One act of faith

How do you step into your God given purpose?

How do you see the promises of God fulfilled in your life?

It only takes one act of faith – to activate your future

Matthew 14: 22 – 28 Peter steps out of the boat and walks on water

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.

Jesus made the disciples go to the other side – even though they were heading right into the storm – storms are part of the ingredients for a great act of faith

If you feel like you are in a storm – maybe God is leading you to toward a fresh step of faith

It’s only faith when the conditions are contrary – don’t wait for the conditions to be right

Peter was in the middle of a storm – and yet he takes this great step of faith

After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Jesus leaves them in the storm – Jesus is not going to turn up every 5 minutes to save the day – He wants his disciples to grow in faith –he wanted them to overcome the storm –Peter did

Don’t be discouraged in your situation – maybe you feel that the wind is against you

You could be just about to walk on water if you would be prepared to step out in faith

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

He left them out all night – he is trying to expand their faith – maybe God is wanting to bring growth in your situation

Peter did what no one else would do – he got out of the boat – he activated his faith – he walked on water

That act of faith – getting out of the boat changed his life forever

What has happened to us as Christians – we have become boat dwellers

Christians have become a bunch of critics sitting comfortably in the boat - telling all those who are trying to walk on water how they should do it

We are called to the water –yet we settle for the boat – & that settling kills the Christian spirit

We started with such a radical tradition of men & women giving their lives for the cause

We need to take that step out of the comfort of the boat and onto the water

For each of us there is a step of faith that God needs from us to activate our future

Great steps of faith

Abraham leaves his home to follow God and becomes a father of nations

Peter and Andrew leave their nets and become apostles for Christ

Yongghi Cho bought a tent in faith and becomes the pastor of the world’s largest church

Phil Pringle moves to Sydney with a dream and becomes the apostle of a movement of 250 churches

What is your act of faith?

Building families that last

Keys to building a family that lasts

Remember the Brady bunch – great TV but hard to live up to in real life

They go through great drama’s of life and then work it all out by the end of the show

Real life families take a bit more working to get right – but it can be done and you can build a family that lasts

1. Create an atmosphere of love

1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Tell your family you love them every day – tell each other

They need your positive affirmation in their lives – Families thrive with an atmosphere of love

2. Pray for your family everyday

James 5: 16 The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective

Cover your family in prayer – place your family in the hands of God

I pray for my family everyday

God knows how to make families work – He is the architect of the family concept

If you need something to happen in your family – begin to pray

3. Get your family into the presence of God

Hebrews 10:25
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

What is the priority you are setting for your kids – they will do what you do

The best thing my parents did for me was have me in church every weekend of my childhood

I had an encounter with God as a 4 year old under the seats in a Sunday night service

That’s why God wants us meeting together

4. Teach your children well

Teach your family about the things of God

Proverbs 22: 6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

In the home – read the word to your kids –teach them God’s ways –demonstrate God’s ways

5. Speak words of life

Proverbs 18:21The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

You are the most important voice in your child’s lives after God – so make your words count

Speak words of life into your kids!

Let your words be words of healing in your family – your words can create life or tear down

My boys – determined to say something positive over them every day of their lives

6. Believe in each other

Everyone needs someone to believe in them

Belief is an amazing thing Mark 9: 23 All things are possible for those who believe

Dad’s – for your boys – it has to be you to believe in your boys

Believe in each other – be each others cheerleader

7. Don’t give up on your family – it’s the only one you have

1 Corinthians 13:7Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance 


This is a throw away generation – When things don’t work we toss them out

Including friendships, marriages and families

You lose your family and you lose a lot

People give up too soon – Don’t give up on your family

Matthew 19: 5 & 6 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together let no one separate.

Keys to having a great marriage
1. Marry someone great
Marry someone you can get along with – it’s a long journey, you need someone that you can go the distance with
One of the best decisions of my life without a doubt was to marry Fiona

2. Put God first
Matthew 6: 33 Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well
So many marriages get off to the wrong start – by putting all their focus on each other
If you want a successful marriage with God’s blessing on it – put God first

3. Have a long term view
You said – for better or worse or richer or poorer, in sickness & in health to death do us part
Honor the vows you have made to each other – don’t quit so easily
Plan to make it work for life

4. Understand the power of agreement
As soon as you agree it has power – The place of unity is the place of power
Don’t ever agree with a negative statement
Agree on God’s promises – agree on the future

5. Have some fun together
Marriage is meant to be fun
What are things that you love to do together?
Having fun together reminds you why you are together

6. Look at the positives
Always try to look at the positives in your marriage
What can you be thankful for? Each other, your kids, house, your purpose together
Here is one great thing – You have each other!
Ecclesiastes 4:9
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:

7. Keep working on it
Marriage is not an institution – it is an art form – you can practice and get better
Don’t let bitterness and resentment grow – Practice forgiveness & forgetfulness
Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you

8. The God factor – God can help every marriage
1 Corinthians 13:7Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance 

Don’t forget the power of God
God is seriously into family and sent Jesus into the world to win the power over sin and death
There is no relationship that cannot be redeemed

So come to God with a humble heart, give each other some room to grow and develop and begin to practice the art of marriage!

In the dictionary one of the definitions for the word passion is the suffering of

Jesus Christ.

The early Christians lost their lives for the sake of the cause.

Polycarp was the Bishop of Smyrna and one of the heroes of the early church.

He was the student of the Apostle John and was taught by the Apostles.

He was martyred for his faith in Christ. When he was led before the Roman proconsul who pleaded with him to renounce Christ  Polycarp replied;

Eighty six years I have served him, he never did me any injury. How then could I blaspheme my King who has saved me?

This is the prayer of Polycarp as he was led to his death;

I give You thanks that You have counted me, worthy of this day and this hour, that I should have a part in the number of Your martyrs, in the cup of your Christ, to the resurrection of eternal life, both of soul and body, through the incorruption [imparted] by the Holy Ghost.

In recent times others have shown greater passion for their cause than Christians

Greenpeace is one group that has taken our place

Recently colliding with a huge whaling boat to try and stop the Japanese whalers.

They lost a 2 million dollar boat the Ady Gil but they said it was price they were willing to pay

Greenpeace said “The loss of the Ady Gil, that cost us about 2 million dollars, but that’s not worth as much to us as the whales are – we’re quite willing to take those risks – we’re not giving up!”

Muslims pray 5 times a day – they are willing and prepared to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their cause – and they are demonstrating that on a regular basis

It’s time for us to get a fresh passion for our cause!

We need to hear the voice of Christ calling us to join his cause and make a stand in our lives.

We should remember the lives of those who went before us making a stand for the cause of Christ.

William Booth  another hero of the faith said;

“Your days at the most cannot be very long, so use them to the best of your ability for the glory of God and the benefit of your generation.”

It’s time to get passionate for our cause!

Why is it that some of God’s people want to throw stones?
These were the teachers of the law & the Pharisees – they should have known God better than this – but they didn’t

John 8: 6 - 11 Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Just like the Pharisees we can be the ones carrying the stones
Maybe you are carrying a few stones – maybe people have done something wrong in your eyes – and you think they deserve to pay
Jesus said you without sin throw the first stone – who are we to be throwing stones at each other – we who have been forgiven such a great debt

The world loves to take people down – Tiger Woods has sinned and the media vultures are flocking
The world might be like this – but not us – we are meant to be the people who forgive

Jesus demonstrates his extravagant love and forgiveness by releasing this woman
He also demonstrates it by forgiving and releasing you and I
We need to drop the stones and forgive one another!

This guy has built the largest church in the history of Christianity by prayer, faith and the Holy Spirit.

He preached a message on faith that took me to another level.

Here are 3 keys of faith from Ps Cho

1. Faith swells in an environment of faith.
It is so important for us to live in the faith zone, to operate in faith and to remain firmly in faith.
I think in the world today – we can have the intention of living by faith but are tempted by and often give in to the doubts, fears and realities that surround us every day.
Our faith gives way to fear.
We need to constantly be putting ourselves in an environment of faith – being in church, getting around great leaders and inspiring people, reading the word of God, spending time in prayer and seeing visions.

2. Faith wants to have a clear goal.
We need to know what we are applying our faith to. Define your goal and bring it before God in persistent prayer.
Keep your goal in mind and see it coming to pass. Pray for it, aim towards it and never let it out of your sight.

3. Language is the clothing for faith.
How cool is that thought!
Faith needs an expression and this happens through your words.
What you speak is what is inside you. So faith expresses itself in your life by your words. So speak words of faith and life and keep speaking them.

Lets be people that build the future by faith!

1. Repent

Acts 2:38
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

You need to repent and be baptized

This is step one in living by the Holy Spirit

2. Wait on the Holy Spirit

Acts 1: 4 – Do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the gift my Father promised….

You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit

We need to learn how to wait – for the spirit of God

We have lost the art of waiting – So often we charge on ahead – making our own way

We don’t like to wait in this world –but if you want the Holy Spirit –you need to wait on God

This is what we do in church – we learn wait on God

Isaiah 40: 31 – they that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, they will rise up on wings as eagles

3. Believe in the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 2:5
so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power

The Holy Spirit moves on your faith – without faith you won’t experience the Holy Spirit

Smith Wigglesworth said

Believe that when you come into the presence of God you can have all you came for. You can take it away, and you can use it, for all the power of God is at your disposal in response to your faith  

Come on lets put our faith in God’s power

4. Live by faith

Galatians 3: 14 –so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit

Faith actions what we believe

Your faith attracts the power of God

It’s so easy to give up – to accept where you are and what is happening

Faith is a fight that won’t give up – fight the good fight of faith – you will be commended

Faith considers all the reason why a miracle can happen

A fully convinced mind – is what moves God

Live in the realm of the spirit – it’s a realm of power, victory and abundance

5. Don’t resist the Holy Spirit

Acts 7:51
You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit

Some people are so resistant – don’t have a position of doubt – have a position of faith

Don’t hang back but step in – the power of God is like a river – you have to step in

6. Be filled by the Spirit

Acts 2:4
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Let yourself be filled with the Holy Spirit – be consumed by God

What else would you want to be filled by? some people get filled with rage, anger, bitterness, alcohol, lust, depression, disappointment – but we are called to filled by the Holy Spirit

7. Pray in the Spirit

Jude 1:20
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.

To connect with God – we need to be in prayer – to be anointed by God we need to pray

Prayer is our relationship with God – there is no other way – prayer keeps us in the spirit

In Ephesians 4 Paul writes

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received

This is a great challenge from Paul and I get 3 keys out of this

1^st key – It’s not a mild request or a suggestion from Paul, but heartfelt Plea – that we would live this amazing life for Christ

Paul is pretty convinced of the benefits of living this life – and he really wants us to step into this life

2^nd key – For each of us to realize we have a high calling from God

One of the great revelations of your life – is that God has called you

We find it so easy to offload it to someone else – someone more prepared

No – the high call of God is on you – it is a beautiful thing and you can do it

You have been given all you need to complete it

How amazing – that you have been called by God  

God’s call will make you – I have been made by his call on my life

That revelation stunned me – “God you have called me?” – “why?”

The answer to that question will floor you!!

Because he loves you – because you are his son or daughter - and dad wants you to help with the family business

The call of God will make you!

3^rd key – Paul urges us to live a life worthy of the high call of God

Many people in this world wouldn’t throw their lives away if they really knew the call that was on them

The point is to understand that you have this high call from God and to endeavor to live up to it

It will lift you – you will not be the same person

Start today – start living for the call on your life

If you don’t know what it is – make it your first priority to find out

So many in this generation have run for the call

Don’t run from the call – Live up to the call!

Today I was standing on the shores of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown NZ. This is surely one of the most beautiful places on earth!!

How can you not connect to your creator in a setting like this? – I made the connection – it was unreal!

It speaks of the awesome creative power of our God. You can’t deny the beauty and majesty of his construction. The whole scene is a work of art created with purpose.

Acts 1: 8 says “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you”

God wants us to have this creative power! When the spirit comes into your world – you get access to this incredible creative power.

So what are we doing with it?

Sometimes believers are some of the most boring and powerless people on earth. We have lost sight of what we have been given.
You and I have the creative power of God
So let’s start creating something powerful that inspires awe and majesty!

Robert Kiyosaki said “The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.”

To be successful in life you have to get over yourself and over disappointment
Disappointment is something you have to keep overcoming to show yourselves faithful

When ever you have high hopes – you will be disappointed at some stage

Here are some keys to overcoming disappointment

1. Don’t do anything stupid when you are disappointed
When you are disappointed don’t make any quick decisions
Allow yourself sometime to get over it and back into faith

2. Don’t play the blame game
It’s just disappointing!
It’s not God’s fault – he wants to bless you
It’s generally not anyone else’s fault
Don’t blame yourself – bottom line you gave something a go – that is to be applauded
See it for what it is – a disappointing outcome and it hurts – but it can be turned around!

3. Be comforted by God
2 Corinthians 1: 3 – 4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles
So many in disappointment run away from God – but he is described in the bible as the God of all comfort
Be comforted by God
Run to God

4. Don’t give up
2 Chronicles 15: 7 But as for you be strong and do not give up for your work will be rewarded
It’s only failure if you give up
Be strong and stay in the game – trust God and keep trying
The outcome won’t be as bad as you think
Your work will be rewarded

5. Persevere
James 1: 3 - 4 and the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish it’s work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything
God wants to produce perseverance in you so that you will be mature and complete

6. Receive what was promised
Hebrews 10: 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God you will receive what he has promised
On the other side of disappointment is promise and success
Psalm 22: 5 They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed
Trust in God – you will not be disappointed