Have you ever wondered exactly what we mean when we invite you to experience hope? Perhaps you are going through a crisis …
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A health crisis
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A financial crisis
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An issue in their marriage or family
And in our culture today, it’s very easy for a faith reset to cause someone to either strengthen their faith or walk away from it.
The Jewish believers in the book of Hebrews were not only losing faith, but they were also rejecting faith. They were going to go back to their old ways. Hebrews is about a time of persecution against those who chose to believe Jesus was the Messiah.
Christian was not a term of endearment. The Jews saw Christianity as a cult that needed to be eradicated. Back then, you didn’t accidentally fall into Christianity. If you chose to believe in Christ, you were coming out of deep-rooted Judaism. Proclaiming yourself as one who follows Jesus was a dangerous thing to do. The book of Hebrews is written to encourage these Jews, who were believers, not to leave the faith.
This brings us to the second way people can respond to a faith crisis. They are:
2. Not only losing faith but rejecting it.
Reaching out to minister to someone who’s losing their faith requires a vastly different approach from those who are trusting but troubled.
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Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter, lists the stories told to these Jewish believers who are starting to lose their faith. By faith …
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Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice …
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Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death …
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Noah built an ark …
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Abraham obeyed God and went, not knowing where he was going …
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Sarah received power to conceive …
When you’re ministering to a person who is losing faith, tell them stories of great faith, moving from the past to the present.
Maybe you share your own story with them. Stories of others that encourage them to hang in there because God is faithful and then bring them to the future.