When Jesus calmed the storm, we read that His disciples experienced tremendous fear. Their fear was so great, they believed they would perish in the storm. Yet, Jesus experiences the same violent storm and rather than quake in fear, He slept.

Faith is a common theme throughout the Bible. We may not find the word faith on every page, however, in nearly every description of what God expects of His people, there is at least an indication of faith. In this lesson we take a close look at what faith is!

Peter worshipped Jesus. He walked with him, talked with him, and believed. When we read and see the works of Jesus, does it lead us to worship? How do you respond?

We rightly experience moments of wonder as we witness some of the incredible ways that God works in our lives. In this story, we look at some of the miracles that Jesus performed, causing amazement to those around him. It is in those moments of amazement that we remember how great the presence of Jesus is.

After Jesus taught in the synagogue of Galilee, news of His teachings spread and people gathered to hear from Him. They praised Him as He read from the Scriptures. But the response He found upon entering Nazareth was quite different.

The ultimate example of God's love is Jesus, who said "Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another" (John 13:34). God is love, and God is loving. As we grow, may we remember this more often in our lives. Lord willing, others will see Him through our reflections of His love.

Jesus met a Samaritan woman at a well and told her that whoever drinks from the water He gives will never be thirsty again. This led to the woman realizing that Jesus offers something better than physical water; He gives us Himself. Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to everyone who comes to Him by faith. We can worship Him as Lord and Savior wherever we are because He loves us so much.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee who studied the scriptures in the time of Jesus and wanted to know more about Him. While meeting, Jesus said some confusing things that Nicodemus didn't understand yet - because he knew God, but not yet that Jesus was fulfilling His plan. Jesus hinted that He would be saving us all from our sins on the cross and giving us new life - and told Nicodemus that God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son for us!

When Jesus first began calling disciples, He used two words: "Follow Me." He didn't say "clean yourself up" or "work harder." The call to follow Jesus is a call to our souls to find rest. He invites us to be with Him and enjoy Him. Let's look at the story of Jesus calling the disciples.

What is a Going & Glorifying Christian? God calls all Christians to "go and make disciples of every nation" (Matt 28:19). God wants everyone to know about His gift of salvation. That purpose can only be fulfilled if we will "let [our] lights shine before others, so that they may see [our] good works and give glory to [our] Father" (Matt 5:16). Let's take a look at the 4th & 5th G of our series.

What is a Giving Christian? Growth in our relationship with Christ should bring comprehension of the magnitude of what God has done by solving our sin problem. A desire to "serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace," comes from the marriage of gratitude for what God has given to us and the growing love for others that they would know God's love as well. Let's take a look at the third G of the 5 G series.

What is a Growing Christian? When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior we start a direct relationship with Him. If we receive nothing besides salvation we would still be blessed beyond comprehension; however, God's loving plan doesn't stop there. God calls us to exercise spiritual disciplines and to grow. Let's take a look at the second G of the 5 G series.

What is a Genuine Christian? How do we know if we are truly following Christ or simply going with the flow? The starting point is to acknowledge our need for a relationship with God and to recognize that Jesus is the way to have that relationship. Through confession of sin and the Lordship of Christ we become Genuine Christians and become part of the family of God. “…To all who receive Him (Jesus), to those who believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God…” John 1:12. Let's take a look at the first G of the 5 G series.

We've all felt some degree of hunger at one time or another. We may have had a long day and feel the hunger from missing a meal not eating much. Jesus was hungry when he was in the wilderness, and it was there that Satan tempted him to desire things different than His heavenly Father's will. Jesus set the ultimate example for us to hunger only for God's way.

In the Gospel accounts of Jesus' baptism, we see John the Baptist offer words of warning that lead us back to the question “what gives you hope?” John warned the Pharisees sternly that no family, tradition, or outward practice is sufficient to pay for the consequences of sin. It is only by accepting the grace of God received through faith and repentance that we are saved. That is good news and John the Baptist preached that news!

This weekend we read how Jesus was born and dedicated! God had promised the birth of His son, the coming of a Savior. When Simeon and Anna saw Baby Jesus, they knew he was the Messiah, the Savior. We can trust Jesus to save us from our sins and just like Simeon and Anna - we can tell other people the good news!

This week we see that confession of sin is lead by the genuine recognition of the holiness of God. God's people had promised to be faithful, but following their return from exile, the people turned to being unfaithful to God and disobeying His commands. Yet God remained faithful. The people saw the greatness of God which led them to repentance.

Ezra was approached by the nations leaders who shared the negative behaviors and lifestyles of the people. It was as if they had forgotten God. Ezra's response of honest confession before a holy God ought to teach us something about his character and about our need to do likewise. Ezra confessed the sins of the nation to God through prayer and sought forgiveness. Ezra took his sin seriously, asked for repentance and celebrated God's grace .

Anger and bitterness are common reactions to bad news. However, Nehemiah responded in the right way by recognizing God's faithfulness. He asked God to hear him. He showed his reliance on God even in hard times. Nehemiah's response demonstrated a deep love, trust, and confidence in God.

Mordecai was faithful. He was faithful to take in Esther, his cousin. He was faithful to sit, wait, and watch every day at the gate of the king's palace to see what God would do. He was faithful to speak up, and when he stepped into power he helped the king in an honorable way. He could have chosen to do wrong, but he didn't.