Reading through the Bible, we see how Jesus trained his team. The original twelve were called apostles or “sent ones.” After Christ arose and ascended, he selected and sent even more apostles to the church. He still calls and equips church leaders today.  

    The Twelve were sent out to do what Jesus had done. Not just preach, but heal and deliver. Their training was relational, not religious. It was real, dynamic, and very personal. In his mentoring, he even rebuked them. Why? He was forming their character, not just informing their minds.

    One of the things Christ commonly exclaimed to his protégés was, “You have little faith!” Or, “Where is your faith?”

    Have you ever asked yourself, “Where’s my faith?” To focus clearly, ask yourself, “What’s the object of my faith?” Faith needs an object just like an anchor must reach to the seabed. Faith requires a bedrock link. Faith in faith alone is too fuzzy to do you any good. Faith has to access heaven’s realm. Faith needs a firm foundation.

    God’s grace creates faith via the gospel. So, get a grip on yours! If you can focus your faith, you are a long way toward being established and useful in Christ’s kingdom. To locate your faith, there are identifying marks to notice. To begin with, the kind of faith that pleases God is usually manifested in prayer, in seeking God, and by speaking to God with some level of expectancy. Do you practice any of these things?

    One thing that helped me regarding my own faith is this: biblical faith refers to faith in a person, not just faith in a doctrine. Oh, I believe solid theological doctrines, but that’s not the same thing as faith in God. My faith in God is rooted in knowing God himself, in the revelation of God that was shown to me in Jesus, and in the holy character of this God who is unable to lie and who loves me so very much.

    The next thing that anchors my faith is the overwhelming evidence that our Christian beliefs are rooted in genuine history, verified by events that really happened, not myth or make-believe.

    Jesus’ death and resurrection split the human calendar into B.C. or A.D. My faith in the Bible is further established by its provenance. It is the most deeply researched book in history, yet its reliability still stands.

    There are 25,000 portions of extant sacred scriptures going back to the first two centuries. A new 90 A.D. parchment bit bearing a verse from Mark’s gospel was just discovered by archeologists, layered in an Egyptian mummy’s death mask!

    Here are the facts … Jesus really suffered and died on the cross. He arose from the tomb on the third day. He ascended to heaven and is now seated on a throne. He defeated dark powers. He poured out the Holy Spirit. This same Jesus promised to physically return again in his resurrected body, to transform his saints and to rule this crazy chaotic world.

    Ron Wood is a pastor, Bible teacher, and writer. He lives in NW Arkansas along with his wife and their retired Jack Russell Terrier. Email: wood.stone.ron@gmail.com.