fire cracker growth

I had to write an essay recently describing how I want my faith to grow in the next couple of years. rough thoughts:



I want my faith to more than just a word in which I speak but for it to be, vibrant and on fire. Pastor Von is one of the legends here at Caravan Ministries, where I am currently an intern, and he recent spoke to here of a dynamic faith. He told the story of when he was a youth pastor and he asked them if they were believers. They responded with yawns in between their words, “Yeah we’re believers.” Von shook his head at their response. He then took out a fir cracker; the powder already removed, lit it and threw it into the crowd of thirty youth. Instantly they all scattered, some out the doors and others to the edges of the room to see what would happen. When they resumed after the realization of it being a dud, von told them that the reaction they had toward the fire crackers is the reaction they need to have about their faith. Not a half yawned faith but a dynamic faith, one that moves! A faith that can not be contained. A vibrant, dynamic faith. James also speaks on a moving faith, a faith to be lived out not simply a statement.

“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?” (James 2:14 NLT)

“So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ But I say, ‘How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.’ You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?” (James 2:17-18 NLT)

I wish to grow in a dynamic moving faith, on that is more than just words. Also knowing that good and bad times will come but to continue to persevere, “…when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2-4 NLT) Knowing of course that I will not be complete until Christ’s return (Philippians 1:6) but to be continually striving, despite circumstances, to be more and more like Christ. That is my ultimate hope that during my life that my faith would be like Jesus Christ and looking in every opportunity to conform to Christ Jesus.