Tag: Faith

A New Movement of Faith Among the Young

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NELSON NOLAND

As I write this in 2025, something is stirring among young people. For many years, those who worked in youth ministry felt that faith was difficult to plant in the hearts of teenagers. The message of Jesus often fell on hard ground. When a young person chose to follow Christ, it was rare. The world offered many distractions that seemed more exciting than faith. But over the past few years, there has been a noticeable change. Since around 2020, after the global pandemic, a growing number of youth and young adults have begun to seek what is real and lasting. During that time, many lost things they deeply valued, graduations, sports seasons, friendships, and normal routines. When everything stopped, many started asking deeper questions: What is life about? What is true? What can I trust?

This search has opened hearts to God. In colleges and universities across the country, students are choosing to be baptized and to live according to the teachings of Jesus. Many now believe that the way of Jesus is better than any other path. Those who work with youth are witnessing lives being changed more often than ever before. Conversations that once felt heavy and fruitless are now bearing fruit, as young people respond with soft hearts and sincere faith.

The story in Acts chapter 3 offers a clear picture of how the message of Jesus changes lives. Two of Jesus’s first followers, Peter and John, were going to the temple to pray. At the gate, they met a man who had never walked. Each day, people carried him there to ask for help from those entering the temple. When the man asked Peter and John for money, Peter replied that he had no silver or gold, but he did have something greater. In the name of Jesus Christ, he told the man to stand and walk. At that moment, the man’s legs became strong. He stood, walked, and even began to jump and praise God. Everyone around recognized him as the same man who used to beg at the gate. His life had changed completely. He was no longer defined by his weakness but by his worship.

The people watching were filled with wonder. They saw with their own eyes that the name of Jesus brought healing and power. Peter used that moment to explain that the same Jesus who had been crucified had risen from the dead and was still at work changing lives. Because of that truth, many believed. In this we see that following Jesus brings both a new direction and a new purpose. When Jesus called Peter and John years earlier, He told them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” They left their fishing nets behind to follow Him, and in Acts 3, we see that calling fulfilled. They were no longer catching fish, they were helping others find life in God.

To follow Jesus means to change course. It requires turning from one way of living to another. It also gives clear meaning to life. Many young people today are drawn to causes that matter, and the cause of Christ gives the greatest reason to live. It is to help others find hope and reconciliation with God.

Parents have an important part in this movement. Churches and ministries can teach and encourage, but no one has more influence on a child’s faith than a parent. When parents live out their faith with sincerity and love, their children notice. A parent’s passion for Jesus often lights the same fire in the hearts of their sons and daughters.

I believe the book of Acts reminds believers that making disciples is not the job of a few but the mission of all. To do that well, followers of Jesus are called to four things. First, be with Jesus, a person cannot lead others where they have not gone. Second, be bold, faith grows when it is shared, not hidden. Third, be ready for opportunities, God often opens doors in everyday moments. And finally, be humble, it is not our power but God’s grace that changes lives.

Just as the man at the gate was lifted to his feet, many today are finding new life through faith in Jesus.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

Every new beginning calls us to worship

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WILLIAM KILLIAN

The Christian life is filled with new beginnings. From the moment a person turns to Christ, life itself is made new. God, in His mercy, brings change through renewal by giving spiritual birth through His Spirit. In John 3 we see Jesus explaining to Nicodemus that entering God’s kingdom requires being “born again.” This new birth changes the heart, leading a person to turn from sin and trust in Christ.

The Bible often speaks of this newness. Paul wrote that anyone in Christ becomes a new creation, the old life is gone, and everything is made new. He also taught that believers must set aside their old ways and live as people renewed in spirit and truth. This renewal is not a one-time event; it continues throughout a believer’s life. God gives His people many fresh starts. Every new beginning is another chance to trust Him again.

Noah’s Ark after the waters receded. IRS Images, 2025

The story of Noah offers a clear example of this truth. After the flood, when the waters finally receded, Noah and his family stepped onto a changed earth. Everything familiar was gone. Their home, neighbours, and community had vanished under the judgment of God. The first thing Noah did was not rebuild or plant crops. He built an altar and worshipped. His first act after surviving such destruction was to give thanks.

Noah’s worship showed deep gratitude. He recognized that he was alive only because of God’s mercy. While others perished, God preserved him and his family. Out of thankfulness, Noah offered clean animals as sacrifices. This was not a small gesture because it cost him something valuable. The animals he offered could have helped repopulate the earth or fed his family. Yet Noah gave them to God as a symbol of gratitude and dependence. True worship often requires giving up something precious.

Noah’s offering also showed his understanding of sin and forgiveness. Burnt offerings in the Old Testament represented atonement and complete dedication to God. The sacrifice was fully burned, symbolizing the worshipper’s total surrender. From the earliest days, these sacrifices pointed ahead to the perfect atonement that would come through Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. The blood of animals could not remove sin forever, they only pointed toward the cross, where Christ would give His life for humanity.

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
O precious is the flow
that makes me white as snow;
no other fount I know;
nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Jesus is the final and perfect sacrifice. His death fully paid for sin and brought forgiveness to all who believe. Through faith in Him, we receive the same mercy that saved Noah, not from a flood of water, but from the judgment our sins deserve.

Noah’s worship also demonstrated consecration. He devoted himself completely to God, acknowledging his dependence and desire to live in obedience. Christians today are called to do the same. Paul urges believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices, lives set apart for God’s purpose, holy and pleasing to Him. Living this way means submitting our will to God, allowing His word to shape how we think and act.

Finally, Noah’s faith was expressed through trust. After his sacrifice, God promised never again to destroy the world by flood. Even though human hearts remained sinful, God declared that the natural order, seedtime and harvest, day and night, would continue as long as the earth remains. This was a promise of mercy, despite humanity’s continued weakness.

Noah did not hear God’s promise immediately. The Scripture says God spoke these words “in His heart.” Yet Noah still believed. His faith was shown through his obedience and worship. In the same way, believers today are called to live by faith, trusting God’s word even when His promises are not yet seen.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Holding to the True Gospel

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RICHARD CORDER

In his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul warns believers not to be led away from the truth of the gospel. In Galatians 5:7–12, he expresses deep concern for Christians who had once walked faithfully but were being influenced by false teachers. These teachers, called Judaizers, were convincing the Galatians that faith in Christ was not enough for salvation. They taught that following the laws of Moses, including circumcision and certain rituals, was also necessary. Paul saw this as a serious threat to the purity of the gospel.

Apostle Paul  Creative Commons George E. Koronaios

Paul reminds the believers that they began their spiritual journey well. They had accepted the message of salvation through faith in Christ alone. Yet someone had come among them and persuaded them to believe a different message. Paul makes it clear that this persuasion did not come from God. To add human works to the message of grace is to change the gospel completely. The message of salvation through Jesus Christ cannot be mixed with rules and rituals. Christ’s death and resurrection are sufficient for forgiveness and eternal life.

I think it’s important to mention here: I am speaking about salvation through works. There are Messianic Christians today who believe that to follow the law is to avoid sin, but not something that leads to salvation. To be clear, avoiding sin doesn’t save. Faith as a gift from God saves. But this doesn’t mean we should go ahead and sin. I don’t want to get off topic, but I want to be very clear what the Messianic Christians believe. Is this what Paul was talking about?

Paul’s concern is not only for the Galatians but for all believers. He knows that small errors can grow into serious problems. He warns that “a little leaven leavens the whole lump.” Just as a small amount of yeast spreads through dough, even a small distortion of the gospel can corrupt the entire message. History shows that this has often happened when people have questioned or altered the truth of God’s word. For that reason, Paul calls for faithfulness to Scripture and careful study so that believers will not be deceived.

Nothing But The Blood – HeartCry Worship

Even though Paul speaks firmly, he does not lose hope. He tells the Galatians that he trusts the Lord will help them return to the truth. His confidence is not based on their strength but on God’s ability to guide those who truly belong to Him. However, Paul also warns that the person leading them astray will face judgment. False teachers, motivated by pride or sin, will one day answer for their actions before God.

Paul also addresses accusations made against him. Some claimed that he preached one message to Jews and another to Gentiles. He denies this, explaining that he never taught that the law could save anyone. For Jewish believers, keeping certain customs was a matter of culture, not salvation. For Gentiles, such practices were never required. Paul’s message was the same for all: salvation comes by grace through faith in Christ alone. The cross is offensive because it tells people they cannot save themselves, but Paul refuses to soften that truth.

Finally, Paul expresses a strong wish against the false teachers who were disturbing the Galatian churches. His words are sharp, showing how seriously he viewed their actions. These men were spreading lies that could destroy the faith of many. Paul’s language may sound severe, but it reflects his passion for the gospel’s purity. He saw that false teaching was not just an error, it was an attack on the truth that saves.

Paul’s warning remains important today. Many still try to add human effort to God’s grace or twist the message of salvation to fit their own ideas. Believers are called to guard the truth carefully and to know Scripture well so they are not easily misled. The gospel of Christ does not need improvement or addition. It stands complete as the good news that brings freedom from sin and peace with God.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

Ephesians 2:8

Faith that Says Yes

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BOB RICHMOND

Faith is not built in times of comfort. It grows when God leads us into something greater than we can handle. Every major work that has ever honoured God required His power to succeed. From the temple David longed to build, to the ministry buildings and churches of today, all of them began when people trusted God with what seemed too big for them.

When David realized that God had chosen Solomon to build the temple, he did not turn away in disappointment. Instead, he prepared everything he could and encouraged the people to give toward a vision he would never see completed. He praised God before the congregation, reminding them that all power, wealth, and glory belong to the Lord. What David understood is still true: nothing we have is really ours. God owns everything, and we are only managers of what He places in our care.

Faith starts by recognizing God’s ownership. When we hold tightly to our possessions, we act as if God forgot about us. But He never has. Jesus said that if God feeds the birds and clothes the flowers, He will care for us too. Putting God first does not place us in danger. It brings us under His care.

Many people hesitate to trust God because they want to see the outcome before they act. But that is not faith. Abraham left his home without knowing where he was going. He trusted that God’s promise was enough. Peter stepped out of a boat to walk on the water, not because it made sense, but because Jesus said, “Come.” Both men saw what God can do when someone says yes.

Faith also relies on God’s power. We are not asked to accomplish great things on our own. God works through His people when they surrender their abilities, time, and resources to Him. When we trust God, He multiplies what we give. .

Throughout history, people have risked everything for what they believed was right. The early founders of nations and countless others acted in faith, trusting that freedom and truth were worth the cost. In the same way, every church, missionary, and believer who steps forward in faith participates in something eternal.

J. Hudson Taylor: Pioneer Missionary

Even the poorest believer can give something to God. Scripture shows that when people offer what little they have, God blesses and provides for them. The widow who shared her last meal with Elijah saw her food never run out. Hudson Taylor, a missionary who gave his last coin to a hungry family, found that God supplied his needs the next day. These stories are not about loss. They are about trust.

Faith is not only about believing in God’s power but also rejoicing in His provision. When we give what He asks, we open the way for Him to show His faithfulness. David rejoiced that God allowed him to give toward the temple, knowing that everything came from God in the first place.

Saying yes to God in faith may look different for each person. For some, it may be trusting God with finances; for others, it may mean surrendering future plans or stepping forward in service. Whatever the case, God asks for a simple yes. He does not require us to see the full picture, only to trust Him with the next step.

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6

The Change That Comes With Faith

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AMY TURNER

When a person puts their trust in Christ, something real takes place within them. The outside may look the same, but the inside has been made new. The Bible teaches that in Christ, the old self is left behind and a new life begins. This does not mean that temptations disappear or that old struggles instantly vanish. It means that a different kind of life now exists, one that is guided by the Spirit instead of by darkness.

Through Christ, believers gain new strength and new desires that influence the way they think, speak, and act. What was once impossible, things such as growing in faith and maturity, are now possible because of His presence.

This change is not yet complete. There will come a time when the work of renewal is seen fully. Scripture reminds us that when Christ returns, His people will finally be like Him, free from the brokenness of the past and complete in His likeness. Until then, Christians live in the assurance that they are already made new, even while they continue to grow.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

2 Corinthians 5:17