FAITH THAT IS TESTED IS STRONGER

I. Faith Is the Basis Of Our Relation With God
   A. The just live by Faith - Heb 10: 32
   B. It is impossible to please God without Faith - Heb 11:6
   C. Everyone's Faith gets weak under certain circumstances
   D. Grace is God's dealing with man
   E. Faith is man's dealing with God

II. Faith is Built By
   A. Study of God's word - Rom 10:17
   B. Stronger Faith comes through testing (storms)
   C. We don't like storms but they can be used to build our Faith
   D. Every Christian is 1) in a storm 2) coming out of a storm or
3) getting ready for a storm

III. How Our Faith is Made Stronger
   A. Faith is tested through difficulties
      i) be of good cheer but in this world you shall suffer tribulation -
John 16:33
      ii) you greatly rejoice when you are grieved by various trials
which prove the genuineness of your faith - I Pet 1:6-7
      iii) Isaiah was told that he would be tested in the furnace of
affliction - Isa 48:10
      iv) silversmiths know the silver is pure when they see their
reflection - Jesus seen in us is our test
    B. Faith is tested through demands of the Lord
      i) 1050 commands in the New Testament - many contrary to
human logic
      ii) Faith is doing something when you don't see the logic in it
      iii) I Pet 3:21 baptism is part of our salvation and is the answer of
a good conscience toward God
    C. Faith is tested through delay
      i) God's calendar is not our calendar
      ii) God's delays are not his denials !
      iii) Jas 4 says everything we do should include " if God wills "
      iv) Rom 12:12 - be patient in tribulation

IV. Conclusions
   A. God filters things for us such that hard times will bring good if
we trust / obey him - Rom 8:28
   B. Many of us want to die the death of the righteous but do not
want to live the life of the righteous