We Need a Little Christmas | Week 6 | Bill Bush

The big idea

Real faith isn't built to avoid hard seasons — it's built to keep trusting God when life doesn't work the way we expect.

Following God's rules and doing everything right doesn't guarantee life will go smoothly — but that isn't a failure of faith. Abraham's faith worked even when his circumstances made no sense, because he trusted who God is, not what God would give him. That same faith is available to us through Jesus, who makes us right with God when nothing else can.

Point 1 of 5

Pastor Bill points to Romans 4:17, where Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead to life and creates something out of nothing — but the text says he believed God, not just what God could do. When faith is placed in the 'what' (outcomes, blessings, comfort), God becomes a resource instead of the source, and faith collapses the moment life stops delivering.

Point 2 of 5

From Romans 4:18, Abraham hoped when there was no reason to hope because he held onto God's actual promise, not his own optimism. Pastor Bill ties this to James's teaching that genuine faith produces change — if someone claims to believe but never lets God's word alter their life, they should examine whether they ever truly believed at all.

Point 3 of 5

Romans 4:19 says Abraham faced the fact that his body and Sarah's womb were as good as dead, yet did not waver. Pastor Bill unpacks the Greek behind 'faced the facts' (mind-down, implying discouragement) to show Abraham was honest about the hopelessness without letting it sink his mind — illustrated by the contrast between curated 'Insta Story' snapshots and the messy reality of most of life, using his own family photo as an example.

Point 4 of 5

Returning to Romans 4:20, Abraham's unwavering faith is described as bringing glory to God — worship. Pastor Bill defines worship as what you give your worth and attention to, and says worry wins by default unless we choose to praise and pray instead of just staring at the problem, noting the Greek word for 'waver' literally means 'two minds.'

Point 5 of 5

Pastor Bill closes the case for Abraham's faith with Romans 4:21-25 and the story of Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22), where God stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son and provided a substitute sheep — a picture of Jesus, who was later sacrificed and not spared, so that we could be made right with God.

Take it into your week

Pastor Bill's charge is to build a faith for all seasons by trusting the who instead of chasing the what.