Only Through Faith | May 21, 2019

DAILY READING

Romans 4:6-13
Psalm 128
This week’s sermon text: Matthew 5:43-48

FIELD NOTES

“For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith.” Romans 4:13
 
For Christians, faith is everything. We all reach points in our lives where we realize we don’t measure up—no matter what kind of success we’ve had in our professional lives, no matter how much we’ve managed to accumulate, no matter how much praise the world heaps upon us, we all have a gnawing suspicion deep down inside that none of it will save us.
 
This is the meaning behind today’s scripture passage from Romans 4. If anyone in the world could claim to be in God’s good graces, surely it was Abraham. He’s the one that God chose and promised that his name would live for generations and generations through his many descendants (oh, and God happened to tell him this while he and his wife was pushing past 90 years old and had no children).
 
But it wasn’t the external signs of God’s promises that caused Abraham to have this benefit; it was his faith that God would follow through on God’s promises. We might have a lot of external signs of blessing, but the truest blessing we’ll ever have only comes through faith.

QUESTIONS FOR THE FIELD 

• Where are you in your level of faith today?

FAMILY FIELD TALK

• Do you feel more blessed by all the things you have or by the faith that you have?
• What are some practical ways you can help increase your faith?

PRAYER GUIDE

Lord God, we admit that we often don’t measure up. We fail to reflect the light of your glory in our lives. Forgive us and free us today. Give us the faith of Abraham and lead us in your paths this day. Amen.