Fields United Methodist Church

Jesus Along the Way: Words of Hope and Grace.                        By Pastor Tom Joyce

August 24, 2020

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things unseen.”  Hebrew 11:1

Faith is really a strange thing; it cannot be seen, touched, or even explained. Faith cannot be proven yet is forever. Our lives are sustained by something that we know is “there” even though some may not understand or perceive it. Yet faith is what we need today, more than ever. Have you ever been confronted by what seems insurmountable, but deep within your heart you know that it will be ok; that is faith. Have you ever been lost but know you were found long time ago and that fact gives you great comfort and hope; that is faith.  We find the pandemic still with us, there is violence in the streets of many cities, the realities of racism, hatred, and all the stuff that just takes the wind out of our sails. Yet in the midst of unsettling times it is the assurance that our hope is realized from the One that died on a cross for us, rose from the dead for us, and promises to be with us now, even to the end of the age. We live with the assurance of the one who loved us so much that he “gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” This same God, the only true God, through Jesus Christ forgives you when you turn back to begin to live a life of faith with the conviction that the love of God will never let go of you, especially you. Faith is all about knowing, just knowing that you are loved even and especially in times such as these. No matter how challenging the world may seem, no matter how hopeless things may appear, it is faith in Jesus Christ being with you that makes a way through seeming impossibilities. “Have faith” is not simply a platitude that is given, it is power that is received; it is the determination and the endurance to continue along the journey that is before you. Faith in Jesus Christ will heal your soul and set you free to see life as an adventure not as a burden. Faith is knowing every day we wake up is a new opportunity to live in the love of Christ and in the conviction of the unseen reality of the presence of God in your life now and forever. Maybe faith can be seen and proven through the witness of all who believe this gift of life we call faith.

Rev. Tom Joyce, pastor