What do you believe God is capable of doing in your life? Do the things you ask God for reflect how powerful He is? Do you have bold faith? In this excerpt of the Jesus is Life Bible Plan, we’ll explore practical steps we can take to cultivate a deeper and stronger faith.
In John 1:37-42, we read about when two of Jesus’ disciples started following Him. What’s interesting about this story is the question Jesus asks His two new followers. In John 1:38, it says, “Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “‘What do you want?’”
This question is similar to one Jesus asks in Mark 10:51, when He asks a blind man what he wants. It may seem pretty obvious as to what the blind man would want—his sight, right? But Jesus doesn’t make any assumptions. His question is aimed at our heart and our answer reflects where we are and the depth of our faith.
3 Steps to Having a Bold Faith
In John 1:37-42, we see three steps to having bold faith.
1. Choose to believe.
It was pretty daring that these guys followed someone they didn’t even know. They’d only heard about Jesus, but how did they know He was who John says He was? They chose to believe.
2. Spend time with Jesus.
The disciples spent time with Jesus, and in verse 39, you’ll see God’s invitation to them. He loves for us to spend time with him. There’s a story in Luke 10:38-42 where Jesus visited two sisters, Mary and Martha. You might relate to this story. Martha was so busy getting her party perfect for Jesus that she forgot to spend time with Him. Meanwhile, Mary just spent time at Jesus’ feet. Martha complained to Jesus about her sister’s lack of serving, but Jesus said the sister who spent time with Him chose wisely by not getting carried away with the worries of the world.
3. Spread the Word.
John 1:40-42 talks about how the first thing Andrew did after following Jesus was find his brother, Simon, and tell him about it. He brought Simon to Jesus. In other words, he spread the word so others could follow Jesus.
Bold faith starts with a choice. A choice to believe what God says in His Word and trust that He’s more than enough. The only way we can know what He says is to spend time with Him. It’s how we get to really know God. And out of our experience and overflow, we can’t help but spread the good news so others can experience Him too.
