Worship at 10:30 a.m.

Do You Believe in God

Genesis 1:1-31

Faith Family,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I continue to give thanks to our gracious God for putting you all in our lives. Your faithfulness and your enthusiasm fill my heart with joy and helps complete my hope in Christ. Every day I look forward to serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ alongside each of you and growing in our discipleship journey together. I pray as God has continued blessings us, may we continue to be a blessing to others.

I was looking through our weekly newsletter and noticed a new addition about the Catechism questions. The first submission is the question, “Do you believe in God?” Our response, per the Apostle’s Creed and Nicene Creed, is “Yes, I believe in God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.” 

But do we actually ponder that question? Do we have the answer for “Why?” What is someone were to ask you, “Why do you believe in God?” How would you answer. How would you “defend” your position or answer? What support other than Scripture could you give them? A simple answer “Because” just doesn’t work in today’s society. The Apostle Paul reminds us to have an answer for the Hope we have in Christ.

So, if you answered “yes, I believe in God.” Why?  Why can you say with such confidence that you believe in God? What proof do you have to substantiate your belief? Well, you may say, “I don’t need proof, I have faith.” That is good but if you are talking to someone who doesn’t have faith and wanting them to come to a belief that God is real, how will you prove it to them?

There are several ways to approach this. One may be by sharing a story of how God answered a prayer that was clear of Divine intervention. Maybe you or someone you know experienced a divine miracle that could only happen because of God’s presence. Maybe you can share a story with firsthand experiences of how your life was changed because of God’s involvement. 

One of the major reasons the Apostle Paul emphasizes a “new creature in Christ” or a “new creation in Christ” is because if we claim we have encountered Christ but have not really changed, our witness gives false testimony. But if we can see where the presence of God in our life has changed us, transformed our hearts, our thinking, our actions -- then the witness is strong.

I believe in God because I have seen His transformational power in my life. I am not going to go in grave detail, but I am not the same person I was before I gave my life to Christ. I can share a bit of my “Before Christ and Carrie days” but I choose to focus more on my life after Christ came into my life. That is the witness, that is the testimony. The change speaks loudly. Sure, you need to share where you were, but the focus should always be on where God has brought you.

So, why do you believe in God? What evidence can you share that would help others come to the belief that God is not only real, but alive and loves even the hardest of people? May we be faithful to the leading of the Holy Spirit and bring encouragement and appreciation to those we encounter and may they see the living God in our lives.

Have a blessed Week!

Pastor Frank