> 00:15:42,474
Level number three
is resting faith.

349
00:15:42,474 --> 00:15:45,978
Not struggling and laboring,
not reaching--resting faith.

350
00:15:45,978 --> 00:15:49,949
Perfect faith says
it's a done deal.

351
00:15:49,949 --> 00:15:52,017
Well you say, "Oh,
now wait a minute,

352
00:15:52,017 --> 00:15:53,786
that sounds rather
presumptuous."

353
00:15:53,786 --> 00:15:55,621
No, it's not.

354
00:15:55,621 --> 00:16:00,259
I want you to turn if you will
back to Mark chapter eleven.

355
00:16:00,259 --> 00:16:02,461
Mark chapter eleven.

356
00:16:02,461 --> 00:16:06,031
What's happening here is that
Jesus cursed this fig tree

357
00:16:06,031 --> 00:16:08,367
and the next day they came by
and the disciples were

358
00:16:08,367 --> 00:16:10,636
absolutely amazed.

359
00:16:10,636 --> 00:16:14,473
And verse twenty says, "And they
were passing by in the morning,

360
00:16:14,473 --> 00:16:17,743
they saw the fig tree
withered from the roots up.

361
00:16:17,743 --> 00:16:20,312
And being reminded,
Peter said to Him,

362
00:16:20,312 --> 00:16:23,615
'Rabbi, look, the fig tree which
You cursed has withered.'

363
00:16:23,615 --> 00:16:27,052
And Jesus answered and said to
them, 'Have faith in God."

364
00:16:27,052 --> 00:16:29,355
Does, isn't it amazing
how Jesus has these short,

365
00:16:29,355 --> 00:16:34,793
terse, pointed, unforgettable,
inescapable answers to something

366
00:16:34,793 --> 00:16:36,829
that we have these
big problems with?

367
00:16:36,829 --> 00:16:39,398
What did He say?
Said, "Have faith in God."

368
00:16:39,398 --> 00:16:40,733
Look at this thing.

369
00:16:40,733 --> 00:16:42,368
This thing is cursed
from the roots up.

370
00:16:42,368 --> 00:16:44,436
What's happened?
Have faith in God.

371
00:16:44,436 --> 00:16:46,805
Now watch this:
"Truly I say to you,

372
00:16:46,805 --> 00:16:49,575
whoever says to the mountain,
'Be taken up and cast into

373
00:16:49,575 --> 00:16:51,377
the sea,' and does not
doubt in his heart,

374
00:16:51,377 --> 00:16:55,280
but believes that what he is
saying is going to happen;

375
00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:56,682
it'll be granted him.

376
00:16:56,682 --> 00:16:58,050
Now watch this next verse.

377
00:16:58,050 --> 00:17:00,285
You listening?
Say amen.

378
00:17:00,285 --> 00:17:07,159
"Therefore I say to you, all
things for which you pray and

379
00:17:07,159 --> 00:17:14,333
ask, believe that you have
received them," past tense,

380
00:17:14,333 --> 00:17:16,201
"and they will be
granted to you."

381
00:17:16,201 --> 00:17:17,703
Now you say,
"Well, that doesn't--

382
00:17:17,703 --> 00:17:19,038
maybe that's a mistake."

383
00:17:19,038 --> 00:17:21,807
It's not a mistake.
Here's what He says.

384
00:17:21,807 --> 00:17:25,344
Level three is resting faith.

385
00:17:25,344 --> 00:17:28,814
Not struggling and laboring,
not reaching--resting faith.

386
00:17:28,814 --> 00:17:32,818
Level three brings you
to the level in your life where

387
00:17:32,818 --> 00:17:37,322
you ask Him and you have--
you can stand on His Word

388
00:17:37,322 --> 00:17:38,657
in absolute assurance.

389
00:17:38,657 --> 00:17:39,992
You know God's will about that.

390
00:17:39,992 --> 00:17:41,326
And you know what it is?

391
00:17:41,326 --> 00:17:43,062
Perfect faith says this.

392
00:17:43,062 --> 00:17:49,001
Not only can He, it's a done
deal, it's already done.

393
00:17:49,001 --> 00:17:51,870
No more fretting,
no more anxiety,

394
00:17:51,870 --> 00:17:54,773
no more worry, no more--
no manipulation,

395
00:17:54,773 --> 00:18:01,313
no more trying to work it out,
figure it out, make it happen.

396
00:18:01,313 --> 00:18:06,785
Perfect faith says it's
a done deal with God.

397
00:18:06,785 --> 00:18:08,954
Where does God
want our faith to be?

398
00:18:08,954 --> 00:18:13,692
Struggling, anxious,
trying to feel better,

399
00:18:13,692 --> 00:18:16,061
getting over depression,
is that where He wants you?

400
00:18:16,061 --> 00:18:17,596
No, it's not where He wants you.

401
00:18:17,596 --> 00:18:19,565
I'll tell you
where He wants you.

402
00:18:19,565 --> 00:18:25,504
He wants us moving from level
one to level two to level three.

403
00:18:25,504 --> 00:18:27,940
Will you start out
with level three?

404
00:18:27,940 --> 00:18:31,343
Most of the time, not,
but here's what happens.

405
00:18:31,343 --> 00:18:35,848
You don't stay on level one
but a very brief moment of time.

406
00:18:35,848 --> 00:18:37,883
You move to level two.

407
00:18:37,883 --> 00:18:39,418
And then as you
grow in your faith,

408
00:18:39,418 --> 00:18:40,752
you know what happens?

409
00:18:40,752 --> 00:18:44,756
You'll be living on level
three most of the time.

410
00:18:44,756 --> 00:18:46,792
You know why?

411
00:18:46,792 --> 00:18:48,427
Because here's what,
here's the reason.

412
00:18:48,427 --> 00:18:53,098
Because you have accepted
that He is who He says He is.

413
00:18:53,098 --> 00:18:55,934
He is as wise as
He says He is.

414
00:18:55,934 --> 00:18:58,203
He is as powerful
as He says He is.

415
00:18:58,203 --> 00:19:02,374
He loves you unconditionally
like He says He does.

416
00:19:02,374 --> 00:19:06,211
And therefore, you have
no reason to doubt Him.

417
00:19:06,211 --> 00:19:08,080
And you think about this.

418
00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:10,315
You may not be a Christian.

419
00:19:10,315 --> 00:19:16,255
Do you realize what you believe
about Jesus Christ is going to

420
00:19:16,255 --> 00:19:19,558
determine your whole eternal
destiny where you're going

421
00:19:19,558 --> 00:19:22,027
to spend eternity.

422
00:19:22,027 --> 00:19:24,329
Nothing else but
that determines it.

423
00:19:24,329 --> 00:19:29,701
That's why it is so serious that
you and I consider our faith.

424
00:19:29,701 --> 00:19:32,337
And for all of us
who are believers,

425
00:19:32,337 --> 00:19:33,672
our reward's in Heaven.

426
00:19:33,672 --> 00:19:35,641
You know where they, what
they're going to hinge on?

427
00:19:35,641 --> 00:19:37,843
Our faith.

428
00:19:37,843 --> 00:19:40,112
Did we trust Him
enough to believe Him?

429
00:19:40,112 --> 00:19:43,382
Did we trust Him enough
to take that decision?

430
00:19:43,382 --> 00:19:45,417
Did we trust Him
enough to follow Him?

431
00:19:45,417 --> 00:19:49,354
Did we trust Him enough to
take this challenge here?

432
00:19:49,354 --> 00:19:52,291
Did we trust Him enough to be
obedient when it was difficult?

433
00:19:52,291 --> 00:19:55,627
Our, all of our rewards are
going to come ultimately by our

434
00:19:55,627 --> 00:19:59,164
faith, because our actions
are a result of our faith.

435
00:19:59,164 --> 00:20:03,802
That's why it is so important
that you and I examine

436
00:20:03,802 --> 00:20:05,337
our faith.

437
00:20:05,337 --> 00:20:07,739
Look at ourselves.

438
00:20:07,739 --> 00:20:10,309
Have I trusted Jesus Christ
as my Savior?

439
00:20:10,309 --> 00:20:11,877
Am I walking in faith?

440
00:20:11,877 --> 00:20:14,446
Am I struggling down here,
cheating myself out of the

441
00:20:14,446 --> 00:20:17,983
blessings that God has
already stored up for me,

442
00:20:17,983 --> 00:20:22,654
simply because I've
never passed the struggling,

443
00:20:22,654 --> 00:20:25,591
wrestling, laboring faith.

444
00:20:25,591 --> 00:20:28,193
Oh God, take me
to level number 2.

445
00:20:28,193 --> 00:20:29,528
God, take me to
level number three.

446
00:20:29,528 --> 00:20:30,862
And you know what He'll do?

447
00:20:30,862 --> 00:20:32,197
Here's what He'll do.

448
00:20:32,197 --> 00:20:35,734
He'll give you enough
tests to grow up your faith.

449
00:20:35,734 --> 00:20:39,738
And then one of these days,
most of your decisions will be

450
00:20:39,738 --> 00:20:45,177
perfect faith,
if you'll trust Him.

451
00:20:45,177 --> 00:20:52,951
♪♪♪