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How To Grow In Faith

What is faith? How do you get it?

 Faith is defined for us in Hebrews 11:1 as “…the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Does this sound a little hard to figure out? Small children have faith in their parents for all things. They don’t question it, they simply have “faith” that things will be provided when they need them.

 Let’s reread Matthew 8:24 through 8:26 and see what we can pick up with this in mind.

Matthew 8:24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!"

26 But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

 What did Jesus say to the Apostles in Matthew 8:26 about their faith? What does this lesson mean to us?

 What did Jesus do for the Apostles? Was Jesus mad at them for a lack of faith? How are our daily lives like those of the Apostles in a little boat?

 If Christ knew the storm would be coming, why would he purposely take the Apostles out in the boat? Why would he sleep! What would you have thought?

 When Christ rebukes the storm he shows that we can have assurance that our faith in him will deliver us. Is it easy to have faith?

 John 20:24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.

John 20:25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe."

 Why would Thomas have trouble believing the Christ has risen from the dead? Didn’t Jesus tell him that it would happen?

 When Thomas finally sees Christ, he once again voices his belief.

 John 20:29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

 Ever hear the term “doubting Thomas”?

 In Luke 8:43 through 8:48 we see what happens when we approach Christ with simple faith:

⁴³Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, ⁴⁴ came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
⁴⁵And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?"
When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, "Who touched Me?"'
⁴⁶ But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me." ⁴⁷Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
⁴⁸And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace."