North Charlottesville church of Christ

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Making Faith Your Own - Taking the First Steps

Larry Rouse
03/09/25 - Sun Bible Study

Meeting Purpose

To explore how to help people develop and strengthen their own personal faith in God.

Key Takeaways

• Building genuine faith requires personal study, reasoning, and experience - it can't simply be inherited from others

• Addressing doubts openly and honestly is crucial for spiritual growth, rather than suppressing or avoiding them

• Maintaining strong relationships with other believers and being willing to discuss questions/struggles is vital

• Continual renewal through Bible study, prayer, and application is necessary to keep faith strong over time

Topics

Making Faith Personal

• God has no "grandchildren" - each person must develop their own relationship with Him

• Parents/teachers should encourage children to ask "why" and develop their own understanding

• Reading scripture for oneself is key to building personal faith and conviction

• Be willing to start at a person's current level of understanding when teaching

Handling Doubts and Questions

• Suppressing doubts often leads to them growing larger over time

• Pride, fear, and unwillingness to engage can prevent addressing doubts properly

• Healthy approach: Pursue answers through study and discussion with mature believers

• Some questions may take time to fully resolve - focus on core relationship with God meanwhile

Spiritual Growth Process

• Like education, spiritual understanding develops gradually over time

• Early believers may not be ready for complex theological debates

• Focus on building core faith in God's character and Christ's work first

• Be patient with the process and don't expect instant mastery of all doctrines

Avoiding Pitfalls

• Satan tries to use doubts to isolate believers from church/fellowship

• Beware of developing bitterness or rewriting one's spiritual history negatively

• Don't let concern for others' opinions compromise convictions

• Overthinking can lead to paralysis - balance study with action/application

Renewing and Strengthening Faith

• Faith requires ongoing renewal through study, prayer, worship

• Prove and apply God's will in real-life situations

• Connect with other strong believers for encouragement and counsel

• Parents should prioritize their children having godly peer relationships

Next Steps

• Continue personal Bible study and prayer to deepen individual faith

• Be willing to openly discuss doubts/questions with mature believers

• Look for opportunities to encourage and strengthen the faith of others

• Maintain strong connections with the church body for mutual growth