^{Here are my teaching notes for the Bible fellowship in my home on Sunday. Dare to have faith that moves mountains! Enjoy.}

^{We have so little faith as Christians today as there is a great need for a revival of faith in the church. Our entire culture is designed to build fear and unbelief in the promises of God and doubt as to God’s true character and His enduring faithfulness. We have more faith in the devil to afflict and oppress us than in the power of God to deliver us.  We have made God too small; our vision of God is mundane and tiny; we do not see or understand the character of God and just who He is, and thus our faith is miniscule, weak and shipwrecked on the island of doubt, worry and fear.  Faith must once again come alive with a holy vibrancy rooted in the unchangeable truth that our God cannot lie and the promises of His Word are awaiting to be ignited in our heart by our audacious faith that God is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do. True Faith has absolute confidence that our God is able and willing to bring about the impossible, the miraculous, the supernatural and the extraordinary in our lives. How many times did Jesus chide his disciples and followers saying “O ye of little faith!”? We must elevate our faith in Him to the mountaintop where it belongs and, if we are ever to live the audacious, vibrant, bold and world-changing Christian life, we must have faith that moves mountains.}

 Eric Ludy: Do we know the power and grandeur of God in our day? Does our generation comprehend that the God of the Bible is without “shadow of turning” and that He is “the same yesterday, today, and forever.” There is a vast shortage of believers who simply believe with child like faith that God will do what He says He will do and is worthy of our trust and is always faithful to His Word. We have far more faith in the power of the enemy to defeat us than we do in the power of God to deliver us, change us, empower us, and demonstrate His mighty nature in and through us.

Romans 4:19-21 (KJV)- ¹⁹And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb:

 ²⁰He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

 ²¹And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Romans 10:17-So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Our faith rests on the faithfulness of God’s promise. Everything depends on the fact that God has spoken and what He says is true. If we have not heard the Word of God, there is no place or room for faith. God spoke, Abraham heard it and Abraham believed God. He is the father of all those who believe. It is not a question of do we believe? The real question is WHAT do we believe? Or rather WHOM do we believe? When we give to ear to man, we can never be certain that what he says is true. But when we give ear to God, we can set our hearts knowing that God is true in what He says and He is faithful in what He promises. Simply the definition of faith is hearing God and believing what He says.

Isaiah 1:1 Hear O heavens, And give ear, O earth: For Yahweh has spoken.

God has spoken! What are you going to do about it? Believe it and obey it or turn your heart from it and reject it. Faith or unbelief? Trust or Doubt? Do you believe God can do the impossible in and through your life? Are you ready to have audacious faith?

^{IF YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO ASK, GOD HAS THE ABILITY TO RESPOND. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DARE TO BELIEVE GOD FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE? DO YOU HAVE SUN STAND STILL FAITH LIKE JOSHUA? SEIZE THE VISION AND ACTIVATE YOUR FAITH. GOD’S PLAN, PURPOSE AND VISION FOR YOUR LIFE IS BIGGER AND MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU THINK IT IS. IT IS REVOLUTIONARY.}

FROM SUN STAND STILL BY STEVEN FURTICK

If the size of your dream isn’t intimidating to you, there’s a good chance it’s insulting to God. So you’re about to learn how to activate audacious faith… and watch God accomplish the impossible through you. Just as He accomplished the impossible when He made the sun stand still in response to a prayer by Joshua of Bible fame.

I’m inviting you to be a main character in the story, in the thick of the plot. What God has done among us is so big that there’s nobody to blame but Him. I want you to be able to say the same about your life. I want you to take the chance on another kind of faith. I want you to live in the middle of a move of God.

There’s nothing our world needs more desperately today – in individuals, families, businesses, churches, and communities – than God’s saving, supernatural acts. And he’s ready to act if we will be bold enough to ask, not just for a good day or a better life, but for the impossible. Then step forward to act in audacious faith.

Each of us is called to be a Joshua—each in our own way, in our own circumstances, with our own God-given personality. As you’ll see in the pages ahead, you and I are called not just to have faith, but also to regularly activate our faith by asking God for giant outcomes, taking giant steps. If we have the audacity to ask, God has the ability to perform. That’s how God turns His amazing promises into everyday reality in every generation—for Joshua’s and for ours.

You and I may not see the same miracles Joshua did, but we serve the same God. His nature never changes. The same power that stopped the sun and raised Christ from the grave lives in every believer. God still demonstrates His power and supplies His provision in direct proportion to the faith of his children.

^{Mark 11:22-24 (NIV):}

²² “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³ “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

“Have the faith of God” (Young’s Literal Translation)

Do you have the faith of God? Or do you have the doubt of the world? Do you believe that God can move mountains through your faith? Or are you consumed with the avalanche of fear and anxiety and not confident that our God can and will move mountains with this God-inspired faith and child-like trust in Him and Him alone? Would you ask God for the sun to stand still? Or is that just too big and to impossible for your faith? God has not changed. He still loves and passionately desires to do the impossible. He is waiting for one person to energize His faith and move out with audacious faith that there is a God in heaven with unlimited power and ability who loves to move and rule in the affairs of men and women. 

Joshua 10:7-14 (NIV) ⁷ So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. ⁸ The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.”

 ⁹ After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. ¹⁰ The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. ¹¹ As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.

 ¹² On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel:

   “Sun, stand still over Gibeon,
   and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
¹³ So the sun stood still,
   and the moon stopped,
   till the nation avenged itself on its enemies,

   as it is written in the Book of Jashar.

   The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. ¹⁴ There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a human being. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!

God stopped time and the mighty sun by Joshua’s bold and audacious prayer. Who would pray this type of prayer today, but this is the faith that God requires of His children. Oh how our faith has been a mere drop in the ocean compared to the possibilities and the promises guaranteed in His Word.

Matthew 17:14-21 (ESV): And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, ¹⁵said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. ¹⁶And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” ¹⁷And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” ¹⁸And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.¹⁹Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁰He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Jesus wants us to have the nothing will be impossible faith where the kingdom of God boldly advances through our calling and divine destiny God has ordained for our lives. This divine destiny does not just magically appear, but must be set on fire by our faith in the one and only true God. The more you are with God and cleaving to Him with great passion, the more your faith will increase. 

Ephesians 1:19-23 (Amplified):

¹⁹And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength,

    ²⁰Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places],

    ²¹Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come.

    ²²And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church],^(A)

    ²³Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself].

Do you know and understand the unlimited, immeasurable and surpassing power that is energized within us when we believe? No power on earth compares to it. It is far above any authority, any power, any weapon, any ruler, or any influence that exists upon the earth. Faith is bringing the power of heaven to the earth and hurling the mighty promises of His Word into the fray of human existence. Faith freely flows out of a relationship that is so full of God that it bursts forth in glory in every word or action. Faith is the catalyst to bringing the glory of God into any problem, any circumstance and any dilemma.

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV): ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

If you want to please God, you must have faith to move mountains; an audacious faith rooted in an absolute assurance of God’s character and faithfulness. It is a rock solid trust in God to restore, to heal, to move, to conquer, to overcome and set free. Faith is borne out of a relentless passion to seek God above all else, to want God with an insatiable appetite and pursue Him with an unyielding tenacity and boundless enthusiasm. Faith not only has a reward in this present life, but also has an reward when we stand at the bema seat of Christ at the future awards ceremony in heaven. Don’t miss out on the blessing of faith!

The righteous are to LIVE by Faith (Romans 1:17)

We must train ourselves to live every moment by faith.

Ephesians 3:20 NET:  Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think,  (NET Bible)
NLT: Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.(NLT – Tyndale House) Amplified:  Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams].

This is one of the most amazing verses in Scripture. It is not fiction. It is not an allegory or parable. How big is your God? True faith is founded upon what you believe about God and what He is capable of. God is able to do superabundantly above all that we even dare to ask or think; beyond your highest dreams, hopes and aspirations. There is mighty power that resides within you from your new birth in Christ. Are you ready to activate by faith to do the impossible and begin to move mountains?

Matthew 14:22-31 (NIV):

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. ²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”  ²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

 Peter did the impossible, He walked on water when he kept his eyes focused on Jesus Christ but when he began to be distracted and look at waves and wind, his faith took a hit and he began to sink. Are you ready for a walk on the water experience of faith with your Lord? Or are you content to stay in the boat and never venture out in faith, daring to take God at His Word?

From Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick:

How to Pray a Sun Stand Still Prayer

Step 1: Activate your audacious faith. Reject passivity and fear. Seize the initiative because you know who God is. He is good, strong, and faithful. So agree with God that He has called you to a larger purpose for your life that will bring him glory. He has a vision for your life, and it’s always a purpose that only he can accomplish.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

Step 2: Approach God with boldness. Come before Him with confidence, making your request to Him based on his proven character, the promises in His Word, and His actions in the past. This does not mean his answers are in any way connected to your worthiness. Rather, you pray humbly, based in grace, because you don’t want what you deserve.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15)

Step 3: Ask specifically for the impossible. Like Joshua, speak your exact request to God without mumbling or hesitation, believing that nothing is impossible with Him. You have now chosen to see your situation from God’s point of view, not yours. You’re asking for something that only He can accomplish—and that only He can take credit for.

Everything is possible for him who believes. (Mark 9:23)

Step 4: Advance toward the answer. Joshua didn’t just pray for the sun to stand still. He marched his army all night to be in a position to defeat the enemy when God answered his prayer. Audacious faith means that you are willing to become the answer to your own prayer. Make your move. Be prepared to work hard and stick with it.

Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:17)

Step 5: Give God all the glory. When God does the impossible, give Him the credit, honor, and thanks He deserves. As we say often at my church, what God has done among us is so big that there’s nobody to blame but Him. The story of your sun stand still prayer is yours to tell – but the story itself is always all about Jesus.

O LORD, you are my God;

I will exalt you and your name,

for in perfect faithfulness

you have done marvelous things

Isaiah 25:1)

And now I want to pray for you. Your ordinary life is about to be ignited for God’s glory. Your uniqueness is going to be leveraged for Kingdom purposes. Your small beginnings will have seismic impact. And even your most challenging crisis or painful failure is an opportunity for God’s glory to shine in your life.

Proverbs 29:18 (KJV): ¹⁸Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Discovering God’s vision for your life is one of the primary ways God teaches you about His character. Seize God’s big purpose for your life. Become intimately acquainted with Him. Chase after Him with a sacred obsession. Mine the depths of who you are in Him and out of this revelation you will fulfill the purpose that He put you on the earth to fulfill. God’s vision for your life is so big that it is breathtaking. It is never too late to embrace God’s audacious vision for your life. Caleb was still driving out giants and taking mountains when he was eighty-five years old. Audacious faith does not discriminate on the basis of age. Activate your faith and in God ask and seize the impossible. Move out now into the realm that God expects us to live, the realm of move mountain faith and the audacious accomplishment of the impossible. Are you ready to dare to ask God for the impossible? Are you ready for the holy adventure of a lifetime? Don’t delay. Step out with God into the realm of the impossible. You will never be disappointed.

Romans 10:11 (Amplified Bible)

¹¹The Scripture says, No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed.