ABIDING IN FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE

“…now abides faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love” 1 Corinthians 13:13

1. Faith

“faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1  

“faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 

Faith as a 3 legged stool

1. Belief-comes from hearing-choose to believe.
2. Feelings-how you feel about what you heard.
3. Practice-what you do with what you have heard.

*”How to find your Faith” by Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic:  April 25th, 2024

2. Hope

“faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1

“…this hope we have as an anchor of the soul” Hebrews 6:19

“now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

“The local church is the hope of the world”  -Bill Hybels

“Hope springs eternal”  -Alexander Popes 

“and he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God…” Revelation 21:10-11

*”The Sacredness of Secular Work” by Jordan Raynor

*”A Brief History of the Future” (streamed on PBS)

3. Love

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son… John 3:16

Love defined:

• Eros-greek Version of Cupid (erotic, erratic, and error)
• Philia -affectionate attraction (Philadelphia, phobia)

• Agape-The greatest of these…is agape!

…God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him 1 John 4:16

…you yourselves are taught by God to love one another 1 Thessalonians 4:9

“The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman (giving: affirmation, time, gifts, service, or touch)

All scriptures from the NKJV of the bible.