Key points
- 1
1True biblical faith is not emotional wishful thinking but an inner conviction produced by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, giving us evidence of unseen realities.
Paraphrase
True biblical faith is not an emotional kind of wishful thinking. It is an inner conviction based on the word of God.
“Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen”
- 2
2The heroes of the Faith Hall of Fame were distinguished by agreeing they were foreigners and nomads on earth, welcoming God's promises from a distance rather than demanding them in the here and now.
- 3
3God planted eternity in human hearts, so the endless desire for 'more' is not the problem — the problem is trying to fulfill an eternal desire with temporal things.
Illustration
C. S. Lewis quote from Mere Christianity: 'If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world'
- 4
4My future destination should decide my present determination — 'then and now' thinking means letting where I am going filter every decision I make today.
“We don't have enough people serving in children. There are people in this room that you have been called to do that, and you won't do it”
- 5
5Jesus did not say 'in this world but not of it'; He prayed that the Father would not take believers out of the world but send them into it — we are called to be missionaries, not prisoners or tourists.
“He didn't call us to be a prisoner. He didn't call us to be a tourist. He called us to be a missionary”
A story from life
An American woman doing ministry in Scotland had adopted a full Scottish accent after only three months, illustrating how quickly people absorb the culture around them
- 6
6Paul, with tears, warned the church that those whose conduct shows they are enemies of the cross think only about this earthly life — but believers are citizens of heaven, eagerly waiting for Christ.
- 7
7Like David in Psalm 139, believers must continually ask God to search their hearts, expose anxious thoughts rooted in earthly focus, and lead them on the everlasting path.
“faith isn't a feeling. Faith is a choice”
A story from life
A semi-retired friend who does cabinet work was hired to do $25,000 of work on a house, only to discover the client was renting it, not buying it
A story from life
Pastor Bill accidentally walked into a stranger's house in a new housing development while running late to a leadership meeting
Application
Pastor Bill calls every listener to make two decisive moves. First, adopt 'then and now' thinking: let your heavenly destination — not your present feelings or circumstances — determine what you do with your time, money, and gifts right now. That may mean getting baptized without waiting until you feel ready, stepping into a serving role you have been avoiding, or simply redirecting energy spent on building a 'forever home' in a rental world. Second, and most fundamentally, decide where your home lands. If you have never placed your faith in Jesus, that is the starting line. If you already know Him, follow David's example in Psalm 139 and regularly ask God to search your heart, surface the anxious thoughts that signal misplaced focus, and lead you back onto the everlasting path — because only then will your heart finally settle where it was always meant to land.
