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The Strength of a Mother Faith - Pst Mrs Yemi Lemo (May 11, 2025)

Paul’sletter to the Romans is his greatest. It is one of the most powerful documentsever written. Of all the New Testament letters, Romans is the broadest in scopeand deepest in insight. The book of Romans has affected and transformed manylives over the ages.

Testimonieson the Impact of the Book of Romans:

i.        SaintAugustine of Hippo

ii.      MartinLuther

iii.     JohnBunyan

iv.     JohnWesley

TheCentral Theme of the book of Romans, many say, is the “The Righteousness ofGod,” and some say it is “From Guilt to Glory”. Perhaps they aredifferent ways of saying the same thing. What is obvious is that this letterdeals with how God, through Jesus Christ, has enabled human beings to movefrom:

·      Aplace of Condemnation and sin to a place of reconciliation andrighteousness.

Inthe opening verses of the letter, Paul introduces himself to the believers inRome. Some of them must have known him personally, since he greets them in thefinal chapter, but many of them he had never met.   So, in these first seventeen verses Paulseeks to link himself to his Roman readers in three ways:

·      HePresented his CREDENTIALS – 1:1-7

·      HeExpressed his CONCERN – 1:8-15

·      HeAffirmed his CONFIDENCE – 1:16-17.

YOUTH-LED BIBLE STUDY WRAP UP SESSION - FOURSQUARE VGC - February 26, 2025

We will be pressured and hard-pressed on every side if we are to stay faithful to God and His Church.

To stay means to make a stand, to persevere to the end, no matter how daunting the situation is. We are to stand for the Lord and His Church in this challenging time.

This morning, let’s address God’s expectations of us and emphasize the necessities and blessings of our faithfulness to God and to His Church:

The Christian life on earth is filled with challenges and trials, so as Christians, we should expect challenges and trials; to think that we can walk through life without dealing with them is deceit. (John 16:33; James 1:2-4)

The Bible warns us that our faith will be tried and tested, but standing in faith gives us resounding victories. (1 John 5:4)

Challenges bring about trials and the testing of our faith.

Hence, the need to strengthen our faith before challenges and trials come. We shouldn't wait for challenging times before we build our spiritual armouries against them. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

For example, Israel as a nation had a lot of trials and political challenges, and this had taught them to continually reinforce their arsenal, strengthen their military base, and be battle-ready.

It would be disastrous for them to wait until an enemy launches an attack before they take this protective measure.

Likewise, a Christian should build a solid spiritual base or strength before challenging times.

To help us understand our topic of study, we will do a definition of some important words in the study.

• What is faith?

• What is the meaning of challenges?

• What does it mean to strengthen our faith in challenging times?

• Discipline and Spiritual discipline

Faith is a vital pillar of the Christian life; it anchors believers in their relationship with God.

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

This verse is a foundational truth that sets the stage for trusting God, regardless of the uncertainties around us.

In today's world, challenges abound - economic crises, societal pressures, rising moral decadence, and the distraction of technological advancements. These hurdles test the depth of our faith.

Yet, God calls His people to live by faith, saying, "The just shall live by faith." (Habakkuk 2:4). Faith is not just an occasional response to life's challenges but a lifestyle that defines our walk with God

NATURE OF THE COMING CHALLENGING TIMES (Matthew 24:3-14)

1. There shall be famine, pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places.

2. Evil men will wax strong in their satanic activities.

3. There will be apostasies, betrayals, hatred among religious people.

4. The number and activities of false Prophets will be on the increase and of course they will deceive many people.

5. Believers will be hated, persecuted, afflicted and killed for Jesus’ sake.

6. Sinners will be increasing in their sinfulness, while many saints will become cold.

7. Some believers who were once on fire for the Lord are fast becoming lukewarm as a result of dying fire.

The faith that transforms nations is cultivated daily and demonstrated by reaching out to sinners, being generous to the poor, and adding value to our communities and the world.

These are the practical ways to transform nations for Christ.

Challenge: What will you do to impact (transform nations for Christ) your community by faith?