Hi friends! I am SO sorry for the lateness of this post! We were out of internet for three (almost four) weeks (!!) and I just could not get this posted. I’m so sorry and I’m so glad you are here and we can finish up this awesome book together! “Everyday Faithfulness” was truly impactful for me. It gave me that push I needed to revisit Bible time and other habits that I had neglected. I hope it was an encouraging book for you as well!
Alright, here are the final discussion questions:
Chapter 8: Faithful When You Sin
*In Matthew 4 we learn of Jesus being tempted by Satan. How did He respond? What can we learn from His example in our own fight against sin?
*How can we be faithful when we still struggle with sin? How do we persevere after we have sinned?
*“Perseverance looks like both the avoidance of sin and pursuing more love for Christ” (pg. 139). What would this look like in a practical sense?
Chapter 9: Faithful to the End
*How do you see your church playing a role in your faithfulness?
*What are your struggles with everyday faithfulness? How might you combat the obstacles you face in obeying God’s call to faithfulness?
*How is your everyday faithfulness to God a testimony to others about God Himself?
Scripture of the Week
1 John 3:7-10
James 5:7-11
Matthew 5:21-30
Prayer of the Week
Father God, we long to be people who are faithful to You. We want to run this race well and love You more and more. Help us to persevere even after we’ve sinned and to turn to You in repentance when we have sinned against You. Help us as we do the daily habits we need to do to remain faithful. Warm our hearts towards You and keep drawing us closer to You. We love You and thank You so much for Your faithfulness to us and for all the ways You help us each day. We look forward to the day when we shall see Your face and remain with You forever. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
For Next Month
Check out THIS POST for all the details for September!
After reading this book, I now have such a better understanding of how faithfulness occurs (needs to) on a daily basis. Growing up in the church, I mostly understood faith as trust in God, and Jesus specifically, but always felt like faith was something you either had or didn’t. There was talk of God accepting faith “as small as a mustard seed,” but it seemed like that was for the “weaker” Christians…and we shouldn’t be like them. Likewise, faithfulness was a characteristic you either possessed or didn’t. No room for anything in-between.
That is why I appreciate so much the author’s statement about where or how faithfulness is found: “Faithfulness is not found in living perfectly but in killing sin regularly.” (Page 130)
Sin is everywhere. Lately I feel like I’m in a real-life version of Whac-A-Mole where I keep having to hit one sin on the head only to have another pop up immediately afterward! Far too often I become passive after awhile – it’s so exhausting trying to handle all these issues! But that’s when I have to remember I can’t fight in my own strength. As the author says: “Remember that [God] is invested in your perseverance…You are not fighting alone.” (Page 133)
Recently I’ve been grappling with really giving everything to God. Yes; I realize He’s my Savior, but that He’s my Lord is a whole other title that He’s disciplining me on. Being Lord encompasses being faithful to Him with All. Of. The. Things. My things. And this has been tough because I think I’m only now realizing (on a whole new level) that “Christ is not a Savior for some things, but for all things.” (Page 135) Similarly, He is not a Lord for some things, but for everything in my life. And I find I can have a pretty tight grip on certain things. 🙃
We like easy or convenient or flashy things. We get enticed by peace and comfort and non-involvement. It’s truly a struggle to stay connected to God because we’re here in this self-centered world; therefore, “every day we forget that God is more glorious than our sin.” (Page 139) How tragic this is! The God of the universe insanely values us enough to send His Son as an offering in order to reconnect us to Him, and we’re too distracted by sin: the shiny things that have or produce no value! 🤪
I’m encouraged that the author admits that “the obstacles to our faithfulness are many” and that they are common, being things other believers have gone through/are going through (Page 147). We don’t need to be discouraged, though we surely will. What we must do is “[k]eep looking at Jesus. He is our ever-fixed point.” (Page 148) Even when it’s hard. Even when we don’t feel or see Him. Even when we have faith as small as a mustard seed.
I read a quote recently that said, “Doubt is the ants in the pants of faith.” I laughed and found this to be a helpful explanation of questioning amidst faith. It’s not wrong to wonder what God’s doing. It’s hard to trust Him a lot of the time. But seeking Him and asking Him can help us know Him more. He is ok with our wiggling. ☺️
When we aren’t sure how we’ll make it, He makes a way. When we don’t know how to persevere and be faithful, it is “God’s faithfulness that upholds our own.” (Page 149) He’s always faithful and helps us be so too. We can “lean on the Lord’s faithfulness to continue in our own.” (Page 150) We can count on Him because His supply of faithfulness never runs out (paraphrased from Page 151).
So let’s take it day by day, one moment at a time. He’s with us, and He’s not going anywhere. ☺️